The main aim of vaccines currently being used is to produce neutralizing antibodies in individuals which will block the entry of the virus into the host cell. It appears that these vaccines will still be effective against the UK variant. Several neutralizing antibodies are currently undergoing clinical testing with the aim of preventing or treating […]

In order to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to understand how the virus operates and the kind of immune reaction it triggers. To do so, the virus’ cycle needs to be studied by infecting model cells in vitro. Since SARS-CoV-2 is highly transmissible, it has to be studied in type 3 laboratories where […]

A recent study attempted to identify the most effective antibodies in order to meet needs for urgent treatment options in the face of the proliferation of variants. As well as the human cost of the COVID-19 crisis (more than 2 million lives lost) the economic impact has been considerable. According to one estimation, it may […]

In order to fight against COVID-19, governments have taken a number of public health measures, such as lockdowns or the closure of “non-essential” businesses. Little is known of the effectiveness of such measures, as several of them tend to be put in place at the same time, and it is difficult to estimate the effectiveness […]

Although SARS-CoV-2 is a new coronavirus, the majority of people have already been exposed to other seasonal coronaviruses. Having been infected by a seasonal coronavirus does not seem to protect against SARS-CoV-2, but only reduces the risk of developing a severe form of the illness. The origin of this possible relative cross-protection between coronaviruses is […]

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for COVID-19, which has caused a pandemic within several months of appearing. In order to develop effective drug therapies, it is necessary to understand the virus’ cycle, the mechanisms of cell infection, and to characterize the immune response. To study this latter, it is essential to have models for in […]

The clinical evolution of COVID-19 differs greatly from one patient to another: there may be few or no symptoms, only moderate illness and complete recovery, severe illness with a developing acute respiratory distress (SARS), or multiple organ failure and eventual death. Several factors influence this development: age, genetic or immune system predispositions, obesity, diabetes, or […]

SARS-CoV-2 is a virus that has a single strand RNA genome of 30,000 bases. After the entry of the viral particle into the host cell, its genome is replicated, so as to be encapsidated in new viral particles, and in addition, to be translated into proteins in order to form new virions. Viral RNA is […]

At the moment only Dexamethasone (immunosuppressant) and Remdesivir (antiviral) have proved to be clinically effective against COVID-19, and then only in certain conditions. The passive transfer of neutralizing antibodies (taken from convalescing patients) is an interesting alternative since it can be used as a preventative measure as well as in treatment. This approach has proved […]

SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for more than 50 million infections worldwide, and more than a million deaths. Studies on how COVID-19 is transmitted have shown the significance of infection clusters, generally gatherings of people in enclosed spaces such as offices, churches or health care facilities. These clusters sometimes involve a superspreader event, where one individual transmits […]