The phone’s camera can replace labs in a novel testing approach; virus mutations related to severity of COVID-19

(Reuters) – The following is a summary of some of the most recent scientific studies on the new coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

Phone Cameras May Replace Lab Equipment in COVID-19 Testing

Researchers looking for faster and more convenient options to scale up coronavirus testing are looking for a novel approach that uses a gene-editing technology called CRISPR and smartphone cameras instead of bulky lab equipment. In an article published Friday in Cell, a team including Jennifer Doudna, this year’s co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, describe a CRISPR-based COVID-19 test in which the swab sample is mixed with an enzyme. called Cas13 that can recognize the genetic material of the new coronavirus, as well as an extra molecule that turns fluorescent when cut. Then the mix is ​​put into a device that connects to smartphones. If the mixture contains genetic material from the virus, the enzyme finds and cuts it, without the lengthy virus purification steps that other tests require. The enzyme also cuts the extra molecule, and the phone’s camera detects the resulting fluorescence as a sign that the virus is present. Smartphone cameras “are approximately 10 times more sensitive than laboratory devices in detecting the fluorescence signal quickly and reliably in minutes,” said co-author Dr. Melanie Ott of the Gladstone Institute of Virology at the University of California. in San Francisco. “The cell phone is also portable, widely available and … using GPS it can facilitate contact tracing.” (bit.ly/36QkNj5)

Coronavirus Mutations Related to COVID-19 Severity

Certain mutations in the genetic material of the new coronavirus have “substantial” associations with the severity of COVID-19, and “collectively, these variants are not rare,” US Air Force researchers found. When they downloaded and analyzed the profiles genetics from COVID-19 virus samples obtained from 155,958 patients in an international registry database, found 17 mutations more than twice as likely to be associated with increased severity of COVID-19 and 67 variants that appeared to be associated with a milder illness that did not require hospitalization. “In total, 85% of the genomes had at least one variant associated with patient outcome,” the researchers reported Thursday in an article published in medRxiv ahead of peer review. At this time, they cannot say whether a specific mutation alone causes milder or more severe disease, only that “together these variants are predictive of outcome.” More studies are needed, but eventually, the researchers said, “by providing a molecular risk factor for more severe outcomes, these findings could help prioritize limited treatment supplies for those at higher risk.” (bit.ly/3gkPIqU)

Children may lose vaccines during the pandemic

If a Colorado study is an indication, children and adolescents have not received the recommended vaccinations during the pandemic. The researchers analyzed data from the Colorado Immunization Information System, collected from January 5 to May 2. Until mid-March, when measures to try to contain the spread of the virus went into effect, the combined weekly number of vaccinations averaged 23,523 per week for babies up to 2 years, 6,148 for children 3 to 9 years and 8,318 for children of 10 to 17 years. After March 15, the average weekly number of vaccinations decreased by 31% for infants, 78% for 9 years, and 82% for the oldest age group. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that all children continue to receive routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 outbreak. In a report published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics, the Colorado study authors noted that they do not yet know the effect of decreasing vaccines on future infection rates. Still, they conclude, “public health advocates should consider addressing this decline to avoid the potential for vaccine-preventable diseases.” (bit.ly/3lV9xpU; bit.ly/36UIHKB)

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