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Man with white hair sits in front of a world map
Famed Pathologist Johan Hultin Dies at 97
Hultin’s work helped identify the virus behind the 1918 flu pandemic.
Famed Pathologist Johan Hultin Dies at 97
Famed Pathologist Johan Hultin Dies at 97

Hultin’s work helped identify the virus behind the 1918 flu pandemic.

Hultin’s work helped identify the virus behind the 1918 flu pandemic.

virology, disease & medicine

The Researchers Who Pivoted to COVID-19: One Year On
Shawna Williams | Jul 1, 2021 | 7 min read
The Scientist checks in on scientists who switched gears to combat the pandemic.
An illustration of several human heads wearing masks
Q&A: Human Challenge Studies of COVID-19 Underway in UK
Jef Akst | Jun 18, 2021 | 4 min read
Researchers at Imperial College London and the University of Oxford are exposing healthy volunteers to SARS-CoV-2 for science.
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, research, reverse genetics, toolkit, antibodies, RNA
Q&A: A Molecular Toolkit to Build SARS-CoV-2 Research Capacity
Asher Jones | Mar 3, 2021 | 6 min read
Sam Wilson discusses a user-friendly set of resources that he and his collaborators developed to aid labs pivoting to study COVID-19.
Variant Found in Brazil Could Evade Immunity from Past Infection
Lisa Winter | Mar 2, 2021 | 2 min read
The P.1 variant, which has also been detected in five US states, could be responsible for cases of reinfection, according to a preprint.
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, pandemic, virus, B.1.1.7, B.1.525, variant, UK
Another Potentially Immunity-Evading SARS-CoV-2 Variant Detected
Asher Jones | Feb 16, 2021 | 2 min read
B.1.525 shares a mutation with the B.1.351 variant first detected in South Africa that seems to allow the virus to dodge the immune system.
SARS-CoV-2 with Genomic Deletions Escapes an Antibody
Abby Olena, PhD | Feb 16, 2021 | 4 min read
Researchers identify deletions in the N-terminal domain of the spike protein that allow the coronavirus to avoid antibody neutralization and that may contribute to the emergence of new variants.
Antibody Spike Months After Ebola Infection Surprisingly Common
Catherine Offord | Jan 27, 2021 | 4 min read
A study of people in Sierra Leone suggests that the virus can lie in hiding from the immune system before re-emerging later and sparking a new response—although researchers didn’t examine whether this could make people infectious again.
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, pandemic, variant, L452R, B.1.1.7, virus,
Coronavirus Variant Linked to COVID-19 Outbreaks in California
Asher Jones | Jan 19, 2021 | 2 min read
It’s too early to know whether the L452R version of SARS-CoV-2 is highly infectious like the B.1.1.7 UK variant that is also spreading around the US.
Past SARS-CoV-2 Infection Mostly Protects Survivors
Max Kozlov | Jan 14, 2021 | 2 min read
A large study of UK healthcare workers finds that immunity after coronavirus infection lasts for months, but those with antibodies may still be able to carry and spread the virus upon reexposure.
First US Case of UK SARS-CoV-2 Variant Detected
Max Kozlov | Dec 30, 2020 | 4 min read
Variant B.1.1.7, though likely more contagious than other strains, does not appear to be more deadly.
Mosquitos in Asia and the Americas More Susceptible to Zika Virus
Abby Olena, PhD | Nov 19, 2020 | 4 min read
A study explains how Zika was present among mosquitoes in Africa for decades without causing the harm to human health seen outside the continent in recent years.
More SARS-CoV-2 Reinfections Reported, But Still a Rare Event
Ashley Yeager | Oct 26, 2020 | 5 min read
Repeat COVID-19 cases could offer clues about people’s immunity to the novel coronavirus and how to vaccinate against it.
Researchers Who Discovered Hepatitis C Earn Nobel Prize
Max Kozlov | Oct 5, 2020 | 3 min read
Harvey Alter, Michael Houghton, and Charles Rice share the Physiology or Medicine award for their contributions to identifying the virus and demonstrating that it was responsible for hepatitis among blood transfusion recipients.
Coronavirus Closeup, 1964
Ashley Yeager | Sep 1, 2020 | 3 min read
Electron microscopy revealed that a deadly disease of birds was not a form of flu, but a different type of virus entirely.
Zika Infection Increases Risk of Severe Dengue Fever
Ruth Williams | Aug 27, 2020 | 4 min read
A study of Nicaraguan children links prior Zika virus infection with aggravated dengue fever symptoms.
Immune Biomarkers Tied to Severe COVID-19: Study
Ruth Williams | Aug 19, 2020 | 4 min read
Increases in the levels of three cytokines are among the features linked to poor outcomes.
COVID-19, coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, children, disease transmission, viral load, qPCR
Children Often Carry More Coronavirus than Adults Do: Study
Amanda Heidt | Jul 31, 2020 | 3 min read
It’s not clear if their high viral load makes kids more likely to infect others.
Spike Structure Gives Insight into SARS-CoV-2 Evolution
Abby Olena, PhD | Jul 16, 2020 | 3 min read
Researchers demonstrate that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is more stable and binds the human ACE2 receptor with much higher affinity than the spike protein of its closest known relative, bat coronavirus RaTG13.
Swine Flu Strain Has Pandemic Potential: Study
Jef Akst | Jun 30, 2020 | 3 min read
An influenza virus identified in pigs in China has a concerning mix of genes, but experts say there is no way to know if it will evolve to be transmissible between humans.
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