During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have had many questions about health matters. Naturally, doctors and nurses who are in the front line against the virus have been amongst the most listened to. Some of these front line staff have posted videos on social media with preventive advice or explanations about the illness, the virus and […]

For several months now, health professionals and patients have not only had to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, but also with an “infodemic” caused by misinformation and disinformation. Numerous false rumours abound in the media and on social networks: for example, it is wrongly affirmed that masks are ineffective and may increase the risk of […]

Recombination is a transfer of genetic material between two nucleic acid molecules (DNA or RNA). With respect to viruses, it can occur during the replication of the viral genome when an individual is co-infected by 2 strains of the virus. This process may generate a new variant, carrying a part of the genome of the […]

When SARS-CoV-2 infects a cell, its genome enables the production of proteins that will be used to assemble new viral particles. The proteins are synthesised by the cellular machinery in the form of large polyproteins, cleaved by cellular and viral proteases. The viral proteases are a potentially useful target in the development of antiviral treatments […]

Neutralising antibodies produced as a result of infection or vaccination are an essential part of antiviral immunity. When SARS-CoV-2 infection occurs, the main target of neutralising antibodies is the RBD (Receptor Binding Domain) of the viral spike protein. The RBD is the region in contact with the ACE2 cellular receptor that enables entry of the […]

Severe cases of COVID-19 are characterised by raised levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the blood circulation as well as by exacerbated inflammation. Interferons (IFN) are anti-viral cytokines which have been given particular attention. They are made up of 3 families: the IFN-I (⍺ and β), the IFN-II (ɣ) and the IFN-III (𝛌 1-4).  While we […]

For several months, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants has been closely monitored since these new strains may be more virulent, and may evade immunity, even when it derives from vaccination. This is notably the case with the Alpha (⍺) (UK), Beta (β) (South African), Gamma (ɣ) (Brazilian), Epsilon (ε) (Californian), Delta (δ) (Indian) and […]

The Alpha (⍺) or UK variant emerged in England at the end of 2020 and spread rapidly throughout the country. By the 19 January 2021, this variant had reached all 4 countries of the UK. Despite travel restrictions, it then became dominant throughout the world. Studies have shown that this variant has higher transmissibility and […]

Effective and safe treatment against COVID-19 needs to be developed quickly, especially for elderly or high-risk individuals. Amongst medicines currently used, corticosteroids seem to reduce mortality rates in hospitalised patients, but in certain cases can have harmful side-effects and are not unanimously favoured by the medical community. They can be administered locally by inhalation, or […]

Coronaviruses are zoonotic pathogens (deriving from animals) which have caused various pandemics over the last 20 years. The 3 most pathogenic coronaviruses for humans belong to the class of β-coronaviruses: SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. The spike surface protein (S)  of these coronaviruses enables entry of the virus into the cell. The S1 sub-unit of S, […]