COVID-19 vaccines are better than infection at making antibodies to recognize new viral variants, according to a Stanford study. Antibodies generated by COVID-19 vaccines are more suited to recognizing viral variants than antibodies that arise from natural infection, according to a study by researchers at Stanford Medicine. A key finding of the study might explain why: Regions
What After studying blood samples from 244 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, a group of researchers, including those who work at the National Institutes of Health, identified “rogue antibodies” that correlate with severe illness and may help explain mechanisms associated with severe blood clotting. The researchers found circulating antiphospholipid antibodies, which can be more common among people
People who had been fully vaccinated against covid-19 were around half as likely to develop long covid symptoms as people who had received only one vaccine dose or were unvaccinated, the UK Health Security Agency has said. The agency conducted a rapid review of evidence, including 15 UK and international studies up to January 2022.
At a Glance Studies found that COVID-19 vaccines elicit T cells that recognize the Omicron variant despite the many mutations in its spike protein. The findings may explain why COVID-19 vaccines protect against severe disease from Omicron even though the variant can evade neutralizing antibodies. Viruses constantly evolve over time through mutations. This can result
This study has greatly expanded the understanding of the diversity of viruses carried by a variety of wild animals, and provided an important scientific basis for the early warning and prevention of human and livestock diseases.Vertebrate-associated viruses carried in wildlife The world’s top academic journal Cell published a research paper online: “Virome characterization of game
Within only three weeks after the Omicron variant was first identified among Houston Methodist patients, this variant rapidly took over and became the cause of a majority of new cases. By contrast, the delta variant took about three months to reach that same milestone after initial detection. Causing 98 percent of all new COVID-19 cases
Cardiovascular care essential part of post-infection care An in-depth analysis of federal health data indicates that people who have had COVID-19 are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular complications within the first month to a year after infection. Such complications include disruptive heart rhythms, inflammation of the heart, blood clots, stroke, coronary artery disease, heart
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took two actions to expand the use of the antiviral drug Veklury (remdesivir) to certain non-hospitalized adults and pediatric patients for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 disease. This provides another treatment option to reduce the risk of hospitalization in high-risk patients. Previously, the use of Veklury was limited to
Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have found that four COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, J&J/Janssen, and Novavax) prompt the body to make effective, long-lasting T cells against SARS-CoV-2. These T cells can recognize SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern, including Delta and Omicron. “The vast majority of T cell responses are still effective against Omicron,”
In a study recently published on Cell, researchers used cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) analysis to capture the open and closed states of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant’s spike protein. The open and closed states of the Omicron spike appeared more compact compared to that of the SARS-CoV-2 G614 strain, which is likely due to
