Abstract - 8
Implications of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic and fatal outcomes of patients with Lifestyle disorders and NCDs
Kaiser Jamil 1* , Javeed Ahmed Tantray 2 and Rabbani Syed 3
1 Department of Genetics, Bhagwan Mahavir Medical Research Center, Hyderabad. India, 2 Department of Zoology, University of Kashmir, Kashmir, India and 3 Department of Pharmaceutics, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
*Corresponding author: Kaiser.jamil@gmail.com
Recent reports have estimated that 1.7 billion people that is more than 20 percent of the world’s population is at risk of becoming severely infected with COVID-19 due to their underlying health problems such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and other immune-compromised conditions. Further, COVID19 also affects people suffering from lifestyle disorders. Lifestyle disorders relate to our habits or our addictions to: Cigarettes, Beedi, ghutka (Indian tobacco), Alcohol, etc. The consumers of these items are likely to suffer from- Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as: Cancers, Cardiovascular diseases, Diabetes, Hypertensions, etc. and around 40 million people are estimated to die each year, that is around 70% of all deaths globally. They are a result of a combination of factors including genetics, physiology, environment, and behaviors and now the corona virus pandemic. NCDs are more vulnerable to COVID- 19, a lethal disease of a novel coronavirus renamed as SARS-CoV-2. These Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses, minute in size (65–125 nm in diameter) and contain a single-stranded RNA as a nucleic material, size ranging from 26 to 32kbs in length. Increasing evidence shows that these coronaviruses are not always confined to the respiratory tract but, they may also be neuroinvasive and neurotropic, with potential consequences in vulnerable populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between comorbidities related to lifestyle diseases and their role in the exacerbation of disease in COVID- 19 patients leading to fatal outcomes. The pathogenesis of COVID-19 is overtly complex, with multiple factors involved. In addition to the direct viral effects and inflammatory and immune factors, the downregulation of ACE2 and imbalance between the RAS and ACE2/angiotensin-(1–7)/MAS axis may also contribute to the multiple organ injuries in COVID-19. After binding of SARS-CoV-2 to the ACE-2 receptor of the host cell, the S protein of the virus undergoes activation at a position adjacent to a fusion peptide within the S 2 subunit leading to viral and host cell membrane fusion. The spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 is a potential target for the development of specific drugs, antibodies, and vaccines. In the longer term –this disease is likely to continue to spread rapidly into and within cities and countries hence – it is suggested that there is a need to change the way we live and adopt to new normal.