Both the loss of taste and smell have been anecdotally linked to a higher chance of developing the COVID-19 virus. The recent study has shown people are more than 10 times more likely to develop the virus infection than any other causes of infection.

Researchers at UC San Diego Health have reported that the first empirical findings strongly associate sensory loss with COVID-19. The team surveyed 1,480 patients who had flu-like symptoms and concerns regarding the potential of infection. Contained in that total, 102 patients tested positive for the virus and 1,378 tested negative. The study included responses from 203 COVID-19 negative patients and 59 positive patients.

68% of the positive participants reported loss of smell and 71% reported loss of taste as compared with 16% and 17% of negative patients respectively. None of the participants in the study required hospitalization or invasive breathing support. However, if social distancing was not in place, these individuals could possibly spread the infection to others within their community despite not experiencing severe symptoms.

The study has demonstrated the unique presentation and high prevalence of certain sensory impairments in patients who were positive with the virus. Of those patients who reported loss of taste and smell the loss typically profound and not mild. However, encouragingly the rate of recovery of taste and smell was high and typically occurred within two to four weeks after infection.

The study not only showed that the high occurrence of taste and smell loss is specific to the COVID-19 virus, but also fortunately has shown that the majority of people experienced sensory recovery fairly rapidly. Within the COVID-19 patients with loss of smell, more than 70% reported improvement in smell at the time of the survey. Most of those who hadn’t reported improvement had only been diagnosed recently.

The return of taste and smell typically matched the timing of recovery from the disease. Interestingly, the researchers found that people who reported experiencing a sore throat more often tested negative for the virus.

To help decrease the risk of virus transmission, UC San Diego Health now includes loss of taste and smell as a screening requirement for staff and visitors. The screening is also a marker for testing patients who might be positive for the virus.

Other symptoms of COVID-19 include fatigue, fever, difficulty breathing, and cough. Respondents in the study were most often people with milder forms of COVID-19 infection who did not require hospitalization or intubation. The team’s findings stress the importance of identifying subtle and early symptoms of the virus in people who might be at risk of transmitting the disease as they recuperate within their community.

The CDC has officially listed loss of taste and smell as symptoms of the virus which is a validation of the ruminating concerns about these symptoms around the world. It is the hope that the team’s findings inspire other institutions to follow suit and not only list taste and smell loss as a symptom of the virus, but also use it as a screening measure for the virus around the world.

To view the original scientific study click below

Association of chemosensory dysfunction and Covid-19 in patients presenting with influenza-like symptoms.

According to a new study by researchers at Stanford University of Medicine, old human cells will return to a more vigorous and youthful state following being induced to briefly express a protein panel involved in embryonic development. They team also discovered that elderly mice regained their youthful strength after their existing muscle stem cells were subjected to the protein treatment rejuvenation and then transplanted back into their bodies.

The proteins which are known as Yamanaka factors are typically used to transform adults cells into induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells. These iPS cells can become nearly any type of cell within the body regardless of the cell from which they originated. They have become important in regenerative medicine and drug discoveries.

The current study found that inducing old human cells in a lab dish for a brief period to express these proteins rewinds many of the molecular hallmarks of aging. They render the treated cells nearly indistinguishable from their younger counterparts.

When adult cells make iPS cells they become pluripotent and youthful. The team wondered if it might be possible to just rewind the aging clock without inducing pluripotency. They found that by tightly controlling the duration of the exposure to these protein factors, they were able to promote rejuvenation in multiple types of human cells.

The researchers make iPS cells from adult cells such as those that compose skin through repeatedly exposing them over a two week period to a panel of proteins which are vital to early embryonic development. They do so by introducing daily short lived RNA messages into the adult cells. The RNA messages then encode the instructions for making the Yamanaka proteins. These proteins over time rewind the fate of the cell by pushing them backward along the timeline of development until they resemble young, embryonic like pluripotent cells from which they originated.

During the process the cells shed any memories of their previous identities and they revert to a younger state. They accomplish this by wiping their DNA clean of the molecular tags that not only differentiate for example a skin cell from a heart muscle cell, but of other tags that accumulate as cell age.

The team wondered if old human cells would respond similarly and whether the response would be limited to a few cell types or generalizable for many tissues. They created a way to use genetic material called messenger RNA to temporarily express six reprogramming factors which were the four Yamanaka factors plus two additional proteins found in blood vessel cells and human skin. Messenger RNA will rapidly degrade in cells which allowed the researchers to tightly control the duration of the signal.

The team then compared the gene expression pattern of the treated cells and control cells which were both obtained from older adults, with those of untreated cells from younger people. They discovered that cells from the older adults exhibited signs of aging reversal following four days of exposure to the reprogramming factors. However the untreated older cells expressed higher levels of genes associated with known aging pathways. Treated older cells more closely resembled younger cells in their patterns of gene expression.

When they studied the patterns of aging associated chemical tags which are known as methyl groups which serve as indicators of a cell’s chronological age, they discovered that the treated cells appeared to be approximately 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 younger on average than the untreated cells from the older people. They showed peaks of 3-1/2 years (in skin cells) and 7-1/2 years in cells that line blood vessels.

The researchers then compared several hallmarks of aging including how cells metabolize compounds to create energy and dispose of cellular trash and how cells sense nutrients, among cells from young people, treated cells from older adults and untreated cells fro older adults.

They saw a dramatic rejuvenation across all the hallmarks but one in all the types of cells that were tested. The last and most experiment was done stem cells found in the muscles. Although these cell types are naturally endowed with the ability to self renew, this ability wanes with aging. The team wondered if they could also rejuvenate these stem cells and have a long term effect?

When they transplanted elderly mouse muscle stem cells that had been treated back into elderly mice, the mice regained the muscle strength similar to younger mice.

The team then isolated cells from the cartilage of people without and with osteoarthritis. They discovered that the temporary exposure of the osteoarthritic cells to the reprogramming factors reduced the secretion of inflammatory molecules and also improved the ability of the cells to divide and function.

The team is now optimizing the panel of reprogramming proteins needed to rejuvenate human cells. They are also looking at the possibility of treating tissues or cells without removing them from the body.

To view the original scientific study click below

Transient non-integrative expression of nuclear reprogramming factors promotes multifaceted amelioration of aging in human cells.

Surgical masks and N95 respirators are examples of personal protective equipment (PPE) which are used to protect the wearer from liquid contamination and airborne particles from contaminating the face. It is important to know the optimal way to prevent airborne transmission. Each type of mask and also cloth face masks serve different functions.

N95 respirators are tested and approved by the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). Their intended use and purpose is to protect the wearer from exposure to particles including small particle aerosols and large droplets. They are designed to have a close fit to the face and very effective filtration of particles that are airborne.

The N95 classification means that when exposed to careful testing, the respirator prohibits a minimum of 95% of quite small (0.3 micron) particles that were tested. If fitted properly, the filtration properties of these type respirators exceed those of face masks. However, they do not completely eliminate the risk of illness. Leakage can occur around the edge of the mask when user inhales. N95 respirators are disposable and ideally should be discarded after each patient encounter and/or when the unit no longer forms an effective seal to the face, becomes wet or visibly dirty, breathing becomes difficult, or it becomes contaminated with blood, respiratory or nasal secretions or other bodily fluids from patients.

N95 masks are typically used in healthcare settings. The CDC doesn’t recommend to the public to wear N95 respirators to safeguard themselves against respiratory diseases such as COVID-19. These masks are critical supplies that are primarily reserved for health care workers and first responders as recommended by the CDC.

Surgical masks are disposable, loose fitting accessory that devise a physical barrier between the nose and mouth of the wearer and potential contaminants in the immediate environment. They are typically used for the protection of the wearer from splashed sprays and large particle droplets. They also prevent the spread of possibly infectious respiratory secretions from the wearers to others. They are tested and approved by the FDA.

Surgical masks are loose fitting and can vary in design. However, masks are often flat, rectangular and have folds and/or pleats. The top of the mask can contain a metal piece which can be bent to a person’s nose. Long straight ties or elastic bands help a surgical mask stay in place while being worn – either looped behind the ears or tied behind the head.

While a surgical mask is meant to block large particle splashes, droplets, splatter or sprays that might contain germs (bacteria and viruses), they cannot block or filter particles that are very small in the air that could be carried by sneezes, coughs or certain medical procedures. They do not achieve complete protection from other contaminants and germs because they have a loose fit between the layer of the face mask and face. They are intended for one use only and should be discarded after each patient encounter.

Cloth face coverings many of which can be homemade, only offer a small degree of protection, but the may also help the slow spread of the COVID-19 virus. These type masks are what the CDC is recommending for use by the general public when in public settings.

Face cloths should not be placed on children under the age of 2, people who have breathing difficulties, people who are unconscious, or people who are unable to remove the mask on their own. They should be washed after each use. When removing a person should be careful not to touch their nose, eyes or mouth and hands should be washed immediately after removal.

They can be made from common materials. It should be kept in mind by wearers of these type masks that they can provide a false sense of security. While they do offer some degree of protection, they offer a lot less protection than respirators or surgical masks. One study indicated that homemade face masks may be half as effective as surgical masks and up to 50 times less effective than N95 respirators. However, they are better than not wearing any mask and create some protection especially where a person cannot social distance.