Reuters Science News Summary

Drug combination improves COVID-19 pneumonia outcomes; five genes linked to severe disease The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs. Branson's Virgin Galactic cuts short test flight from New Mexico spaceport

Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc cut short a test flight of its suborbital SpaceShipTwo Unity plane on Saturday, safely returning its pilots to Spaceport America in New Mexico after the rocket motor's ignition sequence failed to complete. Richard Branson's space tourism company, which is preparing for commercial flights next year, was aiming to send the air-launched Unity spaceplane to an altitude as high as 50 miles to test its cabin experience and boosters in-flight. Drug combination improves COVID-19 pneumonia outcomes; five genes linked to severe disease

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Two-drug combo improves COVID-19 pneumonia outcomes Five key genes linked to severe COVID-19 found, suggesting drug targets

Five key genes are linked with the most severe form of COVID-19, scientists said on Friday, in research that also pointed to several existing drugs that could be repurposed to treat people who risk getting critically ill with the pandemic disease. Researchers who studied the DNA of 2,700 COVID-19 patients in 208 intensive care units across Britain found that five genes involving in two molecular processes - antiviral immunity and lung inflammation - were central to many severe cases.