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Round-Up: COVID-19 January (Part One)

Another year and the coronavirus is still mutating and spreading across the globe. Below, we summarise the latest insights and news surrounding COVID-19.

Statistics

At the time of writing, there have been:

  • 298, 434, 662 cases
  • 5,484,399 deaths
  • 256,946,057 recoveries

Research

  • A research team has developed a new molecule that attaches to the surface of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles. (Valero et al, 2021)
  • A study led by researchers from the LKS Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) provides the first insight into how the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant infects the human respiratory tract. (HKUMed, 2021)
  • A new paper is the most comprehensive single-cell study to compare SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults and children across multiple organs. (Yoshida et al, 2021)
  • A research group has investigated the link between the APOE4 allele and the severity of COVID-19 in the Finnish population. (Kurki et al, 2021)
  • Scientists have identified antibodies that neutrailise Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants. (Cameroni et al, 2021)
  • Despite its significantly higher number of mutations compared to other variants, researchers have revealed that T cells are still effective in mounting an immune response against Omicron. (Ahmed et al, 2021)
  • New study has reported that an additional booster dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is required for immunity against the Omicron variant. (Garcia-Beltran et al, 2021)

Other news

  • A highly anticipated clinical trial in eight sub-Saharan countries will be the first to specifically explore the efficacy of a COVID-19 vaccine in people living with HIV. (HVTN, 2021)
  • An article in Nature has summarised the growing evidence from animal studies that suggests Omicron does not multiple readily in lung tissue. (Kozlov, 2022)

Image credit: canva


More on these topics

Coronavirus / covid-19 / Round-up / Vaccine

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