Coronavirus genomics and bioinformatics analysis


Authors: Patrick C Y Woo 1, Yi Huang, Susanna K P Lau, Kwok-Yung Yuen The drastic increase in the number of coronaviruses discovered and coronavirus genomes being sequenced have given us an unprecedented opportunity to perform genomics and bioinformatics analysis on this family of viruses. Coronaviruses possess the largest genomes (26.4 to 31.7 kb) among all known RNA viruses, […]

COV-19 NCBI Genomics Basic: Unlocking capacities of viral genomics for the COVID-19 pandemic response


Authors: Sergey Knyazev,# Karishma Chhugani,# Varuni Sarwal,# Ram Ayyala,# Harman Singh,# Smruthi Karthikeyan, Dhrithi Deshpande, Zoia Comarova, Angela Lu, Yuri Porozov, Aiping Wu, Malak S. Abedalthagafi, Shivashankar H. Nagaraj, Adam L. Smith, Pavel Skums, Jason Ladner, Tommy Tsan-Yuk Lam, Nicholas C. Wu, Alex Zelikovsky, Rob Knight, Keith A. Crandall, and Serghei Mangul More than any other infectious disease epidemic, the COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by the generation of large volumes of viral genomic data at […]

Elevated levels of a blood clotting factor linked to worse outcomes in severe COVID-19


Authors: MGH NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS This article is part of Harvard Medical School’s continuing coverage of medicine, biomedical research, medical education and policy related to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the disease COVID-19. Patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 infections who have high levels of the blood clotting protein factor V are at elevated risk for serious injury from blood […]

COVID-19 presenting with diarrheas’ and hyponatremias


Authors: Fateen Ata, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9549-8352Hussam Almasri, Jamal Sajid and http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4631-9899Zohaib Yousaf COVID-19 is a viral disease with a high infectivity rate. The full spectrum of the disease is not yet understood. This understanding may help in limiting potential exposure. We present a young man with diarrhoea, abdominal pain and hyponatraemia who turned out to be positive for COVID-19. This article […]

Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine


Authors: Lindsey R. Baden, M.D., Hana M. El Sahly, M.D., Brandon Essink, M.D., Karen Kotloff, M.D., Sharon Frey, M.D., Rick Novak, M.D., David Diemert, M.D., Stephen A. Spector, M.D., Nadine Rouphael, M.D., C. Buddy Creech, M.D., John McGettigan, M.D., Shishir Khetan, M.D., et al., for the COVE Study Group* Vaccines are needed to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and to protect persons who are at high risk for […]

Early High-Titer Plasma Therapy to Prevent Severe Covid-19 in Older Adults


Authors: Romina Libster, M.D., Gonzalo Pérez Marc, M.D., Diego Wappner, M.D., Silvina Coviello, M.S., Alejandra Bianchi, Virginia Braem, Ignacio Esteban, M.D., Mauricio T. Caballero, M.D., Cristian Wood, M.D., Mabel Berrueta, M.D., Aníbal Rondan, M.D., Gabriela Lescano, M.D., et al., for the Fundación INFANT–COVID-19 Group* Therapies to interrupt the progression of early coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) remain elusive. Among them, convalescent plasma administered to hospitalized patients has been unsuccessful, […]

Cellular pathology in the COVID-19 era: a European perspective on maintaining quality and safety


Authors: John R Gosney1, http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0431-9353Paul Hofman2, http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1630-5805Giancarlo Troncone3, http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6813-0395Fernando Lopez-Rios4 COVID-19 is a zoonotic viral infection that originated in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. WHO classified the resulting pandemic as a ‘global health emergency’ due to its virulence and propensity to cause acute respiratory distress syndrome. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on diagnostic laboratories, particularly […]

COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases: Patient Perspectives and Concerns


Authors: Meghna Rao The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that individuals with autoimmune diseases and those with weakened immune systems receive the COVID-19 vaccines; however, no solid data are currently available regarding their safety specifically in populations with autoimmune conditions.1 On the other hand, researchers have indicated that patients with autoimmune and inflammatory […]

An itchy erythematous papular skin rash as a possible early sign of COVID-19: a case report


Authors: Alice Serafini, Peter Konstantin Kurotschka, Mariabeatrice Bertolani & Silvia Riccomi  Background Several recent studies suggest the possibility of a skin rash being a clinical presentation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The purpose of this case report is to bring attention to skin manifestations in the early stage of COVID-19 in order to support frontline physicians in their crucial […]

What’s Sex Got to Do With COVID-19? Gender-Based Differences in the Host Immune Response to Coronaviruses


Authors: Nirupa Gadi1,2, Samantha C. Wu1,2, Allison P. Spihlman1,2 and Vaishali R. Moulton1* The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the cause of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has ravaged the world, with over 22 million total cases and over 770,000 deaths worldwide as of August 18, 2020. While the elderly are most severely affected, implicating an […]