The spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 contains a cleavage site for host cell proteases called furins. Deciphering the role of this cleavage site during infection is important for understanding the origin of the pandemic virus and its disease pattern in humans. Back in February it was not known if the furin site in the SARS-CoV-2 was …
From the authors of Paul Has Measles comes Paul Stays Home, an illustrated book about COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 for children. Paul is sad because he can’t go out. He can’t see his friends or visit his grandparents. Like everyone else, he has to wait until the coronavirus pandemic is over. What is the coronavirus? How …
The moment a preprint emerges describing a new patient isolate of SARS-CoV-2, with a change in the genome sequence, the world seems to explode with concern about a new viral ‘strain’. I want to explain why such angst is misguided and in the process explain exactly what is a virus strain and a virus isolate. …
by Gertrud U. Rey A small subset of people are more vulnerable to severe complications and death resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection. What causes this vulnerability? An increasing body of evidence suggests that patients suffering from severe COVID-19 often have one or more pre-existing conditions (co-morbidities). In an effort to describe the co-morbidities of COVID-19 patients …
The 3,250,000 cases of COVID-19 and 233,000 deaths caused by SARS-CoV-2 (numbers as of this writing) could have largely been prevented. The viral outbreak could have been stopped in December in Wuhan had we had the foresight and financial support to develop antiviral drugs or vaccines. In the aftermath of the SARS-CoV pandemic of 2003, …
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic could have been prevented Read More »
Might spitting in a tube be the solution to finding out who is infected with SARS-CoV-2? The results of a recent study suggest that might be the case. To diagnose someone who is infected with SARS-CoV-2, a long swab is inserted deep into the nasal sinus to provide samples of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, a site …
