by Gertrud U. Rey A small subset of people are more vulnerable to severe complications and death resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection. What causes this vulnerability? An increasing body of evidence suggests that patients suffering from severe COVID-19 often have one or more pre-existing conditions (co-morbidities). In an effort to describe the co-morbidities of COVID-19 patients …
by Gertrud U. Rey On April 5, 2020, a tiger named Nadia at the Bronx Zoo was confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 after displaying symptoms of COVID-19. Nadia is presumed to have been infected by a zookeeper, along with several other lions and tigers who were also showing symptoms. This incident raises the question …
by Gertrud U. Rey The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is steadily increasing around the world. Yet despite this unsettling fact, one statistic continues to hold true: most infected children experience mild symptoms, respond well to treatment, recover more quickly than adults, and have a better prognosis. An initial report from China showed …
by Gertrud U. Rey Lithium-ion batteries produce power when lithium ions flow from a negative electrode to a positive electrode through an electrolyte medium. The positive electrode is usually composed of a lithium compound and the negative electrode is typically graphite (crystalline carbon).
by Gertrud U. Rey Herpes simplex viruses establish lifelong persistent infection in sensory neurons of infected individuals, a phenomenon called latency. Latent viral genomes are “dormant” but can sporadically reactivate and begin replicating in a phase called lytic replication, which is often accompanied by shedding of virus particles and the appearance of painful lesions. There …
by Gertrud U. Rey Bacteria use at least a couple of pathways for protecting themselves against viral infection. In return, multiple viral strategies for inhibiting or evading these pathways have evolved.
