COVID-19 can lead to muscle-weakening disease myasthenia gravis: Researchers

According to research published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, muscle-weakening disease myasthenia gravis is added to a list of neurological problems linked to severe coronavirus cases. Other nervous systems related issues like Tremors, seizures, and impaired consciousness have already been related to severe COVID-19 cases. As per scientists in some cases virus appears to trick the body into attacking the brain by triggering the immune system to produce autoantibodies, which by mistake attack on a person’s own tissues or organs. In the case of myasthenia gravis, autoantibodies target nerve connection of muscles, and skeletal muscles involving breathing and moving parts of the body become weak after activity. Research done on three patients without any previous neurological or autoimmune disorders found that they started having symptoms of myasthenia gravis within a week after fevers related to COVID-19 started.

Read: Former President Pranab Mukherjee Tests Positive For COVID-19; Issues Statement

Read: 'India Likely To Have COVID-19 Vaccine By December', Says Serum Institute's CEO Poonawalla

Vaping leads to higher COVID-19 risk

According to study vaping increase risk of getting COVID-19 among teens and young adults of the United States. In May researcher collected data from 4,351 participants aged 13-24 years, which was used in a study published on August 11 in the Journal of Adolescent Health. The study tells those who smoke cigarettes and electronic cigarettes were 4.7 times more likely to have COVID-19 symptoms as compared to those who never smoked or vaped.

Participants, those who used just e-cigarettes were five times more likely to have COVID-19 and those who smoke both cigarettes and electronic cigarettes were seven times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19. Commenting on the study. Dr. David Christiani of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who was not involved in the research, said, there are many reasons why people who vape would be at increased risk of getting COVID-19. Studies have shown that "vaping liquids impair local immunity in the nose and the rest of the respiratory tract. Once those defenses are impaired, it's going to make people more viable to infection”.

Read: Karnataka Govt Issues Revised Guidelines For Home Isolation Of COVID-19 Patients

Read: Argentina, Mexico To Produce AstraZeneca Coronavirus Vaccine For Latin America