Covid-19: Why has the omicron variant hit Hong Kong so hard?

Covid-19 cases are soaring in Hong Kong, and the government’s focus on testing instead of vaccinating older populations may be the reason deaths are spiking and hospitals are overwhelmed Health | Analysis 8 March 2022 By Michael Le Page Health workers at a mobile testing lab in Hong Kong Kin Cheung/AP/Shutterstock Covid-19 cases in Hong … Read more

A Cat in Pennsylvania Caught The Delta Variant. But It’s Not All Bad News

SARS-CoV-2 is not picky about its host. Since the virus first started spreading among humans, it has jumped from our species to pets, livestock, and even wild animals. Cats appear to be particularly susceptible to contracting COVID, although they often don’t show symptoms, and it’s unlikely that they can pass the virus back to us. Even … Read more

Covid-19 news: Omicron immune response protects against BA.2 variant

By Michael Le Page, Clare Wilson, Jessica Hamzelou, Sam Wong, Graham Lawton, Adam Vaughan, Conrad Quilty-Harper, Jason Arunn Murugesu, Layal Liverpool, Carissa Wong and Alex Wilkins Covid-19 seen under the microscope Shutterstock / Naeblys Latest coronavirus news as of 12pm on 28 February Data suggests that people who’ve had the BA.1 omicron variant are protected … Read more

Strange Evolutionary Pace of SARS-CoV-2 Mutations Is Finally Revealed in New Study

The timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic has been marked by a series of catastrophic waves: surging crests of infection spreading around the world, often spearheaded by newly evolved variants of the pathogen, such as Delta and Omicron.   This is simply how viral evolution can play out, of course. But SARS-CoV-2 is an unusually successful … Read more

Discovery of New HIV Variant Sends Warning for COVID Pandemic

As SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, has spread throughout the world, many observers have failed to take note of the millions of illnesses and deaths caused by HIV—another virus that has approached pandemic status during its history. Now an HIV variant that is more virulent and transmissible has been discovered in the Netherlands, where … Read more

The First Evidence of Omicron Spilling Over Into Wild Animals Has Just Been Found

Vaughn Cooper sees white-tailed deer every day in his neighborhood outside Pittsburgh. The species is common in most US states. Pennsylvania alone has around 1.5 million white-tailed deer – about 30 per square mile (2.6 square km) – while the US has around 30 million in total.   “My dog goes ripping after the deer … Read more

HIV: ‘VB’ is a new and more infectious variant – but it is treatable

The new variant has been found mainly in the Netherlands and it is more infectious, but it can be detected with existing tests and responds to treatment Health 3 February 2022 By Clare Wilson A computer illustration of HIV infecting an immune system cell Science Photo Library / Alamy Stock Photo A more transmissible and … Read more

A coronavirus variant once helped the global pork industry. Could one protect us? | Science

Long before COVID-19 became a household word—in 1946, to be precise—veterinary researchers at Purdue University reported that something invading the guts of young pigs was causing diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss, ultimately killing most of them. The scientists did not know the cause of the sickness, which devastated U.S. pig farms, but they could trigger … Read more

A New, ‘Highly Virulent’ HIV Variant Was Just Discovered in Europe

A newfound variant of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has been uncovered in the Netherlands and appears to cause faster disease progression compared with other versions of the virus.   The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects and destroys immune cells called CD4 cells in the body, causing the number of these cells to plummet. … Read more

Ageing: Gene variant found in centenarians may be linked to longer lifespan

A rare variant of the SIRT6 gene increases DNA repair in human cells, and learning its effects could help to develop anti-ageing drugs Health 31 January 2022 By Michael Le Page A cake for a 100th birthday kajakiki/Getty Images A rare gene variant identified in people who have lived to 100 or more appears to … Read more