SARS-CoV-2 infection modifies the transcriptome of the megakaryocytes in the bone marrow


Isabelle Allaeys, Guillaume Lemaire, Mickaël Leclercq, et. al. Blood Adv (2024) 8 (11): 2777–2789. Megakaryocytes (MKs), integral to platelet production, predominantly reside in the bone marrow (BM) and undergo regulated fragmentation within sinusoid vessels to release platelets into the bloodstream. Inflammatory states and infections influence MK transcription, potentially affecting platelet functionality. Notably, COVID-19 has been associated […]

The underlying cause of Long COVID is still a puzzle


The underlying cause of Long COVID is still a puzzle to researchers. But Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and co-lead investigator of the Yale RECOVERY and Yale LISTEN studies, has theories. Iwasaki explains that Long COVID is an “umbrella term” and likely has “multiple mechanisms that are not […]

Research Suggests Unusual Form Of Cell Death Causes Severe COVID-19 Lung Damage


MAY 31, 2024 – Authored by Megan Redshaw, J.D. Epoch Times SARS-CoV-2 infection may cause severe pulmonary conditions such as pneumonia, inflammation, and acute respiratory distress syndrome, but until now, researchers have not understood the driving force behind lung damage caused by COVID-19. In a recently published paper in Nature Communications, researchers at Columbia University discovered […]

Three-year outcomes of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19


Miao Cai, Yan Xie, Eric J. Topol & Ziyad Al-Aly Nature Medicine (2024) Abstract Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection causes post-acute sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (PASC) in many organ systems. Risks of these sequelae have been characterized up to 2 years after infection, but longer-term follow-up is limited. Here we built a cohort of 135,161 people with […]

Risk of COVID-19 death in adults who received booster COVID-19 vaccinations in England


Isobel L. Ward, Chris Robertson, Utkarsh Agrawal, et. al. Nature Communications 2024 Abstract The emergence of the COVID-19 vaccination has been critical in changing the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure protection remains high in vulnerable groups booster vaccinations in the UK have been targeted based on age and clinical vulnerabilities. We undertook a national retrospective cohort […]

Got a weird COVID-19 symptom? You’re not alone


From COVID tongue to COVID toe, doctors have seen some bizarre cases By Meghan Rosen, 2022 Science News As we head into our third pandemic winter, most people are all too familiar with the signs of COVID-19. The disease wears many different faces and can show up as chills, cough, difficulty breathing or other troublesome jumbles of […]

What is long COVID and who’s at risk? This NIH project may find out


Scientists with the RECOVER Initiative say they’re working as quickly as they can to find answers By Meghan Rosen, Staff Writer, Biological Sciences OCTOBER 24, 2022 AT 9:00 AM Science News You may have heard the big long COVID news that came out recently: A Scottish study reported that about half of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have not […]

Four years on, the COVID-19 pandemic has a long tail of grief


Millions in the U.S. lost loved ones to COVID-19 and the pandemic interrupted the grieving process  By Aimee Cunningham, MARCH 11, 2024, Science News March 11 marks the fourth anniversary of the World Health Organization’s declaration that the COVID-19 outbreak was a pandemic. COVID-19 hasn’t gone away, but there have been plenty of actions that suggest […]

The blood holds clues to understanding long COVID


The search for biomarkers could eventually lead scientists to tests and treatments By Meghan Rosen, MARCH 4, 2024 Science News When I talk to immunologist Paul Morgan, he’s on the hunt for potentially life-altering drugs.  He’s got a call with a pharmaceutical company planned in the next half hour. His goal: persuade the company to supply his lab […]

Masks Found To Be Ineffective After First Omicron Wave: New Study


MAY 30, 2024 – Authored by Megan Redshaw, J.D. via The Epoch Times  At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, masks were a recommended public health measure to prevent transmission of the virus. Yet new research suggests masks were ineffective at reducing the risk of infection when Omicron became the dominant variant. In a study published in […]