Neanderthal genes associated with severe COVID-19; mosquitoes cannot infect coronavirus

(Reuters)-The following is a summary of some of the latest scientific research on the new coronavirus and efforts to find cures and vaccines for the virus-induced disease COVID-19.

Neanderthal genes associated with severe COVID-19

Researchers say that a group of genes inherited from an extinct human cousin is associated with an increased risk of severe COVID-19. Comparing the genetic profiles of approximately 3,200 inpatients with COVID-19 and approximately 900,000 of the general population, the gene cluster on chromosome 3 inherited from Neanderthals who lived more than 50,000 years ago is 60% higher. It turns out to be related to the odds. You need to be hospitalized. Hugo Zeberg, co-author of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, said in a news release that people with COVID-19 who inherited this gene cluster are also likely to need artificial breathing assistance. The prevalence of these genes varies widely, according to a report published Wednesday in Nature. In South Asia, about 1 in 6 Europeans have them, compared to about 30%. They rarely exist in Africa and East Asia. Studies cannot explain why these particular genes pose a higher risk, but the authors conclude that “gene flow from Neanderthals has tragic consequences for the current pandemic.” It is attached. (((go.nature.com/36lHwnC)

Mosquitoes cannot infect COVID-19

Mosquitoes that bite people with COVID-19 cannot infect the next victim with a coronavirus infection, according to a study by researchers at the US Department of Agriculture and Kansas State University. Mosquitoes are vectors of the notorious disease, transmitting West Nile virus, Zika fever, and many other viruses from person to person and among animals. In laboratory experiments, researchers found that mosquitoes carrying some species of disease and some other stinging insects eat blood spiked with the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. I allowed it. The virus survived and was unable to replicate in any insect, they reported on Wednesday in a paper submitted to bioRxiv prior to peer review. “Bite insects do not pose a risk of SARS-CoV-2 infecting humans or animals,” the researchers said. ((()

Moderna vaccine passes safety trials in elderly patients

The results of an early safety study of Moderna Inc’s coronavirus vaccine candidate in the elderly show that it provokes an immune response at levels similar to those found in young adults, with side effects similar to high-dose influenza vaccination. Shown to be equivalent. The New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Evan Anderson, co-author of Emory University in Atlanta, told Reuters that the findings are encouraging as immunity tends to weaken with age. The study enrolled 20 adults aged 56-70 and 20 adults aged 71 and over. Side effects included headache, malaise, body aches, chills, and pain at the injection site. In most cases, these were mild to moderate. “This is similar to what many older people experience with high-dose flu vaccines,” Anderson said. Moderna has already tested the vaccine in a large phase III trial, the final step before seeking urgent approval or approval. (((; reut.rs/3cL77HN)

Hydroxychloroquine cannot prevent COVID-19

The malaria drug taken by US President Donald Trump to prevent COVID-19 did not help prevent coronavirus infection in health care workers in a gold standard randomized controlled trial conducted at the University of Pennsylvania. .. A new study published at JAMA Internal Medicine on Wednesday shows that it is not possible to recommend routine use of the drug hydroxychloroquine to healthcare professionals for the prevention of COVID-19. This study largely confirms the results of a similar study conducted at the University of Minnesota where hydroxychloroquine failed to prevent infection in people exposed to the new coronavirus. (((; ; reut.rs/3cM7wty)

Differences in immunity seen in children with inflammatory syndrome after COVID-19

New studies may shed light on why some young people develop the rare and dangerous multi-organ inflammation syndrome (MIS-C) in children after recovering from COVID-19, but most do. I don’t know. This syndrome can cause severe inflammation of blood vessels, heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs. The immune system is more highly activated in children with MIS-C than in children with COVID-19, the study co-author Dr. John Welly of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine told Reuters. However, in MIS-C patients, the activated immune system quickly subsides and the symptoms improve. In many cases, it will be faster than during a COVID-19 attack. Wherry pointed out the possible association of certain types of activated immune cells in children with MIS-C with their status and some vascular complications found in COVID-19. “Identification of immune cell types associated with vascular symptoms has the potential to identify new (therapeutic) targets if we can develop approaches that target such cells,” he said. This study was published on medRxiv on Sunday prior to peer review. ((()

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