(Newswise)–Research in the journal Cell shows that a specific change in the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus virus genome, previously associated with increased viral transmission and the spread of COVID-19, is more infectious in cell culture.  The variant in question, D614G, makes a small but effective change in the virus’s ‘Spike’ protein, which the virus uses to enter […]

(Newswise)–Xiang-Dong Fu, PhD, has never been more excited about something in his entire career. He has long studied the basic biology of RNA, a genetic cousin of DNA, and the proteins that bind it. But a single discovery has launched Fu into a completely new field: neuroscience. For decades, Fu and his team at the […]

SAN DIEGO–Nearly 9 in 10 U.S. adults are “very” (55%) or “somewhat” (33%) concerned that the pharmaceutical industry will leverage the COVID-19 pandemic to raise drug prices. Similarly, 84% are very or somewhat concerned that the general cost of care will rise, and 79% are very or somewhat concerned their health insurance premiums will go […]

(Newswise)–One of the mysteries of COVID-19 is why children are much less likely than adults to be harmed by the disease. To answer this question, Cedars-Sinai ‘s Newsroom spoke to Priya Soni, MD, Cedars-Sinai Pediatric Infectious Disease specialist.  “Not only are fewer children testing positive for COVID-19,” said Soni, “but those that do test positive are […]

(Newswise)–Jun Yan, M.D., Ph.D., professor of surgery and microbiology and immunology at the University of Louisville, led a team of researchers in the discovery of an important biomarker that predicts a crisis in COVID-19 patients that could lead to death. Yan, an immunologist and researcher with the UofL Health – James Graham Brown Cancer Center, […]

(Newswise)–An international team of researchers led by McMaster University has found that while higher heat and humidity can slow the spread of COVID-19, longer hours of sunlight are associated with a higher incidence of the disease, in a sign that sunny days can tempt more people out even if this means a higher risk of […]

Riverside, CA–How might the novel coronavirus be prevented from entering a host cell in an effort to thwart infection? A team of biomedical scientists has made a discovery that points to a solution. The scientists, led by Maurizio Pellecchia in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, report in the journal Molecules […]

(Newswise)–A comprehensive review of existing evidence supports physical distancing of six feet or more to prevent person-to-person transmission of COVID-19, says an international team led by McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.  Face masks and eye protection decrease the risk of infection, too.  The systematic review and meta-analysis was commissioned by the World Health […]

(Newswise)–COVID-19 infection may cause subacute thyroiditis, according to a new case study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. Subacute thyroiditis is an inflammatory thyroid disease characterized by neck pain and is usually preceded by an upper respiratory tract infection. It may be caused by a viral infection or a post-viral inflammatory reaction, […]