Winter is a llama who lives on a farm in Ghent, Belgium — and she may be a vital figure in the fight against the novel coronavirus. Llamas have long been used for antibody research, and they have been integral in identifying potential therapies for viruses such as HIV and influenza. There is nothing particularly …
Racing Against the Clock: Developing Monoclonal Antibodies During a Pandemic
Between the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the SARS, H1N1 and HIV/AIDS epidemics all taking place within the last 50 years, major infectious disease outbreaks are occurring more frequently. To contain these outbreaks more quickly, it is necessary to develop new approaches that enable the quickest possible evaluation of antibodies for passive immunization or treatment. A …
Novel Coronavirus Testing: Part IV
Saliva Testing Accurate, rapid testing for the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is crucial to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. In previous installments of this blog series, we covered the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test, the serology test, and the antigen test for the novel coronavirus. The rRT-PCR assay sample is gathered by nasal swab, …
Novel Coronavirus Testing: Part III
Antigen Testing Part I of this series on testing for the novel coronavirus covered the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay, which is administered via nasal swab and can diagnose an active infection. Part II covered serology testing, which scans blood samples for antibodies to the virus and can indicate a previous infection …
Airborne Coronavirus Discovered in China – Could It Transmit the Novel Coronavirus?
Earlier this week, we discussed an aerosolized droplet study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). That research provided evidence that the novel coronavirus could be transmitted from person to person through the aerosolized droplets that people produce when speaking. Unlike the larger particles produced …
Aerosolized Droplet Study
Can the Novel Coronavirus Spread Through Speaking? There are conflicting opinions on whether the novel coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be spread via aerosol. Past studies have pointed to the possibility that the virus may remain suspended in the air under special circumstances, such as during medical procedures like intubation. In one study, …
Novel Coronavirus Testing: Part II
Serology Testing “Test, test, test,” was the singular message from the World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during remarks on the coronavirus pandemic in mid-March. In Part I of this blog series on testing for the novel coronavirus, we covered the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, which is administered via nasal …
Novel Coronavirus Testing: Part I
Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing is the crucial first step to identifying and treating COVID-19. In the past few months, uncertainty has surrounded testing: how and if it works, who needs it, where to get a test, and when there will be enough. Globally, testing availability, variability, and approval by governing bodies varies …
Clinical Trials: Coronavirus Impact and FDA Guidelines
The spread of the coronavirus is affecting every facet of the pharmaceutical industry — including clinical trials that are currently underway or scheduled for the near future. Approximately 40,000 clinical trials are operating at any given time; these trials take place at thousands of sites, with tens of thousands of investigators and hundreds of thousands …
