Tag: covid

Categories : COVID GeneticsTags :

Spike Protein Mutation May Be COVID’s Achilles Heel

On By ModernMedia

New research suggests that the very spike protein that makes SARS-CoV-2 so infective may also make it more vulnerable to vaccines. The characteristic “crown” of spikes on the virus gives rise to its “coronavirus” name.

A common mutation in the D614G protein makes a flap open in the spike. This spike makes it easier for the virus to latch onto cells, but this same flap opens a pathway directly into the virus’ core. This makes it easier for antibodies, such as those in the vaccines presently undergoing testing, to infiltrate into the virus, and disable it.

Yoshihiro Kawaoka, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explains: “The original spike protein had a ‘D’ at this position, and it was replaced by a ‘G,’ Several papers had already described that this mutation makes the protein more functional and more efficient at getting into cells.”

This mutation, they found, makes the virus replicate 10 times faster and also makes it more infectious.

When hamsters were exposed to the mutated and unmutated coronavirus strains, the ones infected with the mutated strain were found to transmit the virus much faster than those infected with the unmutated strain. Neither strain seemed to make the hamsters sicker, suggesting that the mutation does not make the virus more lethal. Researchers caution that the animal test results may not hold true for humans, and that constant vigilance in observing and documenting mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus is necessary. 

Source: Medical Xpress

Categories : COVIDTags :

Hydroxychloroquine Confirmed Ineffective in the Prevention of COVID

On By ModernMedia

An article published in The Lancet examines the evidence for the drug hydroxychloroquine’s controversial application as a treatment for COVID, which was initially very encouraging based on the drug in vitro inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, the evidence now definitively shows that hydroxychloroquine is ineffective for COVID.

This would have been very useful if hydroxychloroquine, regularly used to treat rheumatic diseases, could have been used as an easily available treatment.

However, numerous studies since the beginning of the COVID pandemic have reiterated the same findings: that hydroxychloroquine does not reduce mortality risk for people hospitalised with COVID, nor does it shorten recovery times. Nevertheless, interest persisted in the possible preventative effects of hydroxychloroquine against COVID.    

Using electronic health records for 30 569 patients, a study comparing hydroxychloroquine use by rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus sufferers to non-users with the same maladies reported no significant difference in standardised cumulative COVID mortality associated with hydroxychloroquine use (0.23% among hydroxychloroquine users and 0.22% among non-users) with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.03 (95% CI 0·80–1·33).

These results reflect those of two studies where hydroxychloroquine was administered as prophylaxis to frontline and health care workers, which also showed no effect.

Categories : COVIDTags :

COVID Cough Droplets Can Travel up to 6.6m

On By ModernMedia

Researchers in Singapore have employed fluid physics to add to the growing body of research surrounding the airborne transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. 

“In addition to wearing a mask, we found social distancing to be generally effective, as droplet deposition is shown to be reduced on a person who is at least one metre from the cough,” said study author Fong Yew Leong.

The researchers found that the results were highly dependent on ambient air characteristics, such as temperature and humidity, as well as assumptions about the viability of the virus

“An evaporating droplet retains the non-volatile viral content, so the viral loading is effectively increased,” said author Hongying Li.

Source: IOL

Categories : COVIDTags :

Air Pollution May Increase COVID Mortality Risk by 11%

On By ModernMedia

Air pollution, a persistent problem around the world, is known to cause lung diseases, and existing lung diseases are known to exacerbate COVID. According to new research reported on by The Guardian, air pollution has been shown to be a significant factor for dying from COVID – increasing the risk of death by 11%.

The gold standard for assessing an association between COVID and air pollution would be getting a large enough sample of participants and acquiring personal details so that their age, smoking history and other details can be taken into account. However, such levels of individual details are not yet available, so researchers are looking to group studies to provide the data, albeit at reduced quality. Hundreds of group studies are awaiting review, but the evidence so far appears compelling.

Prof Francesca Dominici at Harvard University, the research leader says that there is definitely enough evidence to act on already. “We already have an overwhelming amount of evidence of the adverse health effects of fine particle pollution, so even without Covid, we should implement more stringent regulation. But the amount of [Covid-related] evidence is also big enough now that there is absolutely nothing to lose, and only benefits, to prioritise some of the more vulnerable areas.”

Efforts to help mitigate the effect of air pollution on potential COVID patients could include air pollution reduction measures and distributing PPE in priority areas.