Category: Animals

USA: SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant spillover from human to horse

“A report on a possible direct exposure to SARS-CoV-2 from a COVID-19-positive individual to an adult horse.”

The individual, diagnosed with COVID-19 (Delta B.1.617.2), had daily contact to her two horses prior to and during the development of clinical disease.… ...More...

Coronaheadsup.com Animals, California, Coronavirus, Delta, Genome, Horses, Infection, Reservoir, Testing, Transmission, USA, Zoonosis

Research: SARS-CoV-2 spike gene passaged in black rats

Hexapeptide vocabularies of the SARS-CoV-2 spike gene showed the shortest immunological T-distance to black rats.

Here we used a new method to search for the original host of the ancestor of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and for the donor of its gene for the spike protein, the molecule responsible for binding to and entering human cells.… ...More...

Coronaheadsup.com Asia, China, Coronavirus, Evolution, Health, Infection, Rats, Science, Transmission, Zoonosis

BMJ: If we are no longer following the science, what are we following?

British ministers have now abandoned any pretence that they are “following the science” on Covid-19.

In their minutes from 10 February 2022, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) warned against removing access to free testing as it would make it harder for people to take precautionary measures and increase anxiety among those who are clinically vulnerable.… ...More...

Coronaheadsup.com Africa, America, Asia, Australasia, Coronavirus, Deaths, England, Europe, Evolution, Gorillas, Health, Hospitalization, Infection, Long Covid, Mental Heath, Monkeys, Propaganda, Science, Transmission

Preprint: Intranasal delivery of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein is sufficient to cause olfactory damage

We hypothesize that SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein is sufficient to cause olfactory damage and olfactory dysfunction.

Using an adult zebrafish model, we report that intranasally delivered SARS-CoV-2 S RBD mostly binds to the non-sensory epithelium of the olfactory organ and causes severe olfactory histopathology characterized by loss of cilia, hemorrhages and edema.… ...More...

Coronaheadsup.com Animals, Coronavirus, Infection, Preprint, Side Effects, Transmission, Vaccine

Animal vaccines made with self-spreading viruses

Self-spreading virus vaccines for animals are being researched in Europe and the US.

“In Spain scientists are currently vaccinating pigs with self-spreading viruses (that have not been modified in a laboratory) against African swine fever as part of contained experiments.… ...More...

Coronaheadsup.com Africa, America, Animals, Asia, Australasia, Coronavirus, Europe, Health, Infection, Recombination, Superspreader events, Transmission, Vaccine

Preprint: SARS-CoV-2 infects the entire genital tract

“A robust signal was seen in the male genital tract (MGT) of all three animals studied. Infection of the MGT was validated by immunofluorescence imaging of infected cells in the testicular and penile tissue and severe pathology was observed in the testes of one animal at 2-weeks post-infection.”… ...More...

Coronaheadsup.com Animals, Coronavirus, Fertility, Healthcare, Hormones, Infection, Monkeys, PCR, Reservoir, Symptoms

Hong Kong: Link between Covid cases and deaths re-established *4 UPDATES*

Hong Kong may impose a hard lockdown that confines people to their homes, authorities signalled Monday 28th February 2022, with the city’s zero-COVID strategy in tatters and bodies piling up in hospitals.… ...More...

Coronaheadsup.com Asia, Bhutan, Coronavirus, Deaths, Elderly, Hamsters, Hong Kong, Hospitalization, Indonesia, Infection, Lockdown, Malaysia, Omicron, Reinfection, Revaccination, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Transmission, Vaccine Breakthrough, Vaccine Waning, Vietnam

France: B.1.160 outbreak may have begun in mink

“based on genomic, geographical and temporal coincidences, that the source of the Marseille-4 (B.1.160) epidemic was the mink”.

The Marseille-4 variant (B.1.160) was the most prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variant in our geographical area in 2020 and was only outdone by the Alpha (UK, B.1.1.7) variant in 2021.… ...More...

Coronaheadsup.com Animals, B.1.610, Coronavirus, Europe, France, Health, Infection, Mink, Reservoir, Transmission, Zoonosis