COVID-19 pandemic dynamics in South Africa and epidemiological characteristics of three variants of concern (Beta, Delta, and Omicron)

A model of COVID-19 dynamics in South Africa reveals epidemiological characteristics of the main SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and highlights their potential to cause further outbreaks. Published in eLife, the researchers’ findings highlight the need for more proactive planning and preparedness for future variants of concern (VOCs), including the development of a universal vaccine that can

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Inhaled aprotinin reduces viral load in mild-to-moderate inpatients with Covid-19: paper published in European Journal of Clinical Investigation

New variants of the causative pathogen, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continue to emerge, and the ‘new normal’ appears to be a scenario where human beings coexist with the virus. However, many individuals are at higher risk of severe COVID-19 due to comorbidities like obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, advancing age,

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Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine Targeting Fast-Spreading Omicron BA.1 and BA.4/5 will be delivered as soon as October 2022

Pfizer and BioNTech will begin trials of their updated mRNA Covid-19 vaccine designed to protect against the newer BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants of the coronavirus latest this month, BioNTech announced on Monday, joining other vaccine makers like Moderna who are trying to create updated shots targeting the faster spreading and immune evasive variants. The trial

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Dysregulation of the kallikrein-kinin system and neutrophils role in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of patients with severe COVID-19

Results published by University of Leuven researchers in eBioMedicine Markers of inflammation and coagulation are predictors for clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Binding of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 receptor, which is involved in kinin breakdown, could interfere with the kallikrein-kinin pathway. SARS-CoV-2 induced dysregulation

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12,7% COVID-19 patients develop long COVID symptoms: results of a large Dutch study

One in eight adults (12.7%) who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience long term symptoms due to COVID-19, suggests a large Dutch study published in The Lancet. The study provides one of the first comparisons of long-term symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection (often called ‘long COVID’) with symptoms in an uninfected population, as well as measuring symptoms in

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Prognosis and persistence of smell and taste dysfunction in 5% patients with Covid-19: meta-analysis results published in The BMJ

About 5% of adults may develop long-lasting changes to their sense of smell or taste after COVID-19 infection, suggests research published by The BMJ today. With more than 550 million confirmed COVID-19 cases to date, this means that at least 15 million and 12 million adult patients may experience long-term smell and taste deficiencies, respectively. Given the

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SARS-CoV-2 Variants Have Developed Resistance to Human Interferons

CU Anschutz researchers examined how five SARS-CoV-2 variants interact with diverse interferons and found the virus has adapted to evade this important front-line defense of the innate immune system Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have investigated how antiviral proteins called interferons interact with SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. The study, published in Proceedings

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The third COVID-19 booster was crucial to identifying and fighting new variants

Twenty different COVID-19 variants were effectively identified and neutralised after the third booster, according to the new study for which the University of Surrey provided the crucial antigenic map of variants of concern.  While the study’s results suggested that immunity decreases 20 weeks after vaccination, the third booster (of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, in the case

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Primary thromboprophylaxis in symptomatic outpatients with COVID-19: no benefit in two randomized trials 

Two trials show no differences between patients who received enoxaparin vs standard of care The routine use of antithrombotic therapies to prevent thromboembolic complications provided no benefit for symptomatic outpatients with COVID-19, according to the results of two randomized trials. In the OVID trial, the 30-day risk of hospitalization and death was similar among patients who

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