Like most viruses, SARS-CoV-2 infects its hosts by entering and “hijacking” the operations of a host cell. A significant amount of the research on COVID-19 has focused on how the virus’s surface spike protein works as a means to develop treatment and preventive measures like the vaccines. But that isn’t the only area of interest …
When Will COVID End?
Eighteen months have passed since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The pandemic has upended society as we know it, shuttering businesses, disrupting supply chains, and dramatically impacting our way of life. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that someone might ask: When will COVID end? The answer …
How SARS-CoV-2 Spreads Infection So Efficiently | Part 1 – The Spike Protein
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads throughout the world, the scientific community learns more about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and plans to use that information to develop new prevention and treatment options. Much of the research focuses on how SARS-CoV-2 enters cells to infect people, and why this virus is more adept at infection than its predecessors. …
How the Delta Variant May Impact COVID-19 Travel Restrictions
About 2,238,462 travelers passed through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints on August 1, 2021. Per TSA data, that’s nearly three times the number of travelers logged a year ago on August 1, 2020. The data doesn’t lie: With about 60 percent of the country at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19, Americans are undoubtedly feeling safer …
The SARS-CoV-2 Jump from Bats to Humans and What It Tells Us
Scientists involved in the search for the source of SARS-CoV-2 have pointed to a “jump” from bats occurring in and around Wuhan, China. Whether the virus moved from bats into people directly or if it traveled through an intermediate species was a subject of great debate in the scientific community. Previous forms of coronaviruses, such …
The Common Cold vs. COVID-19
You wake up with a congested nose, an annoying cough, and body aches. You’re fully vaccinated against COVID-19 – and yet, you can’t help but panic. “Oh, no,” you think. “It’s COVID.” But the statistics show that breakthrough COVID infections are uncommon. The most realistic outcome? You have the common cold. Like COVID-19, the common …
Is SARS-CoV-2 Evolving to Evade Vaccines?
The SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread rapidly following its first reported incidence in 2019, and since that time, several variants of the virus have circulated around the world, and more seem to be emerging all the time. While the vaccines in major circulation seem to be reasonably effective against all currently known viral variants so far, …
Back to the Egg — Searching for a Low-Cost COVID-19 Vaccine
In much of the developed world where COVID-19 vaccination rates have been relatively high, reported COVID-19 cases have dropped significantly. For developing countries where there is limited access to vaccines, however, COVID-19 infection rates are an ongoing concern. The vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca are expensive to produce, transport and store. Moderna and Pfizer’s …
Lingering COVID-19 Symptoms
Several weeks ago, we discussed COVID-19 neurological symptoms, including difficulty thinking, concentrating, and remembering. All of these symptoms have one crucial factor in common: they are among the most debilitating symptoms of lingering, or “long-haul,” COVID-19. Lingering COVID-19 symptoms can affect a wide variety of essential physical processes, including heart, lung, and brain function.
When Did SARS-CoV-2 Actually Emerge?
When developing a therapy or vaccine against an emerging virus, knowing how long it has been in existence can tell scientists how many forms may exist, how prevalent it is, and even whether it is hazardous enough to merit an intervention. For SARS-CoV-2, its history of existence is not well known. When COVID-19 was recognized …
