By Nancy Lapid
(Reuters) – The following is a summary of some of the latest scientific studies on the new coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
COVID-19 infected pregnant women at higher rate
Pregnant women are infected with the new coronavirus at higher rates than other adults, according to new data. Between March and June, in Washington State, for every 1,000 pregnant women, there were 14 cases of COVID-19, compared with 7 cases for every 1,000 non-pregnant adults aged 20 to 39, the researchers found. After taking into account other risk factors, the COVID-19 rate in pregnant women was 70% higher than in non-pregnant adults, according to a report by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Pregnant women in non-white racial / ethnic groups were particularly vulnerable. When compared to women in Washington State in general who had children alive in 2018, the proportion of COVID-19 cases in pregnancy among most racial and ethnic minority groups during the pandemic study period was two to four times larger. In addition, although people who receive medical care in a language other than English represent about 8% of the general population, they represent about 30% of pregnant women with COVID-19. In addition to the fact that pregnant women with COVID-19 have higher rates of serious illnesses, the new study “strongly suggests that pregnant women should be prioritized for the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine”, the researchers concluded. (https://bit.ly/3bsz5Yy)
Variant found in the UK can cause longer infections
The reason the coronavirus variant first identified in the UK is more transmissible than previous versions of the virus may be that it spends more time inside infected people, giving them more time to spread the virus, according to a small study. The researchers measured viral loads daily in 65 patients with COVID-19, including seven infected with the UK variant. The amount of virus carried by patients was similar in both groups. But among individuals infected with the variant designated B.1.1.7, the average duration of infection was 13.3 days, compared with 8.2 days in those infected with an older version of the coronavirus. The time until patients’ viral loads peaked was also longer with the UK variant: 5.3 days, versus 2 days with the previous variants. “The findings are preliminary because they are based on seven cases B.1.1.7,” the researchers warned in a report published without peer review on a Harvard University website. “However, if confirmed by additional data, a longer isolation period than currently recommended 10 days after the onset of symptoms may be necessary to effectively stop secondary infections with this variant,” they said. (https://bit.ly/2Nlss2f)
Stronger bonds connect some mutant viruses to infected cells
Scientists are learning more about what may be making the coronavirus variants identified in South Africa and Brazil less vulnerable to vaccines and current antibody therapies. Researchers already know that these variants carry a worrying mutation called E484K. A new study found that after the virus peak breaks down at receptors in cells, the variant has “more favorable electrostatic interactions”, or electrical charges, strengthening bonds that keep it firmly attached to the infected cell. In addition, according to a report posted on bioRxiv on Wednesday prior to the peer review, the shape of the peak protein is different in the location of the E484K mutation, helping the peak to bind more tightly to the “receptor” sites on cells infected. The authors also confirmed that six antibodies that neutralize other versions of the virus are significantly less effective against variants with the E484K mutation. They found that this is mainly because the electrical charges that bind the antibodies to the peak are not strong enough. These findings, they say, will be “of great importance” for the development of effective vaccines and antibodies. (https://bit.ly/2NtpEjv)
Female sex hormones may help men hospitalized with COVID-19
Men are subject to more serious illness and death than women during the pandemic. In a small pilot safety study, 42 men received injections of the female hormone progesterone under the skin twice a day, plus the usual care, or just the usual care, to see if the female hormone can decrease the cascade of inflammation that leads to severe lung injuries in COVID-19. No adverse side effects were reported, and the general medical condition improved to a greater extent in men who received progesterone. Progesterone-treated men required 3 days less supplemental oxygen and were hospitalized for 2.5 days less compared to men who did not receive the female hormone, although these differences did not reach statistical significance. “This pilot proof-of-concept trial showed very encouraging results, suggesting that administering progesterone … may represent a safe and effective approach to the treatment of COVID-19” in men with moderate to severe illness, the researchers said in a report published on Saturday in Chest magazine. (https://bit.ly/2MkPYMg)
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(Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Berkrot)