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Round-up: COVID-19 April 2021 (Part One)

At Front Line Genomics we know how difficult it is to stay on top of things, so here we have summarised the latest news and research surrounding COVID-19 from the past fortnight.

Statistics

At the time of writing, there have been:

  • 138,878,439 cases
  • 2,986,530 deaths
  • 111,658,477 recoveries

Research

  • A population-based study – The Rhineland Study – has provided new findings on the persistence of neutralising antibodies. (Aziz et al, 2021)
  • New research with 2,533 fragment compounds generates chemical map for future antiviral agents that could combat COVID-19. (Schuller et al, 2021)
  • Researchers have demonstrated a new, inexpensive technique that could help solve COVID-19 vaccine storage challenges. (Herbert et al, 2021)
  • An article published as preprint has profiled COVID-19 autopsies, uncovering novel disease mechanisms. (Pujadas et al, 2021)
  • Two studies published in PLOS Pathogens have provided new evidence supporting the role of the immune system in shaping SARS-CoV-2 evolution. (Eguia et al, 2021) (Ko et al, 2021)
  • Researchers have compared the images of the protein spikes that develop on the surface of cells exposed to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to the protein spikes on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. (Watanabe et al, 2021)
  • A new analysis has found that blocking excessive complement activity in the lungs could help in treating severe COVID-19. (Yan et al, 2021)
  • An observational study has suggested that the B.1.1.7. variant is not associated with more severe illness and death but does appear to lead to higher viral load. (Graham et al, 2021)
  • Researchers have generated intestinal organoids to study the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on the gut. (Mithal, 2021)

Other news

  • The European Medicines Agency has found a possible link to very rare cases of unusual blood clots and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. (EMA, 2021)
  • The NIH has begun a study exploring allergic reactions to Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. (NIH, 2021)

Image credit: By starline – freepik


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Coronavirus / covid-19 / Round-up