Martha Nelson of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases talks about the need to balance data sharing and patient privacy concerns when tracking the spread of variants.

The woman may have had a link to another person, who was married to an Ebola survivor and who died a few days previously in Democratic Republic of Congo.

With many millions of people waiting several weeks to receive a second COVID-19 vaccine dose in some countries, experts consider the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 could evolve vaccine resistance.

See a news report on a study of expectant mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Compared with Zika and cytomegalovirus, the virus that causes COVID-19 appears to have a harder time penetrating the placenta and moving to a woman’s unborn baby.

The virus rarely spreads from mother to child before birth, but it can—and researchers are starting to investigate the path it takes.

SARS-CoV-2 antibodies detected in blood donor samples indicate infections could have occurred in the US more than a month before the first confirmed case, but some experts remain skeptical.

The so-called 614G mutation in the viral spike protein does not appear to cause more severe cases of COVID-19, but multiple studies indicate that it could be more contagious.

Patients’ viral loads are highest within five days of their first symptoms, emphasizing the need to isolate early to prevent transmission.

Whole genome sequencing of the virus infecting the farm animals showed that it spread from the workers to the mink and back, indicating that an animal could serve as a viral reservoir.

Using an elaborate apparatus, researchers find that the virus spreads via aerosolized particles between ferrets more than a meter apart.

Officials had initially linked 97 cases to a single conference held by Biogen in February in Boston, but a new study tracking viral genomes suggests the number may be as high as 20,000.

A new study demonstrates that some viruses can be transmitted on airborne particles other than those produced by talking, coughing, or sneezing.

China recently reported the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus on the outside of frozen food items imported from other countries, but experts stress the risk of transmission is extremely low.

A proof-of-concept study finds some commonly used facial coverings may perform worse than no mask at all.

It’s not clear if their high viral load makes kids more likely to infect others.

Lydia Bourouiba, an expert in fluid dynamics and disease transmission at MIT, explains how the physics of sneezes and coughs leads to the spread of respiratory pathogens such as COVID-19.  

Face coverings prevent wearers from spreading pathogens, and might also limit the number of viral particles that enter the body, staving off severe infection, including COVID-19, research indicates.