coronavirus Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Could a Fungus-Derived Compound Reduce Hyperinflammation in Severe COVID-19?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 07:00:32 +0000

Angela Betsaida B. Laguipo, BSN via News-Medical – Drug repurposing for COVID-19 helps scientists identify potential drugs to treat COVID-19 without going through the rigorous process of formulation, clinical trials, and gaining regulatory body approval. Many of the drugs used for COVID-19 today were initially developed for other pathogens. Early-stage trials from scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, demonstrates that cyclosporine A (CSA), a calcineurin inhibitor that modulates cytokine production, may have potential antiviral properties against coronaviruses. In the study, which appeared on the medRxiv* pre-print server, the researchers aimed to test whether a short course of CSA can help combat COVID-19. What Is Cyclosporine A (CSA)? Cyclosporine is a natural cyclic polypeptide immunosuppressant isolated from the fungus Beauveria nivea. Cyclosporine’s exact mechanism of action is unknown, but scientists believe it may involve binding to the cellular protein cytophilin, inhibiting the enzyme calcineurin. The complex CSA-cyclophilin interferes with a complex of phosphatases known as calcineurin that plays an imperative role in the immune response. The drug acts as an immunosuppressant commonly used after an organ transplant to reduce the immune system’s activity, preventing organ rejection. COVID-19 and Cytokine Storm The SARS-CoV-2 infection varies in severity, with a majority of patients experiencing mild to moderate illness. Severe pneumonia occurs in about 15 percent of cases and drives mortality. People who are at a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 include the elderly, those who have compromised immune systems, and those with comorbidities. COVID-19 is characterized by immune dysregulation or a cytokine storm, an orchestrated response that involves infected cells, macrophages, T cells, and other immune cells. The cytokines or chemokines are produced and can affect the respiratory tract, causing widespread lung inflammation. Further, severe COVID-19 patients tend to have high interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-7, IL-19, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1), and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP) in the blood. Increased levels of these cytokines, C-reactive protein (CRP), and ferritin, accompanied by lymphopenia, are usually seen in severely ill COVID-19 patients. These are hallmarks of patients experiencing macrophage activation syndrome. The Study The researchers tested whether a short course of treatment with CSA was safe for COVID-19 patients. They treated ten hospitalized but non-critically ill patients with CSA at an initial dose of 9mg/kg/day orally divided into dosing every 12 hours. The researchers conducted a therapeutic drug monitoring on the second day, and every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during active dosing. The succeeding cyclosporine dosing was adjusted to target a trough level of 200 to 300ng/mL without a maximum dose level. During the treatment, five patients reported adverse effects, but none were serious. None of the enrolled participants needed intensive care unit-level care, and all patients were able to return home from the hospital. The researchers found that the CSA treatment was linked to reduced cytokine and chemokine levels in the blood, both of which are associated with hyper-inflammation in COVID-19. “In conclusion, short courses of CSA appear safe and feasible in COVID-19 patients requiring oxygen and therefore, may be a useful adjunct in resource-poor or resource-limited health care settings,” the team concluded in the study. One advantage of CSA is the cost-effectiveness of the treatment since drug acquisition costs are low, and it is widely available in oral pill and liquid formulations. Hence, the team showed that CSA is a potentially effective treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection. It has anti-inflammatory properties, is widely available, low cost, and safe to use. With further research that corroborates the team’s findings, CSA may prove a cheap, safe and effective therapy for COVID-19 patients. *Important notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

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Landmark Discovery May Lead to Safe, Effective Antiviral Drugs Against COVID-19

AHA Publisher — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 07:00:03 +0000

Argonne National Laboratory via News-Medical – The COVID-19 vaccines currently rolling out are providing hope that the spread of the disease can be halted. But infection rates are still high, and for those who contract COVID-19, the search for effective treatments remains important. Researchers examining the atomic structure of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have made a landmark discovery that could contribute critical information to the design of safe and effective antiviral drugs in the fight against the virus. “Understanding enzymes goes hand in hand with understanding their atomic structures -; and the higher resolution the better, because subtle differences can affect the interpretation. We wanted the best data possible, so we went to the APS.” (Natalie Strynadka, University of British Columbia) Using a powerful X-ray beam to study SARS-CoV-2 proteins in crystallized form, a team from the University of British Columbia (UBC) has observed -; for the first time ever -; the virus’s main protease, an important enzyme of the virus, performing its function. This widely pursued antiviral target is a central enzyme that allows the virus to cut up large proteins called polyproteins into smaller functional units, a process necessary for the virus to be replicated and infect other human cells. “What we’ve captured at high resolution is one of the important steps in that process that has never been visualized before in any viral protease of this class,” said Natalie Strynadka, the UBC biochemistry professor who led the research team with colleague Mark Paetzel. The research was published in Nature. The breakthrough was made possible by the Advanced Photon Source (APS), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility at DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory. The APS produces X-rays that are roughly a billion times brighter than those used by doctors and dentists, allowing researchers to examine the structure of the coronavirus protease in very fine detail at the atomic level. Data was captured at the General Medical Sciences and Cancer Institutes Structural Biology Facility at beamline 23-ID-B at the APS. The newly uncovered information may be of particular interest to scientists worldwide who are racing to develop antiviral treatments for COVID-19. If the main protease is inhibited by a small molecule drug, the polyproteins won’t be clipped into functional pieces, effectively blocking viral replication and subsequent transmission. “We now have a much better blueprint of these mechanistic structures that will inform making the best inhibitor possible,” Strynadka said. ”Better knowing the structure as we now do helps guide drug research, narrowing the field of potential targets instead of having to screen billions of potential molecules.” Michael Becker, a protein crystallographer with Argonne’s X-ray Science Division, said Strynadka’s research stands out because the team was focused on understanding the mechanism of the protease. “This understanding will improve everyone else’s work in designing drugs,” Becker said. ”Because the more deeply you understand how something works, the better the chance you have of controlling or stopping it.” Remote access capabilities at Argonne made it possible for the researchers in British Columbia to collect data in real time and to manipulate the APS beamline located about 2,200 miles away in Illinois. UBC team members Jaeyong Lee and Liam Worrall shipped crystals of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease preserved in liquid nitrogen from Canada to Argonne. Workers at the APS were on hand to answer questions, ensure the working order of the equipment, and load the samples. “The remote interface is fantastic. It’s almost like being there,” Strynadka said. ”We’re very thankful for the use of the APS. Canada does have a national synchrotron facility, but it currently doesn’t have the same capability as the APS, which is a very high-level facility with micro-focused beams. Understanding enzymes goes hand in hand with understanding their atomic structures -; and the higher resolution the better, because subtle differences can affect the interpretation. We wanted the best data possible, so we went to the APS.” To read the original article click here.

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You Can Kill Covid with a Flick of a Switch, Study Shows

AHA Publisher — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 08:00:42 +0000

ISRAEL21c Staff via Israel21c – As the world continues to race toward a vaccine for Covid-19, new Israeli research shows that the humble light bulb could become a major player in the fight against the pandemic. Researchers have discovered that coronavirus can be killed quickly, efficiently and cheaply using ultraviolet light-emitting diodes, or UV LED lights. In a study recently published in the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology researchers found the optimal wavelength for killing the coronavirus is 267 nanometers. They also discovered that a wavelength of 286 nanometers is almost as efficient, requiring less than half a minute to destroy more than 99.9 percent of the coronaviruses – good news considering that 286 nm LED bulbs are much cheaper and more readily available, and could be installed in air conditioning and water systems. Tel Aviv University’s Prof. Hadas Mamane, who led the study, believes that the technology will soon be available for use. “The entire world is currently looking for effective solutions to disinfect the coronavirus,” she says. “The problem is that in order to disinfect a bus, train, sports hall or plane by chemical spraying, you need physical manpower, and in order for the spraying to be effective, you have to give the chemical time to act on the surface. “The disinfection systems based on LED bulbs, however, can be installed in the ventilation system and air conditioner, for example, and sterilize the air sucked in and then emitted into the room.” Mamane explains that it is quite simple to kill the coronavirus using LED bulbs that radiate ultraviolet light. “But no less important, we killed the viruses using cheaper and more readily available LED bulbs, which consume little energy and do not contain mercury like regular bulbs. Our research has commercial and societal implications, given the possibility of using such LED bulbs in all areas of our lives, safely and quickly.” Ultraviolet radiation is a common method for killing viruses and bacteria. Ultraviolet disinfecting bulbs can be found, for example, in home water purifiers. Earlier this year, scientists determined that applying ultraviolet light on the inside of ventilation systems in indoor spaces can quickly and efficiently deactivate both airborne and surface-deposited Covid-19. Despite the exciting discovery, this is not the time to string purple lights all over your home. “Of course, as always when it comes to ultraviolet radiation, it is important to make it clear to people that it is dangerous to try to use this method to disinfect surfaces inside homes,” Mamane warns. “You need to know how to design these systems and how to work with them so that you are not directly exposed to the light.” To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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Novel Cannabis Plant Extracts Could Protect Against COVID-19

AHA Publisher — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 08:00:43 +0000

Sally Robertson, B.Sc. via News-Medical Net – Researchers in Canada have conducted a study suggesting that novel Cannabis sativa extracts may decrease levels of the host cell receptor that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses to gain viral entry to target tissues. SARS-CoV-2 is the agent responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that continues to sweep the globe threatening public health and the worldwide economy. The team – from the University of Lethbridge and Pathway Rx Inc., Lethbridge – developed hundreds of new C. sativa cultivars and tested 23 extracts in artificial 3D human models of the oral, airway and intestinal tissues. As recently reported in the journal Aging, 13 of the extracts downregulated expression of the SARS-CoV-2 host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). “The observed down-regulation of ACE2 gene expression by several tested extracts of new C. sativa cultivars is a novel and crucial finding,” say the researchers. “While our most effective extracts require further large-scale validation, our study is important for future analyses of the effects of medical cannabis on COVID-19,” write Olga Kovalchuk and colleagues. “Down-regulation of ACE2 levels in gateway tissues may be a plausible strategy” The ACE2 receptor that SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses use to access host cells is expressed in a range of tissues, including the lung, nasal mucosa, kidney and gastrointestinal tract. One recent study reported high levels of ACE2 expression in oral epithelial tissues and suggested that the oral cavity could be an important target for prevention strategies. Numerous studies have also reported high levels of ACE2 expression in the lower respiratory tract of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This patient group is associated with increased susceptibility to COVID-19 and more severe disease. “The down-regulation of ACE2 levels in gateway tissues may thus be a plausible strategy for decreasing disease susceptibility,” said Kovalchuk and colleagues. Where does Cannabis sativacome in? C. sativa, particularly cultivars rich in cannabidiol (CBD), have previously been shown to alter gene expression and to possess anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. However, the effects of C. sativa on ACE2 expression are not known, says the team. Working under a Health Canada research license, the researchers developed more than 800 new C. sativa cultivars and extracts. They then used artificial 3D human models to test whether 23 of the extracts that were high in CBD would alter ACE2 expression in target COVID-19 tissues. Given that inflammation is a significant component of viral disease, the researchers also examined the effect of the extracts on ACE2 expression in inflammation-stimulated 3D tissue models. Using artificial 3D human models of oral, airway and intestinal tissues, the researchers identified 13 high-CBD C. sativa extracts that significantly downregulated the expression of ACE2. The effects on tissues not stimulated by inflammation In a model of airway tissues that had not been stimulated by inflammation, Western blot analysis identified six extracts that significantly downregulated the expression of ACE2 and two extracts that slightly upregulated its expression. In a model of unstimulated oral tissue, two extracts downregulated ACE2 expression, while three other extracts upregulated its expression. The effects on inflammation-stimulated tissues Next, the team examined a model of oral tissue that had been stimulated by treatment with the inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFNγ). Analysis by RNA sequencing showed that TNFα and IFNγ had upregulated mRNA levels of ACE2 in the oral tissue. However, all C. sativa extracts but one downregulated the expression of this altered ACE2 mRNA level. Furthermore, in a model of inflammation-stimulated 3D intestinal tissues, two extracts significantly downregulated ACE2 mRNA levels, and in a model of stimulated airway tissues, all of the extracts attenuated the TNFα- and IFNγ-induced ACE2 expression. “Using artificial 3D human models of oral, airway and intestinal tissues, we identified 13 high-CBD C. sativa extracts that decrease ACE2 protein levels,” writes the team. What are the implications of the study? The researchers say the findings provide a foundation for further analyses of the effects C. sativa may have on the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and other viral diseases where the ACE2 receptor is used as a molecular gateway. “If these results are further confirmed, these high-CBD cannabis extracts can be used to develop prevention strategies directed at lowering ACE2 levels in high-risk gateway tissues,” they write. “The extracts of our most successful novel high-CBD C. sativa lines, pending further investigation, may become a useful and safe addition to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 as an adjunct therapy,” concludes the team. Journal reference: Kovalchuk O, et al. In search of preventive strategies: novel high-CBD Cannabis sativa extracts modulate ACE2 expression in COVID-19 gateway tissues. Aging,2020. https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.202225 [Epub ahead of print], https://www.aging-us.com/article/202225/text To read the original article click here.

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Natural Products and Herbal Medicines Show Promise in Fight Against COVID-19

AHA Publisher — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 08:00:39 +0000

Sally Robertson, B.Sc. via News-Medical Net – Researchers in China and the United States have called for more research into the potential prophylactic effects of natural products and herbal medicines on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and subsequent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In an article recently published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, the team discussed natural products that have exhibited an inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2 and herbal medicines that have been tested as potential therapies for COVID-19. “In this review, we aimed to provide a new perspective regarding COVID-19 prevention,” writes Jia-xu Chen from Jinan University in Guangzhou, and colleagues from the University of Houston, and the University of California. The researchers suggest that while the world awaits effective treatments and a commercially available vaccine, the repurposing of natural products and herbal medicines as prophylactics represents a promising approach to at least slow the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. “In the interest of public health, this will lend health officials better control on the current pandemic,” they say. No effective vaccines or therapies are available Since the COVID-19 outbreak first began in Wuhan, China, late last year (2019), the pandemic has swept the globe, devastating public health, and the worldwide economy. COVID-19 is caused by the betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which initiates infection using a surface structure called the spike protein that binds to and fuses with target host cells. Although several vaccine candidates are under evaluation in clinical trials, not one has yet been approved for use, and their long-term effectiveness is uncertain. Besides vaccine development, intense efforts have also been focused on finding effective prophylactics against COVID-19 among high-risk populations. Still, few studies have provided evidence of satisfactory outcomes, say Chen and colleagues. “Since the outcome of current therapeutics in severe/critical COVID-19 patients are still debatable, prevention rather than treatment becomes more important to restrain this pandemic,” writes the team. “Blocking the entry of SARS-CoV-2 and suppressing infection at the initial stage is considered a more practical strategy.” Historically, natural products and herbal medicines have been used for the prevention of viral infections and generally show favorable efficacy and acceptable toxicity, say the researchers. The potential effects of natural products and herbal medicines Now, Chen and the team have published a review summarizing some recent findings regarding the potential effectiveness of natural products and herbal medicines in the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection. For example, they discuss compounds derived from natural products that may be effective against the cellular receptor heat shock protein A5 (HSPA5). Some studies have reported that HSPA5 is recognized by the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and one 2020 study showed that the phytoestrogens daidzein, genistein, formononetin, and biochanin A have binding affinities with HSPA5. The researchers say these medicinal, plant-derived compounds may disrupt the attachment of SARS-CoV-2 to host cells (through spike), although their antiviral bioactivity requires further investigation. The host cell enzyme transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) facilitates the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells. Inhibition of this enzyme blocks the spike protein’s ability to fuse with the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations, one study conducted earlier this year demonstrated that withanone, a compound that can be isolated from Ashwagandha leaves (Withania somnifera) could bind to the catalytic site of TMPRSS2. That study also confirmed that withanone significantly downregulated TMPRSS2 in the breast cancer cell line MCF-7, thereby pointing to its potential to dampen this enzyme’s function. Many studies are preliminary, but some compounds have entered clinical trials The researchers say that many of these studies are all still in the preliminary stages and further pre-clinical studies are needed to examine the antiviral effects of the compounds. “In the meanwhile, a great number of clinical trials have registered to investigate the potentials of natural product to halt disease progression,” says the team. One such trial is investigating the immunomodulatory and antiviral activity of Nigella sativaseed oil among adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Another trial is currently recruiting participants to study the effectiveness of vitamin C at reducing mortality among patients. What do the authors conclude? “It is undeniable that herbal medicine is still a promising resource for drug discovery, and its acceptable toxicity makes it a prospective prophylactic candidate against COVID-19,” write Chen and colleagues. In the face of this global health crisis, the team says that exploring prophylactics derived from herbal medicine likely represents a promising and practical approach to containing the pandemic. Natural products and herbal medicine have a long track record in treating respiratory infections and many have been approved as drugs or over-the-counter food additives, say the researchers. “Moderate dosing of such bioactive compounds may prevent or at least slow down the SARS-CoV-2 infection process,” they conclude. To read the original article click here.

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Pfizer Says Early Data Signals COVID-19 Vaccine Is Effective

AHA Publisher — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 08:00:02 +0000

Associated Press via CBN News – Pfizer says an early peek at its vaccine data suggests the shots maybe 90% effective at preventing COVID-19, indicating the company is on track later this month to file an emergency use application with U.S. regulators. Monday’s announcement doesn’t mean a vaccine is imminent: This interim analysis, from an independent data monitoring board, looked at 94 infections recorded so far in a study that has enrolled nearly 44,000 people in the U.S. and five other countries. Pfizer Inc. did not provide any more details about those cases and cautioned the initial protection rate might change by the time the study ends. Even revealing such early data is highly unusual. “We’re in a position potentially to be able to offer some hope,” Dr. Bill Gruber, Pfizer’s senior vice president of clinical development, told The Associated Press. “We’re very encouraged.” Authorities have stressed it’s unlikely any vaccine will arrive much before the end of the year, and limited initial supplies will be rationed. The shots made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech are among 10 possible vaccine candidates in late-stage testing around the world – four of them so far in huge studies in the U.S. Another U.S. company, Moderna Inc., also has said it hopes to be able to file an application with the Food and Drug Administration later this month. Volunteers in the final-stage studies, and the researchers, don’t know who received the real vaccine or a dummy shot. But a week after their second required dose, Pfizer’s study began counting the number who developed COVID-19 symptoms and were confirmed to have the coronavirus. Because the study hasn’t ended, Gruber couldn’t say how many in each group had infections. Doing the math, that would mean almost all the infections counted so far had to have occurred in people who got the dummy shots. Pfizer doesn’t plan to stop its study until it records 164 infections among all the volunteers, a number that the FDA has agreed is enough to tell how well the vaccine is working. The agency has made clear that any vaccine must be at least 50% effective. No participant so far has become severely ill, Gruber said. Nor could he provide a breakdown of how many of the infections had occurred in older people, who are at the highest risk from COVID-19. Participants were tested only if they developed symptoms, leaving unanswered whether vaccinated people could get infected but show no symptoms and unknowingly spread the virus. FDA has required that U.S. vaccine candidates be studied in at least 30,000 people. In addition to adequate numbers of older adults, those studies must also include other groups at high risk, including minorities and people with chronic health problems. And it told companies they must track half their participants for side effects for at least two months, the time period when problems typically crop up. Pfizer expects to reach that milestone later this month but said Monday no serious safety concerns have been reported. Because the pandemic is still raging, manufacturers hope to seek permission from governments around the world for emergency use of their vaccines while additional testing continues – allowing them to get to market faster than normal but raising concerns about how much scientists will know about the shots. The FDA’s scientific advisers last month said they worry that allowing emergency use of a COVID-19 vaccine could damage confidence in the shots and make it harder to ever find out how well they really work. Those advisers said it’s critical these massive studies are allowed to run to completion. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. To read the original article click here. For more articles from CBN News click here.

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Pre-Existing Coronavirus Antibodies Could Help Protect Children Against New Pandemic Strain

AHA Publisher — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 08:00:22 +0000

The Francis Crick Institute via EurekAlert – Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London have found that some antibodies, created by the immune system during infection with common cold coronaviruses, can also target SARS-CoV-2 and may confer a degree of protection against the new viral strain. In response to infection with a virus, the immune system creates antibodies to help fight it. These antibodies remain in the blood for a period after infection, and in the case of re-infection, they are able to tackle the virus again. In their paper, published in Science today (Friday 6 November), the scientists found that some people, notably children, have antibodies reactive to SARS-CoV-2 in their blood, despite not ever having being infected with the virus. These antibodies are likely the result of exposure to other coronaviruses, which cause a common cold and which have structural similarities with SARS-CoV-2. The researchers made this discovery while developing highly sensitive antibody tests for COVID-19. To see how well their assay tests were performing, they compared the blood of patients with COVID-19 to patients who had not had the disease. Surprisingly, they found that some people who had not been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 had antibodies in their blood which would recognise the virus. To confirm their findings, they analysed over 300 blood samples collected before the pandemic, between 2011 and 2018. Nearly all samples had antibodies that reacted with common cold coronaviruses, which was expected given how everyone has been exposed to these viruses at some point in their lives. However, a small fraction of adult donors, about 1 in 20, also had antibodies that cross-reacted with SARS-CoV-2, and this was not dependent on recent infection with a common cold coronavirus.* Notably, such cross-reactive antibodies were found much more frequently in blood samples taken from children aged 6 to 16. Kevin Ng, lead author and post-graduate student in the Retroviral Immunology Laboratory at the Crick says: “Our results show that children are much more likely to have these cross-reactive antibodies than adults. More research is needed to understand why this is, but it could be down to children being more regularly exposed to other coronaviruses. “These higher levels we observed in children could also help explain why they are less likely to become severely ill with COVID-19. There is no evidence yet, however, that these antibodies prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection or spread.” In the lab, the researchers tested the antibodies they found in blood from uninfected people to confirm they are able to neutralise SARS-CoV-2. They found the cross-reactive antibodies target the S2 subunit of the spike protein on the surface of the virus. George Kassiotis, senior author and group leader of the Retroviral Immunology Laboratory at the Crick says: “The spike of this coronavirus is made of two parts or subunits, performing different jobs. The S1 subunit allows the virus to latch onto cells and is relatively diverse among coronaviruses, whereas the S2 subunit lets the virus into cells and is more similar among these viruses. Our work shows that the S2 subunit is sufficiently similar between common cold coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2 for some antibodies to work against both. “It was previously thought that only antibodies to the S1 could block infection, but there is now good evidence that some antibodies to S2 can be just as effective. This is exciting as understanding the basis for this activity could lead to vaccines that work against a range of coronaviruses, including the common cold strains, as well as SARS-CoV-2 and any future pandemic strains. “But it is important to stress that there are still many unknowns which require further research. For example, exactly how is immunity to one coronavirus modified by exposure to another? Or why does this activity decline with age? It is not the case that people who have recently had a cold should think they are immune to COVID-19.” A large study is now underway, in partnership with researchers at Imperial College London and University College London, to uncover the role that different antibodies and other immune defences play in protection against COVID-19 and how severely ill people become. To read the original article click here.

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How does the COVID-19 Pandemic Compare to Other Pandemics?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 07:00:35 +0000

Lois Zoppi, BA via News-Medical Net – The initial outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, was in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in December 2019. As of October 2020, the virus has reached 35.5 million cases and caused 1.04 million deaths worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 typically begins with symptoms including high temperature and a persistent dry cough. However, many people show no COVID-19 symptoms at all, complicating efforts to identify people infected with the disease and contain its spread. Comparing Pandemics Six other human coronaviruses are similar to SARS-CoV-2, and as such there have been many comparisons made between previous pandemics, from the 2002 SARS and 2012 MERS pandemics to the 14th-century bubonic plague. It can be difficult to make direct comparisons between pandemics as they all develop within specific circumstances, from the differing nature of the disease itself to the variable social and political contexts in which the pandemic develops. For instance, the 1918 H1N1 influenza pandemic (commonly called Spanish Flu) occurred during World War 1, meaning that soldiers were traveling and spreading the virus around the world. With SARS-CoV-2, strict lockdown measures were put in place early in the pandemic, which limited the spread of the disease even within cities. Additionally, scientific and medical advancements and knowledge of previous pandemics now help to understand, control, and stop pandemics. For instance, scientists are now able to identify novel diseases more easily, and containing outbreaks can be achieved more quickly as a result. Hygiene practices are also much better in contemporary medical facilities as there is a greater understanding of how diseases spread. However, depending on how infectious the disease is and how severe the symptoms are, it is not guaranteed that epidemics, pandemics, or deaths can be avoided entirely. The time it takes for a safe and effective vaccine can also extend the duration of a pandemic. Disease Origins Diseases can spread to humans from many different sources, from bacteria spread through flea bites to viruses that jump from animals to humans. The sources for seven major pandemics include: 1918 and 2009 influenza (H1N1): pigs in 1918 and 2009. Avian influenza A (H5N1 and H7N9): birds and poultry Bubonic plague: Yersinia pestis, a zoonotic bacteria found in fleas and small mammals COVID-19: unconfirmed as of August 2020, but likely stemmed from a bat source Ebola: bat MERS-CoV: bat SARS-CoV: bat Disease Spread If an outbreak begins in a city, it typically spreads very quickly due to the close proximity of residents. This was seen in the SARS pandemic in Hong Kong in 2003, and with the Ebola pandemic in Conakry, Freetown, and Monrovia from 2014 to 2016. SARS-CoV-2 spread very quickly from Wuhan throughout China in part because Wuhan is one of the most important traffic hubs in Central China. The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 also came during the Spring Festival, meaning that large amounts of people were traveling in and out of Hubei province’s capital city Wuhan and spreading the virus throughout the country. Increased globalization, which has seen increasingly large amounts of people regularly traveling globally, has also allowed the SARS-CoV-2 virus to spread quickly throughout countries, and it has only taken a matter of months to reach almost every country in the world. However, unlike SARS-CoV-2, not all viruses are spread through droplets in sneezes and coughs. The different disease transmissions for seven major pandemics include: 1918 and 2009 influenza (H1N1): respiratory droplets, infected surfaces Avian influenza A (H5N1 and H7N9): H5N1 is spread by contact with infected living or dead poultry and birds or rarely prolonged contact with infected humans; H7N9 is spread through contact with infected poultry. Bubonic plague: flea bites COVID-19: respiratory droplets, feces, other bodily secretions. Ebola: contact with infected blood or body fluids MERS-CoV: respiratory droplets SARS-CoV: respiratory droplets Case and Fatality Rates A case fatality rate (CFR) shows the number of reported deaths per number of reported cases. These numbers can vary significantly depending on a population’s ability to report cases or deaths to health organizations tracking pandemic statistics. In the case of COVID-19, a high number of people can be asymptomatic and unaware that they have been infected with the disease. This means that they are unlikely to get tested and report a confirmed case of COVID-19 to health organizations, which can lead to case rates being higher than the statistics show. The global case rates and case fatality rates for seven major pandemics are: 1918 influenza (H1N1): 50 million; CFR 2%-3%. Avian influenza A (H5N1 and H7N9): H5N1 had 649 cases; 60% CFR; H7N9 had 571 cases; 37% CFR. COVID-19: 35.5 million cases by October 05, 2020; 1.04 million deaths by October 05, 2020. Ebola: over 30,000 cases; average 50% CFR. MERS-CoV: 2,502 cases; 34% CFR. SARS-CoV: 8,422 cases; 15% CFR. The bubonic plague during 1347 and 1351 saw extremely high numbers of deaths, largely due to poor hygiene, a lack of understanding around disease spread, and large numbers of people living in very close proximity to each other. Although specific case rates are not available, 30 to 50 percent of the European population died from the plague. Now, it can be successfully treated with antibiotics, although there are still between 1,000 to 2,000 cases reported to the World Health Organization worldwide every year. Summary History has seen many pandemics emerge and conclude, with medical and scientific understanding, living conditions, and socio-political contexts all playing a part in how the pandemic is identified, controlled, and stopped. The diseases themselves also differentiate pandemics from each other, as some viruses or bacterial infections cause more severe symptoms and affect different populations, who may be more vulnerable than others. For instance, COVID-19 mainly causes severe symptoms in people over 65 and those with underlying health conditions, whereas the 1918 influenza caused severe symptoms in young and healthy populations. Reporting confirmed cases accurately and providing accessible testing are particularly helpful methods in understanding an evolving pandemic like COVID-19, as this allows health organizations and governments to control the spread of the virus within their environments and offer effective advice to help people stop the spread and protect themselves against infection. Sources Abimola, S. et al. The COVID-19 pandemic: diverse contexts; different epidemics – how and why? (2020). https://gh.bmj.com/content/bmjgh/5/7/e003098.full.pdf CDC. Animals & COVID-19. (2020). www.cdc.gov/…/animals.html CDC. H5N1 in people. (2015). https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h5n1-people.html Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Estimates of SARS death rates revised upward. (2003). www.cidrap.umn.edu/…/estimates-sars-death-rates-revised-upward DeWitte, S. N. Mortality risk, and survival in the aftermath of the medieval black death. (2014). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4013036/ Gavi. How does COVID-19 compare to past pandemics? (2020). www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/how-does-covid-19-compare-past-pandemics Millman, A. J. et al. Detecting spread of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus beyond China. (2015). www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/…/ Peterson, E. et al. Comparing SARS-CoV-2 with SARS-CoV and influenza pandemics. (2020). www.thelancet.com/…/fulltext WHO. Plague. (2017). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/plague Further Reading All Coronavirus Disease COVID-19 Content Breastfeeding and COVID-19 What is Viral Shedding? What is an Antigen? Viral Clades of SARS-CoV-2 More… To read the original article click here.

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Australian Scientists Develop a Nasal Spray That Could Stop SARS-CoV-2 Infection

AHA Publisher — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 07:00:21 +0000

Angela Betsaida B. Laguipo, BSN via News-Medical Net – As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues to wreak havoc globally, scientists race to develop an effective medicine or vaccine to fight the infection. With more than 33.5 million people infected since the pandemic started in December 2019, finding a treatment for those infected is crucial to stemming its spread. Now, a biotech company in Australia, Ena Respiratory, said that a nasal spray it is developing might help boost the human immune system to fight flu and common colds, significantly reduced the growth of the coronavirus in a recent study in animals. The potential nasal spray may not only help treat COVID-19 but also prevent it. The Nasal Spray The novel product, called INNA-051, is being developed by Ena Respiratory, and laboratory experiments have shown that it reduced viral replication by as much as 96 percent in the animal study. Spearheaded by Public Health England’s (PHE) Deputy Director, Professor Miles Carroll, the new study described the potential treatment and has been published in the open-source preprint server bioRxiv*. Used as a nasal spray, it aims to boost the natural immune system of the body to fight common colds and flu. It works by triggering the innate immune system, which is the body’s first line of defense against infection from a pathogen. When the drug has enhanced the immune system, it also prevented the infection and replication of SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory. The Study Respiratory tract diseases, including those that cause flu, common colds, and the coronavirus infection, represent major ongoing global health threats. These viruses have caused outbreaks to pandemics, endangering the lives of those who are at higher risk, such as children, older adults, and those who are immunocompromised. The SARS-CoV-2 infection is actively spreading worldwide, and it spreads quickly from one person to another through close contact and respiratory droplets. One of the biggest threats of the current pandemic is that several people infected with the virus are asymptomatic, which means that they do not know that they carry the virus. As a result, they are called silent spreaders. The research team from the National Infection Service, Public Health England (PHE) wanted to develop the nasal spray to prevent the replication of the virus in the nasal area, the most common point of entry of the virus. To test the nasal spray, the team obtained nasal wash and throat swab samples four days before the viral challenge. Upon analyzing the viral RNA in nasal wash samples, the team confirmed infection in all treatment groups, with lower viral RNA levels seen in the INNA-051 treatment. The team has found that prophylactic intra-nasal administration of INNA-051 in the SARS-CoV-2 ferret infection model has reduced levels of viral RNA in the nose and throat. “The results of our study support clinical development of a therapy based on prophylactic TLR2/6 innate immune activation in the URT to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission and provide protection against COVID-19,” the team wrote in the paper. Further, the research team added that the prophylactic approach is important to people at a high risk of community transmission or development of the severe disease from COVID-19, such as older adults, people with comorbidities, and those who are immunocompromised. “We’ve been amazed by just how effective our treatment has been. By boosting the natural immune response of the ferrets with our treatment, we’ve seen a rapid eradication of the virus,” Christophe Demaison, the Ena Respiratory Managing Director, said. “If humans respond similarly, the benefits of treatment are two-fold. Individuals exposed to the virus would most likely rapidly eliminate it, with the treatment ensuring that the disease does not progress beyond mild symptoms. This is particularly relevant to vulnerable members of the community. In addition, the rapidity of this response means that the infected individuals are unlikely to pass it on, meaning a swift halt to community transmission,” he added. *Important Notice bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

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