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LATEST SCIENCES AND RESEARCH
READ | Covid infection: scientists think blood type plays an important role and have identified which has the lowest risk
People with blood group O are less likely to be infected with Covid-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, according to two new studies published in the journal Blood Advances.
They are also at a lower risk of severe Covid-19 outcomes, such as organ failure and even death.
Scientists have been investigating a potential link between blood type and vulnerability to Covid-19 for many months, and this latest evidence supports earlier findings.
A pre-print study published in March this year suggested that people with type A blood have a higher risk of acquiring Covid-19 compared to non-A blood groups, while another study published in June found that blood type O appeared to be more resistant against Covid -19 infection.
In this study, the researchers analyzed data from a Danish health registry that included more than 473,000 patients who were infected with Covid-19 between February 27, 2020 and July 30, 2020. After controlling for certain factors, they found fewer patients with blood type O, compared to patients with blood groups A, B and AB.
The researchers also note that they found no significant difference in infection rate between blood types A, B, and AB.
READ | Could our ‘love hormone’ help treat Covid-19?
Researchers have conducted a study on oxytocin, commonly known as the love hormone, and whether it could help treat Covid-19 infections.
Oxytocin is produced in the brain and can be secreted during the simple act of hugging, and it is also often involved in sexual intimacy and childbirth.
Previous research has found that the hormone has great anti-inflammatory properties and the study suggests that this could prevent the “cytokine storm” in the early phase of the disease.
The study, published in the Physiological Genomics of the American Physiological Society, highlighted that T cells and cytokine storm are important factors leading to the worsening of Covid-19 cases.
The cytokine storm is an extreme reaction of the immune system in which the body releases cytokines (proteins secreted by the immune system) as defense, which then attack the body’s own tissues as well.
In a press release, the researchers claim that one drug, carbetocin, has similar attributes to genes that are less likely to trigger cytokine storms in patients battling Covid-19.
READ | Covid-19: a trial of the MMR vaccine has just started in South Africa and the latest research appears to be promising
While we await the outcome of clinical trials of Covid-19 vaccine candidates around the world, existing vaccines could, in the meantime, help make the disease less deadly.
According to a recently published study, the mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR) vaccine can help boost a person’s immunity and even prevent Covid-19.
The research team was led by Dr. Desiree Larenas-Linnemann of Medica Sur in Mexico City, which has been rated the leading hospital in the city since 2011.
Larenas-Linnemann and her team reported on their clinical observations of 255 volunteers who were vaccinated with the MMR vaccine at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Their findings were published in the September issue of Allergy, European Journal of Allergy and Immunology.
For their study, the researchers vaccinated 255 participants who were relatives or caregivers of patients who had already contracted Covid-19, which meant they were already at extremely high risk of becoming infected.
A total of 36 of the participants ended up contracting Covid-19, but all with mild symptoms. Among the 36 participants, 13 were reported to have pre-existing conditions that are known to be a risk factor for serious disease.
LATEST CORONAVIRUS CASES
SA cases update:
The latest number of confirmed cases is 700,203.
According to the latest update, 18,370 deaths have been registered in the country.
There have been 629,260 recoveries.
So far, more than 4.05 million tests have been performed, and 24,179 new tests have been reported.
Global Cases Update:
For the latest global data, follow this interactive map from Johns Hopkins University & Medicine.
By early Saturday morning, positive cases worldwide were more than 39.2 million, while deaths were more than 1.1 million.
The United States had the highest number of cases in the world, more than 8.04 million, as well as the highest number of deaths, more than 218,000.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN SA
Last News:
READ | ‘False’: No decision has yet been made to extend crown FIU payments to November, says Nxesi
So far no decision has been made to extend the Covid-19 Temporary Relief Plan for Employers and Employees (TERS) of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (FIU) until November, Labor and Employment Minister Thulas Nxesi said in a short but powerful statement. on Friday.
An Independent Online article that said that extension, as of November 15, had already been announced, was “bogus,” Nxesi said.
“Any decision on an extension will be made only after extensive engagement with the government, Nedlac and the FIU itself.”
That article has been removed, without any comment or correction, although a condensed version was still available elsewhere on the Independent website.
Nxesi warned this week that the FIU’s pockets are not unfathomable, raising the possibility that the fund will have to turn to the government for money should the number of cuts in the economy exceed its ability to pay.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced this week the extension of the special Covid-19 unemployment benefit, of R350 per month, for those who receive no other form of government assistance, for another three months.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE REST OF THE WORLD
Last News:
READ | WHO Says Healthy Young People May Not Receive Covid-19 Vaccine Until 2022
Young people may have to wait until 2022 to receive a vaccine against the coronavirus, said the chief scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Dr Soumya Swaminathan said Wednesday that she expected a vaccine to be approved by 2021, but that it would likely be available in “limited quantities.”
Healthcare workers, the elderly and other vulnerable groups would be vaccinated first, which could leave others waiting until 2022, he said.
“There will be a lot of counseling, but I think an average person, a healthy young person might have to wait until 2022 to get a vaccine,” he said.
“People tend to think that on January 1 or April 1 they will give me the vaccine and then things will go back to normal,” Swaminathan said. “It’s not going to work like that.”
In September, the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Immunization Experts (SAGE) released guidelines on how to prioritize vaccines among different groups of people. Swaminathan said the WHO is still calculating exactly who should get vaccinated first.
HEALTH TIPS (as recommended by the NICD and WHO)
• Keep your physical distance: stay at least one meter from someone who is coughing or sneezing
• Practice frequent hand washing, especially after direct contact with sick people or their surroundings.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, as your hands touch many surfaces and could transmit the virus.
• Practice respiratory hygiene: cover your mouth with a bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Remember to dispose of the tissue immediately after use.
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