A new portable COVID-19 detection method detects virus infection much faster than currently available. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that there is an urgent need for technological innovation to detect, treat and prevent SARS-CoV-2 viruses, especially as urgent needs for detection remain. In the Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, researchers from the University of Florida and Taiwan Jiaotong University reported on a fast and sensitive test method for COVID-19 biomarkers. The researchers, who have previously demonstrated…

Using newly developed mouse models of acute lung damage, the researchers found that exposure to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein alone was enough to induce symptoms similar to COVID-19, including severe inflammation of the lungs. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19, which is covered with tiny spike proteins. These proteins bind to receptors on our cells, initiating a process in which the virus releases its genetic material into healthy cells. Using newly developed mouse models, the researchers found that exposure to…

A new study has found that genetic material from COVID-19 can survive in dust for up to a month, providing a possible low-cost way to track outbreaks. The discovery does not mean that the virus can be transmitted through the dust. A study conducted in a room that isolated COVID-19 patients showed that the virus’s RNA, part of the genetic material in the virus, can persist in dust for up to a month. The study did not assess whether dust…

San Diego Union-Tribune reported Thursday that staff at the San Diego Zoo vaccinated a red-haired orangutan and five chimpanzees against the new coronavirus, the first primate to be vaccinated. It is reported that the vaccine for these animals was developed by the veterinary pharmaceutical company Zoetis. In mid-January, eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo contracted the new coronavirus. They were reported to have contracted the virus after contact with zoo staff who were asymptomatic and used protective equipment. “This…