Higher risk of serious COVID-19 complications in children with immunodeficiency

Children with certain immunodeficiency diseases carry mutations in genes that regulate the body’s immune system against viral infections and they have a higher mortality rate due to COVID-19. This is according to a study by researchers from Karolinska Institutet, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Mucosal antibodies in the airways protect against omicron infection

High levels of mucosal antibodies in the airways reduce the risk of being infected by omicron, but many do not receive detectable antibodies in the airways despite three doses of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. These are the findings of a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Danderyd Hospital.

New findings suggest new omicron BA.2.75 is as susceptible to antibodies as the currently dominant variant

In a recent study researchers from Karolinska Institutet, among others, have characterised the new omicron variant BA.2.75, comparing its ability to evade antibodies against current and previous variants. The study, published in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, suggests that BA.2.75 is not more resistant to antibodies than the currently dominating BA.5, which is positive news.

New generation of corona vaccine shows promising results

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet are developing a coronavirus vaccine designed to be less sensitive to mutations and equipped for future strains. The vaccine showed promising results in mice in a newly published study in EMBO Molecular Medicine, and the researchers now hope to be able to take it to safety studies on humans.

Understanding health inequities and how to reduce them

Have a car. Don’t be poor. Don’t have a stressful job. Age, gender and socioeconomics are some of the factors that affect your risk of developing an illness and of dying prematurely. Sweden has set the goal of levelling out influenceable health gaps within one generation. But is this goal realistic? And why is it so difficult to achieve?

Six unusual factors that affect health

We know that lifestyle affects health. But even factors that you cannot control have an influence. Here are six examples.

Jenny Vinglid: ”People with obesity are denied health care”

According Jenny Vinglid, people with obesity are discriminated in the healthcare system.

Jiloan Hamad: ‘Football has given me new opportunities‘

Jiloan Hamad talks about how football became a big part of his life, and why he is passionate about being an ambassador for Generaion Pep.

6 ways long-term smell loss can affect us

How children's cognitive abilities are affected by video games, TV and social media

7 ways to reduce perineal tearing during childbirth

More articles from KI researchers published in The Conversation

From cold-resistant genes to face masks, Karolinska Institutet researchers contribute to the global public discourse on a range of topics through our collaboration with the international news site The Conversation.