January 11, 2022

A new study of Covid patients in California shows that the Omicron variant is less likely to result in a hospital stay than Delta. And the Omicron-based hospital stays are shorter, on average, than Delta.

Kaiser Permanente, a large health care provider in California, studied the records of almost 70,000 Covid patients. Over 50,000 of them were infected with Omicron.

Omicron cases were about half as likely as Delta to result in a hospital stay, the data shows. The hospital stays resulting from Omicron were about three days shorter, on average, than those from Delta.

The improved outcomes from Omicron extends to mortality as well. In the study, fourteen of the Delta patients died while only one of the Omicron patients did, despite the vast majority of patients in the study being Omicron-infected.

The results held up qualitatively even when the researchers compared unvaccinated Omicron patients to unvaccinated Delta patients, showing that Omicron is inherently less likely to produce severe cases.

September 16, 2021

The first Human Challenge Trial (HCT) is under way in the U.K. In an HCT, volunteer participants are deliberately exposed to a pathogen in a controlled health care setting. This type of trial can accelerate learning about the pathogen, the illness, treatments and vaccines.

Although HCT's have been widely used in studying many other diseases, such as malaria, this is the first HCT for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

The U.K. is the only jurisdiction so far that has approved HCTs for Covid.

The first stage of the trial involves under 100 volunteers between 18 and 30 years old, and in good general health. They are being exposed to the virus at the Royal Free London Hospital, where they are carefully monitored and can be treated for any symptoms that develop.

If future Covid HCTs are used for testing newly developed vaccine candidates, the testing period could be dramatically reduced, by removing the time of waiting for vaccine recipients to be exposed to the virus.

September 8, 2021

According to a new study in Belgium, Moderna's Covid vaccine produces more than twice the number of antibodies than Pfizer's. But both vaccines produce high antibody levels and both strongly protect people against hospitalization and death from Covid-19.

The study meaasured antibody levels in about 1,600 health care workers 6 to 10 weeks after they completed full vaccination. There have been very few such studies that directly compare immune responses among different Covid vaccines.

The average antibody levels among those who received the Moderna vaccine was 2,881 units per milliliter, more than twice as high as the 1,108 measured in those who received Pfizer.

Antibodies are only one of several mechanisms used by the human immune system to protect against pathogens such as the virus that causes Covid-19. Other immune responses were not measured in the study.

One possible reason for the higher Moderna response is that the Moderna vaccine includes a larger quantity of active ingredient per shot than does the Pfizer vaccine.

September 1, 2021

A new British study has shown that being fully vaccinated reduces the chances of getting "long Covid" by about 50%. Long Covid is a case of Covid-19 where some of the symptoms last 4 weeks or longer. In some people, the symptoms can linger for many months.

The study compared "breakthrough" cases of Covid in fully vaccinated people to cases among the unvaccincated, and found that the breakthrough cases were about 50% less likely to produce such long-lasting symptoms.

The breakthrough cases were also more likely to have less symptoms, and to be completely symptom-free. Vaccination also greatly reduces the chances of becoming infected with Covid at all, and the chances of hospitalization if a breakthrough cases does occur.

The study, recently published in Lancet Infectious Diseases, looked at more than 1.2 million people in the U.K. who used a self-tracking app.

July 14, 2021

New data released by Moderna show that its vaccine is effective at protecting against multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. The lab tests included the Delta, Gamma, Kappa, Eta, and Beta variants.

Only a "modest" reduction in effectiveness was seen against almost all the variants one week after the second vaccine shot was given, the company said. A somewhat larger reduction was seen in the case of the Beta variant, however.

The results are good news, especially regarding the fast-spreading Delta variant, which was first seen in India. The Delta variant has spread quickly, not only in India but in other countries across the globe. The new results add to existing evidence that the current vaccines are capable of slowing or stopping the spread of the Delta variant.

The company sampled blood from vaccine trial participants and studied the reactions when exposed to the different variants.

Moderna also said that it is preparing a new version of the vaccine designed to boost effectiveness against recent virus variants. In particular, the company is designing a booster shot that will increase effectiveness against the Beta variant, which was first seen in South Africa.

June 29, 2021

To date, people get immunized against Covid-19 by receiving two shots of the same vaccine, given a few weeks apart. But a new study hints that protetion would be increased if the second shot were a different vaccine than the first shot.

In a study done in the U.K., half the participants were given two shots of the same vaccine, while the others were given two shots of two different vaccines; their immune system responses were later measured to determine the level of protection in each case.

The highest level of T cell response was found to occur in cases where the participant received one shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine followed by a shot of the Pfizer vaccine, four weeks later.

T cells are an important part of the human immune system's response to invasive pathogens. The higher T cell response indicates that a mixed regime of two different vaccines could lead to longer-lasting protection against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

The study, which was conducted by scientists at Oxford University, was relatively small, however, and the results will need to be confirmed by larger follow-up studies before the recommended vaccine procedures are changed.

May 24, 2021

A new study in the U.K. has shown that both the Pfizer and the AstraZeneca vaccines are effective against the Covid variant that is dominant in the current outbreak in India. Two doses of each vaccine were required to reach a high level of protection, the study showed.

The study measured the effectiveness at 88% and 60% for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, respectively. However, there were differences in the average time interval between the two shots, which could be responsible for the difference in measured effectiveness. There were also differences in the populations receiving the two vaccines, with the Pfizer shots being given to younger people on average.

The study was done by Public Health England (PHE) and included almost 13,000 cases of Covid in the U.K.

But a single shot of either vaccine was only 33% effective against the new Indian variant, the study showed, compared to 50% against the so-called Kent, or British, variant.

The Indian variant may be more transmissible than other Covid variants; if so, it could eventually become the predominant variant across the world. The high effectiveness of two vaccines against the variant shows that the variant can be stopped from spreading if enough of the population gets vaccinated.

April 25, 2021

A newly published study shows that the J&J vaccine is 88% effective against the so-called Brazil variant in preventing severe cases of Covid-19, and 64% effective in preventing even moderate cases. The Brazil variant has been causing surging Covid cases across Latin America.

Against all virus variants in the study, the vaccine was 84% and 66% effective against severe and moderate cases, respectively. The study measured the number of cases that occurred 28 days after the single J&J vaccine shot.

The highly infectious variant, more scientifically known as P.1, has spread widely beyond Brazil, and is common in Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, and other South American countries that have seen significant Covid surges recently.

The new results are an encouraging sign that the J&J vaccine can bring the situation under control if it can be distributed and administrated widely and quickly.

The P.1 variant was first detected in the city of Manaus, in the Amazon region of Brazil. The mutations in the variant help SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, to spread more easily than the original strain of the virus.

March 8, 2021

Two new studies in highly-vaccinated Israel show that a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provides over 90% protection against symptomatic Covid, and 75-90% protection against even asymptomatic cases. The results, although preliminary, imply that the new vaccines greatly reduce transmission of Covid.

Israel has among the highest vaccination rates among any country, making it a great location to study the effects of the vaccine in real world conditions. Although previous trials established the effectiveness of two shots of Pfizer-BioNTech against symptomatic Covid, many unknowns remained, including protection against asymptomatic cases, effectiveness of a single dose, and reduction in transmission.

One of the new studies found that a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine reduced the chance of contracting symptomatic Covid-19 by 94%, and all cases - including asymptomatic one - by 89%. A second study looked at over 7,000 hospital workers after they received their first shot of the vaccine, and found an 85% reduction of symptomatic cases, and 75% of all cases.

If an individual is protected against even asymptomatic infection by the coronavirus that causes Covid, then that person cannot transmit the infection to anyone else. So these studies give the best evidence so far that the new vaccines are able to greatly reduce transmission of Covid among the general population.

February 25, 2021

New data released by Johnson & Johnson, plus analysis from FDA experts, confirm the high effectiveness of the single-dose vaccine, including the strongest protection yet measured against the South African variant of the virus.

J&J said its vaccine reduced severe cases of Covid-19 by 82% in South Africa, where a worrisome variant of the Covid-causing virus is the dominant strain. It also reduced moderate cases of Covid by 64% in South Africa.

The FDA has been analyzing data from J&J's large-scale Phase 3 trial of the vaccine, which included over 44,000 participants. It released documents showing the vaccine was 86% effective against severe Covid in the U.S. The data also revealed that the J&J vaccine tends to produce more mild side effects than other vaccines.

The agency is likely to approve the vaccine for emergency usse in the U.S. as soon as the end of this week. The J&J vaccine will be the first single-dose vaccine to go into widespread use. The other vaccines require two shots per person. The J&J vaccine is also easier to store and transport than the others, due to less stringent temperature requirements.

J&J said it will have 20 million doses ready by the end of March, and over 100 million by the end of June.

February 15, 2021

A new study has shown that two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provokes a strong immune system response against the new variants of the virus that causes Covid-19. The results showed high levels of T Cells, which are powerful and long-lived immune system agents, deployed against both the so-called U.K. and South African variants.

Although the protection against the variants is not as high as it is against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, the vaccine should still be able to protect the majority of the population against the disease.

This was the first study to look at T Cell response against the new variants of the virus. Previous lab studies measured antibodies, not T Cells.

The research was led by scientists from Oxford University in the U.K. They introduced the two virus variants, scientifically known as B.1.1.7 and B.1.351, to blood samples from people who had received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and measured the immune system activity. The T Cell response was stronger than the antibody response against B.1.351, the South African variant, after the first dose of the vaccine. After two doses, both antibody and T Cell levels were strong.

The results are evidence that the current set of approved vaccines will prove effective against even the new variants of the viruss.

February 2, 2021

Biotech and Covid-19 pioneer Moderna released results from new lab research that shows the vaccine remains effective against two new variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Although the level of antibodies generated dropped in the case of one varient, the protection from the vaccine is still high enough to ward off illness.

The two variants of the virus tested are B.1.1.7, first seen in the U.K., and B.1.351, first seen in South Africa. Both variants have received a lot of attention because they appear to spread more rapidly than earlier forms of the virus. It was the South African variant that showed the partial loss of vaccine effectiveness.

In the new research, Moderna scientists exposed blood from vaccine recipients to the two new virus strains. They then measured amounts of neutralizing antibodies, which are those believed to be active in preventing infection and illness. The antibody levels were high enough to remain effective, although somewhat lowered in the case of the South African variant.

Despite the welcome news that the vaccine remains effective against these variants, the reduction in vaccine potency against B.1.351 is leading Moderna to consider recommending a booster shot of vaccine in the future, possibly using a slightly modified version of the vaccine that would be specifically enhanced to fight that variant of the virus.

The Covid-19 vaccines that have been developed have such high degrees of effectiveness that they have a "margin of safety", that is, they remain effective even in the face of mutations that allow the virus to partially evade the immune responses provoked by the vaccine.

January 9, 2021

New research shows that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine remains effective against a mutation of the Covid virus that has been spreading in the U.K. and elsewhere. The results bolster confidence that the current crop of Covid-19 vaccines will be able to stamp out the pandemic despite the latest mutation of the virus.

All viruses mutate and create new variants, and one particular mutation has caused particular concern due to its rapid spread, creating fears that it could be resistant to the vaccines. The new research provides the first hard evidence that the vaccines will continue the very high levels of effectiveness that were shown in clinical trials.

In the new study, done by Pfizer and University of Texas scientists, a version of the virus with the worrisome mutation, known as N501Y, was introduced to blood from Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients. The vaccinated blood turned out to be as protective against the mutated virus as against the other versions of the virus.

Further research is still needed, since this study was small and didn't include all the mutations present in the new variants of the virus. Moderna, producer of the other approved mRNA vaccine, is conducting similar research.

There may be further mutations that could lessen the effectiveness of the vaccines, but if that time should come, scientists are confident that they can reformulate the vaccines to effectively fight the new variants.

December 5, 2020

A new study of recovered Covid-19 patients show that they maintain enough antibodies and other immune cells to fight off the virus, even eight months after infection. Even better, these protective tools tend to decline so slowly that immunity is likely to last for years, perhaps even decades.

The results point to an optimistic scenario that the Covid vaccines will be able to end the Covid pandemic and keep it supressed over the long term, without the need for people to get booster shots every year or two.

The study looked at several differnt tools that the human immune system uses to fight infections, including antibodies, B cells, and two types of T cells. Recovered Covid patients were found to have these various tools, and were capable of attacking SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, many months after the original infection.

Some of the immune tools, such as B cells, were in fact more prevalent six months after infection than only one month afterwards.

The study was conducted by researchers at the La Jolla Institue for Immunology, the University of California, San Diego, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

November 17, 2020

A new study shows that a common medication used to treat anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder helped in the treatment of Covid-19. In particular, the pill appeared to prevent Covid from worsening, keeping the illness in the mild to moderate range.

A pill that people who contract Covid-19 could take at home to prevent the disease from getting worse would be a great advance in Covid treatment. Other treatments for moderate Covid, such as monoclonal antibodies, require an IV to administer, typically in a hospital setting.

The study, done at Washington University in St. Louis, was a randomized trial where approximately half of the Covid patients were given the anxiety medicine, and half were given a placebo. None of the patients given the medicine developed shortness of breath or other signs of worsening Covid, but some of the placebo patients did.

The medication, fluvoxamine, is an SSRI - a very common category of antidepressant - that is known to influence inflammation. It has been used to treat serious infections such as sepsis.

Although the study was relatively small, with only 152 Covid-19 patients, the results were statistically significant. Still, it is likely that a larger trial will be needed before the medication would be widely used for treating Covid-19.

The results were published in JAMA, one of the most prominent medical journals.

October 30, 2020

A new study reported that over 90% of recovered Covid patients still had a strong supply of antibodies many months after the infection. This bolsters the prospects for an effective vaccine in the coming months.

The study, from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, included over 30,000 people who had recovered from Covid-19, measuring their antibody levels. The participants had been infected and recovered from Covid at varying points in time, letting the researchers analyze how the levels of antibodies behave over time after recovery.

There are different types of antibodies that are deployed by the immune system. Some of them showed declines over time, but others remained in the body at persistently high levels, even five months after infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

The persistent antibodies were produced by "cells in the bone marrow", indicating a likelihood of continued protection over long periods of time, said Dr. Ania Wajnberg, a research director at Mount Sinai.

The results are good news, as they indicate that the immune response from upcoming vaccines has a good chance to protect most people against Covid for a long time, possibly for multiple years. Because Covid-19 is such a new disease, the study could not determine how long the protection lasts, although the researchers will continue to follow the participants and to measure their antibody levels.

The study was published in the journal Science.

October 2, 2020

New studies have shown that problems with type 1 interferon may be one key cause of severe Covid-19 in many cases. Interferon is a type of messenger that helps cells fight infections.

One of the studies showed that interferon is missing or present only at very low levels in a substantial percentage of severe Covid cases. The low levels might be causing Covid to become serious in these cases. One implication is that treatment with synthetic interferon could help these patients fight off the disease.

Another study found that some patients with severe Covid-19 have antibodies that block interferon's ability to fight SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. This could also point to helpful treatment with the goal of removing those particular antibodies.

Researchers have long been mystified why some Covid patients develop severe, life-threatening cases, while others only have mild or even asymptomatic cases. These studies are among the first to detect specific cellular conditions that may underlie the severity in some cases.

There are several ongoing trials of interferon-based therapy for Covid patients. Researchers are hopeful that synthetic interferon could prevent the illness from becoming severe.

September 18, 2020

Scientists from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) have shown that a new cancer drug can block the virus behind Covid-19 from reproducing in laboratory tests. In fact, the drug, called AR-12, can block many types of virus, including the flu, Zika, and HIV, as well as SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

AR-12 blocks the activity of a protein called GRP78, which is used by viruses during their replication activity. This makes AR-12 different from other proposed or approved drugs for Covid-19. "Unlike any other anti-viral drug, it inhibits cellular chaperones, which are proteins that are required to maintain the right 3D shape of viral proteins", said Paul Dent, Ph.D., whose lab at VCU has been studying AR-12.

If found to be safe and effective in people, AR-12 could be taken in pill form, similar to an antibiotic. This would be a great advantage comparted to most of the other current drugs used to treat Covid-19, which are given intravenously.

The researchers are currently designing a trial to test AR-12 on Covid patients. They hope a trial can start by early 2021. Because AR-12 is new, it must be manufactured in sufficient quantities before a human trial can start.

September 11, 2020

A new synthetic molecule that blocks infection by the virus behind Covid-19 could become an inhaler that prevents the disease when taken daily. That is the hope of researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) who devised the new molecule.

The scientists call the aerosol formulation "AeroNabs", and co-inventor Peter Walter calls it "a molecular form of PPE", that is "far more effective" than masks. A cross-departmental team at UCSF designed the new molecule in a few months.

AeroNabs could be mass-manufactured cheaply, and would be self-administered through an inhaler, say the team behind it. They are also stable when reduced to a dry powder, making the formulation easy to ship around the world.

The molecules in AeroNabs are based on nanobodies, particles which are found in the immune systems of camels and llamas, says co-inventor Aashish Manglik, a professor at UCSF. Nanobodies defend the animals against infections, yet are much smaller than human antibodies, and as a result are easier to modify in the lab, as well as being cheaper and easier to produce.

The particle engineered by the team covers the spike protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, thereby preventing the virus from attaching to and infecting human cells.

Lab tests show the AeroNabs to be "ultrapotent" in blocking the virus from infecting human cells, UCSF says.

The researchers are planning to start human trials soon, on the way, they hope, to a commercial rollout of an over-the-counter, inhalable formulation to protect people from Covid-19.

September 2, 2020

A study in Iceland has found that the level of antibodies in people exposed to the virus that causes Covid-19 increases for about two months, and then remains stable for at least the next two months. There wasn't sufficient data to determine what happens after that.

The researchers tested over 30,000 people in Iceland for levels of antibodies produced by exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

Over 90% of recovered Covid patients tested positive for the presence of antibodies. Antibodies were also detected in some people who were never tested for Covid-19 and never showed any symptoms of Covid-19.

The study produced several other results of interest, such as finding higher levels of antibodies in older patients. Also, patients who had been severely ill with Covid later had higher levels of antibodies.

Smokers had lower levels of antibodies than did nonsmokers.

This type of data about antibody levels will become very important later, when vaccines are available and policies about the doses and frequencies of vaccines are being decided. It is good news that the antibodies last for at least 4 months, and it is hoped that they last significantly longer.

July 17, 2020

A study in Singapore has found that people who suffered coronavirus infections 17 years ago still have protective T-cells, which can protect them against the virus that causes Covid-19.

The study looks at people who became ill during the SARS outbreak in 2003. The scientists found that even now, 17 years later, their bodies still have immune system T-cells that are capable of protecting them from multiple types of coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19.

Recovered Covid-19 patients also had similar protective T-cells, the study found. T-cells are a type of immune system protection against specific viruses. They are capable of killing cells infected with the target virus.

Even more good news was found: the same protective anti-coronavirus T-cells were found in some people who had never suffered from either SARS or Covid-19. This suggests that the wider population may have a larger degree of resistance to Covid-19 than was previously thought. It also hints at cross-immunity between types of coronavirus.

May 28, 2020

A team of Boston-based scientists has shown that the antibodies produced by the body in response to Covid-19 are effective at blocking a new infection from developing into a new case of the disease, at least in the non-human primate in the study.

The research was Dr. Dan Barouch and recently published in the journal Science. The rhesus macaque monkeys were infected and developed symptoms consistent with Covid-19. They later recovered, and scientists found that antibodies were produced, including so-called neutralizing antibodies, which protect the body against a particular pathogen.

After 35 days, the monkeys were again exposed to the virus, but this time they did not get sick, due to the protective effect of the antibodies.

Dr. Barouch is also working with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, to develop a vaccine effective at preventing humans from getting infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Insights gained from the primate studies feed into the development of the human vaccine.

April 8, 2020

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced that it has isolated hundreds of antibodies that appear capable of neutralizing the virus that causes Covid-19. The antibodies were identified using genetically engineered mice which have a human-like immune system.

The company's scientists are now working to identify the two most powerful antibodiess, and mix them together to form a "cocktail" treatment. The different antibodies can attack different parts of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19. A cocktail approach also has a high likelihood of remaining effective in case of genetic variants of the virus.

The antibodies will likely target the spike protein on the surface of the virus, which is a key element in letting the virus attack a host cell.

Regeneron is preparing to manufacture enough antibodies to start clinical testing at the beginning of the summer.

Regeneron is also testing a medicine called Kevzara as a treatment for severely ill Covid-19 patients.

April 3, 2020

A team of scientists has found that the presence of zinc ions in cells reduces the ability of many coronaviruses to replicate. The implication is that zinc-based treatments could be developed to help Covid-19 patients.

The scientists, based in the Netherlands, determined that the zinc ions interferes with one of the key steps in the virus' replication mechanism, known as RNA polymerase.

If ionic zinc could be delivered together with other chemicals that help zinc enter the cells, it could strengthen cellular defenses against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

April 2, 2020

Academics measuring the transmission of Covid-19 in China have determined that high temperature and high humidity both reduce the transmission of the virus.

Their model estimates that a one degree Celsius temperature increase reduces transmissability by 0.0383, and that a one percent increase in humidity reduces transmissability by 0.0224. Transmissability is measured by the daily effective reproductive number, called R.

It is well established that high temperature and high humidity both reduce the spread of most influenza viruses, and a similar effect on the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has been suspected but not fully confirmed.

The study was based on a linear regression of the spread of Covid-19 to 100 cities in China in January 2020, along with temperature and humidity measurements for those days.

May 15, 2020

A cross-disciplinary team of researchers has designed a face mask that lights up when it detects SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.

Until now, public spaces have struggled to detect which persons trying to enter are infected with the virus. It is common for remote temperature sensors to be used in places from airports to office buildings, in an attempt to screen out the currently infected. But temperature sensors fail to detect people who are infected but asymptomatic, even though they may be spreading the virus.

The team behind the new mask design, which include scientists from Harvard and MIT, previously worked on masks that detect pathogens that cause Ebola and Zika. The Harvard researchers are affiliated with the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering.

They are usings sensors made of freeze-dried genetic material that binds with the virus. The signal of detection can be fed in to a bioluminescent or fluorescent light.

A proof of concept demo is planned in a matter of weeks.

April 30, 2020

A Florida company has a doorway-sized portal that shines far-UV-C light down on people or objects passing through. Far-UVC light kills viruses in its path, but is safe for people.

Different frequencies of UV light are designated with letters: UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. The most common type of UV-C light acts as a disinfectant to viruses and bacteria, but can be harmful to people if it makes contact with skin or eyes.

The Cleanse Portal, made by Healthe, of Cocoa Beach, Florida, is designed to be used at entrances to buildings and other doorways or entrances, in a variety of settings.

April 6, 2020

A championship Formula 1 team in the U.K. has joined in the fight against Covid-19 by building CPAP breating machines that can help some ailing patients avoid the need for a ventilator.

The Mercedes-AMG team is the reigning Formula 1 team, but the season has been put on hold. Now Mercedes-AMG's High Performance Powertrains group has teamed up with University College London to quickly develop a CPAP machine tailored for Covid-19 patients.

CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) devices are typically used by people suffering from sleep apnea; they help smooth continuous breathing during sleep.

Using CPAP machines can help prevent Covid-19 patients from needing admission to intensive care or a ventilator, as shown by results of CPAP use in Italy.

Once the new devices have been tested, the Formula 1 team says it can ramp up production to as much as 1,000 per day.

March 27, 2020

A team of academics in the U.K. has developed a design for a simple ventilator that can be made from available off-the-shelf parts and a small PCB with control logic. Although not as sophisticated as the existing commercial models used in most hospitals, the new design, called OxVent, can be assembled and deployed quickly.

The team of designers looked through low-cost parts that are readily available in the health care supply chain, and came up with a new, simplified design that has many fewer parts than standard commercial ventilators. The control circuitry was designed using Arduino, a widespread and low-cost circuit board.

A mainstream ventilator can cost in the area of $50,000. The OxVent's simplified design means it could be made available for $5,000 or less, if manufactured in bulk.

The design team hopes that regulators will give quick approval to device, to allow quick manufacture, assembly, and delivery to hospitals treating Covid-19.

July 23, 2020

British company Synairgen has produced an inhaled form of a common drug, interferon beta, that greatly reduces the chance that Covid-19 patients become severely ill. The study was small, but did include a control group that received a placebo instead of the drug being tested.

The patients getting interferon were 79% less likely to become severely ill, compared to the Covid patients who received the placebo.

The study was small, however, so a larger follow-up study will be needed to confirm the results. 101 patients particpated in the study.

Interferon is commonly given by injection to treat various infections, such as hepatitis. But injected interferon frequently causes side effects. Synairgen produced the inhaled form in the hope that it could be effective against Covid-19 without as many side effects as the injectable form.

Interferon is a protein that is produced in the body as part of its defense against virus infections. The coronavirus that causes Covid-19, however, is able to block or reduce the body's interferon response. Thus the additional interferon helps the body's protective actions against the virus.