Covid-19 Updates – Part # 11.
The last episode of “ Covid-19 Updates in Brief – Part # 10 ” of the year 2021 , which covered a period from December 16, 2021 to December 31, 2021, has ben published already. Many viewers appreciated our efforts to keep them informed about the updates of Covid-19. Thank you viewers.
Covid-19 Updates in brief – Part # 11 will cover a period from January 01, 2022 to January 15, 2022.
Updates :
- A huge sales in alcohol has alarmed the health experts and Government health departments around the world.
- Increased drinking of alcohol can lead the drinkers more vulnerable to respiratory diseases like Covid-19.
- People who have any risk factor like diabetes or heart problems are the easy victims of Covid-19. They should avoid drinking alcohol.
- A program ” Dry January ” was started in the U.K. around 10 years ago. The participants agreed not to drink alcohol during the first month of every year.
- Niloufar Nekon, Clinical Director and licensed marriage and Family Therapist at Alter Health group, a mental health facility in Dana Painl, California said ” Decreasing or quitting drinking alcohol provides physical and mental benefits.
- Isolation restrictions for the people who were test positive for Covid-19 , were reduced from 10 days to 5 days.
- The clinical tests show that two shots course of mRNA vaccines or one shot of Johnson & Johnson vaccine are less effective against Omicron variant.
- Recent data show that Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna are more effective vaccines for Omicron variant.
- It is confirmed by newer data that a third dose increases antibodies production and boosts effectiveness against infection to around 75 % , and 85 % for sever disease.
- Federal authorities of U.S.A. have granted emergency use authorization for “Evusheld ” an antibody combination drug. Two dose injection is authorized in some people who are not eligible for Covid-19 vaccines.
- Evusheld supplies antibodies to fight the infection from coronavirus.
- A good news. Experts are hoping that rapid spread of Omicron variant may help the Covid-19 pandemic change to a more endemic stage , where disease is present but can be controlled.
- They say that high levels of immunity from vaccines and previous infection could slow the spread of the virus and turn it like a flu. They urged to wear face mask .
- As the FDA has authorized a new pill for treatment of Covid-19, the organization still has some doubts if the pill could impact pregnant people.
- The pill has the ability to cause mutations in human DNA in developing fetuses.
- The drug generates compounds that are similar to one of the building blocks of RNA, the generic code inside the novel coronavirus.
- The pill called ” Molnupiravir ” gave good results in clinical tests. The trials were stopped earlier to get FDA approval.
- Molnupiravir was thought to decrease Covid-19 hospitalization by 50 %, but that figure has recently decreased to 30 %.
- France halts use of Merck’s Covi-19 pill.
- Experts say the symptoms of Omicron variant are similar to previous coronavirus variants, but milder.
- Omicron symptoms are fever, cough, short breath and muscle aches.
- Some people with Omicron infection did not report a loss of taste and smell.
- Be careful. People recovered from a coronavirus infection , may have a reinfection with Omicron variant.
- Experts think that two doses of Covid-19 vaccine will protect against Omicron variant.
- As per Johns Hopkins University, there have been more than 298.9 million confirmed Covid-19 cases and more than 5.4 million associated death globally .
- A new variant was detected before the discovery of Omicron.. The virus has not spread widely so far. Leading experts hope it is not a major concern. The variant was named B.1.640.2, with a nick name ” IHU “.
- The U.S.A. has more than 500,000 new Covid -19 cases daily since the Omicron variant spread rapidly. Any how experts are hoping a significantly drop number of cases in next few weeks.
- Experts are still trying to find the origin of Omicron variant. Omicron variant contain large numbers of mutations which are rare in other variants.
- The scientists believe in a theory that Omicron developed gradually during a protracted infection from an individual with a compromised immune system.
- At the Chinese Academy of Science , the scientists have found a pattern of mutations in Omicron which is typical of a virus that infected a mice. They believe that SARS-CoV-2 jumped from a human to a mouse in 2020, then back into a human in late 2021.
- ” Flurona ” is a term that describe a condition when a person is suffering from both flu and Covid-19 at the same time .It is not yet clear , how much sick a person could be from both viruses. Experts suggest that sick people should take steps to protect themselves from both viruses.
- It is advised to get a flu shot and Covid-19 vaccine . It is the best way to reduce further risk of sever complications.
source: HealthLine
- As Covid-19 restrictions relaxed, the unvaccinated people do not need to get a Covid-19 vaccine. This is very risky , biologists have warned.
- In the presence of children and other unvaccinated people , removing the restrictions may give rise to more infectious and possibly more dangerous variants.
- A new SARS-CoV-2 variant identified as B.1.640.2 has been detected in 12 patients in Southern France. The new variant has 48 mutations,
- Data so far shows that variant might be the Cameroonian in origin.
- All human have a microbiome comprising thousands of microorganisms. These include bacteria. fungi and viruses , which co-exist naturally in our body.
- A team of scientists is studying if bacteria from the human microbiome can inhibit the SARS-VoV-2 virus.
- The scientists identified three bacterial metabolites to do above task. These natural bacterial metabolites are like the drugs that FDA has approved for treatment of Covid-19., obsessive-compulsive disorder or both.
- Fast facts on the gut microbiota are as under:
- The human microbiota is made of trillions of cells , including bacteria ,viruses and fungi.
- The biggest number of microbes reside in the gut. Other habitats are skin ;and genitals .
- The microbial cell and their genetic material, the microbiome are with human since birth. This relationship affects the human normal health.
- The microorganisms live inside the gastrointestinal tract amounting 4 pounds of biomass. These biomass have a unique mix of species individually.
- These microbiota are necessary for immunity, nutrition , brain and behavior. The microbiota is involved in a number of diseases that cause a disturbance in the normal balance of microbes.
- A pre print study found that Omicron variant of Covid-19 infection can be better detected by Salvia Swabs, as the variant infects and replicates more effectively in bronchus . Usually SARS-2 infects the upper respiratory tract i.e. the mouth. nose and throat
- According to Prosser Rosemary Boyton from the Faculty of medicine , Department 0f Infectious Disease at Imperial College , London in U.K. ,T cells can play different roles . They can act as ” Killer Cells ” . They can attack on infected cells by a virus . They can also act as ” Helper cells ” by supporting B cells to produce antibodies.
source: MedicalNewsToday