Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs through close personal contact. After the first wave of COVID-19, social distancing measures and repeated lockdowns changed interaction behaviour in people and resulted in reductions in mortality and incidence rates. However, since June 2020, there has been a resurgence in cases in the United States and Europe. Some demographic studies suggest […]

Entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells requires the fusion of viral and cellular membranes. This fusion is mediated by the spike (S) surface viral protein. We already knew that peptides (small proteins) that bind to one end of the S protein inhibit membrane fusion. Dutch and American researchers recently tested this type of peptide, coupled with […]

The severity of COVID-19 is due to an inflammatory syndrome caused by over-activation of the immune system, reacting against its incapacity to eradicate the virus. This over-inflammation causes lung damage which brings about respiratory distress and a change in the blood’s immune profile and in the level of lung alveoli. There is excessive activation of […]

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has affected millions of people across the world, whether in terms of health or economic hardship. So one of our main priorities is to find an effective treatment. As severe cases develop, we can observe an initial phase where the viral load increases, followed by a second phase characterised […]

The SARS-CoV-2 genome codes for 2 polyproteins, 4 structural proteins (including the spike) and other accessory proteins. The viral protease Mpro has the function of splitting the polyprotein into individual proteins and has a central role in the virus cycle. Since Mpro  has no equivalent in humans, it is an excellent choice for targeting by […]

The UK variant of SARS-CoV-2, which appeared at the end of the summer of 2020, spread rapidly across the country between November 2020 and January 2021. It includes numerous mutations and deletions (or losses), notably in the spike (S) surface protein, the protein in contact with the ACE2 cellular receptor which enables entry of the […]

SARS-CoV-2 is able to enter cells through its interaction with the spike (S) surface protein and the ACE2 cellular receptor. Soluble ACE2 proteins (sACE2), to act as lures for the virus (see News-COVID-19.info letter 4-10 January 2021), and protease inhibitors are treatments currently undergoing clinical trials. But for the moment, only neutralizing antibodies constitute an […]

The first case of COVID-19 on the African continent was declared in Egypt on the 14th of February 2020. Although the majority of African countries have been affected, the first wave of the pandemic seemed to spread less quickly through the continent than in the rest of the world. How can this be explained? The […]

Therapeutic antibodies seem to be an effective means of protection against and treatment of COVID-19. It is preferable to administer a combination of 2 antibodies targeting different regions of the virus, in order to enhance effectiveness and prevent viral variants that can evade treatment in the patient. However, formulating a “cocktail” of 2 antibodies is […]

Scientific misinformation is a threat in many respects: for health, the environment, the development of a sustainable and equitable future, and for the culture itself. Whether it be intentional or not, this phenomenom is not new, but it has taken on a new dimension with the COVID-19 pandemic, for several reasons. First of all, the […]