A Japanese study published in BioRxiv explores the virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 variant, finding it has a higher effective reproductive number and stronger resistance to immunity from other variants, potentially due to the L455S spike protein mutation.
A team of University of Maryland researchers developed a nasal spray vaccine that delivers the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein into cells of the airway in mice and hamsters, triggering an immune response that significantly reduced infection and spread of COVID-19.