The bloody war of 2020
Today, the SARS-CoV-2 has spread to about 210 countries with close to 3 million active cases. Of those cases that have obtained an outcome, 81% of the patients have recovered but the remaining have failed to survive the dreaded coronavirus pandemic. It has been observed that patients aged over 65 years, those with lowered immunity or any chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension are more susceptible to death caused due to COVID-19. Of the active cases today, about 3% face severity in the symptoms of the illness and are moved to critical units for observation and recovery. Although these numbers provide us with a general trend to analyse the nature of infection by the virus, it is not accurate and does not entirely provide the actual picture. Reasons for this include insufficient testing, non-inclusion of fatalities without testing, scenarios where governments refrain from testing or providing information and also specific cases like the incorrect number of cases reported from China [1].
Since the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of people have lost their jobs [1]. Likewise, in COVID patients, most red blood cells (RBC's) are put out of business as their inhibition by viral proteins renders them non-functional. We have discussed the mechanism in detail here. The oxidative stress around the walls of alveoli severely damages the functioning of the lungs, the damage can also lead to other severe lung disorders like pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Sepsis, etc [1]. A shortage of circulating oxygen in the blood amounts to reduced metabolism and a decline in the cellular currency (ATP). This leads to increased stress on heart muscles and a functional overload on the liver to detoxify the inactive RBCs. This bloody route (pun intended) in which the virus affects the human body is the cause for pushing beds into critical units and even death.
On this battleground of blood, the frontline soldiers are our white blood cells. The faster they respond, the higher the chances of raising a rapid immune response to thwart the virus. To date, the most effective treatments for the disease deal with strengthening the immunity of the patient. Although several drugs are being tested for the treatment, the need of the hour is an effective medication that can not only ward off the infection but also prevent a healthy patient from getting infected, such as a vaccine. A vaccine provides an initial stimulus to immune cells so that on the onset of infection they can be prepared to initiate a quick and robust immune response. Currently, about 70 different types of vaccines are under trial, although very few have arrived to be directly tested on critical patients. Most researchers in the pipeline of testing their vaccines suggest it will take close to a year to complete all trials and begin manufacturing the vaccine on a large-scale.
Updates [29th April]:
Oxford has recently moved a vaccine into clinical testing. The CEO of Serum Institute of India has announced that they are going to produce at least 40 million doses of the vaccine by September even though no sufficient evidence exists that the vaccine is efficient. [1,2,3] The CEO also goes on to say “A majority of the vaccine, at least initially, would have to go to our countrymen before it goes abroad", and that, PM Narendra Modi's office is aiding the process financially. [1] The cost of the vaccine will be borne by the government in vaccinating all their people, free of charge.
Ayurveda, a field of alternative medicine that originated in India and is practised/studied extensively might have a significant role to play in the war against this invisible enemy [1].
Since the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of people have lost their jobs [1]. Likewise, in COVID patients, most red blood cells (RBC's) are put out of business as their inhibition by viral proteins renders them non-functional. We have discussed the mechanism in detail here. The oxidative stress around the walls of alveoli severely damages the functioning of the lungs, the damage can also lead to other severe lung disorders like pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Sepsis, etc [1]. A shortage of circulating oxygen in the blood amounts to reduced metabolism and a decline in the cellular currency (ATP). This leads to increased stress on heart muscles and a functional overload on the liver to detoxify the inactive RBCs. This bloody route (pun intended) in which the virus affects the human body is the cause for pushing beds into critical units and even death.
On this battleground of blood, the frontline soldiers are our white blood cells. The faster they respond, the higher the chances of raising a rapid immune response to thwart the virus. To date, the most effective treatments for the disease deal with strengthening the immunity of the patient. Although several drugs are being tested for the treatment, the need of the hour is an effective medication that can not only ward off the infection but also prevent a healthy patient from getting infected, such as a vaccine. A vaccine provides an initial stimulus to immune cells so that on the onset of infection they can be prepared to initiate a quick and robust immune response. Currently, about 70 different types of vaccines are under trial, although very few have arrived to be directly tested on critical patients. Most researchers in the pipeline of testing their vaccines suggest it will take close to a year to complete all trials and begin manufacturing the vaccine on a large-scale.
Updates [29th April]:
Oxford has recently moved a vaccine into clinical testing. The CEO of Serum Institute of India has announced that they are going to produce at least 40 million doses of the vaccine by September even though no sufficient evidence exists that the vaccine is efficient. [1,2,3] The CEO also goes on to say “A majority of the vaccine, at least initially, would have to go to our countrymen before it goes abroad", and that, PM Narendra Modi's office is aiding the process financially. [1] The cost of the vaccine will be borne by the government in vaccinating all their people, free of charge.
Ayurveda, a field of alternative medicine that originated in India and is practised/studied extensively might have a significant role to play in the war against this invisible enemy [1].