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LATEST SCIENCES AND RESEARCH
READ | Researchers discover a second ‘key’ that makes the new coronavirus infectious
As the number of confirmed global SARS-CoV-2 infections approaches 44 million, scientists are still struggling to understand what makes the virus so effective and transmissible.
But a new study may have the answer: The virus is using a second protein, called neuropilin-1, to facilitate entry into human cells.
The first receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), was discovered during the early stages of the pandemic, and scientists came to understand how the virus used it to bind to the surface of cells. An enzyme called transmembrane type II serine protease (TMPRSS2) was also found to be crucial for gaining entry.
The findings of the researchers, from the Technical University of Munich in Germany and the University of Helsinki in Finland, were published in Science.
“To efficiently infect human cells, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, can use a receptor called neuropilin-1, which is very abundant in many human tissues, including the respiratory tract, the blood vessels and neurons. “stated a press release from the University of Helsinki.
“The starting point of our study was the question of why SARS-CoV, a coronavirus that caused a much smaller outbreak in 2003, and SARS-CoV-2, spread so differently even if they use the same main ACE2 receptor, “said Ravi Ojha, a virologist at the University of Helsinki.
READ | ‘Long Covid’: These Factors May Reveal Whether You Will Suffer In The Long Term
An estimated one in 20 people infected with Covid-19 remains ill for at least eight weeks, a new study suggests.
Known by the unofficial medical term “prolonged Covid” (also known as “long haul”), it involves cases in which patients suffer from symptoms of the disease for longer than the official two-week period approved by the World Health Organization. Health.
Researchers at King’s College London (KCL), whose study was published on medRxiv and is still pending peer review, analyzed more than 4,000 Covid-19 patients in Sweden, the UK, and the US. record your symptoms in a Covid Symptom Study app.
They found that older people, women, and those who experienced more than five symptoms during the first week of illness were more likely to develop prolonged Covid.
The following five symptoms were identified as predictors of prolonged Covid: fatigue, headache, shortness of breath, hoarse voice, and muscle or body aches.
These findings could serve as a warning and identify Covid-19 patients in need of additional care.
READ | Coronavirus: Symptomatic children carry more virus than those without symptoms, study suggests
Children who test positive for the new coronavirus but are asymptomatic (show no symptoms) have significantly lower levels of the virus compared to those who experience symptoms.
This was according to a new study based on an analysis of 817 children from nine hospitals in the US and Canada who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.
Although the study was the first comprehensive and comprehensive analysis of SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in asymptomatic children, the authors cautioned that the reason behind their finding was still unclear and required further investigation.
“While these findings provide some reassurance about the safety of asymptomatically infected children attending school, these unanswered questions suggest that risk mitigation measures in daycare centers, schools and the community remain critical to reducing the spread. Covid-19, “said the lead author and epidemiologist. Larry Kociolek of Northwestern University in Illinois.
The study included 339 asymptomatic and 478 symptomatic children (ages 0-17). All the children in the study tested positive for the virus using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
Asymptomatic children who had diabetes or had recently had contact with a known case of Covid-19 were more likely to have high viral loads.
READ | Some Covid-19 Patients Are Attacked By Their Own Immune Systems – New Study Explains Why
Some people are at higher risk for severe Covid-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. According to a recent study, the production of autoreactive antibodies may explain why this happens.
The study, which was published on the medRxiv preprint server while awaiting peer review, explains that instead of targeting disease-causing microbes, these immune proteins, called autoantibodies, target the tissues of patients suffering from Covid. -19 serious.
The researchers explained that their findings have a potential impact on both acute patient care and recovery from infections.
Harvard Health explains that autoantibodies attack several different parts of the body, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage in the joints, skin, kidney, nervous system (brain and spinal cord), blood and heart, among others.
More than this, they can also adhere to chemicals in the body and form abnormal molecules (known as “immune complexes”) that trigger additional inflammation when deposited in the body’s organs and tissues.
Previous studies during the early stages of the pandemic found that abnormal blood clotting in Covid-19 patients is more likely to lead to complications and admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU).
READ | Dementia and other cognitive disorders related to severe Covid-19, study suggests
New research from the University of Georgia suggests that cognitive disorders, including dementia, may be risk factors for developing severe Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Georgia, was published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
The researchers used data from the UK Biobank, with more than 500,000 participants. Data from participants with Covid-19 began to be collected in March of this year, at the beginning of the pandemic in the US.
According to the researchers, their findings emphasize the need for special care for people with pre-existing cognitive disorders during the pandemic.
In their study, the team analyzed data from an extensive list of 974 medical conditions and 30 blood biomarkers, and their association with Covid-19.
In addition, they also tested the association of genetic variants in two key genes related to SARS-CoV-2 infection, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), with Covid-19 or any other. phenotype.
LATEST CORONAVIRUS CASES
SA cases update:
The latest number of confirmed cases is 726 823.
According to the latest update, 19,411 deaths have been registered in the country.
There have been 655,330 recoveries.
So far, more than 4.84 million tests have been performed, and 19,543 new tests have been reported.
Global Cases Update:
For the latest global data, follow this interactive map from Johns Hopkins University & Medicine.
As of late Sunday night, positive cases worldwide were more than 46.36 million, while deaths were more than 1.19 million.
The United States had the highest number of cases in the world, more than 9.17 million, as well as the highest number of deaths, more than 230,000.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE REST OF THE WORLD
Last News:
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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