- Viral persistence in children infected with SARS-CoV-2: current evidence and future research strategies The Lancet
- Study reveals how SARS-CoV-2 variants lose Infectivity in aerosols: pH and salt content key factors News-Medical.Net
- Nearly All Americans Had Covid-19 Antibodies Last Fall — Here’s What That Means For Next Year Inverse
- Study reveals impact of age and variants on SARS-CoV-2 transmission: Insights from Toyama, Japan News-Medical.Net
- Unveiling the link: gut microbiome, diet, and SARS-CoV-2 infections News-Medical.Net
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Tag Archives: infected
Over 600000 Android users infected with malware on Google Play — delete these apps now – Tom’s Guide
- Over 600000 Android users infected with malware on Google Play — delete these apps now Tom’s Guide
- Billions of Android users warned about apps secretly signing them up for paid subscriptions – here’s what t… The US Sun
- New Android malware infects over 620000 users, including Malaysians TechNave
- Delete these Google Play apps now! HD 4K Wallpaper to Fingertip Graffiti-check full list HT Tech
- Billions of Android users warned to delete eight types of apps – here’s how to check for them right now… The US Sun
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COVID caused brain damage in 2 infants infected during pregnancy -US study – Reuters
- COVID caused brain damage in 2 infants infected during pregnancy -US study Reuters
- Pregnant women can pass COVID-19 to babies, causing brain damage: UM study WFLA
- Fetus can get COVID-19 from mother, University of Miami study CBS Miami
- UM study: Possible link between COVID-19 transmission during pregnancy and brain damage in infants WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale
- Case Study Shows COVID-19 Can Be Transmitted from Mother to Baby through Placenta, Causing Brain Injury InventUM | University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
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A fungus known for killing trees has infected a human for the first time, causing a pus-filled abscess to grow in his throat – Yahoo News
- A fungus known for killing trees has infected a human for the first time, causing a pus-filled abscess to grow in his throat Yahoo News
- Mycologist becomes first person in the world to contract a plant fungal disease msnNOW
- ‘Pandora’s Box’: Doctors Warn of Rising Plant Fungus Infections in People After ‘First of Its Kind’ Case VICE
- In Its First Ever Jump to Humans, A Fungus Infects Kolkata Man | Weather.com The Weather Channel
- ‘Last of Us’: Step-by-step story of how an Indian mushroom hunter became first victim of rare fungal Silver Leaf disease Firstpost
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A fungus known for killing trees has infected a human for the first time, causing a pus-filled abscess to grow in his throat – Yahoo! Voices
- A fungus known for killing trees has infected a human for the first time, causing a pus-filled abscess to grow in his throat Yahoo! Voices
- ‘Pandora’s Box’: Doctors Warn of Rising Plant Fungus Infections in People After ‘First of Its Kind’ Case VICE
- ‘Last of Us’: Step-by-step story of how an Indian mushroom hunter became first victim of rare fungal Silver Leaf disease Firstpost
- In Its First Ever Jump to Humans, A Fungus Infects Kolkata Man | Weather.com The Weather Channel
- Mycologist becomes first person in the world to contract a plant fungal disease msnNOW
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Why Some People Never Become Infected With COVID-19
With the ongoing surge of COVID-19 infections in China, many are shocked by its scale and worried about a potential new wave hitting the rest of the world.
How can you better protect yourself if another wave does come to your region? Here, we take a close look into the factors impacting our antiviral immunity.
Some People Never Get Infected by Viruses
Looking at pandemics throughout history, one cannot ignore the impacts of the Black Death, which swept through Europe and reduced the population in some areas by more than half. Yet some people never got sick.
Cholera almost wiped out Europe, but some people stayed uninfected even though they ate the same contaminated food and drank the same cholera-tainted water.
Some doctors and nurses dedicated their lives to the leprous tribes, and yet they never had leprosy in their lives.
Two human challenge trials were done during the 1918 Spanish flu by two independent groups of doctors in Boston and San Francisco with 62 and 50 healthy volunteers, respectively.
Regardless of how many aggressive means were taken to try to infect people (even dropping mucus or bodily fluids from flu patients into the healthy volunteers’ eyes, noses, or throats), none of the participants became infected.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a SARS-CoV-2 human challenge study published in Nature in 2022 found that out of the 36 healthy volunteers inoculated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus intranasally, only a little over half became infected with mild symptoms, and the other half were uninfected. Two were excluded from the per-protocol analysis, so the experiment went on with 34 participants.
This experiment goes to show that some people just don’t get infected.
Viruses ‘See’ People With Weakened Immunity
While people may look similar on the outside, we look very different in the microscopic world of viruses. Our immune systems look different, too.
The immune system we were both with is sophisticatedly designed, layer upon layer, and acts like an army protecting us against various viruses and bacteria 24/7.
Viruses need suitable cells to replicate.
If a person’s cells are in a good antiviral state, there is no soil for the virus to spread its roots, so to speak, so that person won’t become infected.
For instance, mucosal epithelial cells in our nose can automatically secrete a substance that puts this cell into an antiviral state.
This substance is called interferon. It interferes with the replication of the virus, breaking down its protein, enzymes, and RNA so that the virus cannot survive in these cells.
Going deeper, there are a variety of immune cells, such as natural killer (NK) cells, macrophages, and lymphocytes. Each cell is like a special soldier possessing special skills to fight viruses.
Even if you become infected, if your immune system is strong, you will only be infected with mild disease, and you can quickly recover.
Research published in the journal Scientific Reports of Nature proves that at the early stage of infection, the more interferon is present, the lower the incidence of developing severe symptoms of COVID.
On the contrary, if a person has poor antiviral immunity, the virus will more likely to go wild in his or her body.
Two States of Immunity
There are generally two distinct states of immunity.
One is the antiviral state. It is characterized by strong antiviral immunity of the immune cells that can secrete interferons to eradicate viruses. The other is the systemic chronic inflammation state. This state makes people susceptible to viral infections.
A study published in Nature Medicine summarizes the causes of chronic inflammation and its consequences.
Having Purpose Promotes Antiviral Immunity
When we talk about strengthening immunity, people often think about improving nutrition or developing antibodies.
Those factors are important; boosting nutrition and adding exercise to one’s regimen will certainly help. At the same time, there are other internal ways to enhance our ability to fight viruses.
Everyone has emotions, thoughts, characteristics, and different mental states. People think that our thoughts are intangible, but they do in fact have material applications. Science has proved this point already.
In psychology, there are two sorts of concepts regarding happiness: hedonic and eudaimonic. Hedonic refers to the happiness gained through pleasurable experience, and eudaimonic refers to happiness that comes from achieving purpose and meaning. A 2013 study published in a top-ranked journal discovered that people who were inclined to pursue justice and noble goals (eudaimonic) had higher interferon gene expression, higher ability to produce antibodies, and significantly lower expression of chronic inflammatory genes.
Furthermore, according to a Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley, study published in Current Opinion in Psychology in 2015 (pdf), people with honest hearts are less prone to viral infections. This is because the cortisol responsiveness of liars is significantly higher than that of truth-tellers. And the higher the cortisol responsiveness, the easier it is for the stress hormone levels in the body to rise.
Corticosteroids and cortisol have an inhibitory effect on immune cells and suppress the body’s ability to fight viruses. Therefore, dishonest behavior will lead to a decline in antiviral ability.
Additionally, research has found that people who seek purpose in life have stronger natural killer cell function and immunity.
A study was conducted by the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center in the Departments of Behavioral Sciences and Neurological Sciences at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago on the important determinant of health outcomes and mortality in community-dwelling elderly persons in the United States.
Researchers found that having a stronger sense of purpose in life effectively prevents lethal events. A person with a high score on the purpose in life measure had a 43 percent reduced risk of mortality compared to a person with a low score. Thus, developing and refining people’s sense of purpose can protect health and potentially save lives.
The scientific evidence supports that our thoughts, mindsets, and moral standards can affect the genes and functions of immune cells, affect hormone levels, and impact holistic antiviral immunity.
As a whole, our thoughts can contribute to whether or not we are infected in an epidemic, or whether or not we will be seriously ill after we are infected.
In traditional cultures, people who are kind, altruistic, honest, and who have a calm heart and humble attitude are normally healthier. Now we understand that it is because they produce high levels of interferon, strong NK cell function, and strong antiviral immunity. Such people are less susceptible to viral infections.
People with these qualities usually have a stable mind and better mental health and do not easily become anxious, depressed, or have negative and intense emotions.
I have a friend who has faith, is kind, often volunteers to help others, and has been in the COVID ward every day throughout the pandemic. This friend has never been infected with COVID-19. I also have many other friends similar to her who have remained uninfected during the pandemic, too.
Throughout the recent COVID surge in China, there have been an unusual number of high-profile Chinese officials who have died of suspected COVID-19 infections. As high-ranking officials in China, they enjoy state-of-the-art medical care and have adequately supplied first-class food, nutrients, and dietary supplements. So why have they been dying during this wave?
We all know about the fake news and falsification in China, including the cover-up and concealment of COVID-19 data, the suppression of whistleblowers, and the suppression of people who dare to speak the truth.
The high-ranking officials in China—not all, but many of them—did not speak the truth to the people. They either executed the cover-up or helped with the cover-up. From a biological perspective, their bodies’ stress hormone levels may be much higher than people who do not bear the stress of dishonesty. If they lived in that state constantly, the chronically elevated stress hormones would have done great damage to their immunity.
These officials do not put the well-being of the Chinese people before profits or power. Therefore, the interferon gene expression level of their immune cells is expected to be lower than that of people who care for others.
If these officials were to have had more virtuous minds and kinder hearts, they might have been less prone to viral infections or at risk for severe disease.
There is a Chinese traditional saying: “Illnesses are caused by 70 percent mental and 30 percent physical.” During the pandemic, it’s not only important to keep a good physical state, but to also keep a kind and virtuous mindset to aid your immune system.
Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
Dr. Yuhong Dong, a medical doctor who also holds a doctorate in infectious diseases in China, is the chief scientific officer and co-founder of a Swiss biotech company and former senior medical scientific expert for antiviral drug development at Novartis Pharma in Switzerland.
China says COVID outbreak has infected 80 percent of population | Coronavirus pandemic News
Prominent scientist says Lunar New Year travel rush unlikely to lead to a surge in COVID cases as most people have already been infected.
The possibility of a large-scale COVID-19 rebound in China over the next few months is remote as 80 percent of the country’s population has been infected, a prominent government scientist has said.
Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist at the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Saturday that the mass movement of people during the ongoing Lunar New Year holiday period may spread the pandemic, boosting infections in some areas, but that a second COVID wave is unlikely in the next two to three months.
This is because the ongoing wave of the epidemic — driven mostly by multiple sub-branches of the Omicron strain — “has already infected 80 percent of the population”, he was quoted as saying on the Weibo social media platform.
Wu’s statement came as hundreds of millions of Chinese people travelled across the country for holiday reunions that had been suspended under recently eased COVID-19 curbs.
With some five billion passenger trips expected, fears have risen of new outbreaks in rural areas that are less equipped to manage large numbers of infections.
But the government has moved to assuage concerns, with the National Health Commission saying on Thursday that China has passed the peak of COVID-19 patients in fever clinics, emergency rooms and with critical conditions.
Nearly 60,000 people with COVID-19 had died in hospital as of January 12, according to government data, roughly a month after China abruptly dismantled its zero-COVID policy.
But some experts said that figure probably vastly undercounts the full effect, as it excludes those who die at home and because many doctors have said they are discouraged from citing COVID-19 as a cause of death.
Three grizzly bears infected with highly contagious strain of BIRD FLU in Montana are euthanized
Three young grizzly bears were euthanized after they were found suffering from a highly contagious strain of bird flu after eating infected animals in Montana.
The state’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) department said the bears were found near the cities of Augusta, Dupuyer and Kalispell, which surround the Flathead National Forest.
All three bears were observed to be in poor condition, and showed signs of disorientation and partial blindness, among other neurological issues.
The FWP said the animals were put down, while noting that these were the first-ever cases of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus documented in grizzly bears.
It comes as the especially contagious strain of bird flu continues to plague the US, with more than 43 million hens killed by the virus, causing egg prices to spike.
Three young grizzly bears were euthanized when they were found to have contracted highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in Montana
All three bears were observed to be in poor condition, and showed signs of disorientation and partial blindness. It was the first time the virus was reported in grizzly bears. Pictured: A large grizzly roaming in Bozeman, Montana
The FWP said the grizzlies were likely infected after eating birds carrying the virus.
While there have been previous reports of black and brown bears getting infected with the bird flu, this was the first case involving grizzlies.
The FWP noted that last year, when the new strain of highly infectious bird flu hit the nation, a fox and skunk had tested positive for the virus, with other predators like raccoons and coyotes also catching it across the country.
Although avian flu typically peaks in the spring, the disease has lingered into 2023, and is currently active in all 50 states.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 57 million poultry across the US were infected with the virus as of January 11. It has killed the vast majority of infected birds.
Although the risk of humans catching the virus is relatively low, bird flu can infect those who work directly with the infected livestock. The CDC only recorded one case of a person with bird flu last year.
In people, the disease can cause fevers, coughing, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, eye infections and difficulty breathing.
In bears and other wild mammals, the the virus causes neurological issues like seizures.
While the virus rarely affects humans, people are feeling the impacts of the bird flu through their wallets.
The national average price for a dozen eggs hit $3.59 in November, up from $1.72 a year earlier, the latest government data shows
Red Star chickens feed in their coop Tuesday at Historic Wagner Farm in Glenview, Illinois. More than 43 million laying hens have been slaughtered in the last year to contain bird flu
The national average price for a dozen eggs hit $3.59 in November, up from $1.72 a year earlier, the latest government data shows. Prices have likely risen even higher since then.
The lingering bird flu outbreak, combined with soaring feed, fuel and labor costs, has contributed to the more than doubling of egg prices, and hatched plenty of sticker shock for consumers.
If prices remain this high, Kelly Fischer, 46, said she will start thinking more seriously about building a backyard chicken coop in Chicago because everyone in her family eats eggs.
‘We (with neighbors) are contemplating building a chicken coop behind our houses, so eventually I hope not to buy them and have my own eggs and I think the cost comes into that somewhat,’ the public school teacher said while shopping at HarvesTime Foods on the city’s North Side.
‘For me, it´s more of the environmental impact and trying to purchase locally.’
A shopper checks eggs before he purchases at a grocery store in Glenview, Illinois on Tuesday. Anyone going to buy a dozen eggs these days will have to be ready for soaring prices
In some places, it can even be hard to find eggs on the shelves, but egg supplies overall are holding up because the total flock is only down about 5 percent from from its normal size of around 320 million hens.
Farmers have been working to replace their flocks as soon as they can after an outbreak.
Jada Thomson, a University of Arkansas agricultural economist, said there may be some relief coming in egg prices in the next couple months because egg farmers have been steadily replacing their flocks lost to bird flu last year and demand will ease a bit now that people are done with their holiday baking.
But she said bird flu remains a wildcard that could still drive prices higher if there are more sizeable outbreaks at egg farms.
At least 82 children in Ohio infected with measles, more than half of whom are unvaccinated babies and toddlers
Measles is spreading among children in Ohio two months after cases were first detected. As of Thursday morning, there are at least 82 cases of measles in central Ohio, officials said, all of which are children.
Columbus Public Health first announced an investigation into the outbreak on Nov. 9 after four confirmed measles cases were linked to a child care facility in Franklin County. All of those cases were among unvaccinated children with no travel history, officials said, as Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts urged parents to vaccinate their children.
By the end of the month, cases were linked to several more sites, including Polaris Mall, a church and a grocery store.
The number has since spiked, and as of Thursday morning, Columbus Public Health reported at least 82 cases, including 32 hospitalizations. All of those cases are among children 17 and younger, with nearly 94% of those cases infecting infants, babies and children up to the age of 5, health data shows. No children have so far died in the outbreak.
It so far appears that all of the children impacted by the outbreak are at least partially unvaccinated, meaning they have only received one dose of the necessary two for the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, known as MMR, although four children still have an unknown vaccination status. Children are recommended to get their first dose between 12 and 15 months of age and the second between the age of 4 and 6.
Measles symptoms – usually a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes – appear within a week or two after contact with the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a rash appearing three to five days after their onset.
But “measles isn’t just a little rash,” the CDC says. “Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children.”
The MMR vaccine is critical in preventing the spread of measles, as 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the virus will become infected, Columbus health officials warned. About 1 in 5 people with measles end up hospitalized.
Ohio’s outbreak has already surpassed cases reported to the CDC in 2020 and 2021 combined and appears to make up the bulk of the nationwide cases in 2022.
Dr. Shannon Dillon, a primary care pediatrician at Riley Children’s Health in Indiana, told CBS News this week that most of the outbreaks seen in the past decade are “clustered in unvaccinated people.”
“It’s hard to say what this one is going to do at this point because it seems like it’s early on,” she said. “…Anytime that you have a cluster of unvaccinated people who tend to associate with each other there’s always the chance that it will spread pretty quickly.”
Vaccine misinformation and a lack of primary health care providers have resulted in many parents being hesitant to vaccinate their kids against viruses like measles, she said. Vaccines remain “one of the most important things” that can be done to prevent the spread of diseases.
“Things like measles caused deaths of millions of children worldwide before the vaccine was available. And these are very safe vaccines,” Dillon said. “The measles vaccine has been available since 1963 and has really had to be changed very little since that time. So we have decades’ worth of data showing how safe they are — and it’s something if you have questions about, you should feel comfortable talking to your child’s regular doctor.”
At least 82 children in Ohio infected with measles, more than half of whom are unvaccinated babies and toddlers
Measles is spreading among children in Ohio two months after cases were first detected. As of Wednesday morning, there are at least 82 cases of measles in central Ohio, officials said, all of which are children.
Columbus Public Health first announced an investigation into the outbreak on Nov. 9 after four confirmed measles cases were linked to a child care facility in Franklin County. All of those cases were among unvaccinated children with no travel history, officials said, as Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts urged parents to vaccinate their children.
By the end of the month, cases were linked to several more sites, including Polaris Mall, a church and a grocery store.
The number has since spiked, and as of Wednesday morning, Columbus Public Health reported at least 82 cases, including 32 hospitalizations. All of those cases are among children 17 and younger, with nearly 94% of those cases infecting infants, babies and children up to the age of 5, health data shows. No children have so far died in the outbreak.
It so far appears that all of the children impacted by the outbreak are at least partially unvaccinated, meaning they have only received one dose of the necessary two for the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, known as MMR, although four children still have an unknown vaccination status. Children are recommended to get their first dose between 12 and 15 months of age and the second between the age of 4 and 6.
Measles symptoms – usually a high fever, cough, runny nose and watery eyes – appear within a week or two after contact with the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a rash appearing three to five days after their onset.
But “measles isn’t just a little rash,” the CDC says. “Measles can be dangerous, especially for babies and young children.”
The MMR vaccine is critical in preventing the spread of measles, as 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the virus will become infected, Columbus health officials warned. About 1 in 5 people with measles end up hospitalized.
Ohio’s outbreak has already surpassed cases reported to the CDC in 2020 and 2021 combined and appears to make up the bulk of the nationwide cases in 2022.