UT Stories: COVID-19

The Achilles Heel That Could Lead to Universal Coronavirus Treatments

AUSTIN, Texas — Researchers behind discoveries that led to vaccines for the virus that causes COVID-19 have identified a potential Achilles heel that exists in all coronaviruses. These findings, led by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, could aid the development of improved treatments for COVID-19 and also protect against existing and emerging coronaviruses. […]

COVID Forecasting Method Using Hospital and Cellphone Data Proves It Can Reliably Guide US Cities Through Pandemic Threats

AUSTIN, Texas – Using cellphone mobility data and COVID-19 hospital admissions data, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have reliably forecast regional hospital demands for almost two years, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The forecasting system, which municipal authorities credit with helping Austin maintain […]

Sheltering People With COVID-19 Experiencing Homelessness Curbs Spread

AUSTIN, Texas — A new study provides public health planning authorities with a method of calculating the number of COVID-19 isolation beds they would need for people experiencing homelessness based on level of infection in the city. The research holds promise for controlling spread of the virus – or future infectious diseases – in a […]

Our Immune Systems Blanket the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein with Antibodies

AUSTIN, Texas — The most complete picture yet is coming into focus of how antibodies produced in people who effectively fight off SARS-CoV-2 work to neutralize the part of the virus responsible for causing infection. In the journal Science, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin describe the finding, which represents good news for […]

Hepatitis C Drugs Boost Remdesivir’s Antiviral Activity Against COVID-19

AUSTIN, Texas — Remdesivir is currently the only antiviral drug approved in the U.S. for treating COVID-19 patients. In a paper published this week in Cell Reports, researchers from The University of Texas at Austin, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai showed that four drugs used to treat […]