Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bat Populations May Harbor Coronavirus Similar to SARS-CoV-2
CIDRAP: SARS-CoV-2–Like Coronavirus May Be Widespread In Bats In Southeast Asia
A coronavirus sharing 92.6% of nucleotide identity with SARS-CoV-2 was detected in bats in Cambodia in 2010, according to a new study in Nature Communications, adding to the understanding of natural reservoirs for the virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic. Before this study, the closest genomic relatives to SARS-CoV-2 were identified from horseshoe bats sampled in southern China's Yunnan province. This is the first study to suggest probable reservoirs outside of China, and the authors said the samples suggest that this viral lineage circulates in a much wider geographic area than previously reported. (11/9)
CIDRAP: Long COVID Symptoms May Have Causes Other Than SARS-CoV-2
A French study finds that, of 20 persistent physical symptoms reported by adults who said they had recovered from COVID-19, only 1 was linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection, as indicated by the presence of antibodies to the virus. The researchers, however, said that the results don't discount the presence of symptoms but rather underscore the importance of considering all possible causes in addition to COVID-19, such as other diseases, anxiety, or deconditioning related to the pandemic but not the virus itself. (Van Beusekom, 11/9)
Texas and covid research —
Dallas Morning News: Houston Researchers Are Developing A Nasal Vaccine To Combat COVID-19
Researchers at the University of Houston are developing an experimental COVID-19 nasal vaccine that could be sprayed through the nostrils to fight the coronavirus. Respiratory viruses, like the coronavirus, invade the body through the nose. And some researchers, like the team in Houston, are interested in stimulating the production of the antibodies present in the mucosal secretions in the nose. (Canales, 11/9)
