Watch Out: 3 New Findings About COVID-19

Although two years have passed since the COVID-19 pandemic began, to this day we continue to discover many things about the virus and the health processes that surround it. Here are 3 recent findings about COVID-19.

The virus lasts 20 minutes in the air

A study carried out by Jonathan Reid, director of the Center for Aerosol Research at the University of Bristol (United Kingdom), and published in The Guardian, ensures that the coronavirus loses up to 90 % contagion capacity after 20 minutes in the air. It also ensures that in the first 5 minutes, the virus mostly dissipates.

Also read: Deltacron and Flurona: Truth or Myth?

This information is very valuable considering that we are going through a point in the pandemic where we are once again at a peak due to the appearance of the Omicron variant, the most contagious of the strains known to date.

The study sheds light on how contagion can be avoided, taking into account that those first 20 minutes of contact will be vital to reduce the risk of becoming infected. This study supports the importance of meetings in the open air or where there is very good air circulation and the use of masks, at least during the first 20 minutes of contact initiation.

Marijuana to prevent and treat COVID-19?

A study published in the Journal of Natural products showed positive results on the use of the controversial plant for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. According to the report, there are two cannabinoid molecules in the marijuana plant that could “block the cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2”. These molecules are cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA).

If extracted, these two components could be available for oral use and would be completely removed from the effects of THC, the plant’s psychoactive component.

The study suggests that the two molecules can bind to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, preventing contagion and a direct negative effect on the human body. On the other hand, it is expected that both components can also be used to treat the disease.

WHO: the priority should not be booster doses

In its most recent statement, the World Health Organization (WHO) assured that booster doses should not be the priority of countries that are advancing with their vaccination, as it is not the most effective or meaningful method to stop the coronavirus. On the contrary, efforts should be focused on vaccinating as many people as possible and complying with vaccination plans in those regions where the numbers are still very low.

On the other hand, the organization established the creation of the Technical Advisory Group on the Composition of Vaccines against COVID-19 (TAG-CO-VAC), which will have the task of monitoring the consequences of the virus and its variants on public health. and, eventually, give recommendations on the composition of coronavirus vaccines so that they are increasingly effective.