Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and play a potential role in the evolution of life.
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Ivan Erill, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Viruses have gotten a bad rap for the many illnesses and pandemics they’ve caused. But viruses are also genetic innovators – and possibly the pioneers of using DNA as the genetic blueprint of life.
Delta is more contagious and appears to be more deadly. And it’s more likely to land those infected in hospital and intensive care. Here’s what the latest evidence says about the dominant variant.
It’s unclear whether the patients were already predisposed to these diseases, or the infection unmasked a process that had already begun. Or perhaps the infection triggered a completely new illness.
New DNA evidence shows humans may have been battling coronaviruses for longer than recorded history.
In February 2021, a World Health Organization team investigating the origins of COVID-19 visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China.
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The research community is taking a closer look at the lab-leak hypothesis for the origin of COVID-19, prompting discussion about the risks and benefits of engineering viruses.
We recently heard reports of a new and dangerous ‘hybrid’ variant circulating in Vietnam. There is such as a thing as a hybrid viral variant — but this doesn’t appear to be it.
The prevention of future pandemics requires examining viral family trees.
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As the world waits for vaccines against COVID-19, testing wastewater can give communities and smaller locales, such as school districts, valuable signals about infections trends.
People wearing masks walk in front of Pfizer’s headquarters in New York City. Pfizer and BioNtech are on track with a vaccine that is 90 per cent effective, say preliminary results, but they are not the only ones in the race.
AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews
Aïssatou Aïcha Sow, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)
Canada has set aside a total of 414 million doses of different types of vaccine. Some exploit known mechanisms, others are based on previously untested approaches.
It’s excellent this virus has been found early, but there is no evidence yet of human-to-human transmission.
A pandemic from a century ago doesn’t necessarily chart the course of the pandemic happening now.
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Differences in the viruses’ biology and societal contexts mean there’s no guarantee today’s pandemic will mirror the ‘waves’ of infection a century ago.
Professor of Bioethics & Medicine, Sydney Health Ethics, Haematologist/BMT Physician, Royal North Shore Hospital and Director, Praxis Australia, University of Sydney