Posted on 03/21/2020 7:00:44 PM PDT by MtnClimber
SARS-CoV-2 – the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19 – is completely new and attacks cells in a novel way. Every virus is different and so are the drugs used to treat them. That’s why there wasn’t a drug ready to tackle the new coronavirus that only emerged a few months ago.
As a systems biologist who studies how cells are affected by viruses during infections, I’m especially interested in the second question. (snip)
Compared with human cells, viruses are small and can’t reproduce on their own. The coronavirus has about 30 proteins, whereas a human cell has more than 20,000. To get around this limited set of tools, the virus cleverly turns the human body against itself. The pathways into a human cell are normally locked to outside invaders, but the coronavirus uses its own proteins like keys to open these “locks” and enter a person’s cells.
Once inside, the virus binds to proteins the cell normally uses for its own functions, essentially hijacking the cell and turning it into a coronavirus factory. As the resources and mechanics of infected cells get retooled to produce thousands and thousands of viruses, the cells start dying.
Lung cells are particularly vulnerable to this because they express high amounts of the “lock” protein SARS-CoV-2 uses for entry. A large number of a person’s lung cells dying causes the respiratory symptoms associated with COVID-19.
There are two ways to fight back. First, drugs could attack the virus’s own proteins, preventing them from doing jobs like entering the cell or copying their genetic material once they are inside. This is how remdesivir – a drug currently in clinical trials for COVID-19 – works.
A problem with this approach is that viruses mutate and change over time.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearscience.com ...
A very interesting article. I was not able to capture much of the key points within the word limit.
Are the old drugs hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin?
Remdesivir is experimental now.
These may be “stupid” questions: Why do viruses exist? What good are they? Did God create them? The same could be asked of canecr.
Interesting that they did not make a single mention of the 6-day course of existing drugs Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin that has been found to be of HIGH value in helping victims recover?
Have you seen any articles from today citing use in America?
Self-serving, self-promoting sonsabthches.....
And liberals......
Have you seen any articles from today citing use in America?
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Not frequently. The main stream media is going to have a nervous breakdown if this quickly becomes a part of the standard of care in the treatment of COVID-19.
Article doesn’t mention those, does mention a cancer drug and that they have identified 10 older drugs that they have sent to 3 labs that work with coronaviruses to be tested in vitro on the covid 19 virus.
Have you seen any articles from today citing use in America?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYyrQ4RxtOQ&feature=youtu.be
ABC World News Tonight featured a 50+ man in Washington State several night ago who was sick with the Chinese virus.
They gave him Remdesivir, and he felt better within 48 hours. In the interview, he claimed it saved his life.
Remdesivir was created to combat Ebola, but was ineffective in battling that particular virus.
Here’s some more results with hydroxychloroquine & an HIV drug:
https://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3826974/posts?page=1#1
Due to the success in the secret trials, 50 hospitals in Australia are starting to use it.
Interesting.
What do deadly viruses and cancer have to do with human free will?
Link didn’t work but thx.
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