In the current pandemic scenario, global supplies of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs are not dependable resulting in supply chain delays, escalating prices and variable quality. CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, has developed an indigenous NP swab for collecting samples from the throat cavity of COVID-19 patients. The need for making available domestic technology for NP swabs was flagged by CSIR to NCL in mid-April.

A team of researchers from IIT Madras, Cancer Institute, Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru have identified a specific microRNA (miRNAs) called ‘miR-155’ that is over-expressed in tongue cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small Ribo Nucleic Acid. They are non-coding RNAs involved in the regulation of a variety of biological and pathological processes, including the formation and development of cancer. This finding is important in that molecular strategies can potentially be devised to manipulate miR-155 expression to develop therapeutics for tongue cancer.

Atriva Therapeutics GmbH, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of host-targeting antiviral therapies announced a clinical strategy to treat patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 who require hospitalization. ATR-002, an oral small molecule, has been proven in preclinical trials to block viral propagation of SARS-CoV-2 and to have an immunomodulatory effect leading to a decreased cytokine and chemokine release. This dual benefit makes the MEK-inhibitor ATR-002 particularly relevant for the treatment of COVID-19.

Loss of smell (anosmia) and changes in taste (dysgeusia) were strongly associated with SARS-CoV-2, according to a Canadian study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).