-
Aug 8, 2020
Can corticosteroids help treat COVID-19 patients?
This study finds evidence that corticosteroids can speed recovery and reduce the risk of death among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. However, these benefits are only found in patients who already need supplemental oxygen or ventilator support for breathing.
-
Jul 23, 2020
Is a Spike protein mutation making COVID-19 more infectious?
Experiments carried out in kidney cells seem to show that the D614G mutation helps stabilize the spike protein, and might be responsible for its increase throughout the globe. These experiments were not carried out in settings similar to an actual COVID infection, and some results contradict previous work on the subject. Therefore, the results should be viewed with a healthy dose of skepticism.
-
Jun 30, 2020
Does Vitamin D protect against COVID-19?
Despite being heavily shared on social media, this study does not demonstrate a relationship between Vitamin D deficiency and the severity of COVID infection.
-
Jun 18, 2020
Is Remdesivir an effective treatment option for COVID-19 patients?
In a large randomized, placebo-controlled study of hospitalized patients with COVID-19, patients who received remdesivir tended to recover days faster than those who received a placebo.
-
Jun 1, 2020
Is COVID-19 spread through airborne transmission and surfaces?
Pieces of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are detectable after breathing, using the toilet, and touching surfaces, but this study did not recover any infectious virus particles nor provide evidence of human-to-human spread of COVID-19 through small airborne particles or surfaces.
-
May 30, 2020
Does remdesivir, an antiviral medication, speed up how quickly hospitalized COVID-19 patients get better?
In this study, researchers randomly administered either remdesivir or placebo to 237 patients. They found that remdesivir was safe to take but not associated with treatment benefits.
-
May 20, 2020
Are there new forms of the novel coronavirus that can spread more easily and are these more deadly?
This study identified a mutated form of SARS-CoV-2 called Spike D614G that became very common in March 2020, but this study does not show that this mutation actually makes the virus more contagious or deadly.
-
May 17, 2020
Can the coronavirus be spread by air conditioners?
Air currents might carry droplets with coronavirus farther than 6 feet, but there's little evidence in this study to support the air conditioner as the culprit.
-
May 9, 2020
Does hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) affect whether COVID-19 patients needed a ventilator or died?
Based on a national retrospective study of hospitalized VA patients, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) did not reduce COVID-19 deaths and should be prescribed with great caution.
-
May 7, 2020 Revised
What percent of Santa Clara County, California has been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19?
In this updated version, more modest claims from the researchers put the estimated rate at between 1.3-4.7%, which seems in line with other studies, though there are still ongoing concerns about the methods.
-
May 6, 2020
How common are mutations in SARS-CoV-2, and do the mutations lead to changes in the severity of the disease?
A small study convincingly shows that coronavirus may have more mutations than previously expected, but more data is needed on whether these mutations actually change how deadly the virus is.
-
May 1, 2020
What percent of Santa Clara County, California has been infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19?
The study claims over 4%, but we still don't know. In the first US-based study trying to answer this question, serious concerns about the methods make real conclusions difficult.
Research Explained