How did #India fare? The graphic tells the whole story:
➡️Brutal onslaught by #B16172: having the highest transmissibility & most immune evader of all VOCs with higher virulence?
➡️No support from Vaccination (negligible coverage & high breakthrough, but reinfections rare) 1/
➡️ Social mitigation measures worked! Or the virus ran out of steam? Or still too early to conclude?
➡️ India struggled (significant mortality/health infrastructure collapsed) but survived!! 2/
New study on immune escape potential of #B16172 in comparison to #B1351 w/ #BNT162b2 vaccine: More immune evader than even B1351 VOC! Significant loss of antibody neutralisation vs live B16172 (-5.8x, akin to B.1.351) @TheLancet 3/ thelancet.com/journals/lance…
Increased age & time since 2nd dose correlated with reduced virus neutralisation across all strains. Not unusual, but given low starting titres vs #B16172, more of a concern to see neutralisation “dropping off”, significantly. Boosters may be needed!! 4/
…………starting from a lower titre (#B16172) means small changes in NAbs titre now likely to have larger effect on vaccine efficacy! 5/
A NEW preprint found that submaximal exercise in people with #LongCOVID caused large microclots to fragment into smaller microclots and this then triggered increases in inflammatory and vascular injury markers. 1/
The breakdown of large microclots, rather than clearing them from circulation, was linked to reduced oxygen uptake and heightened inflammation. 2/
The data suggest that while the immune system tries to control inflammation caused by microclot fragmentation after physical exertion, its compensatory mechanisms are inadequate or failing. 3/
Globally, NB.1.8.1 is now the dominant variant. The WHO has issued a warning about rising COVID-19 activity in the Western Pacific, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Mediterranean, driven by NB.1.8.1 this week.
H/T: @RajlabN
Classified as a "variant under monitoring" by the WHO & “ Nimbus” by @TRyanGregory, NB.1.8.1 has triggered a seventh consecutive week of surges in Southeast Asia. Taiwan has seen ER visits double again this week. 2/
Researchers found that people with LongCOVID fatigue have damaged gut barriers & signs of immune activation.
Preexisting gastrointestinal symptoms before COVID infection predisposed people to developing LongCOVID fatigue. 1/
LongCOVID patients were found to have an increased LBP/sCD14 ratio & lower IL-33 levels, which indicates altered immune activation & a reduced intestinal barrier. In addition, there were increased IL-6 levels, which are considered a marker for systemic inflammation. 2/
LBP/sCD14 is the ratio of lipopolysaccharide binding protein to soluble CD14.
This study emphasizes the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the gut, which might be associated with the onset of Fatigue seen in LongCovid patients. 3/
A new study from Germany found that intravenous administration of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in mice led to neuroinflammation and accumulation of alpha-synuclein in brain regions associated with Parkinson’s disease. 1/
Authors also discovered “sex-dependent alterations in astrocyte reactivity and parvalbumin-positive interneurons.” 2/
These findings suggest that exposure to the spike protein alone, without full viral infection, may contribute to neurodegenerative processes linked to Parkinson's, thus highlighting potential long-term neurological risks following COVID infection. 3/
A significant discovery in the fight against #LongCovid!
➡️ Researchers have identified the epipharynx, a part of the pharynx, as a key site for chronic inflammation driven by residual SARS-CoV-2 RNA. 1/
Using a next-generation molecular mapping technology called Visium HD spatial transcriptomics, researchers from Japan provided the world's first high-resolution spatial gene expression analysis of the epipharynx in patients with longCOVID. 2/
According to the study, the viral RNA from SARS-CoV-2 can persist in the epipharynx for more than six months post-infection, and here they activate local immune signals in specialized cells like B cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, and ciliated epithelial cells. 3/
A new article on #LongCOVID shows that millions of Americans continue to suffer from LongCOVID which is a very complex and heterogeneous disease, with no diagnostic tests and no approved treatments. 1/
New clinical trials will target specific biological pathways including immune dysfunction and autoimmunity, viral persistence, and microclots rather than treating LongCOVID as a single disease. 2/
Trials include REVERSE-LC, which will use the immune-modulating drug baricitinib, and ADDRESS-LC, which will test bezisterim, a novel anti-inflammatory that can cross the blood-brain barrier. 3/