Studies in Portugal reveal the dangers of omicron BA.5 infection.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Subvarian omicron BA.5 appears to be more likely to cause reinfection and severe illness when compared to the other omiron subvariants. Not only that, the researchers also found that spike protein SARS-CoV-2 can damage heart muscle cells.
This is known through a study from Portugal which took place during last April-June. The study included data from 15,396 adult Covid-19 patients infected with BA.2 and 12,306 adult Covid-19 patients infected with BA.5.
Of all these cases, it was found that there were 10 percent of reinfection cases in patients infected with BA.5. Reinfection cases in patients infected with BA.2 were only 5.6 percent.
This finding indicates that the protection formed from BA.5 infection appears to be decreased more than BA.2 infection. In addition, the research team found that the vaccine’s effectiveness appeared to be decreased in preventing severe illness from BA.5, when compared to BA.2.
In comparison, vaccines booster can reduce the risk of hospitalization due to BA.2 infection by 93 percent. Vaccine booster can also reduce the risk of death in BA.2 cases by 94 percent
On the other hand, vaccines booster can reduce the risk of hospitalization due to BA.5 infection by 77 percent. Giving booster can also reduce the risk of death from BA.5 infection by 88 percent.
“Even though vaccination booster “Covid-19 still provides great protection against severe conditions caused by BA.5 infection, evidence suggests that there is a need to adjust public health efforts amid the BA.5 surge,” explained the research team. Fox NewsMonday (1/8/2022).
Different studies also found that spike protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 can trigger damage to the heart. The study was conducted using mouse hearts. In this study, the research team attempted to compare the impact of spike protein SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses against mouse hearts.
The results of the study found that only spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 which can cause dysfunction, enlargement, and inflammation of the heart. In infected heart muscle cells, the research team also found that only spike protein SARS-CoV-2 that can interact with the TLR4 protein. The TLR4 protein plays a role in recognizing foreign “intruders” in the body and triggering an inflammatory or inflammatory response.
In the bodies of Covid-19 patients, the research team also found the presence of spike protein SARS-CoV-2 and the TLR4 protein in cardiac muscle cells and other cells. Well spike protein Neither SARS-CoV-2 nor the TLR4 protein were found in healthy human hearts.
“That means, once the heart is infected with SARS-CoV-2, TLR4 signaling is activated,” said Zhiqiang Lin of the Masonic Medical Research Institute.
