Newer Studies in COVID-19 and Herbs in Western Ghats in Protection from Viral Infection

摘要

The National Webinar 'COVID-19 Impact on Life Sciences' was organized by Departments of Botany and Zoology, Late Rajkamalji Bharti Arts, Commerce and Smt. Sushilabai R. Bharti Science College, Ami, Dist. Yavatmal, Maharashtra on 28/11/2020. As 1st invited speaker, Dr M. Baig, Researcher at Dept of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Canada spoke on 'SARS-CoV-2: challenges and promises'. He stated that information on bioscience behind COVID-19 outbreak and response can be accessed in Bulletin published by Royal Society of Biology on 23/11/2020. Scientists are tracking small differences in SARS-CoV-2 genome to explain why the disease has different effects. Tiny variants in genes may dictate its severity, are responsible for varying degree of infection and can be exploited in vaccine preparation. Dr Baig briefed about some research news of November 2020, viz., strange ways by which Coronavirus can affect human brain (leaving a delirium and emerging evidence suggest COVID-19 can leave a long shadow); study linking air pollution to 15% of COVID deaths and death linked to COVID-19 and air pollution represents 'potentially avoidable, excess mortality'; young children unlikely to spread the virus but older kids more at risk (researchers explained schools probably aren't COVID-19 hotspots); severe infection rare in newborns; blood samples from recovered patients suggest a powerful, long-lasting immune response to Coronavirus. Dr Baig discussed in short about his studies on phylogenomics and phylodynamics analysis of 286 retrieved SARS-CoV-2 whole genomes from India.