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Scientists from Bristol have made what they have described as a ‘game-changing’ discovery in the fight against coronavirus.
They said that in the short-term, their discovery could lead to better treatment of Covid-19, and in the longer term, it could mean they are able to stop the virus being infectious altogether and ‘stop the virus in its tracks’. The team at the University of Bristol have released their findings in the journal Science, and describe the study that they undertook as ‘ground-breaking’. The team was headed by Prof Christiane Schaffitzel from Bristol’s School of Biochemistry, and Prof Imre Berger from the Max Planck Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology - effectively teaming up biochemists with another team that use powerful microscopes that freeze the virus and enable it to be looked at in tiny detail. The team discovered that buried deep within the spikes that the SARS CoV-2 protein uses to latch onto the inside of people’s bodies was a small molecule called linoleic acid. This fatty acid is what the virus uses to bind itself together and spread - and the team have described this discovery as important because it now means there is a way to disrupt that binding fat, and potentially render the virus not infectious. The discovery of this fatty acid is described as a ‘druggable pocket’ by scientists - a way in for drugs to take on the virus and disarm it. “Our discovery of a druggable pocket within the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein could lead to new anti-viral drugs to shut down and eliminate the virus before it entered human cells, stopping it firmly in its tracks,” she added. The discovery of the 'druggable pockets' is the second major breakthrough in the fight against coronavirus Covid-19 involving the University of Bristol. Last month, a team from Bristol were part of a global study that proved the use of a cheap £5 drug cut death rates for Covid-19 patients by a fifth. https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/game-changing-coronavirus-breakthrough-discovered-4537472.amp HELP US SPREAD GOOD NEWS! I run this site in my spare time and thoroughly enjoy giving you all positive news! If you've enjoyed the site we'd love for you to help me share the good news far and wide, share us on Reddit, your Facebook or your Twitter and spread a little positivity around. ENJOY FEEL GOOD, INSPIRING STORIES AND VIDEOS ? Our new page here is just what you need, with just good news, feel good stories unrelated to COVID. We have previously documented that the UK case-fatality rate (CFR) has fallen substantially from its peak in April. One explanation is that, unlike in March and April, new cases are predominantly in younger people who have a better outcome. We, therefore, sought to examine trends in CFR over time to see if the fatality rate was declining across all age groups. Due to the absence of age-stratified case data in the UK (although we’re working on this) we have used German data which reports lab-confirmed cases and deaths by broad age categories. This analysis shows that the fatality rate from COVID-19 has declined in all age groups, and the older age groups drive the overall reduction.  Codagenix Inc said on Tuesday Serum Institute of India has started manufacturing the U.S. biotech firm’s potential COVID-19 vaccine and it expects to begin early-stage human trial of the vaccine by the end of 2020 in the UK.
Serum Institute, the world’s largest vaccine maker by number of doses produced, will develop Codagenix’s CDX-005, which is delivered intranasally rather than via an injection. Serum Institute is working on several vaccine candidates for the novel coronavirus - including potentially mass-producing the one from AstraZeneca-Oxford University that has garnered global headlines - as well as developing its own. More than 150 potential vaccines are being developed and tested globally, with 38 in human trials, and candidates from Moderna Inc, Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca Plc are already in late-stage trials. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-codagenix/serum-institute-starts-manufacturing-codagenixs-potential-covid-19-vaccine-idUSKCN26D1OT HELP US SPREAD GOOD NEWS! I run this site in my spare time and thoroughly enjoy giving you all positive news! If you've enjoyed the site we'd love for you to help me share the good news far and wide, share us on Reddit, your Facebook or your Twitter and spread a little positivity around. ENJOY FEEL GOOD, INSPIRING STORIES AND VIDEOS ? Our new page here is just what you need, with just good news, feel good stories unrelated to COVID. A COVID test that can give results in just 15 minutes is being heralded as "game changing" by the company that makes it.
The test, which costs under £20, is being mass produced by its Derbyshire-based company SureScreen with the aim to deliver a million a week by November. It says that quick, cheap antigen tests used frequently will mean that "more screening can be done and better decisions can be made". Rapid, regular testing of millions of people a day is part of the government's so called 'Moonshot' strategy - though some scientists are sceptical about such a plan. SureScreen is a diagnostic company that already supplies its COVID-19 antibody test to 53 countries around the world and its clients include the French and Belgian governments. Its new antigen test is a handheld cassette type device which works in a similar way to a pregnancy test. The government wants to be testing millions of people a day by next year including people who don't have symptoms. The so-called 'Moonshot' strategy on testing aims to allow non infected people to live 'normally' confident in the knowledge they won't be infecting anyone. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-company-behind-15-minute-antigen-test-says-its-a-game-changer-12078934 HELP US SPREAD GOOD NEWS! I run this site in my spare time and thoroughly enjoy giving you all positive news! If you've enjoyed the site we'd love for you to help me share the good news far and wide, share us on Reddit, your Facebook or your Twitter and spread a little positivity around. ENJOY FEEL GOOD, INSPIRING STORIES AND VIDEOS ? Our new page here is just what you need, with just good news, feel good stories unrelated to COVID. The share of Californians who tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week dipped below 3% for the first time, a sign that the Golden State is finally starting to beat back the spread of the coronavirus, officials said Monday.
Just 3.1% of Californians who were tested over the last two weeks received a positive result, and that ratio dropped to 2.8% in the last seven days, state officials said. Hospitals in California are treating the fewest patients with the virus since April, and admissions to the state’s intensive care units have been dropping steadily, too. It’s a rare piece of good news for 40 million Californians, who are contending with raging wildfires and toxic air quality on top of the economic, physical and emotional effects of the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-21/california-covid19-positivity-rate-drops-below-3-percent-for-the-first-time HELP US SPREAD GOOD NEWS! I run this site in my spare time and thoroughly enjoy giving you all positive news! If you've enjoyed the site we'd love for you to help me share the good news far and wide, share us on Reddit, your Facebook or your Twitter and spread a little positivity around. ENJOY FEEL GOOD, INSPIRING STORIES AND VIDEOS ? Our new page here is just what you need, with just good news, feel good stories unrelated to COVID. Another day of no new cases of COVID-19 has been recorded in New Zealand, the Director-General of Health has revealed.
Tuesday's figures marks the second consecutive day of no coronavirus cases in the community or in managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) facilities. Dr Ashley Bloomfield says three people remain in hospital - one each in Auckland City, Middlemore, North Shore - though none of these patients are in intensive care. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2020/09/coronavirus-zero-new-cases-of-covid-19-in-new-zealand.html HELP US SPREAD GOOD NEWS! I run this site in my spare time and thoroughly enjoy giving you all positive news! If you've enjoyed the site we'd love for you to help me share the good news far and wide, share us on Reddit, your Facebook or your Twitter and spread a little positivity around. ENJOY FEEL GOOD, INSPIRING STORIES AND VIDEOS ? Our new page here is just what you need, with just good news, feel good stories unrelated to COVID. Chinese state-backed firm expects coronavirus vaccine approval for public use within months9/22/2020
State-backed vaccine maker China National Biotec Group (CNBG) is hopeful of two of its novel coronavirus vaccine candidates receiving conditional regulatory approval for general public use within the year, its vice president said on Tuesday.
China has inoculated hundreds of thousands of people under an emergency programme authorised in July for essential workers and other limited groups of people considered at high risk of infection, to stave off a resurgence of the coronavirus, even as clinical trials of vaccines are still underway to prove their efficacy and safety. Inoculating the general public with a workable vaccine is likely to be an important tool in curbing a virus that has led to over 960,000 deaths worldwide. However, expanding vaccine use prior to obtaining long-term data risks raising expert concern. “CNBG is discussing with relevant state authorities about the requirements for conditional approvals of the two coronavirus vaccines,” Zhang Yuntao told Reuters. The South China Morning Post first reported CNBG’s talks with regulators. “If all goes well, the two vaccines could hopefully be approved conditionally within the year for use in the general public,” Zhang said in a statement to Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-cnbg-vaccines/chinese-state-backed-firm-expects-coronavirus-vaccine-approval-for-public-use-within-months-idUSKCN26D0TO HELP US SPREAD GOOD NEWS! I run this site in my spare time and thoroughly enjoy giving you all positive news! If you've enjoyed the site we'd love for you to help me share the good news far and wide, share us on Reddit, your Facebook or your Twitter and spread a little positivity around. ENJOY FEEL GOOD, INSPIRING STORIES AND VIDEOS ? Our new page here is just what you need, with just good news, feel good stories unrelated to COVID. Normality could return in summer 2021 if vaccine succeeds - UK health minister Matt Hancock9/21/2020
Britain could return to pre-lockdown normal by next summer if a vaccine succeeds and was rolled out in the early part of 2021, health minister Matt Hancock said on Monday, adding that the most vulnerable might be vaccinated at the end of this year.
“For the mass rollout we’re talking about the first bit of next year, if all goes well... There’s still a chance of it coming on stream before Christmas, but we’ve then got to roll it out, and the first people who get it, are the people who are most vulnerable people,” Hancock told ITV’s This Morning. Asked when there would be a return to the old normal, Hancock said: “If... one of the vaccines comes off, in the early bit of next year, we are looking, I hope, by next summer.” https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-britain-vaccine/normality-could-return-in-summer-2021-if-vaccine-succeeds-uk-health-minister-idUSL5N2GI25Q HELP US SPREAD GOOD NEWS! I run this site in my spare time and thoroughly enjoy giving you all positive news! If you've enjoyed the site we'd love for you to help me share the good news far and wide, share us on Reddit, your Facebook or your Twitter and spread a little positivity around. ENJOY FEEL GOOD, INSPIRING STORIES AND VIDEOS ? Our new page here is just what you need, with just good news, feel good stories unrelated to COVID. New York State recorded only one death Sunday to COVID-19, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday, making it the lowest one-day death toll from the virus in the state since the start of the pandemic.
Nationwide, ABC News reports there were increases in cases in 29 states, plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico. There were also increases in the daily rate of positivity in 15 states and DC; increases in hospitalizations in 17 states, DC and Puerto Rico; and increases in daily deaths in 16 states and Puerto Rico. New cases in the U.S. peaked in late July and had been declining steadily ever since. https://abc7ny.com/health/covid-updates-ny-marks-lowest-1-day-death-toll-since-start-of-pandemic/6478675/ HELP US SPREAD GOOD NEWS! I run this site in my spare time and thoroughly enjoy giving you all positive news! If you've enjoyed the site we'd love for you to help me share the good news far and wide, share us on Reddit, your Facebook or your Twitter and spread a little positivity around. ENJOY FEEL GOOD, INSPIRING STORIES AND VIDEOS ? Our new page here is just what you need, with just good news, feel good stories unrelated to COVID. With the latest press conference in the UK from Chief Medical Adviser, Prof Chris Whitty and the Chief Scientific Adviser - Sir Patrick Vallance a bleak picture was painted for the UK over the coming months. Whilst this maybe the case we have to highlight all of the positive news that are ongoing with treatments and vaccines.
Treatments Here are a few of our recent articles on treatment options and how they are improving all the time : Covid Grows Less Deadly as Doctors Gain Practice, Drugs Improve Roche says its drugs reduce ventilator need for COVID-19 patients Lilly’s Covid-19 antibody helps some patients rid their systems of virus sooner in early analysis COVID-19 patients in the Netherlands now spend only 8 days in ICU compared to 22 days in March/April, says chairman of Dutch ICU association We are finally unravelling the mystery of what causes severe covid-19 New Study: Vitamin D reduces risk of ICU admission 97% Vaccines Moderna expects to make 20 million doses of coronavirus vaccine by 2020 end Hundreds of thousands have been given Chinese COVID-19 vaccines without a single infection Pharma company drastically boosts its potential coronavirus vaccine production Moderna expects to know if its coronavirus vaccine works by November, CEO says AstraZeneca trial illness likely not linked to Covid vaccine, Oxford says Pfizer reports 'potential' with COVID-19 candidate vaccine after expanding trial to 44,000 people Dr. Siegel on potential COVID vaccine effectiveness: Unlike annual flu, virus is not 'a moving target' Pfizer CEO: Chances 'quite' good will know by October if vaccine works Things will improve, things look negative at the moment but all around the world there are positive developments. Hopefully this offers some glimmer of hope. HELP US SPREAD POSITIVE NEWS! I run this site in my spare time and thoroughly enjoy giving you all positive news! If you've enjoyed the site we'd love for you to help me share the good news far and wide, share us on Reddit, your Facebook or your Twitter and spread a little positivity around. ENJOY FEEL GOOD, INSPIRING STORIES AND VIDEOS ? Our new page here is just what you need, with just good news, feel good stories unrelated to COVID. |
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