15/08/2024
Today’s update on Covid news as posted / written by Christopher Penn.
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Standard disclaimer: this is a roundup of informative pieces I've read that interest me on the severity of the crises and how to manage them. I am not a qualified medical expert in ANY sense; at best I am reasonably well-read laity. ALWAYS prioritize advice from a qualified healthcare provider who knows your specific medical situation over advice from people on the Internet.
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Lunchtime Pandemic Reading
Curated POVs on the pandemic and its consequences. Hopefully obsolete sooner rather than later.
By Christopher S. Penn
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AI Disclosure: I've started using Google's Gemini 1.5 Pro model to summarize the texts of studies. I'll continue providing links to the sources, but to make the content more accessible to non-technical folks, news summaries will be AI-generated from now on.
Hi. We're in the middle of a massive surge thanks to variant KP.3.1.1. Mask up. In the USA, current prevalence estimates are 1 in 31 people are infected, varying by region.
Source: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/ -surveillance
Long COVID is a complex, multi-system disorder resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection that can affect nearly every organ system, leaving individuals severely disabled. Affecting approximately 400 million people globally, long COVID is estimated to have an annual economic impact of around $1 trillion, equivalent to 1% of the global economy. While the Omicron variant poses a lower risk compared to previous variants, and vaccines and antiviral medications can reduce the likelihood of developing long COVID, reinfection significantly increases the risk. Although the exact causes are still being researched, several pathways are implicated, including viral persistence, immune dysregulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction, resulting in a range of symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, and post-exertional malaise. Effective treatments are still under development, but current research suggests a need for interventions that address the diverse biological mechanisms and clinical presentations of this multifaceted condition.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03173-6
Commentary: FOUR HUNDRED MILLION. That's how many people have been affected by Long COVID. That's TWENTY PERCENT of the PLANET's population. And this part is vital:
"reinfection significantly increases the risk"
COVID is a mass disabling event. You don't want it. Keep it out of you.
A new study found that all masks and respirators helped reduce the amount of virus people with COVID-19 released into the air. While any mask is better than none, N95 respirators were the most effective, reducing viral load by 98% even without special training or fit testing. This research highlights that wearing a well-fitted N95 respirator can significantly reduce the spread of the virus, especially in healthcare settings where protecting vulnerable patients is critical.
Source: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(24)00192-0/fulltext
Commentary: This is key: any mask is better than none, but N95 or better, properly worn, is incredibly protective.
Research suggests that certain SARS-CoV-2 variants may weaken the body's immune response by infecting lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell crucial for fighting infections. This occurs through a strong binding between the virus's N protein and the CD147 receptor on lymphocytes, a process potentially enhanced by mutations in newer variants. This interaction could explain the prolonged infectious period and the higher risk of developing immune deficiency syndromes in individuals infected with these specific variants, highlighting a concerning evolutionary path of the virus.
Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2319417023000872?via%3Dihub
Commentary: This is a frankly shocking study. In effect, COVID behaves somewhat like AIDS.
University of Houston researchers have developed a groundbreaking nasal spray vaccine that could revolutionize our fight against the flu and coronaviruses, including COVID-19. Unlike current vaccines that primarily prevent serious illness but not necessarily transmission, this innovative approach aims to completely stop the virus from spreading by targeting its entry point in the nose. The nasal spray vaccine has shown remarkable effectiveness in animal studies, completely preventing the transmission of even highly contagious COVID-19 variants like Omicron. Moreover, it holds promise as a universal coronavirus vaccine, potentially protecting against a wide range of coronaviruses and mitigating the need for frequent booster shots. The researchers emphasize that eradicating the virus entirely, rather than simply managing its symptoms, is crucial to truly overcoming these respiratory threats. Before seeking FDA approval for the vaccine, the team is prioritizing the development of a separate nasal spray treatment for influenza, which utilizes the immune-boosting power of cGAMP to combat even drug-resistant strains, potentially offering a more effective alternative to traditional antiviral medications like Tamiflu.
Source: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/health/article/university-of-houston-covid-nasal-vaccine-19628489.php
Commentary: Intranasal vaccines could be a critical boost in the fight against COVID by killing off transmission. If we can stop it from spreading, even uptake of 20-30% could seriously impair the disease. Let's hope this makes it through clinical trials quickly.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the spread of mpox in multiple African countries a global health emergency. This declaration comes after a new strain of mpox, different from the one circulating globally in 2022, was detected in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and began spreading to neighboring countries. While mpox is typically spread through contact with infected animals, this new strain is spreading through human-to-human contact, including sexual transmission. The WHO is working to understand how the virus is spreading and to ensure countries have access to vaccines, urging nations with available doses to consider donating them to help contain the outbreak.
Source: https://www.statnews.com/2024/08/14/who-declares-mpox-outbreak-a-global-health-emergency/
Commentary: Monkeypox continues to pop its ugly head up from time to time, and we need to continue suppressing it. Fortunately, it's much less transmissible than airborne diseases like COVID.
A new study discovered that high levels of the enzyme oleoyl-ACP hydrolase (OLAH), involved in fatty acid production, are linked to severe illness from respiratory viruses like influenza, COVID-19, and RSV. High OLAH levels cause a build-up of fat droplets in lung macrophages, providing fuel for the virus to replicate and triggering excessive inflammation. Mice without the OLAH gene were protected from severe influenza, experiencing less virus, lung damage, and inflammation. Furthermore, oleic acid, a fatty acid produced by OLAH, worsened influenza infection, highlighting OLAH as a potential target for new treatments aimed at reducing viral replication, inflammation, and disease severity.
Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(24)00800-6
Commentary: This is a fascinating study because it highlights just how complex disease is. Obviously, turning off OLAH production in the body on a permanent basis would be disastrous for our health, but temporarily suppressing it even partially might take a fatal case of COVID and turn it down to a serious case.
High expression of an enzyme involved in fatty acid production, oleoyl-ACP hydrolase (OLAH), drives severe disease outcomes during respiratory infections.
