Science News Roundup: Highly effective vaccine, new warning signs, disrupted heart rhythm; English study suggests T cells could be sufficient to protect from COVID-19 and more

Pfizer vaccine appears highly effective Scientists watch as China remote glaciers melt at 'shocking' pace Glaciers in China's bleak Qilian mountains are disappearing at a shocking rate as global warming brings unpredictable change and raises the prospect of crippling, long-term water shortages, scientists say.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 10-11-2020 10:41 IST | Created: 10-11-2020 10:26 IST
Science News Roundup: Highly effective vaccine, new warning signs, disrupted heart rhythm; English study suggests T cells could be sufficient to protect from COVID-19 and more
Representative Image Image Credit: ANI

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Highly effective vaccine, new warning signs, disrupted heart rhythm

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.

Pfizer vaccine appears highly effective Scientists watch as China remote glaciers melt at 'shocking' pace

Glaciers in China's bleak Qilian mountains are disappearing at a shocking rate as global warming brings unpredictable change and raises the prospect of crippling, long-term water shortages, scientists say. The largest glacier in the 800-km (500-mile) mountain chain on the arid northeastern edge of the Tibetan plateau has retreated about 450 metres since the 1950s, when researchers set up China's first monitoring station to study it.

One in five COVID-19 patients develop mental illness within 90 days: study

Many COVID-19 survivors are likely to be at greater risk of developing mental illness, psychiatrists said on Monday, after a large study found 20% of those infected with the coronavirus are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder within 90 days. Anxiety, depression and insomnia were most common among recovered COVID-19 patients in the study who developed mental health problems, and the researchers also found significantly higher risks of dementia, a brain impairment condition.

English study suggests T cells could be sufficient to protect from COVID-19

High levels of so-called "T cells" that respond to the coronavirus could be sufficient to offer protection against infection, an English study said on Tuesday, adding to the evidence of the crucial role they play in immunity to COVID-19. T cells, a type of white blood cell that makes up part of a healthy immune system, are thought to be essential to protect against infection from the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus, and could provide longer term immunity than antibodies.

(With inputs from agencies.)

Give Feedback