Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #Coronaviruses

Most recents (24)

Our latest paper describing #universal #CoV vaccine that can protect against #MERSCoV and #SARSCoV is now out⁩ in #preprint@YaleMed⁩ ⁦

Short thread 👇🏼

“Vaccine-mediated protection against merbecovirus and sarbecovirus challenge in mice” biorxiv.org/content/10.110…
We were interested in developing vaccination strategies against highly pathogenic human #coronaviruses with epidemic potential. Our previous studies, and those of others, defined the #RBD as a major target of neutralizing antibodies.
We therefore looked to #ferritin nanoparticles as a scaffold to display genetically divergent RBDs from both Group 2c merbecoviruses (#MERSCoV) and Group 2b sarbecoviruses (#SARSCoV , #SARSlike viruses, and #SARSCoV2). Our vaccines elicited broad binding antibodies in mice.
Read 6 tweets
1/4 "Using #PEPMatch, a newly developed #bioinformatics package which predicts #peptide similarity within specific #amino #acid mismatching parameters consistent with published #MHC binding capacity,..."

nature.com/articles/s4159…
2/4 "... we discovered that #nucleocapsid #protein shares significant overlap with 22 #multiple #sclerosis (#MS)-associated proteins, including #myelin #proteolipid #protein (#PLP). 

#MultipleSclerosis
3/4 "Further computational evaluation demonstrated that this #overlap may have #critical #implications for #Tcell responses in #multiple #sclerosis (#MS) patients and is likely unique to #SARSCoV2 among the major #human #coronaviruses."
Read 4 tweets
The appearance of a child suffering from wild #polio in #Malawi is a bitter discovery. afro.who.int/news/malawi-de…
African nations years ago celebrated eradication of the virus, continent-wide. A key failure of the global eradication prog has been environmental surveillance...
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2/..in wastewater. We have the tools, they're easy & cheap, & everywhere in the world polio testing should be routine. Why? Because the virus is passed in human feces, even by some #vaccinated people. Routine monitoring is a must, but $ isn't there. doi.org/10.1016/S2666-…
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Read 6 tweets
The most burning 🔥 Questions right now:

Will #SARS2 continue to mutate to escape antibody protection? Do we need another booster? If so, what’s the next formula? For example, do we need an Omicron-specific vaccine?
1/
By the time an Omicron-specific vaccine is tested, we won’t have an Omicron wave anymore. So, is there still value in rolling it out? 2/
It all depends on how the SARS2 keep on evolving? The problem is it’s not following a fixed pattern. We know about evolutionary features of two viruses namely #flu and #measles. 3/
Read 18 tweets
I’ve seen some people tweet that #coronaviruses might not be capable of persistence. But over the past decades, coronavirus RNA/protein has been identified in a range of human samples after acute illness, and sometimes connected to chronic disease
2/ For example, this team found coronavirus RNA and/or antigen in both plaque + non-plaque areas of brainstem, cortex, and spinal cord samples obtained from patients with MS: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P… Image
3/ This team identified a range of DNA/RNA viruses in tissue samples obtained from healthy humans at autopsy. Coronavirus 229-E was found in brain, thyroid, heart, lung, stomach, adrenal gland, skin and blood samples: bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11… Image
Read 11 tweets
A metal ion orients SARS-CoV-2 mRNA to ensure accurate 2′-O methylation of its first nucleotide
» doi.org/10.1038/s41467…
The #SARSCoV2 #coronavirus is able to utilize the changes in metal ion concentrations to disguise itself in the human host body thus evading immune responses. Image
Efficacy of #clarithromycin on #COVID19 pneumonia without oxygen administration; protocol for multicenter, open-label, randomized-controlled, 3-armed parallel group comparison, exploratory trial #CAMECOVID
» doi.org/10.1101/2021.0…
Japan Registry of Clinical Trials jRCTs071210011 Image
The influence of #HLA genotype on the severity of #COVID19 infection
» doi.org/10.1111/tan.14…
A genetic link has been discovered explaining why some people catch #Covid but don't get sick. The gene is found three times as often in people who are #asymptomatic. Image
Read 199 tweets
Two recently discovered #coronaviruses may have jumped from cats/dogs and pigs to people. These are not, as headlines claim, "new viruses" -- rather, they were found in samples taken from past pneumonia outbreaks. Good overview: the-scientist.com/news-opinion/t…
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2/ In 2017-18 in Sarawak, Malaysia a strange pneumonia epidemic hit, hospitalizing children.
Recent analysis of stored 2017 nasal swabs led to discovery of a #coronavirus that is a chimera, genetically from cats & dogs. It infected some children.
academic.oup.com/cid/advance-ar… MORE
3/ In 2014 in a school in Haiti children developed high fevers. Recent analysis of samples from those kids revealed a previously unknown pig #coronavirus .
The spike protein of the virus appears to have adapted to human cells.
medrxiv.org/content/10.110…
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Read 4 tweets
How the #Covid pandemic ends: The truth of the matter is that pandemics always end. And to date #vaccines have never played a significant role in ending them........ 1/statnews.com/2021/05/19/how…
......that doesn’t mean #vaccines aren’t playing a critical role this time. Far fewer people will die from #Covid19 because of them 2/
Experience from the last 4 pandemics would suggest that viruses morph from pandemic pathogens to endemic sources of disease within a year & a half or two of emerging. But all of those pandemics were flu pandemics. A different pathogen could mean we’ll see a different pattern 3/
Read 6 tweets
🔝5 Concerns about #SARSCoV2 #Biology: A Call to Pause, Deliberate, and Revise Policy─This review is intended both as a basic resource and to initiate an open and critical dialog about SARS-CoV-2 biology for an independent and public call to action. jjcouey.medium.com/5-concerns-abo…
Structural basis of ribosomal #frameshifting during translation of the #SARSCoV2 #RNA #genome
» doi.org/10.1126/scienc…
A unique feature of the SARS-CoV-2 genome controls protein synthesis and presents an "Achilles heel" of the virus. Image
Brainstem neuropathology in two cases of #COVID19: #SARSCoV2 trafficking between #brain and #lung
» doi.org/10.1007/s00415…
Neuropathologic evidence strongly suggests that the pathophysiology of COVID-19 related respiratory failure includes a neurogenic component. Image
Read 213 tweets
Our latest study to understand the dynamic regulation of #interferon (#IFN) and #SARSCoV2 infection.

🧵summarizing what we found and what needs to be done to understand the dynamic interplay of infection and #IFN regulation. @iScience_CP #COVID19

cell.com/iscience/fullt…
We infected human airway cells (Calu3) with #SARSCoV2, and performed a time-series #RNAseq analysis to discover global transcriptional responses. We saw expression of #IFN (beta and lambda) and IFN stimulated genes in these cells.
Here is what #SARSCoV2 infection looks like in #Calu3 (human lung epithelial cells) cells.
Read 17 tweets
For everybody looking for a break from #coronaviruses check out our @virusfusion007 recent results on a #herpesvirus known as #HHV8 or #KSHV.

The preprint is available at @biorxivpreprint bit.ly/39mvx9I.

The main findings are discussed in the 🧵 that follows (1/n) Image
KSHV and its cousin EBV use an envelope glycoprotein complex called gH/gL to bind to #EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase to gain access to host cells. We set to determine the structure of the KSHV gH/gL-EphA2 complex and perform functional studies to understand the mechanism (2/n)
While we were gathering the functional data Su et al. published the 3.2 A structure and provided some interesting insights few months ago.
But under our 'no scoop good enough' mantra we kept working and obtained some cool data that we can now share (3/n)

go.nature.com/3sIbQRL
Read 18 tweets
Reducing #COVID19 #Airborne #Transmission Risks on #PublicTransportation Buses
» doi.org/10.1101/2021.0…
Wearing of #facemasks reduced the overall particle count released into the bus by an average of 50%, the dispersion distance by several feet and #aerosol particles by 84.36%. Image
🔝#SARSCoV2 Infects Human Engineered Heart Tissues and Models COVID-19 Myocarditis
» doi.org/10.1016/j.jacb…
#COVID19 can kill heart muscle cells, interfere with contraction. Details of how #coronavirus infects #heart: models of tissue damage may help develop potential therapies. Image
High-content screening of coronavirus genes for innate immune suppression reveals enhanced potency of SARS-CoV-2 proteins
» doi.org/10.1101/2021.0…
196 protein products of seven coronaviruses: the genes encoded by #SARSCoV2 are generally more potent immune suppressors than others Image
Read 236 tweets
⚠️#Ocular #MRI Findings in Patients with Severe #COVID19: A Retrospective Multicenter Observational Study
» doi.org/10.1148/radiol…
All patients had nodules in the macular region, 8/9 (89%) had bilateral nodules, 2/9 (22%) had nodules outside the macular region. Screening needed. Image
⚠️🔝New-Onset #IgG #Autoantibodies in Hospitalized Patients with #COVID19
» doi.org/10.1101/2021.0…
An international team of researchers studying COVID-19 has made a startling and pivotal discovery: The virus appears to cause the body to make weapons to attack its own tissues. Image
⚠️🔝Patterns of myocardial injury in recovered troponin-positive COVID-19 patients assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance
» academic.oup.com/eurheartj/adva…
Damage to the heart found in more than half of #COVID19 patients discharged from hospital who show raised levels of troponin. Image
Read 235 tweets
Do you wonder if #SARSCoV2 came from an animal or a lab?

I finally had the time to read this paper. I shall discuss in this thread observations relevant for virus emergence and why this work further discredits the lab origin theory. #COVID

nature.com/articles/s4146…
1. Bats were collected from an irrigation pipe in Thailand. So, if you think that bats with SARS-related #coronaviruses only exist in remote caves, then you are wrong. Like most wildlife, bats can also cover long distances.
2. Coronavirus detected in Rhinolophus acuminatus in this study are evolutionary closely related to #SARSCoV2 and other SARS2-related coronaviruses detected in bats.
Read 5 tweets
When were the first human #coronaviruses (CoVs) discovered and studied?

How were these viruses associated with human #disease?

It's time to learn our history about human CoVs, and the scientists and volunteers that allowed us to identify this new group of viruses.

A THREAD.
Mid-sixties: HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43 were identified.
1. Hamre et al. (1966)
2. McIntosh et al. (1967)
3. Tyrrell et al. (1965).

Image: Tyrrell et al. (1965).
Healthy HUMAN volunteers were infected to demonstrate that 229E and OC43 resulted in a common cold.

1. Bradburne et al. (1967, 1972)
2. Hamre et al. (1966)

Image: Bradburne et al. (1967)
Read 7 tweets
🚨#COVID19 PAPER ALERT🚨
F@h simulations of the #coronavirus Nsp16 protein (1) reveal the structural mechanism of its activation, which ultimately enables the virus to escape our immune system, & (2) detect a ‘cryptic’ pocket to block Nsp16’s action.
biorxiv.org/content/10.110…
For successful infection, #coronaviruses use a protein called Nsp16 that modifies the viral genome so that the virus avoids an immune response. Nsp16 works by binding 2 substrates: RNA (green) and SAM (pink). Viruses and humans contain similar (homologous) proteins.
Unlike other viruses and humans, #coronavirus Nsp16 requires a binding partner (Nsp10) to activate its enzymatic activity. This difference is interesting from a basic science standpoint, and because it could present a way to target the coronavirus selectively with a drug.
Read 9 tweets
Do you trust the ethics of an unethical #harmaceutical industry that went as far as getting legal protection so you can't sue them when your or your child get ruined by #vaccines? Don't be sheep is right.
Flu #vaccines are concocted in chic embryos,which are known to be laced with #coronaviruses.You get the flu shot - you inject these viruses into you body. Now go get tested for #COVID19.They love compliant idiots who question nothing.
When you inject disease-there is only one place it can go.
Read 3 tweets
Thanks for sharing my perspective in this piece @MeganEDoherty! As I mention, in these #longcovid cases, it’s very important to take the potential persistence of #COVID-19 in certain tissues and/or the central nervous system (CNS) seriously!
2/ That’s b/c #Coronaviruses have been shown capable of persisting in human #tissue or certain “anotomical sanctuaries” - for example, this team found Coronavirus RNA + antigen in the Multiple Sclerosis brain: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
3/ Also in other “post-viral” syndromes like “Post-#Ebola Syndrome, viral RNA has been found in unexpected body sites like sperm, or the eyes, years after initial infection: nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
Read 6 tweets
#FactsNotFear

MUST WATCH: @FatEmperor's interview with Professor Emeritus of #Immunology Dr. Stadler of University of Bern in Switzerland.

Dr. Stadler exposes #COVID19 fear-mongering and estimates ~70-80% of us already have T-cell immunity to #SARSCoV2.
2/Dr Stadler says #HerdImmunity already achieved. Echoed by many scientists incl Oxford Univ researchers—HI Threshold required to prevent #SARSCoV2 resurgence greatly reduced d/t "innate resistance &cross-protection from exposure to seasonal coronaviruses"
3/Read interview of above #HerdImmunity threshold study co-author—Professor Sunetra Gupta of Oxford Univ

"The pre-existing antibodies & T-cell responses against #coronaviruses seem to protect against #SARSCoV2 infection, not just the outcome of infection"
reaction.life/we-may-already…
Read 3 tweets
BREAKING: Multinational team uses 3 different methods to determine where #SARSCoV2 came from: each leads to horseshoe bats found widely in Asia. The virus now causing a human #pandemic has been in bats "for decades," only now reaching people.
MORE
nature.com/articles/s4156…
2/
Big implications from this peer-reviewed paper.
First, #COVID19 is not caused by a "China virus" that was "made in a Chinese lab," as some in the #Trump admin have claimed.
2nd, it may have jumped directly from a bat to a person, without intermediary animals.
MORE Image
3/
3rd, The 2003 SARS has also been connected to Asian horseshoe bats, and these mammals may carry many types of #coronaviruses.
4th, this shows "how difficult it will be to identify viruses with potential to cause major human outbreaks before they emerge." Image
Read 6 tweets
#WWI fostered influenza in the crowded conditions of military camps in the U.S. & in the trenches of the Western Front in Europe.
The virus traveled with military personnel from camp to camp and across the Atlantic.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
#SpanishFlu #COVID19 #SARSCoV2
The 1918 #H1N1 influenza pandemic caused 500,000-700,000 deaths in the U.S.— almost 200,000 of them in Oct. 1918 alone— & an estimated 30-40 million deaths worldwide, mostly among people aged 15-35 years.
World-wide transporting of #WW1 military troops was the reason.
#SpanishFlu
The 1918 influenza pandemic was caused by an #H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. It was first identified in U.S. military personnel in spring 1918.
500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus.
cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-r… #SpanishFlu
Read 28 tweets
Ryan I take issue with your rash conclusion that #COVID-19 cannot survive in a persistent form in certain #LongCovid patients, and it's unfair to say that people studying the topic or discussing the possibility of COVID-19 chronic persistence are spreading rumors or causing harm!
2/ First, there is no way for you to *know* that #COVID-19 cannot persist in a latent/chronic form in certain patients. The #virus has only existed for a short time, meaning few studies on persistence have even been able to be conducted
3/ Second, have you noted all the cell types/body sites #COVID-19 can infect? (below). Have you obtained samples from all such sites in #LongCovid cases + searched for the #virus in a persistent form? (studies of cerebrospinal fluid, tissue biopsy etc?) nature.com/articles/s4159…
Read 6 tweets
🚨#COVID19 PAPER ALERT🚨
With your help, F@h became the first #exascale computer, collected 100,000X more data than a normal paper, learned how the #Demogorgon evades our immune system, and discovered drug targets called ‘cryptic’ pockets (#FAHPockets)!
biorxiv.org/content/10.110…
With over a million people downloading F@h, we reached #exascale computing speed within weeks. This made us >5X faster than the IBM Summit supercomputer, the fastest traditional supercomputer in the world!
This newfound power enabled us to simulate every possible protein from the #SARSCoV2 virus in parallel. Together, we generated the largest dataset of protein dynamics in history. We’ve highlighted some of our exciting findings in this thread:
Read 14 tweets
Where do #SARSCoV2 & other #coronaviruses come from?
Big survey of SE Asian bats, bat guano, field rats & other wildlife:
- 2,164 samples collected, Jan2013 to Mar2014 from rodents & bats
- 70 sites tested, coronavirus found at 58
- 100% test+ at live rodent trade sites
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2/
Overall
- 34.0% of field rats were positive
- 60.7% + rodent wildlife farm sites
- 94.1% of bat guano farm sites test +
- human wildlife traders 20.7% +
- large market sellers 32.0% +
- restaurant workers 55.6% +
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3/
"We detected avian & bat #coronaviruses in wildlife farm rodents, including Malayan porcupines & bamboo rats, but we did not detect rodent-associated coronaviruses," in those animals.
No samples specifically + for #SARSCoV2 . But points to high risk sites & species.
MORE Image
Read 4 tweets

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