Are COVID-19 vaccines a rush job? Explaining the speed of vaccine development

It turns out that things may not be as they appear when it comes to the speed of COVID-19 vaccine development. The reality is that COVID-19 vaccines are based on years of documented research that created the critical knowledge, infrastructure, and cutting-edge technology that made rapid vaccine production possible. Read on

Long term complications of COVID

Many infectious diseases can cause persistent symptoms and complications after the infection itself has cleared. These can range from impaired memory that improves over weeks, to general weakness that improves over months, to chronic organ dysfunction. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infection caused by SARS-CoV2, also appears to carry a risk of post-infection symptoms, commonly called “Long COVID”. Read on

Vaccination Opponents Drive An Epidemic Of COVID-19 Misinformation

There is a saying that when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. So, it should come as no surprise that vaccine skeptics worldwide are sounding the alarm about the flu shot as a real danger in the COVID-19 pandemic. Confused? Well, it turns out the anti-vaccine activists are too. Read on

Pregnancy and COVID-19

These times can be especially alarming for many pregnant and new parents because there does not seem to be enough research, let alone digestible information to communicate what to expect. For this reason, I sought to understand what the data says about COVID-19 exposure and transmission in pregnancy and newborns. Read on

ZH这个时期对许多在孕期中以及初为父母者来说特别的忐忑不安，因为市面上似乎还没有够充分的研究，更没有通俗易懂的资讯告诉大众接下来会发生什么。鉴于此，我探索搜寻了新冠-19在孕妇和新生儿中感染和传染的数据。继续阅读

URاسی وجہ سے میں کرونا بیماری کی معلومات کے زریعے یہ جاننے کی کوشش کرتی رہی کہ کیسے حاملہ خواتین اور نوزائدہ بچے کرونا بیماری سے اثر انداز ہوتے ہیں۔ اس تحریر میں ان وسائل کا بھی زکر ہے جو پیدائش کے وقت والدین کے لیے کارآمد ثابت ہو سکتے ہیں۔ اسکے ساتھ ساتھ وہ وسائل بھی موجود ہیں جن سے پر امید والدین جسمانی اور زہنی صحت سے متعلق آگاہی حاصل کر سکتے ہیں۔ پڑھیں

FA این دوران ميتواند براي بسياري از والدين باردار و زائو نگران كننده و استرس زا باشد چرا که به نظر نمي رسد تحقيقات كافي در زمینه [بارداری در دوران كويد-١٩] وجود داشته باشد چه برسد به اطلاعات قابل درکی که بتوان در اختیار قرار داد. به همين دليل من به دنبال درك آنچه داده ها درباره ابتلا به كويد-١٩ در دوران بارداري و انتقال آن به نوزادان مي گويند بودم. ادامه مطلب

SARS-CoV-2 fabriqué en laboratoire? Vraiment?

FR La pandémie COVID-19 a apporté avec elle un lot de changements mais aussi une multitude de théories. Parmi ces dernières, nous retrouvons la théorie selon laquelle le virus SARS-CoV-2, responsable de la maladie COVID-19, a été conçu par l’homme en laboratoire. En effet, Luc Montagnier, lauréat d’un prix Nobel, déclarait le 17 avril 2020 à la télévision française qu’« on a ajouté à ce modèle (coronavirus) des séquences du VIH (...)». Depuis, cette théorie a été nourrie par certains, rejetée par d’autres. Tentons d’y voir plus clair. Lire la suite

Good news from immunologists for potential success of vaccines against COVID-19

There have been questions whether humans will develop immunity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes the disease, COVID-19. This question is critical for vaccine developers. Recently, good news came from several immunologists around the world that once our bodies encounter the virus, a protective response to the virus can be achieved. Read on

The Mental Health Toll of COVID-19

The physical health impacts of COVID-19 have been well highlighted in the media. However, less discussed are the consequences that the stress of a pandemic in general – and quarantine measures in particular – have on mental health. Research from Australia shines a light on how the current pandemic has affected mental health, specifically the conditions of social isolation and loneliness. Read on

Out of sight, out of mind: COVID-19 and Cardiac Arrest

COVID-19 is known as an illness of the respiratory system, but the cardiovascular system has emerged as a critical player in the disease. Pre-existing cardiovascular conditions are linked with higher rates of mortality, and the virus can damage the cardiovascular system, causing potentially long-term injury. Read on

COVID-19 Ups The Chances Of Dying From A Broken Heart

Although COVID-19 is a respiratory illness, a new review of COVID-19 studies published in the journal PLoS One shows that cardiovascular complications are common in COVID-19 patients, which might increase the risk of death. Read on

FA اگرچه كويد-١٩ یک بیماری تنفسی است، بررسی مطالات جديد كويد-١٩ در مجله PLoS One نشان می دهد که عوارض قلبی عروقی در بیماران كويد-١٩شایع است و ممکن است خطر مرگ را افزایش دهد.ادامه مطلب

ES Aunque COVID-19 es una enfermedad respiratoria, revisando estudios sobre COVID-19 publicados en la revista PLoS One vemos que las complicaciones cardiovasculares son comunes en pacientes con COVID-19, lo que podría aumentar su riesgo de muerte.Sigue leyendo

Regeneron Antibodies: Fact-Checking the Science of an Experimental COVID-19 Treatment

In January, 2020, during the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a US-based research scientist was exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the disease, at a family gathering in Beijing. Within months, samples provided by this anonymous scientist helped to kick-start research in antibody-based treatments for COVID-19 that ultimately lead to an experimental antibody treatment received by US President Donald Trump. Read on

Standing up for science in the era of COVID-19

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had a glimmer of hope that maybe through this crisis, trust in science and the importance of scientific research would become indisputable. It felt like we would finally see an example of what a world without just one vaccine for a deadly infectious disease would look like. But the stories that the world chooses to focus on, and those that are shared across non-expert audiences, tell a different story. Read on

Pandemic danger to the deep: the risk of marine mammals contracting SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater

The current COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that spreads between humans, primarily through respiratory droplets. However, recent studies demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 is excreted in feces and can survive in water for up to 25 days, raising the possibility that wastewater provides a separate mode of spread for this coronavirus. Read on

The lockdown related to COVID-19 severely affected early-career investigators and clinical trials

The research sectors particularly impacted by the pandemic are beginning to be identified. David Knapp, Principal Investigator at IRIC, in collaboration with David G. Kent (University of York) and Nagarajan Kannan (Mayo Clinic), highlight the consequences of the health crisis on early-career investigators and clinical trials. Read on

FR Les secteurs de la recherche particulièrement touchés par la pandémie commencent à être identifiés. David Knapp, chercheur principal à l’IRIC, en collaboration avec David G. Kent (University of York) et Nagarajan Kannan (Mayo Clinic), met en lumière les conséquences de la crise sanitaire sur les jeunes chercheurs et les essais cliniques. Lire la suite

What is this promising Covid-19 vaccine developed by Moderna?

In mid-May, the American company Moderna announced that the vaccine developed against Covid-19 had triggered an immune response in 8 patients. These patients secreted antibodies in an amount comparable to those seen in infected patients and recovered from the coronavirus. Among the panoply of vaccine strategies currently being tested, to which category does Moderna belong? Read on

FR À la mi-mai, l'entreprise américaine Moderna annonçait que le vaccin qu'elle développe contre la Covid-19 a déclenché une réponse immunitaire chez 8 patients. Ces patients ont sécrété des anticorps en quantité comparable à ceux observés chez les patients infectés et remis du coronavirus. Parmi la panoplie de stratégie de vaccins actuellement à l'essai, à quelle catégorie appartient Moderna? Lire la suite

Towards a massive screening of COVID-19? The EasyCOV saliva test

"Test, test, test" has been the leitmotif of the World Health Organization (WHO) since the start of the pandemic. However, mass screening requires a rapid, simple and effective detection test. To answer this question, french researchers carried out a real race against the clock in the laboratory in order to produce and market this test in record time. This one, called EasyCOV¹, requires a saliva sample and provides the results in 1 hour. Back on this test and its mode of action. Read on

FR «Testez, testez, testez» est le leitmotiv de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) depuis le début de la pandémie. Néanmoins, un dépistage massif requiert un test de détection rapide, simple et efficace. Pour y répondre, des chercheurs français ont effectué une véritable course contre la montre en laboratoire afin de produire et commercialiser ce test en un temps records. Celui-ci, appelé EasyCOV¹, nécessite un échantillon de salive et fournit les résultats en 1h. Retour sur ce test et son mode d’action. Lire la suite

Will COVID-19 Use Myocarditis to Strike Out Baseball?

COVID-19 has thrown North American professional baseball a curveball. An outbreak among players for the Miami Marlins, that has spread to the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals, brings into question the infection control protocols touted by Major League Baseball. But perhaps more concerning is the report that Boston Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez developed myocarditis as a result of COVID-19. Will myocarditis from COVID-19 be a strike out pitch for professional baseball? Read on

Simulations help reduce the effects of a second wave of COVID-19

It is expected that there will be a second wave of COVID-19 — and possibly more — that could be even more deadly than the current one. We should be better prepared, and modelling and simulation can be useful to predict the evolution of the disease, help reduce the spread of infection and inform public and private policies in terms of prevention. We still have time. Read on

ES Se espera que haya una segunda ola de COVID-19 - y posiblemente más - que podría ser incluso más mortal que la actual. Deberíamos estar mejor preparados, y la modelización y la simulación pueden ser útiles para predecir la evolución de la enfermedad, ayudar a reducir la propagación de la infección e informar las políticas públicas y privadas en materia de prevención. Todavía estamos a tiempo. Sigue leyendo

The Racial Disparities of COVID-19

People with compromised immune systems or other health challenges understandably have high rates of mortality from COVID-19. But why does COVID-19 have an unusually large impact among some racialized and ethnic groups? Studies suggest that systemic discrimination against minorities, especially Black communities, is a driving factor that leaves these populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Read on

ES Es comprensible que las personas con sistemas inmunes comprometidos u otros problemas de salud tengan altas tasas de mortalidad por causa del COVID-19. Pero ¿cuál es la causa por la que el COVID-19 tiene un impacto tan alto en algunos grupos étnicos? Estudios recientes sugieren que una de las causas es la discriminación sistémica contra las minorías, especialmente las comunidades afroamericanas, provocando que estos grupos sean afectados por el COVID-19 de manera desproporcionada. Sigue leyendo

The Ups and Downs of Hydroxychloroquine

As COVID19 continues to spread, the global search for a cure is underway. The development of a preventative vaccine is likely months if not a year away. In the meantime, several therapies have been raised as potential cures with hydroxychloroquine arguably being the most widely known. But will this miracle treatment live up to the hype? Read on

ES La pandemia de COVID-19 continúa extendiéndose, y seguimos buscando una cura. Es posible que falten meses o hasta un año para completar el desarrollo de una vacuna. Mientras tanto se han planteado varias terapias, y una de las más conocidas propone utilizar hidroxicloroquina. Este tratamiento milagroso ¿Está a la altura de las circunstancias? Sigue leyendo

The Heartbreaking Truth About COVID-19

Coronaviruses like SARS-CoV2 – which is responsible for COVID-19 – cause illness by infecting the lungs. But the impact of these viruses can be far wider. The truth is, COVID-19 can be heartbreaking. Read on