Covid-19
What is the term for COVID-19 manifestations that linger long after the virus is no longer present in the body?
'Long COVID'
What is the attachment site's normal role?
1) lowering blood pressure 2) controlling fluid balance 3) regulating the inflammatory response
What are the three stages?
1. Asymptomatic 2. Upper airway and conducting airway response (loss of taste/smell) 3.Hypoxia
How many serious coronaviruses have been found in humans?
1. SARS-CoV-Guangdong 2. Middle-East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) 3. SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19)
What are the 5 coordinated effective response measures for Covid-19?
1. Testing population with speed and accuracy 2. isolation of infected individuals 3. contact tracing- identifying those who have been exposed to virus 4. quarantine- restricting movement of those who were exposed 5. vaccines
What is the name of the disease?
COVID-19 (from coronavirus disease 2019)
Why are bats problematic viral reservoirs?
Can migrate long distances ⅕ of all mammalian species Infected without symptoms They are located worldwide
What type of genome does SARS-CoV-2 have?
Enveloped with single-stranded positive sense RNA
What extra precautions should betaken if you are a healthcare professional?
Higher level of personal protective equipment (PPE) is necessary N95 face mask (filters out 95% of airborne pathogens) Eye protection Gloves Gown
What changes have been made in hospital care that have decreased the mortality rates in seriously ill COVID patients?
Increasing oxygen in a less invasive way than a ventilator Proning- placing patient face-down to expand dorsal lung regions
How do these viruses get from bats to humans?
Live-animal markets Represent ideal conditions for interspecies contact of wild life Increases probability of interspecies transmission
Why is some inflammation expected in the vaccine reaction?
Make immune system angry enough to pay attention to make protective antibodies and T cells against virus
Which coronavirus is most deadly?
Middle-East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)
How does the SARS-CoV-2 virus enter host cells?
Nasal and oral passages of respiratory tract Conjunctiva of the eyes, passing through nasolacrimal duct Oral cavity and esophagus
What antiviral drugs are approved by the FDA to treat Covid-19? How are they selectively toxic?
Nirmatrelvir with Ritonavir (Paxlovid)- binds to protease enzyme Remedesivir (Veklury)- binds to viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase Molnupiravir (Lagevrio)- resembles the nucleosides recognized by RDRP TARGETS PROTEASE ENZYME OR RDRP (HUMANS DONT HAVE)
Which type of COVID-19 test for current infection is reliable and accurate? What does it test for?
PCR test- amplifies and detects viral genetic material (RNA) if present in a person's secretions collected with a swab
What types of vaccines are approved for use in the US? How are they different? How does each trick your cells into making the spike protein?
Pfizer-BioNTech Moderna Covid-19 Novavax COIVID-19 vaccine i Johnson & Johnson Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine All target viral spike protein
What treatments are working to reduce mortality?
Prescribing antivirals Delivering monoclonal antibodies Passive immunity Prescribing steroids to dampen an overactive immune response
Based on what you already know about how this type of virus replicates, what other enzyme will it need to copy itself in host cells?
RNA dependent RNA polymerase
Which coronavirus is more transmissible?
SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19)
What proteins are present on the outside of the SARS-CoV-2 virus?
Spike (S) glycoproteins Envelope (E) glycoproteins Membrane (M) glycoproteins Nucleocapsid (N) proteins
What is VAERS and how has this information site led to misinformation?
VAERS stands for vaccine adverse event reporting system, which is a website that anyone can post about the adverse reactions they got after receiving a vaccine. It can be found through the CDC. The purpose is to allow people to report these reactions so that scientists can find trends in the side-effects of the vaccine that are worth studying. Anti Vaxxers are using this site to spread misinformation about the safety of vaccines by selectively reporting the events and making claims that are misleading about the risks of vaccinations.
What is the host attachment site?
Viral S-proteins in viral envelope bind to host cells via ACE2
What are the most effective ways to reduce transmission?
Washing hands often Use a hand sanitizer of >60% alcohol when washing is not an option Maintaining a safe distance from others outside the home >6 feet Covering the mouth and nose with cloth in public places to avoid spread Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces often
In general terms, what is a cytokine storm?
an overreaction by the immune system, causes immune cells to attack healthy tissues
What is the secondary mode of COVID-19 transmission?
animal-to-human (direct)
What current treatments are available?
antiviral drugs monoclonal antibodies
Why did it only take months instead of years to make the Covid vaccines?
before humans --> clinical trials w/humans--> government approval many participants and trials, enough people get the disease quickly pandemic circumstances allowed for quick development
How do we achieve herd immunity in a population?
by protecting people from a virus, not by exposing them to it
What encourages the virus to mutate?
changes in spike proteins; don't want to kill host, so they get less severe and more transmissible
What patients does MIS-C occur in?
children
How are the delta and omicron variants better at transmission than the alpha variant?
contain spike protein for attachment Omicron's spike protein has a higher affinity for human ACE2 higher transmissibility Spike protein is especially adept at membrane fusion
What is the primary mode of COVID-19 transmission?
human-to-human (droplet/aerosol)
Who is most at risk for serious COVID-19 illness/ complications?
individuals aged 65 or older people with underlying medical conditions (diabetes, asthma, heart conditions, etc.) immunocompromised individuals to AIDS, cancer, blood or organ transplantation, etc.
What are the results of a cytokine storm?
leads to dramatic drop in blood pressure, leaky blood vessels, formation of blood clots, organ failure
What is anosmia?
loss of smell
What is ageusia?
loss of taste
Can the attachment site continue its normal role during infection?
no
Does everyone progress to stages 2 and 3?
no
Is it likely to contract COVID-19 from surfaces (as a fomite)?
no
Were the patients in critical care before developing MIS-C?
no
What is the name of the virus?
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
What was the intermediate animal?
small mammals
When are you contagious?
stage 1. asymptomatic
What can you learn from a COVID antibody test?
to determine if an individual has had a past infection This is a blood test to determine the presence of antibodies that appear 5+ days post infection
Which coordinated effective response do you think is/was most effective?
vaccines
What are the roles of the proteins on SARS-CoV-2?
viral replication, maturation and release
Do other illnesses cause this, or only COVID-19?
yes, autoimmune diseases