Corona virus (covid19) ayurvedic treatment
COVID-19 Will Mutate — What That Means for a Vaccine*
The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has already mutated a handful of times, which has many people wondering whether the mutations could lead to a more severe, deadlier disease.
According to experts, the new mutations are extremely similar to the original virus that appeared in Wuhan, China, and don’t seem to be any more aggressive.
Because the mutations are so similar, a vaccine would likely protect people against not only the original strain but new mutations as well.
*Plz read for detailed information*.👇
*COVID-19 Will Mutate — What That Means for a Vaccine*
Every virus mutates; it’s part of the virus life cycle. Those shifts and changes aren’t always a big deal.
The new coronavirus is an RNA virus: a collection of genetic material packed inside a protein shell.
RNA viruses, like the flu and measles, are more prone to changes and mutations compared with DNA viruses, such as herpes, smallpox, and human papillomavirus (HPV).
As the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 makes its way around the world, there’s been an uptick in predictions that the virus will mutate into something deadlier and become an even scarier threat to humanity.
“Mutation. The word naturally conjures fears of unexpected and freakish changes,” researchers wrote in a reportTrusted Source published in Nature Microbiology in late February. “Ill-informed discussions of mutations thrive during virus outbreaks,” they continued, which is exactly what we’re seeing with SARS-CoV-2.
But mutations aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Every virus mutates; it’s part of the virus life cycle. Those shifts and changes aren’t always a big deal.
In some cases, those mutations may actually lead to a weaker virus. Usually, though, the changes are so slight that there’s no noticeable difference in the disease’s transmission and fatality rates.
*The new coronavirus is mutating, but very slowly *
The new coronavirus is an RNA virus: a collection of genetic material packed inside a protein shell.
Once an RNA virus makes contact with a host, it starts to make new copies of itself that can go on to infect other cells.
RNA viruses, like the flu and measles, are more prone to changes and mutations compared with DNA viruses, such as herpes, smallpox, and human papillomavirus (HPV).
“In the world of RNA viruses, change is the norm. We expect RNA viruses to change frequently. That’s just their nature,” said Dr. Mark Schleiss, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and investigator with the Institute for Molecular Virology at the University of Minnesota.
SARS-CoV-2 is no exception, and over the past few months it has been mutating.
But the virus has mutated at a very slow pace. And when it does mutate, the new copies aren’t far off from the original virus.
“The sequences of the original isolates from China are very close to those in viruses circulating in the U.S. and the rest of the world,” said Dr. John Rose, a senior research scientist in the department of pathology at Yale Medicine who’s helping develop a COVID-19 vaccine.
*More infectious*
A new study from the Scripps Research Institute in Florida suggests the new coronavirus has mutated into a variant that’s more infectious.
The mutation — named “the D614G mutation” — occurred on the spike protein, the part of the virus that helps it bind and fuse to our cells. The D614G mutation makes it easier for the virus to infect our cells.
The Scripps researchers aren’t the first to identify the tiny mutation on the spike protein.
In March, researchers from the Los Alamos National Laboratory announced they detected the D614G mutation, and that it was likely responsible for most infections reported in Europe and the United States.
In total, the *researchers identified 14 strains of SARS-CoV-2* and released their findings to help those working on vaccines and treatments.
That being said, the new dominant strain identified does seem to be more infectious in laboratory settings. Scientists are now trying to understand how the variation behaves in the body — which may be very different from lab settings.
It’s still unclear whether the mutation causes a more severe illness or increases the risk of death.
It’s also unclear whether the new mutation infects and sickens people differently. At this time, the illness and hospitalization rates caused by the new variation seems to be similar.
More data is needed to understand the implications of the new mutations, like whether reinfections after recovery are possible, and whether the changes could affect the vaccines and treatments in development.
*Mutations aren’t making it deadlier*
The virus mutations, like what’s going around in Italy and also New York, don’t seem to be any more infectious or fatal than the original strain that appeared in Wuhan, China, in late December.
Though there’s the very rare chance a virus could mutate to be more aggressive, if anything, RNA viruses are more likely to mutate into a weaker version.
“Nearly all mutations will make some part of the virus work less well than before. The most common thing is for mutations to appear and die out again quickly,” said Dr. Benjamin Neuman, the head of the biology department at Texas A&M University-Texarkana.
But the characteristics and traits of that original strain and its mutations aren’t vastly different from one another.
*What this means for a vaccine*
The good news is that a vaccine will most likely work against variants with this mutation, according to the Scripps researchers.
In fact, the slow and mild nature of the mutations is good news for a vaccine.
“The virus is still so similar now to the initial sequence that there isn’t really much reason to think the differences will matter in terms of vaccine,” Neuman said.
Vaccines, in general, tend to target an early version of the virus.
Take the flu vaccine, for example.
“The H1N1 annual vaccine is still using a strain from 2009. It’s the ancestor of the various forms that have come after, and while there are differences now, a response against the ancestor seems to give good results against all the descendants,” Neuman said.
Usually, an older strain of a virus will “preserve enough features” that it will provide immunity against a whole group of variants, Neuman adds.
But the flu virus mutates fast and erratically from year to year.
On top of that, our immune system “has a terrible memory for flu viruses,” Neuman said, noting that the immune response to the flu only lasts around a year before we need to get revaccinated.
Schleiss says a better analogy for COVID-19 is the mumps. For more than 45 years, we’ve had a very effective vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella (which are also RNA viruses).
“These viruses have not mutated [enough] to escape the protection provided by the vaccines,” Rose said. The same could very well apply to COVID-19.
“It should be possible to make an effective COVID-19 vaccine that will provide long-lasting immunity against this particular virus just as we have for many other viruses that do not change rapidly,” Rose added.
When we finally have a COVID-19 vaccine, it will most likely protect people against the “vast majority of circulating COVID-19 strains for the foreseeable mutations,” Schleiss said.
Even if random mutations do occur down the road, Schleiss believes the worst-case scenario is that we’ll see some breakthrough infections, but we wouldn’t have breakthrough life-threatening disease.
Source.
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/what-to-know-about-mutation-and-covid-19
Urinary issues can interrupt everyday life for a large population of people. Frequent trips to the restroom or emergency room create the need to strengthen urinary health. Problems with the genitourinary tract affect cardiac function, musculoskeletal physiology, as well as digestion and reproductive health. Common urinary health issues include urinary tract infection, renal stones, and nephron damage. There are several drugs that are effective, yet the side effects do not dramatically increase the quality of life. Luckily, there is an arsenal of herbs that are side-effect free and successful in treating urinary conditions.
Cranberry, or Vaccinium macrocarpon, has been used for urinary tract infections for centuries. The berry has been made into juices and tablets, becoming the most widely known natural remedy for urinary discomfort. Specific to UTI, cranberry has been studied in comparison to standard protocol antibiotics. Recently, studies have been conducted to use cranberry as a long-term preventative of urinary tract infection. One specific study looked at cranberry extracts compared to trimethoprim, a leading UTI prophylactic antibiotic used in the older population. Participants that had two or more antibiotic-treated UTIs in 12 months were randomly selected to receive 100mg of trimethoprim or 500mg of cranberry extract for six months. It was found that cranberry was only slightly less advantageous for the prevention of UTI than trimethoprim and did not present as many side effects. Furthermore, cranberry provided the older population a cheaper natural product that did not increase the risk of antimicrobial resistance like the leading prophylactic antibiotics1.
A different research endeavor showed that younger women (premenopausal women between the ages of 26-46 years) with histories of recurrent UTIs had good outcomes when given 500mg of cranberry capsules twice a day compared to those give 480mg trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) once a day for 12 months. TMP-SMX marginally outperformed cranberry extract, but at the expense of creating several antibacterial resistant strains2.
Tribulus terrestris is considered a prime nephroprotective herb in Ayurveda. Several mouse model studies have shown this herb to assist in the healing of induced kidney damage. Recently, it has been confirmed that several common prescription drugs cause slow, progressive, but severe renal tissue damage. A study focused on the anticancer drug, cisplatin, used to successfully treat several different types of solid tumors. This particular drug can only be used in high doses for a very short amount of time due to the extreme oxidative stress that it causes to renal tissue. The study divided mice into 5 groups: a control group of normal saline, cisplatin only, cispatin +100mg/kg of T. terrestris, cisplatin +300mg/kg of T. terrestris, and cisplatin+ 500mg/kg T. terrestris. Cisplatin was given at a dose of 5.5mg/kg. All groups were given herb, saline, and drugs by injection intraperitoneally for 4 days. After treatment, the kidneys of the mice were collected, weighed, and then underwent histological analysis. It was found that the cisplatin only group had severe widening of the Bowman’s capsule space as well as tubular cell necrosis in the renal cortex and renal medulla. The animal groups that received Tribulus terrestris had a dose dependent improvement in renal damage3. These findings not only show the power of the renal protective use of this herb but also shows a bridge between the ancient medicine and conventional medicine worlds. T. terrestris has also been shown to be a great antilithiatic treatment.
Several environmental factors cause nephrotoxicity and therefore damage to kidney tissues. Achyranthes aspera has been shown to reduce damage in renal cells upon induced renal damage in rats. Urinary analysis showed reduced renal enzyme activity for reactive oxidative damage. This shows that there is less damage or the need to clear reactive oxygen species has been reduced. Furthermore, upon histology, it was shown that inflammatory markers in the treatment group were greatly reduced compared to the placebo group4.
The kidneys facilitate various chemical reactions well as molecular balance, creating natural reactive oxidative species. Didymocarpus pedicellata has been shown to provide protection from oxidative stress in the kidneys as well as offer nephroprotecive properties, and positive results are seen in as little as seven days of administration in human subjects5
Mimosa punica is a bitter and acrid herb that acts as a diuretic. An investigation showed that this herb assists in treating UTIs. Patients with UTI given a decoction of Mimosa were compared to patients given cortimaxazole, a leading prescription antibiotic. Both treatments were given for seven days and physical, chemical, and microbiologic properties of urine were recorded at one, three, five, and seven days. It was found that M. pudica performed just as well as the antibiotic with few side effects such as dry mouth, nausea, and lack of appetite6.
Equisetum arvense is another powerful but balanced diuretic. A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was performed using this herb against placebo or hydrochlorothiazide. Patients were given each treatment option for four days followed by a 10-day washout period. The water balance was measured over 24 hours after the fourth day of herb, placebo, or drug administration. It was found that the E. arvense was stronger than placebo and was as effective as hydrochlorothiazide in all patients7.
Another aspect of urinary health that affects a large population is kidney stones or rather, the prevention of kidney stones. Dolichos biflorus has been studied for the treatment of kidney stones as well as to prevent them in people who are prone to renal calcifications. Extracts of this herb and cystone, a drug given as a kidney stone dissolvent, were compared for efficacy. It was shown that the herbal extracts were able to dissolve the calculi both in vitro and in vivo in the mouse model.
Saxifraga ligulata has been studied for calcium oxalate kidney stones. The herb not only causes diuresis in rats, it also dissolves renal stones. Furthermore, the herb acted as an antioxidant in the kidneys8.
Crataeva religiosa is a urinary antimicrobial as well as kidney stone dissolving agent. An investigation conducted on experimental kidney stones formed in rates showed that C. religiosa was capable of lowing the number of stone-forming constituents in mice that were given a diet that causes calcifications. The mice were then weaned off the herb for 10 days. It was found that the renal stones reformed in the group that continued to be given a stone forming diet. Furthermore, oxalate-synthesizing liver enzymes were remarkably reduced in mice that received Crataeva relgiosa9.
Ocimum sanctum has been studied as a balanced antimicrobial, not only in the urinary tract but all over the body. Many studies have shown that O. sanctum not only eliminates unwanted microbes but helps to balance microbial ratios of the microorganisms associated with health10–16. Furthermore, this herb acts as a general anti-inflammatory, easing the stress on the tissues of the urinary system17.
Bearberry or Uva ursi has been shown to be a specific antimicrobial for the urinary tract. Studies showed that bearberry was not only a great treatment for bacterial strains, but also for fungal species18.
Much more evidence exists for these herbs using different populations and concentrations of herbal strengths. These are but a few examples of how herbs can not only produce positive effects on urinary health but also of powerful aid without downstream side effects.
Avoid foods in kidney problems
High potassium foods to limit or avoid include:
High potassium drinks to limit or avoid include:
Foods are considered low in potassium if they contain 200 milligrams (mg) or less per serving.
Some low-potassium foods include:
