GVN SARS-CoV-2 Perspectives

Interest has increasingly been focused on the potential of virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to treat COVID-19 by passive immunization. These antibodies generally target the viral spike protein to prevent infection by blocking ACE2 receptor binding to its receptor binding domain (RBD). There are several issues, however, that need to be addressed to determine when and…

The absence of efficient therapeutics for COVID-19 has brought much attention to evaluation of repurposing drugs. Hydroxychloroquine (HC) is an antimalarial drug that affects endosomal function and blocks autophagosome-lysosome fusion (1). Since coronaviruses use the endolysosomal pathway to enter the cell before uncoating, HC has been shown to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in cellular models. The…

There are two ways in which pathogens make us sick. One is by the direct effects of the pathogen itself. The other is by collateral damage from our hyperactive immune responses to the pathogen by the release of interferons (IFNs), interleukins (ILs), tumor-necrosis factors (TNF-α), chemokines, and several other mediators. This latter mechanism has appeared…

The benefits of saliva sampling for frequent and massive COVID-19 testing Saliva tests for detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and antigens are becoming widely available lately. What are the advantages and disadvantages of sampling saliva over the nasal swabs? Saliva sampling simply involves spitting into a collection container. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)…

When Developing a SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine, Researchers Need to Consider that Antibodies May Enhance Infection Rather than Provide Protection There is encouraging news from recent clinical trials of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, including several candidate vaccines that induce neutralizing antibodies with no apparent adverse effects. Their protective efficacy at preventing infections is not yet known, but will be…

Can a single amino acid mutation in the spike protein affect the infectivity and immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2? Recently, a great deal of attention has become focused on a specific SARS-CoV2 mutant in which amino acid residue 614 of the spike protein is changed from aspartic acid to the less bulky and more neutral glycine. This…

One approach to COVID-19 that has been gaining traction, is the idea of decontaminating surfaces to inactivate viruses that have been deposited upon them, either by aerosols, droplets, or contaminated touch. Infection from surfaces is a major concern for public entities and private businesses such as schools, public transportation, airlines, hotels, hospitals and doctors’ offices,…

The question of where viruses involved in spillover zoonoses originate is always important and fascinating. Identifying their origin is critical in understanding how zoonotic epidemics originate, and in preparing preventive strategies for future epidemic. Fascinating, because identification, like solving a difficult whodunit, involves a series of forensics including those from epidemiology, molecular genetics, phylogenetics, and…

How seasonality and climate affect SARS-CoV-2 There has been much speculation over the effects of climate on the spread of SARS-CoV-2. This is obviously a difficult question, as there are many variables to tease apart, including: population density, socioeconomic status, geography, and cultural norms. Viral -transmission seems to occur more easily indoors than outdoors. Another…