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LATEST SCIENCES AND RESEARCH
READ | Researchers update face masks to improve both comfort and protection
As Covid-19 spreads and masks become mandatory in many more parts of the world, there have been many debates about which types of masks are most effective. The valve mask, for example, provides comfort, but does not protect other people against the drops that escape through the vents. Some prefer masks with elastic bands that wrap around the ears, while others prefer plain cotton suede.
Research has shown that some masks are more effective than others, but even the simplest single-layer cotton mask can decrease the number of drops expelled. Although we theoretically understand this, the skins are nevertheless still a bit difficult for some.
Now researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have designed a new mask to incorporate protection and comfort, and are providing plans for people to do it themselves.
The full research is published in The Journal of the Textile Institute, and according to a press release, the Georgia Tech Modular Mask combines a barrier filtration material with stretch fabric to provide a comfortable fit while staying in place.
The prototypes have hook and eye closures on the back to keep the masks secure. There is also a pocket for an additional filter to add protection. The researchers found that even after 20 washes, the prototype did not shrink or lose its shape.
READ | According to the Italian outbreak, researchers suggest getting tested one month after recovering from the infection.
He became infected with Covid-19, recovered and now wants to return to his daily life. But a new study on Italian survivors indicates that you may still have the virus for about a month after you started showing symptoms.
Published in BMJ Open, the research focused on how long the viral shedding of SARS-CoV-2 lasts, based on population data. This is important to understand, as healthcare workers could be overwhelmed with retesting to eliminate an infected patient.
They also wanted to determine the likelihood of confirmation of viral clearance with two negative swabs and what factors might influence their results.
They evaluated the follow-ups of 1,162 patients in the Regio Emilia province in northern Italy, one of the worst affected regions during its outbreak one month after diagnosis and the onset of symptoms to see how many patients still had the viral load of the virus. , and how many had been completely eliminated.
172 people died of that group, most of whom were hospitalized with an average age of almost 80 years.
READ | In some cases, the damage can be extensive and recovery can take time, but there is hope.
Recovery from Covid-19 can be a long process, but there is some hope at the end of the tunnel.
Austrian and French researchers at the International Congress of the European Respiratory Society presented further evidence of the long-term lung and heart damage caused by the coronavirus, but are optimistic that the body will eventually heal with time and physical rehabilitation.
This research is the first wave of studies on the recovery of Covid-19 patients.
So far, studies have focused on acute cases and their treatment, but we’ve reached a point in the pandemic where follow-up studies on recoveries are finally being presented.
The first presentation focused on Austrian coronavirus patients hospitalized at the University Clinic of Internal Medicine in Innsbruck, the St Vinzenz Hospital in Zams and the Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center in Münster, Germany. The sample of data presented is still small (86), but has since grown to include more than 150 participants.
READ | Researchers believe they have found a new link between the severity of Covid-19 and comorbidities
Scientists may have found a new link between chronic disease and Covid-19 that could explain why patients with comorbidities are so susceptible to the virus.
They think the answer may lie in plasmin, a type of enzyme in the blood that breaks down plasma proteins. Its levels are normally elevated in people with underlying medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and kidney disease.
One of these plasma proteins is fibrin, which appears when the blood clots and prevents blood flow. When fibrin breaks down through fibrinolysis, protein fragments called D-dimer remain.
According to the study published in Physiological Reviews, plasmin makes the virus more deadly and infectious by cleaving the spike proteins it uses to invade cells through ACE2 receptors.
“Extracellular cleavage of virus envelope fusion glycoproteins by host cellular proteases is a prerequisite for infectivity of respiratory viruses. The presence of a polybasic cleavage site that can be cleaved by furin-like proteases is a characteristic of several highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses. ”
READ | Mapping the footprints of Covid-19 while attacking the body
The process of scientists trying to understand how the coronavirus operates has been compared to detectives investigating a crime. To better understand the perpetrator, they first had to discover his modus operandi in the human body, that is, which cells he attacks and why.
These critical points have recently been mapped in a study published in Cell Reports, where 28 receptors and factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 and the coronavirus (SCARFS) were investigated as “accomplices” of the virus, which serve as entry gates for the infection in various cells of organs. .
Let’s start with the cause of death. Autopsies confirm that the victims had significant lung damage caused by Covid-19-induced pneumonia. It also wreaks havoc on the heart, kidneys, liver, and gastrointestinal tract, and has been shown to have some neurological impact on the brain.
“What causes the wide range of clinical phenotypes seen in people infected with SARS-CoV-2 is not yet understood,” the research scientists write.
“It is not clear which of these pathologies are caused by direct infection of the affected organs or by indirect effects mediated by systemic inflammatory responses or comorbidities. A prerequisite for solving these questions is to better understand the tropism of the virus, that is, which tissues and the cell types are permissive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. ”
LATEST CORONAVIRUS CASES
SA cases update:
The latest number of confirmed cases is 648,214.
According to the latest update, 15,427 deaths have been registered in the country.
There have been 576,423 recoveries.
So far, more than 3.9 million tests have been performed, and 18,620 new tests have been reported.
Global Cases Update:
For the latest global data, follow this interactive map from Johns Hopkins University & Medicine.
By early Sunday morning, positive cases worldwide were more than 28.6 million, while deaths were more than 917,000.
The United States had the highest number of cases in the world, almost 6.48 million, as well as the highest number of deaths, more than 193,000.
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.
Image Credit: Getty Images
