Arab Weather - The infection of two brothers in their twenties with the Corona virus led scientists in the Netherlands to uncover what they described as a "turning point" in treating the disease, according to Bloomberg newspaper.
What helped scientists discover this is their encounter with a similar case that occurred to two brothers (29 and 31 years old), two weeks before the first case, which caused the death of one of them. And they were suffering from a rare genetic disease.
After an in-depth study of the two 20-year-olds, scientists have discovered a pathway that may lead to a new treatment approach for thousands of people with Covid-19.
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The common denominator in the research was the lack of a substance in the innate immune system called interferon , which helps the body fight viral diseases, and it can be injected to treat diseases such as hepatitis.
And the two studies published, Thursday, in the "Journal of Science" showed that insufficient interferon may represent a dangerous turning point in people with Covid-19.
Increasing evidence indicates the presence of critical cases of Covid-19, caused by a lack of interferon.
The new study sheds light on the importance of interferon-based drugs for treating Covid-19, including remdesivir and blood plasma produced by the "Gilead" drug company and used in emergency cases.
Scientists say that the benefit that can be gained from the interferon in the treatment of Covid-19 is "remarkable", and it appears to be most effective in the early stages of infection, when respiratory failure can still be avoided.
Among the factors that affect the levels of interferon in the body, the sex of the individual (males are more susceptible to lack of interferons than females), age, chronic diseases and genetic changes that prevent the production of interferon.
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