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For the first time since the onset of the pandemic, COVID’s domination of the science news cycle waned in 2022. The focus increasingly shifted to the longer-term crisis we face: that of climate change and taking steps to make components of our modern lives more sustainable. This graphic summarises some of the key chemistry news over the past year, with more detail and links to related articles below.
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In 2020, science news was dominated by COVID and vaccine development. In many ways, 2021 has been little different, but away from the virus we’re now overly familiar with there were plenty of other chemistry-related news stories. This graphic highlights a selection of them – see below for more details as well as links to related articles and studies.
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![ChemVsCOVID infographic marking 18 Dec 2020, the date on which the Alpha variant was designated as a variant of concern. The first column discusses tracking variants. Coronavirus variants arise from mutations in the virus RNA, its genetic code. These mutations occur over time as the virus copies itself. The mutations can be used to identify variants and track their spread. As of December 2021, over 6,000,000 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences have been submitted to the shared GISAID database, from most of the countries in the world.
The second column discusses variant consequences. Most mutations in the virus genome have little or no effect on the characteristics of the virus. But some mutations in the code cause more meaningful changes, such as those affecting the spike protein. The spike protein helps the virus enter cells. It’s the main target of vaccines and our body’s immune response. Changes to the spike protein’s structure may increase the virus’s infectivity and ability to evade immune responses.](https://i0.wp.com/www.compoundchem.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/18-12-2020-–-COVID-variant-tracking-webv2.png?resize=1024%2C1024&ssl=1)
On this day a year ago, the Alpha variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was designated a variant of concern. The final graphic in the #ChemVsCOVID series with the Royal Society of Chemistry looks at how variants are tracked and what causes the differences between them.
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On this day a year ago, the UK started its piloting of mass testing in the city of Liverpool using lateral flow tests. The latest graphic in the #ChemVsCOVID series with the Royal Society of Chemistry looks at how these tests work, and how accurate are they compared to the standard PCR tests that are usually used for testing.
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One year ago, in October 2020, the US FDA approved remdesivir: the first antiviral drug approved for COVID-19. While it’s not as effective as was first thought, similar drugs look like they could be more successful. The latest graphic in the #ChemVsCOVID series with the Royal Society of Chemistry examines how they work.