Health and Science
The Dangers of Covid Variants and How Mutations Fuel Them
By Emily Tian
Around the world, Covid-19 has been affecting millions of people with its deadly symptoms. Although cases throughout the US have been declining, the rise of several other dangerous variants emerged. Most variants have similar Covid-19 symptoms and some, such as the Alpha and Delta variants, may cause even more severe conditions. To monitor these variants, scientists are keeping records based on how easily they spread, how they are treated, and the severity of their symptoms. Most variants tend to spread more quickly than others. This may lead to more cases of Covid, more strain on healthcare resources, more hospitalization, and potentially more deaths. Like any other virus, COVID-19 has been constantly mutating. Since its first appearance in China in 2019, it has gone through several minor variations that have made the virus more infectious and contagious. This was
first seen through the Alpha variant that spread globally, before it was mutated further into the even more infective Delta variant. In addition, a newly discovered mutation of the Delta has been investigated in the UK. Many scientists are worried that this could make the virus even more transmissible and undermine the Covid-19 vaccine further. However, there is still much unknown about this subtype of the Delta, which some people are even calling the new Delta Plus. More so, Stuart Ray, vice chair of medicine for data integrity and analytics, even stated, “There is evidence from laboratory studies that some immune responses driven by current vaccines could be less effective against some of these variants.” He warns everyone to watch for changes from the CDC and to continue with safety precautions, such as mask wearing and social distancing. The pandemic’s trajectory in 2020 was fairly predict-
able, however “I think we’re going into an unpredictable phase now,” says Jeremy Farrar, an infectious disease expert. Many other scientists agree with Farrar and want to use this time as an early alarm bell, and as a chance to get ahead of the variant. Scientists even hypothesize that more genetic changes could result in a more contagious mutation. These mutations are formed when the infection attaches to your cells, making copies of their RNA. If there’s a copying mistake, the RNA gets changed, and a mutation forms. In particular the Covid-19 variants are cre
ated when they first affect the virus’s spike protein. These proteins help the virus attach to human cells such as the nose and lungs, causing these new variants to bind more tightly onto our bodies. As more researchers keep up with these new versions of the virus’s genetic sequencing and evolution, they encourage people to stand by the safety regulations set out by the CDC. Discoveries like these are just beginning and in the meantime, scientists are continuing their efforts to prevent viral transmissions and to vaccinate as many people as possible.
Photo Courtesy of Misha Friedman/Getty Images
Permanent Damage of Contact Sports
By Andrew Margolis
Photo Courtesy of Erin Locascio
It is a common misconception that there are no longterm repercussions of injuries after they have healed. However, it has been proven that some types of brain damage don’t disappear even after the patient feels back to normal. This idea is crucial to all those who play contact sports. Sports are the leading cause of death from brain injury, and are responsible for nearly 21% of all traumatic brain injuries in general. So why do parents continuously let their children play contact sports if these sports are charged with statistics illustrating their capability to cause serious damage?
Well the answer is quite simple: parents, and even children, are unaware of how injuries impact individuals even after they are treated Most brain damage sticks with a person even after treatment. The culprit behind this occurrence is chronic traumatic encephalopathy, more commonly referred to as CTE. According to university professors, CTE is caused by repeated head injuries, which lead to a progressive loss in memory and other brain skills. This has been a recurring issue that is mostly due to a lack of proper skull protection. The primary sports associated with CTE are football, hockey,
boxing, and basketball. When the brain forcefully hits the skull, CTE can transpire. This is because specific proteins in the brain, called tau proteins, are more likely to malfunction after head trauma, leading to damaging alterations in behavior, thinking, and mood. While the recovery process helps to minimize CTE, it can still have long-term if not permanent effects. While CTE isn’t extremely common, traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs much more frequently. TBI is caused when the brain is injured once, while CTE occurs after repetitive brain injuries. The level of impact intensity on the brain also helps determine how quickly the brain begins to deteriorate. For example, CTE can develop from one large hit or many small ones, but not everyone is affected the same way. Genetics, diet, even alcohol and drug consumption plays a role in how CTE emerges. While CTE has become a growing problem for athletes in contact sports, it is very difficult to diagnose. Diagnosis is mostly based on prediction, for example if the person has been playing sports for 10-15 years and sudden-
ly begins to act differently or exhibit abnormal emotions. Due to the diagnosis difficulty, scientists normally identify CTE after death when they can fully examine tau clusters. Researchers, however, are working to find innovative and efficient methods to diagnose CTE. Lucas Montesano, a 16 year-old student attending Blind Brook High School has his own experience with the dangers of contact sports. Lucas plays for the Blind Brook football team and was recently diagnosed with a concussion after suffering a devastating blow from his opponents. While this injury wasn’t enough to end Lucas’ football career, it definitely helped shed light on the growing issue of brain injury and the threat of CTE. After recovering Lucas stated, “While my concussion was very unexpected, I just don’t see myself giving up the sport I love even if it means risking my health every time I step onto that field. However, this event shocked me, and while I refuse to give up football, I’ll definitely keep the danger in the back Continued on page 15 14
