Study links rising stress, depression in US to pandemic-related losses, media consumption

Irvine, Calif. – Experiencing multiple stressors triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic – such as unemployment – and COVID-19-related media consumption are directly linked to rising acute stress and depressive symptoms across the U.S., according to a groundbreaking University of California, Irvine study. The report appears in Science Advances, published by the American Association for the…

New method identifies antibody-like proteins with diagnostic and therapeutic potential for SARS-CoV-2

Scientists have used a new high-speed, in vitro selection method to isolate 9 antibody-like proteins (ALPs) that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 virus – 4 of which also exhibited neutralizing activity – within 4 days, according to a new study. While much research has focused on the identification of whole antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 – the causative…

US adults experienced increased COVID-19-related mental health challenges as the pandemic unfolded

U.S. adults increasingly experienced symptoms associated with acute stress and depression as COVID-19 cases and deaths skyrocketed between mid-March and mid-April 2020, according to a study of more than 6,500 people from three large, nationally representative cohorts. These symptoms were related to preexisting mental and physical health conditions, as well as secondary stressors such as…