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Round-up: COVID-19 June 2021 (Part Two)

We have summarised all of the most recent news and research surrounding the novel coronavirus and put it here in one place!

Statistics

At the time of writing, there have been:

  • 180,374,256 cases
  • 3,907,694 deaths
  • 165,100,576 recoveries

Research

  • Researchers have found that viral genome sequencing of wastewater can provide an early warning system of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. (Wilton et al, 2021)
  • Yale researchers have found that exposure to the rhinovirus (most frequent cause of the common cold) can protect against infection by SARS-CoV-2. (Cheermarla et al, 2021)
  • A new study provides evidence that coronaviruses achieve pathogenesis through triggering programmed cell death. (Chu et al, 2021)
  • A study in hamsters has found that SARS-CoV-2 can infect testes, which has important implications for men’s health. (Campos et al, 2021)
  • Scientists have found that surges in COVID-19 case numbers are associated with deletions in the SARS-CoV-2 genome in an antigenic site of the spike protein. (Venkatakrishnan et al, 2021)
  • A new study has suggested that immune responses may develop against other proteins produced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. (Heffron et al, 2021)
  • Researchers have explored the way in which SARS-CoV-2 reprograms the metabolism of the host cell in order to gain an overall advantage. (Gassen et al, 2021)
  • A team has successfully created a model of the cells found in the lungs that can be used to replicate how COVID-19 infects the airway. (Djidrovksi et al, 2021)
  • By studying the brains of people who died of COVID-19, researchers have found signs of inflammation and impaired brain circuitry. (Yang et al, 2021)
  • Using the methodology from GWAS, researchers have identified more deadly SARS-CoV-2 variants. (Hahn et al, 2021)
  • New research indicates that SARS-CoV-2 produces microRNAs that can have an impact on infected cells. (Karimi et al, 2021)

Other news

  • UCL researchers have developed a new method – known as Phone Screen Testing (PoST) – to detect the virus on phones with a similar accuracy to lateral flow tests. (Young et al, 2021)
  • Novavax have announced strong results from a pivotal vaccine trial, showing 90% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 infection. (Novavax, 2021)
  • A rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome has been documented following Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccination. (Maramattom et al, 2021)

Image credit: By starline – freepik


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covid-19 / Round-up / Vaccine