In a recent longitudinal study published in Scientific Reports, researchers from Brazil investigated the potential association between dynapenia (loss of muscle strength and power) with functional outcomes in patients with long coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
They found that in patients with long COVID, low handgrip strength (HGS) is associated with worse functional outcomes. They further suggested the potential use of low HGS to indicate functional impairment in long COVID patients.
Study:Low handgrip strength is associated with worse functional outcomes in long COVID. Image Credit:Ralf Liebhold/Shutterstock.com
Long COVID, characterized by persistent symptoms after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-VoV-2), poses a significant public health challenge. Symptoms include post-exertional malaise, fatigue, and neurocognitive and gastrointestinal issues.
The estimated global prevalence of the condition is 43%, with an even higher prevalence in hospitalized individuals. Vulnerable populations, including middle-aged, female, Hispanic/Latino, and economically constrained groups, are at a higher risk of developing the disease.
Despite its impact, long COVID lacks a consensus definition and a standard biomarker or diagnostic tool. This often leads to potential underdiagnosis, particularly in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs).
HGS is an indicator of dynapenia and is shown to be associated with various health outcomes, including cognitive disabilities, bone mineral density, depression, functional health, and mortality. In acute COVID-19, decreased HGS is an independent risk factor.
Using HGS as a simple, low-cost indicator could aid in identifying functional impairment, especially in LMICs lacking complex assessment tools.
Researchers in the present study aimed to investigate if individuals with a persistently low HGS after hospital discharge (following severe COVID-19 in early 2020) showed greater respiratory and functional impairments at 120 days.
The present longitudinal study was conducted at a hospital in Brazil from April to October 2020. It followed unvaccinated, adult COVID-19 patients of both sexes who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) during hospitalization. A total of 113 patients with a mean age of 48 years were included in the study, 54% of whom were female.
At the 120-day (D120) follow-up post-hospitalization, participants underwent assessments including functional capacity test, body composition, HGS, pulmonary function test, and respiratory muscle strength (RMS).
HGS and dynapenia (defined as HGS<30 Kgf for males and<20 Kgf for females) were measured using a hand-held digital dynamometer. Spirometry assessed pulmonary function, and RMS was evaluated with a digital manometer.
Outcomes were measured in terms of forced vital capacity (FEV), forced expiratory capacity at the first second of exhalation (FEV1), maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP).
Functional capacity was assessed using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and body composition was determined through bioimpedance analysis.
Data were recorded electronically and analyzed for associations between HGS, respiratory function, and functional capacity. Statistical analysis included the ShapiroWilk test, MannWhitney test, Chi-square test, Spearman's test, and a regression model.
Out of the 113 long COVID patients, 22% exhibited dynapenia at D120 post-acute severe disease. Dynapenic individuals had lower muscle mass, reduced HGS, higher rates of intensive care unit admission and invasive ventilation during hospitalization, and higher BMI.
A greater proportion of dynapenic individuals showed a history of smoking and diabetes. Additionally, muscle mass between day one and D120 of dynapenic individuals was found to be reduced significantly (30.7 kg to 19.9 kg, p<0.001).
Dynapenia was also associated with worse respiratory function (FEV1, FVC, MIP, MEP), significantly diminished walking distance and a lower percentage of predicted walking distance on the 6MWT. Correlation and regression analyses confirmed the association between HGS and functional outcomes, independent of age.
The study's limitations include a relatively small sample size and a short-term follow-up, preventing comprehensive longitudinal comparisons of HGS and other functional outcomes.
Additionally, the single-center design and the specific timeframe of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 in the early 2020s may limit the direct applicability of the results to individuals infected with more recent virus variants and with long-term health outcomes.
In conclusion, low HGS in long COVID patients, indicative of dynapenia, is linked to adverse health outcomes such as changes in pulmonary function, respiratory muscle strength, and exercise capacity.
A simple, cost-effective HGS measurement can be a practical biomarker for functional impairment in outpatient and primary care settings.
Recognizing dynapenia's association with in-hospital outcomes months later enables timely patient stratification and risk prevention, potentially reducing comorbidities, delaying functional decline, improving prognosis, and expediting the return to daily activities.
This approach is particularly relevant for LMICs, enhancing healthcare accessibility, facilitating early screening, and managing long-term COVID patients.
In a recent study published in Communications Biology, a team of scientists investigated how type 2 diabetes and genetic susceptibility to the disease impacted the severity of and mortality risk associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using data from the United Kingdom (U.K.) Biobank.
Study:Type 2 diabetes and its genetic susceptibility are associated with increased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in UK Biobank. Image Credit:PeopleImages.com - Yuri A/Shutterstock.com
Despite widespread vaccination across the globe, the COVID-19 pandemic continues, albeit in a less virulent form, with new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
SARS-CoV-2 infections have been found to manifest in a wide range of symptoms, from asymptomatic to severe cases involving acute respiratory distress, pneumonia, and death.
A significant number of COVID-19 cases are also known to progress into post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, commonly known as long coronavirus disease (long COVID).
Extensive research also indicates that clinical factors such as age, smoking behavior, and the presence of comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and respiratory diseases are risk factors for severe COVID-19.
Genome-wide association studies have also shown that genetic variants linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, lung disease, and those involved in immune mechanisms are associated with a higher risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infections.
In the present study, the scientists used U.K. Biobank data to investigate whether type 2 diabetes and polygenic risk scores for type 2 diabetes were associated with increased severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections and a higher COVID-19 mortality rate.
Additionally, they examined the effect of vaccinations on this association and evaluated the impact of numerous SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the recently emerged Omicron variants.
The polygenic risk scores for type 2 diabetes from the genome-wide association study summary statistics obtained from the U.K. Biobank were first used to determine the genetic predisposition for type 2 diabetes.
Here, to account for the confounding impact of body mass index (BMI) on type 2 diabetes, the researchers included BMI as a covariate while calculating the type 2 diabetes polygenic risk scores in the genome-wide association study.
Subsequently, they used the proportional odds models to determine whether type 2 diabetes and the genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes were associated with increased severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections.
They also examined how type 2 diabetes or the genetic risk for type 2 diabetes impacted survival time when the individual was infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Furthermore, the impact on survival time was reexamined with respect to vaccination status and for a wide range of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Lastly, the researchers also examined whether mortality rates were significantly different between three groups COVID-19, type 2 diabetes, and genetic predisposition to type 2 diabetes using a stratified survivor analysis.
The findings indicated that type 2 diabetes, as well as polygenic risk scores for type 2 diabetes, were associated with increased COVID-19 severity. The mortality rate was also found to be higher for individuals with type 2 diabetes or a genetic predisposition to it.
Based on the time of infection, the mortality rate for type 2 diabetes patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 was two to seven times higher than for those who did not have SARS-CoV-2 infections.
The rate of fatalities was also found to be higher for the early SARS-CoV-2 variants, with the fatality risk decreasing across Alpha, EU1, and Delta variants to the Omicron variants.
Furthermore, vaccinated type 2 diabetes patients had a significantly lower risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infections than non-vaccinated ones.
The association between polygenic risk scores for type 2 diabetes and increased risk of severe COVID-19 also indicates an interplay between the genetic factors underlying type 2 diabetes and COVID-19, providing potential research avenues to explore to understand the novel genetic factors that are linked to severe SARS-CoV-2 infections.
To summarize, the study examined the relationship between type 2 diabetes or the polygenic risk scores for type 2 diabetes and the odds of developing severe COVID-19.
The findings suggested that individuals who have either the genetic predisposition for or have type 2 diabetes are at an increased risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infections and a higher risk of mortality due to COVID-19.
However, COVID-19 vaccinations were found to decrease the risk of severe COVID-19 and mortality in these groups.
Journal reference:
Lee, A., Seo, J., Park, S., Cho, Y., Kim, G., Li, J., Liang, L., Park, T., & Chung, W. (2024). Type 2 diabetes and its genetic susceptibility are associated with increased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in UK Biobank. Communications Biology, 7(1), 122. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003024057991. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-024-05799-1
Over 700 million people were infected and almost seven million died, making SARS-CoV-2 the most devastating pandemic of the 21st century. Vaccines and medication against Covid-19 have been able to mitigate the course of the disease in many people and contain the pandemic. However, the danger of further outbreaks has not been averted. The virus is constantly mutating, which enables it to infect human cells and multiply more and more effectively. In addition, it is developing a variety of strategies against the human immune system in a "molecular arms race". A team led by researchers from the University of Gttingen has now discovered various "protective switches" in the coronavirus that shield it from attacks by the immune system. The results were published in Nature Communications.
The researchers identified two previously unknown chemical protective switches in the virus's main "protease" a crucial protein of the coronavirus. The most important drug against Covid-19, called Paxlovid, targets this protein. The virus uses its main protease to cut out the other virus proteins in our infected cells, thus driving its own replication. It uses the amino acid cysteine to do this. "From a chemical point of view, this could be an Achilles heel for the coronavirus, as cysteines can be destroyed by highly reactive oxygen radicals, which our immune system uses to fight viruses," explains Professor Kai Tittmann, Molecular Enzymology Research Group at Gttingen University, who led and coordinated the study.
The protective switches mean the virus's main protease is protected against the immune system's bombardment by oxygen radicals: the protein is stabilized by one cysteine forming a disulfide with an adjacent cysteine via two sulfur atoms. This prevents the cysteine from being destroyed. At the same time, a bridge known as SONOS connects three parts of the protein between sulfur atoms (S), oxygen atoms (O), and a nitrogen atom (N). This prevents radicals from damaging its three-dimensional structure. Tittmann says: "It is fascinating to see how chemically elegant and effective the coronavirus is in defending itself against the immune system. Interestingly, a coronavirus discovered earlier severe acute respiratory syndrome, also known as SARS-CoV-1 which triggered the 2002 to 2004 outbreak, also has these protective switches. This is the first time this has been shown."
Despite this scientific first, the researchers were not satisfied with just discovering "protective switches". With the chemical blueprint to hand, they set about searching for molecules that can bind precisely to the "protective switches", therefore inhibiting the virus's main protease. They identified such molecules not only in the test tube, but also in infected cells.
This type of molecule opens up the potential for new therapeutic interventions which will stop coronaviruses in their tracks."
Lisa-Marie Funk, first author of the study, Gttingen University's Molecular Enzymology research group
The study was made possible by funding from the Covid-19 Research Network Lower Saxony (COFONI) and the German Research Foundation (DFG). This interdisciplinary study involved researchers from the Faculty of Biology and Psychology, and the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Gttingen, the University Medical Center Gttingen (UMG), the Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, the Hannover Medical School and the Universities of Dsseldorf, Hamburg and Lbeck.
Source:
Journal reference:
Funk, L.-M., et al. (2024). Multiple redox switches of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease in vitro provide opportunities for drug design. Nature Communications. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44621-0.
Photo by Prostock-Studio/iStock
Sex and COVID
From work to school to socializing, COVID-19 has impacted just about every part of our livesand now Boston University research has shown that also includes what happens in the bedroom. A study of more than 2,000 cisgender women found the coronavirus disease can impair sexual function, with long COVID having an especially detrimental effect.
If youre sick with COVID, youre probably less interested in sex and maybe your body is less prepared to have sex, says Amelia M. Stanton, a BU College of Arts & Sciences assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences. But what might be surprising to some folks is that long COVID symptoms really may have a physiological and psychological impact on sexual well-being for women.
Although previous research has investigated the effect of the pandemic on peoples sex livesparticularly in menStanton says this is the first study to highlight long COVIDs fallout on sexual health in women. An expert on sexual and mental health, she helped lead the study with researchers from Middlebury College, McLean Hospital, and the University of Vermont. The findings were recently published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
To figure out COVIDs impact on intimacy, Stanton and her colleagues conducted an online survey. Roughly half of the women taking part had reported never having had COVID, the rest said theyd tested positive. Participants were quizzed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), an established tool that measures factors like arousal and satisfaction with questions such as, Over the past 4 weeks, how often did you feel sexual desire? Only women whod had sex in the previous month were included in the results.
Among those whod had COVID, levels of desire, arousal, lubrication, and satisfaction were all lower than in those who hadnt; orgasm and pain scores werent significantly different between the two groups. But while women in the COVID group were still classed within the indexs functional range, participants with long COVID had an average FSFI full scale score in the dysfunctional range, according to the researchers. They found women with long COVIDa broad condition with cognitive and physical symptoms that linger for weeks, sometimes months, after an initial infectionhad markedly worse arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and pain scores.
I hope its validating. If women type in sex long COVID, something will come up now, says Stanton, who is also a clinical health psychologist at The Fenway Institute, a Boston clinic focused on the health of sexual and gender minorities. Sex, sexuality, and sexual function are still relatively taboo subjects. But this offers something patients can bring to their providers and say, This is going on for me, and maybe create an open dialogue around sex.
In their paper, Stanton and her colleagues say the results suggest that COVID-19 infection may be associated with impairment of both cognitive and physiological aspects of sexual function. Just as the body and mind might take some time to get back to firing on all cylinders when it comes to work, study, and exercise, the same may apply to sex. They also speculate that wider societal changes caused by the pandemic may be a factor, with fewer social events and kids hanging around at home more reducing opportunities for shared or solo sexual activities.
While a COVID infection might impact womens sexual health, previous BU research has found vaccination does not cause infertility, reduce pregnancy chances, or have a significant impact on menstruation.
COVID-19 vaccination in either partner is unrelated to fertility among couples trying to conceive through intercourse, Amelia Wesselink, an SPH research assistant professor of epidemiology, told The Brink in 2022 when discussing her study on vaccines and fertility. That same research did, however, find that men whod tested positive for COVID within the past 60 days had reduced fertility.
Stanton is the principal investigator of BUs Sexual, Reproductive, and Mental Health Disparities Programan effort to explore sexual and mental health in minoritized and marginalized populationsand says possible future routes for the latest project would be to expand the studys sexual and gender minority diversity, talk to women for their qualitative experiences, and design tools to help providers better support their patients.
Im an interventionist, so I always think about intervention design as a next step, says Stanton. In other research, shes working to develop new approaches clinicians can use to talk about sex with their patients, as well as studying how to improve sexual well-being and mental health in low-resource communities.
I always encourage providers to initiate conversations about sex, says Stanton. If they have someone whos coming in for long COVID, maybe ask, How are you doing sexually? Asking that one question could open the door for people to say, You know, Ive been ashamed to say that this is going on, and I really need help. Any way we can iterate to folks that there is hope and there are strategiesyour symptoms are meaningful and relevant, and theyre important to talk about.
Your immune system may be getting smarter every time you encounter COVID-19, a new study suggests. After getting vaccinated and infected, the immune system generates broader defenses against the virus, including against new variants.
In a paper published Jan. 19 in Science Immunology, researchers in South Korea compared immune cells in the lab from people with a variety of vaccine and infection histories throughout the different Omicron waves, which began in late 2021 with BA.1. People who had been vaccinated with the original Pfizer-BioNTech series and then got infected with any Omicron variant showed good levels of memory immune cellscalled T cellsthat defended not only against the variants causing the infection, but also related ones in the Omicron family that came later. For example, people who were vaccinated with three doses of the original COVID-19 shot and then got infected with the BA.2 variant generated T cells that could target not just BA.2 but also BA.4/5 and XBB viruses, which didnt emerge until later.
This is evidence of cross adaptation between the virus and human beings overall, says Dr. Eui-Cheol Shin, professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and senior author of the paper. It also means we are on the way to an endemic era for COVID-19.
Shin and his team found that the T cellswhich are more durable than antibodies and are designed to retain memory of the viruses they encountergenerated against Omicron variants recognized the parts of the virus that remained conserved, as opposed to portions that had changed among the different variants. This, in part, helps people to not get as sick from reinfections.
Read More: How Long Does It Take To Get COVID-19?
The fact that the immune system is able to concentrate on these consistent parts of the virus could be an encouraging sign that the virus is evolving in a way to co-exist with humans, says Shin. Theres precedent for viruses becoming endemic in this way, since a handful of coronaviruses that started off as deadly now cause the common cold.
He and his team also found encouraging signs that the immune system may be gaining an edge over the virus. After you get a vaccine for any virus, immune cells tend to look for that version of the virus and are slower to generate defenses against different variants, making it easier for future versions of the virus to escape detection. Researchers thought COVID-19 vaccines would suffer a similar fate. People vaccinated with the initial two doses and booster shot of the vaccine that targeted the original virus, for example, were expected to generate weaker responses against future variants.
But Shin and his team found that people vaccinated with the original shot who then got infected with BA.2 still generated strong T-cell responses.
The study only includes data through the XBB wave. But Shin says he expects that the most recent vaccine, which targets XBB, would likely provide similar protection against the latest variants XBB and JN.1.
Reinfections aren't entirely benign. Other studies have shown that multiple bouts with the virus could raise the risk of long-term harm to the body in the form of Long COVID, which remains difficult to diagnose and treat.
Still, these findings suggest that the immune system is evolving to mitigate some of the more severe effects of COVID-19 infectionsat least within the Omicron family of viruses. Its not clear if and when SARS-CoV-2 might make a big genetic leap beyond Omicron, but for now, the combination of vaccines and natural infections is creating a hybrid immunity that seems to be keeping the virus under control for vaccinated people.
The latest variant of COVID is the JN-1 coronavirus strain, deaths in the U.S. were up 10.3% Jan. 7-13, and more people are experiencing problems with what is labeled as Long COVID.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report for Cherokee County for that week states there were 26 hospitalizations, and the number represents a 25% decrease from the last reporting period. The hospitalizations average out to 10.8 per 100,000 people.
Long COVID is the topic of discussion within the scientific community, and CDC has posted news of the malady on its website.
Some people who have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can experience long-term effects from their infection, known as Long COVID conditions, states the site. Long COVID is broadly defined as signs, symptoms, and conditions that continue or develop after acute COVID-19 infection.
This definition of Long COVID was developed by the Department of Health and Human Services in collaboration with CDC and other partners, states the site.
Colinda Guthrie, physicians assistant with the Commissioned Corps of U.S. Public Health Service, said Long COVID is prevalent among those who have experienced COVID.
Almost everyone is experiencing some form of it. And they are hesitant to speak about it because they arent aware so many others are suffering from it as well, Guthrie said.
Several studies have been conducted in the past few months at Yale School of Medicine about the effects of Long COVID.
An article on the site www.yalemedicine.org by Kathy Katella, titled, What Happens When You Still Have Long COVID Symptoms? details the signs of Long COVID and states the symptoms linger for weeks, months or even years.
The symptoms, such as chronic pain, brain fog, shortness of breath, chest pain, and intense fatigue, can be debilitating. Severe cases of Long COVID can even affect the bodys organs, states the site.
According to CDC, Long COVID occurs more often in people who had a severe case with the virus. But anyone who has had the virus can experience some of the symptoms.
People can be reinfected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, multiple times. Each time a person is infected or reinfected with SARS-CoV-2, they may have a risk of developing Long COVID, states the CDC site.
The National Library of Medicine reported in an article titled, Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements for Older Adults with Long COVID-19, published June 20, 2022, states that bioactive foods, supplements, and nutraceuticals [are] possible interventions against Long COVID syndrome.
Deana Franke, owner of Oasis Health Food Store, said many people are coming into her store, looking for relief from Long Covid.
We recommend B vitamins, zinc, extra vitamin C, Quercetin, vitamin D, and any of the immune supportive types like elderberry and mushrooms, Franke said. Be sure and take your vitamins during that time, because your body is fighting. And double up on your fluids to get things moving and not be dehydrated.
Guthrie said taking up an activity that stimulates the brain such as puzzles or a video game is also helpful in relieving symptoms of brain fog.
Take up a new activity you dont usually do to stimulate new neural pathways and bridge old things to new things, because [we have an] ability to have more than one focus at a time, Guthrie said. Two new activities I took up after COVID were Tai Chi and a musical instrument.
On the Kaiser Permanent website, a description of the symptoms that people suffer includes fatigue, trouble breathing, brain fog, and headaches. Some people experience depression and anxiety, pain in joints and muscles, diarrhea, belly pain and sporadic fever. Some may suffer from a cough and chest pain, racing heart, and dizziness when standing. Rashes have been reported as well as problems with smell, taste and sleeping. Menstrual changes may occur and a tingling sensation resembling pins and needles.
Learn more
To learn more about how supplements can help with lingering symptoms, go to https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov and search for the article Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements for Older Adults with Long COVID-19, published June 20, 2022.
American scientists applied to engineer coronaviruses with remarkable similarities to SARS-CoV-2 at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2018, just one year before the pandemics outbreak, according to newly released internal documents.
The 2018 grant proposal and related documents obtained by the watchdog group U.S. Right to Know through a Freedom of Information request reveal that an American virologist working with the Wuhan lab planned to engineer a virus that resembles SARS-CoV-2 as part of a U.S.-China research collaboration called DEFUSE. The research project was to be led by EcoHealth Alliance, a New York City-based research nonprofit that received funding from the NIH and routed that funding to the Wuhan lab to perform gain-of-function research on coronaviruses in bats.
While the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) ultimately rejected this particular funding request, the application shows that American scientists and their counterparts in China were particularly interested in researching coronaviruses with striking similarities to the one that eventually emerged as a global pandemic that claimed millions of lives. An EcoHealth Alliance spokesperson said in a statement that the research outlined in the proposal never took place.
Gilles Demaneuf, a New Zealand data scientist who has studied the mathematical probability of each of the Covid origin theories, told National Review that data and predictions are now piling up to suggest that the release of SARS-CoV-2 was a research accident.
The new information still does not prove a lab-created virus, Demaneuf said. But it is a significant step in that direction.
In the DEFUSE proposal, scientists laid out plans to insert furin cleavage sites at the S1/S2 junction of the spike protein, sites that are relatively unique to SARS-CoV-2, and made the virus more transmissible to humans. U.S. scientists also planned to assemble synthetic viruses in six segments, the documents show, using the restriction enzymes BsaI and BsmBI. Used to stitch DNA fragments together, the enzymes have been key factors in determining the legitimacy of the lab-leak theory. Although both enzymes can occur naturally, BsaI and BsmBI are also enzymes regularly used in genetic engineering, and scientists have estimated that the chance of an enzyme pattern similar to that of SARS-CoV-2 would have less than a 1 percent chance of occurring naturally.
Our preprint found strong evidence suggesting SARS-CoV-2 was assembled with a known lab protocol, adding weight to the theory SARS-CoV-2 originated as a lab construct, Alex Washburne, a co-author of a preprint studying Covids origin, said.
Newly released documents offer further evidence that the virus may have been genetically manipulated, contradicting the belief that SARS-CoV-2 was spread by an infected mammal at Huanan Seafood Market in China.
The FBI and U.S. Energy Department both agree that the pandemic most likely was the result of a lab leak.
There is no zero remaining room for reasonable doubt that EcoHealth and its associates caused the pandemic. The match between the evidence provided by the genome sequence and the evidence provided by the FOIA release is remarkable, Rutgers University professor Richard Ebright told the U.S. Sun. It elevates the evidence provided by the genome sequence from the level of noteworthy to the level of smoking gun. The 2018 EcoHealth proposal provided step-by-step plans for construction of a virus having the sequence and properties of the virus that emerged a year later in Wuhan: SARS-CoV-2.
The new information comes days after Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee obtained U.S. Department of Health and Human Services documents proving that Chinese researchers in Beijing sequenced the Covid virus structure in a U.S. database run by the National Institutes of Health a full two weeks before sharing the sequence with the world. Chinese officials in those first weeks described the outbreak as a viral disease of unknown cause.
In response to the release of documents, Daszak, the EcoHealth Alliance president, wrote on X that he and his colleagues had the misfortune of predicting the Covid pandemic.
Rather than taking these prescient ideas seriously, weve had 4 yrs of attacks, he wrote.
An EcoHealth Alliance spokesperson also denied that the research the organization funded at the Wuhan lab qualifies as gain-of-function research under the NIHs definition, which requires that the virus being researched has been shown to be infectious to humans. Several prominent scientists, including Ebright, have argued that the NIH narrowed its definition of gain-of-function research in a rhetorical effort to ensure that the research that was conducted at the WIV would fall outside of it.
The research conducted by EcoHealth Alliance at the WIV epitomizes the definition of gain-of-function research, which involves working with enhanced potential pandemic pathogen (PPP) or those pathogens resulting from the enhancement of the transmissibility and/or virulence of a pathogen, Ebright previously told NR.
Editors Note:This article has been updated to reflect a statement from EcoHealth Alliance.
Warning of uptick in mpox cases, at-risk people advised to get vaccine
by LIZ BONIS, WKRC
(Provided)
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A warning from the Cincinnati Health Department as it sees cases climb of a potentially dangerous virus.
Just because we don't hear as much about it doesn't mean it's gone.
That's the message from public health specialists in the Tri-State who are reminding at-risk individuals to get the vaccine against monkeypox.
"It's called MPOX now, so it's not called monkeypox any longer. It's not spread by monkeys, so that's why they wanted to get away from that name and call it mpox," epidemiologist Kimberly Wright from the Cincinnati Health Department reminded people.
Wright says the CDC says it's a sexually transmitted virus and her team is putting out an alert to let people know the mpox vaccine can help stop its spread.
"There has been an uptick since last fall, we've only had three confirmed cases in people in Cincinnati, but the state did notify us that there's an uptick in our region."
You're at risk for this virus if you have been in close contact with someone with mpox.
Symptoms show up in one to four days usually and can include everything from fevers and headaches to a bad blister-like rash on the body, including on the genitals.
Getting the vaccine before symptoms show up can reduce the odds of the virus setting in.
"Primarily the spread have been with men having sex with men and then people who are immunocompromised with HIV for example are people ending up in the hospital."
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"This is the worst flu season I've seen in 10 years," Flu virus surging locally
by Karina Hollingsworth
KTXS/Karina{p}{/p}
ABILENE, Texas
Merkel ISD announced yesterday the school district will be closed today and tomorrow due to an increased number of illnesses. Anson ISD and Benjamin ISD have also announced school closures due to experiencing increased absences due to illnesses.
According to Elaine Thomas the nurse practitioner at My Emergency Room 24/7 the emergency room saw 130 patients on Monday with flu symptoms causing them to run out flu test. In Thomas professional medical opinion this is the worst flu season shes seen in ten years, and she believes the flu shot isnt working.
It is their best guess every year, Thomas said. They try to take the top three strands that they think its going to be. I dont know if we got it right this year.
Thomas believes the same is true for the COVID vaccine.
The same amount of people that are vaccinated are having COVID positives as people who are unvaccinated, Thomas said.
According to the nurse practitioner flu cases increased after the holiday season, and the re-starting of school after winter break.
Part of it is that people are in more combined spaces, Thomas said. More germs are easily spread that way. Also, the seasons have gotten colder. So, weve had a lot of weather issues that creates an environment that flu likes to live in.
With the elderly, children, and people with pre-existing conditions being the most vulnerable to the flu virus Thomas advises everyone to do their part in preventing the spread of the virus.
The number 1 thing we always stress is washing your hands, and to use hand sanitizer in between touching surfaces, Thomas said. Dont sneeze or cough on anyone.
When needed the nurse practitioner advises the emergency room is available to help anyone who is having trouble with flu symptoms.
I want people to come into the ER when they have difficulty breathing, or if they have a cough that triggers bronchospasms, Thomas said.
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Influenza (or the flu) is a contagious respiratory (breathing) virus that can cause many mild to severe symptoms and breathing problems.
When youre feeling sick, its important to know which illness you have so you can get the best care. Banner Health can help guide you on everything from flu symptoms to watch out for, to how the flu differs from other viruses like the common cold, COVID-19 and even stomach flu (viral gastroenteritis).
SYMPTOMS OF THE FLU
Influenza viruses cause the flu. These viruses may cause a range of symptoms that often appear suddenly and quickly get worse. For example, you may feel fine in the morning but feel very sick by the afternoon. Common flu symptoms include fever (usually above 100.4F or 38C) cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, fatigue (extreme tiredness), headache, chills and nausea, vomiting or diarrhea (more common in children).Flu symptoms often appear within one to four days after exposure to a flu virus. These symptoms may last for several days and up to two weeks.
FLU AND SERIOUS HEALTH COMPLICATIONS
Most people who get the flu will get better within one to two weeks. Still, some people are at an increased risk of severe complications, including young children, pregnant people, older adults and people with chronic medical conditions and/or weakened immune systems.
These complications can include pneumonia (lung infection(, bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchial tubes in the lungs), sinus and ear infection, asthma attack worsening chronic health conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FLU, OTHER ILLNESSES
At first, the flu can often be mistaken for a bad cold or out-of-control allergies. Here is how the flu differs from other health conditions and illnesses.
Common cold: The flu and the common cold share similar symptoms, such as a runny or stuffy nose, cough and sore throat. However, flu symptoms are more severe and appear more suddenly than a common cold. Fever, body aches and fatigue are also stronger with the flu.
COVID-19: COVID-19 and the flu are both respiratory illnesses caused by different viruses. While they share some symptoms like fever, cough and fatigue, COVID-19 causes more symptoms than the flu, including loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath and digestive issues.
COVID-19 has a higher risk of severe illness and complications than the flu.
The best way to determine which virus you have is to take a rapid or PCR test.
Allergies: Triggered by exposure to allergens like pollen, dust or pet dander, allergies can cause symptoms that resemble the flu, such as a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing and coughing. However, allergy symptoms typically include itchy or watery eyes and dont cause fever or body aches.
Pneumonia: The flu is a viral infection, while pneumonia is a lung infection that can develop from bacterial or viral infection. The flu can sometimes progress to pneumonia, which can cause symptoms like the flu but with additional and often more severe breathing problems.
The flu tends to come on suddenly, while pneumonia develops more slowly. Muscle aches and fatigue accompany the flu, while pneumonia symptoms tend to center around the lungs.
Stomach flu (viral gastroenteritis): Stomach flu (also known as viral gastroenteritis) is caused by viruses that primarily affect the digestive (gastrointestinal) system. It leads to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. Unlike the flu, stomach flu rarely causes chest problems like cough or sore throat.
SEEING YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER
While most cases of the flu can be managed at home, there are instances when medical attention is necessary.
Contact your health care provider or visit your nearest urgent care if you or a loved one experiences the following: a fever that gets better then suddenly worse; signs of dehydration; symptoms dont improve within two weeks; hoarse, barking cough; and combination of fever with a sore throat, headache, stomachache, earache or muscle ache that doesnt get better.
If you have flu-like symptoms and are at high risk for complications, you should contact your health care provider for care as soon as possible.
Learn more about when to seek medical treatment.
Its not too late to get vaccinated. Even if you know youve recently had the flu, there are still many good reasons to get a flu shot. Thats because several strains of the flu circulate each season.
Catching the flu does give you some protection, but the flu shot boosts your defense against the most widespread strains of the year. This can help keep you healthy for the rest of the season.
