Males who contract COVID-19 have 2.5 times the death rate of women. Being males is a significant risk factor for worse disease severity, regardless of age. Researchers found a similar trend in data from the 2003 SARS outbreak. The study speculates the reason why males are more prone to negative outcomes of coronavirus is due to levels of ACE2, which is significantly higher in males than females.
Virologist and computational neuroscientists agree, how humans treat and trade animals may have played a significant role in the coronavirus pandemic and other viral infections.
Common coronaviruses are usually detected between December and May, with a peak of infection during January and February. Only 2.5% of cases occurred in the summer months. Researchers caution it is still too early to tell if COVID-19 will follow the same seasonal path as other coronaviruses.
Researchers explore why COVID-19 is more deadly compared to the flu and other viruses.
Structural mapping of both SARS and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, reveals an almost identical site on both coronaviruses to which the CR3022 antibody binds. This suggests a functionally important and vulnerable site for this family of coronaviruses.
SARS-CoV-2 is detectable in aerosols for up to three hours and up to four hours on copper. On cardboard, the virus is detectable for up to 24 hours, and up to three days on plastic and stainless steel. The study suggests the virus may be acquired through the air in addition to touching surfaces.
Researchers provide a statistical analysis of 'saving appearance responses' in patients with dementia. The study reveals the SAR responses are particularly common in those with Alzheimer's disease.