The recent approval of Remdesivir, a broad-spectrum antiviral agent, has sparked a debate over its effectiveness in the treatment of COVID-19. This drug has demonstrated superior antiviral activity in vitro against SARS-CoV-2. In clinical trials, it significantly decreased time to recovery in adults hospitalized with COVID-19. The drug is approved for use in adults and pediatric patients over 12 kg.
SARS-CoV-2
SARS-CoV-2 is similar to MERS-CoV, with seventy percent of the genome sequence identity. SARS-CoV-2 also shares six functional open reading frames (ORFs) located from the 5′ to 3′ ends of its genome, which encode accessory proteins. The proteins produced by the two viruses are similar in length but differ in their overall functions. SARS-CoV-2 is more infectious than MERS-CoV and is a threat to public health and veterinary populations.
A key question in understanding how SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 infect humans is how this virus is transmitted. There are two types of immune responses: innate and adaptive. The innate immune response is important because it determines whether an individual is susceptible to infection and how long it takes for an individual to recover. This type of immune response is orchestrated by coordinated B and T cell responses. Understanding the mechanisms of this response will help develop a vaccine for COVID-19.
Mink variant
A Danish vaccine specialist has warned that the new strains of COVID-19 could start a whole new wave of coronaviruses. Though this is an extremely rare disease, a new mutated strain has already infected about a dozen people in Denmark. While this new strain does not appear to be particularly lethal, it does increase the possibility of transmission, a fact that could be detrimental to the global livestock industry.
Researchers have identified the new Mink mutation C5 as a threat to the vaccine’s efficacy. The findings are particularly alarming for the dairy industry, which has already started removing mink from its farms. The Danish government has also ordered a nationwide cull of mink. The Netherlands and Spain have also recently ordered the culling of farmed mink because of the new virus. In Poland, mandatory testing has already begun.
Tree shrew variant
The shrew is an experimental animal that is genetically related to humans. It has been used in animal models of influenza virus, Zika virus, and SARS-CoV-2. However, the shrew does not show symptoms of SARS-CoV infection. However, if tree shrews are capable of replicating SARS-CoV-2, it could be a useful model of the disease.
We euthanized the tree shrews on 4, 7, and 14/16 dpi. Tissue was obtained and dissected for histopathological analysis. Representative histological sites were shown. Among them, the lungs showed widened pulmonary septum, hyperemia of the interstitium, airway obstruction, and inflammatory cells. In the aged group, we observed infiltration of inflammatory cells in the submucosa of the trachea.
Vaccines
The FDA has approved two COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer’s and BioNTech’s. These two companies were both able to speed up the development of these new vaccines because scientists studied coronaviruses long before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The vaccines, which were approved by the FDA in late 2016, were distributed quickly to the public. The United States government has provided substantial resources to the vaccine manufacturers to create and distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.
COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, but it does have some side effects. In some cases, you might have a temporary fever after receiving the vaccine. The virus itself may take a few days or weeks to clear your system. However, when you are infected with COVID-19, your immune system may create memory cells (B-lymphocytes), which go into action quickly when the body encounters it again. However, experts are still learning exactly how long these memory cells can protect you for.
Transmission
COVID-19 infection is not widely transmitted in humans, but it can be spread between people through respiratory droplets. Unlike foodborne viruses, COVID-19 can only make people ill when they ingest contaminated food. There have been few reports of COVID-19 infections in food or packaging, and most studies have focused on the virus’s transmission. A newborn infected with COVID-19 is at a high risk of serious complications, such as pneumonia.
The proportion of individuals exposed to a person with the COVID-19 virus was 68% lower than in the unvaccinated index group at the baseline and 80% lower than in those exposed to the COVID-19 virus after 12 weeks. However, in the most recent study, a similar proportion of exposed patients developed symptomatic COVID-19 infection in the nCoV-19 carriers. However, the risk of transmission remains uncertain.