Lab tests suggest the delta variant escapes immune responses more easily than alpha The delta variant of the coronavirus is less sensitive than other common variants to antibodies in the blood of people who have previously been infected or vaccinated, researchers have found. The study, published in Nature, also found that the delta variant is more efficient at replicating and better at […]
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The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic UK may push ahead with vaccinating 12-15 age group pending medical officers’ review Sending children back to schools with inadequate mitigations for covid-19 in place will lead to widespread infections and disruptions to learning, a group of […]
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Existing Drugs Kill SARS-CoV-2 in Cells Since the beginning of the pandemic, researchers worldwide have been looking for ways to treat COVID-19. And while the COVID-19 vaccines represent the best measure to prevent the disease, therapies for those who do get infected remain in short supply. A new groundbreaking study from the University of Michigan reveals several drug contenders already in […]
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Study of 6.2 million patients by Kaiser Permanente and CDC researchers will continue for 2 years. Federal and Kaiser Permanente researchers combing the health records of 6.2 million patients found no serious health effects that could be linked to the 2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The study published September 2 in JAMA reports the first comprehensive findings of the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), which studies […]
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Dive Brief: AstraZeneca will fulfill its contract to deliver 300 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine Vaxzevria to European nations by March 2022, nine months later than planned, under a settlement announced today with the European Commission. The agreement ends a breach-of-contract lawsuit the commission filed. The UK-based drugmaker had signed an advance purchase agreement with the European Union in August 2020 under which […]
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Dive Brief: Pfizer and Merck & Co. each launched pivotal clinical studies of new experimental oral COVID-19 drugs, building on previous work to provide outpatient alternatives for patients. Merck is studying whether its medicine, molnupiravir, can prevent COVID-19 in adults who live with a symptomatic patient with a confirmed coronavirus infection. The trial will include about 1,300 patients who will take molnupiravir […]
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In 2021, in the United States alone, there have been more than 560,000 prescriptions of hydroxychloroquine for the prevention, post-exposure and treatment of COVID-19. Since the onset in February 2020, the U.S. has been the epicenter of the pandemic and remains the world leader in cases and deaths. Last year, the 890,000 prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine were nine-fold greater than the previous years, leading […]
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The coronavirus variant B.1.621, first identified in Colombia The B.1.621 or “mu” variant is a form of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that was first identified in Colombia in January 2021. Outbreaks of the ‘mu’ variant have also been recorded in some other countries in South America and Europe. The World Health Organization designated B.1.621 a variant of interest in August 2021. According to the […]
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Adults who have received a double vaccination are 49% less likely to have Long COVID should they contract a COVID-19 infection, a new study finds. Researchers at King’s College London analysed data from participants logging their symptoms, tests and vaccines on the UK ZOE COVID Symptom Study app between 8th December 2020 and 4 July 2021, including 1,240,009 (first dose) […]
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COVID-19 Antibody Study Shows Downside of Not Receiving Second Shot A new study shows that two months after the second Pfizer/Moderna vaccination, antibody response decreases 20% in adults with prior cases of COVID-19. The study also tests how well current vaccines resist emerging variants. The Northwestern University study underscores the importance of receiving a second dose of vaccine, not only because it is […]
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