What if SARS-COV-2 MANIPULATED US, to SPREAD BETTER ?
2) There is always the risk with such hypotheses of being accused of anthropomorphism, i.e. lending human behaviors to a virus which cannot have any.
However, there have been several interesting studies on this subject and particularly in the field of behavioral neurovirology.
3) In fact, such behaviour-changing effects of viruses – so-called behavioural host manipulation – are not new, and have previously been reported for some viruses.
The theory is that pathogens do this to maximise their reproduction rate and in turn, their spread and survival.
4) The example of rabies virus :
"When a host is infected with the rabies virus it gets into the host’s central nervous system and triggers hyper aggression. The virus is also present in the rabid animal’s saliva ...
5) ... so being bitten transmits the infection to a new host and the old host is left to eventually die if untreated."
6) In a first study, they "hypothesized that the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV2, which produces the COVID-19 disease may produce host manipulations that maximize its transmission between humans." ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…
7) First hypothesis :
The virus may act on an area of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is involved in social behaviour and emotional regulation. By manipulating the ACC, instead of observing distancing rules, people would be drawn to "gather socially"
8) Second hypothesis :
"While there are effects on behaviour through virus-induced changes in the nervous system, Covid has the potential also to change the endocrine system that produces hormones that regulate many functions, from sleep to reproduction and social behaviour"
9) In another study, they show that SARS-COV-2 "bind to the host receptor neuropilin-1 in order to gain entry into the cell" but also can cause "interferon suppression and the resulting reduction in sickness behavior ...
10) ... enhanced transmission through neurally mediated cough induction, and reduction in sense of smell." link.springer.com/article/10.100…
11) We had already mentioned this hypothesis in particular because of the impact of the virus on dopamine.
12) Of course, these remain hypotheses but clearly the virus has more than one trick up its sleeve.
Thanks 🙏
FYI
@MeetJess @RadCentrism @DavidJoffe64 @C_A_Gustave @arijitchakrav @HarrySpoelstra @outbreakupdates @1goodtern
@dbdugger @AltenbergLee @RolandBakerIII @UseBy2022
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Why is Identifying "Non-Trivial SARS-CoV-2 Population Structure within Hosts" Important for Understanding SARS-COV-2 Evolution and the Emergence of New Variants?
2) The "non-trivial population structure" refers to the viral population within a host consisting of two or more distinct, independently evolving subpopulations, rather than a single, homogeneous population.
3) The key points about non-trivial population structure are:
▶️ It was relatively common, found in 5 out of the 9 chronic SARS-CoV-2 infection cases examined.
▶️ It was more prevalent in severely immunocompromised individuals compared to those not significantly immunocompromised
2) Viruses are not living things. They are tiny particles that can only make copies of themselves inside the cells of living things, like humans. When a virus makes copies of itself, it doesn't always make perfect copies.
3) Sometimes, little mistakes happen, and the new virus has a small change, or mutation, in its genes.
Most of the time, these mutations don't do anything useful for the virus. But every now and then, a mutation might happen that makes the virus better at infecting people.
2) This study looks at the risks of COVID-19 for people traveling to space.
Space travel is becoming more common, with over 600 people having gone to space. But COVID-19 could be a big problem for astronauts in the unique environment of space.
3) The study aims to understand how COVID-19 might behave differently in space compared to on Earth.
The researchers reviewed studies on other airborne diseases in space. They found that some diseases, like Epstein-Barr virus and Serratia bacteria ...
From Lung Damage to Gut Dysbiosis:
The Lasting Implications of SARS-CoV-2 Variant-Specific Microbiome Changes (From Wuhan strain to Omicron) labanimres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11…
2) The Wuhan strain of SARS-CoV-2 caused serious damage to the lungs of infected mice. The mice had a very high chance of dying from this strain. The researchers also looked at the bacteria in the lungs and guts of the infected mice.
3) The Wuhan strain increased harmful bacteria like E. coli in the lungs. This can make the lungs more prone to other infections.
The Omicron variant caused different changes in the gut bacteria of the mice. It increased certain bacteria linked to inflammation in the gut.
What are GAMMA CORONAVIRUSES ?
And why did we decide to talk about it?
2) A brief reminder :
▶️ SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the family Coronaviridae, is classified as a coronavirus and is responsible for COVID-19
▶️ Bird Flu refers to various strains of the influenza virus, particularly those in the Orthomyxoviridae family including H5N1 and H7N9.
3) ▶️ Gammacoronavirus belongs to the family Coronaviridae like SARS-COV-2.
Some notable gammacoronaviruses include:
- Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV): A major pathogen in poultry responsible for respiratory disease and reduced egg production.
A TREATMENT that Could Finally END Long COVID Suffering ?
This isn't the first time a treatment has been announced, and as millions continue to struggle with long Covid, we need to remain both cautious and hopeful 🤗
2) Researchers at WEHI announced that they discovered a new drug that can stop long COVID symptoms in mice. This drug is more effective than the current top treatment, Paxlovid, for both long COVID and acute COVID cases.
3) They focused on a specific protein called PLpro that other treatments haven't targeted well. This breakthrough could lead to new medicines for long COVID, a condition where people continue to feel sick long after their COVID-19 infection.