COVID-19

What family is the coronavirus apart of?

coronaviridae family

What are the symptoms of COVID?

coughing, fever, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of smell and taste

How is COVID transmitted?

respiratory: droplets, coughing, sneezing

exposure to an infected person

• eyes, nose, mouth

How can the COVID virus access cells (What receptor and where)?

lung cells with the ACE-2 receptor

What other cells besides lung cells can COVID infect?

heart and GI

How does COVID impact the respiratory tract?

infects ciliated epithelium of nasopharynx - coughing, shortness of breath

How does COVID impact the nervous system?

infects the olfactory epithelium - damages neurons

How does COVID impact the GI system?

infects glandular cells of gastric, duodenal, and rectal portions

How does COVID impact the cardiovascular system?

causes acute myocardial injury, microthrombi

how does COVID impact the renal system?

acute kidney injury that causes shock and blood clots

How does COVID initiate a cytokine storm? What complications arise from this?

Leukocytes continuously release cytokines as the immune system is weakened and tissues are damaged

Complications include respiratory distress and organ failure

What are the purposes of an antibody COVID test?

can test for a prior infection or vaccination status

What are the purposes of an antigen COVID test?

To detect viral presence, or acute infection

not very sensitive, and cannot differ between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2

What are the purposes of the molecular COVID test?

A confirmatory test for a viral infection of COVID

• uses RT-PCR and is very sensitive

Which two antiviral drugs can help with COVID? When can they be administered?

paxlovid and remdesivir

Can be administered to immunocompromised individuals