Virology News

Sputnik V Covid vaccine is developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology under the Russian Health Ministry.Top Russian leaders, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, have been already inoculated with the country's covid vaccine...

The consequences of not understanding the actual rate of asymptomatic influenza infection can be grave, as influenza virus infection of the respiratory tract has been shown to result in severe disease and complications, including pneumonia, shock, renal failure, encephalopathy, and multiorgan...

Falling COVID-19 infection numbers in Pakistan will not affect a Phase 3 clinical trial for a potential vaccine being developed by China's CanSino Biologics , which is expected to begin this month, according to officials running the trial.

Mask-wearing was enforced during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, but many refused, citing the government...

Like COVID-19, the 1918 influenza pandemic moved swiftly through the Navajo community, but firsthand accounts of the devastation are rare.

Coronavirus makes it more important than ever for schools to make flu shots mandatory.

Author summary APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases are enzymes that restrict many viruses by mutating their genomes. In doing so, they exert a selection pressure and leave onto these viruses an evolutionary footprint.

Kenya is among the four African countries set to participate in the Covid-19 vaccine trial, African Special Envoy on Covid-19 and Director of CDC Dr John Nkengasong has announced. Speaking on Thursday during a virtual meeting of the African Union Bureau convened to discuss the continental response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr Nkengasong said seven Covid-19 vaccine trials were nearing World Health Organisation (WHO) approval. “Four African countries among them Kenya are participating in the clinical trials for these vaccines,” he told the meeting attended by heads of states. SEE ALSO: Fix Kemsa once and for all to end drug woes Nkengasong said Africa targets to vaccinate 60 per cent of her population at an estimated cost of 10 to 15 billion USD once the Covid-19 vaccine becomes available. In a report presented by Rwandan economist Donald Kaberuka and Zimbabwean businessman Strive Masiyiwa, the envoys applauded the IMF for being the most responsive bilateral institution to Africa's Coronavirus response. Mr Kaberuka said the lender had injected a total of USD 23.5 billion into African economies in the last four months, followed by the World Bank (14.3 billion USD) and African Development Bank (700 million USD). The former president of the African Development Bank said Covid-19 risks wiping out a decade of Africa's economic progress and warned that the next three to four years will be particularly tough for the continent. Masiyiwa said a total of 51 countries had subscribed to the Africa Medical Supplies Platform. Among these nations are six Caribbean countries led by Barbados. READ MORE Covid-19 hurts women's access to contraceptives How coronavirus has hurt chemists Number of babies getting vaccines declines Infant immunization drops amid Covid-19 SEE ALSO: Common blood disease stirs trouble in marriages The platform, he said, has attracted 800 suppliers including eleven African manufacturers offering 600 products, including all key Covid-19 medicines recommended by WHO. In his address, President Uhuru Kenyatta said Africa needs to elevate its global partnerships in the search for a Covid-19 vaccine so as to "ensure that African countries are not further marginalised but are positioned to be among first line of beneficiaries, once a breakthrough is made". He commended the special envoys for their efforts in helping the continent deal with the health and socioeconomic impacts of Covid-19. "The economic challenges we face require concerted multilateral effort, such as prioritising debt cancellation and Bretton Woods led relief package, that do not exacerbate emerging local challenges," he said. President Paul Kagame (Rwanda) and President Filipe Nyusi (Mozambique) speaking on behalf of the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) emphasized on the need to ensure that Africa is not left behind in the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine when ready. SEE ALSO: WHO now expresses concerns Kenya has so far recorded 31, 441 positive cases after testing 407, 610 samples since March 12 when the first case was reported in the country. Covid 19 Time Series

Pakistan will receive enough doses early in distribution to vaccinate about one-fifth of its population, says report.

A majority of Russian doctors would not feel comfortable being injected with Russia's new COVID-19 vaccine due to the lack of sufficient data about it.

<p>The capacity to generate particular antibodies against the virus only seven days after the first dose is one of the most outstanding qualities of the SOBERANA vaccine candidate.</p>...

China's Sinovac Biotech has committed to provide up to 40 million coronavirus vaccine doses to Indonesia's government between November and March, a minister said, as the Southeast Asian nation seeks to secure its supply as cases rise unabated.

Russia had earlier mentioned that at least 20 countries have evinced interest in obtaining the Sputnik-V vaccine.

New insights into how ants and bacteria became a single organism may lead to a better understanding of the origin of complex organisms, researchers report.

Symptomatic case fatality ratio and infection fatality ratio provide a more accurate picture of pandemic, they say.

Politicians, government officials and pharma executives alike have been predicting a COVID-19 vaccine debut by year's end, but Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier doubts that's possible. Instead, those who are promising vaccines later this year could be hurting the overall fight against the pandemic, he...

The World Health Organization cautioned Friday the coronavirus pandemic still has two years to run while issuing a directive for...

There have been no deaths associated with influenza across Australia so far this winter with authorities noting social distancing, increased testing, hand hygiene and people staying home if they’re sick have all contributed to the dramatic change in figures.

Agreements have been signed with US companies Johnson & Johnson and Novavax.

In a novel proof of concept study, published on the bioRxiv preprint server, U.S. researchers used attenuated influenza viral particles that express severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor-binding domain to induce neutralizing antibodies in mice – unveiling another...

Bharat Biotech International Ltd., an unlisted Indian vaccine maker, received regulatory approval to start human clinical trials for its experimental shot from India’s apex medical research body...

Flight carrying workers from Chinese state-owned Ramu nickel mine cancelled by pandemic controller over concerns about vaccine trial...