Researchers figured out why coronavirus kills people with no other medical conditions

[Chris Smith]

• A pair of new studies describe a key phenomenon that can occur in some patients infected with the novel coronavirus, and it could explain why the illness can kill younger patients with no preexisting conditions.
• The coronavirus can block interferon and delay the immune system's response to the pathogen. Some affected people might have undiagnosed interferon imbalances prior to the COVID-19 condition.
• These genetic interferon imbalances can exacerbate the effects of COVID-19 and cause complications that can lead to death.

People who suffer from certain medical conditions have a higher risk of developing COVID-19 complications, including death. The list of ailments that could worsen a COVID-19 prognosis includes cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Older people are also more at risk of dying than younger patients. It’s not just that some of the comorbidities mentioned above can develop later in life, but the immune response in older people might not be as effective as in young patients. Even so, there are plenty of exceptions to the rule. Many young patients have died from coronavirus infections, including people who had no serious chronic diseases. That’s why there are no guarantees that younger, healthy adults and children will recover from a covid infection.

A pair of new studies provide a key observation that might impact future COVID-19 treatments. Studies we covered months ago said that the coronavirus blocks the production of interferon locally when it infects the first cells, potentially delaying the immune system’s reaction to the new pathogen. Other studies proposed interferon-based therapies for COVID-19 as a result. But it turns out there may be another reason that impacts interferon production that has nothing to do with the presence of the novel coronavirus in the system.

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Researchers figured out why coronavirus kills people with no other medical conditions originally appeared on BGR.com on Mon, 28 Sep 2020 at 11:04:50 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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