COVID-19 Research

Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, and Simon Haroutonian, PhD, discuss their findings that suggest COVID-19 infection raises the risk for kidney problems, heart issues, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy and psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety.

This episode focuses on the work of scientist Ali Ellebedy, PhD, who has published several papers about the immune response to vaccines and COVID-19 infection.

(July 15, 2021) WashU Med researchers have received $8 million from the NIH for projects studying whether frequent COVID-19 testing can reduce the spread of the virus.

(July 15, 2021) A WashU Med study finds that the immune response to the first two COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use is both strong and potentially long-lasting.

The study helps explain why coronavirus infection has been linked to serious pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia, that threaten the health of both mother and fetus.

Sean Whelan and Michael Diamond teamed up early in the pandamic to ramp up COVID-19 research while the rest of the world was shutting down.

A WashU Med study shows that even mild cases of COVID-19 increase the risk of death in the six months following diagnosis. Risk increases with disease severity.

The study aims to determine who is more likely to develop a breakthrough case.

Vaccinated, nursing moms may pass protective antibodies to their babies for at least 80 days , suggests new research from WashU Med.

Alfred Kim has initiated a clinical trial to evaluate the antibody response in patients taking immunosuppressant drugs. He is recruiting WashU Med health-care workers and patients.

A clinical trial of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, in which WashU Med participated, found the vaccine’s effectiveness to be comparable to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines.

Expectant mothers who test positive for COVID-19 before 32 weeks of pregnancy have almost double the risk of developing serious high blood pressure disorders.

Requiring students to wear masks and follow other hygiene measures prevents coronavirus spread within classrooms, according to preliminary study by WashU Med and Saint Louis University.

A new WashU Med study adds to a growing body of evidence indicating that people with asthma are not at increased risk of severe COVID-19.

The vaccine has entered phase 1 clinical trials to evaluate its safety and effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 disease and transmission.

The WashU Med study provides evidence that the COVID-19 virus can invade and replicate inside heart muscle cells, leading to cell death and interfering with heart muscle contraction.

The lab-based study finds that COVID-19 variants are partly resistant to antibodies that work against the original virus.

The study examines the extent to which children and young adults develop serious complications of COVID-19, including multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MISC).

WashU Med was a trial site for the vaccine. Find out details of its efficacy and timeline for moving forward.

A recent WashU Med study published in Cell could help scientists improve the next generation of antibody-based COVID-19 drugs.

Washington University pediatric infectious diseases doctors plan to launch clinical trials this spring to evaluate COVID-19 vaccines in children. An online registry is available for families interested in enrolling their children.

School of Medicine researchers are leading a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in people taking immunosuppressive drugs.

The test measures mitochondrial DNA and indicates which hospitalized COVID-19 patients are at highest risk of serious complications or death.

Studies will look at vaccine effectiveness, the role of PCR testing among asymptomatic, exposed personnel, and the role of antibody testing among those diagnosed with COVID.

An NIH grant will fund research to study needs for COVID-19 testing and specialized prenatal care in pregnant women.

The latest episode of the “Show Me the Science” podcast, featuring William Powderly, Eric Lenze and Angela Reiersen, focuses on why development of effective treatments for COVID-19 have progressed slowly relative to vaccine development.

WashU is partnering with Saint Louis University, the CDC and state agencies to determine the impact of safety protocols such as mask mandates.

The latest episode of the “Show Me the Science” podcast focuses on the amazing pace of COVID-19 vaccine development, as well as Washington University’s role in vaccine clinical trials.

The grant will allow School of Medicine researchers to offer 50,000 saliva tests to students, teachers and staff in the Special School District of St. Louis County.

WashU is a testing site for the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson’s phase 3 clinical research study of Janssen’s investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The school will enroll up to 500 adults.

A new international phase 3 clinical trial will test the potential of three drugs to tame the damaging cytokine storm that some COVID-19 patients experience.

Read a recent Post-Dispatch article about the vaccine, developed by WashU Med’s David Curiel and Michael Diamond.

Scientists Jeffrey Milbrandt, MD, PhD, and Richard Head discuss why they believe the saliva  test will be important in detecting the virus’s presence even before people begin having symptoms.

The latest episode of our podcast examines problems the pandemic causes for those with developmental disabilities, and how social media increases stress related to the virus

An international trial is evaluating whether the MMR vaccine can protect front-line health-care workers against COVID-19.

Employees affiliated with Washington University and BJC HealthCare may be eligible to participate in research studies about COVID-19.

A virtual symposium Sept. 11 is open to the general public, scientists and global and public health professionals interested in learning about the impact of COVID-19 on women’s lives. Registration is required.

The trial will evaluate whether the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) can protect front-line health-care workers against COVID-19 infection or reduce the severity of illness. Find out how to enroll.

The vaccine can be given in one dose via the nose. Investigators next plan to test the vaccine in nonhuman primates and humans.

The Infectious Disease Clinical Research Unit at Washington University School of Medicine has launched a trial of monoclonal antibodies and other therapies.

Researchers at the McDonnell Genome Institute and the Department of Genetics have developed a saliva test with the company Fluidigm. Results are available in a few hours.

The dean invites employees and students to participate in a study to evaluate the feasibility of  large-scale, rapid COVID-19 saliva testing. Find out how to volunteer.

Lead investigators Jeffrey Henderson and Brenda Grossman believe they have submitted enough data to secure federal approval for emergency use against COVID-19 and expect a decision from the FDA any day.

The survey’s aim is to gauge the prevalence of and risk factors for the illness.

The study investigates an FDA-approved drug, ravulizumab, to evaluate its potential benefit for critically ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

The candidate vaccine is now being tested in additional animal models with the goal of getting it into clinical trials as soon as possible.

“It may be true that some people die from a hyperinflammatory response, but it appears more likely to us that if you block the immune system too much, you’re not going to be able to control the virus,” said senior investigator Richard Hotchkiss.

Greg Bowman talks about using computer processing power to run simulations that would take more than 100 years to complete on a standard computer.

WashU Med researchers find that the antidepressant drug fluvoxamine seems to prevent some of the most serious complications of the illness.

In the next six months, the universities plan to evaluate whether these vaccines provide protection against the coronavirus.

School of Medicine researchers are leading a global study to evaluate whether low doses of chloroquine can prevent or reduce the severity of COVID-19 infections in front-line health-care workers.

WashU Med scientists have developed a defanged virus that acts like SARS-CoV-2, but that can be handled under ordinary lab safety conditions.

Mental health experts at WashU and computer scientists at Georgia Tech are conducting the study. The researchers aim to identify stressors and to design stress-reducing messages.

Jennifer A. Philips, MD, PhD, has set up a screening platform to test compounds for activity against the COVID-19 virus.

The crowdsourced supercomputing project  now involves over 4 million volunteer “folders,” with major companies and organizations donating their own computing resources to the cause.

Gary Weil and colleagues have joined an international effort led by the Foundation for International Diagnostics and the World Health Organization (WHO).

In a recent Nature article, Richard Hotchkiss, MD, says dampening the immune system when COVID patients are fighting off infections can be a dangerous approach. Instead, patients might need immune-boosting agents.

Philip Mudd, MD, PhD, and Jane O’Halloran, MD, PhD, lead efforts to create a repository for specimens collected from patients with COVID-19. To date, more than 7,000 samples have been distributed to investigators.

Brian Baumann and Kelly MacArthur published a commentary exploring how to assess risks in treating patients with skin cancer in the online June 1 issue of Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society.

School of Medicine researchers have developed a mouse model of COVID-19 that replicates the illness in people.

“We don’t know that much about immunity to this virus,” said Michael Diamond, MD, PhD, in a Q&A published in Nature.

Neil Anderson, MD, and Christopher Farnsworth, PhD, discuss the topic in a paper published recently in the journal Clinical Chemistry.

Michael Avidan, MBBCh, discusses the study, which will enroll up to 55,000 health-care workers.

The McDonnell Genome Institute at the School of Medicine is one of more than 30 genome sequencing hubs worldwide participating.

Front-line health-care workers interested in participating must be at high risk of developing COVID-19 infection due to potential exposures to patients, at least 18 years of age and have a smart phone. Find out how to enroll.

A recent study finds that race is the strongest predictor of confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents among 113 ZIP codes across the St. Louis region. Study co-author Will Ross, MD, describes the study in an op-ed in the St. Louis American.

Washington University medical and graduate students are summarizing emerging academic research on COVID-19 in the hopes that doctors can find resources more quickly.