A new study from UCLA shows that a viral protein other than the well-known spike protein may play an important role in severe COVID-19 and possibly even long-term COVID. The protein, called the nucleocapsid protein, is found inside the virus and is responsible for protecting its genetic material.
The researchers discovered that this protein affects the immune system in two opposite ways. Early in the infection, it suppresses the body’s antiviral defenses, which helps the virus establish itself. At the same time, it can later overactivate immune cells called macrophages. These release large amounts of inflammatory signaling substances, which can lead to severe inflammation and damage to the body’s tissues.
In laboratory experiments, the researchers saw that the severe inflammation caused the protective barriers of the blood vessels to become more permeable, especially in models of the blood vessels of the heart. This could help explain why some people with COVID-19 suffer from heart problems and other complications. The variant of the virus that had the strongest inflammatory effect was the delta variant.
The researchers believe that the results may help explain some of the long-term complications seen after COVID-19, where persistent overactive inflammation is thought to play an important role. They also believe that future treatments or vaccines that target the nucleocapsid protein, rather than just the spike protein, could reduce harmful inflammation more specifically and thereby protect, among other things, the heart and blood vessels.
The study was conducted on cell models in the laboratory and shows a possible biological mechanism. It does not prove that this alone causes long-term COVID in humans, but provides a new and important piece of the puzzle in understanding how SARS-CoV-2 can cause long-term symptoms.
Credit: Explaining text by Patrik Andersson (Facebook group “SARS-CoV-2 Omvärldsbevakning”)
Tag: study
A large randomized trial investigated whether vitamin D3 supplementation can improve the course of COVID-19. The study included 1,747 people who had recently been diagnosed with COVID-19 and their household contacts. Participants were given either high doses of vitamin D3 for one month or a placebo.
The results showed that vitamin D did not reduce how often patients needed healthcare, such as hospital visits, emergency room visits or doctor visits. It also did not reduce the severity of symptoms, and it did not affect the risk of family members in the same household becoming infected.
However, the researchers saw a slight trend towards fewer persistent symptoms after two months in those who received vitamin D. Around 21% in the vitamin D group reported long-term symptoms compared to 25% in the placebo group. However, the difference was small and not statistically significant.
The researchers therefore believe that vitamin D is unlikely to reduce acute illness or the need for care in COVID-19, but that it may be worth studying further whether vitamin D can affect the risk of long-term symptoms after infection. No safety concerns with the treatment were reported.
Credit: Patrik Andersson
Results for early treatment with pegylated interferon lambda shows improved outcome for majority of patients.
Children have in many cases the virus still active in the body after appearing recovered. Problematic says study.
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.21.23284592v1
Both children with long covid and those considered fully recovered showed reduced lung capacity after covid. Both ventilation and perfusion (oxygen getting through to the blood) showed significant decrease compared to the control, group. Albeit a small study, this tells us that Covid-19 is certainly not harmless for children and that a large percentage contract lung damage even in mild infections.