Coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic broke out after crossing from animals to humans, and now scientists believe that a possible vaccine could soon be found in the animal kingdom too. Researchers from the Vlaams Institute for Biotechnology in Ghent have found antibodies in llama blood which they think could help to neutralise the virus. Similar antibodies derived from llama blood have have proved effective in the past against MERS and SARS – close relatives of the Covid-19 virus. The original research that led to the discovery was part of a search for HIV. The antibodies found in llamas are much smaller than human antibodies, which raises the possibility of developing what virologists call nanobody technology – the use of tiny molecules to deliver drugs that can precision-target microscopic viruses. Another study, based on research in South Korea, suggests that ferrets might be the answer. The study published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe says that …

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An expert leading global efforts to search for a coronavirus vaccine has claimed nobody can "be completely certain" it will be possible to find a cure. Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at Oxford University, said scientists can’t be “completely certain" that it will be possible to find a vaccine for Covid-19, but that prospects are “very good.” Professor Gilbert’s team at Oxford is part of a global effort to find a vaccine for coronavirus, which has killed more than 160,000 people around the world. She said her team at Oxford are waiting for final safety tests and approvals before clinical trials can start on a vaccine she is “80% sure” will work. Professor Gilbert said the lab has “permission” to start recruiting volunteers so they have a “good pool” to draw from should the vaccine get approval. Prof Gilbert told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that trials need to be done to see if it is possible to find a workable vaccine. “The prospects are …

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Government insiders have warned that the UK's coronavirus lockdown could last for up to a year in some form. Yesterday, Business Secretary Dominic Raab announced the extension of the lockdown for another three weeks . But that could prove to be a very conservative estimate for when the UK can begin to get back to normal, with many claiming the government are treating the British public like children. Raab's briefing on Thursday mentioned a "light at the end of the tunnel" of the crisis as deaths start to level out. But there is said to be growing concerns inside the government about the potential knock-on effects of postponed NHS treatments such as cancer . Coronavirus pandemic Writing in the Independent, political columnist Andrew Grice said: "I'm told ministers are also talking privately about a three, six, nine and 12-month strategy — primarily because this 'war' will not be won until there is a vaccine." He added that ministers have told …

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A vaccine for the deadly coronavirus may never be developed, a leading immunologist has warned. But Professor Ian Frazer, who co-invented the groundbreaking HPV cervical cancer vaccine, also said it was possible that Covid-19 could diminish naturally, becoming less effective on its own. The Australian told news.com.au that trying to immunise against coronavirus was like trying to immunise against the common cold - difficult to impossible. He added: “It is tricky, vaccines for upper respiratory tract diseases, because the virus lands on the outside of you." Prof Frazer, of Queensland University, said 100 teams all over the world were testing for vaccines, but he stressed there was no model of how to attack Covid-19. Immunising against flu was more straightforward, he said. “Coronavirus doesn’t get into you, it stays on the surface cells in your lungs," he added. "All these flu viruses get into you, so the body can fight and makes T cells. “This …

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A four-year-old llama called Winter may hold the key to creating a treatment for coronavirus treatment, scientists have claimed. Research into the possibility llamas could help beat viruses has been ongoing for some time. A few weeks ago, researchers from the Vlaams Institute for Biotechnology in Ghent, Belgium, identified antibodies in llama blood which they thought could help to stop coronavirus. And now they have published their results. A study in science journal Cell called Structural Basis for Potent Neutralization of Betacoronaviruses by Single-Domain Camelid Antibodies demonstrated the tiny antibodies created by the immune system of one particular llama named Winter were effective against a whole range of coronavirus types – from SARS and MERS to Covid-19. The team, led by Xavier Saelens, Daniel Wrapp and Dr Jason McLellan, a structural virologist at the University of Texas at Austin, were already working on their llama blood therapy in …

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Across the world, medics are racing to develop an effective coronavirus treatment. Here in the UK, researchers are preparing to collect the blood from Covid-19 survivors to investigate if blood plasma transfusions could improve a patient's speed of recovery and chances of survival. NHS Blood and Transplant will gather convalescent plasma from people who have recovered from this illness, a spokeswoman said. They confirmed: "We envisage that this will be initially used in trials as a possible treatment for Covid-19. "If fully approved, the trials will investigate whether convalescent plasma transfusions could improve a COVID-19 patient's speed of recovery and chances of survival. "We are working closely with the government and all relevant bodies to move through the approvals process as quickly as possible.”. Today's Top Stories People who have recovered from Covid-19 have been invited to register with the NHS if they are …

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A coronavirus vaccine is entering clinical trials this week in a process which has taken months rather than years to get to this point. Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at Oxford University, said her team is planning to begin clinical trials of a vaccine for Covid-19 by the end of the week. She told BBC Breakfast on Monday that her team have gone through stages of vaccine development that usually take five years in just four months. However, she said none of the normal safety steps have been missed out and that work which is normally done one stage at a time is being done in "parallel". "We haven't missed anything out, all of the normal approaches to safe testing of the vaccine – the very careful, controlled manufacturing of the vaccine – all of that is still being done," she said. "But normally you would do one piece of work, get the results, then apply for funding, then move on to another piece of work - that's not happening this time. "We …

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Hopes that the coronavirus outbreak might come to an end as warmer weather kills off the Covid-9 virus might be too optimistic, according to a new report from researchers at the University of Aix-Marseille in France. The researchers say they tested the effect of heat on the virus in both “clean” laboratory conditions and natural “dirty” environments. Even very high temperatures seemed to have little effect. Deliberately infected African green monkey kidney cells placed in a 140-degree Fahrenheit room remained infected But a confidential briefing on the researchers’ results, leaked to Yahoo News, does offer some that the summer weather could create harsher conditions for the virus because – according to the report – “sunlight destroys the virus quickly.” The Department of Homeland Security released a statement, saying “The department is dedicated to the fight against COVID-19, and the health and safety of the American people is its top priority. As policy, …

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Experts claim that by studying human poo, we could better learn how to prevent a second deadly wave of coronavirus deaths. By studying human faeces in sewer systems across the globe, scientists would be able to get a snapshot of residents’ health and seeing if they are carrying any infections. Newsha Ghaeli, co-founder of epidemiology firm Biobot said: “Infected patients are excreting the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, in stool.” She added: “That’s how we end up being able to see the coronavirus, along with a whole bunch of other human health information in our city sewer system.” The US biotech firm is collecting samples collected from wastewater facilities across the country. By doing this, experts believe they will be able to get a clearer picture of where the coronavirus has spread to and how best to tackle it. It has now collected 300 samples from 40 states, which researchers use to measure the concentration of the virus and see how hard areas …

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Formula One have confirmed the postponements of the Dutch, Spanish and Monaco Grands Prix, while bosses have also agreed to delay the introduction of the 2021 regulations to the 2022 season. The coronavirus outbreak continues to affect the world of sport, with F1 forced to axe last weekend's curtain-raiser in Australia 90 minutes before Friday practice was due to take place. Subsequent races in Bahrain, Vietnam and China postponed, while there were doubts over whether the trio of races scheduled in May - in the Netherlands, Spain and Monaco - would take place. And F1, along with governing body the FIA, confirmed on Thursday that those races have now been postponed, meaning the season is due to start at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in June, though that will be assessed nearer the time as the coronavirus crisis continues to wreaks havoc on schedules. Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton at last year's Monaco Grand Prix ( Image: AFP/Getty Images) …

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