All articles tagged with #virus variants
The article discusses a recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Israel, highlighting severe cases among vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, the emergence of new variants, and the importance of vaccination and personal precautions to reduce severe illness and hospitalizations.
With COVID-19 cases rising, at-home rapid tests may take longer to show positive results due to accumulated immunity from vaccinations or previous infections. The delay in accurate test results could lead to a false sense of security for those testing negative despite having symptoms. Recommendations include immediate testing for symptoms, retesting if initially negative, and getting a PCR test for more sensitive results. Asymptomatic individuals exposed to COVID-19 should also follow specific testing guidelines. The rise in COVID-19 cases is attributed to a more contagious subvariant, and free at-home tests are available through various government programs and health plans.
Scientists from the University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School have developed an AI tool called EVEscape that aims to predict virus variants before they emerge. By estimating the likelihood of a variant escaping the body's immunity defenses, the tool processes data on virus evolution and considers biological and structural information. The tool successfully predicted SARS-CoV-2 mutations and identified which antibody-based treatments would lose efficacy. It can examine thousands of new virus variants each week and inform public health decisions. The tool also showed promise in predicting mutating behaviors for other viruses like HIV and the flu.
Scientists have developed an AI application called the early warning anomaly detection (EWAD) system, which uses machine learning to predict dangerous variants in future pandemics. By analyzing genetic sequences, infection rates, and mortality rates of SARS-CoV-2, the AI was able to accurately identify variants of concern before they were officially designated by the WHO. The system could help in combating future pandemics and improve public health measures.
Russian researchers from the National Research University Higher School of Economics have discovered that the emergence of new and dangerous Covid-19 variants, such as Alpha, Delta, and Omicron, is dependent on concordant substitutions occurring at multiple sites of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. The team analysed over three million genome sequences of different strains of SARS-CoV-2 and identified particular sites on the surface protein of the coronavirus where amino acid substitutions occurred, differentiating the variants from both the original Wuhan strain and from one another. The statistical method employed by the study's authors is versatile and can be utilised to investigate the evolution of numerous other pathogens.