Archives: 2021-03-17

PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2021-03-17

A two-dose regimen of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine did not show protection against mild-to-moderate Covid-19 due to the B.1.351 (South Africa) variant.

The SARS-CoV-2 spike gene has accumulated mutations within the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and the N-terminal domain (NTD). These domains are major targets of the antibody response elicited by the vaccines. The RBD mutations include the N501Y mutation, which is associated with increased affinity of SARS-CoV-2 to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. In contrast, the E484K

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2021-03-17

Astrazeneca Covid vaccine and blood clots: a storm in a teacup

A number of European nations, including Germany, France, Italy and Sweden, have suspended use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca covid‑19 vaccine over blood clot concerns. The World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have both emphasised that there is currently no evidence linking the vaccine to blood clots and recommend that countries continue using it. Emer Cooke, director of

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2021-03-15

How the pandemic has impacted teen mental health. Result of a Mott Poll Report

Restrictions put in place to contain COVID-19 may be particularly difficult for teens, who rely heavily on their peer and social connections for emotional support. In 2021, the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked a national sample of parents about the emotional impact pandemic restrictions have had on their teens age

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2021-03-15

Association of Acute Symptoms of COVID-19 and Symptoms of Depression in Adults

52,4% patients have symptoms of major depressive disorder after COVID-19, as published in a study of Massachusetts General Hospital More than half of individuals with prior COVID-19 illness have met the criteria for symptoms of major depressive disorder, according to a research letter published online March 12 in JAMA Network Open. Roy H. Perlis, M.D., from

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2021-03-14

Neutrophil activation tracks most closely with severe COVID-19 progression: a study on temporal and resolution dynamics of the host molecular responses confirms the main role of neutrophil proteolytic storm

The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has cost lives and economic hardships globally. Various studies have found a number of different factors, such as hyperinflammation and exhausted/suppressed T cell responses to the etiological SARS coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), being associated with severe COVID-19. However, sieving the causative from associative factors of respiratory dysfunction has remained rudimentary. In this

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2021-03-13

Vaccine-induced antibodies may be less effective against several new SARS-CoV-2 variants

Key Takeaways Neutralizing antibodies induced by the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were significantly less effective against the variants first described in Brazil/Japan and South Africa. While the ability of these variants to resist neutralizing antibodies is concerning, it doesn’t mean the vaccines won’t be effective. Understanding which mutations are most likely to allow the

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2021-03-12

Obesity linked to higher risk for poor COVID-19 outcomes

The risk for invasive mechanical ventilation, hospitalization and death in those with COVID-19 increased with BMI, according to research published in MMWR. “The findings in this report highlight a dose-response relationship between higher BMI and severe COVID-19–associated illness and underscore the need for progressively intensive illness management as obesity severity increases,” LyudmylaKompaniyets, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at the CDC,

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PIER MARIA FORNASARI
2021-03-12

Protease inhibitors drugs Camostat and Nafamostat inhibit new SARS-CoV-2 activators identified in the upper respiratory tract, blocking virus cell entry.

There are no therapeutics available that have been developed for COVID-19 treatment. Repurposing of already available medication for COVID-19 therapy is an attractive option to shorten the road to treatment development. The drug Camostat could be suitable. Camostat exerts antiviral activity by blocking the protease TMPRSS2, which is used by SARS-CoV-2 for entry into cells.

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