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Three Reasons Why COVID-19 Can Cause Silent Hypoxia
October 8, 2020
BU biomedical engineers used computer modeling to investigate why blood oxygen drops so low in many COVID-19 patients
https://www.bu.edu/articles/2020/3-reasons-why-covid-19-can-cause-silent-hypoxia/
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Silent hypoxia: higher NO in red blood cells of COVID-19 patients
16 October 2020
https://bmcpulmmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12890-020-01310-8
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Silent hypoxia in COVID-19: pathomechanism and possible management strategy
2021
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8062941/
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Hypoxia in COVID-19: Sign of Severity or Cause for Poor Outcomes
2020
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(20)30391-8/pdf
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Why COVID-19 Silent Hypoxemia Is Baffling to Physicians
2020 Aug 1
Patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are described as exhibiting oxygen levels incompatible with life without dyspnea. The pairing—dubbed happy hypoxia but more precisely termed silent hypoxemia—is especially bewildering to physicians and is considered as defying basic biology. This combination has attracted extensive coverage in media but has not been discussed in medical journals. It is possible that coronavirus has an idiosyncratic action on receptors involved in chemosensitivity to oxygen, but well-established pathophysiological mechanisms can account for most, if not all, cases of silent hypoxemia. These mechanisms include the way dyspnea and the respiratory centers respond to low levels of oxygen, the way the prevailing carbon dioxide tension (PaCO2) blunts the brain’s response to hypoxia, effects of disease and age on control of breathing, inaccuracy of pulse oximetry at low oxygen saturations, and temperature-induced shifts in the oxygen dissociation curve. Without knowledge of these mechanisms, physicians caring for patients with hypoxemia free of dyspnea are operating in the dark, placing vulnerable patients with COVID-19 at considerable risk. In conclusion, features of COVID-19 that physicians find baffling become less strange when viewed in light of long-established principles of respiratory physiology; an understanding of these mechanisms will enhance patient care if the much-anticipated second wave emerges.
The oxygen dissociation curve of blood in COVID-19
2021
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/pdf/10.1152/ajplung.00079.2021
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‘Silent hypoxia’ may be killing COVID-19 patients. But there’s hope.
April 23, 2020
https://www.livescience.com/silent-hypoxia-killing-covid-19-coronavirus-patients.html
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Silent hypoxia: Coronavirus patients who should be gasping for air but aren’t
May 8, 2020
Some coronavirus patients are unknowingly losing oxygen in what’s being called silent hypoxia. By the time they realize they’re having trouble taking a deep breath and reach out for help, they are already dangerously sick.
https://abc7.com/hypoxia-covid-19-silent-covid-coronavirus-oxygen-levels/6164627/
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Hypoxia in hospitalized COVID-19 patients may be treatable
August 19, 2020
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-hypoxia-hospitalized-covid-patients-treatable.html
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Hypoxia, HIF-1α, and COVID-19: from pathogenic factors to potential therapeutic targets
27 October 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41401-020-00554-8
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Mucus production stimulated by IFN-AhR signaling triggers hypoxia of COVID-19
06 November 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41422-020-00435-z
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DEEP BREATHS The 6 signs of ‘silent hypoxia’ that can prove deadly for Covid patients
8 May 2020
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11569767/six-signs-silent-hypoxia-covid-patients/
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The pathophysiology of ‘happy’ hypoxemia in COVID-19
22020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32723327/
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My COVID Story: I was diagnosed with happy hypoxia accidentally and I am lucky to be alive
Aug 6, 2021
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/my-covid-story-i-was-diagnosed-with-happy-hypoxia-accidentally-and-i-am-lucky-to-be-alive/articleshow/85099732.cms
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Happy Hypoxia: Why Covid-19 Can Cause Lung Damage Even Without Symptoms
Aug 29, 2020
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidwalcott/2020/08/29/happy-hypoxia-why-covid-19-can-cause-lung-damage-even-without-symptoms/?sh=742aa81f33f4
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Mask Hypoxia in Subjects Using Masks to Prevent Infection Spread
2020
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04670484
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Hypoxia: Symptoms of Low Blood Oxygen
August 17, 2017
https://www.activebeat.com/your-health/hypoxia-5-symptoms-of-low-blood-oxygen/
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Gray Skin
September 18, 2019
What is gray skin?
Pallor, or pale skin, and grayish or blue skin are a result of a lack of oxygenated blood. Your blood carries oxygen around your body, and when this is disrupted, you see a discoloration.
The disruption may be to the flow of blood itself, which produces paleness or a gray tint to skin tone. When you experience a lack of oxygen, your blood may still be flowing, but it changes color. This causes your skin to become blue or gray in color.
A gray, pale, or bluish tint to the skin can be an indicator of one or more health problems. In general, pallor results from insufficient oxygen, which can be caused by many different things.
Some situations in which your skin turns pale are medical emergencies — for instance, if you’re choking or can’t breathe. The symptom could also be a result of something that doesn’t constitute an emergency. In other instances, a grayish tint is a characteristic of a chronic or late-stage disease, such as cancer.
The appropriate course of treatment and the outlook depends on the situation and what is causing skin discoloration.
https://www.healthline.com/health/gray-skin
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Blue lips and black skin: Did a standard 111 question help cause Olufemi Akinnola’s death from Covid-19?
2020
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/sep/23/blue-lips-and-black-skin-did-a-standard-111-question-help-cause-olufemi-akinnolas-death-from-covid-19
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Blue skin or lips (cyanosis)
Cyanosis is where your skin or lips turn blue. It can be a sign of a serious problem.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/blue-skin-or-lips-cyanosis/
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Blue discoloration of the skin
https://ufhealth.org/blue-discoloration-skin
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11 Signs Your Oxygen Level Dropped
October 5, 2020
https://www.eatthis.com/signs-oxygen-level-dropped/
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An Overview of Cyanosis
August 11, 2021
Cyanosis is when you have blue, grayish, or purple skin because your blood isn’t carrying enough oxygen. In some people, the color change may be most noticeable in the nailbeds or lips.
The term originates from the Greek word kyanos, which means dark blue.
Cyanosis means your muscles, organs, and other tissues may not be getting the oxygen they need to operate properly. A variety of things may cause cyanosis, some of which are serious medical concerns.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-cyanosis-914778
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Doctors found another strange coronavirus symptom no one can explain
January 11th, 2021
Some of the people infected with the novel coronavirus who survive COVID-19 will then experience persistent symptoms for weeks or even months after the illness, in what’s known as “Long COVID.”
Doctors are still trying to understand the lingering symptoms, with the Westchester Medical Center in New York running a treatment and study program for long haulers.
Now, a new report explains another strange coronavirus symptom that can appear with Long COVID: Some people have experienced skin peeling off their hands and a strange purple discoloration in their fingers.
https://bgr.com/science/coronavirus-symptoms-peeling-hands-long-covid/
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9 Reasons Your Skin Is Changing Color
April 14, 2016
Cancer, pregnancy and even lime juice can all alter your skin’s pigmentation.
1. You Have Vitiligo
2. You’re Pregnant
3. You Mixed Limes and Sunshine
4. You Have a Form of Eczema
5. It’s a Remnant of Past Skin Damage
6. It’s Fungus
7. You Have Addison’s Disease
8. You Have Acanthosis Nigricans
9. You Have Cancer
https://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2016-04-14/9-reasons-your-skin-is-changing-color
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Range of COVID-19 skin signs linked to disease severity
Jul | 20 | 2020
https://www.massgeneral.org/news/press-release/Range-of-covid-19-skin-signs-linked-to-disease-severity
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Knowledge on Skin Reactions to COVID-19 Vaccine Essential
March 4, 2021
https://www.medindia.net/news/knowledge-on-skin-reactions-to-covid-19-vaccine-essential-200194-1.htm
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Skin Manifestations Associated with COVID-19: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives
2020 Nov 24
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7801998/
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Coronavirus: Five skin conditions linked to COVID-19 identified, study finds
Friday 1 May 2020
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-five-skin-conditions-linked-to-covid-19-identified-study-finds-11981441
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Does autoimmune vitiligo protect against COVID-19 disease?
2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34081788/
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Vitiligo in a COVID-19-vaccinated patient with ulcerative colitis: coincidence?
2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34236714/
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Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a long-term skin condition characterized by patches of the skin losing their pigment. The patches of skin affected become white and usually have sharp margins. The hair from the skin may also become white. The inside of the mouth and nose may also be involved. Typically both sides of the body are affected. Often the patches begin on areas of skin that are exposed to the sun. It is more noticeable in people with dark skin. Vitiligo may result in psychological stress and those affected are sometimes stigmatized.
The exact cause of vitiligo is unknown. It is believed to be due to genetic susceptibility that is triggered by an environmental factor such that an autoimmune disease occurs. This results in the destruction of skin pigment cells. Risk factors include a family history of the condition or other autoimmune diseases, such as hyperthyroidism, alopecia areata, and pernicious anemia. It is not contagious. Vitiligo is classified into two main types: segmental and non-segmental. Most cases are non-segmental, meaning they affect both sides; and in these cases, the affected area of the skin typically expands with time. About 10% of cases are segmental, meaning they mostly involve one side of the body; and in these cases, the affected area of the skin typically does not expand with time. Diagnosis can be confirmed by tissue biopsy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitiligo
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Does autoimmune vitiligo protect against COVID-19 disease?
03 Jun 2021
https://europepmc.org/article/MED/34081788
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COVID-19-Related Treatment Delays Lead to Vitiligo Progression, Recurrence
July 29, 2021
https://www.dermatologyadvisor.com/home/topics/general-dermatology/covid-19-treatment-delays-lead-to-vitiligo-progression-and-recurrence/
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Scientists Implicate Gene in Vitiligo and Other Autoimmune Diseases
April 10, 2007
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/scientists-implicate-gene-vitiligo-other-autoimmune-diseases
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Autoimmune Diseases Common in Patients with Vitiligo
November 19, 2015
https://www.the-rheumatologist.org/article/autoimmune-diseases-common-in-patients-with-vitiligo/
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New Treatment Could Be ‘Breakthrough’ for Vitiligo
Feb. 5, 2018
Doctors have discovered a combination of treatments that can return color to skin that has been lightened by vitiligo — the skin disease that turned Michael Jackson’s skin white.
The new therapy includes the oral medication Xeljanz (tofacitinib) — a drug already approved for use in rheumatoid arthritis patients that dampens the body’s immune response — and ultraviolet-B light therapy…
https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20180205/new-treatment-could-be-breakthrough-for-vitiligo
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COVID Vaccination and Vitiligo
January 02, 2021
https://www.umassmed.edu/vitiligo/blog/blog-posts1/2021/01/covid-vacination-and-vitiligo/
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‘COVID Toes’: Mysterious Skin Condition Could be Linked to Coronavirus, Derms Say
April 22, 2020
https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/coronavirus/covid-toes-mysterious-skin-condition-could-be-linked-to-coronavirus-derms-say/2259631/
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A lesser-known side effect of COVID impacts your facial movement
October 10, 2020
There may be a new COVID-19 symptom to look out for, and this one may surprise you with its subtlety.
According to the British Association of Dermatologists, if your lips are feeling scaly or dry, it could be a symptom of coronavirus.
https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/this-less-known-side-effect-of-covid-impacts-this-part-of-your-face
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Covid-19 and leptospirosis: Cytokine storm and the use of steroids
2020 Nov 25
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33236692/
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Dengue and leptospirosis infection during the coronavirus 2019 outbreak in Sri Lanka
2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33823550/
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‘Dengue seems to have replaced Covid-19 in Karachi’
November 3, 2021
https://www.dawn.com/news/1655642
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Disparity in clinical characteristics between 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia and leptospirosis
2021 Mar 30
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8024552/
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Coronavirus and Pneumonia
https://www.webmd.com/lung/covid-and-pneumonia#1
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Masks are Harmful: 17 Ways That Masks Can Cause Harm (Debated)
2020
https://ratical.org/PandemicParallaxView/MasksAreHarmful-Meehan2020.html
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Killer COVID-19 Masks? The Truth About Trapped Carbon Dioxide
June 22, 2020
https://hartfordhealthcare.org/about-us/news-press/news-detail?articleid=26712&publicId=395
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Medical Journal Warns About Masks’ Potentially Devastating Consequences
April 15, 2021
https://www.aier.org/article/medical-journal-warns-about-maskss-potentially-devastating-consequences/
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Preliminary report on surgical mask induced deoxygenation during major surgery
2008
Abstract
Objectives: This study was undertaken to evaluate whether the surgeons’ oxygen saturation of hemoglobin was affected by the surgical mask or not during major operations.
Methods: Repeated measures, longitudinal and prospective observational study was performed on 53 surgeons using a pulse oximeter pre and postoperatively.
Results: Our study revealed a decrease in the oxygen saturation of arterial pulsations (SpO2) and a slight increase in pulse rates compared to preoperative values in all surgeon groups. The decrease was more prominent in the surgeons aged over 35.
Conclusions: Considering our findings, pulse rates of the surgeon’s increase and SpO2 decrease after the first hour. This early change in SpO2 may be either due to the facial mask or the operational stress. Since a very small decrease in saturation at this level, reflects a large decrease in PaO2, our findings may have a clinical value for the health workers and the surgeons.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18500410/
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MASKING THE ISSUE: People with severe asthma and lung conditions should NOT wear face masks – as new rules come in today
24 Jul 2020
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12213252/people-severe-asthma-lung-conditions-not-wear-face-masks-new-rules/
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Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) help doctors and nurses treat coronavirus patients
2021
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/song-group/respirators-for-covid19/
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Benefits of Supplied Air Painting Hoods
Mar 26, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0YGabOoN1s
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Considerations for Optimizing the Supply of Powered Air-Purifying Respirators (PAPRs)
Nov. 3, 2020
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/ppe-strategy/powered-air-purifying-respirators-strategy.html
NIOSH-approved respirators are available in many types, models, and sizes from many manufacturers for a wide variety of uses in many occupational settings. The most common types of respirators in healthcare are N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs), surgical N95 FFRs, and PAPRs.
Of these three options, many healthcare practitioners are the least familiar with PAPRs. A PAPR is an air-purifying respirator that uses a blower to force air through filter cartridges or canisters and into the breathing zone of the wearer. This process creates an air flow inside either a tight-fitting facepiece or loose-fitting hood or helmet, providing a higher assigned protection factor (APF) than the reusable elastomeric non-powered air-purifying half facepiece (half mask) or N95 FFRs. A PAPR can be used for protection during healthcare procedures in which HCP are exposed to greater risks of aerosolized pathogens causing acute respiratory infections.
A PAPR may have a tight-fitting half or full facepiece or a loose-fitting facepiece, hood, or helmet. It has an OSHA APF of at least 25 for loose-fitting hoods and helmets, 50 for tight-fitting half masks, and 1,000 for full facepiece types and some loose-fitting hoods and helmets where the manufacturer’s testing has demonstrated an APF of 1,000.
CDC has published recommendations for HCP respiratory protection and of commonly used NIOSH-approved, FDA-cleared, single-use filtering facepiece N95 surgical respirators.1 Properly fitted FFR and half facepiece reusable elastomeric respirators are expected to reduce exposures to one-tenth of the concentration that is in the air, based on OSHA’s APF of 10 for these respirator types. All PAPR APFs exceed the APF of 10 for N95 FFR or elastomeric half facepiece respirators.
PAPRs reduce the aerosol concentration inhaled by the wearer to at least 1/25th of that in the air, compared to a 1/10th reduction for FFRs and elastomeric half facepiece air-purifying respirators. OSHA assigns an APF of 1,000 to some PAPRs with hoods or helmets. However, employers must have evidence provided by the respirator manufacturer that testing of these respirators demonstrates performance at a level of protection of 1,000 to receive an APF of 1,000. Absent such evidence, PAPRs with loose-fitting helmets or hoods have an APF of 25. When used properly, PAPRs provide increased protection and decrease the likelihood of infection transmission to the wearer as compared to FFRs and half face reusable elastomeric respirators.
A variety of NIOSH-approved PAPR designs are available. Examples include those with tight-fitting facepieces and loose-fitting hoods or helmets, blower styles, battery types (e.g., Lithium ion, Nickel-Metal hydride, Nickel Cadmium) or over-the-counter disposable batteries, and high efficiency (HE) filters or filter cartridges. HE filters are 99.97% efficient against 0.3 micron particles. A PAPR may have adjustable air flow rates for added comfort and a range of cartridge protections some of which are solely for particulates (HE filters) and others which also protect against chemical gases and vapors that can be used to help protect against hazards associated with the handling of certain hazardous drugs and cleaning/disinfecting operations. The substantial PAPR product diversity provides flexibility to customize protection needed in a healthcare setting.
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Unmasking Hypoxia in COVID 19 – Six Minute Walk Test
2020
https://www.japi.org/x2647464/unmasking-hypoxia-in-covid-19-six-minute-walk-test-
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Use of face mask by blood donors during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on donor hemoglobin concentration: A bane or a boon
2021 May 26
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8152240/
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Wearing face masks exposes asthmatics to hypoxia —Physicians
May 17, 2020
https://healthwise.punchng.com/wearing-face-masks-exposes-asthmatics-to-hypoxia-physicians/
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Low-dose hydrocortisone in patients with COVID-19 and severe hypoxia (COVID STEROID) trial-Protocol and statistical analysis plan
2020 Jul 30
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32779728/
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High Dose Steroid Therapy to Prevent Severe Hypoxia in COVID-19 Patients: A Potential Solution for Low Resource Clinical Setting
December 27, 2020
https://www.cureus.com/articles/47572-high-dose-steroid-therapy-to-prevent-severe-hypoxia-in-covid-19-patients-a-potential-solution-for-low-resource-clinical-setting
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Early steroid use can worsen Covid infection, caution doctors
October 06, 2020
Traditionally associated with inflammatory conditions such as asthma and arthritis, steroids have been a part of Covid treatment in India since early April when the first guidelines were drawn up.
https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/diagnostics/early-steroid-use-can-worsen-covid-infection-caution-doctors/78505168
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Steroids could do more harm than good in treating coronavirus
February 6, 2020
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200206110703.htm
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A blood test may show which COVID-19 patients steroids will help — or harm
July 22, 2020
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid-19-blood-test-patients-steroid-treatment
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Steroids cut COVID-19 death rates, but not for everyone – here’s who benefits and who doesn’t
2020
Steroids can benefit the sickest patients hospitalized with COVID-19, but they’re not a treatment for relatively mild cases.
https://www.minnpost.com/other-nonprofit-media/2020/09/steroids-cut-covid-19-death-rates-but-not-for-everyone-heres-who-benefits-and-who-doesnt/
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Steroid Contraindicated for Mild COVID-19 Patients
https://www.medindia.net/news/steroids-contraindicated-for-mild-covid-19-patients-201372-1.htm
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DiabetesIndia shares advisory for treatment of Covid patients on steroids
June 16, 2021
“It is important to understand the risk benefit ratio and learn how to manage rising blood glucose when steroids are used,” the advisory reads
https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/diabetesindia-shares-advisory-treatment-covid-patients-steroids-7361581/
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Analysis: Steroids cut COVID-19 death rates, but not for everyone. Here’s who benefits
2020
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/analysis-steroids-cut-covid-19-death-rates-but-not-for-everyone-heres-who-benefits
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What are the side effects of anabolic steroid misuse?
2018
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/steroids-other-appearance-performance-enhancing-drugs-apeds/what-are-side-effects-anabolic-steroid-misuse
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Anabolic Steroid Abuse and Cardiac Sudden Death: A Pathologic Study
2001
https://meridian.allenpress.com/aplm/article/125/2/253/452935/Anabolic-Steroid-Abuse-and-Cardiac-Sudden-DeathA
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What COVID-19 is doing to the heart, even after recovery
September 3, 2020
https://www.heart.org/en/news/2020/09/03/what-covid-19-is-doing-to-the-heart-even-after-recovery
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Long Covid: the evidence of lingering heart damage
2020
Cardiologists are finding that problems aren’t related to age or severity of infection
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/04/long-covid-the-evidence-of-lingering-heart-damage
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Corticosteroids could do more harm than good in treating coronavirus
February 12th, 2020
https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/corticosteroids-could-do-more-harm-than-good-in-treating-coronavirus/
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High-dose corticosteroid pulse therapy increases the survival rate in COVID-19 patients at risk of hyper-inflammatory response
January 28, 2021
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0243964
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COVID-19 and treatment with NSAIDs and corticosteroids: should we be limiting their use in the clinical setting?
2020
Abstract
Given the current SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, the availability of reliable information for clinicians and patients is paramount. There have been a number of reports stating that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids may exacerbate symptoms in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, this review aimed to collate information available in published articles to identify any evidence behind these claims with the aim of advising clinicians on how best to treat patients. This review found no published evidence for or against the use of NSAIDs in COVID-19 patients. Meanwhile, there appeared to be some evidence that corticosteroids may be beneficial if utilised in the early acute phase of infection, however, conflicting evidence from the World Health Organisation surrounding corticosteroid use in certain viral infections means this evidence is not conclusive. Given the current availability of literature, caution should
https://ecancer.org/en/journal/article/1023-covid-19-and-treatment-with-nsaids-and-corticosteroids-should-we-be-limiting-their-use-in-the-clinical-setting
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Steroids Should Be Avoided in Treatment of 2019-nCoV Coronavirus, Scientists Say
Feb 10, 2020
A team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh Centre for Inflammation Research, the Queen’s Medical Research Institute Edinburgh, and Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh says that, based on evidence from previous outbreaks of similar types of infection such as SARS, steroids provide little benefit to patients and could do more harm than good. The scientists say that clinicians should still administer the treatment for conditions such as asthma and other inflammatory diseases.
http://www.sci-news.com/medicine/steroids-treatment-2019-ncov-coronavirus-08107.html
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Steroids, not DMARDs, increase risk for COVID-19 infection in inflammatory arthritis
January 07, 2021
https://www.healio.com/news/rheumatology/20210106/steroids-not-dmards-increase-risk-for-covid19-infection-in-inflammatory-arthritis
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Prolonged use of steroids causes bone tissue death in post-Covid patients
Jul 13 2021
https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/prolonged-use-of-steroids-causes-bone-tissue-death-in-post-covid-patients-1008099.html
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Prolonged use of steroids causes bone tissue death in post-Covid patients, warn doctors
July 15, 2021
Avascular necrosis, also called osteonecrosis, can be termed as the death of bone tissue owing to the lack of blood supply
https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/steroids-bone-tissue-post-covid-patients-experts-avascular-necrosis-7401998/
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Radiological images confirm ‘COVID-19 can cause the body to attack itself’
February 18, 2021
Imaging illustrates severity, long-term prognosis of COVID-19-related muscle, joint pain
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210217151116.htm
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COVID-19: An Emerging Culprit of Inflammatory Arthritis
2021
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8077721/
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Online searches for arthritis symptoms increase among UK residents
Oct 4 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20211004/Online-searches-for-arthritis-symptoms-increase-among-UK-residents.aspx
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WHO recommends two arthritis drugs to help cut Covid death risk
July 6, 2021
For every 100 patients given Actemra from Roche and Kevzara from Sanofi with corticosteroids, four more will survive, according to WHO analysis.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/who-recommends-two-arthritis-drugs-help-cut-covid-death-risk-n1273171
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This Medication Could Slash Your Risk of Dying From COVID, Experts Say
February 12, 2021
A rheumatoid arthritis medication has been found to reduce the risk of death for those with severe COVID.
Researchers from the University of Oxford targeted more than 2,000 COVID patients at random to receive tocilizumab, a medication created to treat people with rheumatoid arthritis and known by the brand name Actemra. Based on the results, published Feb. 11, the researchers found that tocilizumab can reduce the risk of death in hospitalized patients with severe COVID. While 33 percent of the patients not treated with this medication died, only 29 percent of those who received tocilizumab ended up dying. “This means that for every 25 patients treated with tocilizumab, one additional life would be saved,” the researchers noted. And for more on your coronavirus risk, If You’ve Done This, You’re Twice as Likely to Develop Severe COVID.
https://bestlifeonline.com/arthritis-medication-covid-news/
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EU evaluates Sobi arthritis drug to treat COVID-19 with pneumonia
July 19, 2021
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/eu-evaluates-use-immunosuppressant-treat-covid-19-patients-with-pneumonia-2021-07-19/
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MS patients on anti-CD20 therapy have robust T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination
Aug 27 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210827/MS-patients-on-anti-CD20-therapy-have-robust-T-cell-responses-to-SARS-CoV-2-vaccination.aspx
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Does frequency of COVID-19 differ by disease modifying therapy in MS patients?
April 13, 2021
https://n.neurology.org/content/96/15_Supplement/4120
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Cambridge researchers spot antimalarial, arthritis drugs for COVID-19 repurposing
Jun 30, 2021
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/research/computational-studies-pinpoint-antimalarial-arthritis-drugs-for-covid-19-repurposing
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Pfizer’s arthritis drug Xeljanz shows lifesaving benefits in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Jun 17, 2021
https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/pfizer-s-arthritis-drug-xeljanz-shows-lifesaving-benefits-hospitalized-covid-19-patients
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Pfizer’s rheumatoid arthritis drug shows benefit in COVID-19 pneumonia
June 16, 2021
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizers-rheumatoid-arthritis-drug-shows-benefit-covid-19-pneumonia-2021-06-16/
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Arthritis drugs tocilizumab and sarilumab lower deaths by Covid-19, says study
JUL 07, 2021
Outcomes were better when patients also received corticosteroids with the risk of dying 21 per cent compared to 25 per cent for those receiving usual care. This means that for every 100 such patients, four more will survive, the study said.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/arthritis-drugs-tocilizumab-and-sarilumab-lower-deaths-by-covid-19-says-study-101625623227206.html
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Arthritis drug does NOT increase survival rates of patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19
July 20, 2021
An arthritis drug does not significantly increase a severe COVID-19 patient’s chance of survival, a new study finds.
Researchers at 39 U.S. and European hospitals investigated the drug, called canakinumab, and found a difference of just three percent in rates of survival without a ventilator between those patients who were and weren’t treated with the medication.
Overall survival and recovery rates were also similar between those patients who did and didn’t receive canakinumab.
The drug is a type of monoclonal antibody – it relies on synthetically made immune system particles.
While some monoclonal antibodies have been useful in treating COVID-19 patients, not all treatments are successful, and the team says more research is needed in this area.
A monoclonal antibody treatment used for arthritis has not shown to be effective in severe Covid patients, a new study finds…
https://washingtonnewspost.com/news/health/arthritis-drug-does-not-increase-survival-rates-of-patients-hospitalized-with-severe-covid-19/
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Arthritis drug reduces risk of COVID-19 death: UK study
8 Jan 2021
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/8/arthritis-drugs-reduce-risk-of-covid-19-death-uk-study
Drug, which will be added to UK treatment guidelines, offers hope at a time of growing concern country’s health system could be overwhelmed.
An arthritis drug has been found to reduce the risk of death for people with the most severe cases of COVID-19 by a quarter, if they are given the treatment within 24 hours of entering intensive care, a British study of treatments for the disease has found.
The REMAP-CAP clinical trial, led by Imperial College and funded by the UK government, found tocilizumab, which suppresses the immune system and has long been used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, could reduce the relative risk of death by 24 percent when given soon after admission to the ICU.
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WHO recommends Roche, Sanofi arthritis drugs for Covid-19 to cut death risk
Jul 7, 2021
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/who-recommends-roche-sanofi-arthritis-drugs-for-covid-19-to-cut-death-risk
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FDA Late Wednesday Approved Eli Lilly And Incyte Arthritis Drug Baricitinib, In Combination With Remdesivir, To Treat COVID-19
July 29, 2021
https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/07/22227373/fda-late-wednesday-approved-eli-lilly-and-incyte-arthritis-drug-baricitinib-in-combination-with-remd
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US FDA okays arthritis drug for treatment of COVID-19
Jun 27, 2021
Actemra is a monoclonal antibody that reduces inflammation and is given by intravenous infusion that is FDA-approved for multiple inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis.
https://zeenews.india.com/health/us-fda-okays-arthritis-drug-for-treatment-of-covid-19-2372161
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Reactive arthritis after COVID-19 infection
2020
Abstract
Reactive arthritis (ReA) is typically preceded by sexually transmitted disease or gastrointestinal infection. An association has also been reported with bacterial and viral respiratory infections. Herein, we report the first case of ReA after the he severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This male patient is in his 50s who was admitted with COVID-19 pneumonia. On the second day of admission, SARS-CoV-2 PCR was positive from nasopharyngeal swab specimen. Despite starting standard dose of favipiravir, his respiratory condition deteriorated during hospitalisation. On the fourth hospital day, he developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and was intubated. On day 11, he was successfully extubated, subsequently completing a 14-day course of favipiravir. On day 21, 1 day after starting physical therapy, he developed acute bilateral arthritis in his ankles, with mild enthesitis in his right Achilles tendon, without rash, conjunctivitis, or preceding diarrhoea or urethritis. Arthrocentesis of his left ankle revealed mild inflammatory fluid without monosodium urate or calcium pyrophosphate crystals. Culture of synovial fluid was negative. Plain X-rays of his ankles and feet showed no erosive changes or enthesophytes. Tests for syphilis, HIV, anti-streptolysin O (ASO), Mycoplasma, Chlamydia pneumoniae, antinuclear antibody, rheumatoid factor, anticyclic citrullinated peptide antibody and Human Leukocyte Antigen-B27 (HLA-B27) were negative. Gonococcal and Chlamydia trachomatis urine PCR were also negative. He was diagnosed with ReA. Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID)s and intra-articular corticosteroid injection resulted in moderate improvement.
Onset of rheumatoid arthritis after COVID-19: coincidence or connected?
2021
https://ard.bmj.com/content/80/8/1096
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Arthritis flaring up during the COVID-19 pandemic?
May 6, 2020
Quarantine or not, May is Arthritis Awareness Month, so here are five resources to help you.
https://patch.com/new-jersey/westdeptford/arthritis-flaring-during-covid-19-pandemic
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Arthritis, lupus flares rare after COVID-19 vaccination, study finds
Aug. 4, 2021
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2021/08/04/coronavirus-vaccine-arthritis-flare-autoimmune-study/2101628090310/
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Can Lupus & rheumatoid arthritis patients safely get Covid jabs?
August 6, 2021
https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/can-lupus-rheumatoid-arthritis-patients-safely-get-covid-jabs/
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PulmCrit – Lupus Anticoagulant in COVID-19: Culprit or correlate?
May 12, 2020
https://emcrit.org/pulmcrit/lupus-anticoagulant/
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COVID-19 Risk for Chronic Conditions Like Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis
2020
Certain dietary and lifestyle tweaks may help to reduce the risk of contracting the virus in those already living with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Plus, the science behind oxidative stress and cytokine storms.
https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/patient/covid-risk-lupus-rheumatoid-arthritis-immune
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Common arthritis drug may weaken COVID vaccine responses, study finds
Jun 6, 2021
People who take this medication may need to consider “alternate” COVID-19 vaccine strategies, the researchers said.
https://www.mahoningmatters.com/local-news/common-arthritis-drug-may-weaken-covid-vaccine-responses-study-finds-3842897
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People taking anti-inflammatory drug mount a weaker immune response to COVID-19 vaccine
Jun 2 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210602/People-taking-anti-inflammatory-drug-mount-a-weaker-immune-response-to-COVID-19-vaccine.aspx
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Should people with arthritis get the COVID-19 vaccine?
June 29, 2021
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/arthritis-flare-up-after-covid-vaccine
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What to Tell Patients With Rheumatic/Musculoskeletal Diseases About COVID Vaccines
March 19, 2021
— New guidance from the American College of Rheumatology
https://www.medpagetoday.com/rheumatology/generalrheumatology/91721
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The Pattern of Post-viral Arthritis in COVID Pandemic State: An Experience of Tertiary Care Centre
2021
https://japi.org/x2949474/the-pattern-of-post-viral-arthritis-in-covid-pandemic-state-an-experience-of-tertiary-care-centre
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Arthritis and fatty liver disease now being seen in COVID-19 patients
Feb 19, 2021
https://www.wtnh.com/news/health/coronavirus/arthritis-and-fatty-liver-disease-now-being-seen-in-covid-19-patients/
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ACE2: from protection of liver disease to propagation of COVID-19
2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33284956/
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Liver injury in COVID-19: management and challenges
May 01, 2020
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langas/article/PIIS2468-1253(20)30057-1/fulltext
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Does the compound break down in the liver into a carcinogen?
Feb. 18, 2021
https://www.slideshare.net/enave2609/ss-242999249
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Liver histopathology in COVID-19 patients: A mono-Institutional series of liver biopsies and autopsy specimens
2021 Apr 19
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33932720/
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Covid treatment: Study finds remdesivir effective against key enzyme that causes COVID-19
Jul 26, 2021
COVID treatment: A drug used to treat hepatitis C and other cold-like viruses has shown to be effective by interfering with one of the key enzymes the virus needs to replicate RNA, preventing the virus from multiplying.
Remdesivir is an antiviral medication that targets a range of viruses.
The drug was originally developed over a decade ago to treat hepatitis C and a cold-like virus called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Studies undertaken in cells and animals suggested that remdesivir was effective against viruses in the coronavirus family, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Coronaviruses have genomes made up ribonucleic acid (RNA) with the drug shown to interfere with one of the key enzymes the virus needs to replicate RNA, preventing the virus from multiplying.
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1467557/covid-treatment-remdesivir-enzymes-preventing-covid-19
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What is the link between hepatitis C and COVID-19?
July 19, 2021
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/hepatitis-c-and-covid-19
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Hepatitis killing three to four times more people than Covid-19, warn experts
August 2, 2021
https://www.aboutpakistan.com/news/hepatitis-killing-three-to-four-times-more-people-than-covid-19-warn-experts/
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Will the coronavirus pandemic fuel the spread of hepatitis? | COVID-19 Special
Aug 06, 2021
https://covid19360.net/2021/08/06/will-the-coronavirus-pandemic-fuel-the-spread-of-hepatitis-covid-19-special/
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Impact of COVID-19 on viral hepatitis
August 2, 2021
https://suprememagazine.org/impact-of-covid-19-on-viral-hepatitis/
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The impact of COVID-19 on hepatitis elimination
July 27, 2020
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langas/article/PIIS2468-1253(20)30238-7/fulltext
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Impact of COVID-19 on viral hepatitis in Nigeria
02 August 2021
https://guardian.ng/news/impact-of-covid-19-on-viral-hepatitis-in-nigeria/
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Autoimmune hepatitis developing after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine: Causality or Casualty?
April 2021
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8056822/
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Hepatitis B and C Virus Considerations in COVID-19
July 15, 2020
https://www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com/home/topics/covid19/hbv-hcv-considerations-in-covid-19-coronavirus/
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8 Things People With Hepatitis C Need to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccines
May 6, 2021
Find out whether the COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for people with hepatitis C, including those who have been diagnosed with cirrhosis.
https://www.everydayhealth.com/hepatitis-c/things-people-with-hepatitis-c-must-know-about-the-covid-19-vaccines/
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Everything you might want to know about COVID-19, hep C, and more
2021
https://www.hep.org.au/hep-c/covid-19-and-hepatitis-c-faq/?sfw=pass1628268889
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COVID-19 Presenting as Acute Hepatitis
2020 Apr 15
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7172489/
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Interaction between hepatitis B virus and SARS-CoV-2 infections
2021 Mar 7
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7941862/
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Acetaldehyde Disrupts Interferon Alpha Signaling in Hepatitis C Virus-Infected Liver Cells by Up-Regulating USP18
2016
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27716962/
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P31 Covid-19 induced hepatitis (CIH), definition and diagnostic criteria of a poorly understood new clinical syndrome
2020
https://gut.bmj.com/content/69/Suppl_1/A2
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As the First Coronavirus Vaccine Human Trials Begin, Manufacturer Is Already Preparing to Scale Production to Millions
March 23, 2020
https://time.com/5807669/coronavirus-vaccine-moderna/
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Moderna says its Covid vaccine booster produced ‘robust’ immune response against delta
August 2021
https://flipboard.com/topic/cancer/moderna-says-its-covid-vaccine-booster-produced-robust-immune-response-against/a-hqTINorNS0-6NBHoRzgV1w%3Aa%3A2133612304-740e78f4d0%2Fcnbc.com
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Moderna abandons mid-stage mRNA cancer asset in favor of similar triple-attack candidate
Aug 5, 2021
Moderna has ditched a Phase 2 asset in development for solid tumors, lymphoma and ovarian cancer to instead focus on a similar therapy that could trigger a triple attack.
The biotech, known for the COVID-19 vaccine, revealed in a Thursday second quarter publication that the standalone OX40L candidate mRNA-2416 will be shelved in favor of mRNA-2752, which encodes both OX40L and IL23. and IL36γ. OX40L is a ligand that regulates the production of cytokines by T cells as part of a large group of proteins, while IL23 and IL36γ are pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Both therapies are part of Moderna’s mRNA portfolio for intratumoral immuno-oncology. These drugs are designed to treat cancer by transforming the tumor’s microenvironment to stimulate anti-cancer T-cell responses that attack the tumors. The therapies can be designed to be injected directly into the tumor to trigger an attack on itself and linked tumors, meaning drugs that could otherwise be toxic to the patient can be safely administered.
In Moderna’s pipeline, mRNA-2752 has only been listed as a phase 1 asset for solid tumors and lymphoma. mRNA-2416, on the other hand, was the only cancer candidate specifically listed for ovarian cancer.
In a letter to shareholders last year, CEO Stéphane Bancel praised patient dosing in a phase 2 expansion trial for mRNA-2416. At the time, Bancel said a phase 1 trial for the triplet therapy mRNA-2752 was underway and no further update was provided in the earnings report.
In other Moderna news, enrollment has been completed for a Phase 1 trial for a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine that the company hopes will be refrigerator-stable. This could facilitate distribution and storage. Both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech’s mRNA COVID vaccines have extreme cold storage requirements, which has hindered rollout in some parts of the world.
Studies on the original COVID-19 vaccine, which the company hopes to name Spikevax, are underway in children 6 months to 11 years old.
A small update was also given on when a phase 3 trial for the cytomegalovirus vaccine candidate mRNA-1647 will begin. The biotech now aims to launch that sometime this year.
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Regeneron antibody ‘cocktail’ can save lives in hospitalized Covid patients, study finds
Jun 16 2021
LONDON — Another potentially life-saving treatment for hospitalized Covid-19 patients has been discovered by researchers at the University of Oxford.
The British study — part of the wider Recovery trial investigating various possible treatments for people hospitalized with coronavirus — found that an antibody combination made by Regeneron reduces the risk of death when given to patients with severe Covid who have not mounted a natural antibody response of their own.
The treatment uses a “cocktail” of two monoclonal antibodies (casirivimab and imdevimab, known as Regen-Cov in the U.S.) that bind specifically to two different sites on the coronavirus spike protein, neutralizing the ability of the virus to infect cells.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/16/regeneron-antibody-cocktail-can-save-lives-in-hospitalized-covid-patients.html
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What Is Regeneron COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Treatment?
August 19, 2021
https://miami.cbslocal.com/2021/08/19/what-is-regeneron-monoclonal-antibody-treatment/
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Regeneron says half its COVID-19 treatment doses are being sent to 4 low-vaccination states
August 26, 2021
https://news.yahoo.com/regeneron-says-half-covid-19-050020638.html
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Regeneron Antibody Cocktail Offers COVID Protection
April 13, 2021
People living with someone who has COVID-19 appear to get powerful protection against infection when they are given Regeneron’s antibody cocktail, a new study shows.
The findings suggest that beyond preventing the worst outcomes for coronavirus infection when given early enough, the cocktail could also prevent people from getting sick in the first place, the company said Monday.
“With more than 60,000 Americans continuing to be diagnosed with COVID-19 every day, the REGEN-COV antibody cocktail may help provide immediate protection to unvaccinated people who are exposed to the virus, and we are also working to understand its potential to provide ongoing protection for immunocompromised patients who may not respond well to vaccines,” Dr. George Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer at Regeneron, said in a statement.
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210413/regeneron-antibody-cocktail-offers-covid-protection#1
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REGEN-COV antibody combination to prevent COVID-19 severity
Feb 22 2022
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220222/REGEN-COV-antibody-combination-to-prevent-COVID-19-severity.aspx
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Regeneron says monoclonal antibodies prevent Covid-19 in study
Jan. 26, 2021
https://www.statnews.com/2021/01/26/regeneron-says-monoclonal-antibodies-prevent-covid-19-in-study/
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Monoclonal Antibodies vs. Vaccines vs. COVID-19: What to Know
Aug. 26, 2021
https://www.webmd.com/vaccines/covid-19-vaccine/news/20210826/monoclonal-antibodies-vs-vaccines-vs-covid-19
The FDA authorized monoclonal antibody drugs from the companies Regeneron and Eli Lilly in November 2020, but only recently have they attracted more attention as the Delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 surges across the U.S.
Clinical trials show that Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment, a combination of two antibodies called casirivimab and imdevimab, reduces COVID-19-related hospitalization or deaths in high-risk patients by about 70%. And when given to an exposed person — like someone living with an infected person — monoclonal antibodies reduced their risk of developing an infection with symptoms by 80%.
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FDA authorizes new Covid-19 monoclonal antibody that works against Omicron variant
February 11, 2022
https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/11/health/lilly-monoclonal-antibody-covid-omicron-fda-authorization/index.html
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Will a rising Omicron variant scramble antibody treatments?
The BA.2 COVID variant now spreading worldwide disarms a crucial monoclonal-antibody therapy in laboratory tests.
23 February 2022
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00419-6
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New monoclonal antibody treatment can prevent COVID-19
Feb 21, 2022
https://www.waaytv.com/news/new-monoclonal-antibody-treatment-can-prevent-covid-19/article_c3ab56a8-936f-11ec-87da-fb54c775acb4.html
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In the fight against COVID-19, antibodies are the best long-term weapon
September 2, 2021
https://news.yale.edu/2021/09/02/immune-arsenal-antibodies-offer-best-long-term-hope-against-covid
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COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Therapy: What You Need to Know
Jan 06, 2022
https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2021/10/monoclonal-antibodies.php
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Coronapod: Why COVID antibody treatments may not be the answer
19 March 2021
Uptake in the United States has been low, despite several authorized therapies and promising clinical trial results.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00766-w
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Benefits And Risks Of Administering Monoclonal Antibody Therapy For Coronavirus (COVID-19)
February 6, 2022
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK574507/
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Monoclonal Antibody COVID-19 Infusion
Medicare Monoclonal Antibody COVID-19 Infusion Program Instruction, coding, and billing information.
6/4/2021
https://www.hhs.gov/guidance/document/monoclonal-antibody-covid-19-infusion
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FDA clears AstraZeneca’s Covid antibody treatment for immunocompromised
The antibody cocktail therapy involves getting preventive injections as often as every six months.
Dec. 8, 2021
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/fda-clears-astrazenecas-covid-antibody-treatment-immunocompromised-rcna8130
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Canada signs agreement with AstraZeneca on preventative COVID-19 treatment
February 23, 2022
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/canada-signs-agreement-with-astrazeneca-on-preventative-covid-19-treatment-1.5793181
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FDA Authorizes a New COVID-19 Monoclonal Antibody Drug From Eli Lilly
February 15, 2022
https://www.verywellhealth.com/fda-eli-lilly-monoclonal-antibody-covid-bebtelovimab-5219072
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Indiana scientist ‘finds needle in haystack’ to discover new medicine
February 18, 2022
Jirong Lu helped create Eli Lilly’s antibody treatments to fight COVID-19.
https://www.10tv.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/eli-lilly-scientist-finds-needle-in-haystack-to-discover-new-medicine-covid-coronavirus-antibodies-indianapolis-indiana/531-93624c75-f1e2-42b9-9dde-2d48ec023b3e
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California engaged in groundbreaking COVID antibody study
January 3, 2022
New blood test differentiates between antibodies from infection and those from vaccination
https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/01/03/california-engaged-in-groundbreaking-covid-antibody-study/
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UK approves another antibody treatment for Covid
2 December 2021
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59502745
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Antibody–Drug Conjugates: Future Directions in Clinical and Translational Strategies to Improve the Therapeutic Index
September 13 2019
Abstract
Since the first approval of gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg; Pfizer; CD33 targeted), two additional antibody–drug conjugates (ADC), brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris; Seattle Genetics, Inc.; CD30 targeted) and inotuzumab ozogamicin (Besponsa; Pfizer; CD22 targeted), have been approved for hematologic cancers and 1 ADC, trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla; Genentech; HER2 targeted), has been approved to treat breast cancer. Despite a clear clinical benefit being demonstrated for all 4 approved ADCs, the toxicity profiles are comparable with those of standard-of-care chemotherapeutics, with dose-limiting toxicities associated with the mechanism of activity of the cytotoxic warhead. However, the enthusiasm to develop ADCs has not been dampened; approximately 80 ADCs are in clinical development in nearly 600 clinical trials, and 2 to 3 novel ADCs are likely to be approved within the next few years. While the promise of a more targeted chemotherapy with less toxicity has not yet been realized with ADCs, improvements in technology combined with a wealth of clinical data are helping to shape the future development of ADCs. In this review, we discuss the clinical and translational strategies associated with improving the therapeutic index for ADCs.
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As COVID-19 cases soar, antibody treatments and new antiviral pills in very short supply
January 11, 2022
https://news.yahoo.com/covid-19-cases-soar-antibody-102807493.html
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The race for antiviral drugs to beat COVID — and the next pandemic
Despite dire warnings, a stockpile of ready compounds to fight viral pandemics was sorely lacking. Can drugmakers finally do the right thing?
14 April 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00958-4
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COVID research: a year of scientific milestones
05 May 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00502-w
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The Sars Cov 2 conserved macrodomain is a mono adp ribosylhydrolase CORD-Papers
2021-06-28
https://covid19-data.nist.gov/pid/rest/local/paper/the_sars_cov_2_conserved_macrodomain_is_a_mono_adp_ribosylhydrolase
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6 COVID-19 treatments helping patients survive
Mar 2, 2021
Treatments that can keep you out of the hospital
Two promising types of treatments involve injecting antiviral antibodies into high-risk COVID-19 patients before the person becomes severely ill.
Our bodies naturally create antibodies to recognize foreign invaders and help fight them off. But natural antibody production takes several days, and SARS-CoV-2 – the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 – replicates fast. Studies show that injecting patients with antibodies soon after symptoms begin can help protect patients against serious infection.
Monoclonal antibodies: These lab-engineered antibodies can bind to SARS-CoV-2 and prevent the virus from entering cells and infecting them. They include Bamlanivimab and the combined therapy casirivimab/imdevimab developed by Regeneron. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for these therapies because they have been found to protect high-risk patients from hospitalization and death. Once patients are sick enough to need hospitalization, however, studies haven’t found a proven benefit from them.
Convalescent plasma: Another way to deliver antibodies involves blood drawn from patients who have recovered from COVID-19. Convalescent plasma is primarily given in research settings because the clinical evidence so far is mixed. Some trials show benefits early in the disease. Other studies have not shown any benefit in hospitalized patients.
There may be a role for convalescent plasma as a supplemental therapy for some patients because of the growing threat of mutated SARS-CoV-2 variants, which may evade monoclonal antibody therapy. However, careful research is necessary.
Treatments for hospitalized patients
Once patients become so sick that they have to be hospitalized, treatments change.
Most hospitalized patients have difficulty breathing and low oxygen levels. Low oxygen occurs when the virus and corresponding immune response injure the lungs, resulting in swelling in lung air sacs that restricts the amount of oxygen getting into the blood. Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 usually need supplemental medical oxygen to help them breathe. Doctors frequently treat patients on oxygen with the antiviral agent remdesivir and anti-inflammatory corticosteroids.
Remdesivir: Remdesivir, originally designed to treat hepatitis C, stops the coronavirus from replicating itself by interfering with its genetic building blocks. It has been shown to shorten the length of hospital stays, and doctors may prescribe it to patients on oxygen shortly after arrival in the hospital.
Corticosteroids: Steroids calm the body’s immune response and have been used for decades to treat inflammatory disorders. They are also widely available, cheap and well-studied medications, so they were among the first therapies to enter clinical trials for COVID-19. Several studies have shown that low-dose steroids reduce deaths in hospitalized patients who are on oxygen, including the sickest patients in the intensive care unit, or ICU. Following the findings of the landmark RECOVERY and REMAP-CAP COVID-19 studies, steroids are now the standard of care for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who are treated with oxygen.
Blood thinners: Inflammation during COVID-19 and other viral infections can also increase the risk of blood clots, which can cause heart attacks, strokes and dangerous clots in the lungs. Many patients with COVID-19 are given the blood thinners heparin or enoxaparin to prevent clots before they occur. Early data from a large trial of COVID-19 patients suggests that hospitalized patients benefit from higher doses of blood thinners.
Some patients with COVID-19 become so sick that they need an ICU for high levels of oxygen support or a ventilator to help them breathe. There are several therapies available for ICU patients, but ICU patients have not been found to benefit from high doses of blood thinners.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/6-covid-19-treatments-helping-patients-survive
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Masitinib is a broad coronavirus 3CL inhibitor that blocks replication of SARS-CoV-2
20 Jul 2021
There is an urgent need for antiviral agents that treat SARS-CoV-2 infection. We screened a library of 1,900 clinically safe drugs against OC43, a human beta-coronavirus that causes the common cold and evaluated the top hits against SARS-CoV-2. Twenty drugs significantly inhibited replication of both viruses in vitro. Eight of these drugs inhibited the activity of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, 3CLpro, with the most potent being masitinib, an orally bioavailable tyrosine kinase inhibitor. X-ray crystallography and biochemistry show that masitinib acts as a competitive inhibitor of 3CLpro. Mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 and then treated with masitinib showed >200-fold reduction in viral titers in the lungs and nose, as well as reduced lung inflammation. Masitinib was also effective in vitro against all tested variants of concern (B.1.1.7, B.1.351 and P.1).
Inhibition of SARS coronavirus 3CLpro using Dabcyl-KTSAVLQ/SGFRKME-Edans as substrate preincubated for 30 mins followed by substrate addition by FRET assay
2020
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioassay/756284
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Masitinib Inhibits the Replication of SARS-CoV-2 in Preclinical Models
August 3 2021
https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/masitinib-inhibits-the-replication-of-sars-cov-2-in-preclinical-models-351564
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Common FDA-Approved Drug May Effectively Neutralize Virus That Causes COVID-19
July 15, 2020
Heparin could be used as a decoy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 from infecting human cells
https://news.rpi.edu/content/2020/07/15/common-fda-approved-drug-may-effectively-neutralize-virus-causes-covid-19
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Licensed drug may reduce COVID-19 infection by 70 percent
6 August 2021
Fenofibrate and its active form, fenofibric acid, have been shown to significantly reduce COVID-19 infection in human cells.
https://www.drugtargetreview.com/news/95512/licensed-drug-may-reduce-covid-19-infection-by-70-percent/
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Existing drug is shown to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 virus
July 21, 2021
A study found that the drug masitinib inhibited the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in human cell cultures, and could be effective against many types of coronaviruses and picornaviruses.
https://pme.uchicago.edu/news/existing-drug-shown-inhibit-sars-cov-2-virus
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Individual and common inhibitors of coronavirus and picornavirus main proteases
2009
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19166843/
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Recent development of 3C and 3CL protease inhibitors for anti-coronavirus and anti-picornavirus drug discovery.
2011
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Recent-development-of-3C-and-3CL-protease-for-and-Ramajayam-Tan/7720dbc6d093c8295f946ee18ab4921adb18a4e1
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Putative papain-related thiol proteases of positive-strand RNA viruses. Identification of rubi- and aphthovirus proteases and delineation of a novel conserved domain associated with proteases of rubi-, alpha- and coronaviruses
1991
Abstract
A computer-assisted comparative analysis of the amino acid sequences of (putative) thiol proteases encoded by the genomes of several diverse groups of positive-stranded RNA viruses and distantly related to the family of cellular papain-like proteases is presented. A high level of similarity was detected between the leader protease of foot-and-mouth-disease virus and the protease of murine hepatitis coronavirus which cleaves the N-terminal p28 protein from the polyprotein. Statistically significant alignment of a portion of the rubella virus polyprotein with cellular papain-like proteases was obtained, leading to tentative identification of the papain-like protease as the enzyme mediating processing of the non-structural proteins of this virus. Specific grouping between the sequences of the proteases of alpha-viruses, and poty- and bymoviruses was revealed. It was noted that papain-like proteases of positive-stranded RNA viruses are much more variable both in their sequences and in genomic locations than chymotrypsin-related proteases found in the same virus class. A novel conserved domain of unknown function has also been identified which flanks the papain-like proteases of alpha-, rubi- and coronaviruses.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1652473/
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Study shows how picornaviruses infect the host cell
Aug 13 2020
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200813/Study-shows-how-picornaviruses-infect-the-host-cell.aspx
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Broad-spectrum antiviral activity of the eIF4A inhibitor silvestrol against corona- and picornaviruses
2017
Coronaviruses (CoV) and picornaviruses are plus-strand RNA viruses that use 5′ cap-dependent and cap-independent strategies, respectively, for viral mRNA translation initiation. Here, we analyzed the effects of the plant compound silvestrol, a specific inhibitor of the DEAD-box RNA helicase eIF4A, on viral translation using a dual luciferase assay and virus-infected primary cells. Silvestrol was recently shown to have potent antiviral activity in Ebola virus-infected human macrophages. We found that silvestrol is also a potent inhibitor of cap-dependent viral mRNA translation in CoV-infected human embryonic lung fibroblast (MRC-5) cells. EC50 values of 1.3 nM and 3 nM silvestrol were determined for MERS-CoV and HCoV-229E, respectively. For the highly pathogenic MERS-CoV, the potent antiviral activities of silvestrol were also confirmed using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as a second type of human primary cells. Silvestrol strongly inhibits the expression of CoV structural and nonstructural proteins (N, nsp8) and the formation of viral replication/transcription complexes. Furthermore, potential antiviral effects against human rhinovirus (HRV) A1 and poliovirus type 1 (PV), representing different species in the genus Enterovirus (family Picornaviridae), were investigated. The two viruses employ an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES)-mediated translation initiation mechanism. For PV, which is known to require the activity of eIF4A, an EC50 value of 20 nM silvestrol was determined in MRC-5 cells. The higher EC50 value of 100 nM measured for HRV A1 indicates a less critical role of eIF4A activity in HRV A1 IRES-mediated translation initiation. Taken together, the data reveal a broad-spectrum antiviral activity of silvestrol in infected primary cells by inhibiting eIF4A-dependent viral mRNA translation.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29258862/
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Respiratory Picornaviruses and Respiratory Syncytial Virus as Causative Agents of Acute Expiratory Wheezing in Children
2004
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/10/6/03-0629_article
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Human picornavirus and coronavirus RNA in nasopharynx of children without concurrent respiratory symptoms
2002
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11793396/
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Genetic characterization of a novel picornavirus in Algerian bats: co-evolution analysis of bat-related picornaviruses
31 October 2019
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-52209-2
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Dana-Farber to test blood cancer drug in COVID-19 patients
May 20, 2020
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/dana-farber-to-test-blood-cancer-drug-in-covid-19-patients/
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Oxford coronavirus vaccine induces strong immune response, early trial results suggest
The vaccine was found to produce both antibodies and virus-killing T cells.
July 20, 2020
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/oxford-coronavirus-vaccine-induces-strong-immune-response-early-trial-results-n1234191
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Breakthrough drug might cure COVID-19 in just five days
2/6/2021
Researchers from Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Medical Center developed a coronavirus therapy that was found to cure COVID-19 in 3-5 days in most volunteers who received the drug.
EXO-CD24 is a medication delivered directly to the lungs, where it’ll help prevent the immune system dealing with COVID-19 from overreacting and causing complications.
The drug is administered once a day for five minutes via inhalation. In Phase 1 trials, 29 out of 30 people suffering from moderate to severe COVID-19 recovered within 3-5 days, and all of them survived.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/breakthrough-drug-might-cure-covid-19-in-just-five-days/ar-BB1ds8Rk
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Coronavirus Vaccines May Not Work in Some People. It’s Because of Their Underlying Conditions
2021
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/05/18/immunocompromised-coronavirus-vaccines-response/
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Controversial ‘human challenge’ trials for COVID-19 vaccines gain support
Science’s COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center and the Heising-Simons Foundation.
Jul. 20, 2020
Since the early days of the pandemic, some researchers have advocated a fast way to determine whether a COVID-19 vaccine works: Intentionally attempt to infect vaccinated volunteers with the virus, SARS-CoV-2. Ethicists and vaccine scientists alike raised red flags, and the discussion has remained mostly theoretical. But now two key elements are taking shape: a large corps of volunteers willing to take part in a “human challenge” trial, and the well-understood lab-grown virus strains needed for the studies.
The volunteers come from an advocacy group, 1Day Sooner, that has signed up more than 30,000 people from 140 countries. The group, co-founded by a 22-year-old, organized an open letter that was signed by 15 Nobel laureates and 100 other prominent researchers, ethicists, and philosophers, which it sent to U.S. National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins on 15 July. The letter urged the U.S. government “to undertake immediate preparations for human challenge trials” in young, healthy people, who are less likely to suffer severe disease from COVID-19. Among the signatories was Adrian Hill of the University of Oxford, whose lab developed one of the leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates and plans to produce virus strains that could be used in the trials.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/controversial-human-challenge-trials-covid-19-vaccines-gain-support
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The Hideous Truths of Testing Vaccines on Humans
2020
https://www.forbes.com/sites/leahrosenbaum/2020/06/12/willowbrook-scandal-hepatitis-experiments-hideous-truths-of-testing-vaccines-on-humans/?sh=243f98cc279c
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Swedish Professor: People Will Need FIVE Covid Vaccine Doses for Immunity – If you Don’t Submit You’ll no Longer Qualify as “Fully Vaccinated”
August 9, 2021
https://dailyexpose.co.uk/2021/08/09/swedish-professor-people-will-need-five-covid-vaccine-doses-for-immunity-if-you-dont-submit-youll-no-longer-qualify-as-fully-vaccinated/
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Why eight months? What’s behind the timing of the Covid booster shot
Aug. 17, 2021
Questions remain about how well the vaccines fare against the delta variant, as well as whether protection simply wanes over time. Indeed, experts said they are eager to see any new data that led to the government’s proposed timeline for booster shots.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/why-eight-months-what-s-behind-timing-covid-booster-shot-n1277013
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Columbia doctor on study that found coronavirus antibodies fade in 2 months: ‘Many of us were quite disturbed’
6-27-2020
https://www.foxnews.com/media/columbia-doctor-study-coronavirus-antibodies-fade
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Obtained SARS-CoV-2 immunity, naturally or via vaccination persists 12 months
Aug 16 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210816/Obtained-SARS-CoV-2-immunity-naturally-or-via-vaccination-persists-12-months.aspx
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Memory T cell responses targeting the SARS coronavirus persist up to 11 years post-infection
2016 Mar 5
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26954467/
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Scientists discover several factors influencing waning immunity with the Pfizer COVID Vaccine
Nov 21 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20211121/Scientists-discover-several-factors-influencing-waning-immunity-with-the-Pfizer-COVID-Vaccine.aspx
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Israeli Data Suggests Possible Waning in Effectiveness of Pfizer Vaccine
July 23, 2021
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/14151/
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Waning Effect of COVID-19 Vaccines in 5.6M U.S. Study Cohort
2021
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Vaccine Effectiveness Against Infection May Wane, CDC Studies Find
August 18, 2021
https://www.yahoo.com/news/vaccines-protection-against-virus-infection-183126903.html
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Dr. Fauci Just Issued This Urgent Warning to Vaccinated People
November 12, 2021
On Nov. 12, White House COVID adviser Anthony Fauci, MD, went on The New York Times’ podcast The Daily to discuss the current state of the coronavirus in the U.S. According to Fauci, officials are now starting to see some waning immunity against both infection and hospitalization several months after initial vaccination. The infectious disease expert pointed toward incoming data from Israel, which he noted tends to be about a month to a month and a half ahead of us in terms of the outbreak.
https://news.yahoo.com/dr-fauci-just-issued-urgent-201846228.html?guccounter=1
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Elimination versus mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of effective vaccines
November 02, 2021
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(21)00494-0/fulltext
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CDC warns Covid-19 vaccines might not protect people who are immunocompromised
July 16, 2021
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/16/health/cdc-warning-covid-19-vaccine-immunocompromised/index.html
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Pfizer says it’s time for a Covid booster; FDA and CDC say not so fast
July 9, 2021
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/08/health/pfizer-waning-immunity-bn/index.html
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Moderna, Pfizer Stocks Fall After CDC Panel Flags Heart Inflammation Risk In Young Adults Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine
6/23/2021
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/moderna-pfizer-stocks-fall-after-cdc-panel-flags-heart-inflammation-risk-in-young-adults-receiving-covid-19-vaccine/ar-AALmANk
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New study says Moderna vaccine leads to more side effects than Pfizer vaccine
CDC researchers looked at data documenting reactions following a dosage of both vaccines.
April 9, 2021
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2021/01/22/CDC-10-life-threatening-reactions-linked-with-Moderna-COVID-19-vaccine/3371611335050/
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CDC: 10 life-threatening reactions linked with Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
Jan. 22, 2021
https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2021/01/22/CDC-10-life-threatening-reactions-linked-with-Moderna-COVID-19-vaccine/3371611335050/
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Moderna, BioNTech Slip on Reports of Heart Inflammation Cases
June 10, 2021
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COVID-19 can kill heart muscle cells, interfere with contraction
March 1, 2021
Study reveals details of how coronavirus infects heart; models of tissue damage may help develop potential therapies
https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/covid-19-can-kill-heart-muscle-cells-interfere-with-contraction/
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The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant is poised to acquire complete resistance to wild-type spike vaccines
Aug 23, 2021
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.22.457114v1.full.pdf
Abstract:
mRNA-based vaccines provide effective protection against most common SARS-CoV-2 variants.
However, identifying likely breakthrough variants is critical for future vaccine development. Here,
we found that the Delta variant completely escaped from anti-N-terminal domain (NTD)
neutralizing antibodies, while increasing responsiveness to anti-NTD infectivity-enhancing
antibodies. Although Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2-immune sera neutralized the Delta variant,
when four common mutations were introduced into the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the
Delta variant (Delta 4+), some BNT162b2-immune sera lost neutralizing activity and enhanced the
infectivity. Unique mutations in the Delta NTD were involved in the enhanced infectivity by the
BNT162b2-immune sera. Sera of mice immunized by Delta spike, but not wild-type spike,
consistently neutralized the Delta 4+ variant without enhancing infectivity. Given the fact that a
Delta variant with three similar RBD mutations has already emerged according to the GISAID
database, it is necessary to develop vaccines that protect against such complete breakthrough
variants.
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CDC warns COVID-19 may be a few mutations away from evading vaccines
July 27, 2021
https://nypost.com/2021/07/27/cdc-covid-19-may-be-a-few-mutations-away-from-evading-vaccines/
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FDA grants full approval to Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
Aug 23, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opy5CP4qv2I
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The Vaccinated Are Worried and Scientists Don’t Have Answers
August 21, 2021
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-21/science-can-t-keep-up-with-virus-creating-worry-for-vaccinated
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Crowd boos Trump for vaccine stance at Alabama rally
Aug 23, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNCKPoshCMY
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Infection-enhancing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies recognize both the original Wuhan/D614G strain and Delta variants. A potential risk for mass vaccination?
2021
https://www.journalofinfection.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0163-4453%2821%2900392-3
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Evasion of antibody neutralization in emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses
2004
Molecular characterization of the severe acute respiratory syn-
drome coronavirus has revealed genetic diversity among isolates.
The spike (S) glycoprotein, the major target for vaccine and
immune therapy, shows up to 17 substitutions in its 1,255-aa
sequence; however, the biologic significance of these changes is
unknown. Here, the functional effects of S mutations have been
determined by analyzing their affinity for a viral receptor, human
angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE-2), and their sensitivity to
Ab neutralization with viral pseudotypes. Although minor differ-
ences among eight strains transmitted during human outbreaks in
early 2003 were found, substantial functional changes were de-
tected in S derived from a case in late 2003 from Guangdong
province [S(GD03T0013)] and from two palm civets, S(SZ3) and
S(SZ16). S(GD03T0013) depended less on the hACE-2 receptor and
was markedly resistant to Ab inhibition. Unexpectedly, Abs that
neutralized most human S glycoproteins enhanced entry mediated
by the civet virus S glycoproteins. The mechanism of enhancement
involved the interaction of Abs with conformational epitopes in
the hACE-2-binding domain. Finally, improved immunogens and
mAbs that minimize this complication have been defined. These
data show that the entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome
coronaviruses can be enhanced by Abs, and they underscore the
need to address the evolving diversity of this newly emerged virus
for vaccines and immune therapies
https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/102/3/797.full.pdf
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Antibody neutralization to SARS-CoV-2 and variants after 1 year in Wuhan, China
2021
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666675821001065
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The potential danger of suboptimal antibody responses in COVID-19
2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7187142/pdf/41577_2020_Article_321.pdf
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Antibody-dependent SARS coronavirus infection is mediated by antibodies against spike proteins
2014
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) still carries the potential for reemer-
gence, therefore efforts are being made to create a vaccine as a prophylactic strategy for control and
prevention. Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is a mechanism through which dengue viruses,
feline coronaviruses, and HIV viruses take advantage of anti-viral humoral immune responses to infect
host target cells. Here we describe our observations of SARS-CoV using ADE to enhance the infectivity of a HL-CZ human promonocyte cell line. Quantitative-PCR and immunofluorescence staining results indicate that SARS-CoV is capable of replication in HL-CZ cells, and of displaying virus-induced cytopathic effects and increased levels of TNF-a, IL-4 and IL-6 two days post-infection. According to flow cytometry data, the HL-CZ cells also expressed angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2, a SARS-CoV receptor) and higher levels of the FccRII receptor. We found that higher concentrations of anti-sera against SARS-CoV neutralized SARS-CoV infection, while highly diluted anti-sera significantly increased SARS-CoV infection and induced higher levels of apoptosis. Results from infectivity assays indicate that SARS-CoV ADE is primarily mediated by diluted antibodies against envelope spike proteins rather than nucleocapsid proteins. We also generated monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV spike proteins and observed that most of them promoted SARS-CoV infection. Combined, our results suggest that antibodies against SARS-CoV spike proteins may trigger ADE effects. The data raise new questions regarding a potential SARS-CoV vaccine, while shedding light on mechanisms involved in SARS pathogenesis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7092860/pdf/main.pdf
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Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) of SARS-CoV-2 infection in recovered COVID-19 patients: Studies based on cellular and structural biology analysis
October 2020
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.08.20209114v1.full.pdf
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Shared antibodies may push COVID variants: study
August 13, 2021
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-08-antibodies-covid-variantsstudy.html
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Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 and disease enhancement – knowns and unknowns
2020
Abstract
Introduction: The world is currently fighting a COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps the most disruptive
infectious disease outbreak since the 1918 Spanish influenza. Governments have taken drastic measures
to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, and the development of safe and efficacious vaccine candidates is
being accelerated. The possibility of vaccine-mediated disease enhancement with coronavirus vaccines
has been flagged as a potential safety concern, and, despite the urgent need, should be thoroughly
assessed as vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are being tested.
https://www.scienceopen.com/document_file/f0924a86-9d14-433a-9cb0-ae5f76270e45/PubMedCentral/f0924a86-9d14-433a-9cb0-ae5f76270e45.pdf
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Immunization with SARS Coronavirus Vaccines Leads to Pulmonary Immunopathology on Challenge with the SARS Virus
April 20, 2012
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0035421&fbclid=IwAR2uGSe8kP-_ceHlnwMqM-H-MvUksEdg80MS5lCrAIGvne00B08bIScOn-M
Abstract
Background
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) emerged in China in 2002 and spread to other countries before brought under control. Because of a concern for reemergence or a deliberate release of the SARS coronavirus, vaccine development was initiated. Evaluations of an inactivated whole virus vaccine in ferrets and nonhuman primates and a virus-like-particle vaccine in mice induced protection against infection but challenged animals exhibited an immunopathologic-type lung disease.
Design
Four candidate vaccines for humans with or without alum adjuvant were evaluated in a mouse model of SARS, a VLP vaccine, the vaccine given to ferrets and NHP, another whole virus vaccine and an rDNA-produced S protein. Balb/c or C57BL/6 mice were vaccinated IM on day 0 and 28 and sacrificed for serum antibody measurements or challenged with live virus on day 56. On day 58, challenged mice were sacrificed and lungs obtained for virus and histopathology.
Results
All vaccines induced serum neutralizing antibody with increasing dosages and/or alum significantly increasing responses. Significant reductions of SARS-CoV two days after challenge was seen for all vaccines and prior live SARS-CoV. All mice exhibited histopathologic changes in lungs two days after challenge including all animals vaccinated (Balb/C and C57BL/6) or given live virus, influenza vaccine, or PBS suggesting infection occurred in all. Histopathology seen in animals given one of the SARS-CoV vaccines was uniformly a Th2-type immunopathology with prominent eosinophil infiltration, confirmed with special eosinophil stains. The pathologic changes seen in all control groups lacked the eosinophil prominence.
Conclusions
These SARS-CoV vaccines all induced antibody and protection against infection with SARS-CoV. However, challenge of mice given any of the vaccines led to occurrence of Th2-type immunopathology suggesting hypersensitivity to SARS-CoV components was induced. Caution in proceeding to application of a SARS-CoV vaccine in humans is indicated.
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A Double-Inactivated Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Vaccine Provides Incomplete Protection in Mice and Induces Increased Eosinophilic Proinflammatory Pulmonary Response upon Challenge
August 2011
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is an important emerging virus that is highly pathogenic in aged populations and is maintained with great diversity in zoonotic reservoirs. While a variety of vaccine platforms have shown efficacy in young-animal models and against homologous viral strains, vaccine efficacy has not been thoroughly evaluated using highly pathogenic variants that replicate the acute end stage lung disease phenotypes seen during the human epidemic. Using an adjuvanted and an unadjuvanted double-inactivated SARS-CoV (DIV) vaccine, we demonstrate an eosinophilic immunopathology in aged mice comparable to that seen in mice immunized with the SARS nucleocapsid protein, and poor protection against a nonlethal heterologous challenge. In young and 1-year-old animals, we demonstrate that adjuvanted DIV vaccine provides protection against lethal disease in young animals following homologous and heterologous
challenge, although enhanced immune pathology and eosinophilia are evident following heterologous challenge. In the absence of alum, DIV vaccine performed poorly in young animals challenged with lethal homologous or heterologous strains. In contrast, DIV vaccines (both adjuvanted and unadjuvanted) performed poorly in aged-animal models. Importantly, aged animals displayed increased eosinophilic immune pathology in the lungs and were not protected against significant virus replication. These data raise significant concerns regarding DIV vaccine safety and highlight the need for additional studies of the molecular mechanisms governing DIV-induced eosinophilia and vaccine failure, especially in the more vulnerable aged-animal models of human disease.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3209347/pdf/zjv12201.pdf
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[The experimental coronavirus infection of monkeys]
1994
Abstract
The coronavirus (CV) infection has been reproduced on monkeys (Macaca mulatta) for the first time. The strain CVRM 281, obtained from rhesus monkey who died of the spontaneous CV injection, has been used for the infection. The experimental CV infection has a chronic current with periodical relapses and virus persistence. Gastrointestinal tract (enterocolitis) and respiratory tract (pneumonia) are damaged exhibiting characteristic histological lesions. The monkey model of the CV injection can be used to solve obscure questions of human one.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7952229/
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[Spontaneous coronavirus infection in monkeys]
1994
Abstract
A high level of the spread of coronavirus (CV) infection among hamadryas baboons and macaques of different species (about 50%), both resident in the animal house and imported, has been established. The tropism of CV to the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts has been demonstrated. The course of spontaneous CV infection is accompanied by enterocolitis and/or pneumonia with periodic exacerbations, or takes the inapparent form. Cases of virus persistence have also been noted. Infected macaques exhibited an increase in the titers of antibodies to their own CV strain isolated from these animals, as well as to antigenically related human CV strain 0043. Spontaneous CV infection in monkeys may be used for solving some obscure problems of the pathogenesis and epidemiology of CV infection in humans.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7856336/
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[Coronavirus infection of monkeys as a model of human infection]
1992
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8593762/
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Pneumonia from human coronavirus in a macaque model
2013 Apr 3
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236101601_Pneumonia_from_Human_Coronavirus_in_a_Macaque_Model
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[Human and simian coronaviruses]
1994
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8160442/
—————
Simian immunodeficiency virus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simian_immunodeficiency_virus
Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) is a species of retrovirus that cause persistent infections in at least 45 species of African non-human primates. Based on analysis of strains found in four species of monkeys from Bioko Island, which was isolated from the mainland by rising sea levels about 11,000 years ago, it has been concluded that SIV has been present in monkeys and apes for at least 32,000 years, and probably much longer.
Virus strains from two of these primate species, SIVsmm in sooty mangabeys and SIVcpz in chimpanzees, are believed to have crossed the species barrier into humans, resulting in HIV-2 and HIV-1 respectively, the two human immunodeficiency viruses. The most likely route of transmission of HIV-1 to humans involves contact with the blood of chimps that are often hunted for bushmeat in Africa. Four subtypes of HIV-1 (M, N, O, and P) likely arose through four separate transmissions of SIV to humans, and the resulting HIV-1 group M strain most commonly infects people worldwide. Therefore, it is theorized that SIV may have previously crossed the species barrier into human hosts multiple times throughout history, but it was not until recently, after the advent of modern transportation and global commuterism, that it finally took hold, spreading beyond localized decimations of a few individuals or single small tribal populations.
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[The properties of simian coronavirus]
1993
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8073751/
Abstract
Properties of 20 coronavirus (CV) isolates obtained from spontaneously infected Papio hamadryas and rhesus monkeys were investigated. Two of them were selected as simian CV prototype strains-CVRM 281 (rhesus monkey) and CVP 250 (Papio hamadryas), and can be offered as candidates to the Coronaviridae family. They are closely related to each other, but differ in some biological properties and polypeptides. These strains belong to the 2nd antigen group of mammalian CV with the prototype strain HCV OC 43 but differ from the latter. The strain CVRM 281 induces experimental CV infection which can be used as a model for investigations of some obscure aspects of human infection. The properties of these viruses suggest their usefulness for diagnostic purposes.
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Pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitors possess potent inhibitory activity against HIV-1, HIV-2, and simian immunodeficiency virus
April 2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33847245/
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Mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 and simian adenovirus vector advance COVID-19 vaccine research
Jun 17 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210617/Mouse-adapted-SARS-CoV-2-and-simian-adenovirus-vector-advance-COVID-19-vaccine-research.aspx
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Caution raised over SARS vaccine
2005 Jan 10
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7094954/
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Consensus summary report for CEPI/BC March 12–13, 2020 meeting:
Assessment of risk of disease enhancement with COVID-19 vaccines
May 2020
A novel coronavirus (CoV), Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in late 2019 in Wuhan, China and has since spread as a global pandemic. Safe and effective vaccines are thus urgently needed to reduce the significant morbidity and mortality of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease and ease the major economic impact. There has been an unprecedented rapid response by vaccine developers with now over one hundred vaccine candidates in development and at least six hav-ing reached clinical trials. However, a major challenge during rapid development is to avoid safety issues both by thoughtful vaccine design and by thorough evaluation in a timely manner. A syndrome of ‘‘disease enhancement” has been reported in the past for a few viral vaccines where those immunized suffered increased severity or death when they later encountered the virus or were found to have an increased frequency of infection. Animal models allowed scientists to determine the underlying mechanism for the former in the case of Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine and have been utilized to design and screen new RSV vaccine candidates. Because some Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and SARS-CoV-1 vaccines have shown evidence of disease enhancement in some animal models, this is a particular concern for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. To address this challenge, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Brighton Collaboration (BC) Safety Platform for Emergency vACcines (SPEAC) convened a scientific working meeting on March 12 and 13, 2020 of experts in the field of vaccine immunology and coronaviruses to consider what vaccine designs could reduce safety concerns
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7247514/pdf/main.pdf
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Single-dose nanoparticle vaccine for SARS-CoV-2
Jan 8 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210108/Single-dose-nanoparticle-vaccine-for-SARS-CoV-2.aspx
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Single-Dose Adenovirus-Based COVID-19 Vaccine Planned
April 24, 2020
https://www.genengnews.com/topics/bioprocessing/single-dose-adenovirus-based-covid-19-vaccine-planned/
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A single dose of recombinant VSV-∆G-spike vaccine provides protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge
16 December 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-20228-7
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Next-gen COVID vaccine to make persistent neutralizing antibodies
Aug 30 2021
Scientists and pharmaceutical companies have successfully generated vaccines to fight the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Most of these vaccines are very effective in combating the disease.
However, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an RNA virus that has a propensity to mutate often. This may result in the vaccines against COVID-19 becoming ineffective over time as new strains evolve. Moreover, the immunity against the virus was found to decrease over time, in people who have had prior COVID-19 infection and in the vaccinated population.
The immunity against COVID-19 is conferred by the neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), both occurring during the post-infection period and upon vaccination. Unfortunately, these antibodies are not maintained at stable levels in the body and tend to decay over time. This raises a need for subsequent booster doses for long-term protection against the virus.
Presently, there is a need to develop improved versions of COVID-19 vaccines that are effective against the SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) and can confer long-term protection. Considering the need of the hour, scientists from Australia, the USA, and Switzerland have generated a new COVID-19 vaccine CoVac-II and evaluated its effect against SARS-CoV-2 variants. The findings from this study are published on the bioRxiv* preprint server while awaiting peer review.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210830/Next-gen-COVID-vaccine-to-make-persistent-neutralizing-antibodies.aspx
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Vaccinating previously infected induces more potent antibodies less susceptible to escape from SARS-CoV-2 variants
Aug 16 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210816/Vaccinating-previously-infected-induces-more-potent-antibodies-less-susceptible-to-escape-from-SARS-CoV-2-variants.aspx
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causal agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has claimed more than 4.3 million lives worldwide. Even after implementing various measures, such as vaccination and social restrictions, SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern (VoC) leave the world’s public health systems and economies in turmoil.
In most developed countries, scientists report that vaccination programs have commenced. The programs result in a decrease in the rate of hospitalization and mortality. However, vaccination has failed to control the spread of infection by the SARS-CoV-2 VoCs.
Previous studies have correlated COVID-19 protection with the production of neutralizing antibodies against the virus’s spike (S) protein. The entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into the host cell is mediated by the S protein, which is a metastable and trimeric class 1 fusion glycoprotein. It contains two domains, namely, S1 and S2. The main function of the S1 subunit is to bind to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor of the host, while the S2 subunit is involved with the fusion of membranes.
Neutralizing Antibodies and SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern
Effective neutralizing antibodies can recognize the S1 subunit of each monomer, for example, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and N-terminal domain (NTD) immunodominant sites. Most neutralizing antibodies can bind to the receptor-binding motif (RBM) within the RBD, while a few target the NTD. Several neutralizing antibodies against S2 subunits have been reported to possess low potency. Previous studies reported that post-infection neutralizing antibodies are mostly derived from germline IGHV3-53 gene and are closely related to IGHV3-66 with very few somatic mutations.
Since the summer of 2020, the emergence of several SARS-CoV-2 variants was reported that could escape neutralizing antibodies. Some of these variants, such as the B.1.1.7 (alpha), B.1.351 (beta), B.1.1.248 (gamma), and B.1.617.2 (delta), have been classified as VoCs by the World Health Organization. Due to these variants being more infectious than the original strain, and could evade neutralizing antibodies. At present, the Delta variant is circulating globally and causing difficulty for the vaccinated population.
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Potent antibodies found in people recovered from COVID-19
June 30, 2020
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/potent-antibodies-found-people-recovered-covid-19
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Antibodies Protect Against COVID-19 Reinfection
April 2021
https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/04/antibodies-protect-against-covid-19-reinfection
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Vaccinated COVID-19 survivors may be immune for life, according to new research
May 26, 2021
https://www.mic.com/p/vaccinated-covid-19-survivors-may-be-immune-for-life-according-to-new-research-80968337
Amid warnings about new, concerning coronavirus variants, two studies offer a glimmer of hope for a change. They suggest that immunity to COVID-19 lasts at least a year in survivors and even their whole lives if they also get vaccinated, the New York Times reported — which, in turn, would mean that they may not need booster shots. The newspaper also noted that people who’ve been jabbed but never caught COVID-19, along with the few previously infected people who didn’t mount a strong enough immune response, will probably still need boosters.
In both studies, researchers examined people who had contracted COVID-19 roughly a year prior, according to the Times. The first study, published in Nature on Monday, found that B cells that “remember” the virus hang out in the bone marrow, potentially releasing antibodies as necessary. The second, which is being reviewed for publication in the same journal, concluded that these memory B cells mature and enhance their response for at least a year after infection.
In the first study, researchers looked at blood from 77 COVID-19 survivors — most of whom had mild symptoms — every three months, the Times explained, beginning roughly a month post-infection. While their antibody levels fell, their memory B cells laid dormant in the bone marrow, prepared to mount an attack in the event of exposure to the virus.
Per the Times, researchers detected memory B cells in bone marrow samples from 15 out of 19 participants around seven months post-infection. The fact that they didn’t observe these cells in four of the participants implies that “even if you got infected, it doesn’t mean that you have a super immune response,” Ali Ellebedy of Washington University in St. Louis, who led the study, told the newspaper. Put another way: Even if you survived COVID-19, you still need the vaccine for backup.
Among the five participants who donated bone marrow samples, Ellebedy and colleagues found that memory B cell levels remained steady 12 months after infection, the Times said, suggesting that these cells can persist in the bone marrow for a while.
In the second study, researchers looked at blood samples from 63 people who’d recovered from COVID-19 around a year beforehand, most of whom also had mild symptoms, the newspaper explained. Twenty-six had gotten at least one dose of Pfizer or Moderna. As their memory B cells matured, the antibodies they pumped out “learned” to neutralize a wider swath of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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People who have had COVID-19 may require only single dose of two-dose vaccines
2021
New UCLA research also suggests vaccine boosters will be necessary
https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/only-single-dose-needed-for-those-with-covid
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Could mixing COVID vaccines boost immune response?
04 February 2021
Combining different coronavirus shots could speed immunization campaigns — and even boost immune response.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00315-5
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WHO Warns Against Mixing COVID Vaccines—Here’s What We Know So Far
July 13, 2021
The mix-and-match approach has become a bit of a “dangerous trend” in some places.
https://www.health.com/condition/vaccines/who-mixing-covid-vaccines
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Informed consent disclosure to vaccine trial subjects of risk of COVID‐19 vaccines worsening clinical disease
2020 Dec 4
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7645850/
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David Sirota: White House REFUSES To SHARE Vax Recipe Globally DESPITE Biden Support, LEGAL POWER
Sep 10, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1zcqd7rE9Y
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Pfizer smoking-gun secret document: their deadly COVID vaccine
2021
https://truth11.com/2021/12/07/pfizer-smoking-gun-secret-document-their-deadly-covid-vaccine/
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Smoking gun confidential Pfizer document exposes FDA criminal cover-up of VACCINE DEATHS… they knew the jab was killing people in early 2021… three times more WOMEN than MEN
December 3, 2021
https://truth11.com/2021/12/03/smoking-gun-confidential-pfizer-document-exposes-fda-criminal-cover-up-of-vaccine-deaths-they-knew-the-jab-was-killing-people-in-early-2021-three-times-more-women-than-men/
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COVID-19 Vaccine Secrets
September 24th, 2021
https://odysee.com/@pmb:3/COVID.Vaccine.Secrets:e
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SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine (BNT162, PF-07302048)
2.6.4 薬物動態試験の概要文
2021
PFIZER CONFIDENTIAL
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Pfizer’s Confidential Government Contract Reveals Jaw-Dropping Terms
August 4, 2021
https://needtoknow.news/2021/08/pfizers-confidential-contract-reveals-the-companys-jaw-dropping-terms/
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How the race for a Covid-19 vaccine is getting dirty
Aug 30, 2020
Scientists worldwide are working against the clock to find a viable coronavirus vaccine – but are corners being cut for the sake of political gain and profit?
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/aug/30/how-the-race-for-a-covid-19-vaccine-got-dirty
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A $1.1m hospital bill after surviving the coronavirus? That’s America for you
June 16, 2020
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/16/coronavirus-hospital-bill-healthcare-america
It shouldn’t take a once-in-a-century pandemic to make policymakers understand the tragic absurdity of healthcare in the United States of America
A 70-year-old from Seattle, was hit with an incomprehensible hospital bill for his stay: $1.1m, the Seattle Times reported.
The bill included $9,736 per day for the intensive care room, nearly $409,000 for its transformation into a sterile room for 42 days, $82,000 for the use of a ventilator for 29 days, and nearly $100,000 for two days when he appeared to be on his deathbed.
Luckily for Flor, Medicare will pick up the bill. For other Americans, medical debt could follow them for the rest of their lives.
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Washington Man’s COVID Bill Was Seven Figures
Sep 4, 2020
Though he says he only had to pay about $3K of that
https://www.newser.com/story/295782/washington-mans-covid-bill-11m.html
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Austin doctor’s insurance company billed nearly $11,000 for COVID-19 test from his own company
September 7, 2020
https://abc13.com/physicians-premier-er-dr-zachary-sussman-11-000-covid-test/6411819/
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VERIFY: Are life insurance companies denying payouts because the COVID vaccine is ‘experimental’?
ANSWER: No
3/16/2021
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/insurance/verify-are-life-insurance-companies-denying-payouts-because-the-covid-vaccine-is-experimental/ar-BB1eEF9a
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Life Insurance CEO Says Deaths Up 40% Among Those Aged 18-64
Jan 03, 2022
https://www.zerohedge.com/medical/life-insurance-ceo-says-deaths-40-among-those-aged-18-64-and-not-because-covid
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Major Life Insurance CEO Admits 40% Increase in Death in American Workforce
Jan 4, 2022
https://banned.video/watch?id=61d4d0f1c0c67b52df2c3912
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Indiana life insurance CEO says deaths are up 40% among people ages 18-64
Jan 1, 2022
https://www.thecentersquare.com/indiana/indiana-life-insurance-ceo-says-deaths-are-up-40-among-people-ages-18-64/article_71473b12-6b1e-11ec-8641-5b2c06725e2c.html
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Door May Be Closing On Life Insurance Buyers Amid COVID-19
Mar 30, 2020
https://www.forbes.com/sites/advisor/2020/03/30/door-may-be-closing-on-life-insurance-buyers-amid-covid-19/?sh=559bef081d00
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Dr. Judy Mikovits Immunity Bombs, Funeral Director Exposes Mass Murder Plot and MORE!
December 31, 2021
https://rumble.com/vrq0ob-dr.-judy-mikovits-immunity-bombs-funeral-director-exposes-mass-murder-plot-.html
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Newer Vaccine Technologies Deployed to Develop COVID-19 Shot
Feb 21, 2020
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/newer-vaccine-technologies-deployed-to-develop-covid-19-shot-67152
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‘This has never been seen before’: Common illnesses wiped out in fight against COVID-19
June 3, 2021
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/this-has-never-been-seen-before-common-illnesses-wiped-out-in-fight-against-covid-19-20210603-p57xpa.html
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The Long Road Toward COVID-19 Herd Immunity: Vaccine Platform Technologies and Mass Immunization Strategies
2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32793245/
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New estimate of total immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in Texas
Aug 10 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210810/New-estimate-of-total-immunity-to-SARS-CoV-2-in-Texas.aspx
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Natural vs. Vaccine-induced COVID-19 immunity
Aug 10 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210810/Natural-vs-vaccine-induced-COVID-19-immunity.aspx
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Abnormal immunity of non-survivors with COVID-19: predictors for mortality
03 August 2020
https://idpjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40249-020-00723-1
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COVID-19 live updates: Vaccines not as effective at preventing hospitalizations as initially thought, CDC says
August 30, 2021
https://www.wphm.net/2021/08/30/covid-19-live-updates-vaccines-not-as-effective-at-preventing-hospitalizations-as-initially-thought-cdc-says/
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Comparing SARS-CoV-2 natural immunity to vaccine-induced immunity:
reinfections versus breakthrough infections
AUGUST 25, 2021
Abstract
Background:
Reports of waning vaccine-induced immunity against COVID-19 have begun to
surface. With that, the comparable long-term protection conferred by previous
infection with SARS-CoV-2 remains unclear.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective observational study comparing three groups: (1)SARS-
CoV-2-naïve individuals who received a two-dose regimen of the BioNTech/Pfizer
mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine, (2)previously infected individuals who have not been
vaccinated, and (3)previously infected and single dose vaccinated individuals. Three
multivariate logistic regression models were applied. In all models we evaluated four
outcomes: SARS-CoV-2 infection, symptomatic disease, COVID-19-related
hospitalization and death. The follow-up period of June 1 to August 14, 2021, when
the Delta variant was dominant in Israel.
Results:
SARS-CoV-2-naïve vaccinees had a 13.06-fold (95% CI, 8.08 to 21.11) increased risk
for breakthrough infection with the Delta variant compared to those previously
infected, when the first event (infection or vaccination) occurred during January and
February of 2021. The increased risk was significant (P<0.001) for symptomatic
disease as well. When allowing the infection to occur at any time before vaccination
(from March 2020 to February 2021), evidence of waning natural immunity was
demonstrated, though SARS-CoV-2 naïve vaccinees had a 5.96-fold (95% CI, 4.85 to
7.33) increased risk for breakthrough infection and a 7.13-fold (95% CI, 5.51 to 9.21)
increased risk for symptomatic disease. SARS-CoV-2-naïve vaccinees were also at a
greater risk for COVID-19-related-hospitalizations compared to those that were
previously infected.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrated that natural immunity confers longer lasting and stronger
protection against infection, symptomatic disease and hospitalization caused by the
Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, compared to the BNT162b2 two-dose vaccine-induced
immunity. Individuals who were both previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 and
given a single dose of the vaccine gained additional protection against the Delta
variant.
People with natural immunity and subsequent mRNA vaccination can neutralize viral particles capable of resisting vaccine-induced antibodies
Sep 23 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210923/People-with-natural-immunity-and-subsequent-mRNA-vaccination-can-neutralize-viral-particles-capable-of-resisting-vaccine-induced-antibodies.aspx
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has mutated since its initial emergence in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. to survive. A select few mutations have allowed the virus to spread faster and cause more severe infection. Variants of concern that contain such mutations, such as the Delta variant, have also acquired mutations to evade neutralizing antibodies.
New research published in Nature* suggests SARS-CoV-2 spike protein substitution mutations can create a replication-defective viral particle known as pseudotyped viruses that makes the virus resistant to vaccine-induced antibodies. However, people who recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection and later received the mRNA vaccine could eliminate these pseudotypes.
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Strong activation of anti-bacterial cells of immune system linked to severe Covid-19: Study
Sep 29, 2020
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/strong-activation-of-anti-bacterial-cells-of-immune-system-linked-to-severe-covid-19-study/articleshow/78381006.cms
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New Studies Find Evidence Of ‘Superhuman’ Immunity To COVID-19 In Some Individuals
September 7, 2021
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2021/09/07/1033677208/new-studies-find-evidence-of-superhuman-immunity-to-covid-19-in-some-individuals
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Had Covid? You May Be More Delta-Proof Than If You’d Had Pfizer’s Jab
Aug 27 2021
https://khn.org/morning-breakout/had-covid-you-may-be-more-delta-proof-than-if-youd-had-pfizers-jab/
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Pfizer Scientists: ‘Your [COVID] Antibodies Are Better Than The [Pfizer] Vaccination.’
Oct 4, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On5RYFbcxWY
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Previous Covid Prevents Delta Infection Better Than Pfizer Shot
August 2021
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-27/previous-covid-prevents-delta-infection-better-than-pfizer-shot
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Large Israel Study Confirms Previous Infection BETTER Protection Against Delta Than Pfizer Shot
August 27, 2021
https://newsrescue.com/large-israel-study-confirms-previous-infection-better-protection-against-delta-than-pfizer-shot/
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Study suggests pre-existing human common cold coronavirus antibodies hinder SARS-CoV-2 immunity
Dec 13 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20211213/Study-suggests-pre-existing-human-common-cold-coronavirus-antibodies-hinder-SARS-CoV-2-immunity.aspx
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Study shows difference in antibody levels in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and type of vaccination
Aug 24 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210824/Study-shows-difference-in-antibody-levels-in-response-to-SARS-CoV-2-infection-and-type-of-vaccination.aspx
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Scientists discover genetic and immunologic underpinnings of some cases of severe COVID-19
September 24, 2020
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/scientists-discover-genetic-immunologic-underpinnings-some-cases-severe-covid-19
New findings by scientists at the National Institutes of Health and their collaborators help explain why some people with COVID-19 develop severe disease. The findings also may provide the first molecular explanation for why more men than women die from COVID-19.
The researchers found that more than 10% of people who develop severe COVID-19 have misguided antibodies―autoantibodies―that attack the immune system rather than the virus that causes the disease. Another 3.5% or more of people who develop severe COVID-19 carry a specific kind of genetic mutation that impacts immunity. Consequently, both groups lack effective immune responses that depend on type I interferon, a set of 17 proteins crucial for protecting cells and the body from viruses. Whether these proteins have been neutralized by autoantibodies or―because of a faulty gene―were produced in insufficient amounts or induced an inadequate antiviral response, their absence appears to be a commonality among a subgroup of people who suffer from life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia.
These findings are the first published results from the COVID Human Genetic Effort (link is external), an international project spanning more than 50 genetic sequencing hubs and hundreds of hospitals. The effort is co-led by Helen Su, M.D., Ph.D., a senior investigator at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of NIH; and Jean-Laurent Casanova, M.D., Ph.D., head of the St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases at The Rockefeller University in New York. Major contributions were made by Luigi Notarangelo, M.D., chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM); Steven Holland, M.D., director of the NIAID Division of Intramural Research and senior investigator in the NIAID LCIM; clinicians and investigators in hospitals in the Italian cities of Brescia, Monza and Pavia, which were heavily hit by COVID-19; and researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.
The wide variation in the severity of disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind COVID-19, has puzzled scientists and clinicians. SARS-CoV-2 can cause anything from a symptom-free infection to death, with many different outcomes in between. Since February 2020, Drs. Su and Casanova and their collaborators have enrolled thousands of COVID-19 patients to find out whether a genetic factor drives these disparate clinical outcomes.
The researchers discovered that among nearly 660 people with severe COVID-19, a significant number carried rare genetic variants in 13 genes known to be critical in the body’s defense against influenza virus, and more than 3.5% were completely missing a functioning gene. Further experiments showed that immune cells from those 3.5% did not produce any detectable type I interferons in response to SARS-CoV-2.
Examining nearly 1,000 patients with life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia, the researchers also found that more than 10% had autoantibodies against interferons at the onset of their infection, and 95% of those patients were men. Biochemical experiments confirmed that the autoantibodies block the activity of interferon type I.
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A highly specific and sensitive serological assay detects SARS-CoV-2 antibody levels in COVID-19 patients that correlate with neutralization
2020 Aug 21
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC7441844/
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Two Different Antibody-Dependent Enhancement (ADE) Risks for SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies
2021 Feb 24
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC7943455/
Abstract
COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) disease severity and stages varies from asymptomatic, mild flu-like symptoms, moderate, severe, critical, and chronic disease. COVID-19 disease progression include lymphopenia, elevated proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, accumulation of macrophages and neutrophils in lungs, immune dysregulation, cytokine storms, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), etc. Development of vaccines to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and other coronavirus has been difficult to create due to vaccine induced enhanced disease responses in animal models. Multiple betacoronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1 expand cellular tropism by infecting some phagocytic cells (immature macrophages and dendritic cells) via antibody bound Fc receptor uptake of virus. Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) may be involved in the clinical observation of increased severity of symptoms associated with early high levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in patients. Infants with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 may also have ADE caused by maternally acquired SARS-CoV-2 antibodies bound to mast cells. ADE risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 has implications for COVID-19 and MIS-C treatments, B-cell vaccines, SARS-CoV-2 antibody therapy, and convalescent plasma therapy for patients. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies bound to mast cells may be involved in MIS-C and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) following initial COVID-19 infection. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies bound to Fc receptors on macrophages and mast cells may represent two different mechanisms for ADE in patients. These two different ADE risks have possible implications for SARS-CoV-2 B-cell vaccines for subsets of populations based on age, cross-reactive antibodies, variabilities in antibody levels over time, and pregnancy. These models place increased emphasis on the importance of developing safe SARS-CoV-2 T cell vaccines that are not dependent upon antibodies.
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You asked, we answered: Do the COVID-19 vaccines cause vaccine enhanced disease?
July 2, 2021
https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/antibody-dependent-enhancement-in-vaccines
Question:
Do COVID-19 vaccines cause antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), also known as vaccine enhanced disease (VED)?
Answered by infectious diseases expert Nada Fadul, MD:
Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is something researchers watch for very carefully and is extremely rare. In ADE, certain antibodies make it easier for viruses to get into cells. This is bad because it would mean a virus or a vaccine makes people more at risk for severe disease…
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COVID-19 Vaccines: Should We Fear ADE?
12 August 2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32785649/
Abstract
Might COVID-19 vaccines sensitize humans to antibody-dependent enhanced (ADE) breakthrough infections? This is unlikely because coronavirus diseases in humans lack the clinical, epidemiological, biological, or pathological attributes of ADE disease exemplified by dengue viruses (DENV). In contrast to DENV, SARS and MERS CoVs predominantly infect respiratory epithelium, not macrophages. Severe disease centers on older persons with preexisting conditions and not infants or individuals with previous coronavirus infections. Live virus challenge of animals given SARS or MERS vaccines resulted in vaccine hypersensitivity reactions (VAH), similar to those in humans given inactivated measles or respiratory syncytial virus vaccines. Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines must avoid VAH.
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Is Antibody-Dependent Enhancement Possible With the COVID-19 Vaccine?
November 2, 2021
https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/covid-19/antibody-dependent-enhancement
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Antibody dependent enhancement: Unavoidable problems in vaccine development
2021 Sep 14
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8438590/
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COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 variants (Debated)
Sep 21 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210921/COVID-19-vaccine-effectiveness-against-SARS-CoV-2-variants.aspx
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‘This Ends The Debate’ – Israeli Study Shows Natural Immunity 13x More Effective Than Vaccines At Stopping Delta
August 28, 2021
https://harbingersdaily.com/israeli-study-natural-immunity-13x-more-effective-than-vaccines/
Dr. Anthony Fauci and the rest of President Biden’s COVID advisors have been proven wrong about “the science” of COVID vaccines yet again. After telling Americans that vaccines offer better protection than natural immunity, a new study out of Israel suggests the opposite is true: natural infection offers a much better shield against the delta variant than vaccines.
The study was described by Bloomberg as “the largest real-world analysis comparing natural immunity – gained from an earlier infection – to the protection provided by one of the most potent vaccines currently in use.” A few days ago, we noted how remarkable it was that the mainstream press was finally giving voice to scientists to criticize President Biden’s push to start doling out booster jabs. Well, this study further questions the credibility of relying on vaccines, given that the study showed that the vaccinated were ultimately 13x as likely to be infected as those who were infected previously, and 27x more likely to be symptomatic.
Alex Berenson, a science journalist who has repeatedly questioned the efficacy of vaccines and masks at preventing COVID, touted the study as enough to “end any debate over vaccines v natural immunity.”
Here’s an excerpt from a report by Science Magazine:
The new analysis relies on the database of Maccabi Healthcare Services, which enrolls about 2.5 million Israelis. The study, led by Tal Patalon and Sivan Gazit at KSM, the system’s research and innovation arm, found in two analyses that people who were vaccinated in January and February were, in June, July, and the first half of August, six to 13 times more likely to get infected than unvaccinated people who were previously infected with the coronavirus. In one analysis, comparing more than 32,000 people in the health system, the risk of developing symptomatic COVID-19 was 27 times higher among the vaccinated, and the risk of hospitalization eight times higher.
This time, the data leave little doubt that natural infection truly is the better option for protection against the delta variant, despite the fact that the US won’t acknowledge the already infected as having antibodies protecting them from the virus.
As the first country to achieve widepsread coverage by the vaccine, Israel is now in an unthinkable situation: daily case numbers have reached new record levels as the delta variant penetrates the vaccines’ protection like a hot knife slicing through butter.
At the very least, the results of the study are good news for patients who have already successfully battled COVID but show the challenge of relying exclusively on immunizations to move past the pandemic.
“This analysis demonstrated that natural immunity affords longer lasting and stronger protection against infection, symptomatic disease and hospitalization due to the delta variant,” the researchers said.
Unfortunately, the study also showed that any protection is time-limited. Protection offered by natural infection wanes over time, just like the protection afforded by vaccines: The risk of a vaccine-breakthrough delta case was 13x higher than the risk of developing a second infection when the original illness occurred during January or February 2021. That’s significantly more than the risk for people who were ill earlier in the outbreak.
What’s more, giving a single shot of the vaccine to those who had been previously infected also appeared to boost their protection. Still, the data don’t tell us anything about the long-term benefits of booster doses.
This latest data showing the vaccines don’t offer anywhere near the 90%+ protection that was originally advertised by the FDA after the emergency authorization. Other studies are finding harmful side effects caused by the mRNA jabs are also more prevalent than previously believed.
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Israeli study boosts belief post-COVID immunity stays when antibodies fade
11 February 2021
Massive immune response witnessed when small cohort of previously infected people get 1st COVID-19 vaccine dose, indicating they are well ahead of the game, Bar-Ilan team says
https://www.timesofisrael.com/landmark-israeli-study-suggests-covid-patients-stay-immune-after-antibodies-fade/
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COVID Antibodies | How Long Do They Last?
Aug 7, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmPndV304sA
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COVID infection may boost antibodies for up to 20 months
February 7, 2022
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-covid-infection-boost-antibodies-months.html
————————–Had COVID? You’ll probably make antibodies for a lifetime
26 May 2021
People who recover from mild COVID-19 have bone-marrow cells that can churn out antibodies for decades, although viral variants could dampen some of the protection they offer.
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How Amish Communities Achieved “Herd Immunity” Without Higher Death Rates, Lockdowns, Masks, Or Vaccines
November 25, 2021
https://thepulse.one/2021/11/25/the-amish-took-a-different-approach-to-covid-it-appears-to-have-worked/
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Next-generation Covid-19 vaccines are supposed to be better. Some experts worry they could be worse
April 16, 2021
https://www.statnews.com/2021/04/16/next-generation-covid-19-vaccines-are-supposed-to-be-better-some-experts-worry-they-could-be-worse/
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Are COVID Shots Fueling More Dangerous Mutations?
August 2021
https://undercurrents723949620.wordpress.com/2021/08/12/are-covid-shots-fueling-more-dangerous-mutations/
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America’s top coronavirus doctor warns vaccines could make Covid-19 worse
12 May 2020
https://metro.co.uk/2020/05/12/americas-top-coronavirus-doctor-warns-vaccine-make-covid-19-worse-12692519/
Abstract
Purpose: Receiving influenza vaccination may increase the risk of other respiratory viruses, a phenomenon known as virus interference. Test-negative study designs are often utilized to calculate influenza vaccine effectiveness. The virus interference phenomenon goes against the basic assumption of the test-negative vaccine effectiveness study that vaccination does not change the risk of infection with other respiratory illness, thus potentially biasing vaccine effectiveness results in the positive direction. This study aimed to investigate virus interference by comparing respiratory virus status among Department of Defense personnel based on their influenza vaccination status. Furthermore, individual respiratory viruses and their association with influenza vaccination were examined.
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Researchers Warn Some Covid-19 Vaccines Could Increase Risk Of HIV Infection
Oct 20, 2020
Key Facts
The researchers warn of a “cautionary tale” from efforts to create an HIV vaccine over a decade ago, where a promising vaccine candidate actually increased the risk of some men catching the virus.
The vaccine made use of a modified virus — called adenovirus 5 (Ad5) — as a vector to transport some of HIV’s genetic material into the body.
Exactly how the vaccine increased the risks of HIV transmission is unknown, but a conference convened by the National Institutes of Health recommended against further use of Ad5 as a vector in HIV vaccines (Dr. Anthony Fauci was lead author of the paper outlining this position.)
Ad5 is used as a vector in some Covid-19 vaccines — Science identifies four such candidates that are currently undergoing clinical trials in various countries around the world, including the U.S., with two in large scale phase 3 trials ongoing in Russia and Pakistan.
The researchers stressed the need to understand the role Ad5 might play in increasing the risks of HIV in vulnerable populations before developing and deploying vaccines using the vector, adding that informed consent documents should reflect the “considerable literature” on the risk of HIV acquisition with Ad5 vectors.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2020/10/20/researchers-warn-some-covid-19-vaccines-could-increase-risk-of-hiv-infection/?sh=536552dd3740
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Vaccine Makes You More Susceptible to Virus?
2021
A study from Tel Aviv University found that a variant of COVID affects people vaccinated with the Pfizer shot 8 times more than unvaccinated people.
The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, indicated that the B.1.351 variant of the virus—also known as the novel coronavirus—was found eight times more than individuals who were unvaccinated, or 5.4 percent against 0.7 percent. Clalit Health Services, a top Israeli health-care provider, also helped in the study.
“We found a disproportionately higher rate of the South African variant among people vaccinated with a second dose, compared to the unvaccinated group,” said Adi Stern of Tel Aviv University. “This means that the South African variant is able, to some extent, to break through the vaccine’s protection.”
The study looked at 400 people who received at least one shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and had contracted the COVID-19 variant and compared them to the same number of people who were infected and unvaccinated. Moderna’s vaccine is also used in Israel, but it was not included in the study.
“It is the first in the world to be based on real-world data, showing that the vaccine is less effective against the South Africa variant, compared to both the original virus and the British variant,” said Professor Ran Balicer, director of research at Clalit, according to news reports.
Stern said the study’s findings came as a surprise.
“Based on patterns in the general population, we would have expected just one case of the South African variant, but we saw eight,” Stern told the Times of Israel. “Obviously, this result didn’t make me happy.” He added, “Even if the South African variant does break through the vaccine’s protection, it has not spread widely through the population.”
He continued: “These preliminary findings necessitates close continued attention to the dissemination of this strain in Israel, emphasizing the need for epidemiological monitoring and systematic sequencing, in order to contain further spread of the South African variant in Israel.”
The South African variant accounted for less than one percent of all COVID-19 cases in Israel, reported AFP, citing the study.
“This means that the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, though highly protective, probably does not provide the same level of protection against the South African (B.1.351) variant of the coronavirus,” the study said.
Israel, separately, has rolled out a so-called “vaccine passport” system that allows people who have been vaccinated privileges over individuals who are not vaccinated. Such systems have been criticized by civil liberties groups, saying it would be an infringement on people’s rights, including privacy, and would potentially create a two-tiered class system of vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
The Epoch Times has contacted Pfizer for comment.
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Does the flu make you more susceptible to COVID-19?
Sept. 3, 2020
https://www.sharp.com/health-news/does-the-flu-make-you-more-susceptible-to-covid-19.cfm
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Having coronavirus and flu at same time makes you 6 times more likely to die
New research from Public Health England reveals those who had Covid-19 and flu at the same time during the initial peak in March had a significantly higher risk of death
22 Sep 2020
https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/having-coronavirus-flu-same-time-22721190
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Flu Shot May Shield You From Severe COVID
Nov. 2, 2020 (HealthDay News) — The coronavirus and the flu are two entirely different viruses. But a new study suggests those who get a flu vaccine face a considerably lower risk for being hospitalized if and when they get COVID-19.
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20201102/get-your-flu-shot-it-might-shield-you-from-severe-covid#1
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Can a flu vaccine make you more likely to catch COVID-19? Study eases some worries
September 22, 2020
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article245918620.html
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Claim that flu vaccine increases coronavirus infection is unsupported, misinterprets scientific studies (Debated)
2020
https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/claim-that-flu-vaccine-increases-coronavirus-infection-is-unsupported-misinterprets-scientific-studies/
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KENNEDY: Pentagon Study shows Flu Shot Raises Risk of Coronavirus by 36%, and there’s more
May 5, 2020
https://fort-russ.com/2020/04/kennedy-pentagon-study-shows-flu-shot-raises-risk-of-coronavirus-by-36-and-theres-more/
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COVID Vaccines Destroy Natural Immunity To Make People Dependent On Booster Shots, UK Health Security Agency Reveals
Oct 26, 2021
https://www.christianitydaily.com/articles/13729/20211026/covid-vaccines-destroy-natural-immunity-to-make-people-dependent-on-booster-shots-uk-health-security-agency-reveals.htm
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The vaccine wipes out the immune system.
September 2021
https://twitter.com/BristolBlues32/status/1431967143004975112
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Red Cross Vaccine Alert — You Gotta Hear This
September 1, 2021
https://citizenfreepress.com/breaking/red-cross-vaccine-alert-you-gotta-hear-this/
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FDA bans convalescent plasma donations from COVID-19 vaccine recipients
Dec 23, 2020
https://fox40.com/news/coronavirus/fda-bans-convalescent-plasma-donations-from-covid-19-vaccine-recipients/
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Fact check: COVID-19 vaccine recipients can donate plasma with the American Red Cross
6/4/2021
The claim: Red Cross says people vaccinated against COVID-19 cannot donate plasma
A lack of blood drives amid the coronavirus pandemic has caused a blood plasma shortage across the country, but some have taken to social media to claim those vaccinated against COVID-19 are not eligible to donate.
The claim follows similar posts that surfaced in the beginning of May, which falsely claimed the Japanese Red Cross Society stopped accepting blood donations from vaccinated individuals.
“The American Red Cross says you cannot donate Blood Plasma if you’ve had the vaccine, because the vaccine wipes out the body’s natural antibodies,” reads a May 22 Facebook post with about 3,000 shares.
Accompanying the text is a screengrab of a purported news broadcast with the title: “Red Cross needs blood donors but those vaccinated cannot donate plasma.”
Similar versions shared widely on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram contribute to debunked falsehoods surrounding the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fact-check-covid-19-vaccine-recipients-can-donate-plasma-with-the-american-red-cross/ar-AAKnGkQ
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Answers to Common Questions About COVID-19 Vaccines and Blood, Platelet or Plasma Donation Eligibility
July 28, 2021
https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2021/answers-to-common-questions-about-covid-19-vaccines-and-blood-platelet-plasma-donation-eligibility.html
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Can I donate after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine?
2021
https://www.redcrossblood.org/local-homepage/news/article/covid-19-vaccination-guide-blood-donation.html
When can I donate blood after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine?
The Red Cross is following FDA blood donation eligibility guidance for those who receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Deferral times for donations may vary depending on which brand of vaccine you received. If you’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine, you’ll need to provide the manufacturer name when you come to donate. In most cases, there is no deferral time for individuals who received a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they are symptom-free and feeling well at the time of donation.
The following eligibility guidelines apply to each COVID-19 vaccine received, including boosters: There is no deferral time for eligible blood donors who are vaccinated with a non-replicating inactivated or RNA-based COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca, Janssen/J&J, Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer.
Eligible blood donors who received a live attenuated COVID-19 vaccine or do not know what type of COVID-19 vaccine they received must wait two weeks before giving blood. If you have an appointment scheduled and need to change your donation date based on the above guidance, click here.
If you have further eligibility questions, please call 1-800-RED CROSS. Regardless, of the type of vaccine an individual receives, all donors must be symptom-free and feeling well at the time of donation. If an individual is experiencing any symptoms from the COVID-19 vaccine, the Red Cross asks that they postpone their donation until they are feeling better.
When you receive your COVID-19 vaccination, make sure you receive a handout with information about the vaccine, including the name of the manufacturer. It is encouraged to bring this information with you to your donation appointment.
Can I donate COVID-19 convalescent plasma if I have received the vaccination?
The FDA allows people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine to donate dedicated COVID-19 convalescent plasma within six months of their infection of the virus, based on data that antibodies from natural infection can decline after six months however, the Red Cross has discontinued our convalescent plasma collection program.
Throughout the pandemic, the American Red Cross has adapted its collection of lifesaving blood products to meet the needs of all patients—including those battling COVID-19. Currently, our primary efforts are the prioritized expansion of red blood cell and platelet collections to meet surging hospital demand and have discontinued our convalescent plasma program. We will continue to monitor the situation in the context of emerging information, evolution of the pandemic and hospital demand to determine if we should resume our convalescent plasma program in the future.
The Red Cross is grateful to the tens of thousands of convalescent plasma donors who rolled up their sleeves to share their health and provide hope to patients and their families during an uncertain time.
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Convalescent plasma futile as treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients, study finds
October 4, 2021
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211004140313.htm
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Recovering From COVID-19 Doesn’t Guarantee Antibodies or Confer Immunity to Re-Infection – SciTechDaily
August 30, 2021
https://covid19-newsline.com/covid19/recovering-from-covid-19-doesnt-guarantee-antibodies-or-confer-immunity-to-re-infection-scitechdaily/
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SARS-CoV-2 Delta likely to acquire resistance to wild-type spike vaccines
Aug 24 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210824/SARS-CoV-2-Delta-likely-to-acquire-resistance-to-wild-type-spike-vaccines.aspx
The available vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are quite effective in preventing Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant is of significant concern because it is highly contagious and can infect vaccinated individuals.
A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* explores the mechanism of the Delta variant’s high infectivity and suggests a plausible pathway by which the Delta variant could escape from vaccine-induced immunity.
(Study: The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant is poised to acquire complete resistance to wild-type spike vaccines).
COVID-19 vaccines
The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 binds to the host cell angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor via the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and is essential for infection. It is used for the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Upon vaccination, neutralizing antibodies against different parts of the spike protein are formed and those directed to RBD block the interaction between RBD and ACE2, thus providing immunity against SARS-CoV-2.
SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant
The Delta variant has several mutations in the spike protein, particularly the RBD and the N-terminal domain (NTD). Mutations in the RBD alone do not make it highly infectious, but it may be due to mutations in NTD. In fact, certain antibodies against NTD can enhance the infectivity of the virus by inducing the open form of the RBD. These are termed enhancing antibodies. Therefore, both neutralizing and enhancing antibodies should be studied to understand the pathogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Why is the Delta variant more infectious?
The researchers from Osaka University obtained anti-spike monoclonal antibodies from COVID-19 patients and analyzed their binding to the Delta spike protein and compared it with wild-type (original virus) spike protein. The anti-spike antibodies were either anti-RBD or anti-NTD; neutralizing or enhancing antibodies; and some anti-NTD antibodies were not well characterized as either neutralizing or enhancing antibodies.
The anti-RBD antibodies bound to Delta spike at levels comparable to wild-type spike. However, anti-NTD neutralizing antibodies could not recognize Delta spike but anti-NTD enhancing antibodies bound to Delta spike at levels comparable to wild-type spike. The anti-NTD antibodies that were not well characterized showed reduced binding or strong binding to the Delta spike.
The researchers also performed in vitro experiments to test the infectivity of the pseudovirus. They used a pseudovirus with Delta spike protein or wild-type spike protein and infected HEK293T cells transfected with ACE2 for virus binding.
The Delta variant escaped from anti-NTD neutralizing antibodies and maintained functional enhancing antibody epitopes suggesting that the Delta variant may maintain infectivity in the presence of anti-RBD neutralizing antibodies because of enhancing antibodies.
Thus, the Delta variant is more infectious, possibly due to mutations in the NTD increasing its antigenicity.
How does the Delta variant escape neutralization by antibodies?
The researchers took sera from healthy individuals vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. They analyzed the neutralizing activity of these sera against the Delta pseudovirus and compared it with wild-type pseudovirus. In addition to this, they also performed these experiments on pseudovirus containing recombinant spike proteins with different combinations of mutant or wild-type NTD and RBD.
At a high concentration, the immune sera blocked Delta pseudovirus infection but as concentrations were lowered, this blocking decreased significantly compared to wild-type pseudovirus. The neutralizing activity of the immune sera against Delta spike recombinant pseudovirus decreased slightly compared to that of wild-type spike recombinant pseudovirus. It decreased further when wild-type NTD was substituted with the Delta NTD. It was reduced when wild-type RBD was replaced by Delta RBD. It further decreased against Delta NTD.
Taken together, these results suggest that both NTD and RBD mutations in the Delta spike offer resistance against the immune sera.
How do mutations help the Delta variant escape from anti-NTD neutralizing antibodies?
This question was addressed by performing structural analysis of the spike protein by using cryo-EM and assessing the NTD structure.
The data suggested that the structure of the Delta spike protein anti-NTD neutralizing antibody epitope changed dramatically from the wild-type. This structural change caused a complete loss of reactivity of anti-NTD neutralizing antibodies against the Delta spike.
Is it possible that future mutations will make the Delta variant fully resistant?
Additional mutations in the RBD of the Delta variants may make it fully resistant to the immune sera of vaccinated individuals. The researchers obtained data from the GISAID database – complete genomic data of all variants of SARS-CoV-2. They analyzed the additive effects of mutations acquired by the Delta variant. Furthermore, they tested Delta spike protein with additional mutations with monoclonal antibodies, immune sera from vaccinated individuals and the pseudovirus experiments.
Multiple mutations in the Delta variant anti-RBD neutralizing antibody epitopes have already emerged. Mutations in the NTD of the Delta spike made the virus more susceptible to enhancing antibodies and reduced the neutralizing effect of anti-RBD neutralizing antibodies. Thus, the Delta variant is likely to acquire further mutations with increased infectivity and resistance.
Do we need a different vaccine against the Delta variant?
The researchers immunized mice with wild-type (currently available vaccines) or Delta spike protein. While all mice produced antibodies against spike protein, only sera from the Delta-spike immunized mice neutralized the Delta variant with additional mutations without enhancing infectivity.
Therefore, vaccines containing the Delta spike might be required to control the future Delta variants.
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Potential Cross-Reactive Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 From Common Human Pathogens and Vaccines
2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33178220/
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Progress and Challenges in the Development of COVID-19 Vaccines and Current Understanding of SARS-CoV-2- Specific Immune Responses
2006
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32627758/
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Shedding of Infectious SARS-CoV-2 Despite Vaccination when the Delta Variant is Prevalent – Wisconsin, July 2021
August 11, 2021
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.07.31.21261387v2.full
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Vaccinated People and Those Recovering From COVID Share Antibodies, Leading to New Virus Mutations
August 2021
https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2340746948885/vaccinated-people-and-those-recovering-from-covid-share-antibodies-leading-to-new-virus-mutations
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27 vaccinated people on board Carnival Cruise test positive for COVID-19 | GMA
Aug 14, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfS-LYTtWOU
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HMS Queen Elizabeth: Covid outbreak on Royal Navy aircraft carrier despite whole crew having two vaccines
July 14, 2021
Around 100 crew members have been infected with Covid-19 on the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/hms-queen-elizabeth-covid-outbreak-royal-navy-aircraft-carrier-crew-two-vaccines-1103555
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More Vaccinated People Are Dying of COVID in England Than Unvaccinated – Here’s Why
July 15, 2021
More vaccinated people are dying of COVID than unvaccinated people, according to a recent report from Public Health England (PHE). The report shows that 163 of the 257 people (63.4%) who died within 28 days of a positive COVID test between February 1 and June 21, had received at least one dose of the vaccine. At first glance, this may seem alarming, but it is exactly as would be expected…
https://scitechdaily.com/more-vaccinated-people-are-dying-of-covid-in-england-than-unvaccinated-heres-why/
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Deaths in children and young people in England after SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first pandemic year
11 November 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01578-1
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Why most people who now die with Covid in England have had a vaccination
27 Jun 2021
https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/commentisfree/2021/jun/27/why-most-people-who-now-die-with-covid-have-been-vaccinated
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Covid live: UK records 44,917 new cases; strict restrictions for unvaccinated come into effect in Greece
22 Nov 2021
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/nov/22/covid-news-live-austria-enters-nationwide-lockdown-australia-eases-international-border-restrictions?page=with:block-619b18428f0812dc63d02e68&filterKeyEvents=false
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CDC study shows 74% of people infected in Massachusetts Covid outbreak were fully vaccinated
Jul 30 2021
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/30/cdc-study-shows-74percent-of-people-infected-in-massachusetts-covid-outbreak-were-fully-vaccinated.html
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Vaccinated people are majority of infected in massive outbreak in Massachusetts
July 30, 2021
https://kvia.com/coronavirus/2021/07/30/vaccinated-people-make-up-majority-of-those-infected-in-massive-massachusetts-outbreak/
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Here’s How Many Fully Vaccinated Mass. Residents Have Tested Positive for COVID
September 1, 2021
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/heres-how-many-fully-vaccinated-mass-residents-have-tested-positive-for-covid/2481272/
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Vermont sees the biggest surge in COVID cases despite having the country’s highest vaccination rate
August 12, 2021
https://fortune.com/2021/08/12/vermont-covid-cases-vaccination-rate/
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Number of COVID cases in young kids in CT reaches about 25,000 since start of pandemic
Sep 8, 2021
https://www.wtnh.com/news/health/coronavirus/number-of-covid-cases-in-connecticut-children-reach-about-25000-during-pandemic/
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Covid Outbreak In San Francisco Hospital – 75-80% Covid Cases Are Fully Vaccinated – NY Times
Aug 16, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AgKNgJlQhU
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Covid Outbreak In Duke University – 97.8% Are Fully Vaccinated 2.2% Are Unvaccinated
Sep 2, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7O_PCsmA1M
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Despite 95% Vaccination Rate, Harvard Experiences “Substantial Outbreak” of COVID
Sep 28, 2021
https://epgn.ch/2021/09/28/despite-95-vaccination-rate-harvard-experiences-substantial-outbreak-of-covid/
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Colorado County Is 99.9% Vaxxed, But Residents Still Getting COVID
San Juan County, Colorado, is in the top 10 counties in the nation when it comes to vaccination rates, but residents are still being hospitalized for COVID, and one of them recently died.
10/01/21
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/san-juan-county-colorado-vaxxed-residents-covid/
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Texas has seen nearly 9,000 COVID-19 deaths since February. All but 43 were unvaccinated people.
July 21, 2021
Preliminary data shows 99.5% of COVID-related deaths in Texas were among unvaccinated people, according to the Department of State Health Services.
Of the 8,787 people who have died in Texas due to COVID-19 since early February, at least 43 were fully vaccinated, the Texas Department of State Health Services said.
That means 99.5% of people who died due to COVID-19 in Texas from Feb. 8 to July 14 were unvaccinated, while 0.5% were the result of “breakthrough infections,” which DSHS defines as people who contracted the virus two weeks after being fully vaccinated.
The agency said nearly 75% of the 43 vaccinated people who died were fighting a serious underlying condition, such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer or chronic lung disease.
Additionally, it said 95% of the 43 vaccinated people who died were 60 or older, and that a majority of them were white and a majority were men.
DSHS noted that these are preliminary numbers, which could change because each case must be confirmed through public health investigations. Statewide, more than 50,000 people have died of COVID-19 since March 2020, but the rate of deaths has slowed dramatically since vaccines became widely available in April.
Dr. David Lakey, the chief medical officer of the University of Texas System, said people succumbing to the coronavirus despite being vaccinated was “not unexpected.”
“No vaccine is 100%,” said Lakey, who is also a member of the Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 task force. “And we’ve known for a long while that the vaccines aren’t 100%, but they’re really really good at preventing severe disease and hospitalizations. … There will always be some individuals that will succumb to the illness in the absence of full herd immunity.”
He added that 0.5% is “a very low number of individuals in a state of 30 million. … In the grand perspective of everything, that’s not a large number that would call into question at all the use of this vaccine.”
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/07/21/coronavirus-texas-vaccinated-deaths/
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Robert Peston: Data shows infections high among double vaxxed for those aged 40 to 79
11 September 2021
https://www.itv.com/news/2021-09-11/peston-covid-infections-higher-in-doubled-vaxxed-aged-40-79-than-for-non-vaxxed
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“Fully vaccinated” Gibraltar sees 2,500 percent increase in “covid” cases, prompting new lockdowns
08/08/2021
https://www.vaccinewars.com/2021-08-08-fully-vaccinated-gibraltar-2500-percent-increase-covid-cases.html
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SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and variants under investigation in England
Technical briefing 20
6 August 2021
This briefing provides an update on previous briefings up to 23 July 2021
There are 4 current variants of concern (VOCs) and 10 variants under investigation (VUIs)
(Table 1).
This report has been published to continue to share the detailed variant surveillance
analyses which contribute to the variant risk assessments and designation of new VOCs
and VUIs. The specialist technical briefings contain early data and analysis on emerging
variants and findings have a high level of uncertainty.
A new risk assessment for VUI-21JUL-01 (B.1.621) has been published and is available
here. There are no updates to the Delta (B.1.617.2) risk assessment this week.
A separate report is published covering routine data on all other VOCs and VUIs.
Principal changes and findings are:
• there are no new VOCs or VUIs since the last briefing
• the proportion of cases sequenced and genotyped remains relatively low but
has started to recover as case numbers fall and capacity expands
• Delta variant accounted for approximately 99% of sequenced and 98%
genotyped cases from 25 July to 31 July 2021
• PCR cycle threshold (Ct) values from routinely undertaken tests in England
show that Ct values (and by inference viral load) are similar between individuals
who are unvaccinated and vaccinated.
• the UK Genotype to Phenotype Consortium reports new data relating to VUI-
21JUL-01 (B.1.621). There is evidence of reduction in pseudovirus
neutralisation by serum from individuals who have been vaccinated or
previously infected with Delta
All risk assessments are published separately on the PHE webpage, Investigation
of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, except for Gamma, which was published
within Technical Briefing 7 and Alpha within Technical Briefing 9. As Delta is the
dominant variant in the UK, epidemiological data in the weekly surveillance report
is also relevant.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1009243/Technical_Briefing_20.pdf
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BOMBSHELL UK data destroys entire premise for vaccine push
August 21, 2021
The media can read just as well as me (maybe), but somehow it is left to me to report this.
This is an absolute game-changer.
The UK government just reported the following data, tucked away in their report on variants of concern:
Less than a third of delta variant deaths are in the unvaccinated.
Let me say that another way – two-thirds of Delta deaths in the UK are in the jabbed.
To be specific:
From the 1st of February to the 2nd of August, the UK recorded 742 Delta deaths (yes, the dreaded Delta has not taken that much life).
Out of the 742 deaths, 402 were fully vaccinated. 79 had received one shot. Only 253 were unvaccinated.
The report is here.
https://chriswaldburger.substack.com/p/bombshell-uk-data-destroys-entire
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Principles and Challenges in anti-COVID-19 Vaccine Development
2021 Feb 1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7900461/
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Was the COVID-19 vaccine made too quickly?
Jul 27, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiHsMCEhcwE
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How long does the FDA take to approve a drug?
2019
It usually takes about 10 years for a drug to be developed and approved for prescription. Many people would like to take the newest medicine as soon as it is proven to work. However, even after a drug has been successful in a Phase III trial, it still may take six to 12 months before that drug is approved for prescription. Learn more about the process on the FDA Website.
https://www.hiv.va.gov/patient/clinical-trials/drug-approval-process.asp
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How long it took to develop 12 other vaccines in history
Jul 18, 2020
https://www.businessinsider.com/how-long-it-took-to-develop-other-vaccines-in-history-2020-7?op=1
Smallpox
The eradication of smallpox through a vaccine is seen as one of the biggest achievements in public health history — but it took several centuries to get there.
The origins of smallpox is unknown, though scientists believe it dates all the way back to the Egyptian Empire of the 3rd Century BCE. By the 18th century, colonization spread the disease across the globe. It had a devastating mortality rate of up to 30%.
In 1796, Edward Jenner in the UK created the first successful smallpox vaccine, but it wasn’t until the 1950s that vaccine treatments began to effectively eradicate the disease in some parts of the world.
Then, in 1967, a global effort that provided a higher level of vaccine production and an advancement in needle technology eventually lead to eradication of the disease by 1980.
To date, smallpox remains the only disease to have been completely eliminated around the world through vaccination efforts.
Plague
Plague is one of the world’s oldest and most lethal diseases, culminating in nearly 200 million deaths throughout human history. But to date, no licensed vaccine is available.
Plague is perhaps most notorious for killing millions of people during the Middle Ages, but the disease is still active in areas around the world. As recent as 2017, a plague outbreak in Madagascar attracted widespread attention and panic.
However, since plague is a disease spread by bacteria, the advent of modern antibiotics can be used as treatment. Even so, researchers believe that vaccination development is the most viable option to prevent the spread of disease in the long-term.
Many failed attempts have been made to create a plague vaccine in the past – including one that was made in the US to inoculate soldiers during the Vietnam War.
But in 2018, the WHO created a Plague Vaccine Target Product Profile, which lists off 17 possible candidates for vaccine approval, which are undergoing clinical trials and moving toward FDA approval.
Typhoid Fever
Typhoid fever is a deadly disease that can be spread widely through food and water. Though relatively uncommon in industrialized areas, it remains a significant threat in developing nations throughout Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Two vaccines are commercially available to prevent typhoid fever. After the bacteria responsible for the disease was discovered in 1880, German scientists first began research into these efforts in 1896.
In 1909, US Army physician Frederick F. Russell developed the first US typhoid vaccination. For the next several years, the vaccine would be used for military purposes, but in 1914, it became available among the general American public.
Today, Typhoid fever is uncommon in the US and vaccinations are not commonly recommended for routine use.
Yellow Fever
In 1951, Max Theiler became the first and only scientist to receive a Nobel Prize for the development of a vaccine. His efforts to control yellow fever are widely praised by the scientific community, and he helped to correct years of misled research.
Yellow fever has caused deadly epidemics throughout human history for more than 500 years, and by the end of the 19th century, it was well known to be a threat around the world. But little was known about the disease itself, and early vaccination efforts at the close of the century mistakenly focused on bacterial transmission when it’s actually caused by a virus.
In 1918, researchers working for the Rockefeller Institute developed what they thought was the first successful yellow fever vaccination — but in 1926 Theiler proved otherwise and the faulty vaccine ceased production.
Over a decade later, in 1937, Theiler created the first safe and effective yellow fever vaccination, which has since become the universal standard.
Influenza
Influenza has a long, tragic history of killing millions of people worldwide. During the 1918 influenza pandemic, there were no known cures or vaccinations for the virus.
Starting in the 1930s, it took decades of research to understand the complexities of the influenza virus, and it wasn’t until 1945 that the first vaccine was approved for use in the US.
But just two years later, in 1947, researchers concluded that seasonal changes in the composition of the virus rendered existing vaccinations ineffective.
Researchers realized that two main types of influenza viruses occur — influenza A and influenza B, along with multiple new strains of the virus each year. Because of this, scientists have to tweak the influenza vaccine every year.
Today, seasonal flu vaccines are designed by the WHO using data gathered from influenza surveillance centers to develop a new vaccination based off the three strains most likely to circulate in the upcoming season.
Polio
While polio has likely affected human populations for thousands of years, it wasn’t until the late 1800s that the disease reached epidemic proportions. At the turn of the century, polio tore through the US, leaving many infected patients paralyzed or disabled for life.
Research to understand polio was gradual for the first few decades of the 20th century. In 1935, a vaccination was attempted, first on monkeys and then on children in California. Though this vaccine yielded poor results, two more decades of research paved the way for the development of vaccines by Jonas Salk in 1953, and Albert Sabin in 1956.
After a trial of more than 1.6 million children, Salk’s vaccine was adopted in the US by 1955. Continuous research through the 1980s made way for an even more effective and efficient production of vaccines, and by 1994 polio was eliminated in the Americas.
As recently as 1988, 350,000 people had the debilitating disease, the majority of whom were children. By 2018, there were only 33 cases of polio in the whole world.
Last year saw a slight uptick in the number of cases, with 544. Once we get that number to zero, polio would become only the second human disease we’ve ever wiped from the planet.
Anthrax
Anthrax is thought to have been around since 700 BC, but the first clinical account of the disease was recorded in the 1700s.
Throughout the 1800s, a series of studies to determine where the disease originated from, how long the bacteria could survive, and how the disease transmitted through animals paved the way for the first attempts at a vaccine in 1881.
In 1937, scientist Max Sterne created a successful Anthrax vaccination to be used in livestock, a version of which is still used today, in order to reduce transmission from animals to humans. Thirteen years later, the first human vaccine was created and made available for people working in animal processing mills in the United States.
An updated anthrax vaccine was developed in 1970, which is largely what’s used to prevent the disease in humans today.
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella are viral infections that have each caused widespread, deadly disease outbreaks. Throughout the 1960s, individual vaccines were developed for each of them, but a decade later, they were combined into one.
Measles was the first of the three to receive its own vaccine in 1963, followed by mumps in 1967, and rubella in 1969. Two years later, in 1971, Maurice Hilleman of the Merck Institute of Therapeutic Research developed a combined vaccination that would provide immunity for all three viruses.
Hilleman was credited with creating the first measles and mumps vaccine, and began researching ways to incorporate a system of immunity for each virus. Using his previous research and a rubella vaccine developed by Stanley Plotkin in 1969, he created the first successful MMR vaccine in just two years.
According to the CDC, “One dose of MMR vaccine is 93% effective against measles, 78% effective against mumps, and 97% effective against rubella.”
“Two doses of MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles and 88% effective against mumps.”
Varicella (Chicken Pox)
Primary varicella infection, commonly known as chickenpox, was misdiagnosed as smallpox until the end of the 1800s. In the 1950s, scientists distinguished varicella from herpes zoster (shingles), and subsequent research lead to the development of first vaccine for chickenpox in Japan in the 1970s.
The vaccine was licensed for use in the US in 1995.
Shingles (herpes zoster)
Shingles, or herpes zoster, stems from the same virus that causes chickenpox. The only two ways shingles can develop is after an intital infection of chickenpox, or (uncommonly) exposure to a chickenpox vaccination.
The connection between shingles and chickenpox was first observed in 1953, and throughout the 1960s, studies indicated that shingles was much more common in older populations. But it wasn’t until 2006 that the first commercially available vaccine was licensed in the US.
A more recent licensed vaccine for shingles came with a recommendation by the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in 2018 that adults age 60 or older should be vaccinated for the disease.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a more recent virus, and was discovered by Dr. Baruch Blumberg in 1965. Just four years later, he created the first hepatitis B vaccine using a heat-treated form of the virus.
Twelve years later, in 1981, the FDA approved of the first commercially available hepatitis B vaccination, which involved blood samples from infected donors.
Then, in 1986, a new synthetically prepared vaccine that does not use blood products replaced the original model.
Since Hepatitis B can cause liver cancer, the vaccine was also considered the first anti-cancer vaccine.
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most commonly sexually transmitted disease in the US, and studies show that more than 80% of women will have contracted the virus at some point in their lives.
Two strains of HPV are thought to cause up to 70% of cervical cancer, which can result in hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. The link between HPV and cervical cancer was first made in 1981, and over two decades of research followed before a viable vaccine hit the market.
The first HPV vaccine was developed in the US in 2006, and subsequent research has lead to the development of two more vaccines since.
Today, recommendations on what type of vaccine to get largely depends on age.
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VERIFY: What’s the difference between Emergency Use Authorization and FDA approval?
Currently, three COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for emergency use in the United States. But why haven’t they been fully approved yet?
March 26, 2021
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/emergency-use-authorization-fda-approval-vaccines-fact-check/65-7391e595-cee0-4a00-8468-194a6e0a21a4
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The Biggest, Ongoing FDA Recalls & Lawsuits
November 26, 2019
Losartan Recall
Mylan Alprazolam Recall
Juul Lawsuit
Opioid Lawsuit
Purdue Pharma Lawsuit
Zantac Recall
Amlodipine Recall
Roundup Lawsuit
Hernia Mesh Lawsuit
Mesothelioma Lawsuit
Xarelto Lawsuit
Invokana Lawsuit
Baby Powder Lawsuit
https://laws101.com/fda-recalls-lawsuits/
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FDA-Approved Prescription Drugs Later Pulled from the Market
1/30/2014
1. Accutane (Isotretinoin)
2. Baycol (Cerivastatin)
3. Bextra (Valdecoxib)
4. Cylert (Pemoline)
5. Darvon & Darvocet (Propoxyphene)
6. DBI (Phenformin)
7. DES (Diethylstibestrol)
8. Duract (Bromfenac)
9. Ergamisol (Levamisole)
10. Hismanal (Astemizole)
11. Lotronex (Alosetron)
12. Meridia (Sibutramine)
13. Merital & Alival (Nomifensine)
14. Micturin (Terodiline)
15. Mylotarg (Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin)
16. Omniflox (Temafloxacin)
17. Palladone (Hydromorphone hydrochloride, extended-release)
18. Permax (Pergolide)
19. Pondimin (Fenfluramine)
20. Posicor (Mibefradil)
21. Propulsid (Cisapride)
22. PTZ & Metrazol (Pentylenetetrazol)
23. Quaalude [Marketed as: Optimal, Sopor, Parest, Somnafac, and Bi-Phetamine T] (Methaqualone)
24. Raplon (Rapacuronium)
25. Raptiva (Efalizumab)
26. Raxar (Grepafloxacin)
27. Redux (Dexfenfluramine)
28. Rezulin (Troglitazone)
29. Selacryn (Tienilic acid)
30. Seldane (Terfenadine)
31. Trasylol (Aprotinin)
32. Vioxx (Rofecoxib)
33. Xigris (Drotrecogin alfa (activated))
34. Zelmid (Zimelidine)
35. Zelnorm (Tegaserod maleate)
Sources:
Abbott Laboratories, “Cylert,” American Journal of Diseases of Children, http://www.bonkersinstitute.org, 1976
Adforum.com, “Zelnorm – ‘N/A’ – Deutsch NY,” http://www.adforum.com (accessed Feb. 7, 2014)
AP, “Drug Maker Pleads Guilty over Lethal Side Effects,” http://www.nytimes.com, Dec. 14, 1984
AstraZeneca, “AstraZeneca Decides to Withdraw Exanta TM,” http://www.astrazeneca.com, Feb. 14, 2006
Michelle R. Carter and Sorour Amirhaeri, “p-ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Caused by Levamisole-Adulterated Cocaine: A Case Report,” Case Reports in Emergency Medicine, http://www.hindawi.com, 2013
Marlene Cimons, “Seldane Pulled for a Safer Allergy Drug,” http://www.latimes.com, Dec. 30, 1997
Dan Collins, “Insider: FDA Won’t Protect Public,” http://www.cbsnews.com, Dec. 7, 2004
Richard DeGrandpre, The Cult of Pharmacology: How America Became the World’s Most Troubled Drug Culture, 2006
“Drugs: The Dangers of Analgesics,” http://www.time.com, Feb. 24, 1967
Drugwatch, “What Is Accutane? It’s Uses and Interactions,” http://www.drugwatch.com/accutane, Dec. 10, 2013
Fairfield State Hospital, “Metrazol Therapy,” http://www.fairfieldstatehospital.com, Jan. 15, 2013
FDA, “FDA Alerts Consumers of Undeclared Drug Ingredients in Over-the-Counter Diabetes Product,” http://www.fda.gov, July 23, 2013
FDA, “FDA Announces Withdrawal Fenfluramine and Dexfenfluramine (Fen-Phen),” http://www.fda.gov, Sep. 15, 1997
FDA, “FDA Announces Voluntary Withdrawal of Pergolide Products: Agency Working with Product Manufacturers,” http://www.fda.gov, Mar. 29, 2007
FDA, “FDA Approves First Treatment for Women with Constipation-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” http://www.web.archive.org, July 24, 2002
FDA, “FDA Drug Safety Communication: Voluntary Market Withdrawal of Xigris [drotrecogin alfa (activated)] Due to Failure to Show a Survival Benefit,” http://www.fda.gov, Oct. 25, 2011
FDA, “FDA Issues Public Health Advisory for Trasylol,” http://www.fda.gov, Feb. 8, 2006
FDA, “FDA: Pfizer Voluntarily Withdraws Cancer Treatment Mylotarg from U.S. Market,” http://www.fda.gov, June 21, 2010
FDA, “FDA Requests Marketing Suspension of Trasylol,” http://www.fda.gov, Nov. 5, 2007
FDA, “How Does FDA Decide When a Drug Is not Safe enough to Stay on the Market,” http://www.fda.gov, Jan. 7, 2010
FDA, “Information for Healthcare Professionals: Pemoline Tablets and Chewable Tablets (marketed as Cylert),” http://www.fda.gov, Oct. 2005
FDA, “Information for Healthcare Professionals: Valdecoxib (marketed as Bextra),” http://www.fda.gov, Apr. 7, 2005
FDA, “Propulsid (cisapride) Dear Healthcare Professional Letter Jan 2000,” http://www.fda.gov, Jan 24, 2000
FDA, “Propoxyphene: Withdrawal – Risk of Cardiac Toxicity,” http://www.fda.gov, Nov. 19, 2010
FDA, “Public Health Advisory: Suspended Marketing of Palladone (hydromophone hydrocloride, extended-release capsules),” http://www.fda.gov, July 13, 2005
FDA, “Questions and Answers about Withdrawal of Duract,” http://www.fda.gov, Aug. 23, 2013
FDA, “Questions and Answers about Withdrawal of Fenfluramine (Pondimine) and Dexfenfluramine (Redux),” http://www.fda.gov, July, 7, 2005
FDA, “Raplon (Rapacuronium Bromide),” http://www.fda.gov, Mar. 29, 2001
FDA, “Recalling the Omniflox (Temafloxacin) Tablets,” June 5, 1992
FDA, “FDA Statement on the Voluntary Withdrawal of Raptiva from the U.S. Market,” http://www.fda.gov, Apr. 8, 2009
FDA, “Withdrawal of Product: RAXAR (grepafloxin HCL) 600 mg Tablets, 400 mg Tablets, and 200 mg Tablets,” http://www.fda.gov, Nov. 1, 1999
FDA, “Zelnorm (tegaserod maleate) Information,” http://www.fda.gov, May 11, 2012
Jef Feeley, “Pfizer Ends Rezulin Cases with $205 Million to Spare (Update1),” http://www.bloomberg.com, Mar. 31, 2009
Barbara Forney, “Pergolide for Veterinary Use,” http://www.wedgewoodpetrx.com (accessed Jan. 6, 2014)
Curt D. Furgerg and Bertram Pitt, “Withdrawal of Cerivastatin from the World Market,” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, Sep. 26, 2001
Raymond Goldberg, Drugs across the Spectrum, 6th edition, 2010
Barbara Hammes and Cynthia Laitman, “Pharmaceutical Company Advertisement for DES by the Grant Chemical Company, Brooklyn, NY, Printed in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology in 1957,” Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health, http://www.medscape.com, 2003
David Healy, Let Them Eat Prozac: The Unhealthy Relationship between the Pharmaceutical Industry and Depression, 2004
Charles D. Helper and Richard Segal, Preventing Medication Errors and Improving Drug Therapy Outcomes: A Management Systems Approach, 2003
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Self Help and Support Group, “Lotronex,” http://www.ibsgroups.org (accessed Jan. 6, 2014)
Harvey Kirk, “Darvon and Darvocet Deaths Lead FDA Panel to Recommend Recall,” http://www.youhavealawyer.com, Feb. 2, 2009
Lilly, “Lilly Announces Withdrawal of Xigris R Following Recent Clinical Trial Results,” http://www.fda.gov, Oct. 25, 2011
National Cancer Institute, “Diethylstilbestrol (DES) and Cancer,” http://www.cancer.gov, Oct. 5, 2011
Steven Morris, “Abbott Gets FDA Approval for Omniflox Antibiotic,” http://www.chicagotribune.com, Feb. 1, 1992
MSNBC Staff, “Report: Vioxx Linked to Thousands of Deaths,” http://www.nbcnews.com, Oct. 6, 2004
Pink Sheet, “FDA Clears Treatment IND for Colon Cancer Drug Levamisole,” http://www.elsevierbi.com, May 15, 1989
https://prescriptiondrugs.procon.org/fda-approved-prescription-drugs-later-pulled-from-the-market/
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Number Of Drugs Recalled By Fda
https://druglist.info/number-of-drugs-recalled-by-fda/
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Pharmacist Shows Blank COVID 19 Vaccine Insert
May 7th, 2021
https://odysee.com/@AlexJonesChannel:c/Pharmacist-Shows-Blank-COVID-19-Vaccine-Insert:d
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mRNA Vaccines Might Prove Catastrophic in a Rushed Coronavirus Response
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
https://www.newswars.com/mrna-vaccines-might-prove-catastrophic-in-a-rushed-coronavirus-response/
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Large Israeli study offers detailed look at safety profile of mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2
Aug 30 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210830/Large-Israeli-study-offers-detailed-look-at-safety-profile-of-mRNA-vaccine-against-SARS-CoV-2.aspx
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EU looking into new possible side-effects of mRNA COVID-19 shots
August 11, 2021
Skin rash, two kidney disorders being studied by EMA
Regulator requests more data from Pfizer, Moderna
Has not recommended label changes
Aug 11 (Reuters) – Three new conditions reported by a small number of people after vaccination with COVID-19 shots from Pfizer (PFE.N) and Moderna (MRNA.O) are being studied to assess if they may be possible side-effects, Europe’s drugs regulator said on Wednesday.
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/eu-drugs-regulator-looking-new-possible-side-effects-mrna-vaccines-2021-08-11/
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Alarming casualty rates for mRNA vaccines warrant urgent action
19 May 2021
https://www.sott.net/article/453351-Engdahl-Alarming-casualty-rates-for-mRNA-vaccines-warrant-urgent-action
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Here’s How Covid-19 Immunity Compares to Other Diseases
04.17.2020
To stop the pandemic, it is critical to know how our immune system’s antibodies fight the coronavirus. This is what science can tell us so far.
https://www.wired.com/story/covid-19-immunity/
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LIST OF HUMAN AND ANIMAL PATHOGENS AND TOXINS FOR EXPORT CONTROL DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade)
July 2017
https://australiagroup.net/en/human_animal_pathogens.html
Viruses
- African horse sickness virus
- African swine fever virus
- Andes virus
- Avian influenza virus[2]
- Bluetongue virus
- Chapare virus
- Chikungunya virus
- Choclo virus
- Classical swine fever virus (Hog cholera virus)
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
- Dobrava-Belgrade virus
- Eastern equine encephalitis virus
- Ebolavirus: all members of the Ebolavirus genus
- Foot-and-mouth disease virus
- Goatpox virus
- Guanarito virus
- Hantaan virus
- Hendra virus (Equine morbillivirus)
- Japanese encephalitis virus
- Junin virus
- Kyasanur Forest disease virus
- Laguna Negra virus
- Lassa virus
- Louping ill virus
- Lujo virus
- Lumpy skin disease virus
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus
- Machupo virus
- Marburgvirus: all members of the Marburgvirus genus
- Monkeypox virus
- Murray Valley encephalitis virus
- Newcastle disease virus
- Nipah virus
- Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus
- Oropouche virus
- Peste-des-petits-ruminants virus
- Porcine Teschovirus
- Powassan virus
- Rabies virus and other members of the Lyssavirus genus
- Reconstructed 1918 influenza virus
- Rift Valley fever virus
- Rinderpest virus
- Rocio virus
- Sabia virus
- Seoul virus
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-related coronavirus)
- Sheep pox virus
- Sin Nombre virus
- St. Louis encephalitis virus
- Suid herpesvirus 1 (Pseudorabies virus; Aujeszky’s disease)
- Swine vesicular disease virus
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (Far Eastern subtype)
- Variola virus
- Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus
- Vesicular stomatitis virus
- Western equine encephalitis virus
- Yellow fever virus
Bacteria
- Bacillus anthracis
- Brucella abortus
- Brucella melitensis
- Brucella suis
- Burkholderia mallei (Pseudomonas mallei)
- Burkholderia pseudomallei (Pseudomonas pseudomallei)
- Chlamydia psittaci (Chlamydophila psittaci)
- Clostridium argentinense (formerly known as Clostridium botulinum Type G), botulinum neurotoxin producing strains
- Clostridium baratii, botulinum neurotoxin producing strains
- Clostridium botulinum
- Clostridium butyricum, botulinum neurotoxin producing strains
- Clostridium perfringens, epsilon toxin producing types[3]
- Coxiella burnetii
- Francisella tularensis
- Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae (“strain F38”)
- Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides SC (small colony)
- Rickettsia prowazekii
- Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi (Salmonella typhi)
- Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) of serogroups O26, O45, O103, O104, O111, O121, O145, O157, and other shiga toxin producing serogroups[4]
- Shigella dysenteriae
- Vibrio cholerae
- Yersinia pestis
Toxins as follows and subunits thereof:
- Abrin
- Aflatoxins
- Botulinum toxins
- Cholera toxin
- Clostridium perfringens alpha, beta 1, beta 2, epsilon and iota toxins
- Conotoxins
- Diacetoxyscirpenol
- HT-2 toxin
- Microcystins (Cyanoginosins)
- Modeccin
- Ricin
- Saxitoxin
- Shiga toxins (shiga-like toxins, verotoxins, and verocytotoxins)
- Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins, hemolysin alpha toxin, and toxic shock syndrome toxin (formerly known as Staphylococcus enterotoxin F)
- T-2 toxin
- Tetrodotoxin
- Viscumin (Viscum album lectin 1)
- Volkensin
Fungi
- Coccidioides immitis
- Coccidioides posadasii
[1] An agent/pathogen is covered by this list except when it is in the form of a vaccine. A vaccine is a medicinal product in a pharmaceutical formulation licensed by, or having marketing or clinical trial authorisation from, the regulatory authorities of either the country of manufacture or of use, which is intended to stimulate a protective immunological response in humans or animals in order to prevent disease in those to whom or to which it is administered.
Biological agents and pathogens are controlled when they are an isolated live culture of a pathogen agent, or a preparation of a toxin agent which has been isolated or extracted from any source, or material including living material which has been deliberately inoculated or contaminated with the agent. Isolated live cultures of a pathogen agent include live cultures in dormant form or in dried preparations, whether the agent is natural, enhanced or modified.
[2] This includes only those Avian influenza viruses of high pathogenicity as defined by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the European Union (EU), or competent national regulatory bodies.
[3] It is understood that limiting this control to epsilon toxin-producing strains of Clostridium perfringens therefore exempts from control the transfer of other Clostridium perfringens strains to be used as positive control cultures for food testing and quality control.
[4] Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) includes inter alia enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), verotoxin producing E. coli (VTEC) or verocytotoxin producing E. coli (VTEC).
[5] Excluding immunotoxins
[6] Excluding botulinum toxins and conotoxins in product form meeting all of the following criteria:
- are pharmaceutical formulations designed for testing and human administration in the treatment of medical conditions;
- are pre-packaged for distribution as clinical or medical products; and
- are authorised by a state authority to be marketed as clinical or medical products
Warning List
Bacteria
- Clostridium tetani
- Legionella pneumophila
- Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
- Other strains of Clostridium species that produce botulinum neurotoxin
Fungi
- Fusarium langsethiae
- Fusarium sporotrichioides
[1] Biological agents are controlled when they are an isolated live culture of a pathogen agent, or a preparation of a toxin agent which has been isolated or extracted from any source, or material including living material which has been deliberately inoculated or contaminated with the agent. Isolated live cultures of a pathogen agent include live cultures in dormant form or in dried preparations, whether the agent is natural, enhanced or modified.
An agent is covered by this list except when it is in the form of a vaccine. A vaccine is a medicinal product in a pharmaceutical formulation licensed by, or having marketing or clinical trial authorisation from, the regulatory authorities of either the country of manufacture or of use, which is intended to stimulate a protective immunological response in humans or animals in order to prevent disease in those to whom or to which it is administered.
[2] The Australia Group recognizes that this organism is ubiquitous, but, as it has been acquired in the past as part of biological warfare programs, it is worthy of special caution.
[3] It is the intent of Australia Group members to add to the control list strains of species of Clostridium identified as producing botulinum neurotoxin.
Genetic Elements and Genetically-modified Organisms:
Any genetically-modified organism which contains, or genetic element that codes for:
- any gene or genes specific to any listed virus; or
- any gene or genes specific to any listed bacterium or fungus, and which
- in itself or through its transcribed or translated products represents a significant hazard to human, animal or plant health, or
- could endow or enhance pathogenicity; or
- any listed toxins or their sub-units.
Technical note:
- Genetically-modified organisms include organisms in which the nucleic acid sequences have been created or altered by deliberate molecular manipulation.
- Genetic elements include, inter alia: chromosomes, genomes, plasmids, transposons, vectors, and inactivated organisms containing recoverable nucleic acid fragments, whether genetically modified or unmodified, or chemically synthesized in whole or in part. For the purposes of the genetic elements control, nucleic acids from an inactivated organism, virus, or sample are considered ‘recoverable’ if the inactivation and preparation of the material is intended or known to facilitate isolation, purification, amplification, detection, or identification of nucleic acids.
- These controls do not apply to nucleic acid sequences of shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli of serogroups O26, O45, O103, O104, O111, O121, O145, O157, and other shiga toxin producing serogroups, other than those genetic elements coding for shiga toxin, or for its subunits.
- ‘Endow or enhance pathogenicity’ is defined as when the insertion or integration of the nucleic acid sequence or sequences is/are likely to enable or increase a recipient organism’s ability to be used to deliberately cause disease or death. This might include alterations to, inter alia: virulence, transmissibility, stability, route of infection, host range, reproducibility, ability to evade or suppress host immunity, resistance to medical countermeasures, or detectability.
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Overview of Potential Agents of Biological Terrorism
https://www.siumed.edu/im/overview-potential-agents-biological-terrorism.html
Infectious Agents as Tools of Mass Casualties
Bioterrorism , National Security and Law
Historical Perspective and Trends Related to Bioterrorism
Chronology of Anti-Bioterrorism (Biosafety).
Potential Biological Weapons Threat Repositories and Sources
The Threat of Biological Weapons
Types of Bioterrorism Attacks
Agents of Bioterrorism Attacks
Category A Agents
Plague
Category B Agents
Q fever
Brucellosis
Glanders and Melioidosis
Category B – Viral Agents of Bioterrorism
Category B – Biological Toxins
Class C Agents for Bioterroism
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Bioterrorism and the Role of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory
https://cmr.asm.org/content/29/1/175
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Vaccine Development for Biothreat Alphaviruses
2010
https://www.omicsonline.org/vaccine-development-for-biothreat-alphaviruses-2157-2526.S1-001.php?aid=2260
Introduction
Venezuelan (VEEV), eastern (EEEV), and western equine encephalitis (WEEV) viruses, members of the genus Alphavirus in the family Togaviridae, are causative agents of debilitative, acute, and sometimes fatal encephalitis in North, Central, and South America. These viruses are maintained in nature in a zoonotic cycle between susceptible nonhuman vertebrate hosts, and hematophagous mosquito vectors. Natural human cases are rare, and occur via the bite of an infected mosquito. Since the discovery of these viruses, several epizootic outbreaks, infecting human and equid livestock populations, have been recognized. Additionally, these viruses pose a threat to public health, and military personnel because of their potential use as bioweapons. This threat is based on virus characteristics favorable to weaponization, and a known history of weaponization. First, these viruses have been proven to be highly infectious by the aerosol route. They are also easy to produce at high titer, have a low infectious dose, and can be lyophilized. VEEV was tested as a biowarfare agent during the U.S. offensive program in the 1950’s and 1960’s, and may have been weaponized by the former Soviet Union. Because of the potential for weaponization, VEEV, EEEV, and WEEV are classified as category B pathogens by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Veterinary vaccines utilizing inactivated alphavirus preparations are available and in routine use to control infection in endemic areas. Unlicensed, investigational vaccines for VEEV, EEEV, and WEEV are also in use to protect at-risk laboratory personnel. There are currently no vaccines licensed for general use in the U.S. for prevention or treatment of alphavirus infections.
Alphavirus virions are small, spherical particles ~ 70 nm in diameter. The viral nucleocapsid core is surrounded by a host-derived lipid membrane in which 80 protein spikes composed of trimers of E1/ E2 heterodimers are embedded. The nucleocapsid consists of the capsid protein (C) surrounding the single-strand, positive sense, ~11 kb RNA genome. The genomic RNA is capped, has a polyadenylated tail, and is immediately translated upon entry into the cell cytoplasm. The 5′ region of the genome encodes four nonstructural proteins (responsible for viral transcription and replication), while the 3′ region codes for five structural proteins (Figure 1). The structural genes are initially expressed as a polyprotein from a 26S subgenomic RNA (Figure 1). Cleavage events (by furin and signalase) produce the mature structural proteins, including C, E1, and E2, as well as E3 and 6K. The E2 glycoprotein is thought to be involved in receptor binding. The E1 glycoprotein has a role in endosomal membrane fusion, and release of the nucleocapsid into the cytoplasm. In response to infection, most neutralizing antibodies are produced targeting the E2 protein. Given that many studies have demonstrated that a neutralizing antibody response correlates with protection against a subcutaneous challenge, E2 is the most common antigen used in vaccine efforts to combat alphavirus infections. Although, neutralizing antibodies against E1 protein are rare, E1 alone has been successfully used as a vaccine antigen capable of protecting against lethal challenge.
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The world’s most dangerous bioweapons
12 Apr 2015
Bioweapons such as Anthrax, Botulism and Variola have been studied as weapons, engineered and in some cases even deployed to devastating affect. Army-technology lists the world’s most deadly bio-weapons.
Bunyavirus
The Bunyaviridae family of viruses includes three viruses – Nairovirus, Phlebovirus and Hantavirus. Korean haemorrhagic fever caused by Hantavirus broke out during the Korean War when an estimated 3,000 American and Korean soldiers became infected with the disease, but evidence of its direct usage as a biological weapon has not been found.
Bunyavirus causes human infections such as Hanta Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), Rift Valley fever and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. It is transmitted by arthropods and rodents and occasionally infects humans too. The Hanta virus causing HPS causes a mortality rate of up to 50%.
Aflatoxin
Aflatoxins, a number of structurally associated harmful metabolites developed by certain strains of fungi, lead to cell or organ death, Cirrhosis liver disease resulting in liver failure and cancer.
The United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) in 1995 specified Iraq’s production and deployment of different munitions with Aflatoxin which were destroyed after the Gulf War. The metabolites, however, have extremely low toxicity and hence are required in large quantities to be dispersed on the battlefield for lethal impact.
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New Generation of Vaccines Prepared using Genetically Modified Microorganisms
1995
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/08910609509140159
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5 Scariest Disease Outbreaks of the Past Century
2013
https://www.livescience.com/41478-scariest-disease-outbreaks.html
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Why Killer Viruses Are On The Rise
2017
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/02/14/511227050/why-killer-viruses-are-on-the-rise
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Biological warfare
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_warfare
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Genetic engineering of Francisella tularensis LVS for use as a novel live vaccine platform against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21655979.2015.1011033
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NIH Scientists Show How Tularemia Bacteria Trick Cells to Cause Disease
May 30, 2018
https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/nih-scientists-show-how-tularemia-bacteria-trick-cells-cause-disease
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Why Are So Many People That Have “Recovered” From The Coronavirus Testing Positive Again?
April 7, 2020
Something isn’t adding up
But of course the truth is that they don’t really know why this is happening.
And similar cases have been popping up all over China for quite some time. In fact, “second-time infections” have been documented “in many regions”…
As China releases more patients who have recovered from the coronavirus, there are an increasing number who are testing positive for the second time. The State Council ’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism said last Saturday that second-time infections have been reported in many regions, including Guangdong, Sichuan, Hunan, and Hubei province, where Wuhan is the capital city.
Needless to say, it is likely to have a tremendous impact on public policy if scientists are able to confirm that “second-time infections” can happen very rapidly following a full recovery, and so it is absolutely imperative that scientists get to the bottom of this mystery as rapidly at possible.
So far, researchers in China are reporting that “between 3 and 10% of cured patients became reinfected” shortly after fully recovering from the virus. The following comes from Fox News…
https://www.infowars.com/why-are-so-many-people-that-have-recovered-from-the-coronavirus-testing-positive-again/
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Can you get the coronavirus twice? Scientists aren’t entirely sure
Jul 28, 2020
https://wgnradio.com/news/can-you-get-the-coronavirus-twice-scientists-arent-entirely-sure/
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COVID-19 Can Last for Several Months
June 4, 2020
The disease’s “long-haulers” have endured relentless waves of debilitating symptoms—and disbelief from doctors and friends.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/06/covid-19-coronavirus-longterm-symptoms-months/612679/?utm_source=pocket-newtab
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New Mexico man goes home after 550 days in hospital for COVID-19
March 6, 2022
https://www.yahoo.com/now/mexico-man-goes-home-550-225338696.html
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A man who has tested positive for COVID-19 for the last 14 months is petitioning authorities to let him hug his grandkids, reports say
Feb 12, 2022
https://www.businessinsider.com/turkey-man-tests-positive-covid-19-for-14-months-reports-2022-2?op=1
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Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?
Aug. 19, 2021
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html
In general, people are considered fully vaccinated: ±
2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.
If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may not be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated. You should continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people until advised otherwise by your healthcare provider.
People with moderately to severely compromised immune systems should receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after the initial 2 doses.
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What the CDC says to do if you’re fully vaccinated and exposed to COVID-19
Feb 12, 2021
https://www.wdrb.com/news/what-the-cdc-says-to-do-if-youre-fully-vaccinated-and-exposed-to-covid-19/article_5b8a89a6-6d85-11eb-a02c-67ab52bbd6cc.html
“COVID has really highlighted that certain communities are disproportionally affected by illness in general, not just COVID,” said Dr. Edward Miller, chief diversity officer and division director for maternal and fetal medicine at UofL Health.
Miller said this is one of several churches UofL Health hopes to partner with to set up vaccine sites.
“We have many other churches that are interested and we have reached out to,” he said. “Our goal is to not be here just this one time. Our goal is to have this continued relationship.”
Otis Mitchell is one of the community members who rolled up his sleeve for the vaccine Friday.
“I want to be healthy,” he said. “I’m 70. I want to live a little longer, and that means getting the vaccine. All you have to do is watch the news and hear about all the deaths and so many people that are being affected by COVID-19. You’ve got to be aware of that, and I’m aware of it.”
When asked about potential side effects, Mitchell said he’s not concerned.
“I’ve heard different things, but you know, everybody’s different,” he said.
In a few weeks, Mitchell will return for his second dose. Shortly after, he’ll be considered fully vaccinated.
And with more people getting vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated guidance for people who are fully vaccinated and exposed to someone with COVID-19. According to the CDC, if someone is vaccinated and exposed to a person with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, they aren’t required to quarantine if they meet all of the following criteria:
Are fully vaccinated (i.e., ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine)
Are within 3 months following receipt of the last dose in the series
Have remained asymptomatic since the current COVID-19 exposure.
The CDC did note that once you reach the three-month mark post-vaccine, you should quarantine again, which raised questions about how long you are protected after getting the shot.
According to UofL Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jason Smith, there’s not data yet on exactly how long immunity lasts after getting vaccinated.
Dr. John Klein, with U of L’s School of Medicine, said the CDC is being cautious because that data isn’t clear.
“But certainly the vaccines are effective well beyond the 90-day period and there’s a fair amount of the data from the clinical trials looking at not only antibody levels, which will decline, but also the other parts of the immune system that help protect us from the virus, that those are still engaged and primed and ready to go,” he said.
Klein added that it’s important to quarantine if you have any symptoms, even if you’ve been vaccinated. That’s because there isn’t currently an approved vaccine that’s 100% effective, so even though the chances are small, you could still be infected.
While more data is being collected, those with UofL Health hope to expand their reach by creating additional pop-up clinics and getting as many people vaccinated as possible.
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Researchers encourage longer dosing intervals for Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine
Sep 22 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210922/Researchers-encourage-longer-dosing-intervals-for-Pfizer-BioNTeche28099s-COVID-19-vaccine.aspx
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Professor warns people ‘will be reinfected every two to four years’
March 27, 2021
https://247newsnetworks.com/2021/03/27/professor-warns-people-will-be-reinfected-every-two-to-four-years/
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Fauci: COVID Booster Shots Will Be Needed Every 8 Months
August 29, 2021
https://www.infowars.com/posts/fauci-covid-booster-shots-will-be-needed-every-8-months/
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Cult-owned Fascist Fauci: ‘Covid’ Booster Shots Will Be Needed Every 8 Months (and you’ll have them or lose your ‘passport’ – are you getting it yet)
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Lasting immunity found after recovery from COVID-19
January 26, 2021
At a Glance
The immune systems of more than 95% of people who recovered from COVID-19 had durable memories of the virus up to eight months after infection.
The results provide hope that people receiving SARS-CoV-2 vaccines will develop similar lasting immune memories after vaccination.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/lasting-immunity-found-after-recovery-covid-19
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COVID vaccine protection wanes within six months – UK researchers
August 25, 2021
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covid-jab-protection-wanes-within-six-months-uk-researchers-2021-08-25/
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U.S. plans COVID-19 booster shots at six months instead of eight – WSJ
August 25, 2021
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-plans-covid-19-booster-shots-six-months-instead-eight-wsj-2021-08-25/
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Biden, Fauci discuss requiring COVID booster shots every 5 months
August 27, 2021
https://nypost.com/2021/08/27/biden-and-fauci-discuss-covid-19-booster-shots-every-5-months/
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The U.K Health Secretary Announces From Now On All Brits Will Need Boosters Every 3 Months
November 30, 2021
https://theworldwatch.com/the-uk-health-secretary-announces-from-now-on-all-brits-will-need-boosters-every-3-months.htm
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EU regulators warn frequent Covid-19 booster shots could affect immune system
Jan 12, 2022
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/eu-regulators-warn-frequent-covid-19-booster-shots-could-affect-immune-system
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Covid Boosters Could Weaken Immune System, EU Regulators Warn
January 13, 2022
https://newsrescue.com/covid-boosters-could-weaken-immune-system-eu-regulators-warn/
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Repeat Booster Shots Could Be Bad For You, Warn Some Experts
January 12, 2022
Repeat booster doses every four months could eventually weaken the immune system and tire out people, according to the European Medicines Agency.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/frequent-covid-vaccine-booster-shots-could-weaken-immunity-warn-european-regulators-2703208
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Frequent Boosters Spur Warning on Immune Response
January 11, 2022
European Union regulators warned that frequent Covid-19 booster shots could adversely affect the immune response and may not be feasible.
Repeat booster doses every four months could eventually weaken the immune response and tire out people, according to the European Medicines Agency. Instead, countries should leave more time between booster programs and tie them to the onset of the cold season in each hemisphere, following the blueprint set out by influenza vaccination strategies, the agency said.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-11/repeat-booster-shots-risk-overloading-immune-system-ema-says
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UK To Offer Booster Shots To All Adults Every 3 Months
November 30th, 2021
https://thecovidworld.com/uk-to-offer-booster-shots-to-all-adults-every-3-months/
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Pfizer booster protection against Omicron drops in 10 weeks, study says
December 24, 2021
https://nypost.com/2021/12/24/booster-protection-against-omicron-drops-within-10-weeks-study/
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NHS will offer 13,000 HIV patients new ‘incredible’ £1,600 injections only needed six times a year instead of daily pills to keep virus at bay
17 November 2021
Charities have hailed the ‘incredible news’ which offers an alternative to daily pill
Many people living with HIV can keep the virus at very low levels by taking tablet
They keep the number of virus particles very low that it cannot be transmitted
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10214921/13-000-people-HIV-offered-new-long-acting-treatment.html
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Monthly Injection Is Approved for Patients With HIV
March 2, 2021
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2776862
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Once-a-day antiretroviral medicine for children proven to be more effective at suppressing HIV
Dec 30 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20211230/Once-a-day-antiretroviral-medicine-for-children-proven-to-be-more-effective-at-suppressing-HIV.aspx
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Easy-to-take medicine better at suppressing HIV in children
December 29, 2021
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-12-easy-to-take-medicine-suppressing-hiv-children.html
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Newly Discovered Flu Virus Vulnerability May Do Away With Annual Shots
2021
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/newly-discovered-flu-virus-vulnerability-may-do-away-with-annual-shots/
The annual flu vaccine is an incredible tool to protect the most vulnerable (and many others) from recurrent disease. The virus’ danger lies in the ever-changing structures on the outer shell, requiring new vaccines every year to target them – but things might soon change.
A vulnerability has been discovered by researchers from The Scripps Research Institute, reported in the journal Nature. There is a section of the virus called the anchor that has not really been studied much – and it appears to be shared among many variants of the influenza virus. This has the potential to be exploited into a universal vaccine received once (or just a few times) rather than annually.
“It’s always very exciting to discover a new site of vulnerability on a virus because it paves the way for rational vaccine design,” co-senior author Dr Andrew Ward, professor of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at Scripps Research, said in a statement. “It also demonstrates that despite all the years and effort of influenza vaccine research there are still new things to discover.”
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Could One Shot Kill the Flu?
November 22, 2021
https://www.newyorker.com/science/annals-of-medicine/could-one-shot-kill-the-flu
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No more annual flu shot? New target for universal influenza vaccine
December 23, 2021
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211223113049.htm
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US Army Creates Single Vaccine Against All COVID & SARS Variants, Researchers Say
December 21, 2021
Within weeks, Walter Reed researchers expect to announce that human trials show success against Omicron—and even future strains.
https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2021/12/us-army-creates-single-vaccine-effective-against-all-covid-sars-variants/360089/
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Pfizer To ‘Require’ Twice-Per-Day COVID Pill Alongside Vaccines
Pfizer is so confident the pill will be approved and likely mandated that it has started production before the end of clinical trials
September 1, 2021
https://nationalfile.com/pfizer-is-now-developing-a-twice-per-day-covid-pill-that-must-be-taken-alongside-vaccines/
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Fauci suggests COVID-19 outbreaks could assume a seasonal nature
April 5, 2020
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/fauci-suggests-covid-19-outbreaks-could-assume-a-seasonal-nature-2020-04-05
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Covid: Scientists warn of mass return to normality amid fears of a winter spike
10 September 2021
https://www.itv.com/news/2021-09-10/covid-scientists-warn-against-mass-return-to-offices-amid-fears-of-winter-spike
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CDC director says we might not need annual Covid boosters after third shot
Aug 19 2021
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Thursday that Americans may not need yearly Covid-19 booster shots.
Walensky suggested a third shot may sufficiently strengthen the long-term protection of Pfizer’s or Moderna’s vaccines.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/19/cdc-director-says-we-might-not-need-annual-covid-boosters-after-third-shot.html
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Pfizer’s CEO Tell Us Why He Thinks We’ll Need COVID-19 Vaccines Every Year, Like Flu Shots
Aug 26, 2021
https://www.businessinsider.com/pfizer-ceo-albert-bourla-predicts-annual-covid-19-boosters-shots-2021-8
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COVID vaccines are set to be among the most lucrative pharmaceutical products ever
November 24, 2021
https://www.npr.org/2021/11/24/1059041725/covid-vaccines-are-set-to-be-among-the-most-lucrative-pharmaceutical-products-ev
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Covid vaccine profits mint 9 new pharma billionaires
May 21, 2021
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/21/business/covid-vaccine-billionaires/index.html
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Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine captures the most annual sales of any medical product ever — by more than $15B
February 8, 2022
https://endpts.com/pfizers-covid-19-vaccine-captures-the-most-annual-sales-of-any-medical-product-ever-by-more-than-10b/
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“Brought to you by Pfizer”
2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlARrmWhHXo
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COVID-19 vaccine demand plummeting
Mar 3, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXQzA26yk24
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Millions of Doses of Covid Vaccine Dumped as Demand Plummets
2022/03/05
https://dcweekly.org/2022/03/05/millions-of-doses-of-covid-vaccine-dumped-as-demand-plummets/
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Cult-owned CDC Endorses Cult-owned FDA Approval of Pfizer ‘Covid’ Fake Vaccine for 16 and Older, Amid Questions About Missing Data and Which Fake Vaccine Is Actually Approved
September 1, 2021
https://davidicke.com/2021/09/01/cult-owned-cdc-endorses-cult-owned-fda-approval-of-pfizer-covid-fake-vaccine-for-16-and-older-amid-questions-about-missing-data-and-which-fake-vaccine-is-actually-approved/
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3 Experts Have Resigned From An FDA Committee Over Alzheimer’s Drug Approval
June 11, 2021
https://www.npr.org/2021/06/11/1005567149/3-experts-have-resigned-from-an-fda-committee-over-alzheimers-drug-approval
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Third member of FDA expert committee resigns over controversial Alzheimer’s therapy decision
June 11, 2021
A third member of a Food and Drug Administration expert panel has resigned over the agency’s contentious approval of an Alzheimer’s therapy this week, a sign of a growing backlash over the decision.
In a letter to acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock on Thursday, Aaron Kesselheim, who had served on the FDA’s advisory committee for nervous system therapies since 2015, wrote that the approval of Biogen’s Aduhelm “was probably the worst drug approval decision in recent U.S. history.”
http://stateofthenation.co/?p=68671
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Janet Woodcock
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Woodcock
Janet Woodcock (born August 29, 1948) is an American physician who is currently serving as the acting Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She joined the FDA in 1986, and has held a number of senior leadership positions there including terms as the Director of Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) from 1994 to 2004 and 2007–2021.
Controversy
Opioid crisis
On January 27, 2021 a coalition of 28 public health groups and opioid crisis organizations sent a letter to the Biden Administration regarding Woodcock’s position as Acting Commissioner of the FDA. The letter said in part that “as the Director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) for more than 25 years, Dr. Woodcock presided over one of the worst regulatory agency failures in U.S. history.” Examples of improper opioid decisions mentioned in the letter include “approving Opana without adequate evidence of safety or long-term efficacy, approving Zohydro despite a vote of 11-2 against approval by a scientific advisory committee, and approving promotion of OxyContin for children as young as 11 years old.”
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Hidden conflicts? Pharma payments to FDA advisers after drug approvals spark ethical concerns
Science investigation of journal disclosures and pharmaceutical funding records shows potential influence on physician gatekeepers
5 Jul 2018
https://www.science.org/news/2018/07/hidden-conflicts-pharma-payments-fda-advisers-after-drug-approvals-spark-ethical
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FDA Scientists Ask Obama to Restructure Drug Agency
Jan. 8, 2009
https://web.archive.org/web/20150112071252/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123142562104564381
WASHINGTON — A group of scientists at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday sent a letter to President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team pleading with him to restructure the agency, saying managers have ordered, intimidated and coerced scientists to manipulate data in violation of the law.
The nine scientists, whose names have been provided to the transition team and to some members of Congress, say the FDA is a “fundamentally broken” agency and describe it as place where honest employees committed to integrity can’t act without fear of reprisal.
“There is an atmosphere at FDA in which the honest employee fears the dishonest employee,” according to the letter, addressed to John Podesta, head of Mr. Obama’s transition team.
The letter will likely increase pressure on Tom Daschle, Mr. Obama’s choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services, to make sweeping changes at the agency.
The scientists’ main concerns are with the agency’s scientific review process for medical devices, which they characterize as having been “corrupted and distorted by current FDA managers, thereby placing the American people at risk.”
They sent a similar letter in October to the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, but the latest one provides more detailed allegations about problems at the agency, such as the threat of disciplinary action against scientists who dissent from management.
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Are Your Medications Safe?
Feb 09, 2015
The FDA buries evidence of fraud in medical trials. My students and I dug it up.
Agents of the Food and Drug Administration know better than anyone else just how bad scientific misbehavior can get. Reading the FDA’s inspection files feels almost like watching a highlights reel from a Scientists Gone Wild video. It’s a seemingly endless stream of lurid vignettes—each of which catches a medical researcher in an unguarded moment, succumbing to the temptation to do things he knows he really shouldn’t be doing. Faked X-ray reports. Forged retinal scans. Phony lab tests. Secretly amputated limbs. All done in the name of science when researchers thought that nobody was watching.
https://slate.com/technology/2015/02/fda-inspections-fraud-fabrication-and-scientific-misconduct-are-hidden-from-the-public-and-doctors.html
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The Phony FDA Imprimatur
August 27, 2021
https://www.counterpunch.org/2021/08/27/the-phony-fda-imprimatur/
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What Doctors Don’t Know About the Drugs They Prescribe
2012
https://www.ted.com/talks/ben_goldacre_what_doctors_don_t_know_about_the_drugs_they_prescribe
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FDA-Approved Prescription Drugs Later Pulled from the Market
1/30/2014
Below are the 35 drugs we could find that have been recalled from the US market since the 1970s, some that had been in use since the 1930s. A sample of advertisements for only some of the drugs are included because there is a scarcity of ads for withdrawn drugs online due to manufacturers removing ads for withdrawn drugs as part of the agreement to no longer market the drugs.
According to the FDA, a “drug is removed from the market when its risks outweigh its benefits. A drug is usually taken off the market because of safety issues with the drug that cannot be corrected, such as when it is discovered that the drug can cause serious side effects that were not known at the time of approval.” The FDA also takes into account the number of people taking a drug being considered for removal so as to not harm those patients.
https://prescriptiondrugs.procon.org/fda-approved-prescription-drugs-later-pulled-from-the-market/
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Covid-19: FDA set to grant full approval to Pfizer vaccine without public discussion of data
20 August 2021
https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n2086
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CDC, FDA need more time before booster shot rollout | WNT
Sep 3, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE1jN544omo
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COVID-19 booster shots: Fauci stresses need for FDA approval amid White House
September 5, 2021
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/covid-19-booster-shots-fauci-stresses-need-for-fda-approval-amid-white-house-spat/ar-AAO7IY0
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EMA begins analysis of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 booster shot data
07 Sep 2021
https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/news/ema-booster-pfizer-biontech/
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FDA Panel Rejects Pfizer Vaccine Booster for All Americans, Recommends for 65+
September 17, 2021
https://freebeacon.com/coronavirus/fda-panel-rejects-pfizer-vaccine-booster-for-all-americans-recommends-for-65/
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US panel backs COVID-19 boosters only for seniors, high-risk
September 18, 2021
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-09-panel-covid-boosters-seniors-high-risk.html
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Virus czar calls to begin readying for eventual 4th vaccine dose
Sep 4, 2021
Salman Zarka says COVID-19 is here to stay for and that next booster shot may be adjusted for variants: ‘This is our life from now on, in waves’
https://www.timesofisrael.com/virus-czar-calls-to-begin-readying-for-eventual-4th-vaccine-dose/
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Pfizer CEO says 4th dose of COVID vaccine “necessary,” submits data to FDA
2022-03
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pfizer-ceo-says-4th-dose-of-covid-vaccine-necessary-submits-data-to-fda/ar-AAV2Ftk
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Moderna president says 4th COVID-19 shot is probably only necessary for older and immunocompromised people
3-14-2022
https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/science/moderna-president-says-4th-covid-19-shot-is-probably-only-necessary-for-older-and-immunocompromised-people/ar-AAV31W8
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Europe’s FDA Warns Against Vaccine Boosters, Expresses Concerns Over Immune Response
Jan 12, 2022
https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/europes-fda-warns-against-vaccine-boosters-expresses-concerns-over-immune-response
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Triple Vaccinated 40-49 year olds are 10.3x more likely to catch Omicron than the Unvaccinated according to ONS and UK Gov. Figures
December 29, 2021
https://dailyexpose.uk/2021/12/29/triple-vaccinated-10-times-more-likely-to-catch-omicron/
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Ontario’s ‘top doctor’ says double-vaxxed people should stay away from triple-vaxxed relatives
December 17, 2021
https://tnc.news/2021/12/17/ontarios-top-doctor-says-double-vaxxed-people-should-stay-away-from-triple-vaxxed-relatives/
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The double vaxxers who don’t want to be triple vaxxers are waking up.
2021
https://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/p8h2c8/the_double_vaxxers_who_dont_want_to_be_triple/
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Watching the Triple Turning on The Double Vaxxers – )
2021
https://ifunny.co/picture/watching-the-triple-turning-on-the-double-vaxxers-Kt85NOAs8
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And the Infinity Boosters turning on the Triple Vaxxers
2021
https://www.reddit.com/r/NoNewNormal/comments/oym0hz/and_the_infinity_boosters_turning_on_the_triple/
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Possible Targets of Pan-Coronavirus Antiviral Strategies for Emerging or Re-Emerging Coronaviruses
2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34361915/
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What’s the link between cold weather and the common cold?
October 23, 2018
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323431
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Why cold weather makes it harder for the body to fight respiratory infections
12/15/2020
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/why-cold-weather-makes-it-harder-for-the-body-to-fight-respiratory-infections/ar-BB1bWe09
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Can the Cold Give You a Cold?
November 9, 2012
https://www.everydayhealth.com/cold-and-flu/colds-and-the-weather.aspx
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Coronaviruses: An Overview of Their Replication and Pathogenesis
2015
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4369385/
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Some COVID-19 patients still have coronavirus after symptoms disappear
3-27-2020
Summary:
Researchers found that half of the patients they treated for mild COVID-19 infection still had coronavirus for up to eight days after symptoms disappeared.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/03/200327091234.htm
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Columbia doctor on study that found coronavirus antibodies fade in 2 months: ‘Many of us were quite disturbed’
6-27-2020
https://www.foxnews.com/media/columbia-doctor-study-coronavirus-antibodies-fade
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South Korea reports 91 ‘recovered’ COVID-19 patients tested positive again
4/11/2020
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/04/11/world/south-korea-91-recovered-coronavirus-patients-tested-positive/#.XpbJAJlOlPY
South Korean officials on Friday reported that 91 patients thought to have recovered from the new coronavirus had tested positive again.
Jeong Eun-kyeong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told a briefing that the virus may have been “reactivated” rather than the patients being re-infected.
South Korean health officials said it remains unclear what is behind the trend, with epidemiological investigations still underway.
The prospect of people being re-infected with the virus is of international concern, as many countries are hoping that infected populations will develop sufficient immunity to prevent a resurgence of the pandemic.
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The 1918 Pandemic Lasted 3 Years, Only One Way to End COVID-19 Earlier
Apr 18, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQJteHRyclI
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Coronavirus: Are there two strains and is one more deadly?
5 March 2020
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2236544-coronavirus-are-there-two-strains-and-is-one-more-deadly/#ixzz6GltdnMZL
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Coronavirus has mutated at least once, second strain detected: study
3-8-2020
https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/coronavirus-has-mutated-at-least-once-second-strain-detected-study
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New study provides a mutational analysis of SARS-CoV-2
Dec 24 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20211224/New-study-provides-a-mutational-analysis-of-SARS-CoV-2.aspx
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Mutations can reveal how the coronavirus moves—but they’re easy to overinterpret
3-9-2020
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/mutations-can-reveal-how-coronavirus-moves-they-re-easy-overinterpret
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Investigating the presence of human rRNA in the SARS-CoV-2 genome
Jan 13 2022
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220113/Investigating-the-presence-of-human-rRNA-in-the-SARS-CoV-2-genome.aspx
In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* pre-print server, a team of researchers investigated the existence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-host chimeric RNA and described two novel human-derived genomic insertions present in the circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2.
There is evidence that insertions in the SARS-CoV-2 genome have the potential to give rise to new variants with enhanced infectivity, pathogenicity, and antibody escape. Although the source of these insertions is unknown, some recent studies have suggested that human RNAs could be a potent source of some of these insertions but not with certainty. Researchers have speculated that human-derived insertions in the SARS-CoV-2 genome are generated through RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp)-driven template switching events, but this too has never been supported with evidence.
About the study
In the present study, researchers analyzed publicly available direct RNA sequencing data from SARS-CoV-2 infected cells to demonstrate that the RdRp-driven template switching between SARS-CoV-2 and host RNA is infrequent and stochastic.
By analyzing the publicly available global initiative on sharing avian flu data (GISAID) SARS-CoV-2 genome collection, the researchers also identified two genomic insertions in circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants that most likely originated from the host (humans) 18S and 28S ribosomal RNA (rRNAs).
Findings
The publicly available Nanopore direct RNA-sequencing data were quality filtered and mapped to the host and SARS-CoV-2 transcriptomes to identify potential chimeric sequences. From a total of 30 samples that were analyzed, 16 had host-viral chimeric reads with an average of 0.027% (standard deviation 0.045%) of the reads mapped to SARS-CoV-2 being chimeric.
One sample had 0.207% of chimeric reads, while the other 15 samples had less than 0.06% total chimeric reads suggesting that chimeric reads were typically rare. Compared to in vivo conditions, even these rates could be overestimating chimeric reads due to the cell lines used in the analysis.
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Chinese studies link quarantines with coronavirus mutations that may make it more ‘insidious’
3-12-2020
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3074938/chinese-studies-link-quarantines-coronavirus-mutations-may-make
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Coronavirus in Scotland: New mutations likely in the coming years, warns expert
3-6-2020
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-in-scotland-new-mutations-likely-in-the-coming-years-warns-expert-xmwrlzkwt
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Study suggests a coronavirus mutation may make it more contagious
May 6, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJcfSbE29lA
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Coronavirus fact check: Has COVID-19 mutated into a more contagious virus, as new study claims?
May 6, 2020
https://www.kiro7.com/news/trending/coronavirus-fact-check-has-covid-19-mutated-into-more-contagious-virus-new-study-claims/5WGGS7OBOBB3XB5VV6HDD73VY4/
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The mutation rate of SARSCoV2 is at least 50 per cent higher than previously thought
August 2021
The mutation rate of SARSCoV2 is at least 50% higher than previously thought. The virus mutates about once a week—significantly higher than the rate estimated previously. UK findings suggest new variants could emerge sooner than earlier estimated.
Owing to a lag between a deleterious mutation’s appearance and its selective removal, gold-standard methods for mutation rate estimation assume no meaningful loss of mutations between parents and offspring. Indeed, from analysis of closely related lineages, in SARS-CoV-2 the Ka/Ks ratio was previously estimated as 1.008, suggesting no within-host selection.
By contrast, we find a higher number of observed SNPs at 4-fold degenerate sites than elsewhere and, allowing for the virus’s complex mutational and compositional biases, estimate that the mutation rate is at least 49-67% higher than would be estimated based on the rate of appearance of variants in sampled genomes.
Given the high Ka/Ks one might assume that the majority of such intra-host selection is the purging of nonsense mutations. However, we estimate that selection against nonsense mutations accounts for only ∼10% of all the “missing” mutations. Instead, classical protein-level selective filters (against chemically disparate amino acids and those predicted to disrupt protein functionality) account for many missing mutations.
It is less obvious why for an intracellular parasite, amino acid cost parameters, notably amino acid decay rate, are also significant. Perhaps most surprisingly, we also find evidence for real time selection against synonymous mutations that move codon usage away from that of humans.
We conclude that there is common intra-host selection on SARS-CoV-2 that acts on nonsense, missense and possibly synonymous mutations. This has implications for methods of mutation rate estimation, for determining times to common ancestry and the potential for intra-host evolution including vaccine escape.
https://www.nanoappsmedical.com/the-mutation-rate-of-sarscov2-is-at-least-50-higher-than-previously-thought/
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Mutant coronavirus strain has emerged that’s even more contagious than original, study says
May 5, 2020
Bold hypothesis immediately met with skepticism by many infectious-disease experts
https://www.post-gazette.com/news/science/2020/05/05/coronavirus-strain-study-scientists-new-mutant-more-contagious/stories/202005050156
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Moderate mutation rate in the SARS coronavirus genome and its implications
8 June 2004
https://bmcecolevol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2148-4-21
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China’s ‘bat woman’ researcher warns coronavirus is just ‘tip of iceberg’
May 25, 2020
https://nypost.com/2020/05/25/chinese-researcher-warns-coronavirus-is-just-tip-of-iceberg/
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DNA sleuths read the coronavirus genome, tracing its origins and looking for dangerous mutations
1-24-2020
https://www.statnews.com/2020/01/24/dna-sleuths-read-coronavirus-genome-tracing-origins-and-mutations/
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Limbaugh: Remember The Swine Flu Panic? 60 Million Americans Infected, 300,000 Hospitalized
3-12-2020
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/03/12/limbaugh_remember_the_swine_flu_panic_60_million_americans_infected_300000_hospitalized.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=mixi&utm_campaign=realclearpolitics
{We agree with some parts and disagree with other parts of this article}.
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Why the Coronavirus Is So Confusing
A guide to making sense of a problem that is now too big for any one person to fully comprehend
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/pandemic-confusing-uncertainty/610819/?utm_source=pocket-newtab
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The coronavirus pandemic is hitting black and brown Americans especially hard on all fronts
May 8, 2020
https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/08/us/coronavirus-pandemic-race-impact-trnd/index.html
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Covid-19 Is Killing Black People Unequally—Don’t Be Surprised
05.02.2020
The coronavirus pandemic is further exposing a gulf in the health statistics of white and black Americans that has existed for decades.
https://www.wired.com/story/covid-19-coronavirus-racial-disparities/
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Why 7 Deadly Diseases Strike Blacks Most
Diabetes is 60% more common in black Americans than in white Americans. Blacks are up to 2.5 times more likely to suffer a limb amputation and up to 5.6 times more likely to suffer kidney disease than other people with diabetes.
African-Americans are three times more likely to die of asthma than white Americans.
Deaths from lung scarring — sarcoidosis — are 16 times more common among blacks than among whites. The disease recently killed former NFL star Reggie White at age 43.
Despite lower tobacco exposure, black men are 50% more likely than white men to get lung cancer.
Strokes kill 4 times more 35- to 54-year-old black Americans than white Americans. Blacks have nearly twice the first-time stroke risk of whites.
Blacks develop high blood pressure earlier in life — and with much higher blood pressure levels — than whites. Nearly 42% of black men and more than 45% of black women aged 20 and older have high blood pressure.
Cancer treatment is equally successful for all races. Yet black men have a 40% higher cancer death rate than white men. African-American women have a 20% higher cancer death rate than white women.
Why?
Genes definitely play a role. So does the environment in which people live, socioeconomic status — and, yes, racism, says Clyde W. Yancy, MD, associate dean of clinical affairs and medical director for heart failure/transplantation at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/features/why-7-deadly-diseases-strike-blacks-most#1
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COVID-19 and Sarcoidosis, Readiness for Vaccination: Challenges and Opportunities
2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33996868/
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Risk and outcome of COVID-19 infection in sarcoidosis patients: results of a self-reporting questionnaire
2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33597796/
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COVID-19 in Patient with Sarcoidosis Receiving Long-Term Hydroxychloroquine Treatment, France, 2020
2020
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/10/20-1816_article
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COVID-19 Vaccine and Sarcoidosis: a survey of vaccination rate, tolerance and barriers
May 5, 2021
https://www.stopsarcoidosis.org/covid-19-vaccine-and-sarcoidosis-a-survey-of-vaccination-rate-tolerance-and-barriers/
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Subhepatic Abscess Unmasking the Silent Gastric and Pulmonary Sarcoidosis
August 06, 2021
https://www.cureus.com/articles/65903-subhepatic-abscess-unmasking-the-silent-gastric-and-pulmonary-sarcoidosis
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Risk and outcome of COVID-19 infection in sarcoidosis patients: results of a self-reporting questionnaire
2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7883514/
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Correspondence on ‘Glucocorticoid- induced relapse of COVID-19 in a patient with sarcoidosis’
2020
https://ard.bmj.com/content/annrheumdis/early/2020/09/30/annrheumdis-2020-218957.full.pdf
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Asthma Studies Raise Thorny Questions about Race and Genetics
Research shows that African-Americans don’t respond as well as their white counterparts to some of the most common asthma controller medications, raising questions about how those medications are tested in clinical trials.
http://www.calhealthreport.org/2017/05/01/asthma-studies-raise-thorny-questions-about-race-and-genetics/
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Flare of rheumatoid arthritis after COVID-19 vaccination
March 2021
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8009616/
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Viral arthritis and COVID-19
October 05, 2020
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanrhe/article/PIIS2665-9913(20)30348-9/fulltext
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Onset of rheumatoid arthritis after COVID-19: coincidence or connected?
2021
https://ard.bmj.com/content/early/2021/02/28/annrheumdis-2021-219859
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Can COVID-19 Cause Rheumatoid Arthritis?
10/22/2020
https://www.medicinenet.com/can_covid-19_cause_rheumatoid_arthritis-news.htm
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Can COVID Cause Pain in Your Knees, Hips & Other Joints?
April 2, 2021
https://www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org/HealthU/2021/04/02/can-covid-cause-pain-in-your-knees-hips-other-joints/
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COVID-19 in multiple sclerosis patients and risk factors for severe infection
November 2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32980780/
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients have been considered a higher-risk population for COVID-19 due to the high prevalence of disability and disease-modifying therapy use; however, there is little data identifying clinical characteristics of MS associated with worse COVID-19 outcomes. Therefore, we conducted a multicenter prospective cohort study looking at the outcomes of 40 MS patients with confirmed COVID-19. Severity of COVID-19 infection was based on hospital course, where a mild course was defined as the patient not requiring hospital admission, moderate severity was defined as the patient requiring hospital admission to the general floor, and most severe was defined as requiring intensive care unit admission and/or death. 19/40(47.5%) had mild courses, 15/40(37.5%) had moderate courses, and 6/40(15%) had severe courses. Patients with moderate and severe courses were significantly older than those with a mild course (57[50-63] years old and 66[58.8-69.5] years old vs 48[40-51.5] years old, P = 0.0121, P = 0.0373). There was differing prevalence of progressive MS phenotype in those with more severe courses (severe:2/6[33.3%]primary-progressing and 0/6[0%]secondary-progressing, moderate:1/14[7.14%] and 5/14[35.7%] vs mild:0/19[0%] and 1/19[5.26%], P = 0.0075, 1 unknown). Significant disability was found in 1/19(5.26%) mild course-patients, but was in 9/15(60%, P = 0.00435) of moderate course-patients and 2/6(33.3%, P = 0.200) of severe course-patients. Disease-modifying therapy prevalence did not differ among courses (mild:17/19[89.5%], moderate:12/15[80%] and severe:3/6[50%], P = 0.123). MS patients with more severe COVID-19 courses tended to be older, were more likely to suffer from progressive phenotype, and had a higher degree of disability. However, disease-modifying therapy use was not different among courses.
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Multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and COVID-19: A pandemic year in Czechia.
2021
https://www.physiciansweekly.com/multiple-sclerosis-neuromyelitis-optica-spectrum-disorder-and-covid-19-a-pandemic-year-in-czechia
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COVID-19 in ocrelizumab-treated people with multiple sclerosis
2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7772086/
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Genetic Ancestry Is Associated With Measures of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in African Americans
Conclusions—
Overall, our findings indicate that genetic ancestry was associated with subclinical atherosclerosis, suggesting unmeasured risk factors and interactions with genetic factors might contribute to the distribution of subclinical atherosclerosis among African Americans.
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/ATVBAHA.114.304855
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HPV Vaccines May Be Less Effective in African American Women
African American women are more likely to have HPV strains that are not included in current vaccines.
https://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health/hpv-vaccines-may-be-less-effective-in-african-american-women-researchers-find.aspx
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HPV Vaccines May Be Less Effective for Black Women: Study
2021
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=174833
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CDC: Genital Herpes Among Black Women High
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124628530
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Interracial Marriage More Common Than Ever, but Black Women Still Lag
Americans more likely to marry outside of their race, especially black men
https://abcnews.go.com/WN/Media/black-women-marry-interracial-marriage-common/story?id=10830719
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Breast Cancer in Young African American Women
https://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/entertainmented/tips/BreastCancerAfricanAmerican.html
Resources for Entertainment Education Content Developers.
What’s the Problem?
Every year, 24,000 women under the age of 45 are diagnosed with breast cancer; and 3,000 will die as a result. Young African American women under the age of 35 have breast cancer rates that are two times higher than Caucasian women of the same age. Furthermore, young African American women are three times as likely to die from breast cancer as Caucasian women of the same age. Once diagnosed, young African American women face unique challenges that are either not present or are less severe for older women. Having a breast health course of action and discussing the significant implications of a breast cancer diagnosis is essential for young African American women in taking care of their health.
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Adding biologic agents to chemotherapy improves survivability in cancer patients—for both Black and white patients
December 17, 2021
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-12-adding-biologic-agents-chemotherapy-survivability.html
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Common gene variants linked to sepsis and COVID-19 severity in African Americans
Researchers identify two pathways to target for disease protection
November 16, 2021
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211116175017.htm
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Somatic PIK3CA Mutations in Sporadic Cerebral Cavernous Malformations
September 9, 2021
Background
Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are common sporadic and inherited vascular malformations of the central nervous system. Although familial CCMs are linked to loss-of-function mutations in KRIT1 (CCM1), CCM2, or PDCD10 (CCM3), the genetic cause of sporadic CCMs, representing 80% of cases, remains incompletely understood.
Methods
We developed two mouse models harboring mutations identified in human meningiomas with the use of the prostaglandin D2 synthase (PGDS) promoter. We performed targeted DNA sequencing of surgically resected CCMs from patients and confirmed our findings by droplet digital polymerase-chain-reaction analysis.
Results
We found that in mice expressing one of two common genetic drivers of meningioma — Pik3caH1047R or AKT1E17K — in PGDS-positive cells, a spectrum of typical CCMs develops (in 22% and 11% of the mice, respectively) instead of meningiomas, which prompted us to analyze tissue samples from sporadic CCMs from 88 patients. We detected somatic activating PIK3CA and AKT1 mutations in 39% and 1%, respectively, of lesion tissue from the patients. Only 10% of lesions harbored mutations in the CCM genes. We analyzed lesions induced by the activating mutations Pik3caH1074R and AKT1E17K in mice and identified the PGDS-expressing pericyte as the probable cell of origin.
Conclusions
In tissue samples from sporadic CCMs, mutations in PIK3CA were represented to a greater extent than mutations in any other gene. The contribution of somatic mutations in the genes that cause familial CCMs was comparatively small.
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PIK3CA Mutation Associates with Improved Outcome in Breast Cancer
August 2009
https://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/15/16/5049
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Former diabetes drug may help in the treatment of breast cancer, study shows
Dec 12 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20211212/Former-diabetes-drug-may-help-in-the-treatment-of-breast-cancer-study-shows.aspx
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How does breast cancer affect COVID-19 risks?
April 15, 2020
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/breast-cancer-and-covid-19
People with breast cancer may have a higher risk of developing SARS-CoV-2 infection. There are additional risks, as well.
If a SARS-CoV-2 infection causes COVID-19, the symptoms of this illness may be more severe in a person with breast cancer.
In addition, the response to the pandemic may result in delays to cancer treatment and screening.
In this article, we investigate the added risks that COVID-19 may pose to people with breast cancer. We also describe ways to manage these risks.
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source note, undergoing cancer treatment can weaken the immune system.
This can increase a person’s vulnerability to infection — including infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Specifically, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and radiation can weaken the immune system.
However, in most people, the immune system recovers a few monthsTrusted Source after the end of these treatments. This may mean that the increased risk of infection only affects people who are currently undergoing cancer treatment and people who completed it very recently.
Also, people with breast cancer who seek care at a hospital face a higher risk of developing the infection that causes COVID-19. This is due to the likelihood of increased proximity to people with the infection.
A World Health Organization (WHO)Trusted Source report on the effects of coronavirus cites the death rate among people with any type of cancer as 7.6%. The authors also note that people over the age of 60 have the greatest risk.
Overall, detailed information is very limited. Because COVID-19 has emerged so recently, researchers have yet to investigate its impact on people with breast cancer.
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COVID-19: a potential driver of immune-mediated breast cancer recurrence?
Oct 2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33126915/
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Shocking Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effect: Women Report Bigger, Swelling Breasts
07/27/21
KEY POINTS
Swollen lymph nodes are a “less common” side effect of the Pfizer shot: Australia’s health experts
Several women have confused the side effect as a sign of cancer, say doctors
The Pfizer shot was previously linked to Bell’s palsy
https://www.ibtimes.com/shocking-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-side-effect-women-report-bigger-swelling-breasts-3260139
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Screening mammograms and COVID-19 vaccine
February 19, 2021
https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/screening-mammograms-and-covid-19-vaccine/
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Eye Diseases Among African Americans
The most common eye diseases and conditions that affect African Americans include cataract, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, and low vision. Many of these diseases and conditions do not have noticeable symptoms in their early stages, but they can be detected through a comprehensive dilated eye exam. Treatment is most effective when an eye disease is diagnosed early.
https://nei.nih.gov/nehep/programs/write-the-vision/eye-diseases-among-african-americans
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African Americans at Increased Risk for Eye Diseases
https://yoursightmatters.com/african-americr-eye-diseases/
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Immune system of African-Americans responds more strongly to bacterial infection
This immune system response is partly genetic!
While the immune system of African Americans responds more strongly, Professor Barreiro is careful to qualify it as better: “The immune system of African Americans responds differently, but we cannot conclude that it is better, since a stronger immune response also has negative effects, including greater susceptibility to autoimmune inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease. Too much inflammation can damage organs and leave sequelae. In short, a strong immune response can be beneficial in some areas but a disadvantage in others.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-10/uom-iso101716.php
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Increasing incidence of clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in African-American and Hispanic patients: association with the use of proton pump inhibitor therapy.
2007
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2576066/
BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) has been increasingly diagnosed in hospitalized patients. The number of prescriptions for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) has also increased significantly over time. Few studies have reported an association between CDAD and PPI use; however, the results are inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between CDAD and PPI use in African-American and Hispanic patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 640 cases with CDAD over nine years, diagnosed by the presence of C. difficile toxin in the stools. Age-/ sex-matched 650 patients with diarrhea but absent C. difficile toxin in stools were used as controls. RESULTS: Of the 640 cases, 576 (90%) received antibiotics and 32 (5%) received chemotherapy during the preceding three months. Of the 650 controls, 540 (83%) received antibiotics and 39 (6%) received chemotherapy during the preceding three months. CDAD was associated with the use of antibiotics or chemotherapy (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.5-3.7). Of the 608 cases receiving antibiotics or chemotherapy, 274 (45%) also received PPI within the preceding three months. Of the 579 controls who received antibiotics or chemotherapy, 169 (29%) also received PPI within preceding three months. CDAD was associated with the use of PPI (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.6-2.6). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that PPI may be an emerging and potentially modifiable risk factor for CDAD and point out the importance of vigilance in prescribing PPI, particularly to patients who are hospitalized, taking multiple antibiotics and suffering from multiple comorbidities.
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Clostridium Difficile and Noncirrhotic Hyperammonnemia in a Patient With COVID-19 Infection
April 2021
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is a bacterial infection that usually presents with diarrhea and is mostly associated with previous antibiotics use. Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) generally have respiratory symptoms but can also present with diarrhea. Noncirrhotic hyperammonemia is an infrequent presentation and is treated with lactulose. We report the case of a 40-year-old male who was admitted to our hospital with abdominal pain, diarrhea, shortness of breath, and confusion. During hospitalization, the patient tested positive for COVID-19 and C. difficile, and oral vancomycin was administered. His kidney functions improved, but he remained confused. His ammonia levels were elevated, and he was not treated with lactulose due to ongoing diarrhea secondary to C. difficile infection.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8052988/
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COVID-19 and Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI): Possible implications for elderly patients
June 2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32593567/
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Clostridioides difficile in COVID-19 Patients, Detroit, Michigan, USA, March–April 2020
2020
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/9/20-2126_article
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Racial Classification of Indian People (by Different Anthropologist)
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/essay/anthropology/racial-classification-of-indian-people-by-different-anthropologist/41839
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FACTSHEET: Africa’s leading causes of death
https://africacheck.org/factsheets/factsheet-africas-leading-causes-death/
Africa’s top 5 causes of death
#1 Lower respiratory tract infections
The leading cause of death in Africa, lower respiratory tract infections target your airways and lungs. Diverse in origin, they stem from many viruses and bacteria and occasionally fungi or parasites.
The most common illnesses are bronchitis or pneumonia. Pneumonia is single-handedly responsible for 16% of global deaths of children younger than five, with a significantly greater share in Africa.
The notable exclusion from this category is tuberculosis as the disease can infect virtually anywhere in the body even if initially limited to the lungs.
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How many people die from TB?
https://tbfacts.org/deaths-from-tb/
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Mainstream Media & Science Exposes COVID-19 As A Hoax
Aug 10, 2020
https://banned.video/watch?id=5f31a8bddf77c4044ed49e33
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What You Should Know About Sickle Cell Trait
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/sicklecell/documents/SCD%20factsheet_Sickle%20Cell%20Trait.pdf
In their extreme form and in rare cases, the following conditions could be harmful for people with
SCT:Increased pressure in the atmosphere (e.g., while scuba diving).
•Oxygen levels in the air
(e.g., when mountain climbing,
•exercising extremely hard in military boot camp, or training for
an athletic competition).Dehydration (e.g., too little water in the body).
•High altitudes
(e.g., flying, mountain climbing, or visiting a city at
•a high altitude).
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The Black American Amputation Epidemic
May 19, 2020
Black patients were losing limbs at triple the rate of others
https://features.propublica.org/diabetes-amputations/black-american-amputation-epidemic/?utm_source=pocket-newtab
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Enlarged Hearts More Common in Blacks
Condition Linked Mostly to High Blood Pressure
June 6, 2005 — Enlarged hearts are two to three times more common in black Americans than in white Americans, a new study shows. Studies of health disparities often show that black Americans suffer more heart disease than white Americans. But these studies often don’t use
sophisticated tests, and often don’t adequately account for factors, such as body mass, that affect heart health.
https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/heart-failure/news/20050606/enlarged-hearts-more-common-in-blacks
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Heart failure is different for African Americans
Find out why
https://www.bidil.com/about-heart-failure/african-americans
The African American community is at a much higher risk for heart failure (HF) in part because high blood pressure (BP) and diabetes are more common in African Americans than in other ethnic groups. Both of these conditions affect the way your heart works and how blood flows in your body. Some scientists suspect that low levels of nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, may also play a role.
High blood pressure High BP is the most common cause of HF in African Americans. High BP affects African Americans more than any other group. Researchers have also learned that high BP causes more damage to organs, including the kidneys and heart, in African Americans.
High BP is called a “silent killer” for good reason. Without regular BP checkups, it can go unnoticed, gradually wearing down your heart and blood vessels. Taking medicine to lower your BP as needed and adopting some heart-healthy habits can go a long way toward preventing HF in people with high BP.
Diabetes A higher rate of diabetes may also be to blame for the higher risk of HF in African Americans. Diabetes has been called an epidemic in the African American community, particularly among women.
Type 2 diabetes (which usually doesn’t begin until you’re an adult) is the most common form of diabetes. Without proper management, diabetes can damage organs, including the heart, and weaken the heart muscle and the blood vessels around the heart, resulting in HF.
The nitric oxide connection Researchers have started to think that some aspects of basic body chemistry may work differently depending on race/ethnicity. This theory, as yet unproven, is based on studies showing that African Americans sometimes respond differently to medicines than people from other ethnic backgrounds.
For example, studies show that African Americans may be more likely to have problems with their blood vessels being able to relax. This narrows the blood vessels and makes it harder for blood to get through. Some researchers suggest this may have something to do with the amount of nitric oxide available in their bodies. Nitric oxide helps the blood vessels—including the ones in your heart—relax so more blood can flow through. When blood vessels stay narrow, it can interfere with the heart’s ability to pump blood as well as it should.
Other theories about why African Americans’ risk for HF is higher include
Delays in seeking treatment, limited disease awareness, and treatment adherence issues.
More exposure to environmental and other toxins.
A greater tendency to be overweight.
The American Heart Association estimates that by 2030, there will be a nearly 30% increase from 2012 in the number of African Americans diagnosed with HF. Overall, nearly 9 million people in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with HF by 2030.
While anyone can be affected by HF, it hits the African American community the hardest:
HF has a more aggressive natural history in African Americans—people are younger and sicker at diagnosis compared with whites.
African Americans are 20 times more likely to develop HF before the age of 50 than whites.
African Americans are approximately twice as likely to die of HF than whites.
African Americans are hospitalized for HF more frequently and at a younger age than whites.
African Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 are almost 3X more likely than whites to have a dangerous amount of fluid buildup that can cause severe breathing problems (called a decompensated HF event)
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Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic on Evolution of Diabetes in Malaria-Endemic African Region
2020
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to cause havoc to many countries of the globe, with no end in sight, due to nonavailability of a given vaccine or treatment regimen. The pandemic has so far had a relatively limited impact on the African continent, which contributes more than 93% of global malaria burden. However, the limited burden of COVID-19 pandemic on the African region could have long-term implications on the health and wellbeing of affected inhabitants due to its malaria-endemic status. Malaria causes recurrent insulin resistance with episodes of infection at relatively low parasitaemia. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) which is widely distributed in the human body is implicated in the pathogenesis of malaria, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and COVID-19. Use of ACE2 by the COVID-19 virus induces inflammation and oxidative stress, which can lead to insulin resistance. Although COVID-19 patients in malaria-endemic African region may not exhibit severe signs and symptoms of the disease, their risk of exhibiting heightened insulin resistance and possible future development of T2DM is high due to their prior exposure to malaria. African governments must double efforts at containing the continued spread of the virus without neglecting existing malarial control measures if the region is to avert the plausible long-term impact of the pandemic in terms of future development of T2DM.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33134395/
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Dissecting the interaction between COVID‐19 and diabetes mellitus
August 2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC7323255/
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U.S.-born black women at higher risk of preeclampsia; race alone does not explain disparity
December 29, 2021
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-12-us-born-black-women-higher-preeclampsia.html
A novel analysis of medical records for a racially diverse group of more than 6,000 women has added to evidence that some combination of biological, social and cultural factors—and not race alone—is likely responsible for higher rates of preeclampsia among Black women born in the United States compared with Black women who immigrated to the country.
The data on preeclampsia, a serious form of high blood pressure that can lead to deadly outcomes for mother and fetus, were gathered over a 28-year period as part of the Boston Birth Cohort study originally designed to investigate the genetic and environmental factors associated with premature births.
The study was published Dec. 20 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The new analysis, led by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, specifically examined differences in hypertension and other cardiovascular disease risk factors and prevalence of preeclampsia among Hispanic, Black and white women. Results showed that all three groups of women who gave birth and were born in the U.S. had a higher cardiovascular disease risk profile than foreign-born counterparts after accounting for differences in weight, smoking, alcohol use, stress and diabetes.
For Black women, birth status outside the U.S. and shorter duration of residence (those who lived in America for less than 10 years) were associated with 26% lower odds of preeclampsia. Birthplace status and duration of U.S. residence was not significantly associated with the odds of preeclampsia among Hispanic and white mothers who were born outside the U.S.
Overall, the researchers said, the findings suggest that place of birth, or “nativity,” related disparities in preeclampsia among Black women are “not fully explained” by nativity differences in sociodemographic or cardiovascular disease factors.
“Immigrants come here to seek a better life, but what we are seeing is unhealthy acculturation and assimilation,” according to lead researcher Garima Sharma, director of cardio-obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“Some women come here healthier and they get unhealthier over time probably by adopting habits of the dominant culture that increase poor health outcomes. While we didn’t specifically look at the impact of structural racism on health in this study, it may also play a role here. Black women who were born outside the U.S. but immigrated to the country recently may be somewhat protected from the effects of discrimination because they tend to settle in immigrant-concentrated residential areas with increased social support,” Sharma added.
Sharma emphasized that further research is needed to explore the interplay of biological and psychosocial and social determinants of health contributing to pregnancy-related disparities in preeclampsia. For years, it’s been said that being a Black woman is a risk factor for preeclampsia, said Sharma, but “we need to move beyond putting all the implications on a particular race without accounting for why that is, because in this study, it’s clear that Black women born outside the U.S. are less likely to have preeclampsia until they have been here for some time.”
In the study, medical records and other information on a total of 6,069 women were analyzed. The average age of participants was 27.5 years, and subjects self-identified as Hispanic (2,400, with 76.8% born outside the U.S.), Black (2,699, with 40.5% born outside the U.S.) or white (997, with 22.2% born outside the U.S.). All women had single-child deliveries at the Boston Medical Center from October 1998 to February 2016. The overall prevalence of preeclampsia among all women was 9.5%. Black women had the highest age-adjusted prevalence of preeclampsia (12.4%) compared with Hispanic (8.2%) and white women (7.1%).
U.S.-born Black women, specifically, were also younger, had fewer years of formal education and were more often single compared with Black women who immigrated to the country. Sharma said that although not explored in this study, the stress of systemic racism, living in racially segregated neighborhoods and experiences of discrimination are likely contributors to the poor health of Black women and may therefore contribute to disparities in cardiovascular risk factors and preeclampsia. She added that lack of access to health care services and poor quality of care are also factors, particularly among women at lower socioeconomic levels.
Preeclampsia is one of the leading causes of maternal deaths worldwide, with Black women three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preeclampsia affects approximately 1 in 25 pregnancies in the U.S, and those who experience it have an increased risk of developing chronic hypertension and cardiovascular disease later in life.
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11 common health conditions that may increase risk of death from the coronavirus, including diabetes and heart disease
Nov 10, 2020
https://www.businessinsider.com/hypertension-diabetes-conditions-that-make-coronavirus-more-deadly-2020-3?op=1
In the Italian study, 76.1% of patients who died from COVID-19 had hypertension, or high blood pressure.
One-third of COVID-19 patients who died in Italy had heart disease.
About one-quarter of people who died from the coronavirus in Italy had atrial fibrillation.
Diabetes was the second most common condition among COVID-19 patients who died.
Of those who died in Italy, 20.3% had active cancer in the past five years.
The study found that 18% of people who died had chronic kidney disease.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — or lung diseases such as chronic emphysema and bronchitis — was present in 13.2% of the people who died.
People who previously had a stroke made up 9.6% of COVID-19 patients who died in Italy.
Chronic liver disease was the 10th most common underlying condition among COVID-19 patients who died.
Studies have identified extreme obesity as a risk factor for dying among COVID-19 patients who are male or relatively young.
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Why are people developing diabetes after having COVID-19?
February 19, 2021
https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/why-are-people-developing-diabetes-after-having-covid19
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Rethinking the role of blood pressure drugs in COVID-19
May 22, 2020
Once thought to boost levels of ACE2, the novel coronavirus’s doorway into human cells, these widely used medicines are now contenders to treat the respiratory disease
https://cen.acs.org/biological-chemistry/infectious-disease/Rethinking-role-blood-pressure-drugs-in-COVID-19/98/i20
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Identifying a Serum Exosomal-Associated lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Network in Coronary Heart Disease
June 2021
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352731371_Identifying_a_Serum_Exosomal-Associated_lncRNAcircRNA-miRNA-mRNA_Network_in_Coronary_Heart_Disease
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COVID-19 in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease
Mar 29, 2021
https://www.acc.org/latest-in-cardiology/journal-scans/2021/03/29/18/36/covid19-in-adults-with-congenital
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Heart inflammation more common among men following mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination
Sep 16 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210916/Heart-inflammation-more-common-among-men-following-mRNA-based-COVID-19-vaccination.aspx
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Why Do More People Die of Heart Disease Now Than Before 1900?
https://www.newhealthadvisor.org/Why-Do-More-People-Die-Of-Heart-Disease-Now-Than-Before-1900.html
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High cholesterol: Indications on your toes and fingers that levels are dangerously high
HIGH cholesterol can lead to emergency events, such as blockages in blood vessels that can result in a heart attack or stroke – depending on where the blockage occurs.
Nov 22, 2021
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1522477/high-cholesterol-symptoms-tingling-painful-toes-fingers
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Lower plasma calcium associated with COVID-19, but not with disease severity: a two-centre retrospective cohort study
2021 Sep 29
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8500306/
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Blood Levels of 3 Proteins May Help Distinguish HFpEF-PH From PAH
December 1, 2021
Elevated levels of three blood proteins — AMBP, LPL and glyoxalase I — may help identify and distinguish people with pulmonary hypertension linked to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, called HFpEF-PH, from those with pulmonary arterial hypertension or PAH, a study suggests
https://pulmonaryhypertensionnews.com/2021/12/01/blood-levels-3-proteins-may-distinguish-hfpef-ph-pah/
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Why are more bald men in hospital with coronavirus? The answer could hold a treatment
23 Jun 2020
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-24/coronavirus-baldness-may-be-risk-factor-covid-19/12385216
How does this link make biological sense?
SARS-CoV-2 enters human lung cells when a protein on the virus’ surface (the spike protein) latches onto protein receptors (ACE2 receptors) embedded in the cells’ surfaces.
How does this work? Recently scientists discovered that an enzyme called TMPRSS2 cleaves the SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein, enabling it to bind to the ACE2 receptor. This allows the virus to enter the cell.
The gene that encodes TMPRSS2 is activated when male hormones, particularly DHT, bind to the androgen receptor (a protein on the surface of cells, including hair cells and lung cells).
So the more male hormone, the more androgen receptor binding, the more TMPRSS2 is present, and the easier it is for virus to get in.
A preliminary, non-peer-reviewed study which correlated the androgen levels of hundreds of people in the UK with COVID-19 severity supports this theory.
Higher androgen level was associated with susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19 in men (but not women, who have much lower androgen levels in their blood).
The same researchers showed that inhibiting androgen receptors reduced the ability of SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein to bind to ACE2 receptors on stem cells in culture.
Androgen disruptions are linked to different diseases
Over or underproduction of androgens in the body causes a variety of conditions in both men and women.
For instance, men with benign prostate enlargement overproduce androgen, as do women with polycystic ovary syndrome.
Many such conditions are treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), which inhibits the production or effect of androgens.
For instance, prostate cancer, in which cancer cell growth is fuelled by androgens, is routinely treated with ADT.
Conversely, some people have low androgen production, or mutations that affect the binding and action of androgens — such as women with androgen insensitivity syndrome caused by mutations of the androgen receptor.
It will be important to find out whether, as the androgen hypothesis predicts, patients with over- or under-production of male hormones are at greater — or lesser — risk of COVID-19.
A potential treatment option?
If the androgen link holds up, this would encourage exploration of anti-androgens as a way to prevent and treat COVID-19.
Many anti-androgens are already approved for the treatment of other conditions. Some, like baldness treatments, have been used safely for years or decades.
Some, like cancer treatments, can be tolerated for months.
A study which looked at men hospitalised with COVID-19 in Italy showed the rate of infection was four times lower in prostate cancer patients on ADT than in untreated cancer patients.
Perhaps a single dose given to someone who tests positive to SARS-CoV-2, or has just been exposed, would suffice to lower the chance of the virus taking hold.
But we need research to confirm this. Several androgen-suppressing drugs are now undergoing clinical trials to determine whether they reduce complications among men with COVID-19.
It will be important to verify that anti-androgen treatment works in the lungs as well as the prostate, and is effective in cancer-free patients.
We’d also need to find out what dose is effective, and when it should be administered.
Anti-androgen treatments have several side effects in men, including breast enlargement and sexual dysfunction, so medical oversight is a must.
A promising new direction in COVID-19 research
The androgen link could go a long way to explaining why men are more susceptible to COVID-19 than women.
It also may explain why children younger than ten seem very resistant to COVID-19 because, until puberty, boys as well as girls make little androgen.
The more we know about who is at heightened risk from COVID-19, the better we can target information.
The androgen link also opens up an avenue for the discovery of drugs which might mitigate some of the impact of COVID-19 as it continues to sweep the globe.
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Early baldness higher heart disease risk factor than obesity, says study
30 November 2017
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-42164898
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Male Baldness May Increase Severe COVID-19 Risk
June 15, 2020
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200615/male-baldness-may-increase-severe-covid-19-risk
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HIGH RISK Bald men at higher risk of severe cases of coronavirus, research finds
5 Jun 2020
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/11788266/bald-men-higher-risk-severe-coronavirus/
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Bald men might be at greater risk of dying from COVID-19, studies say. Here’s why
July 19, 2020
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article243736662.html
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What factors did people who died with COVID-19 have in common?
The majority were older males
April 11, 2020
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-factors-did-people-who-died-with-covid-19-have-in-common
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Genetics and sex influence peripheral and central innate immune responses and blood-brain barrier integrity
October 16, 2018
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a stimulator of the innate immune system and is routinely used in animal models to study blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction under inflammatory conditions. It is appreciated that both humans and mice have sexually dimorphic immune responses, which could influence the brain’s response to a systemic inflammatory insult. Mouse strain is also an important factor that can contribute to pathophysiological responses to inflammatory stimuli. Therefore, we aimed to test whether BBB disruption and the associated cytokine profiles in response to LPS differed in male and female mice from two mouse strains most commonly used in blood-brain barrier studies: CD-1 and C57BL6/J (C57). Mice were treated with saline, a single injection of 0.3, or 3mg/kg LPS, or three injections of 3mg/kg LPS, and studied 28 hours after the first LPS injection. To assay BBB disruption, we utilized the tracer 99mTc-DTPA. A 23-plex panel of cytokines was assayed in brain and blood of the same cohort of mice, which allowed us to compare differences in the levels of individual cytokines as well as correlations among cytokines and 99mTc-DTPA uptake. We found that only the three-injection dose of LPS induced significant BBB disruption in all sexes and strains. The treatment, strain, and sex, as well as treatment-by- strain and treatment-by-sex interactions significantly contributed to the variance. The mean brain/serum ratios of 99mTc-DTPA in the three-injection LPS group were ranked CD-1 male < CD-1 female < C57 male < C57 female. There were significant sex and strain differences in cytokine profiles in brain and blood, and pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in brain were most strongly correlated with 99mTc-DTPA brain/serum ratios.
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Study Suggests Bald Men Could Be More At Risk For Severe Coronavirus, But More Research Is Needed
Jun 6, 2020
https://www.forbes.com/sites/marlamilling/2020/06/06/bald-men-at-higher-risk-of-severe-coronavirus-symptoms/?sh=50d428f29e48
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CDC Issues COVID Vaccine Warnings for These Health Conditions
12/29/2020
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/cdc-issues-covid-vaccine-warnings-for-these-health-conditions/ar-BB1cjKkQ#image=BB1cjR9b|1
1. Anosmia
“Anosmia, the technical term for the once relatively unfamiliar loss of one’s ability to smell, is now all too common,” reports Stat News. “It has become a critical diagnostic marker of Covid-19. As we have come to learn, asymptomatic carriers—people infected with the novel coronavirus who don’t show visible symptoms—can still infect others. One telltale sign of otherwise asymptomatic carriers is that they often experience sudden-onset anosmia.” And it can last for months and months.
2. Ageusia
This is a lost of taste—and it can possibly be permanent. A study in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care chronicles a woman who had COVID, got a clear chest X-ray, had stable vitals—”however,” weeks later, “there was little improvement in the symptoms of loss of taste and smell, which were still persistent.”
3. Difficulty Concentrating
“About half of hospitalized patients have neurological manifestations of COVID-19, which include headache, dizziness, decreased alertness, difficulty concentrating, disorders of smell and taste, seizures, strokes, weakness and muscle pain,” reports Northwestern. “It’s important for the general public and physicians to be aware of this, because a SARS-COV-2 infection may present with neurologic symptoms initially, before any fever, cough or respiratory problems occur,” said lead author of the review, Dr. Igor Koralnik, Northwestern Medicine chief of neuro-infectious diseases and global neurology and a professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
4. Dyspnea
Shortness of breath is a hallmark of COVID—and can last long after you’ve shed the virus. “Doctors are eyeing lung and heart complications including scarring. Patients who become critically ill with COVID-19 seem more likely to have lingering shortness of breath, but those with mild cases are also at risk,” reports Science. “We additionally observe that individuals who had an initial symptom of dyspnea are significantly more likely to develop long-term symptoms,” say the new study’s authors.
5. Memory Loss
“In addition to changing behavior and regulating physiological responses during illness, the specialized immune system in the brain also plays a number of other roles. It has recently become clear that the neuroimmune cells that sit at the connections between brain cells (synapses), which provide energy and minute quantities of inflammatory signals, are essential for normal memory formation,” reports MedicalXpress. “Unfortunately, this also provides a way in which illnesses like COVID-19 can cause both acute neurological symptoms and long-lasting issues in the brain.”
6. Confusion
“Patients with COVID-19 are experiencing an array of effects on the brain, ranging in severity from confusion to loss of smell and taste to life-threatening strokes,” reports Johns Hopkins. “Younger patients in their 30s and 40s are suffering possibly life-changing neurological issues due to strokes.”
7. Headache
“Our data shows that the most commonly experienced early symptoms are actually headache (82%) and fatigue (72%) — and this is the case for all age groups,” reports the COVID Symptom Study. “Only 9% of COVID-positive adults aged 18 — 65 didn’t experience headache or fatigue. Of course, headache and fatigue commonly occur in other conditions which is why they don’t trigger a test on their own.” These headaches and fatigue can last for months—and possibly never go away.
8. Heart Palpitations
“The virus can harm the heart, and doctors are concerned about long-term damage. How the heart heals after COVID-19 could help determine whether a patient develops an irregular heartbeat,” reports Science.
9. Chest Pain
“In the study of Italian patients, the most common symptoms reported at follow-up were fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pain, and chest pain, in that order,” reports JAMA. “None of the patients had a fever or other sign or symptom of acute illness, but about 44% of them had a worsened quality of life.”
10. Pain with Deep Breaths
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, so naturally your breathing would be affected. Researchers are now discovering the lungs may be scarred, causing pain when breathing deep—for life.
11. Dizziness
In one neurological study, “overall, 25% of patients had symptoms considered as evidence of CNS (central nervous system) dysfunction, including dizziness (17%), headache (13%), impaired consciousness (7.5%), acute cerebrovascular disease (3%), ataxia (0.5%), and seizures (0.5%).”
12. Tachycardia
Long haulers are seeing a heart rate over 100 beats per minute.
13. Fatigue
Although not mentioned in the study, “one of the most insidious long-term effects of COVID-19 is its least understood: severe fatigue. Over the past nine months, an increasing number of people have reported crippling exhaustion and malaise after having the virus,” reports Nature. “Your healthcare provider will review your health history and do a physical exam,” says Cedars-Sinai. “They can easily notice a fast heartbeat by taking your pulse. But, it is important to rule out other causes for the fast heartbeat. It is also important to learn what type of tachycardia is present. Other types of tachycardia may need different treatment.” If you have experienced any of the symptoms mentioned above, call a medical professional, and to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don’t miss these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.
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Researchers identify 55 lingering effects of COVID-19
Aug 30 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210830/Researchers-identify-55-lingering-effects-of-COVID-19.aspx
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Little-Known Illnesses Turning Up in Covid Long-Haulers
June 1, 2021
The day Dr. Elizabeth Dawson was diagnosed with covid-19 in October, she awoke feeling as if she had a bad hangover. Four months later she tested negative for the virus, but her symptoms have only worsened.
Dawson is among what one doctor called “waves and waves” of “long-haul” covid patients who remain sick long after retesting negative for the virus. A significant percentage are suffering from syndromes that few doctors understand or treat. In fact, a yearlong wait to see a specialist for these syndromes was common even before the ranks of patients were swelled by post-covid newcomers. For some, the consequences are life altering.
Before fall, Dawson, 44, a dermatologist from Portland, Oregon, routinely saw 25 to 30 patients a day, cared for her 3-year-old daughter and ran long distances.
Today, her heart races when she tries to stand. She has severe headaches, constant nausea and brain fog so extreme that, she said, it “feels like I have dementia.” Her fatigue is severe: “It’s as if all the energy has been sucked from my soul and my bones.” She can’t stand for more than 10 minutes without feeling dizzy.
Through her own research, Dawson recognized she had typical symptoms of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS. It is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions such as heart rate, blood pressure and vein contractions that assist blood flow. It is a serious condition — not merely feeling lightheaded on rising suddenly, which affects many patients who have been confined to bed a long time with illnesses like covid as their nervous system readjusts to greater activity. POTS sometimes overlaps with autoimmune problems, which involve the immune system attacking healthy cells. Before covid, an estimated 3 million Americans had POTS.
https://khn.org/news/article/covid-long-haul-illness-pots-autonomic-disorder/
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COVID-19 and pulmonary fibrosis: therapeutics in clinical trials, repurposing, and potential development
2021 May 28
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8161353/
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COVID-19 Vaccines for People with Underlying Medical Conditions
June 16, 2021
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/underlying-conditions.html
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Certain Medical Conditions and Risk for Severe COVID-19
People with Certain Medical Conditions
Updated May 13, 2021
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html
Overview
Adults of any age with the following conditions can be more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. Severe illness means that a person with COVID-19 may need:
Hospitalization
Intensive care
A ventilator to help them breathe
Or they may even die
In addition:
Older adults are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. More than 80% of COVID-19 deaths occur in people over age 65, and more than 95% of COVID-19 deaths occur in people older than 45.
Long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put various groups of people at increased risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19, including many racial and ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities.
Studies have shown people from racial and ethnic minority groups are also dying from COVID-19 at younger ages. People in minority groups are often younger when they develop chronic medical conditions and may be more likely to have more than one condition.
People with disabilities are more likely than those without disabilities to have chronic health conditions, live in congregate setting, and face more barriers to healthcare. Studies have shown that some people with certain disabilities are more likely to get COVID-19 and have worse outcomes.
If you have a medical condition, speak with your healthcare provider about steps you can take to manage your health and risks.
Preventive measures for COVID-19 (including vaccination, wearing a mask and social distancing) are important especially if you are older or have multiple or severe health conditions. You can learn about CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, including how medical conditions and other factors inform recommendations, here.
Note: The list below does not include all potential medical conditions that could make you more likely to get severely ill. Rare medical conditions may not be included below. However, a person with a condition that is not listed may still be in more danger from COVID-19 than persons of similar age who do not have the condition and should talk with their healthcare provider.
Medical Conditions in Adults
This list is presented in alphabetical order and not in order of risk.
CDC completed an evidence review process for each medical condition on this list to ensure they met criteria for inclusion on this webpage.
We are learning more about COVID-19 every day, and this list may be updated as the science evolves.
Cancer
Having cancer can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. Treatments for many types of cancer can weaken your body’s ability to fight off disease. At this time, based on available studies, having a history of cancer may increase your risk.
Get more information:
Cancer | CDC
American Cancer Society: What People with Cancer Should Know about Coronavirusexternal icon
Chronic kidney disease
Having chronic kidney disease of any stage can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.
Get more information:
Chronic kidney disease | CDC
National Kidney Foundation: Kidney disease and COVID-19external icon
Chronic lung diseases, including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension
Chronic lung diseases can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. These diseases may include:
Asthma, if it’s moderate to severe
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic bronchitis
Having damaged or scarred lung tissue such as interstitial lung disease (including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis)
Cystic fibrosis, with or without lung or other solid organ transplant
Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs)
Get more information:
COPD | CDC
Asthma | CDC
American Lung Association: Controlling Chronic Lung Diseases Amid COVID-19 external icon
Cystic Fibrosis | CDC
Dementia or other neurological conditions
Having neurological conditions, such as dementia, can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.
Get more information:
Dementia | CDC
Alzheimer’s Association: COVID-19, Alzheimer’s and Dementia external icon
Diabetes (type 1 or type 2)
Having either type 1 or type 2 diabetes can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.
Get more information:
Diabetes | CDC
American Diabetes Association: How COVID-19 Impacts People with Diabetesexternal icon
Down syndrome
Having Down syndrome can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.
Get more information:
Down syndrome | CDC
National Down Syndrome Society: COVID-19 and Down Syndromeexternal icon
Heart conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension)
Having heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, and possibly high blood pressure (hypertension) can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.
Get more information:
Heart Disease | CDC
COVID-19 | American Heart Associationexternal icon
HIV infection
Having HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.
Get more information:
HIV Infection | CDC
Interim Guidance for COVID-19 and Persons with HIVexternal icon
Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system)
Having a weakened immune system can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. Many conditions and treatments can cause a person to be immunocompromised or have a weakened immune system. Primary immunodeficiency is caused by genetic defects that can be inherited. Prolonged use of corticosteroids or other immune weakening medicines can lead to secondary or acquired immunodeficiency.
Get more information:
Types of Primary Immune Deficiency Diseasesexternal icon
The Jeffrey Modell Foundationexternal icon
Immune Deficiency Foundationexternal icon
Primary Immunodeficiency (PI) | CDC
Liver disease
Having chronic liver disease, such as alcohol-related liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and especially cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.
Get more information:
Liver Disease | NIDDK
American Liver Foundation: Your Liver & COVID-19external icon
Overweight and obesity
Overweight (defined as a body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m2 but < 30 kg/m2), obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2 but < 40 kg/m2), or severe obesity (BMI of ≥40 kg/m2), can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. The risk of severe COVID-19 illness increases sharply with elevated BMI.
Get more information:
Obesity | CDC
Obesity, Race/Ethnicity, and COVID-19 | CDC
Obesity Action Coalition: COVID-19 and Obesityexternal icon
Pregnancy
Pregnant and recently pregnant people (for at least 42 days following end of pregnancy) are more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people.
Get more information:
Pregnant and Recently Pregnant People | CDC
Toolkit for Pregnant People and New Parents | CDC
Investigating the Impact of COVID-19 during Pregnancy | CDC
Sickle cell disease or thalassemia
Having hemoglobin blood disorders like sickle cell disease (SCD) or thalassemia can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.
Get more information:
Sickle Cell Disease | CDC
Thalassemia | CDC
Smoking, current or former
Being a current or former cigarette smoker can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19. If you currently smoke, quit. If you used to smoke, don’t start again. If you’ve never smoked, don’t start.
Get more information:
Smoking & Tobacco Use | CDC
How to Quit Smoking | Quit Smoking | Tips From Former Smokers | CDC
Health Benefits of Quitting Smoking | CDC
Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant
Having had a solid organ or blood stem cell transplant, which includes bone marrow transplants, can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.
Get more information:
Transplant Safety | CDC
COVID-19 Resources for Transplant Communityexternal icon
Stroke or cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain
Having cerebrovascular disease, such as having a stroke, can make you more likely to get severely ill from COVID-19.
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You “Should Not” Take COVID Vaccine if You Have This Condition, Alerts FDA
12/13/2020
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/you-should-not-take-covid-vaccine-if-you-have-this-condition-alerts-fda/ar-BB1bTBy7
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FDA Says “Do Not Get” COVID Vaccine If You Have This Condition
Those with “severe allergic reactions” should stay cautious, says the FDA.
March 6, 2021
https://www.eatthis.com/news-fda-covid-vaccine-condition/
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Who Shouldn’t Get the Covid-19 Vaccine—and Why
1/18/2021
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/who-shouldn-t-get-the-covid-19-vaccine-and-why/ar-BB1cRkWO
Note for people who are pregnant, lactating, or trying to become pregnant
Pregnant people were not in clinical trials for the vaccine, but studies in pregnant people are coming. The current two Covid-19 vaccines use messenger (mRNA) which means they carry genetic material to cells with instructions on how to make proteins. For now, experts believe that the mRNA vaccine is unlikely to pose a risk to the pregnant person or the fetus because mRNA vaccines are not live vaccines, according to the CDC…
If you’re allergic to any of the vaccine components
You shouldn’t take the vaccine if you have a true allergy to any of the components of the vaccine, according to Dr. Nachman.
The vaccine ingredients for the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine and the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine are on the FDA website and on their corresponding company websites. “If one of those components is something you truly have an allergy to, you should not be taking the vaccine,” Dr. Nachman says.
If you are allergic to any ingredients in the vaccine, avoid it until other alternatives are on the market, says Dr. Parikh.
If you currently have Covid-19 or have been exposed to Covid-19
People who currently have Covid-19 should not get the vaccine until they recover. Instead, wait until after you meet the CDC criteria to discontinue isolation or quarantine. You may also want to delay your vaccination until 90 days after recovering since current evidence suggests reinfection is uncommon after that amount of time, per the CDC.
The vaccine is unlikely to be effective in preventing disease following exposure to Covid-19, so don’t risk the health of other people by trying to get vaccinated if you are or may be infected. (Here are the coronavirus symptoms you should watch for.)
If you received antibodies
If you received Covid-19 antibodies, wait 90 days before vaccination as a precaution to avoid any interference with immune responses, according to the CDC. (Here’s what you need to know about coronavirus antibody testing.)
If you’re immunocompromised or take immunosuppressive medications
People on other medications like immunomodulatory agents should speak to their health care provider and weigh the risks vs. benefits of vaccination.
“It’s not that the vaccine will harm them, it’s that they may not make a good response to the vaccine,” Dr. Nachman says. “Those immunomodulating agents don’t hurt you when you’re taking the vaccine, but they lower your ability to make a good immune response,” she says.
Dr. Nachman says that means you may not get that “bang for your buck” because these medicines are a substance that stimulates or suppresses the immune system. “That’s not to say you shouldn’t take [the vaccine], you should take it, but you may not make as good a response as someone who’s not on those medicines,” she says.
The CDC says there’s no data currently available on the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines in persons with autoimmune conditions, though these persons were eligible for enrollment in clinical trials. (Here’s the science on whether Covid-19 can trigger autoimmune reactions.)
According to the CDC, immunocompromised people may receive the Covid-19 vaccination if they have no history of allergic reactions to vaccination. However, they should know about the unknown vaccine safety profile and effectiveness in immunocompromised populations.
People who received the Covid-19 vaccine during chemotherapy or treatment with other immunosuppressive drugs are not currently recommended for re-vaccination or additional doses, per the CDC.
If you have a history of Bell’s palsy or Guillain-Barré syndrome
According to the CDC, there were cases of Bell’s palsy, or sudden weakness in the muscles on one half of the face, reported after vaccination in both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines clinical trials.
That said, the FDA has not found that these cases were causally related to vaccination. “There is no relation to the vaccine itself as Bell’s palsy occurred at same incidence as in the general population,” Dr. Parikh says.
People can still experience or develop other medical problems during or at the same time as they get the vaccine or when they are doing the trials, she says. These medical problems that arise may not be necessarily due to the vaccine. And contracting Covid-19 and other viruses cause Bell’s palsy, so the risk may be higher not taking the vaccine, according to Dr. Parikh.
“Bells palsy is a very benign and a self-resolving condition in general and should not be a deterrent to obtain the vaccine,” she says.
Anyone with a history of Bell’s palsy may receive a Covid-19 vaccine, unless they have a history of a severe or immediate allergic reaction to the components of the vaccine, according to the CDC.
Dr. Parikh adds that those with a history of a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome (a condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves) may also want to consult their allergist or physician before proceeding with vaccination. (Can Covid-19 harm your brain?)
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Are You Taking Any Immunosuppressive Drugs? They May Reduce COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy
June 4, 2021
https://www.thehealthsite.com/news/are-you-taking-any-immunosuppressive-drugs-they-may-reduce-covid-19-vaccine-efficacy-817872/
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A case of acute abducens nerve palsy after COVID-19 vaccination
July 21, 2021
https://www.aao.org/editors-choice/case-of-acute-abducens-nerve-palsy-after-covid-19-
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People Are Reporting Getting Bell’s Palsy After Taking The Covid Vaccine + Bill Gates Gets Asked If “The Vaccine Is Safe”!
December 29, 2020
https://worldstar.com/video.php?v=wshhYq6ple3dx6X3QLlF
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Preliminary Findings of mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnant Persons
June 17, 2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33882218/
Abstract
Background: Many pregnant persons in the United States are receiving messenger RNA (mRNA) coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines, but data are limited on their safety in pregnancy.
Methods: From December 14, 2020, to February 28, 2021, we used data from the “v-safe after vaccination health checker” surveillance system, the v-safe pregnancy registry, and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to characterize the initial safety of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines in pregnant persons.
Results: A total of 35,691 v-safe participants 16 to 54 years of age identified as pregnant. Injection-site pain was reported more frequently among pregnant persons than among nonpregnant women, whereas headache, myalgia, chills, and fever were reported less frequently. Among 3958 participants enrolled in the v-safe pregnancy registry, 827 had a completed pregnancy, of which 115 (13.9%) resulted in a pregnancy loss and 712 (86.1%) resulted in a live birth (mostly among participants with vaccination in the third trimester). Adverse neonatal outcomes included preterm birth (in 9.4%) and small size for gestational age (in 3.2%); no neonatal deaths were reported. Although not directly comparable, calculated proportions of adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in persons vaccinated against Covid-19 who had a completed pregnancy were similar to incidences reported in studies involving pregnant women that were conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic. Among 221 pregnancy-related adverse events reported to the VAERS, the most frequently reported event was spontaneous abortion (46 cases).
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COVID-19 Vaccines While Pregnant or Breastfeeding
June 29, 2021
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/pregnancy.html
Pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant people. If you are pregnant, you can receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy can protect you from severe illness from COVID-19. If you have questions about getting vaccinated, a conversation with your healthcare provider might help, but is not required for vaccination.
Pregnant and Recently Pregnant People Are at Increased Risk for Severe Illness from COVID-19
Although the overall risk of severe illness is low, pregnant and recently pregnant people are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 when compared with non-pregnant people. Severe illness includes illness that requires hospitalization, intensive care, or a ventilator or special equipment to breathe, or illness that results in death. Additionally, pregnant people with COVID-19 are at increased risk of preterm birth and might be at increased risk of other adverse pregnancy outcomes compared with pregnant women without COVID-19…
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Breastfeeding women and their babies: the outcomes after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination
Sep 10 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210910/Breastfeeding-women-and-their-babies-the-outcomes-after-mRNA-COVID-19-vaccination.aspx
In December 2020, two novel messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines received emergency approval for use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration among people over 16 years of age against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2); however, the data used for the emergency approval of vaccines from clinical trials excluded those that included data from lactating women.
Of a small sample size of 31 breastfeeding women receiving an mRNA vaccine, >60% reported vaccine-related side effects. However, there was no data provided on infant outcomes or milk supply. Another small study of 84 breastfeeding women from Israel reported similar frequencies of vaccine-related symptoms following their first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (55% and 61%, respectively). Although the study did not report any serious adverse events in the infants, four infants were reported to have fever and symptoms of upper respiratory infections during the study period post-vaccination.
Globally, around 84% of infants fed on breastmilk at least once in their lifetime (as per data from the CDC data in 2019-2020); considering such a scenario, lactating mothers comprise a large part of the population pool which needs to be covered by vaccination. To evaluate the effect of vaccination in breastfeeding women and its possible effects in infants, researchers from the University of California, San Diego, published a study in Breastfeeding Medicine involving 180 fully vaccinated, breastfeeding women.
How did the breastfeeding women and newborn children react to mRNA vaccines?
Researchers included 180 breastfeeding women residing in the United States who received both doses of either of the two mRNA vaccines enrolled in the Mommy’s Milk Human Milk Research Biorepository at the University of California, San Diego, between December 14, 2020, to February 1, 2021.
Similar proportions of women reported one or more symptoms following vaccination with either of the two mRNA vaccines. Even the frequencies of side-effects due to the specific vaccine did not differ. However, following the second dose of vaccine, women who received the Moderna vaccine were significantly more likely to report symptoms.
The symptoms were recorded after an observation period of seven days post each dose. They included localized symptoms like pain, redness, swelling, and itching at the injection site and systemic ones like chills, muscle/body aches, fever, and vomiting. These were more common post the second dose, more so for the Moderna vaccine recipients.
A small proportion of women following vaccination with the first dose of either vaccine reported a reduction in milk supply. Still, significantly more women reported a reduction in milk supply following the second dose of Moderna. However, the supply was restored within 72 hours of receiving the vaccine without any external intervention in all cases. A few side-effects events were reported among infants for either vaccine following either dose, but no serious adverse events were reported.
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Addressing anti-syncytin antibody levels, and fertility and breastfeeding concerns, following BNT162B2 COVID-19 mRNA vaccination
May 25, 2021
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.23.21257686v1
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COVID-19 Report: Breastfeeding Baby Dies After Mother Receives Pfizer Vaccine
April 30, 2021
https://www.visiontimes.com/2021/04/30/covid-19-report-breastfeeding-baby-dies-after-mother-receives-pfizer-vaccine.html
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COVID-19-associated apnea and circumoral cyanosis in a 3-week-old
2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32787956/
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Rift Valley fever: Horrifying pandemic warning with pregnant women at risk – No treatment
May 30, 2021
PANDEMIC fears have been stoked by the emergence of a terrifying pathogen in Africa, with pregnant women particularly at risk.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1443272/rift-valley-fever-next-pandemic-coronavirus-covid-pathogen
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Researchers discover how Rift Valley fever virus enters cells
Sep 24 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210924/Researchers-discover-how-Rift-Valley-fever-virus-enters-cells.aspx
Rift Valley fever virus causes economically devastating outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever in livestock such as sheep, goats and cattle. These mosquito-borne outbreaks lead to infection in people working with dead or dying animals, sometimes causing hundreds of human cases and dozens of deaths.
Rift Valley fever, for which there is no specific treatment, has been limited to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. But mosquitoes capable of transmitting the virus can be found all over the world, necessitating a need to understand and control the virus.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the University of Pittsburgh Center for Vaccine Research and School of Public Health have discovered that the virus gets inside cells by taking advantage of a protein normally involved in taking up low-density lipoproteins (LDL, the carriers of so-called bad cholesterol) from the blood. The discovery, published Sept. 23 in the journal Cell, could lead to therapies that prevent Rift Valley fever or reduce its impact by interfering with the ability of the virus to get into cells.
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Rift valley fever and COVID-19 outbreak in Kenya: A double whammy
2021 Jun 9
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34124326/
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Severe COVID-19 in pregnancy associated with preterm birth, other complications
January 28, 2021
NIH-funded study also suggests mother-to-infant transmission appears to be rare.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/severe-covid-19-pregnancy-associated-preterm-birth-other-complications
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SARS-CoV-2 Is Not Detectable in the Vaginal Fluid of Women With Severe COVID-19 Infection
2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32241022/
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Coronavirus-infected woman, 19, suffers painful ulcer on her vagina due to a rare complication from the disease
16 March 2021
Unidentified 19-year-old, from Colorado, struggled to use the toilet due to pain
Inflammation caused by Covid infection had damaged skin tissue on the vagina
Doctors said it was the first known cause of the disease causing a genital ulcer
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9342841/Coronavirus-patient-19-suffers-painful-ulcer-vagina-rare-complication.html
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Bacterial Vaginosis Drug Market 2021 COVID-19 Impact Analysis by Industry Challenges, CAGR, Business Overview And Forecast Research Study 2027
August 12, 2021
https://manometcurrent.com/bacterial-vaginosis-drug-market-2021-covid-19-impact-analysis-by-industry-challenges-cagr-business-overview-and-forecast-research-study-2027/
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Impact of Covid-19 on Bacterial Vaginosis Treatment Market 2020-2028 – Bayer, Pfizer, Lupin Inc, Merck, Sanofi, Piramal, etc.
January 7, 2021
https://ksusentinel.com/2021/01/07/impact-of-covid-19-on-bacterial-vaginosis-treatment-market-2020-2028-bayer-pfizer-lupin-inc-merck-sanofi-piramal-etc/
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Beneficial bacteria prevent recurring bacterial vaginosis
June 2, 2020
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/beneficial-bacteria-prevent-recurring-bacterial-vaginosis
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Vaginal bacteria can trigger recurrent UTIs, study shows
March 30, 2017
Findings help explain UTI link to sexual activity
https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/vaginal-bacteria-can-trigger-recurrent-utis-study-shows/
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COVID-19 can cause fertility problems in men, study finds
Jan 29, 2021
https://www.ajc.com/life/covid-19-can-cause-fertility-problems-in-men-study-finds/ABZCBMFUAJGG7FBUNAR2EKOS5Q/
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Pregnancy and COVID-19: What are the risks?
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/pregnancy-and-covid-19/art-20482639
Risks during pregnancy
The overall risk of COVID-19 to pregnant women is low. However, pregnancy increases the risk for severe illness and death with COVID-19. Pregnant women who have COVID-19 appear more likely to develop respiratory complications requiring intensive care than women who aren’t pregnant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Pregnant women are also more likely to be placed on a ventilator.
In addition, pregnant women who are Black or Hispanic appear to be disproportionately affected by infection with the COVID-19 virus. Pregnant women who have underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes, also might be at even higher risk of severe illness due to COVID-19.
Some research suggests that pregnant women with COVID-19 are also more likely to have a premature birth and cesarean delivery, and their babies are more likely to be admitted to a neonatal unit.
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Coronavirus while pregnant is more dangerous for Black, Hispanic women, CDC study says
June 25, 2020
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article243794367.html
There has been limited information about how the novel coronavirus affects pregnant women in the U.S., and even more so how the disease affects their babies both in the womb and after birth.
But new research from local, state and federal health officials reveals that pregnant women who test positive for COVID-19 are more likely to be hospitalized, admitted into the intensive care unit and receive mechanical ventilation than non-pregnant women, according to a report published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And in line with existing trends on minorities and the coronavirus, Hispanic and Black pregnant women appear to be the most affected, the researchers say.
Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article243794367.html#storylink=cpy
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Pregnant Black and Hispanic Women Five Times More Likely to Be Exposed to Coronavirus
Penn researchers found the rate of virus exposure among Black and Hispanic women to be five times higher than among White and Asian women
July 29, 2020
https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2020/july/pregnant-black-and-hispanic-women-five-times-more-likely-to-be-exposed-to-coronavirus
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Is COVID-19 making Black birth more complicated?
August 10, 2020
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-black-childbirth-pregnancy-complicated-covid-19/
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Coronavirus: Southwest Ohio officials raise warning for pregnant Hispanic women
July 6, 2020
https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/coronavirus-southwest-ohio-officials-raise-warning-for-pregnant-hispanic-women/9aooq2R4w6XZeuBR5u40jI/
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Black, Latino children at higher risk of COVID-19 hospitalizations, report finds
Aug 8, 2020
The CDC found that Black children are five times and Latino children eight times as likely to check in a hospital for COVID-19 complications
Black and Latino children are more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 complications than their white counterparts, according to a new study by a federal health agency.
In data released Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that Black children are fives times and Latino, or Hispanic, children are eight times more likely than white children to check into a hospital for the fast-spreading disease. The study examines data collected across 14 states, including New York, Ohio, California and Georgia, between March 1 and July 25.
https://thegrio.com/2020/08/08/coronavirus-disproportionately-affects-black-and-latino-children/
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COVID-19: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome affects Black, Latino children most
June 29, 2021
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-multisystem-inflammatory-syndrome-affects-black-latino-children-most
Children exposed to SARS-CoV-2 are at risk of developing multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C.
Symptoms of MIS-C include inflammation of various organs, which can be fatal. However, treatments are available.
A study from a Washington, D.C., hospital finds that MIS-C disproportionately affects Black and Latino children.
Much remains to be learned about MIS-C, including the best way to treat it.
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Brazil variant can reinfect virus survivors; COVID-19 vaccine antibodies pass into breast milk
March 5, 2021
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-science-idUSKCN2AX2GB
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Brazil sets daily record for COVID cases, as pandemic third wave breaks
June 24, 2021
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-06-brazil-daily-covid-cases-pandemic.html
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In Brazil, an alarmingly high number of babies and children are dying of Covid-19
April 15, 2021
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/brazil-alarming-high-number-babies-children-are-dying-covid-19-n1264231
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Brazil COVID-19 deaths on track to pass worst of US wave
April 7, 2021
https://www.foxnews.com/health/brazil-covid-19-deaths-on-track-to-pass-worst-of-us-wave
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Covid-19: In Brazil, young people have become the variant’s prime targets
April 17, 2021
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20210417-covid-19-in-brazil-young-people-have-become-the-variant-s-prime-targets
Brazil’s intensive care doctors have seen more and more young patients arriving at their wards in recent months, with one in two under 40 years old. The new, more contagious Brazilian variant, known as P1, seems to be affecting younger people with no pre-existing comorbidities.
More than half the patients in Brazilian intensive care units in March were under 40 years old, according to the Brazilian Association of Resuscitation Physicians. The more contagious Covid-19 variant known as P1 is claiming younger victims every day, many with no prior medical issues.
Between January and March the death toll among those between 30 and 39 jumped 353 percent, according to the latest report from the Covid-19 Observatory. At the headquarters of the Fiocruz medical institute, chief pulmonologist Margareth Dalcolmo, who is coordinating the study on the new variant, says not a day goes by without seeing more alarming numbers. And one key question: Why does the Brazilian variant claim more victims among young people?
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Coronavirus: Brazil variant mutating, becoming more dangerous – study
APRIL 14, 2021
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/coronavirus-brazil-variant-mutating-becoming-more-dangerous-study-665139
The changes could make the virus more resistant to vaccines.
Brazil’s P1 coronavirus variant, behind a deadly COVID-19 surge in the Latin American country that has raised international alarm, is mutating in ways that could make it better able to evade antibodies, according to scientists studying the virus.
Research conducted by the public health institute Fiocruz into the variants circulating in Brazil found mutations in the spike region of the virus that is used to enter and infect cells.
Those changes, the scientists said, could make the virus more resistant to vaccines – which target the spike protein – with potentially grave implications for the severity of the outbreak in Latin America’s most populous nation.
“We believe it’s another escape mechanism the virus is creating to evade the response of antibodies,” said Felipe Naveca, one of the authors of the study and part of Fiocruz in the Amazon city of Manaus, where the P1 variant is believed to have originated.
Naveca said the changes appeared to be similar to the mutations seen in the even more aggressive South African variant, against which studies have shown some vaccines have substantially reduced efficacy.
“This is particularly worrying because the virus is continuing to accelerate in its evolution,” he added.
Studies have shown the P1 variant to be as much as 2.5 times more contagious than the original coronavirus and more resistant to antibodies.
On Tuesday, France suspended all flights to and from Brazil in a bid to prevent the variant’s spread as Latin America’s largest economy becomes increasingly isolated.
The variant, which has quickly become dominant in Brazil, is thought to be a large factor behind a massive second wave that has brought the country’s death toll to over 350,000 – the second highest in the world behind the United States.
Brazil’s outbreak is also increasingly affecting younger people, with hospital data showing that in March more than half of all patients in intensive care were aged 40 or younger.
For Ester Sabino, a scientist at the faculty of medicine of the University of Sao Paulo who led the first genome sequencing of the coronavirus in Brazil, the mutations of the P1 variant are not surprising given the fast pace of transmission.
“If you have a high level of transmission, like you have in Brazil at the moment, your risk of new mutations and variants increases,” she said.
So far vaccines, such as those developed by AstraZeneca and China’s Sinovac, have proven effective against the Brazilian variant but Sabino said further mutations could put that at risk.
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Mutation of highly contagious Brazilian COVID-19 variant found in Florida
May 10, 2021
https://nypost.com/2021/05/10/highly-contagious-brazilian-covid-19-variant-emerges-in-florida/
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What Is the P.1 Variant?
June 29, 2021
What to know about this COVID-19 mutation, also known as the gamma variant
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple variants of the virus have developed. One of these variants is P.1, which was discovered in four travelers from Brazil as they were screened at an airport in Japan in January 2021.
https://www.verywellhealth.com/brazil-covid-19-variant-5179662
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Doctors say hair loss and vertigo possibly long-term COVID-19 symptoms
August 7, 2020
https://abc13.com/covid-19-coronavirus-symptoms-hair-loss-vertigo-may-be-a-symptom/6357862/
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New Onset Vertigo After COVID-19 Infection. A Case Report
2021
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34249665/
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Are Vertigo and Dizziness Some of the Symptoms of COVID-19?
5/6/2021
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/vertigo_and_dizziness_covid_19_symptoms/article_em.htm
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Pfizer Vaccine Dizziness: Is Being Dizzy or Fainting a Side Effect?
May 12, 2021
https://heavy.com/news/pfizer-vaccine-dizziness-dizzy-fainting/
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Why Feeling Really Dizzy Could Be a Sign of COVID-19, According to Doctors
12/12/2020
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/why-feeling-really-dizzy-could-be-a-sign-of-covid-19-according-to-doctors/ar-BB1bSdMV
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10 Warning Signs COVID Is Ruining Your Brain
December 17, 2020
A new study shows that neurological symptoms are common.
https://www.eatthis.com/covid-affect-brain/
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Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV) in COVID-19
17 June 2021
https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4349/11/3/39/htm
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Vitamin D twice a day may keep vertigo away
August 5, 2020
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-vitamin-d-day-vertigo.html
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Covid: Hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo may be linked to coronavirus, study suggests
22 March 2021
https://www.itv.com/news/2021-03-22/covid-hearing-loss-tinnitus-and-vertigo-may-be-linked-to-coronavirus-study-suggests
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A Case of COVID-19-Induced Vestibular Neuritis
2020
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32760619/
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COVID-19 patients presenting with unusual symptoms like inflamed eyes, skin rashes and, in rare cases, hair loss
7 Aug 2020
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-08/what-are-the-symptoms-of-covid-19-and-are-they-changing/12533950
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What We Know About Hair Loss and COVID-19
December 22, 2020
https://www.healthline.com/health/coronavirus-and-hair-loss
We’re currently in the middle of a pandemic due to the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. This virus causes the disease COVID-19.
People who become ill with COVID-19 can have a wide variety of symptoms. Hair loss has been reported in people who have recovered from COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source notes hair loss as a potential long-term effect of COVID-19 that’s currently under investigation.
Below, we’ll discuss whether a SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to hair loss, other symptoms to look out for, and when to talk with your doctor.
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Tapeworm, vertigo and pancreatitis drugs are being trialled as COVID-19 treatments
24 Jan 2021
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01-25/potential-covid-19-treatments-being-trialled-in-australia/13069392
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New Study Confirms Link Between COVID-19 and Symptoms of Hearing Loss, Tinnitus and Vertigo
March 24, 2021
https://hearinghealthmatters.org/hearingnewswatch/2021/tinnitus-vertigo-covid-19/
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SARS-COV2 Alters Blood Brain Barrier Integrity Contributing to Neuro-Inflammation
Jan 2021
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7786155/
To the Editor,
Emerging clinical data suggests that ~40% of COVID-19 patients develop neurological symptoms attributed to viral encephalitis, resulting in neuro-inflammation, neuronal damage and severe hypoxia (Wu et al. 2020; Najjar et al. 2020; Muccioli et al. 2020; Mao et al. 2020). SARS-COV-2 infects the host using the widely expressed angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor (Bourgonje et al. 2020), however, no there are no reports on ACE2 receptor expression by human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVEC) and normal human astrocytes (NHA) which constitute the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB). We posit that SARS-CoV-2 enters the central nervous system (CNS) via ACE2 receptors present on BMVEC and NHA, alters tight junction (TJ) proteins leading to disruption in BBB integrity which leads to neuro-invasion of microglia. Overall, SARS-COV-2 exacerbates neuro-inflammation, increases oxidative stress and consequently contributes to neuronal cell death.
Expression of ACE2 Receptor by hBMVEC
Primary hBMVEC (Cat# ACBRI-376; Cell Systems, Kirkland, WA, USA) basal expression levels of ACE2 receptor and SARS-COV-2 induced expression was examined by immunofluorescence staining using an ACE2 receptor primary antibody (1:1000 dilution; Cat# NR-52481, BEI Resources Inc) followed by staining with an Alexa Fluor 647 labelled secondary anti-mouse antibody (1:2000, Cat #A 28181; ThermoFisher Scientific) and nuclear stain DAPI. Receptor expression was measured using an EVOS® FL Cell Imaging System, Invitrogen, and quantitated using ImageJ software. Figure Figure1a1a shows basal ACE2 receptor expression in BMVEC which was significantly increased following SARS-COV-2 spike protein treatment. We are the first to report that primary human BMVEC express ACE2 receptor which is increased by SARS-COV-2 spike protein exposure.
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Post COVID-19 syndrome associated with orthostatic cerebral hypoperfusion syndrome, small fiber neuropathy and benefit of immunotherapy: a case report
2020 Sep 20
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32984564/
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Covid-19 Story Tip: Brain Fog, Fatigue, Dizziness… Post-COVID POTS Is Real
12/29/2020
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/covid-19-story-tip-brain-fog-fatigue-dizziness–post-covid-pots-is-real
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Long Covid patients suffer ‘brain fog, vertigo, 8 months in bed and random fainting’
3 Apr 2021
Long Covid sufferers have lashed out at the Government for a lack of funding and research into their condition – and highlighted their own personal experiences with the disease
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/long-covid-patients-suffer-brain-23849258
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Covid-19 gave scientists an opening to better understand how brain disorders arise
April 26, 2021
https://www.statnews.com/2021/04/26/covid19-gave-scientists-opening-to-understand-how-brain-disorders-arise/
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Covid-19 causes more brain problems than previously thought – even mild infections can cause stroke, swelling and nerve damage
13 Jul, 2020
Complications in the brain and nervous system from Covid-19 are more common than was initially understood, according to a new study.
The virus doesn’t appear to directly attack the brain, but can still cause serious complications even in mild cases.
https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3092966/covid-19-causes-more-brain-problems-previously-thought
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Can the coronavirus (COVID-19) cause a stroke?
November 1, 2020
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-covid-19-cause-a-stroke/
Q: Can the coronavirus (COVID-19) cause a stroke?
A: With what seems like an ever-growing list of problems COVID-19 can cause, you might also wonder if the coronavirus can cause a stroke.
While researchers are still studying exactly how COVID-19 affects the brain, the evidence does suggest it could increase stroke risk. But these strokes caused by blood clots appear to be impacting younger people.
It’s not a classic situation of stroke. We’re actually seeing young people who don’t have the traditional risk factors for stroke like high blood pressure, or other problems. These are young, healthy people, who are coming in with big, big strokes.
No matter your age or if you have COVID or not, you should never ignore stroke symptoms. That’s because while there are very effective therapies for stroke, they are time-limited.
There’s a clot-buster medication called TPA, which we can give within four and a half hours. There are also procedures that we can do to remove clots out of blood vessels. But we really want to be doing that within the first six to 24 hours after a stroke starts. The longer that it takes to get treatment, potentially the worse someone can do.
And you shouldn’t be afraid to go to the emergency room because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals are taking extra precautions to keep all patients safe.
So if you or someone you know is having stroke symptoms – don’t delay care. Seek medical attention immediately.
— Stroke expert Shazam Hussain, MD
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Ischaemic stroke can follow COVID-19 vaccination but is much more common with COVID-19 infection itself
2021
https://jnnp.bmj.com/content/92/11/1142
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My Husband Had a Stroke After His COVID Vaccine. We Gave Our Kid His Shot Anyway
July 9, 2021
Michelle Mello writes in this San Francisco Chronicle commentary that her husband had a stroke a few days after getting his COVID vaccine. On the same day he checked into a hospital, their son was offered the vaccine. They listened to the doctors and determined the risk of COVID outweighed the potential risks from the vaccine…
https://fsi.stanford.edu/news/my-husband-had-stroke-after-his-covid-vaccine-we-gave-our-kid-his-shot-anyway
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Neurological complications after first dose of COVID-19 vaccines and SARS-CoV-2 infection
25 October 2021
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01556-7
Emerging reports of rare neurological complications associated with COVID-19 infection and vaccinations are leading to regulatory, clinical and public health concerns. We undertook a self-controlled case series study to investigate hospital admissions from neurological complications in the 28 days after a first dose of ChAdOx1nCoV-19 (n = 20,417,752) or BNT162b2 (n = 12,134,782), and after a SARS-CoV-2-positive test (n = 2,005,280). There was an increased risk of Guillain–Barré syndrome (incidence rate ratio (IRR), 2.90; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.15–3.92 at 15–21 days after vaccination) and Bell’s palsy (IRR, 1.29; 95% CI: 1.08–1.56 at 15–21 days) with ChAdOx1nCoV-19. There was an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (IRR, 1.38; 95% CI: 1.12–1.71 at 15–21 days) with BNT162b2. An independent Scottish cohort provided further support for the association between ChAdOx1nCoV and Guillain–Barré syndrome (IRR, 2.32; 95% CI: 1.08–5.02 at 1–28 days). There was a substantially higher risk of all neurological outcomes in the 28 days after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test including Guillain–Barré syndrome (IRR, 5.25; 95% CI: 3.00–9.18). Overall, we estimated 38 excess cases of Guillain–Barré syndrome per 10 million people receiving ChAdOx1nCoV-19 and 145 excess cases per 10 million people after a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. In summary, although we find an increased risk of neurological complications in those who received COVID-19 vaccines, the risk of these complications is greater following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test.
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The potential neurological effect of the COVID‐19 vaccines: A review
2021 Mar 29
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8250748/
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has become a pandemic with people infected in almost all countries. The most efficient solution to end this pandemic is a safe and efficient vaccine. Classic platforms are used to develop vaccines including live‐attenuated vaccine, inactivated vaccine, protein subunit vaccine, and viral vector. Nucleic acid vaccine uses next‐generation platforms for their development. Vaccines are now rushing to the market. Eleven candidates are in advance development. These comprise inactivated vaccines, viral vector vaccine, nucleic acid vaccine, and the protein subunit vaccine platform, which are now quite advanced in trials in various geographic and ethnic populations. The reported severe adverse effects raised the worries about their safety. It becomes critical to know whether these vaccines will cause neurologic disorders like previously recognized vaccine‐related demyelinating diseases, fever‐induced seizure, and other possible deficits. We reviewed the most promising COVID‐2 vaccines with a particular interest in mechanism(s) and adverse effect(s). We exemplify potential neurological problems these vaccines could cause by looking at previous studies. The current evidence indicated a minor risk of the acute neurological disorders after the application. The observation of the long‐time effect is still needed.
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Neurological complications of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
Jan 24 2022
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220124/Neurological-complications-of-the-SARS-CoV-2-vaccine.aspx
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Delayed headache after COVID-19 vaccination: a red flag for vaccine induced cerebral venous thrombosis
2021 Sep 17
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC8446734/
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Neuro disease after vaccine with Nikk
Nov 11, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB5oR2gFQEw
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Virginia woman recounts ‘massive brain bleed’ from COVID vaccine, as Fauci tells hesitant folks ‘Get over it’
July 9, 2021
https://www.foxnews.com/media/virginia-woman-massive-brain-bleed-covid-vaccine
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Unheard Concerns: Thousands blame COVID-19 vaccine for hearing problems
Sep 17, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHwjI-wX18s
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Vaccine side-effects and SARS-CoV-2 infection after vaccination in users of the COVID Symptom Study app in the UK: a prospective observational study
2021 Apr 27
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33930320/
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Study finds gradual increase in COVID infection risk after second vaccine dose
November 24, 2021
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-11-gradual-covid-infection-vaccine-dose.html
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Even Mild Covid-19 Can Sometimes Cause Hallucinations and Other Brain Problems
7/08/20
https://gizmodo.com/even-mild-covid-19-can-sometimes-cause-hallucinations-a-1844306978
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Covid-19 survivors may suffer from lower intelligence A study indicated that the level of cognitive underperformance is associated with the level of illness severity
Aug 08 2021
https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/covid-19-survivors-may-suffer-from-lower-intelligence-1017656.html
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Early details of brain damage in COVID-19 patients
November 18, 2020
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/11/small-study-reveals-details-of-brain-damage-in-covid-19-patients/
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CDC Quietly Removes ‘Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism’ from Autism and Vaccines Webpage
Aug 2020
https://medium.com/@kimberlydrake21/cdc-quietly-removes-vaccines-do-not-cause-autism-from-autism-and-vaccines-webpage-39522ee61968
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Evidence COVID-19 causes brain inflammation
June 22, 2021
https://scienceblog.com/523415/evidence-covid-19-causes-brain-inflammation/
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MIT Scientist Concerned About COVID Vaccine Effects on Brain
January 15th, 2022
https://odysee.com/@ward01o1:0/MIT-Scientist-Concerned-About-COVID-Vaccine-Effects-on-Brain:a
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Dr Pierre Gilbert 1995
Jul 23, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkLK_aHrHR8
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DR. PIERRE GILBERT an important message from 1995
Aug 23, 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDCG0FoUSvw
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Study illuminates how COVID-19 worms its way into the brain
April 27, 2021
New research offers an up-close view of how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can spread to the brain. The study helps explain the alarming array of neurological symptoms reported in some patients with COVID-19, as well as why some patients suffer severe neurological effects while others experience none at all.
The researchers report evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can infect both the nerve cells that power our brains (neurons), and the cells in the brain and spinal cord that support and protect neurons (astrocytes).
“Our findings suggest that astrocytes are a pathway through which COVID-19 causes neurological damage,” said Ricardo Costa, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Shreveport and the study’s first author. “This could explain many of the neurologic symptoms we see in COVID-19 patients, which include loss of sense of smell and taste, disorientation, psychosis and stroke.”
(A single astrocyte displaying expression of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor protein ACE2 in red).
(A group of neurons (blue) and the dendrites that connect them (green). The ACE2 receptor (in red) is present in the neuronal main body).
(A single astrocyte infected with a modified version of SARS-CoV-2. The virus was modified to express a green fluorescent protein upon successful infection. Nearby astrocytes (not visible) were not infected).
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-04-illuminates-covid-worms-brain.html
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Researchers use tiny worm to trace the development of human brain
Aug 5 2021
Researchers at Sinai Health have used a tiny worm to track how an animal’s brain changes throughout its lifetime, shedding new light on how human brains develop.
In new research, out today in Nature, scientists from the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute (LTRI) at Sinai Health describe four basic patterns of how new connections are made in the brain of the nematode worm, Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210805/Researchers-use-tiny-worm-to-trace-the-development-of-human-brain.aspx
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Neuro-Nano Interfaces: Utilizing Nano-Coatings and Nanoparticles to Enable Next-Generation Electrophysiological Recording, Neural Stimulation, and Biochemical Modulation
2017 Jun 7
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8049593/
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New molecular barcoding tool shows excitatory and inhibitory neurons have common progenitors
December 29, 2021
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-12-molecular-barcoding-tool-excitatory-inhibitory.html
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Novel coating technology increases lifespan and stability of implantable devices
Aug 31 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210831/Novel-coating-technology-increases-lifespan-and-stability-of-implantable-devices.aspx
Various human implantable medical devices have been developed in recent years, and they are being used in clinical filed. These devices include brain–machine interfaces, in which a chip is implanted into the brain to enable humans to move machines using only their thoughts, and deep brain stimulators for treating Parkinson’s disease and other brain diseases. However, devices implanted into the human body may elicit an immune response from surrounding tissues, and the resulting performance degradation makes it difficult to use these devices for a long period. When a deep brain stimulator or chip is implanted into the brain, the device may not operate stably and its lifespan may be reduced owing to the actions of brain immune cells such as microglia. This would require an additional operation to replace the device.
The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced a joint research effort by the research team at the Brain Science Institute, led by Dr. Il-Joo Cho, and the research team at Yonsei University, led by Dr. Jung-Mok Seo, for developing a coating technology for medical devices implanted into the human body, including the brain. This technology was able to minimize tissue damage during the implantation process and inhibit the inflammatory response. In addition, the lifespan of coated devices was more than four times that of existing devices.
The developed technology involves a method for creating a thin and uniform coating of a monolayer and lubricating oil on the surface of the implantable devices. Such a coating minimizes tissue damage by reducing the friction between a device and tissues, which is generated when the device is implanted into the human body. In addition, coated devices exhibit the anti-bioadhesion property, i.e.., the prevention of the adhesion of immune cells activated by the immune rejection response to the device surface.
The research team developed a lubricant-coated neural probe with 32 electrodes for measuring brain signals, and they showed the reduction of immune responses through in-vivo experiments. This probe was coated by employing the developed technology and implanted into the rodent brain. Brain signals were successfully observed from over 90% of the electrodes immediately after implantation. The number of signals was twice that obtained using uncoated neural probes. Furthermore, the observation of brain tissues confirmed that the tissue damage that generally occurs during implantation was minimized. The signal amplitude of uncoated probes reduced over time owing to the adhesion of immune cells to the probe surface. In contrast, the coated probe exhibited the anti-bioadhesion property. It stably measured brain signals for four months, which was four times the lifespan of uncoated probes.
Dr. Cho and Dr. Seo stated that “the developed coating technology can be applied to human implantable devices for not only the brain but also other parts of the body and the technology can significantly extend the lifespan of such devices.” Moreover, they mentioned that “this technology is also expected to contribute to faster commercialization by considerably extending the replacement cycle of human implantable medical devices.”
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Researchers use gold film to enhance quantum sensing with qubits in a 2D material
September 3, 2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-09-gold-quantum-qubits-2d-material.html
Quantum sensing is being used to outpace modern sensing processes by applying quantum mechanics to design and engineering. These optimized processes will help beat the current limits in processes like studying magnetic materials or studying biological samples. In short, quantum is the next frontier in sensing technology.
As recently as 2019, spin defects known as qubits were discovered in 2D materials (hexagonal boron nitride) which could amplify the field of ultrathin quantum sensing. These scientists hit a snag in their discovery which has unleashed a scientific race to resolve the issues. Their sensitivity was limited by their low brightness and the low contrast of their magnetic resonance signal. As recently as two weeks ago on August 9, 2021, Nature Physics published an article titled “quantum sensors go flat,” where they highlighted the benefits and also outlined current shortfalls of this new and exciting means of sensing via qubits in 2D materials.
A team of researchers at Purdue took on this challenge of overcoming qubit signal shortcomings in their work to develop ultrathin quantum sensors with 2D materials. Their publication in Nano Letters was published today, September 2, 2021, and they have solved some of the critical issues and yielded much better results through experimentation.
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Genetically engineered ‘Magneto’ protein remotely controls brain and behaviour
“Badass” new method uses a magnetised protein to activate brain cells rapidly, reversibly, and non-invasively
2016
https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2016/mar/24/magneto-remotely-controls-brain-and-behaviour
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Researchers read and write brain activity with light
22 Dec 2014
Neuroscientists at UCL have developed an ‘all-optical’ method for simultaneous recording and alteration of nervous impulses in the living brain.
Holographic targeting of laser beams to individual neurons in the mouse barrel cortex.
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Deep learning model can classify intracranial tumors using a single 3D MRI scan
Aug 11 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210811/Deep-learning-model-can-classify-intracranial-tumors-using-a-single-3D-MRI-scan.aspx
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New AI algorithm improves brain stimulation devices to treat disease
September 3, 2021
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-09-ai-algorithm-brain-devices-disease.html
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A New Implant For Blind People Jacks Directly Into The Brain
2020
https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/02/06/844908/a-new-implant-for-blind-people-jacks-directly-into-the-brain/
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Their Bionic Eyes Are Now Obsolete and Unsupported
15 Feb 2022
Second Sight left users of its retinal implants in the dark
https://spectrum.ieee.org/bionic-eye-obsolete
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Brain-Inspired Molecular Memristor Has Exceptional Memory Reconfigurability
Sep 2, 2021
http://www.sci-news.com/othersciences/materials/molecular-memristor-10028.html
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Neuroplasticity-Inspired Novel Computing Device Can Reconfigure, Store Memories Like Human Brain
Sep 02, 2021
https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/33222/20210902/neuroplasticity-inspired-novel-computing-device-reconfigure-store-memories-human-brain.htm
The human is a remarkable organ that has inspired modern science in many ways. Now, its neuroplasticity ability is being adopted to a novel molecular device that has exceptional computing prowess.
Science Daily reported that the new device could be reconfigured to perform different computational tasks using different voltages. More so, it acts like neurons that can store memories for future retrieval and processing.
Dr. Stanley Williams, a professor at Texas A&M University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said that it was challenging to integrate neuroplasticity in a physical system, but they could create a device with similar reconfigurability by reprogramming its logic.
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Assessing connections in the brain’s reading network
February 23, 2022
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-brain-network.html
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Brain cell insight could lead to new treatments for neurological-based diseases
March 11, 2022
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-brain-cell-insight-treatments-neurological-based.html
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Building an artificial neural network with neurons
11 July 2019
https://aip.scitation.org/doi/full/10.1063/1.5086873
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Novel molecular device exhibits exceptional computing prowess
Sep 2 2021
In a discovery published in the journal Nature, an international team of researchers has described a novel molecular device with exceptional computing prowess.
Reminiscent of the plasticity of connections in the human brain, the device can be reconfigured on the fly for different computational tasks by simply changing applied voltages. Furthermore, like nerve cells can store memories, the same device can also retain information for future retrieval and processing.
“The brain has the remarkable ability to change its wiring around by making and breaking connections between nerve cells. Achieving something comparable in a physical system has been extremely challenging,” said Dr. R. Stanley Williams, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Texas A&M University. “We have now created a molecular device with dramatic reconfigurability, which is achieved not by changing physical connections like in the brain, but by reprogramming its logic.”
Dr. T. Venkatesan, director of the Center for Quantum Research and Technology (CQRT) at the University of Oklahoma, Scientific Affiliate at National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, and adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering at the National University of Singapore, added that their molecular device might in the future help design next-generation processing chips with enhanced computational power and speed, but consuming significantly reduced energy.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210902/Novel-molecular-device-exhibits-exceptional-computing-prowess.aspx
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Nanoplasmonic optical antennas for life sciences and medicine
19 July 2018
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-018-0033-8/
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Cancer and Carbon Nanotubes – Method for Treating Cancer using Nanotechnology
2014
https://www.azonano.com/nanotechnology-video-details.aspx?VidID=281
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Bio-inspired porous antenna-like nanocube/nanowire heterostructure as ultra-sensitive cellular interfaces
01 August 2014
https://www.nature.com/articles/am201456
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Researchers use electron microscope to turn nanotube into tiny transistor
December 23, 2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-12-electron-microscope-nanotube-tiny-transistor.html
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Bio-inspired wideband antenna for wireless applications based on perturbation technique
2020
The evolution of advancement in communication technologies and ever-increasing demand by users for compact communication devices has necessitated a shift in the design approach to achieve antenna structures that are compact and robust. Owing to the diverse communication requirements, antenna systems operating across wide bands have become a necessity. An antenna that is capable of working effectively in several bands is called wideband antenna. In this work, a bio-inspired microstrip antenna (Bi-MPA) for wideband application is proposed and simulated. The radiating patch of the proposed Bi-MPA is the shape of Carica Papaya leaf. The structure was realized through the perturbation of the circular shape patch. The proposed antenna has an impedance bandwidth of 4.3 GHz (1.9 GHz–6.2 GHz) at a return loss of 10 dB while it exhibits a narrow band at 7.2 GHz (6.99–7.44 GHz) and 9.3 GHz (9.15–9.35 GHz) bands. The gain of the proposed antenna is between 2.60 dB and 10.22 dB and the radiation pattern is quasi-omnidirectional. The proposed Bi-MPA is compact and suitable for global system for mobile communication (GSM1900), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE2300 and LTE2600), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), C-band, X-band, and sub6 GHz fifth-generation (5G) band. Our contribution to the scientific community in this work is that we have proposed a single antenna structure that is suitable for communication in all the bands mentioned in order to ensure compactness in the mobile devices as compared to base station antennas.
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An Electrochemical Aptasensor Using Coaxial Capillary with Magnetic Nanoparticle, Urease Catalysis and PCB Electrode for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7
2017
https://www.ntno.org/v01p0403.htm
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Bioradiolocation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioradiolocation
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Bio-radiolocation is a technology for remote detection and diagnostics of biological objects by means of radar, even behind optically opaque obstacles. Devices based on this method are called bio-radars.
Theoretical basis
This technology is based on the reflected signal modulation caused by movements of the human body and internal organs. While the examinee maintains a calm state (e.g. is sleeping or sitting in a fixed pose) modulation of bio-radar signal is caused mainly by respiratory movements (0.2-0.5 Hz) and heart and superficial arteries pulsations (0.5–20 Hz). The amplitude of thorax surface displacement caused by respiratory muscles contractions is about 1 cm, while the same parameter for heart beating is only 1 mm. Recently, researchers showed that heart sounds (20–80 Hz) with an amplitude in the micrometer range can be detected, too. The order of registered parameters determines the usage of microwave frequency band. Impulse, linearly or step-frequency modulated and monochromatic signals can be used as probing ones.
Applications
The main advantage of bio-radiolocation is its remote and contactless nature. At present, commercially available bio-radars are aimed at the detection of people and at tracking them behind buildings or other obstacles (e.g. during antiterrorist operations). There are also bio-radars, used by rescuers for finding people under building debris. However, such devices have not found widespread application in disaster rescue operations due to fundamental limitations of the method related to noises and background reflections.
The most promising area in which bio-radiolocation method may be applied is medicine. Bio-radar can be used in sleep medicine for sleep apnea syndrome monitoring in adults and newborns. Furthermore, it can be used for the measurement of heart sounds and to extract heart rate variability. In addition, they can be applied in a host of other fields, such as professional selection, pharmacology, and zoo-psychology, etc.
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First-of-its-kind gene therapy technique reverses severe hearing loss in mice
Dec 15 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20211215/First-of-its-kind-gene-therapy-technique-reverses-severe-hearing-loss-in-mice.aspx
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Implantable antennas for bio-medical applications
2020-10-08
https://uobrep.openrepository.com/handle/10547/624592
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A Miniaturized Four-Element MIMO Antenna With EBG for Implantable Medical Devices
2018
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8468987
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A remote management system for control and surveillance of echinococcosis: design and implementation based on internet of things
2021
Background: As a neglected cross-species parasitic disease transmitted between canines and livestock, echinococcosis remains a global public health concern with a heavy disease burden. In China, especially in the epidemic pastoral communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the harsh climate, low socio-economic status, poor overall hygiene, and remote and insufficient access to all owned dogs exacerbate the difficulty in implementing the ambitious control programme for echinococcosis. We aimed to design and implement a remote management system (RMS) based on internet of things (IoT) for control and surveillance of echinococcosis by combining deworming devices to realise long-distance smart deworming control, smooth statistical analysis and result display. New methods and tools are urgently needed to increase the deworming coverage and frequency, promote real-time scientific surveillance, and prevent transmission of echinococcosis in remoted transmission areas.
Methods: From 2016 to 2019, we had cooperated and developed the smart collar and smart feeder with the Central Research Institute of Shanghai Electric Group Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China) and Shenzhen Jizhi Future Technology Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen, China). From September 2019 to March 2020, We had proposed the RMS based on IoT as a novel tool to control smart deworming devices to deliver efficient praziquantel (PZQ) baits to dogs regularly and automatically and also as a smart digital management platform to monitor, analyse, and display the epidemic trends of echinococcosis dynamically, in real time in Hezuo City, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, China. Starting from January 2018, The RMS has been maintained and upgraded by Shanghai Yier Information Technology Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China). The database was based on MySQL tools and the Chi-square test was used to probe the difference and changes of variables in different groups.
Results: The smart collars are fully capable of anti-collision, waterproof, and cold-proof performance, and the battery’s energy is sufficient, the anti-collision rate, water-proof rate, cold-proof rate and voltage normal rate is 99.6% (521/523), 100.0% (523/523), 100.0% (523/523) and 100.0% (523/523), respectively. The RMS can accurately analyse the monitoring data and parameters including positive rates of canine faeces, and the prevalence of echinococcosis in the general population livestock, and children. The data of dogs deworming and surveillance for echinococcosis is able to be controlled using RMS and has expanded gradually in townships to the whole Hezuo region. The automatic delivering PZQ rate, collar positioning rate, deliver PZQ reminding rate, and fault report rate is 91.1% (1914/2102), 92.1% (13 580/14 745), 92.1% (1936/2102) and 84.7% (1287/1519), respectively. After using the RMS from 2019, the missing rate of monitoring data decreased from 32.1% (9/28) to 0 (0/16). A total of 48 administrators (3, 3, 8, 11, 23 at the provincial, municipal, county, township, village levels, respectively) participated in the questionnaire survey, with 93.8% of its overall satisfaction rate.
Conclusions: The existing difficulties and challenges in the way of prevention and control for echinococcosis can partially be resolved using the innovative, IoT-based technologies and tools. The proposed RMS advance the upgrade of existing manual prevention and control models for echinococcosis, especially in the current ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as social distance and community blockade continue.
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How the Internet of Medical Things Is Impacting Healthcare
2020
https://healthtechmagazine.net/article/2020/01/how-internet-medical-things-impacting-healthcare-perfcon
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Internet of things in medicine: A systematic mapping study
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1532046420300101
Identified and mapped the current IoT developments in medicine.
Medical IoT validation research studies are two times more than those of the evaluation research.
Neurology, Cardiology, and Psychiatry/Psychology are the most IoT-involved medical sub-fields.
Home and medical centers are the most ubiquitous places for IoT applications.
India, China, and the United States have produced 40% of the world’s knowledge production in medical IoT.
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Ethics and Law in the Internet of Things World
12 October 2018
https://www.mdpi.com/2624-6511/1/1/6
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Remote control of brain activity with heated nanoparticles
Mar 24, 2015
Researchers are developing new method of wireless deep brain stimulation.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2015/mar/24/remote-control-brain-activity-nanoparticles
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Bacterial magnetic particles as a novel and efficient gene vaccine delivery system
2012
Abstract
DNA vaccination is an attractive approach for eliciting antigen-specific immunity. In this study, we used magnetosomes (bacterial magnetic particles, BMPs) as carriers of a recombinant DNA composed of a secondary lymphoid tissue chemokine, human papillomavirus type E7 (HPV-E7) and Ig-Fc fragment (pSLC-E7-Fc) to generate a gene vaccine (BMP-V) for tumour immunotherapy. The results indicate that BMPs linked to DNA more efficiently in phosphate-buffered saline (pH=4–5) than in physiological saline. Efficient transfection of BMP-V in vitro and in vivo was achieved when a 600-mT static magnetic field was applied for 10 min. In a mouse tumour model, subcutaneous injection of BMP-V (5 μg, × 3 at 4-day intervals) plus magnetic exposure elicited systemic HPV-E7-specific immunity leading to significant tumour inhibition. The treated mice tolerated BMP-V immunisation well with no toxic side effects, as shown by histopathological examinations of major internal organs. Taken together, these results suggest that BMP can be used as a gene carrier to elicit a systemic immune response.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3520014/
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Applications of Magnetotactic Bacteria, Magnetosomes and Magnetosome Crystals in Biotechnology and Nanotechnology: Mini-Review
2018
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30249983/
Abstract
Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) biomineralize magnetosomes, which are defined as intracellular nanocrystals of the magnetic minerals magnetite (Fe₃O₄) or greigite (Fe₃S₄) enveloped by a phospholipid bilayer membrane. The synthesis of magnetosomes is controlled by a specific set of genes that encode proteins, some of which are exclusively found in the magnetosome membrane in the cell. Over the past several decades, interest in nanoscale technology (nanotechnology) and biotechnology has increased significantly due to the development and establishment of new commercial, medical and scientific processes and applications that utilize nanomaterials, some of which are biologically derived. One excellent example of a biological nanomaterial that is showing great promise for use in a large number of commercial and medical applications are bacterial magnetite magnetosomes. Unlike chemically-synthesized magnetite nanoparticles, magnetosome magnetite crystals are stable single-magnetic domains and are thus permanently magnetic at ambient temperature, are of high chemical purity, and display a narrow size range and consistent crystal morphology. These physical/chemical features are important in their use in biotechnological and other applications. Applications utilizing magnetite-producing MTB, magnetite magnetosomes and/or magnetosome magnetite crystals include and/or involve bioremediation, cell separation, DNA/antigen recovery or detection, drug delivery, enzyme immobilization, magnetic hyperthermia and contrast enhancement of magnetic resonance imaging. Metric analysis using Scopus and Web of Science databases from 2003 to 2018 showed that applied research involving magnetite from MTB in some form has been focused mainly in biomedical applications, particularly in magnetic hyperthermia and drug delivery.
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Photonic and Magnetic Nano- and Micro-Particles for Biomedical Applications: Detection and Destruction of Bacterial and Cancer Cells
2013
https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/102445/rongsmit_1.pdf;sequence=1
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To Learn More Quickly, Brain Cells Break Their DNA
09.05.2021
DNA double-strand breaks are associated with cancer and aging. A new study shows neurons can use them to quickly express genes related to learning and memory.
https://www.wired.com/story/to-learn-more-quickly-brain-cells-break-their-dna/#intcid=_exp4_control_MAB_wired_e90b75e0-eac8-465f-bc37-39eec3f08516_entity-topic-similarity-v2-reranked-by-vidi
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A magnetic helmet shrunk a deadly tumor in its first test
2021
https://flipboard.com/@vincentmgra3enu/medical-health-9u6gd9h1z/a-magnetic-helmet-shrunk-a-deadly-tumor-in-its-first-test/a-VcSqc9XpSPCns12iUpg15A%3Aa%3A83088497-80c214acaa%2Ftechcrunch.com
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Researchers use organic semiconductor nanotubes to create new electrochemical actuator
September 3, 2021
https://phys.org/news/2021-09-semiconductor-nanotubes-electrochemical-actuator.html
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Influence of interaction between surface-modified magnetic nanoparticles with infectious biofilm components in artificial channel digging and biofilm eradication by antibiotics in vitro and in vivo†
2021
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2021/nr/d0nr08537e
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Magnetic fields deliver cancer-killing bacteria to tumour’s heart
17 August 2016
Applications of magnetotactic bacteria and magnetosome for cancer treatment: A review emphasizing on practical and mechanistic aspects
2020
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S135964462030235X
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The interaction of bacterial magnetosomes and human liver cancer cells in vitro
April 2017
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017JMMM..427..105W/abstract
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On-Demand Release of Drug from Magnetic Nanoparticle-Loaded Alginate Beads
02 Apr 2021
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jamc/2021/5576283/
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Bacterial Magnetosome: A Novel Biogenetic Magnetic Targeted Drug Carrier with Potential Multifunctions
20 Sep 2011
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnm/2011/469031/
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Unlocking the Potential of Magnetotactic Bacteria as Magnetic Hyperthermia Agents
2019 Aug 27
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31454160/
Abstract
Magnetotactic bacteria are aquatic microorganisms that internally biomineralize chains of magnetic nanoparticles (called magnetosomes) and use them as a compass. Here it is shown that magnetotactic bacteria of the strain Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense present high potential as magnetic hyperthermia agents for cancer treatment. Their heating efficiency or specific absorption rate is determined using both calorimetric and AC magnetometry methods at different magnetic field amplitudes and frequencies. In addition, the effect of the alignment of the bacteria in the direction of the field during the hyperthermia experiments is also investigated. The experimental results demonstrate that the biological structure of the magnetosome chain of magnetotactic bacteria is perfect to enhance the hyperthermia efficiency. Furthermore, fluorescence and electron microscopy images show that these bacteria can be internalized by human lung carcinoma cells A549, and cytotoxicity studies reveal that they do not affect the viability or growth of the cancer cells. A preliminary in vitro hyperthermia study, working on clinical conditions, reveals that cancer cell proliferation is strongly affected by the hyperthermia treatment, making these bacteria promising candidates for biomedical applications.
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Synthesis and Characterization of CeGdZn-Ferrite Nanoparticles as Magnetic Hyperthermia Application Agents
27 Nov 2019
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/amse/2019/4868506/
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Comprehensive understanding of magnetic hyperthermia for improving antitumor therapeutic efficacy
2020
https://www.thno.org/v10p3793.htm
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Magnetic particle hyperthermia: nanoparticle magnetism and materials development for cancer therapy
2006
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0953-8984/18/38/S26/meta
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Using bacteria in cancer therapy
2017
Cancer is a complex disease whose various causes include bacterial infections such as Helicobacter pylori leading to gastric cancer.1 Bacteria, however, can also be used to treat cancer, a treatment so effective against high grade non-invasive bladder cancer that since 1990 it has remained the preferred therapy.2
The history of using bacteria for cancer treatment can be traced to the ‘St. Peregrine tumor’. This describes spontaneous cancer regression and is named after the priest Peregrine Laziozi (1265-1345) who recovered from cancer after suffering wound infections.3 Over since that time there have been several observations of cancer remission in patients infected with tuberculosis, but because these were oftn isolated cases the medical community was not convinced of any correlation.4 In 1868 the German physician W. Busch noticed cancer remission in patients accidentally infected with erysipelas (skin infection) and performed a controversial experiment by moving a female cancer patient into a bed contaminated with Streptococcus pyogenes.5 His intuition was right! The cancer disappeared but the death of the woman from severe infection diminished existing interest in further the development of bacteria as anti-cancer agents.
https://hekint.org/2017/04/26/using-bacteria-in-cancer-therapy/
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Celularity Announces FDA Clearance of Investigational New Drug Application (IND) for Natural Killer Cell Therapy CYNK-101 in First-line Advanced Her2/neu Positive Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancer
November 29, 2021
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/11/29/2342134/0/en/Celularity-Announces-FDA-Clearance-of-Investigational-New-Drug-Application-IND-for-Natural-Killer-Cell-Therapy-CYNK-101-in-First-line-Advanced-Her2-neu-Positive-Gastric-and-Gastroe.html
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Magnetic relaxometry as applied to sensitive cancer detection and localization
2015
https://www.osti.gov/pages/biblio/1227725
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Magnetic bacteria for super-precise anti-cancer treatments
2020
http://www.ibsafoundation.org/en/blog/magnetic-bacteria-for-super-precise-anti-cancer-treatments
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Genetic Programming Compels Bacteria to Produce Useful Magnetosomes
March 25, 2020
Say what you will about magnetotactic bacteria, they’re never disoriented. They contain their own compass needles, which are built of linked magnetosomes, nanosized magnetic particles. These magnetosomes may soon point in new directions, thanks to microbiologists at the University of Bayreuth.
These scientists, led by Dirk Schüler, PhD, have developed a modular system for the genetic reprogramming of magnetotactic bacteria. The scientists say that their system can compel the bacteria to produce magnetosomes with desirable properties. Magnetosomes, which are naturally biocompatible, could be modified for use in drug delivery systems, magnetosome‐based immunoassays, and in imaging applications.
Transmission electron microscopy reveals a linear chain of tiny particles (black) inside a magnetotactic bacterium. The particles are magnetic crystals with a diameter of only 40 nanometers, which are arranged to form a linear “compass needle.”
https://www.genengnews.com/news/genetic-programming-compels-bacteria-to-produce-useful-magnetosomes/
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Using magnetic bacteria to control liquids at the micro level
Dec 8 2020
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20201208/Using-magnetic-bacteria-to-control-liquids-at-the-micro-level.aspx
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Application of magnetic nanoparticles in nucleic acid detection
21 April 2020
https://jnanobiotechnology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12951-020-00613-6
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Working principle and application of magnetic separation for biomedical diagnostic at high- and low-field gradients
06 December 2016
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsfs.2016.0048
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Bacterial Magnetosome: A Novel Biogenetic Magnetic Targeted Drug Carrier with Potential Multifunctions
2011
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jnm/2011/469031/
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Magnetic Beads for More Precise Control of Bionic Limbs
August 26th, 2021
https://www.medgadget.com/2021/08/magnetic-beads-for-more-precise-control-of-bionic-limbs.html
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Platelet Membrane-Camouflaged Magnetic Nanoparticles for Ferroptosis-Enhanced Cancer Immunotherapy
2020 Apr 27
Abstract
Although cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a tremendously promising cancer therapy method, it remains effective only for several cancers. Photoimmunotherapy (e.g., photodynamic/photothermal therapy) could synergistically enhance the immune response of immunotherapy. However, excessively generated immunogenicity will cause serious inflammatory response syndrome. Herein, biomimetic magnetic nanoparticles, Fe3 O4 -SAS @ PLT, are reported as a novel approach to sensitize effective ferroptosis and generate mild immunogenicity, enhancing the response rate of non-inflamed tumors for cancer immunotherapy. Fe3 O4 -SAS@PLT are built from sulfasalazine (SAS)-loaded mesoporous magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3 O4 ) and platelet (PLT) membrane camouflage and triggered a ferroptotic cell death via inhibiting the glutamate-cystine antiporter system Xc – pathway. Fe3 O4 -SAS @ PLT-mediated ferroptosis significantly improves the efficacy of programmed cell death 1 immune checkpoint blockade therapy and achieves a continuous tumor elimination in a mouse model of 4T1 metastatic tumors. Proteomics studies reveal that Fe3 O4 -SAS @ PLT-mediated ferroptosis could not only induce tumor-specific immune response but also efficiently repolarize macrophages from immunosuppressive M2 phenotype to antitumor M1 phenotype. Therefore, the concomitant of Fe3 O4 -SAS @ PLT-mediated ferroptosis with immunotherapy are expected to provide great potential in the clinical treatment of tumor metastasis.
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Magnetic bacteria as micropumps
December 8, 2020
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201208090008.htm
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Do Viruses produce a biomagnetic field?
2012
https://biology.stackexchange.com/questions/3664/do-viruses-produce-a-biomagnetic-field
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Genetically engineered magnetic nanocages for cancer magneto-catalytic theranostics.
27 Oct 2020
https://europepmc.org/article/MED/33110072
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Magnetically targeted photothemal cancer therapy in vivo with bacterial magnetic nanoparticles.
2018
https://reference.medscape.com/medline/abstract/30176510
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Magnetic bacteria and their unique superpower attract researchers
September 13, 2018
https://phys.org/news/2018-09-magnetic-bacteria-unique-superpower.html
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Magnetotactic bacteria
Magnetotactic bacteria (or MTB) are a polyphyletic group of bacteria that orient themselves along the magnetic field lines of Earth’s magnetic field. Discovered in 1963 by Salvatore Bellini and rediscovered in 1975 by Richard Blakemore, this alignment is believed to aid these organisms in reaching regions of optimal oxygen concentration. To perform this task, these bacteria have organelles called magnetosomes that contain magnetic crystals. The biological phenomenon of microorganisms tending to move in response to the environment’s magnetic characteristics is known as magnetotaxis. However, this term is misleading in that every other application of the term taxis involves a stimulus-response mechanism. In contrast to the magnetoreception of animals, the bacteria contain fixed magnets that force the bacteria into alignment—even dead cells are dragged into alignment, just like a compass needle.
Example of a magnetotactic bacterium containing a chain of magnetosomes
Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum bacteria with black magnetosome chains visible
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Studying Bacteria that Follow the Earth’s Magnetic Field
Oct. 5, 2017
Under the microscope, the bacteria are oblong with built-in magnets that appear as dark blocks that line up like a spine.
Magnets in bacteria?
Brian Lower stumps a lot of people when he first mentions magnetic bacteria. So he’ll take out a pen and draw them. Or he might show a video of them moving about a screen, appearing as ants. When a magnet is placed nearby, they immediately align close to the magnet, like soldiers milling about then suddenly called into a lineup.
As intriguing as they may be to watch, magnetic bacteria also have potential for practical use to send cancer-fighting drugs to a particular part of the human body and to store a signficiant amount of data on a small chip.
“We would like to be able to control these guys in sophisticated ways,” says Lower, a biochemist and professor in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).
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Animals May Sense the Magnetic Field Because of Bacteria
SEP 17, 2020
https://www.labroots.com/trending/microbiology/18711/animals-sense-magnetic-field-bacteria
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DNA Frequency Bioweapon Links Targeted Individuals to Artificial Intelligence Hive Mind Control Grid
Mar 29, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEgZQgP9SMs
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Brain Science from Bench to Battlefield: The Realities – and Risks – of Neuroweapons | CGSR Seminar
Aug 29, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUtQbriWt64
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Brains on Trial: Neuroscience and Law
Oct 20, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra2niqQhR8M
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The Invisible Reality: The Wonderful Weirdness of the Quantum World
Aug 22, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxRfDtaot5U
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Could Quantum Entanglement Explain Telepathic Communication?
October 15, 2019
https://www.gaia.com/article/science-is-getting-close-to-proving-telepathic-communication
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Transparent Brain: Visible Thoughts
Mar 6, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoF1Bx-glaw
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A mass of human brain cells in a petri dish has been taught to play Pong
December 20, 2021
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-12-mass-human-brain-cells-petri.html
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Scientists can control brain circuits, behavior, and emotion using light
November 30, 2021
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211130112506.htm
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Government Scientists Are Creating Matter From Pure Light
September 20, 2021
Scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory turned light into electrons, validating a theory that dates back nearly a century.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/wx53vx/government-scientists-are-creating-matter-from-pure-light
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Team develops AI to decode brain signals and predict behavior
August 2021
An artificial neural network (AI) designed by an international team involving UCL can translate raw data from brain activity, paving the way for new discoveries and a closer integration between technology and the brain.
The study published today in eLife, co-led by the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience in Trondheim and the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig and funded by Wellcome and the European Research Council, shows that a convolutional neural network, a specific type of deep learning algorithm, is able to decode many different behaviors and stimuli from a wide variety of brain regions in different species, including humans.
Lead researcher Markus Frey (Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience), said, “Neuroscientists have been able to record larger and larger datasets from the brain but understanding the information contained in that data—reading the neural code—is still a hard problem. In most cases we don’t know what messages are being transmitted.
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Gut bacteria and mind control: to fix your brain, fix your gut!
May 15, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mioR_WrkRaU
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Neural mechanism facilitates network integration for fertility-controlling neurons and sexual maturation
December 16, 2021
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-12-neural-mechanism-network-fertility-controlling-neurons.html
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Mind and Machine: The Future of Thinking
Feb 17, 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2CIU9oslxA
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Rethinking Thinking: How Intelligent Are Other Animals?
Jan 31, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdsVRh9oKiE
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SYNBIOSAFE: Synthetic biology and its social and ethical implications
Jan 31, 2018
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKYlFy4uYL0
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TRADOC Mad Scientist 2017 Georgetown: Neurotechnology in National Defense w/ Dr. Giordano
Aug 9, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez4m_NqSRCU
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Nanotechnology: How it is Changing Society
Sep 12, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se5Y2Szt8cU
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March of the microscopic robots
Aug 26, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TjdGuBK9mI
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Scientists Say They Have Created Self-Replicating ‘Living Robots’
November 30, 2021
https://www.westernjournal.com/scientists-say-created-self-replicating-living-robots/
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Crystal Capillary Origami: Self-Assembling Nanostructures
Dec 13 2021
https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=5910
AZoNano speaks with Professor Hyoungsoo Kim from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology about his efforts to create a novel nanoscale self-assembling salt-crystal origami method called crystal capillary origami.
What inspired your research into the process that you are calling ‘Crystal Capillary Origami’?
In a multiphase system, if the length scale gets smaller, a capillary force is pre-dominant at the liquid-liquid interface. People used the capillary origami effect to assemble solid materials at the interface.
Under this background, we accidentally observed that some salts could cover the liquid-gas interface while the liquid evaporates. Based on this, we began to study how the salt crystals grow at the water-in-oil emulsion. We believed that some specific salts could grow and cover the emulsion interface.
Among many different crystal shapes, a smooth spherical capsule was found. Capsules, which have been widely used for the delivery of chemical agents and drugs, usually were made by spray coating and polymerization for a shell layer. We thought that this could enable us to fabricate the capsules without any post coating or chemical process, without the need for special chemicals (i.e., surfactants, catalysts), facilities and experts.
Our finding seems to be simpler compared to conventional capsule fabrication.
According to your research, the self-assembling mechanism of elasto-capillaries opens new applications in micro and nanotechnology by providing 3D assembly structures with 2D planar unit cells. Please can you give a general overview of how this process works?
To date, it is well-known that crystallites tend to grow and aggregate with a unique crystal lattice, the 3D structure, under free stress without any control when they form a crystal. However, we demonstrated a smooth spherical capsule using elasto-capillarity to planar unit cells.
The crystal capillary origami exhibits a novel active capillary origami method taking advantage of the preferred deformation and accretion of the growing nanostructures along the liquid interface without any predetermined shape and size of patches.
Elasto-capillarity is arguably a less known phenomenon than the well-known process of capillary action. Can you give an insight into this process and how it varies from capillary action?
Elasto-capillarity represents the ability of capillary force to deform an elastic material. We showed that capillary force could effectively deform nano-scaled planar crystal chunks.
Unlike conventional capillary origami, there is no need to fabricate the sheet beforehand because the sheet element (i.e., planar crystal) grows. It enables the capsules to form by spontaneous self-assembly through the simple diffusion process. Namely, the current method could fabricate a three-dimensional curved surface while capturing target materials from the external environment.
How are 3D structures – or capillary origami – created?
Our method utilizes the handshaking-made emulsion template consisting of the salt-saturated aqueous solution and the oil.
As time passes, crystallization of the salt starts at the interface due to the diffusion of water into the oil. Since the crystallites are plate-like, they can be deformed at the liquid-liquid interface (here, water-in-oil emulsions) by Laplace pressure, and the crystallites cover the emulsion surface. Finally, the liquid emulsion is changed to the shell structure at the interface with a smooth surface through crystal capillary origami.
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DNA origami nanorobots developed to seek and destroy cancer
April 18, 2018
Like a microscopic Rambo, they hunt down and attack tumours
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Cellular Surgeons: The New Era of Nanomedicine
Aug 1, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzFY5ms3AUc
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Biotechnology/Nanotechnology | Andrew Hessel | SingularityU Germany Summit 2017
Aug 8, 2017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZfUJuSmBAs
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Shattering cancer with resonant frequencies: Anthony Holland at TEDxSkidmore College
Dec 22, 2013
NOTE FROM TED: Please do not look to this talk for medical advice. We’ve flagged this talk, which was filmed at a TEDx event, because it appears to fall outside TEDx’s content guidelines. Resonant Frequency Therapy has not been proven effective by scientific research.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w0_kazbb_U
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NIH study uncovers blood vessel damage and inflammation in COVID-19 patients’ brains but no infection
December 30, 2020
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-study-uncovers-blood-vessel-damage-inflammation-covid-19-patients-brains-no-infection
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COVID-19 and hearing loss: What we know
June 8, 2021
https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/53127-Coronavirus-hearing-loss-tinnitus-covid
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How viruses like the coronavirus can steal our sense of smell
April 17, 2020
https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2020/04/17/how-viruses-like-the-coronavirus-can-steal-our-sense-of-smell/
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People with certain genetic loci are 11% more likely to lose the ability to smell or taste from COVID
January 18, 2022
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-01-people-genetic-loci-ability-covid.html
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Those under 40 are more likely than older adults to recover COVID-related smell and taste loss, study finds
Ongoing survey tracking smell and taste recovery of COVID-19 survivors shows 4 out of every 5 recover senses within 6 months
October 5, 2021
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211005124655.htm
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Coronavirus ‘long haulers’ experiencing fishy, sulphur smells: reports
Dec 28, 2020
https://www.foxnews.com/health/coronavirus-long-haulers-reporting-fishy-sulphur-smells-reports
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Gum Disease Associated to COVID-19 and Other Medical Conditions
Oct 14, 2020
https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2020/10/gum-disease-covid19.php
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Coronavirus Can Cause Digestive Problems – What You Need To Know
20/04/2020
Evidence suggests that in milder cases of Covid-19, some experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea.
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/coronavirus-digestive-symptoms_uk_5e996463c5b6a92100e551f9
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Intestinal worms may affect severity of coronavirus
2020
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/hub/federation-university/p/intestinal-worms-may-affect-severity-coronavirus
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The worm in the bud: Do parasites interfere with immunization?
July 27, 2020
https://www.princeton.edu/news/2020/07/27/worm-bud-do-parasites-interfere-immunization
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Coronavirus Causes Lower Respiratory Tract Infections Less Frequently Than RSV in Hospitalized Norwegian Children
2011
https://journals.lww.com/pidj/Abstract/2011/04000/Coronavirus_Causes_Lower_Respiratory_Tract.3.aspx
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The COVID-19 virus can cause diabetes, new studies find
June 10, 2021
“The virus actually destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin.”
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/covid-19-virus-diabetes-studies-find/story?id=78168634
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Covid can infect cells in pancreas that make insulin, research shows
Results of two studies may explain why some people develop diabetes after catching the virus
28 Sep 2021
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/sep/29/covid-can-infect-cells-in-pancreas-that-make-insulin-research-shows
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How does SARS-CoV-2 infect the pancreas?
Feb 5 2021
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20210205/How-does-SARS-CoV-2-infect-the-pancreas.aspx
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Coronavirus disease 2019 and the pancreas
2020 Oct 12
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33250089/
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Pancreatic Injury after COVID-19 Vaccine—A Case Report
2021 Jun 1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8228266/
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Beware: COVID-19 virus may damage the endocrine system and trigger many diseases
July 4, 2020
https://www.thehealthsite.com/news/beware-covid-19-virus-may-damage-the-endocrine-system-and-trigger-many-diseases-755724/
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Covid jabs can cause the central nervous system to go absolutely HAYWIRE, possibly for life
December 14, 2021
https://1earthunite.wordpress.com/2021/12/15/covid-jabs-can-cause-the-central-nervous-system-to-go-absolutely-haywire-possibly-for-life/
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Covid jabs can cause the central nervous system to go absolutely HAYWIRE, possibly for life
December 15, 2021
https://www.oom2.com/t77964-covid-jabs-can-cause-the-central-nervous-system-to-go-absolutely-haywire-possibly-for-life#162139
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Coronavirus and the Nervous System
2021
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Current-Research/Coronavirus-and-NINDS/nervous-system
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COVID-19 and Post-Infection Thyroid Disease
2021
Patients with the Coronavirus may be at risk of developing subacute thyroiditis
https://www.endocrineweb.com/covid-19-post-infection-thyroid-disease
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Is pink eye a symptom of COVID-19?
June 22, 2021
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/pink-eye-covid
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Retinal findings in hospitalised patients with severe COVID-19
2020
https://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2020/10/15/bjophthalmol-2020-317576
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Is RAS the Link Between COVID-19 and Increased Stress in Head and Neck Cancer Patients?
2021 Jul 15
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8320172/
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Can COVID-19 Infection Cause Autoimmune Diseases?
May 7, 2021,
https://www.goodrx.com/blog/can-covid-19-cause-autoimmune-diseases/
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Can the Flu and Other Viruses Cause Neurodegeneration?
Mar 1, 2019
Scientists may need to seriously reconsider the cast-aside hypothesis that pathogens can play a part in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
https://www.the-scientist.com/features/can-the-flu-and-other-viruses-cause-neurodegeneration–65498
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COVID Vaccines May Bring Avalanche of Neurological Disease
May 23, 2021
https://stateofthenation.co/?p=66327
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COVID Shots Could Cause ‘Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’ in Young People, MIT Scientist Warns
January 17, 2022
https://weliveinamadworld.com/covid-shots-could-cause-parkinsons-and-alzheimer-in-young-people-mit-scientist-warns/
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The ‘shaking’ COVID-19 vaccine side-effect videos and what we know about them
January 20, 2021
https://www.politifact.com/article/2021/jan/20/shaking-covid-vaccine-side-effect-videos-and-what-/
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Study Illuminates Possible Link Between COVID-19 and Parkinson’s Disease
Dec 20, 2021
https://www.biospace.com/article/study-illuminates-possible-link-between-covid-19-and-parkinson-s-disease/
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COVID-19 and possible links with Parkinson’s disease and parkinsonism: from bench to bedside
20 August 2020
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41531-020-00123-0
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Too much protein may kill brain cells as Parkinson’s progresses
NIH-funded study on key Parkinson’s gene finds a possible new target for monitoring the disease.
April 10, 2014
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/too-much-protein-may-kill-brain-cells-parkinsons-progresses
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Scientist Sounds Alarm: COVID Vaccines Producing Symptoms of Parkinson’s, Other Neurodegenerative Disorders
July 23, 2021
https://www.theburningplatform.com/2021/07/23/scientist-sounds-alarm-covid-vaccines-producing-symptoms-of-parkinsons-other-neurodegenerative-disorders/
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Florida woman dies of brain disease after taking Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
September 2, 2021
https://www.dcclothesline.com/2021/09/02/florida-woman-dies-of-brain-disease-after-taking-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine/
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Spike proteins administered intravenously are engineered to cross the blood-brain barrier, can cause cerebral hemorrhage
June 04, 2021
https://www.planet-today.com/2021/06/spike-proteins-administered.html#gsc.tab=0
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Reversing How Proteins Accumulate in Wrong Parts of Brain Cells
August 9, 2021
Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London (UCL) have studied how proteins accumulate in the wrong parts of brain cells in motor neurone disease, and have demonstrated how it might be possible, in some cases, to reverse this. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as motor neurone disease, is a progressive fatal disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control, with patients become increasingly paralyzed and losing the ability to speak, eat and breathe.
https://www.genengnews.com/neurological-disorders/reversing-how-proteins-accumulate-in-wrong-parts-of-brain-cells/
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FDA sets decision date for Amylyx Pharma ALS drug that improves neuron survival
Dec 29, 2021
The FDA has accepted Amylyx Pharmaceuticals’ submission for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis drug AMX0035 and it expects to issue a regulatory decision by late June. A lot will happen before then. Amylyx recently filed for an IPO and the company’s drug is slated for an advisory committee meeting ahead of an FDA decision.
https://medcitynews.com/2021/12/fda-sets-decision-date-for-amylyx-pharma-als-drug-that-improves-neuron-survival/
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Impact of COVID-19 on People Suffering with Epilepsy
Oct 2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8061515/
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Coronavirus, the COVID-19 Vaccine and Epilepsy: What You Need to Know
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-the-covid19-vaccine-and-epilepsy
Can epileptic seizures worsen during or after coronavirus infection?
“Although considered a rare event, high fever and infections can lower the seizure threshold, causing an increase in the seizure frequency,” says Husari. “This usually occurs in a small subset of patients.”
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Genetic susceptibility for COVID-19–associated sudden cardiac death in African Americans
May 5th, 2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7198426/
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Coronavirus Might Exploit ‘Silent’ Mutations Hidden in People, Scientists Think
7 MAY 2020
Why are some people barely affected by coronavirus, while others become gravely ill even though they are young and healthy?
Scientists are searching for answers in patients’ genes, looking for mutations that affect their immune response in the hope of finding new treatments.
https://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-are-comparing-our-genes-to-understand-why-we-don-t-all-die-from-covid-19
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Why do some infected with the coronavirus escape COVID-19 unharmed? It’s probably their genes
June 17, 2020
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/06/17/coronavirus-genetics-may-explain-differences-covid-19-illnesses/5318676002/
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Pollution Science 101 