Get your fortnightly dose of some of the latest news and research surrounding the novel coronavirus.
Statistics
At the time of writing, there have been:
- 241,558,652 cases
- 4,915,974 deaths
- 218,783,229 recoveries
Research
- Researchers have found that the lung is able to maintain long-term memory of COVID-19 infection. (Poon et al, 2021)
- A large study from Ontario has confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, particularly the Delta variant, are more virulent than the original strain and can increase people’s risk of hospitalisation and death. (Fisman and Tuite, 2021)
- New findings have revealed that a low antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 in intensive care unit patients is linked with a greater risk of death. (Martin-Vicente, 2021)
- Researchers have identified an anti-viral gene that impacts the risk of both Alzheimer’s disease and severe COVID-19. (Magusali et al, 2021)
- Researchers in Japan have developed a vaccination strategy in mice that promotes the production of antibodies that can neutralise both SARS-CoV-2 and a broad range of other coronaviruses. (Shinnakasu et al, 2021)
- An international team has used genomic and epidemiological data, together with mathematical modelling, to study the severe outbreak of COVID-19 in Delhi. (Dhar et al, 2021)
- Virologists have created SARS-CoV-2 replicons that will enable scientists to investigate SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in lower biosafety settings. (Ricardo-Lax et al, 2021)
- New research has confirmed findings of high viral loads of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in children. (Yonker et al, 2021)
- A recent study is the first to demonstrate the presence of cross-protective immunity by coronavirus vaccines. (Dangi et al, 2021)
- Scientists have developed a new strategy that is able to rapidly quantify transmissibility of COVID-19 variants. (Brunetti et al, 2021)
- Researchers have identified one of the most powerful antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 so far. (Fenwick et al, 2021)
- New findings have found that the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are effective against most SARS-CoV-2 variants. (Lucas et al, 2021)
- Scientists have developed a new compound that blocks SARS-CoV-2 from entering cells. (Mahoney et al, 2021)
Other news
- A new study has provided the most detailed analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance information to date and explored how the pandemic unfolded in England. (Vöhringer et al, 2021)
- A recent study has reconstructed regional incidence profiles of COVID-19 using SARS-CoV-2 genomes. (Smith et al, 2021)
- The NIH has awarded a $3.7 million grant to Louise McCullough and Fudong Liu to study what role sex differences play in the disease. (UTHealth, 2021)
- According to new research, more than half of people who are affected by COVID-19 will experience post-COVID symptoms (long COVID). (Groff et al, 2021)
Image credit: canva
