UCSF Study Finds That Even Mild Infections With Omicron Variants Results In Long-lasting Disruptions In Gut Microbiota!
COVID-19 News - Mild Infections With Omicron - Long-lasting Disruptions In Gut Microbiota Jun 13, 2023 10 months, 2 weeks, 9 hours, 12 minutes ago
Exposure To Omicron Sub-Lineages Will Result In Dysbiosis With Long Term Health Implications For Many
COVID-19 News: The latest findings from a study conducted by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and the Gladstone Institutes in California have sent shockwaves through the scientific community. The study reveals that even mild infections with the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 can cause long-lasting disruptions in the gut microbiota, leading to potential health issues. This discovery challenges the common belief that mild infections have minimal consequences and underscores the need to reevaluate the impact of COVID-19 on our overall health.
Past
COVID-19 News reports have already shown that COVID-19 infections can affect the gut microbiota and cause dysbiosis which can contribute to the development of various health and medical issues including the development of various immunity, gastrointestinal issues and even cancers. Studies were never however conducted to evaluate mild infections with the Omicron variant or its sub-lineages.
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/new-york-university-study-finds-that-sars-cov-2-infection-causes-gut-microbiome-dysbiosis-that-increases-risk-for-bacterial-infections
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/post-covid-19-individuals-advised-to-take-probiotics-as-study-shows-sars-cov-2-induced-gut-microbiome-dysbiosis-increases-risk-for-colorectal-cancer
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/warning-dysbiosis-induced-by-sars-cov-2-infections-presents-risk-of-antibiotic-resistance
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-news-spanish-study-shows-that-gut-microbiome-composition-and-function-play-a-role-in-covid-19-progression-probiotics-help
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-research-disruption-of-gut-microbiome-could-be-also-be-a-contributing-factor-to-disease-severity-in-covid-19-patients
ovid-19-patients">https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/gut-microbiome-composition-possibly-altered-by-sars-cov-2-resulting-in-increase-of-il-18,-a-pro-inflammatory-cytokine-in-covid-19-patients
The Gut Microbiota: A Key Player in Our Well-being
The gut microbiota, the collection of microorganisms residing in our gastrointestinal tract, plays a crucial role in our overall health. It contributes to protective immunity, aids in digestion, and influences various physiological processes. Recent studies have shown that viruses targeting mammalian cells can indirectly affect the gut microbiota, potentially exacerbating their effects on our health.
Unraveling the Effects of Omicron
The study team set out to investigate the impact of mild SARS-CoV-2 infections, particularly those caused by the Omicron variant, on the gut microbiota by studying 14 COVID-19 outpatients and 4 healthy controls.
Surprisingly, the study team found that even mild cases of infection led to long-lasting disruptions in the gut microbial ecology. The stability of the gut microbiota in infected individuals was significantly compromised compared to uninfected controls.
Mouse Model Confirms the Disturbing Results
To validate their findings, the researchers conducted experiments using a mouse model susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Astonishingly, all tested variants, including the original USA-WA1/2020, Delta, and Omicron, disrupted the gut microbiota of the mice.
Despite Omicron causing the mildest symptoms in the mice, it had the most profound impact on the gut microbiota, depleting a vital bacterial species called Akkermansia muciniphila.
Long-term Health Implications
The implications of these findings are significant. The disruption of the gut microbiota caused by mild SARS-CoV-2 infections could have long-term consequences for an individual's health. Even though Omicron is associated with less severe symptoms, it retains its ability to perturb the intestinal mucosa. This raises concerns about the potential broad consequences of SARS-CoV-2-induced microbiota instability for host health and disease.
The study also shed light on the persisting symptoms observed in some COVID-19 patients. Individuals experiencing long-lasting symptoms, commonly known as "long COVID," often report fatigue, headache, anosmia, dyspnea, and gastrointestinal issues. The instability of the gut microbiota caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection may contribute to these persistent symptoms.
A Call for Further Research
These groundbreaking findings warrant further research into the mechanisms through which SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron, affect gastrointestinal physiology. Understanding these mechanisms is vital for developing effective interventions and treatment strategies. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of considering the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infections, even in cases with mild symptoms.
Conclusion
The UCSF study's findings have sent shockwaves through the scientific and medical communities, revealing the disruptive power of even mild infections with the Omicron variant on the gut microbiota. These results challenge the notion that mild infections have negligible consequences and emphasize the need to reassess our understanding of the health implications of COVID-19.
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The human gut microbiota is less stable following mild severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. (A–B) Principal Coordinates Analysis of 16S-Seq (A) and NMDS of metagenomic sequencing (MGS) data (B). Lines indicate successive samples from an individual (p, β-dispersion test with Tukey’s correction). (C–D) PhILR distances between successive samples for a subject by 16S-Seq (C) and MGS (D) (p values, Student’s t test). (E) Euclidean distance from each 16S-Seq sample to the Control group centroid (Spearman correlations annotated). (F) Comparison of amplicon sequence variant (ASV) variation. F statistic comparing Cases and Controls, padj < 0.1. Coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated for each ASV and group. A two-by-two table with a χ2 test annotated above the table and a pie chart depicts the proportion of significant ASVs whose CV was greater in cases or controls. ΔCV (CVCase–CVControl) for significant tests are plotted as a density curve, with three standard deviations above and below 0 annotated. A phylogenetic tree of outlier ASVs is displayed. n = 18 subjects, 53 samples.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: mBIO (A Journal of the American Society for Microbiology)
https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mbio.00889-23
Probiotics
Thailand Medical News would like to add for readers benefits that various studies have shown that probiotics help in managing COVID-19 and also Long COVID issues.
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-treatments-probiotics-could-be-used-as-adjuvants-to-treat-covid-19-
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-news-probiotics-such-as-limosilactobacillus-fermentum-and-lacticaseibacillus-rhamnosus-can-help-against-sars-cov-2
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-news-spanish-study-shows-that-gut-microbiome-composition-and-function-play-a-role-in-covid-19-progression-probiotics-help
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/u-s-clinical-trial-shows-that-probiotics-like-lactobacillus-rhamnosus-gg-can-reduce-covid-19-symptoms-when-taken-as-a-post-exposure-prophylaxis
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/breaking-italian-study-shows-that-oral-probiotics-comprising-of-lactic-acid-bacteria-and-bifidobacteria-decreases-risk-of-respiratory-failure-in-covid
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/emerging-studies-showing-role-of-gut-microbiome-in-covid-19-and-benefits-of-probiotics-for-treatments-and-as-prophylactics-
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/gut-microbiota-hong-kong-researchers-say-that-certain-probiotics-could-enhance-the-immune-system-to-fight-against-covid-19
SCFAs
Furthermore, studies have also shown that SCFAs or short-chain fatty acids that are metabolites from the gut microbiota are also beneficial in treating COVID-19 issues.
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/german-study-shows-that-short-chain-fatty-acids-scfas-can-treat-inflamm-aging-and-acute-lung-injury-in-the-old
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-therapeutics-japanese-study-shows-that-short-chain-fatty-acids-scfas-could-serve-to-contain-sars-cov-2-by-downregulating-ace2
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Read About How SARS-CoV-2 Induced Dysbiosis Can Lead To Various Gastrointestinal Issues.
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