Coronavirus cases are rising every day in India. According to data available at the Ministry of Health and Human Services, in the last 24 hours, India has reported 324 new cases. Additionally, three people have died from the Covid-19 virus, one in Delhi, Kerala and Jharkhand, respectively. There are 6,815 active cases in the country.
Kerala Health Minister Vena George said special attention should be paid as the illness remains more severe among older people and other sick people. She added that Omicron JN.1 variants LF.7 and XFG are the most common in Kerala. These variants are “not very serious,” but are likely to spread disease.
“Masks must be worn during travel in public places. Genome sequences are being performed to identify the Covid 19 variant. Omicron JN.1 variant LF.7 and XFG, which are spread in Southeast Asian countries, are the most common in Kerala. These variations are not severe, but the Minister has said they are likely to expand.
The state has 2,223 active cases, with 96 people being treated. Ernakulam district reported 431 Covid-19 cases in Kottayam, 426 cases and 365 cases in Thiruvananthapuram.
“There are currently 2,223 active COVID cases in the state. 96 are currently being treated. Most of them suffer from other diseases. 431 cases have been reported in Ernakulam district, Kottayam and 365 cases have been reported in Thiruvananthapuram,” the ministry said.
All hospitals are instructed to conduct covid tests for those with symptoms such as cold, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, etc. The minister also said instructions have been given to ensure the availability of oxygen.
Covid-19 viral proteins cause immune attack on healthy cells
In a fresh wave of Covid-19, Israeli researchers have discovered that proteins from the SARS-Cov-2 virus can accidentally attack healthy cells in the immune system.
The study, published in the Journal Cell Reports, sheds light on how severe covid complications occur and proposes new ways to prevent virus-driven damage, Xinhua reported.
Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered that the virus’s nucleocapsid protein (NP), which normally helps package the genetic material of the virus within infected cells, can spread to nearby uninfected epithelial cells.
Once on the surface of these healthy cells, NPs are falsely identified as a threat by the immune system. The immune system then develops anti-NP antibodies and marks these uninfected cells for destruction.
This process causes the classic complement pathway, which is part of the immune response that leads to inflammation and tissue damage, contributing to severe covid symptoms and perhaps long covid.
Researchers have discovered that NPs bind to the type of molecule on the cell surface using lab-grown cells, progression imaging, and samples from patients with Covid-19. This binding causes the protein to pack healthy cells into a dense mix of the immune system and further disrupts it.
This study also found that the drug enoxaparin (a common blood thin and heparin analogue) blocks NPs from sticking to healthy cells.
In both lab tests and patient samples, enoxaparin helped prevent immune attacks by occupying the binding sites used by NPs.
Researchers say the findings may offer new hope to reduce immune-related complications in COVID and potentially other viral infections.
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