What are viruses?
Viruses are small infectious agents, most of them 20-300 nm in diameter, which have a genome consisting of one or more nucleic acid molecules (DNA or RNA), and can reproduce inside the cells of living hosts.
Viruses are simple structures (when compared to cells) are not considered organisms, due to the lack of organelles or ribosomes and all the biochemical potential (enzymes) necessary to produce their own metabolic energy.
They are considered mandatory intracellular parasites (a characteristic that prevents them from being considered living beings), as they depend on cells to multiply. Furthermore, unlike living organisms, viruses are unable to grow in size and to divide. From host cells, viruses obtain: amino acids and nucleotides; protein synthesis machinery (ribosomes) and metabolic energy (ATP). Outside the intracellular environment, viruses are inert, while once inside the cell, the replication capacity of viruses is surprising: a single virus is capable of multiplying, in a few hours, thousands of new viruses.
Viral human diseases
Like many parasites, viruses are pathogenic to living things. By invading an individual's cells, they impair the normal functioning of those cells and, consequently, cause disease. Among the main human viruses are: flu, hepatitis (A, B and C), mumps, measles, chickenpox (chickenpox), AIDS, rabies, dengue, yellow fever, polio (childhood paralysis), rubella, meningitis, encephalitis, herpes, pneumonia and the most recent caused by the coronavirus...
Prevention and treatment of viral diseases
Due to the use of host cells, viruses become difficult to fight. As chemotherapy treatments for viral infections are limited, symptomatic treatments, such as rest, hydration and pain relievers, are the most common alternatives to reduce the discomfort caused by most viral diseases, especially respiratory infections.
When cells are attacked by viruses, the parasitic organism's defence system starts to produce specific antibodies that fight the invading virus. This is because viruses are made up of proteins different from those of the parasitized organism. These proteins are recognized as not belonging to the body and are neutralized by antibodies. Thus, if the same virus invades the organism again, the immune memory will quickly trigger a specific immune response against the virus, and the disease will not set in.
Are there any treatment for viral diseases?
Viral vaccines: Vaccines are effective medical solutions to prevent some viral infections. They can be produced from inactivated or attenuated viruses, or from subunits of viral proteins. Once introduced into an individual, the components of the vaccines are able to stimulate the body to produce a humoral and / or cellular immune response.
The individual develops immune memory when he is exposed once or a few times to the antigens present in the vaccine. Vaccination is used to prevent the onset of future viral diseases. Therefore, vaccines are not applied in order to cure already installed viruses, but to prevent the development of the disease.
Antiviral drugs: Antiviral drugs are substances used in the specific treatment against certain viruses. Among the main antiviral substances are: acyclovir (against herpesvirus), ribavirin (against hepatitis C virus), oseltamivir (against influenza virus), ritonavir, indinavir, zidovudine, among others, against the AIDS virus (AIDS). Unlike bacterial infections, antibiotics are not useful against viral infections. The abusive and inappropriate use of antibiotics -as against viral infections- has become a serious public health problem as it is one of the causes of the recurrent appearance of bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics.
What is Coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause infections in people. Usually these infections affect the respiratory system, and can be similar to the flu or progress to a more serious illness, such as pneumonia.
The coronavirus, designated SARS-CoV-2, was first identified in December 2019 in China, in the city of Wuhan.
SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the new virus and it means Severe Respiratory Acute Syndrome - Coronavirus - 2. There is another coronavirus that causes a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which was identified in 2002, that is why this is called SARS-CoV 2.
COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease) is the name of the disease and means Coronavirus Disease 2019, referring to the year in which it was discovered.
SARS-CoV-2, the new agent, has never been identified in humans before. The source of the infection is still unknown. The route of transmission is still under investigation, but person-to-person transmission has been confirmed and infection is already occurring in several countries and in people who had not visited the Wuhan market and the number of infected people is rising considerably.
What is the origin of the new Coronavirus?
According to information published by international authorities, the source of the infection is unknown and may still be active. Most cases are associated with a market in Wuhan (Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market), specific for food and live animals (fish, seafood and poultry). The market was closed on January 1, 2020. As the first cases of infection are related to people who frequented this market, it is suspected that the virus is of animal origin, but there are no certainties. This is because infections have already been confirmed in people who had not visited this market.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Most infected people have mild to moderate symptoms of acute respiratory infection:
Fever (T> 37.5ºC)
Cough
Breathing difficulty (Shortness of breath)
In more severe cases it can cause severe pneumonia with acute respiratory failure, kidney and other organ failure, and eventual death. However, most cases recover without sequelae.
How is it transmitted?
COVID-19 is transmitted by close contact with people infected by the virus, or contaminated surfaces and objects. This disease is transmitted through droplets released by the nose or mouth when we cough or sneeze, which can directly reach the mouth, nose and eyes of those close to us. Droplets can be deposited on objects or surfaces that surround the infected person. In turn, other people can become infected by touching these objects or surfaces and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth with their hands. That is why respiratory etiquette measures are recommended:
Covering your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough, with a tissue or forearm, never with your hands, and always throw the tissue in the trash;
Washing your hands frequently. You should wash them whenever you blow, sneeze, cough or after direct contact with sick people. You should wash them for 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing "Congratulations") with soap and water or with a 70% alcohol-based solution;
Avoiding close contact with people with respiratory infection;
Avoiding to touch the face with your hands;
Avoiding to share personal items or food that you have touched.
What is a community broadcast area?
When a person is diagnosed with COVID-19, health authorities conduct an epidemiological survey to, among other information, understand the source of the infection. When this source cannot be identified, that is, who transmitted the virus, it is said that we are dealing with a community transmission area. It is estimated that the disease incubation period (time from exposure to the virus to the appearance of symptoms) is between 2 and 14 days. Transmission by asymptomatic people (without symptoms) is still being investigated.
It is also known that the people who are most at risk of serious COVID-19 disease are the elderly and people with chronic diseases (eg. heart disease, diabetes and lung disease).
But it's not all bad news ...
Science has advanced a lot in the last decades, for example, the first AIDS cases were described in June 1981 and it took more than two years to identify the virus that caused the disease. The first cases of the new coronavirus were reported in China on December 31, 2019 and by January 7 the virus had already been identified.
Also, the disease does not cause symptoms or is mild in 81% of cases. In 14%, it can cause severe pneumonia and in 5% it can become critical or lethal.
Prototypes for vaccines are currently being studied by many companies and a group of engineers, programmers and doctors are already working on the development of ventilators for people affected by the disease.
Here are some points of how Biotech and Biopharmaceutical companies are responding to COVID-19:
A biotech innovator – in partnership with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) – has developed a vaccine using mRNA technology with hopes to begin human tests of their product in April.
The first clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an investigational antiviral therapy developed by an innovative drug developer, and sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), is underway at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha.
At least a dozen companies have begun or accelerated development of vaccines and antiviral therapies.
A cutting-edge biotech company – with support from CEPI – is developing a new coronavirus vaccine. CEPI is also working with other industry leaders to accelerate the development of vaccines against the virus.
Numerous antiviral drugs, such as HIV drugs, are being repurposed and have entered clinical trials to test for efficacy and safety against COVID-19.
BIOTECHNOLOGY IS REALLY AT THE SERVICE OF HUMANITY!
References
Abbas, A. K.; Lichtman, A. H.; Pillai, S.. Imunologia celular e molecular. 6. Ed. Rio de Janeiro: Elsevier, 2008. 564 p. ISBN 978-1-4160-3122-2
Gorbach, S. L.; Bartlett, J. G.; Blacklow, N. R. Infectious diseases. 3. Ed. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2003. 2700 p. ISBN 978-0781733717
Wagner, . K.; Hewlett, M. J.; Bloom, D. C.; Camerini, D.. Basic virology. 3. Ed. Massachusetts: Wiley-Blackwell, 2007. 584 p. ISBN 978-1405147156
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