“To produce an mRNA vaccine, scientists produce a synthetic version of the mRNA that a virus uses to build its infectious proteins. This mRNA is delivered into the human body, whose cells read it as instructions to build that viral protein, and therefore create some of the virus’s molecules themselves. These proteins are solitary, so […]

There are many who do not buy into this ‘good news’ – MORE   Simon Kolstoe, Senior Lecturer in Evidence-Based Healthcare and University Ethics Advisor, University of Portsmouth – 16 November 2020 It is very exciting to hear another positive story about vaccine trial results – a good vaccine is the most likely way of […]

Harry Al-Wassiti, Bioengineer and Research Fellow, Monash University; Colin Pouton, Professor of Pharmaceutical Biology, Monash University, and Kylie Quinn, Vice-Chancellor’s Research Fellow, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University – 10 November 2020 German biotech company BioNTech and US pharmaceutical Pfizer announced on Monday promising early results from their phase 3 clinical trial for […]

It is unlikely that any techniques used to genetically engineer the virus would not leave a genetic signature, like specific identifiable pieces of DNA code. Polly Hayes, Lecturer in Parasitology and Medical Microbiology, University of Westminster – 13 July 2020 One of the conspiracy theories that have plagued attempts to keep people informed during the […]

Will the virus evolve to become more or less lethal? Claire Crossan, Research Fellow, Virology, Glasgow Caledonian University – 23 June 2020 An important milestone in the fight against COVID-19 came in early January 2020, when the entire viral genome of the novel coronavirus that causes the disease was sequenced for the first time. Since […]

By inhaling through the nose, you are delivering Nitric Oxide (NO) directly into your lungs, where it increases both airflow and blood flow and keeps microorganisms and virus particles in check. Louis J. Ignarro, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles Inhale through your nose and […]

We have been bombarded with COVID 19 “facts” from every means devised by man to transport information. To try and make sense of what is to be believed, and what is hype, we contacted Dr. David Klatzow to give us his take on what’s really going on here, and come up with something we can […]

Emily Wong, Africa Health Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV pose a significant burden on South Africa’s health system. There’s a close relationship between the two. About 60% of TB patients are also HIV-positive. The novel coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2) is likely to be of particular concern for communities with high rates of TB […]

Some viruses have an outer envelope made of lipids, which are fatty organic molecules. The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is one of these these “enveloped” viruses. Soap can dissolve this fatty envelope, leading to the destruction of the whole virus particle. That’s one reason washing your hands with soap is so effective! What’s the difference […]

Snakes could be the original source of the new coronavirus outbreak in China Haitao Guo, Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh; Guangxiang “George” Luo, Professor of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Shou-Jiang Gao, Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh – 23 January 2020 Snakes – the Chinese […]