Could Viral Persistence Explain Long COVID?
Author: Dr. ReitzJune 30, 2022 INTRODUCTION One serious aspect of Covid is what has been called ‘long Covid”, in which various symptoms can persist for as long as a year or more. These can include fatigue, brain fog, loss of taste and/or smell, and cardiovascular problems. There are two schools of thought on the cause, although…
Impact of the Omicron Variants on the Ongoing Pandemic
May 10, 2022 INTRODUCTION The emergence of the Omicron variant in November 2021 has led to a rapid surge of COVID-19 cases worldwide. Since then, Omicron has kept evolving into several different sublineages. Furthermore, recombinant Omicron variants have been detected in patients by coinfection with the two such sublineages, as well as with the delta…
Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators (SPMS) as Potential COVID-19 Therapeutic
April 21, 2022 INTRODUCTION Our last Perspective described how the timing of the type 1 interferon (IFN) response is a critical early point in determining whether infection with SARS-CoV2 will lead to severe disease or not. IFN activity later in infection, when disease has already developed, is apparently ineffective, and is instead detrimental. Indeed, an…
Impact of Interferon on Disease Severity of COVID-19
March 28, 2022 INTRODUCTION Types 1 and 3 interferon (IFN) expression and activity have been shown to play a significant role in determining the disease severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It is becoming clear that the timing of IFN expression is critical in the efficacy of the early response to viral infection on reducing disease severity.…
Is Bradykinin Involved in COVID-19 Pathogenesis?
March 18, 2022 INFLAMMATION One of the hallmarks of Covid-19 disease is inflammation, mediated in part by overproduction of inflammatory cytokines. However, the mechanisms of such inflammatory process have not been clearly understood. In the past year the potential role of bradykinin, a small peptide and a members of family kinins, in the pathogenesis of…
COVID-19 and the Gut Microbiome
February 11, 2022 EFFECTS OF MICROBIOMES The importance of the immunomodulatory effects of gut microbial populations has now been well recognized. In addition to their normal beneficial effects, alterations in the gut microbiota composition can lead to profound immune dysregulation and systemic inflammation. Because severe COVID-19 and long term COVID are driven by inappropriate immune…
Cell-Mediated and Innate Immunity Against SARS-COV-2: What is Known
January 26, 2022 Titers of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 have proven a reasonable predictor of protection against infection and disease. However, T cell responses (CD8+ and CD4+), innate immune mechanisms, and Fc-mediated cellular cytotoxicity can also provide protective immunity against the virus. T CELLS The role of T cell activities in correlates of protection…
Omicron: Transmissibility, Immune Evasion, and Pathogenicity
January 13, 2022 We are currently in a wave of SARS-CoV-2 infections dominated by the recently discovered omicron variant. What new threats does it pose? It is clearly able to overcome immune barriers to infection. Also, this variant is far more transmissible than others, making it an hyper transmissible variant. However, there may be a…
GVN Convenes First-of-its-kind Conference to Evaluate the Public Health Magnitude of Long Covid
GVN Convenes First-of-its-kind Conference to Evaluate the Public Health Magnitude of Long Covid and Define a Global Research Roadmap to Address the Crisis World Leaders in Science, Healthcare, Academia, Business and Government Discuss Issues and Ramifications of Long Covid Baltimore, MD, USA (July 22, 2022) – The Global Virus Network (GVN), a coalition of world leading…
Could Viral Persistence Explain Long Covid?
Could Viral Persistence Explain Long Covid? Author: Dr. Reitz June 30, 2022 Introduction One serious aspect of Covid is what has been called ‘long Covid”, in which various symptoms can persist for as long as a year or more. These can include fatigue, brain fog, loss of taste and/or smell, and cardiovascular problems. There are…