So much news, so little time. Check out our summary of some of the latest news and research surrounding the novel coronavirus from the past fortnight.
Statistics
At the time of writing, there have been:
- 234,157,620 cases
- 4,790,062 deaths
- 210,951,931 recoveries
Research
- Brazilian researchers have taken the first steps toward understanding why some people are naturally resistant to infection by SARS-CoV-2. (Castelli et al, 2021)
- Researchers have shown how SARS-CoV-2 proteases attack the cell and how they can be targeted to stop viral replication using existing drugs. (Meyer et al, 2021)
- A unique type of tiny antibody, produced by llamas, could provide a new treatment against COVID-19. (Huo et al, 2021)
- New research has reported that a component of the human interferon system that activates SARS-CoV-2 cellular defences is defective in a proportion of individuals. (Wickenhagen et al, 2021)
- Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have published a detailed map of where human antibodies bind to SARS-CoV-2. (Hastie et al, 2021)
- A new study has found that combined measurement of granulocytes and well-known biomarkers in the blood can predict COVID-19 severity. (Lourda et al, 2021)
- New research has reported the identification of a cell surface protein, CD47, that may be critical in contributing to severe forms of COVID-19. (McLaughlin et al, 2021)
- Researchers have found that the nasal microbiota may hold clues as to which individuals will develop symptoms from SARS-CoV-2. (Kolhe et al, 2021)
- A version of SARS-CoV-2 has been modified to glow brightly in cells and animal tissues, enabling researchers to track the spread and intensity of viral infection. (Ye et al, 2021)
- Penn State researchers have created a new tool that can predict with reasonable accuracy the amino acid changes in the virus’ spike protein that may make variants more infectious. (Chen et al, 2021)
Other news
- The University of Oxford and Oracle’s cloud system is being used by researchers to help identify COVID-19 variants faster. (Oracle, 2021)
- According to new research, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the biggest decrease in life expectancy since World War II. (Aburto et al, 2021)
Image credit: canva
