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Impact of COVID-19 on Education Not Going Away, UM Study Finds

The AHA! Team — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 05:09:02 +0000

University of Mississippi via EurekAlert! – Student performance scores dipped following the COVID-19 pandemic, and recent UM research shows they have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The team discovered that a loss of life skills normally developed in high school that prepare students to succeed may be to blame. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student performance is well known, but four years after the pandemic, scores in college classes are not returning to their pre-pandemic levels. A University of Mississippi study might point to an answer. In a study published in a special issue of the Educational Sciences journal, three Ole Miss researchers found that student performance scores started a downward trend following COVID-19. Dozens of studies have documented the pandemic’s negative impact on education, but the Ole Miss team discovered evidence of a deeper problem. “We were a little puzzled at first because if learning was impacted by one big event, why didn’t scores drop and level off or start to climb again?” said Gregg Davidson, professor of geology and geological engineering. “Why did scores continue declining each year since COVID-19?” The researchers – Gregg Davidson; Kristin Davidson, lecturer in computer and information science; and Hong Xiao, assistant professor of computer and information science – make the case that it was not just missed exposure to educational material during school shutdowns, but a loss of life skills normally developed in high school that prepare students to succeed both in college and future careers. “As educators, recognizing that this is happening is important in order to be proactive about identifying causes and remedies,” Davidson said. These skills include time management, self-motivation, critical thinking and social interaction. Without these skills, students can struggle to stay engaged, manage coursework and seek help when needed, directly affecting their academic performance, the researchers said. “I started studying this before the pandemic when I was doing my dissertation for my Ph.D. program in higher education,” Kristin Davidson said. “I knew from day one I wanted to look at the difference between online and face-to-face classroom performance, because I believed there was something there. “Following the pandemic, the study expanded to determine if the impact of school shutdowns changed anything – and did it ever.” Prior to the pandemic, a student’s performance scores in online classes were often lower than for equivalent classes taken face-to-face. Highly motivated students who earned As in face-to-face settings usually got A’s in online classes, too. But students who received Bs or below for face-to-face classes were likely to drop by a full letter grade in online courses. For these students, the structure of a regular meeting schedule, with instructor-controlled pace, minimal distractions and fellow students nearby, normally translated into better performance, the researchers said. “Post-COVID, that structural benefit disappeared. The performance of students in the face-to-face classes dropped to be indistinguishable from the online scores,” Gregg Davidson said. Steady decline in scores The steady decline in scores in college classes provides additional evidence that students still in high school during shutdowns were more impacted than those already in college, he said. “The scores are a reflection of growing percentage of undergraduates each year who were in high school during the pandemic.” Hong Xiao analyzed more than 15,000 records from non-major geology courses over eight years. At the end of 2023 – the last year covered during the study – student performance scores showed no signs of improving. The findings The findings draw attention to the need for being intentional about life skill development before arriving at college and after. Those skills are critical for academic, professional, and personal success, the researchers said. “That can start with family,” Xiao said. “Family is their first major connection.” DOI 10.3390/educsci14111268 To read the original article click here.

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Merck Faces New Controversy Over Mumps Shot Development Practices

The AHA! Team — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 06:03:10 +0000

Patrick Tims via NaturalHealth365 – Merck is back in the spotlight, facing serious accusations over how it developed its latest mumps shot. Merck is back in the spotlight, facing serious accusations over how it developed its latest mumps shot. According to recently released legal documents, the drugmaker may have cut corners in its rush to bring the shot to market, potentially putting children’s health at risk. Concerns are growing that these actions may compromise vaccine safety and reflect broader issues within the company’s development practices. Merck’s latest mumps shot comes under fire Alarming reports claim Merck’s shot contains up to 4 times the approved amount of live virus – up to 600,000 viral particles per dose, compared to the FDA’s recommendation of 160,000. Shockingly, immunity can be triggered with just 20,000 particles. Some even accuse Merck of intentionally inflating the amount of live virus to falsely boost the vaccine’s “effectiveness,” all while failing to conduct proper safety tests. What’s worse, the company appears to have gone to great lengths to hide these practices from regulators. Despite these concerning findings, health agencies and the government have yet to take action to address or halt the vaccine’s distribution. Rewind time back to 2010, and Merck employees filed a lawsuit claiming the company’s mumps vaccine had 400% of the approved concentration level of the virus. The drugmaker’s whistleblowers filed the lawsuit under the False Claims Act. The insinuation is that Merck overfilled its mumps shots for 12-18-month-olds with many times the approved level of the live mumps virus, opting for passive surveillance instead of transparency. Such passive surveillance took the form of parents’ reports detailing kids’ reactions to the jabs. Other shots facing serious scrutiny Merck’s mumps shot is just the latest in a growing list of shots facing serious scrutiny. Alarming reports have emerged about other jabs, raising concerns about transparency, safety, and rushed approvals. The flu shot, for instance, has been criticized for inconsistent effectiveness, leaving many to question why it’s still pushed so aggressively each year despite these flaws. The COVID-19 shots, fast-tracked under emergency use, are another example. Critics argue that the long-term effects are still unknown, and the lack of comprehensive safety data raises red flags. Whistleblower accounts and legal documents suggest that pharmaceutical giants may have prioritized speed and profit over rigorous safety standards, potentially compromising the health of millions. Parents have every reason to be cautious. With so many unanswered questions and unsettling information coming to light, it’s crucial to dig deeper, research the ingredients, and understand what’s really going into these vaccines before making decisions about your child’s health. Protect your child with a holistic approach to well-being As a parent, you should do your due diligence – research the shots, understand the ingredients, and explore all available information. In addition to informed decision-making, you can naturally support your child’s immune system. Ensure they follow a balanced diet rich in organic fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods. Encourage healthy habits like getting at least 7 – 9 hours of sleep, practicing good hygiene, regular physical activity, and stress management techniques. Natural immune boosters, including foods like leafy greens, berries, citrus fruits, legumes, seeds, and nuts, can provide valuable support. You might also consider incorporating daily probiotics for gut health and herbs like elderberry or echinacea. However, always consult a holistic healthcare provider before introducing new supplements or herbal remedies into your child’s routine. Sources for this article include: Childrenshealthdefense.org Childrenshealthdefense.org Childrenshealthdefense.org Justice.gov To read the original article click here.

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Kansas Sues Pfizer for Misleading the Public About the Risks of its mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines

The AHA! Team — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 08:06:39 +0000

Cassie B. via Natural News – The state of Kansas has filed a consumer protection lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, accusing it of misleading the public when it comes to both the safety and efficacy of its highly controversial mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. According to the suit, Pfizer knew that its vaccine came with significant adverse effects and manipulated its safety trials in order to deceive the public, violating Kansas’s consumer protection laws as well as previous consent judgments. The suit cites a slew of supporting evidence, including scientific and government research, press releases, interviews, and news reports demonstrating Pfizer’s misdeeds. According to the suit, Pfizer knew that its vaccine came with significant adverse effects and manipulated its safety trials For example, they cited a paper from the New England Journal of Medicine and an FDA memo to support the allegation that Pfizer purposely destroyed the control group of a COVID vaccine trial by providing participants with access to the jab. This made it impossible to fairly evaluate the safety of the vaccine by comparing a vaccinated group to one that was not vaccinated, the lawsuit alleges. In addition, they cited two articles from the British Medical Journal indicating that Pfizer delayed the release of vaccine trial data intentionally and only tested healthy patients in its vaccine trials in a marked departure from what is considered protocol. They cited two articles from the British Medical Journal indicating that Pfizer delayed the release of vaccine trial data intentionally To support their allegation that the company purposefully misrepresented the vaccine’s safety, they included press releases from Pfizer and interviews with CEO Albert Bourla in which the vaccine is presented as safe and effective. The lawsuit also refers to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by the watchdog group Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency in America with the FDA, through which they obtained information about the vaccine. From this FOIA suit, the group acquired an internal Pfizer database listing adverse events that was never shared with the public and contained far more incidents than those listed in the public-facing Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System. In total, the internal database showed nearly 160,000 adverse events, along with more than 1,200 fatalities among the millions of people who received the vaccine as of February 2021. Heart problems and pregnancy complications weren’t disclosed to public The lawsuit also focused on specific health issues that have been coming to light since the vaccine rollout, such as heart problems. Not long after the vaccine started being administered to young people, it became apparent that it was having an adverse effect on their hearts, particularly young men. Myocarditis, which occurs when the middle layer of the heart’s wall becomes inflamed, can weaken the organ and has the potential to cause heart failure. The lawsuit alleges: “Pfizer said its COVID-19 vaccine was safe even though it knew its COVID-19 vaccine was connected to serious adverse events, including myocarditis and pericarditis, failed pregnancies, and deaths. Pfizer concealed this critical safety information from the public.” Another point of concern cited by the lawsuit is the dangers of the vaccine in pregnant women. It maintains that the company knew from a study that rat fetuses had trouble getting pregnant and implanting embryos and that their fetuses suffered malformations yet insisted to the public that the jab did not present any risk to pregnant women. The rat study was another revelation from the FOIA lawsuit, but the Kansas lawsuit also notes that Pfizer’s own data showed that tens of thousands of women experienced menstrual irregularities after getting the jab as of spring 2022. Kansas attorney general Kris Kobach told the National Review in an interview that the state’s Consumer Protection Act is designed to prevent consumers from being deceived by companies like Pfizer. “They had extraordinary success marketing their vaccine in the state of Kansas and more generally across the globe, and I think that had consumers had this information, many of them might have made a different choice,” he asserted. Sources for this article include: ArmageddonProse.Substack.com NationalReview.com To read the original article, click here: https://www.naturalnews.com/2024-09-20-kansas-sues-pfizer-misleading-public-risks-vaccines.html

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Study Finds Curcumin Is a Potential Therapeutic Agent Against the Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2

AHA Publisher — Wed, 04 May 2022 07:00:59 +0000

Shanet Susan Alex via News-Medical – A recent study published in the journal Computers in Biology and Medicine demonstrated that the phytochemical curcumin is a potent therapeutic prospect against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant. Background The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused over 508 million SARS-CoV-2 cases and six million deaths to date globally. As of now, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant is the dominant strain worldwide. Omicron was designated a variant of concern (VOC) since it can evade vaccine- and infection-induced immunity due to several mutations in its spike (S) protein, including 15 amino acid substitutions across the receptor-binding domain (RBD). Recent studies indicate that many of the most widely used COVID-19 vaccinations offer little or no immunity against Omicron infection. To date, no specific therapeutic regimen for this VOC has been recommended. As a result, Omicron might jeopardize worldwide attempts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic by posing a public health risk. About the Study The present paper aimed to profile seven phytochemicals (capsaicin, gingerol, allicin, curcumin, piperine, zingeberene, and cinnamaldehyde) and discover possible therapeutic options against the Omicron variant. The researchers built a three-dimensional layout of Omicron S RBD by integrating 15 amino acid alterations to the Native S structure. The team contrasted the structural changes of the Omicron S with the Native S. The authors docked the seven phytochemicals with the Omicron S-human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) complex and the Omicron S protein… Conclusions The study findings illustrated that curcumin harbored the most significant inhibitory capability with Omicron S protein out of the seven phytochemicals tested. The authors also found that curcumin could disturb the Omicron S-hACE2 aggregate. Further, the MD simulation showed that curcumin might establish a stable complex with Omicron S in the physiological milieu. To summarize, the present data depicted that curcumin has the potential to be used as a medicinal agent against the highly infectious SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

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Sewage Is an Early-Warning System for Disease Outbreaks

AHA Publisher — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 08:00:44 +0000

Abigail Klein Leichman via Israel21c – The Israeli city of Ashkelon was able to alert residents of a specific neighborhood to a Covid-19 outbreak, without testing a single person, a week before any symptoms of illness appeared. This wizardry was made possible by a revolutionary technology that detects viruses in sewage. “Monitoring our sewers is like taking the blood test of a city,” said Ari Goldfarb, CEO of Kando. “The only way to get a clear picture of how many people are sick, and where, in a pandemic like this is using data from wastewater. When a person is infected, even if they don’t know it yet, their body sheds virus particles. Our system allows us to see an outbreak seven to 10 days before it happens.” Even Goldfarb is surprised at how far in advance this method can see what’s coming. “For example, in the beginning of this wave, we saw that the Omicron was spreading in the community before clinical cases showed it. This gave decisionmakers more time to take measures and prepare for the upcoming wave,” he says. In one municipality that was rated “green” by the Ministry of Health because of the low incidence of Covid cases, Kando’s wastewater analysis “showed that the signal is changing from negative to positive and increasing from one analysis to the next,” says Goldfarb. Armed with this intel, the ministry quickly launched a testing campaign there in order to isolate infected individuals. The Future of Pandemic Logistics The Health Ministry now has begun installing Kando’s technology in all Israeli municipalities of more than 20,000 people. It’s the first such project worldwide. “A lot of countries are sampling sewage manually. Israel is the first in the world doing this with algorithms, machine learning and AI technology, tracing the pandemic nationwide and presenting decisionmakers with relevant insights and warnings on a dashboard,” Goldfarb tells ISRAEL21c. He says that several countries are starting to pilot Kando’s technology on a small scale. “I think intelligence-gathering is the future of handling pandemics, and wastewater is a critical source of intelligence concerning virus load,” says Goldfarb. What does the data tell us about the next few weeks? “Right now we see an upward trend almost everywhere,” he says. “We hope to see soon a change to a downward trend; this will tell us the morbidity rate in the population is decreasing.” Regarding whether infections today are caused only by the Omicron variant as opposed to the earlier Delta variant, Goldfarb is not at liberty to say because this information is proprietary to the Health Ministry. The ministry does state, however, that Omicron is “rapidly pushing out the Delta variant.” Not Just Coronavirus Kando’s underground IoT unit includes an autosampler, water quality sensors, flow sensors and a controller. Twice a week, the unit captures a sample using AI and sends it for analysis at Ben-Gurion University, which helped develop the technology. If virus particles are detected in a sample, additional analysis is done at the national virology lab at Sheba Medical Center to identify the variant and other critical data. Within about 24 hours, local authorities know of an impending outbreak pinpointed by neighborhood, allowing them to implement early testing guidelines and alerting them to new variants. SARS-CoV-2 is not the only pathogen that Kando has its eye on. “Israel is monitoring the poliovirus in its wastewater for several years,” says Goldfarb. “Now we are building the infrastructure for wastewater monitoring in the entire country. This will give us the ability to monitor in the future more pathogens and illnesses such as antibiotic-resistant bacteria and even consumption of drugs and other substances.” Detecting Viruses and Pollution Goldfarb cofounded Kando in 2012 with Zohar Sheinin. The first use case of the underground sensor-based system is to monitor municipal wastewater for chemical and metal pollutants and alert stakeholders about these potential environmental hazards. “We are the eyes and ears of wastewater quality underground. The data we collect has been helping to improve the quality of water in Israel for 10 years, and all over Italy as well for the last six years,” he says. Kando also work in the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, and US states including Texas and Ohio. “Our dashboard allows [clients] to see the whole country and pinpoint problems on a map. Every time there’s a change in wastewater quality, you can see it and who’s responsible for it.” When Covid reached Israel, Kando worked with the Health Ministry and scientists from BGU and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology to create a public health solution to manage the pandemic proactively through wastewater data. When that data begins to show a decline in SARS-CoV-2 virus in the water, Kando will have a happier role to play. “We can say when it’s safe to go out to the office and school. We can help people feel safe to move forward,” Goldfarb says. To read the original article click here.

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Stunning CDC Admission: 75% of COVID-19 Deaths “Had Four or More Comorbidities”

AHA Publisher — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 08:00:02 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospital systems, and doctors are finally talking about the difference between dying with COVID and dying of COVID. This distinction wasn’t made for nearly two years — but officials didn’t shy away from using inconclusive reports of “COVID deaths” and cases as justification for harmful lockdowns. But now the mainstream narrative appears to be shifting dramatically, with officials finally admitting that being COVID-positive at the time of death is not necessarily proof that COVID was the cause of death and that comorbidities must be acknowledged. Chronically Unwell People Significantly More Likely to Die With COVID-19 – But Only NOW the CDC Acknowledges This important and Obvious Reality CDC director Rochelle Walensky recently said on public television that “the overwhelming number of [COVID] deaths, over 75%, occurred in people who had at least four comorbidities.” While she was citing a study that referred specifically to jabbed people who had contracted COVID-19 and passed away, it’s not hard to infer that unvaxxed individuals with multiple comorbidities are also at increased risk of death – with or without COVID. [This admission] does make one wonder: what else are officials suppressing or lying about? Followers of mainstream media quickly defend these shifting narratives and admissions from U.S. officials by saying that messages change because “the science changes.” The problem with this argument is that it ignores the reality that thousands of people – including highly accredited doctors and researchers from around the world – have been silenced for making these points all along. Here Are other Inconsistencies We’ve Seen Throughout the Pandemic Admitting that COVID-positive deaths do not necessarily mean deaths due to COVID is a huge shift from mainstream messaging. And as of February 2, 2022, hospitals will no longer be required to report the number of daily COVID-positive deaths to the federal government, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). That’s a huge change, especially considering that COVID deaths were blasted all over the news screens for months in an attempt to drive fear and garner support for lockdowns. Other facts that U.S. officials and mainstream media now seem suddenly willing to report: PCR tests are inaccurate, and people can test positive for COVID-19 for up to 12 weeks after recovering from an infection Most masks are ineffective The COVID shots themselves – originally sold to the public as a necessity to “stop transmission” and “end the pandemic” – are actually not able to stop viral transmission for millions of people, and are dramatically less effective than than Pharma-funded trial data originally suggested These Are the Comorbidities Associated With Severe COVID-19 In case you were wondering, comorbidities simply mean that a patient has more than one chronic health condition. According to the CDC, current meta-analyses and systematic reviews suggest that the following health conditions or comorbidities are associated with a higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness: Cancer Cerebrovascular disease Chronic kidney disease Chronic lung diseases including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, and interstitial lung disease Chronic liver diseases including cirrhosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), alcoholic liver disease, and autoimmune hepatitis Type 1 and 2 diabetes Heart conditions including heart failure, coronary artery disease, and cardiomyopathy Mental health disorders including depression and other mood disorders and schizophrenia Obesity (which the CDC defines as a BMI ≥30 kg/m2) Pregnancy and recent pregnancy Active and former smoking Tuberculosis Other health conditions, including HIV, Down syndrome, dementia, and substance use disorders, have more limited evidence connecting them to an increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness, and research is ultimately ongoing. However, the underlying message is clear: if someone is chronically unhealthy, they are significantly more at risk of a severe or fatal case of COVID-19. But remember: just because someone has COVID at the time of their death doesn’t prove that COVID was the actual cause of death – and the fact that the CDC and other officials suddenly seem so willing to discuss this now is suspect. No clear word yet on whether people who were banned for saying similar things last year on social media will be re-platformed. Sources for this article include: Washingtonexaminer.com WSWS.org Uptodate.com CDC.gov CDC.gov This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

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Antifungal and Antidepressant Drugs Can Effectively Inhibit COVID-19 Virus

AHA Publisher — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 07:00:39 +0000

Wiley via News-Medical – New research published in the British Journal of Pharmacology indicates that two currently available medications–an antifungal drug and an antidepressant–can effectively inhibit the virus that causes COVID-19 in laboratory cells. Investigators found that the antifungal itraconazole and the antidepressant fluoxetine each blocked the production of infectious SARS-CoV-2 virus in cell culture lab tests. When either drug was used in combination with the antiviral drug remdesiver, the combination showed synergistic effects and inhibited the production of SARS-CoV-2 by more than 90%. “Preventive vaccination and therapeutic medicines against COVID-19 are both required to effectively combat pandemics caused by emerging zoonotic viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.” (Ursula Rescher, PhD, Study Senior Author, University of Muenster, Germany) To read the original article click here.

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Yogurt as a Cure for Covid-19 and Crohn’s Disease?

AHA Publisher — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 07:00:29 +0000

Brian Blum via Israel21c – Can yogurt cure Covid-19 and Crohn’s disease? Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have identified molecules in kefir, a type of yogurt, that have the potential to combat pathogenic bacteria by blocking communication between cells. This approach also holds promise for fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Yogurt is a fermented probiotic dairy drink made by inoculating milk with microorganism mixtures, particularly yeast and bacteria. People have relied on the probiotics in yogurt for years to calm tummy troubles and balance the negative effects of antibiotics. Probiotics are thought to boost immune system function as well. This is the first time, however, that researchers have isolated molecules in yogurt that appear to mitigate “cytokine storms,” the extreme immune response that’s one of the main causes of death in Covid-19 patients. The researchers began by observing that kefir-secreted molecules reduced the virulence of vibrio cholerae, which cause cholera. The kefir molecules interfered in the assembly of bacterial biofilms, which play a significant role in the disease’s progression. The molecules’ applicability to Covid-19 came as a surprise. The yogurt molecules not only eliminated the cytokine storm but also restored balance to the immune system. “These results are notable, since this is the first demonstration that virulence of human pathogenic bacteria can be mitigated by molecules secreted in probiotic milk products, such as yogurt or kefir,” said Prof. Raz Jelinek, vice president and dean for research & development at BGU. “Our research illuminates for the first time a mechanism by which milk-fermented probiotics can protect against pathogenic infections and aid the immune system. Following promising results in animal models, we look forward to administering these drug candidates to patients who are experiencing a cytokine storm due to Covid-19 infection, or people suffering from acute inflammatory bowel pathologies such as Crohn’s disease.” Josh Peleg, CEO of BGN Technologies, the technology transfer company of BGU, added that “In a reality where antibiotic-resistant bacteria are becoming an imminent threat, the novel molecules discovered by BGU scientists pave a completely new path for fighting bacterial infections by disrupting cell-to-cell communications in pathogenic bacteria. Moreover, the dramatic anti-inflammatory activities of the molecules may open new avenues for therapeutics and scientifically proven probiotic food products.” BGN Technologies is setting up a biopharma company “for the further development and clinical examination” of the technology. PhD student Orit Malka led the study, which was published in the journal Microbiome. Profs. Michael Meijler, Ariel Kushmaro and Ron Apte, all of BGU, participated. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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Leaky Gut and Microbial Dysbiosis Could Contribute to Cytokine Storm in Severely Ill COVID-19 Cases

AHA Publisher — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 07:00:13 +0000

Dr. Liji Thomas, MD via News-Medical – As the world approaches the grim milestone of three million deaths from COVID-19 disease, a new preprint research paper posted to the bioRxiv* server shows that the presence of gut bacteria in the plasma may be an indicator of progressive disease. In patients with pre-existing comorbidities, COVID-19 is associated with more severe disease. The gut is a well-established route of infection and target for viral damage by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent for COVID-19. This is supported by the clinical observation that about half of COVID-19 patients exhibit gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. Hospitalized patients with critical COVID-19 also often have gut complications. Besides the above, venous or arterial thromboembolism [blood clot] of the mesenteric vessels and small bowel ischemia [blockage of blood flow in the small bowel] is reported, especially in patients hospitalized for more extended periods. Study Aims and Details The current study, based in Birmingham, Alabama, in the USA, aimed to capture the presence of plasma biomarkers that indicate breaches of the gut epithelial barrier, and the presence of gut microbes in the plasma. Unfortunately, both could not be tested in the same subset of patients due to the small volume of plasma available. Of the 30 patients enrolled in the study with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, all had diarrhea and nausea along with fever and shortness of breath. The median age was 63 years. Only two patients had a critical disease. Over a third were diabetic, and half experienced blood clots. Of the 30, 23 patients were overweight. Five patients had an in-hospital fatal outcome. Laboratory Results Lymphopenia and anemia were observed in half, and two-thirds of the patients, along with high monocyte counts. Neutrophils were also elevated, in 60% of males compared to 45% of females. This is significant since they are the first responders to any infection. Total leukocyte counts were elevated in about 40% of individuals with COVID-19, but platelet count abnormalities were observed in only 17% of subjects. Only two patients showed high levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), probably due to heart failure. C-reactive peptide, an inflammatory marker, was elevated in all patients, with six patients showing levels consistent with severe inflammation. Eight subjects showed high ferritin levels, with half of them having levels indicative of inflammation. Almost all the patients had high fasting glucose and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. About two-thirds had anemia, Increased troponin-I levels, suggesting cardiac injury, were found in 80% of male subjects, vs only one female subject. Gut Microbes in Plasma The 14 plasma samples sent for evaluation for the presence of bacteria yielded over 150,000 sequencing reads, with the signal indicating strong bacterial presence in two-thirds of the samples. The total microbial population was comparable between patients with COVID-19. Using polymerase chain reaction, a dysbiosis index was arrived at to measure the abundance of bacterial groups in each sample. All the nine samples which indicated the presence of bacteria showed the same three major phyla, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria, with one patient showing unknown bacteria in more significant numbers among all 14. These are the same that have been found in healthy plasma, as well. The most enriched phylum was Proteobacteria, while Bacteroides were present in very limited numbers. Among the two patients with a fatal COVID-19 outcome, the number of Firmicutes was low. Perhaps the abundance of this phylum may be a biomarker for severity of disease. Both Gram-negative bacteria and lipopolysaccharides (LPS), which is a major endotoxin originating from the cell wall of these bacteria, are higher in the plasma samples from COVID-19 patients. Gut Barrier Breaches The presence of gut microbes in plasma may suggest defects in the gut epithelial barrier, allowing bacteria to migrate through the epithelial cells into the systemic blood vessels. This is an important component in systemic inflammation and underlies the progression of COVID-19 in these patients. As a marker of gut permeability, fatty acid-binding protein-2 (FABP2) levels were measured, as this is a protein found within intestinal epithelial cells to bind free fatty acids, cholesterol, and retinoids. As such, its elevation in plasma indicates mucosal damage in the gut. As expected, FABP2 levels were high in the plasma of COVID-19 patients relative to healthy individuals. Gut microbial peptides in plasma are toxic in that they trigger inflammatory pathways and lead to systemic damage. As a measure of this phenomenon, the researchers observed higher levels of peptidoglycan (PGN) and LPS in COVID-19 plasma, at almost double the levels in healthy controls. What Are the Implications? The translocation of gut microbes, normally found only in feces, into the systemic circulation is a fundamental determinant of immune function and metabolism. The presence of gut microbes in plasma may trigger and also exacerbate inflammatory signaling pathways in the body. Inflammation is key to the pathogenesis of severe and critical COVID-19. This study’s findings may support the theory that this is driven by gut bacterial movement into the body’s circulation in these patients. This, in turn, could be due to higher gut permeability because of epithelial barrier dysfunction. Virus shedding in the feces has been found to persist for up to a month after lung symptoms resolve, indicating that viral colonization of the gut may be of longer duration than of the airways. COVID-19 patients in this sample were more likely to be diabetic and obese relative to the controls. In such patients, the commensal bacteria Lactobacillus are less abundant, and this reduction was found in a small group of nine patients tested at the beginning of hospitalization in this study. Most COVID-19 deaths are due to sepsis. In this study, the abundance of multiple pathogenic species such as Acinetobacter and Pseudomona was higher in the gut. Even after the infection resolved, dysbiosis persisted, indicating that the gut may suffer the effects of this illness over the long term. The plasma metabolome is linked to the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Failure of the gut barrier leads to the detection of bacterial metabolic products in the plasma, in conditions like ulcerative colitis. The study suggests, “Leaky gut and microbial dysbiosis could contribute to cytokine storm in patients severely ill with COVID -19.” *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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