COVID-19 Flashcards
(35 cards)
more than how many viruses cause colds?
200
When did the Covid-19 outbreak start and what makes it a serious illness?
December 2019
- impacts lungs and lower airways
- damages internal organs
- immune system creates a strong response
different than a typical cold
What indicates that this type of pandemic has happened before?
goes back 20 thousand years, our genetics show an adaptation to the coronavirus (fossils in our genetics)
how many types of coronavirus infect humans
7
4 are mild -> colds (upper airway)
3 are serious: SARS, MERS, Covid-19 (lower airway)
Viral entry into cells
ACE2 protein (receptor) -> found on many human cells (it receives the coronavirus)
- A spike protein sticks to the ACE2 like a velcro, and the bubbles come into close contact
- On the surface, the virus will stick by only a couple of proteins but things move around and every once in a while, another velcro will end up getting stuck
- It repeats over and over and the membrane will then wrap around the virus causing a bubble that the virus uses to enter to the cell
How does the virus affect the ACE2 enzyme?
deactivates it,
the enzyme provides a normal function, and normally regulates blood sugar + other organ
- qualities that people at high risk need to be regulated, but that’s disrupted
How many cases are mild?
MOST, greater than 85%
- asymptomatic
- no treatment is required
- self-isolation
What makes up the small % of severe cases?
older than 60
pre-existing medical conditions
diabetes
heart disease etc…
The most common pre-existing conditions are Alzheimer’s and dementia
Why does it seem like young people are at higher risk in Canada
The largest proportion of Canada is young, so the larger proportion of people who get COVID-19 are young people because there are more of them
What to the hospitalization records show?
Older people are more likely to be admitted into the hospital
- Most people hospitalized with COVID-19, didn’t go to the hospital because of covid so the data is a bit tricky to interpret, but emphasis on older people
What age group was at more higher risk for death?
older population, especially 80+
What is long covid? what are risk factors of it?
symptoms that last for a very long time
- most resolve in 2-6 weeks, but could last months
Risk factors for persistence of symptoms
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Obesity
- Mental health conditions
What is long-haul COVID?
worse than long COVID
chronic
long-term damage + scarring
how is covid spread?
airborne
- depends on how big the droplet is, big travel shorter distances
- When the virus is in the droplet, the droplet evaporates and some viruses can’t survive, they need the moisture
- Lead to the guideline: stay 2 meters apart
What is the role of masks?
They contain the droplets and protect other people from you
- you can still get the virus by wearing a mask, it may just be less severe
What is a major conspiracy around COVID-19?
that it was created in a lab
in 2019, technology existed to create a virus in a lab
What is a Viral Chimera?
it is a combination of animals:
1. virus from bat
2. virus from pangolin
3. unknown origin
animals with different viruses come in contact and one gets all the viruses
Covid Chimera
- bats from a cave in Yunnan
- pangolins from Indonesia
- ??
all infected the same animal at the same time and transferred into a human which is how we got covid
how would all the animals have come in contact to create the COVID chimera?
through a wet market
What does the Wuhan institute of virology do?
coronavirus research
- they create chimeras that looks sus but they do this to predict viruses - make a safe virus dangerous to prevent future pandemics, develop treatments ahead, vaccines
RISK: accidental release of virus into the world
technology in 1999
chimeras created in labs:
- traces were left in the genes
- could detect genetic manipulation
technology now
- seamless - no sign of genetic manipulation
Ivermectin
misinformation = HARMFUL
- they were testing anything - this drug was showing in vitro antiviral activity (lab term)
- no meaning for human use
- The required dose was 5 units - useful in a person? NO
Poor quality + fraudulent clinical trials
… but the drug is easy to get - vet drug
waste of resources
- people can die + become ill
- doesn’t help with covid
- difficult to get for legit reasons because people were buying it for the wrong reasons
- high quality clinical trials are expensive for NOTHING
Pfizer developed:
Nirmatrelevir
A repurposed drug originally for SARS
- FDA authorized
Combination of 2 drugs (Paxlovid)
- Nirmatrelvir (antiviral)
- Ritonavir (boosts bioavailability for oral dosing) - failed HIV drug (oral dosing booster)
- blocks the liver so the drug reaches
the bloodstream
Drug was found to be effective
