The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.
Antiviral drugs developed to the treat hepatitis C may also be effective against the coronavirus, a new report suggests. Researchers examined more than 6,000 drugs with a history of safe use in humans to see if any of them could block an important protein in the life cycle of the virus called the main protease."The most potent of these were approved drugs for treating hepatitis C," study leader Brian Kraemer of the University of Washington School of Medicine told Reuters.
is diagnosed if tests show genetic material from the virus, called RNA, on swabs taken from the nose and throat. But RNA levels on swabs decline after five days of infection. Therefore, the researchers also look for antibodies, which generally appear after RNA levels start falling. In a small trial, this approach"significantly improved" the diagnosis of
patients, but when combined with the rapid antibody tests, 100% were correctly identified, researchers reported. The combination"results in very high sensitivity for or seasonal flu," coauthor Ravi Gupta from University of Cambridge said in a statement.
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Herman Cain's Twitter account, still active after his death, deletes post questioning COVID-19 mortality rateHerman Cain's Twitter account, which is still being maintained following his death from COVID-19, contains some content at odds with Cain's experiences with the virus.
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