Coronavirus [NEW TOPIC PAGE]

Hot Topics of the Day|PHGKB

 Coronavirus

The coronavirus is most deadly if you are older and male — new data reveal the risks
S Mallapaty, Nature News, August 28, 2020

For every 1,000 people infected with the coronavirus who are under the age of 50, almost none will die. For people in their fifties and early sixties, about five will die — more men than women. The risk then climbs steeply as the years accrue. For every 1,000 people in their mid-seventies or older who are infected, around 116 will die.

Prevention of endothelial dysfunction and thrombotic events in COVID-19 patients with familial hypercholesterolemia.
Vuorio Alpo et al. Journal of clinical lipidology 2020 Jun

Development and evaluation of a rapid CRISPR-based diagnostic for COVID-19.
Hou Tieying et al. PLoS pathogens 2020 Aug (8) e1008705

We developed a rapid and sensitive diagnostic for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and compared it to sequencing-based metagenomic and RT-PCR-based assays in a clinical cohort. The test demonstrated a sensitivity level of near single copy and was highly specific without cross reacting to related pathogens. It takes only 40 mins and provides a valuable alternative to the conventional RT–PCR assay to circumvent the bottlenecks in assay turnaround time.

People with Moderate to Severe Asthma
CDC, August 2020 

People with moderate to severe asthma may be at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. COVID-19 can affect your nose, throat, lungs (respiratory tract); cause an asthma attack; and possibly lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory disease.

Data on COVID-19 during Pregnancy
CDC, August 2020 

A recent study suggests that pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to be hospitalized and are at increased risk for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and receipt of mechanical ventilation than nonpregnant women. Risk of death is similar for both groups. But much remains unknown.

Efficient high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 testing to detect asymptomatic carriers
N Shental et al, Science Advances, August 2020

We developed P-BEST - a method for Pooling-Based Efficient SARS-CoV-2 Testing which identifies all positive subjects within a large set of samples using a single round of testing. Each sample is assigned into multiple pools using a combinatorial pooling strategy based on compressed sensing designed for maximizing carrier detection.

For Quick Coronavirus Testing, Israel Turns to a Clever Algorithm
DM Halbfinger, NY Times, August 27, 2020

Inspired by a mother’s question, the new method will be introduced across Israel this fall, just in time for flu season, and could be coming soon to the U.S.