Friday, January 14, 2022
Cannabis compounds can stop the virus that causes COVID-19 from entering human cells by binding to the spike protein and blocking it from infecting people, study finds
This will be a great excuse for potheads
The compounds are found in hemp and can be taken orally or combine with the coronavirus vaccine
Researchers at Oregon State University identified a pair of cannabinoid acids that bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, blocking a critical step in the process the virus uses to infect people.
The team found the cannabis compounds, which can be taken orally and are abundantly found in hemp, blocked the alpha and beta variants from infecting the human cells - but the team notes those are the only two variants studied in this research.
This means, according to the team, the compounds could prove successfully in blocking other coronavirus strains.
Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State's Global Hemp Innovation Center and study lead, said in a statement: 'These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts.
'They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans.
'And our research showed the hemp compounds were equally effective against variants of SARS-CoV-2, including variant B.1.1.7, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, and variant B.1.351, first detected in South Africa.'
The specific compounds are cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, CBDA, and the spike protein is the same drug target used in COVID-19 vaccines and antibody therapy.
SARS-CoV-2, which is characterized by crown-like protrusions on its outer surface, features RNA strands that encode its four main structural proteins – spike, envelope, membrane and nucleocapsid – as well as 16 nonstructural proteins and several 'accessory' proteins, van Breemen said.
'Any part of the infection and replication cycle is a potential target for antiviral intervention, and the connection of the spike protein's receptor binding domain to the human cell surface receptor ACE2 is a critical step in that cycle,' he said.
'That means cell entry inhibitors, like the acids from hemp, could be used to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and also to shorten infections by preventing virus particles from infecting human cells.
'They bind to the spike proteins so those proteins can't bind to the ACE2 enzyme, which is abundant on the outer membrane of endothelial cells in the lungs and other organs.'
And using compounds to block virus-receptor interaction is nothing new: it has been used to treat HIV-1 and hepatitis.
'One of the primary concerns in the pandemic is the spread of variants, of which there are many, and B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 are among the most widespread and concerning,' said van Breeman.
'These variants are well known for evading antibodies against early lineage SARS-CoV-2, which is obviously concerning given that current vaccination strategies rely on the early lineage spike protein as an antigen.
'Our data show CBDA and CBGA are effective against the two variants we looked at, and we hope that trend will extend to other existing and future variants.'
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Covid loses 90% of ability to infect within minutes in air – study
Coronavirus loses 90% of its ability to infect us within 20 minutes of becoming airborne – with most of the loss occurring within the first five minutes, the world’s first simulations of how the virus survives in exhaled air suggest.
The findings re-emphasise the importance of short-range Covid transmission, with physical distancing and mask-wearing likely to be the most effective means of preventing infection. Ventilation, though still worthwhile, is likely to have a lesser impact.
“People have been focused on poorly ventilated spaces and thinking about airborne transmission over metres or across a room. I’m not saying that doesn’t happen, but I think still the greatest risk of exposure is when you’re close to someone,” said Prof Jonathan Reid, director of the University of Bristol’s Aerosol Research Centre and the study’s lead author.
“When you move further away, not only is the aerosol diluted down, there’s also less infectious virus because the virus has lost infectivity [as a result of time].”
Until now, our assumptions about how long the virus survives in tiny airborne droplets have been based on studies that involved spraying virus into sealed vessels called Goldberg drums, which rotate to keep the droplets airborne. Using this method, US researchers found that infectious virus could still be detected after three hours. Yet such experiments do not accurately replicate what happens when we cough or breathe.
Instead, researchers from the University of Bristol developed apparatus that allowed them to generate any number of tiny, virus-containing particles and gently levitate them between two electric rings for anywhere between five seconds to 20 minutes, while tightly controlling the temperature, humidity and UV light intensity of their surroundings. “This is the first time anyone has been able to actually simulate what happens to the aerosol during the exhalation process,” Reid said.
The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, suggested that as the viral particles leave the relatively moist and carbon dioxide-rich conditions of the lungs, they rapidly lose water and dry out, while the transition to lower levels of carbon dioxide is associated with a rapid increase in pH. Both of these factors disrupt the virus’s ability to infect human cells, but the speed at which the particles dry out varies according to the relative humidity of the surrounding air.
When this was lower than 50% – similar to the relatively dry air found in many offices – the virus had lost around half of its infectivity within five seconds, after which the decline was slower and more steady, with a further 19% loss over the next five minutes. At 90% humidity – roughly equivalent to a steam or shower room – the decline in infectivity was more gradual, with 52% of particles remaining infectious after five minutes, dropping to about 10% after 20 minutes, after which these was no difference between the two conditions.
However, the temperature of the air made no difference to viral infectivity, contradicting the widely held belief that viral transmission is lower at high temperatures.
“It means that if I’m meeting friends for lunch in a pub today, the primary [risk] is likely to be me transmitting it to my friends, or my friends transmitting it to me, rather than it being transmitted from someone on the other side of the room,” said Reid. This highlights the importance of wearing a mask in situations where people cannot physically distance, he added.
The findings support what epidemiologists have been observing on the ground, said Dr Julian Tang, a clinical virologist at the University of Leicester, adding that “masks are very effective … as well as social distancing. Improved ventilation will also help – particularly if this is close to the source.”
Dr Stephen Griffin, associate professor of virology at the University of Leeds, emphasised the importance of ventilation, saying: “Aerosols will fill up indoor spaces rapidly in the absence of proper ventilation, so assuming the infected individual remains within the room, the levels of virus will be replenished.”
The same effects were seen across all three Sars-CoV-2 variants the team has tested so far, including Alpha. They hopes to start experiments with the Omicron variant in the coming weeks.
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Obesity a big virus risk
The worst global health crisis in over 100 years has revealed many disturbing truths. Some, such as long-held beliefs surrounding the inherent corruption in big government and the liberal mainstream media, have been further substantiated.
However, a worldwide health crisis has a way of exposing other problems that most ignore. Since the very beginning of the pandemic, health experts have insisted that a particular segment of the population was far more at risk for serious illness from COVID-19.
When counting hospitalization rates from COVID-19, obese patients were dwarfing the number of otherwise physically healthy patients. Being excessively overweight was an obvious co-morbidity for serious COVID consequences.
Nevertheless, it has been all but ignored. No one wants to talk about how susceptible obese people are to being infected with COVID-19, and then requiring intense hospitalization. The factual statistics are astonishing.
One group of patients are at an even greater risk of serious illness from COVID-19 if they’re obese. A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows that 66 percent of children over the age of 12 who are hospitalized classify as obese.
This is an astonishingly high number. However, when looking at the overall health statistics for the United States, no one should be surprised. We are, in fact, one of the least healthy nations in the world. Nearly three out of four people in the U.S. classify as overweight or obese.
Close to a quarter of children between 12 and 19 years of age meet the criteria for obese. These statistics are unacceptable. Medical experts have long warned of the tremendous health problem that obesity poses.
A raging virus, which leaked from a virology lab in Wuhan, China, has further exposed a stark reality. The United States of America, especially children, are grossly overweight. However, corrupt mainstream media outlets never discuss the obvious.
All they ever talk about is how the “unvaccinated” are putting everyone else at risk. This is not true. Corrupt politicians and their parrots in the mainstream media are broadcasting a lie. They are ignoring the facts.
Instead of pushing for more people to succumb to an experimental drug, we should be talking about improving our health. Never a word mentioned about this during prime-time news reports. Nevertheless, commercial breaks are still plastered with advertisements for fast food chains.
Healthy lifestyle choices are rarely discussed. The CDC study used a control group of children between the ages of 12 and 17-years-old. This study targeted six hospitals across six states. Two of the states, Texas and Florida, have lower rates of adolescent obesity compared with the national average.
However, collectively, the data showed more than two-thirds of the COVID hospitalization records for this age group were obese. These same children were reported to have one or more underlying conditions as well.
The length of the hospital stay for the 66 percent classifying as obese was twice that of otherwise healthy children. Obesity accounted for twice as many extended hospitalizations as respiratory ailments, such as asthma, did.
A respiratory virus affected double the number of children who were obese, as opposed to those who already struggled with respiratory challenges. Underlying medical conditions are clearly far more susceptible to serious illness from COVID-19 than otherwise healthy people.
The numbers correlate across all age groups, but are especially prevalent in children. In addition, co-morbidity is a huge contributor to more serious illness. Over 75 percent of the COVID-19 related deaths had at least four.
Corrupt government bureaucrats and the mainstream media refuse to talk about the “real science”. COVID-19 is a deadly virus. However, it targets individuals who are more susceptible. The virus is especially harsh on people who are obese.
Our medical experts should be focused on helping Americans to appreciate the benefits of good health. Instead of forcing otherwise healthy individuals to “comply”, we need to impress the importance of good health, beginning with our children.
Instead of demonizing individuals who do not choose to subject their bodies to an experimental medicine, target the people who are overwhelming the hospitals. Those who choose to be unhealthy and obese are the problem.
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Also see my other blogs. Main ones below:
http://edwatch.blogspot.com (EDUCATION WATCH)
http://antigreen.blogspot.com (GREENIE WATCH)
http://pcwatch.blogspot.com (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH)
http://australian-politics.blogspot.com/ (AUSTRALIAN POLITICS)
http://snorphty.blogspot.com/ (TONGUE-TIED)
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