CORONAVIRUS RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: 1-MINUTE READS
Most people never show classic symptoms
Less than one-third of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 fall ill with respiratory symptoms or fever, suggests a survey of the hard-hit region of Lombardy, Italy, where 16,000 people have died. Researchers studied 5,484 people who had close contact with an infected person — roughly half got infected, but only 31% developed classic symptoms, such as a cough. As a person’s age increased, so did their odds of experiencing symptoms.
Reference: arXiv preprint (not yet peer reviewed)
Detailed map of a viral protein’s Achilles heel
Scientists have created and described more than 3,800 variations of the protein that the new coronavirus uses to latch on to its targets — a feat that reveals which parts of the protein are crucial for binding to human cells.
Reference: bioRxiv preprint (not yet peer reviewed)
Test frequency matters more than test sensitivity
In outbreak-prone places, authorities should frequently test large numbers of people for the new coronavirus — even if that means using a relatively insensitive test. Researchers modelled the effect of widespread testing on viral spread in a large group of people. Weekly surveillance testing, paired with isolation of infected people, would limit an outbreak even if the testing method was less sensitive than the gold-standard type of test, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). By contrast, surveillance testing done every 14 days would allow the total number of infections to climb almost as high as if there were no testing at all.
Reference: medRxiv preprint (not yet peer reviewed)
Less than one-third of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 fall ill with respiratory symptoms or fever, suggests a survey of the hard-hit region of Lombardy, Italy, where 16,000 people have died. Researchers studied 5,484 people who had close contact with an infected person — roughly half got infected, but only 31% developed classic symptoms, such as a cough. As a person’s age increased, so did their odds of experiencing symptoms.
Reference: arXiv preprint (not yet peer reviewed)
Detailed map of a viral protein’s Achilles heel
Scientists have created and described more than 3,800 variations of the protein that the new coronavirus uses to latch on to its targets — a feat that reveals which parts of the protein are crucial for binding to human cells.
Reference: bioRxiv preprint (not yet peer reviewed)
Test frequency matters more than test sensitivity
In outbreak-prone places, authorities should frequently test large numbers of people for the new coronavirus — even if that means using a relatively insensitive test. Researchers modelled the effect of widespread testing on viral spread in a large group of people. Weekly surveillance testing, paired with isolation of infected people, would limit an outbreak even if the testing method was less sensitive than the gold-standard type of test, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). By contrast, surveillance testing done every 14 days would allow the total number of infections to climb almost as high as if there were no testing at all.
Reference: medRxiv preprint (not yet peer reviewed)
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