Sleep Disturbances may Contribute to Alzheimers Disease by Karishma Abhishek on December 17, 2020 at 1:02 PM
Sleep disturbances like fractured sleep and daytime sleepiness are the worsening complaints of people with Alzheimer s disease (AD), as the disease progresses. But the exact link between Alzheimer s and circadian dysfunction remains masked.
A brain protein - YKL-40 that is regulated by clock genes is also a well-known biomarker of Alzheimer s disease, involved in clearing away the toxic buildup of Alzheimer s protein plaques in the brain, as per a study at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
SARS-CoV-2 surface proteins alter the expression of key chemokines and cytokines in cell lines
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has profoundly affected public health globally, leading to an unprecedented socio-economic crisis. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) manifests as a respiratory illness, which disproportionately affects the elderly population and people with comorbidities. Patients with severe COVID-19 developed respiratory failure caused by poor gas exchange and massive lung inflammation.
This novel virus is genetically 79.5% similar to SARS-CoV-1 and 50% similar to the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The SARS-CoV-2 virus also used the same host receptor - angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) - as SARS-CoV-1 for entry into the host cell by binding its S protein to ACE2. The S protein binds ACE2 more strongly than SARS-CoV, though these 2 S proteins have similar tertiary structures.
Matt Miller
Joan Niehoff, MD, receives a vaccine against COVID-19 Thursday, Dec. 17, on the Washington University Medical Campus. Health-care workers and other employees in contact with patients received vaccines from the first shipment to arrive on the Medical Campus.
As part of a historic effort to end the COVID-19 pandemic, health-care personnel at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and BJC HealthCare have begun receiving the first doses of a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Almost 10,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be administered in the coming weeks to School of Medicine and BJC employees who have direct contact with patients, work in patient-care areas or handle potentially infectious materials, such as nasal swab samples. Such patient-facing personnel have been prioritized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the state of Missouri to receive the vaccine first.
COVID-19 patients at 5 times higher risk of death than those with flu; read details PTI
Washington: COVID-19 is associated with a higher need for ventilators, more admissions into intensive care units (ICUs), and nearly five times the risk of death among hospitalised patients than those suffering from the flu, according to a study.
Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in the US noted that although both COVID-19 and the flu attack the lungs, the former viral disease can also damage other organs.
The latest study, published in The BMJ, shows that COVID-19 was linked with an increased risk of conditions such as acute kidney and liver damage, as well as heart disorders, stroke, severe septic shock, low blood pressure, excessive blood clotting and new-onset diabetes.
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Almost a year ago, COVID-19 began its global rampage, going on to infect about 69.5 million people and kill about 1.6 million as of early this month. From the beginning, most scientists have said that COVID-19 is deadlier than the seasonal flu, while fringe theories have circulated widely, suggesting it is less deadly or flu s equal.
Evidence is accumulating, however, to show just how much deadlier COVID-19 is compared with the flu and the extent of complications related to the two illnesses.
The new research a deep dive into federal data by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System reveals a clearer distinction between the two contagious viruses: Among hospitalized patients, COVID-19 was associated with an increased need for ventilators, more admissions into intensive care units (ICUs), longer hospital stays and nearly five times the risk of death than faced by those with the flu.