11-15-2020, 05:48 PM
‘Pandemic puzzle solved as scientists decode why Covid-19 largely spares children.’ Oh really? In fact, it overwhelmingly ‘affects’ old people because they have lots of other reasons to die that can be re-designated ‘Covid 19’ while younger people do not
Scientists have unraveled one of the mysteries of Covid-19, why the virus strikes down older people while seeming to leave children untouched. The breakthrough could pave the way for new treatments to combat the pandemic.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center figured out that children have lower levels of a receptor protein that SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes Covid-19 – needs to invade the lungs.
“Our study provides a biologic rationale for why particularly infants and very young children seem to be less likely to either get infected or to have severe disease symptoms,” explained Jennifer Sucre, an assistant professor of pediatrics who led the research.
When a virus particle is inhaled into the lungs, protein ‘spikes’ latch on to the ACE2 receptor, which lies on the surfaces of certain lung cells.
Read more: ‘Pandemic puzzle solved as scientists decode why Covid-19 largely spares children.’ Oh really? In fact, it overwhelmingly ‘affects’ old people because they have lots of other reasons to die that can be re-designated ‘Covid 19’ while younger people do not
Scientists have unraveled one of the mysteries of Covid-19, why the virus strikes down older people while seeming to leave children untouched. The breakthrough could pave the way for new treatments to combat the pandemic.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center figured out that children have lower levels of a receptor protein that SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes Covid-19 – needs to invade the lungs.
“Our study provides a biologic rationale for why particularly infants and very young children seem to be less likely to either get infected or to have severe disease symptoms,” explained Jennifer Sucre, an assistant professor of pediatrics who led the research.
When a virus particle is inhaled into the lungs, protein ‘spikes’ latch on to the ACE2 receptor, which lies on the surfaces of certain lung cells.
Read more: ‘Pandemic puzzle solved as scientists decode why Covid-19 largely spares children.’ Oh really? In fact, it overwhelmingly ‘affects’ old people because they have lots of other reasons to die that can be re-designated ‘Covid 19’ while younger people do not