All the coronavirus in the world could fit inside a Coke can, with plenty of room to spare
Reading Time: 4 minutesBY MISHA KETCHELL WHEN I was asked to calculate the total volume of SARS-CoV-2 in the world for the BBC Radio 4 show More or Less, I will admit I had no idea what the answer would be. My wife suggested it would be the size of an Olympic swimming pool. “Either that or a teaspoon,” she […]
WHO confirms Coronavirus came from animals not laboratory
Reading Time: 3 minutesBy Saarani Vengadesen There has been a longstanding cold war between USA and China, with the USA accusing the latter of creating the infamous SARS-CoV2 virus in the lab. The latest probe concluded by WHO states that coronavirus originated from animal and it is not leaked from the lab. WHO team revealed the preliminary finding during […]
Climate change may have driven the emergence of SARS-CoV-2
Reading Time: 3 minutesGLOBAL greenhouse gas emissions over the last century have made southern China a hotspot for bat-borne coronaviruses, by driving growth of forest habitat favoured by bats. A new study published today in the journal Science of the Total Environment provides the first evidence of a mechanism by which climate change could have played a direct role in […]
The immune system mounts a lasting defence after recovery from COVID-19, researchers find
Reading Time: 3 minutesAS THE NUMBER of people who have fought off SARS-CoV-2 climbs ever higher, a critical question has grown in importance: How long will their immunity to the novel coronavirus last? A new Rockefeller study offers an encouraging answer, suggesting that those who recover from COVID-19 are protected against the virus for at least six months, […]
Unravelling coronavirus structure for effective vaccine and medication
Reading Time: < 1 minuteWHILE vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 have already begun in many countries, effective medication for COVID-19 treatment has not yet been identified. Scientists at Max Planck Institutes (MPI) are now closely investigating the surface structures of SARS-CoV-2 and the processes by which the virus replicates in infected cells to find new targets for possible therapies. Martin Beck and Gerhard Hummer and their […]
The darling of the medical world – mRNA is here
Reading Time: 2 minutesVaccines are the talk of the town now and a new addition to public vocabulary is mRNA. We all know DNA took all the limelight and left its cousin, RNA, completely in the dark and little known to the public. It is far less popular than DNA. The public might not know there are several types […]
Rush scientists develop potential COVID-19 drug
Reading Time: < 1 minuteSCIENTISTS from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois have developed a new potential therapy for COVID-19 that has shown promising results in its lab study. The scientists used hexapeptide in mouse models that are infected with COVID-19. The peptide was nasally introduced and has shown to be effective in reducing fever, improving heart function, protecting the lungs, […]
New study: Without right messaging, masks could lead to more COVID-19 spread
Reading Time: 2 minutesA NOVEL new study suggests that the behaviour public officials are now mandating or recommending unequivocally to slow the spread of surging COVID-19–wearing a face covering–should come with a caveat. If not accompanied by proper public education, the practice could lead to more infections. The finding is part of a unique study, just published in JMIR […]
Europe’s Position on COVID-19 Vaccines Inconsistent with its GMO Stance
Reading Time: < 1 minuteEUROPEAN politicians lauded the breakthroughs in the COVID-19 vaccine, including mRNA vaccines which are developed using genetic engineering. This stance is considered as inconsistent with its position on genetic modification and gene editing which have been prevented to be adopted by farmers in the region except in Spain and Portugal. This is according to Graham Brookes, an agricultural economist with […]
Trust the Shot
Reading Time: 3 minutesWITH the rapid development and distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, the anxious wait is over. But with anti-vaccine ideologies growing, governments are facing the next obstacle – getting the global population immunised. As the only science media outlet in Malaysia, The Petri Dish team is launching an awareness campaign on vaccinations. Vaccines are our only […]