Alzheimer’s and dementia: Experts warn of killer COVID strains

The first days of the new year became a period of rapid spread of coronavirus infection in different parts of the world. Some experts note that right now we are experiencing the second most intense wave of SARS-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic. The reason for this is the “Pirola” strain, which has found the shortest and most optimal paths to human immunity.

At the same time, scientists are no longer sure that the coronavirus will not pull out some new trick that will allow it to gain unprecedented “killfulness.” At least, viruses close to it have already demonstrated such abilities in mice. MK found out what further pandemic forecasts are.

Alarming messages are coming from all over the world. For example, North Carolina (USA) recorded the highest level of hospitalizations throughout the pandemic. In Portugal, excess mortality began to rise at the end of last year, and now, amid a new wave of COVID-19, it has jumped even higher. Moreover, local epidemiologists note that this is the second highest peak in excess mortality during the entire pandemic. The incidence is also increasing in European countries and Singapore. Most often, the dominant position is occupied by the JN.1 line of the Pirola strain, which turned out to be the evolutionarily most adapted of all SARS-CoV-2 variants to rapid infection and bypass immunity.

Some countries are reporting a critical situation amid rising infections. Thus, the healthcare system in Italy could not withstand the onslaught of respiratory viral infections: planned hospitalizations are being canceled and queues of patients are forming for emergency hospitalization. The situation is most dire in Rome, where, according to the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine, 1,100 patients are awaiting hospitalization.

The situation is almost similar in the UK: in Nottingham, the load on hospitals has increased critically, patients are urged to seek emergency care only in life-threatening situations and remember self-help methods.

The Southern Hemisphere has recorded its highest level of COVID-19 cases in a year. According to laboratory diagnostics doctor Alexander Solovyov, everything that is happening once again indicates that SARS-CoV-2 does not turn into an ordinary seasonal autumn-winter virus. “Stock a supply of the correct respirators (FFP2, FFP3 and N95) and provide them to your loved ones!” – the expert advises.

The World Health Organization has also published prevention recommendations regarding the spread of JN.1 and other respiratory pathogens. In addition to vaccination (against influenza and SARS-CoV-2), experts remind about personal protective equipment (respirators), the use of air humidifiers and fans with a HEPA filter indoors. Alexander Solovyov recommends the preventive use of covid tests before meeting with people at risk, or before a planned mass event. At the same time, the specialist advises using express tests twice, if necessary: ​​on the first day of the disease and, if the result is negative, 1-2 days later.

The new strain has already reached Russia – according to the famous American geneticist Dmitry Pruss, we have already identified 42 Pyrola genomes, but it is the same aggressive variant JN.1 that dominates. Epidemiologists found most of the “Pyrols” in St. Petersburg, but the strain is also found in other regions (Republic of Mari El, Magadan Region, Kaluga Region, Tyumen Region). “In our team there are 12 people at work, 6 of them are now hospitalized. Age – from 30 to 50 years,” says Alexey, a resident of St. Petersburg.

According to Alexander Solovyov’s forecasts, in the coming weeks Russia will face the dominance of JN.1 and a possible 1.5-2 fold increase in hospitalizations: “COVID-19 will inevitably be superimposed on the vigorous spread of influenza. And in addition to this – RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and mycoplasma.”

…Meanwhile, scientists are still trying to answer the question: could humanity face a more dangerous coronavirus than SARS-CoV-2? The research group of scientist Egan Tong has published a new article, from which it clearly follows that yes: in the process of adaptation, the coronavirus may well become more pathogenic.

Scientists note that the adaptive evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been ongoing for the fifth year of the pandemic. And although the virus has not yet become more “severe,” even its “lighter” variants regularly overload hospitals and healthcare systems. In addition, the coronavirus continues to kill large numbers of people and make even more severely chronically ill.

Researchers found that the pangolin coronavirus GX_P2V, associated with SARS-CoV-2, changed after a series of infections in mice so much that the infection began to lead to 100% of the death of rodents because it began to cause severe infection in the brain. This highlights the risk of GX_P2V spreading to humans, the authors note. Pangolins may be the source of new human coronavirus variants that are much more pathogenic and deadly than SARS-CoV-2.

By the way, SARS-CoV-2 itself also causes brain infections. This was found out by a team of European scientists called WATCH, which studied the impact of coronavirus on the hypothalamus and established its serious damage associated with infection. Infection of the hypothalamus causes metabolic, cognitive and reproductive disorders in the body. In this case, the virus penetrates the brain both through the nasal mucosa and through the blood. This is not the first time scientists have warned that the consequences of the pandemic are likely to be a sharp increase in cognitive disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Millions of people have already been ill, and many of them have lost hypothalamic neurons.