COVID-19 has been found in pets, zoo animals and in a wild mink in Utah. Monitoring wildlife for COVID-19 is important for animals and humans, both of whom face risks from a jumping virus.
The genome of hepatitis D doesn’t resemble any known virus, making its origin a mystery. But by mining virus sequences from genetic datasets, a new study may have found the answer.
Researchers say around 70% of the US needs to get the coronavirus vaccine to stop the pandemic. But questions around the vaccines and regional differences add some uncertainty to that estimate.
With vaccines forthcoming for most Americans, many groups, including expectant mothers, are wondering if the vaccine is safe for them and their babies. A physician-scientist explains.
Going out in the cold won’t necessarily lead to you getting a cold. But cold weather in general is more hospitable to viruses, so it’s wise to take steps to keep your immune system strong.
In September, production of rapid tests really ramped up in the US. But due to low accuracy and massive numbers needed, these tests alone are unlikely to have much of an effect on the pandemic.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus at the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic is one ten-thousandth of a millimeter in diameter. How can such a microscopic organism have such an immense impact on global health?
Zoë McLaren, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing across the US. Testing has ramped up over the past few months, but increasing hospitalizations, deaths and test-positivity rates show that the virus is out of control.
Estimating the cost of antibiotic resistance to economies and health-care systems is fraught with difficulty, but new research says Australia will be hit harder than we think.
COVID-19 and holiday family gatherings are not a good pair. But taking the right precautions before, during and after the family gets together can greatly reduce coronavirus risk this holiday season.
Some have suggested the US allow healthy people to return to normal life, catch the coronavirus and get the population to herd immunity. The science says this plan is doomed to fail from the start.
Are antibodies that attack a patient’s own organs contributing to severe forms of COVID-19? A new study suggests specific antibody tests that may reveal the answer.
Scientists in the UK and Germany discovered a new doorway that the COVID-19 virus uses to infect human cells. This reveals new therapeutic possibilities for blocking the virus.
Vaccines work by teaching your immune system about new viruses. Your immune cells are very clever – they will remember what they learnt, and protect you if you encounter that virus in the future.
Patients suffering from severe COVID-19 may be experiencing a rogue antibody response similar to that seen in autoimmune diseases. The findings offer new approaches for COVID-19 therapy.
Michael Houghton, an Edmonton-based virologist, was one of the recipients of this year’s Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine for the discovery of hepatitis C.
Director, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital and Consultant Physician, Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital and Monash University, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity