Aspire Global Health

10/10/2020

Let's take care of our mental health

07/18/2020

https://jamesclear.com/why-facts-dont-change-minds?fbclid=IwAR3CJ_EwaRcnGuHk1hk2ISZFTuxsDNCzShbtbVhbTXuYQ-FEESl6-CZtGtM

Why don't facts change our minds? This article explains the logic of false beliefs and proposes a better system for constructive conversation.

07/15/2020

07/12/2020

Dr Howard Lukes : As I have discussed a few times... the SARS-CoV-2 virus is brutal for many people. Even after these folks recover from the initial illness and test negative via PCR.

Ultimately it will be years to sort all the post-C19 symptoms and issues... but some data is starting to emerge. It paints a tragic and sad story for so many.

This study assessed patients 2-3 months days onset of the first COVID-19 symptom. At the time of the evaluation:
~only 18 (12.6%) were completely free!!!!!!
~while 32% had 1 or 2 symptoms and
~55% had 3 or more issues!!!
None of the patients had fever or any signs or symptoms of acute illness. Worsened quality of life was observed among 44.1% of patients.

This is the first in what will likely be hundreds of papers published on this topic... so these numbers and diagnoses will change over time as more/better-controlled data emerges.

It serves as a stark reminder... this is not the flu. This is not a virus you want to have.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2768351?guestAccessKey=692a5e20-fdc4-45b2-bdd4-b78dfc4dcd5f&utm_source=silverchair&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=article_alert-jama&utm_content=olf&utm_term=070920

07/08/2020

Very interesting!

Memphis is among first cities to apply for FDA emergency-use approval.

07/02/2020

When it comes to protecting you against viruses, there are two types of adaptive immunity:

- Antibody‐Mediated Immunity: With assistance from helper T cells, your B-cells study the antigen (part of the virus for example) and create antibodies against it. These antibodies remain in your bloodstream to form a memory of the antigen. If the virus infects your body again, the antibodies will respond immediately, thus reducing the time it takes to destroy the pathogen.

- Cell‐Mediated Immunity: In this case, the infected cell captures a small fragment of the virus and sends to its surface. This small fragment of the virus is presented to T-cells, which then mark the infected cell for destruction. A group of cells called macrophages and natural killer cells are then recruited to kill the infected cell along with the virus inside it. Natural killer cells destroy the infected cell while macrophages engulf it to clean the site of infection.

In a recent study, scientists found that COVID-19 patients can also be protected against the disease through T-cell‐mediated immunity. Previously, this was overlooked as the main focus was on whether COVID-19 patients develop antibodies or not. This means some patients have a wide range of defence mechanisms against the virus and this increases their chances of survival. Whether both types of adaptive immunity are required to work side by side to defeat the virus or not, that remains to be explored. Cool study!

- Research paper: https://bit.ly/38fDoo3
- Learn more: https://bit.ly/2VxTELJ

SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells will likely prove critical for long-term immune protection against COVID-19. We systematically mapped the functional and phenotypic landscape of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses in a large cohort of unexposed individuals as well as exposed family members and in...

07/01/2020

Efectividad de mascarillas

06/28/2020

https://asm.org/Press-Releases/2020/MMR-Vaccine-Could-Protect-Against-the-Worst-Symptoms

Administering the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine could serve as a preventive measure to dampen septic inflammation associated with COVID-19 infection, say a team of experts in this week’s mBio, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

06/28/2020

Learning to keep our smiles.. smiling with our eyes!

06/22/2020

Please take care of you and others!