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India Today
28-05-2025
- Health
- India Today
Can vaccines protect against newer Covid-19 virus variants?
Six years after Covid-19 first spread globally, cases of the viral infection have surged in several parts of Asia, including India, as well as in the United most cases presenting in hospitals and clinics are mild, doctors have maintained that practising basic hygiene is imperative, especially as India reports 1,010 active virus strains currently circulating in the country are LF.7, XFG, and JN.1, along with a new Omicron sub-lineage NB.1.8.1, showing flu-like symptoms such as cough, runny nose, sore throat, low-grade fever, headaches, body aches and in some cases gastrointestinal Although, like other respiratory viruses, SARS-CoV-2 is also causing seasonal spikes due to mutations, vaccines available in India aren't catered for these experts have said that people who have had Covid-19 before or got the vaccine, especially recently, will probably have some protection against getting serious illness if they catch a similar version of the virus again.A new study has found that prior vaccination against Covid-19 continues to offer strong immune protection, even against more recent variants like Delta and Omicron, though it may slightly limit the body's ability to generate fresh, mutation-specific antibodies. People who have had Covid-19 before or got the vaccine, especially recently, will probably have some protection against getting serious illness. () advertisementResearchers at the University of Arizona Health Sciences have published findings in Nature Immunology on Tuesday suggesting that vaccinated individuals still mount a significantly more robust immune response to evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants than those who have never been STILL STRONG DESPITE VIRAL EVOLUTIONWhat the study really wanted to address was this fundamental question of how the immune system adapts when you're exposed to a virus and then the virus changes."Are you able to generate new responses against those new mutations? The answer is yes, although with some nuance," said Deepta Bhattacharya, senior author of the paper and executive director of the university's Centre for Advanced Molecular and Immunological research examined immune responses in individuals infected with Delta or Omicron variants of Covid-19, comparing those who had previously received a vaccine targeting the original strain with those who had never been DIP IN STRAIN-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIESOverall, the study found that those who got vaccinated produced more antibodies after infection than unvaccinated among the vaccinated, production of antibodies that specifically target new mutations was slightly lower. The study found that those who got vaccinated produced more antibodies after infection than unvaccinated ones. () "If you got vaccinated against the original virus strain and then contracted the Delta variant, you made a large amount of protective antibody responses overall,' Bhattacharya people who had been vaccinated had fewer of the antibodies that target the mutated virus, compared to those who caught the Delta variant without having been vaccinated effect, sometimes referred to as "antigenic imprinting" or "original antigenic sin", is a well-known phenomenon in immunology, where the immune system focuses on parts of a virus it has seen before, potentially at the expense of responding to newer the study's authors stressed that the immune protection offered by prior vaccination was still overwhelmingly beneficial, and that the observed dip in mutation-specific antibodies was unlikely to cause a high impact on a peron's FUTURE OF VACCINE DEVELOPMENTAccording to the researchers, the study could shape future vaccine the study, individuals who were first exposed to Delta or Omicron did not effectively generate antibodies against the newer mutations as when they were exposed to the original surprising insight could have implications for how next-generation vaccines are designed.'One of the most important takeaways is that we can potentially engineer vaccines to direct the immune system more efficiently. If we can figure out which parts of the virus are evading the immune system, we could develop vaccines that ensure those regions are being recognised and targeted,' said Bhattacharya. The research underscores that vaccination remains the best defence against Covid-19. () First and foremost, the research underscores that vaccination remains the best defence against Covid-19, even as the virus continues to mutate.'Even with a slight reduction in the specificity of the immune response, vaccinated individuals still have a much higher level of protection overall,' Bhattacharya study helps clear up a common worry that getting a Covid-19 vaccine might make it harder for the body to fight off newer variants of the research shows that this isn't true. In fact, vaccinated people still build strong overall protection, even if the virus has changed a will keep studying how our immune systems react to different versions of the virus and how future vaccines can be designed to work even countries decide how to plan long-term Covid vaccine strategies, this kind of research is now, experts continue to recommend staying up to date with your Covid vaccinations, as they still offer strong protection against getting seriously ill, even as the virus InMust Watch
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Simple Reason Why You Wake Up Earlier As You Age
There's a reason why older people tend to wake up earlier in the mornings — it's a part of the natural aging process. There are many jokes that center around older adults waking up before the sun, and even more about teenagers' late-sleeping habits. Turns out there's truth to them: The time our body naturally goes to sleep and wakes up is not only part of our genetics, but part of the natural aging process, too. As we age, our bodies change both internally and externally, which is a major factor behind the sleep changes that come later in life. 'Like most of the things that change with age, there's not just one reason, and they are all interconnected,' said Cindy Lustig, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. We asked Lustig and other experts to break down the main reasons why this occurs, and what you can do to push back if you just want those few extra hours of Zzzs. Earlier wake times are part of the natural aging process. Like other aspects of our physical and mental health, the brain becomes less responsive as we age. 'The wiring of the brain is likely not responding to the inputs as well as it should because it's an aging brain,' said Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy, the director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences at the University of Arizona Health Sciences. These inputs include sunset, sunlight, meals, social cues, and physical activity that help mark where we are in a day. 'These are all what we call time givers, or they give time to the brain,' he said. In other words, they help the brain sense where it is in the 24-hour circadian cycle. So, for a younger person, dinner time may help the brain understand that bedtime is in a few hours; for someone older, this connection may not happen. The nerves that are supposed to give the brain time cues have undergone the same amount of degeneration as the brain, Parthasarathy said. This inability to sense time cues is part of the reason why older people tend to get tired before their children or grandchildren. And, as a result, wake up fully rested and earlier than the rest of the world. The light our eyes take in is part of it, too. 'Interestingly, one of [the reasons] seems to be that the vision changes that come with age reduce the intensity of the degree of light stimulation that our brain receives, which plays an important role in 'setting' our circadian clock and keeping it on track,' Lustig said. Parthasarathy explained that this is especially true for people with cataracts, a common eye condition that impacts more than 50% of Americans ages 80 and up, according to the National Institutes of Health. Cataracts cause blurred vision, double vision, and general trouble seeing. 'If there's cataracts, the evening light doesn't go into the eyes as much, so, according to the brain, sunset is earlier than when it actually set,' Parthasarathy said. Why does this matter? Since there is less light getting into the eyes because of the vision issues cataracts cause, the body starts to release melatonin (the sleep hormone) earlier than it should. For younger people, melatonin 'starts rising after sunset,' Parthasarathy said, which is why you generally feel tired a few hours after. For people with cataracts whose brain thinks sunset was earlier, their perceived sunset is earlier, which makes them tired sooner in the evening. And going to bed sooner means waking up earlier. 'There is some evidence that cataract removal surgery can help improve sleep quality and duration by helping those light cues get through,' Lustig said. The amount of light your eyes take in each evening impacts when you're ready to go to sleep. If this is you, there are a few steps you can take to sleep better. According to Parthasarathy, if you struggle with this issue, you should ignore the advice to put away the screens and instead expose yourself to bright light in the late evening. This can mean going for a walk outside before the sun sets, reading a book on a bright iPad, getting artificial lights for your home, or watching TV on a bright screen. These bright lights will tell the brain that the sun hasn't set yet, which will hold the melatonin production, he said. To help yourself stay up a little later (and sleep a little later as a result), Parthasarathy said you should try these things 30 to 60 minutes before sunset, which will vary depending on the time of year and where you live in the US. The exact amount of time you should expose yourself to bright light varies, and might take a bit of trial and error, but he said you should aim for about two hours of exposure — and should certainly keep the light on after sunset. Lustig added you should avoid alcohol before bed — 'While that nightcap might make you sleepy, it actually disrupts the quality of your sleep.' Additionally, she said exercise can help you get better sleep, and the morning sun can help your circadian clock follow the sun's rise and set cues. All in all, changes in sleep patterns are a part of life. While some of these factors are out of your control, you can also counteract them with healthy habits so you can get your best post originally appeared on HuffPost.
Buzz Feed
16-02-2025
- Health
- Buzz Feed
The Simple Reason Why You Wake Up Earlier As You Age
There are many jokes that center around older adults waking up before the sun, and even more about teenagers' late-sleeping habits. Turns out there's truth to them: The time our body naturally goes to sleep and wakes up is not only part of our genetics, but part of the natural aging process, too. As we age, our bodies change both internally and externally, which is a major factor behind the sleep changes that come later in life. 'Like most of the things that change with age, there's not just one reason, and they are all interconnected,' said Cindy Lustig, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan. We asked Lustig and other experts to break down the main reasons why this occurs, and what you can do to push back if you just want those few extra hours of Zzzs. Earlier wake times are part of the natural aging process. Like other aspects of our physical and mental health, the brain becomes less responsive as we age. 'The wiring of the brain is likely not responding to the inputs as well as it should because it's an aging brain,' said Dr. Sairam Parthasarathy, the director of the Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences at the University of Arizona Health Sciences. These inputs include sunset, sunlight, meals, social cues, and physical activity that help mark where we are in a day. 'These are all what we call time givers, or they give time to the brain,' he said. In other words, they help the brain sense where it is in the 24-hour circadian cycle. So, for a younger person, dinner time may help the brain understand that bedtime is in a few hours; for someone older, this connection may not happen. The nerves that are supposed to give the brain time cues have undergone the same amount of degeneration as the brain, Parthasarathy said. This inability to sense time cues is part of the reason why older people tend to get tired before their children or grandchildren. And, as a result, wake up fully rested and earlier than the rest of the world. The light our eyes take in is part of it, too. 'Interestingly, one of [the reasons] seems to be that the vision changes that come with age reduce the intensity of the degree of light stimulation that our brain receives, which plays an important role in 'setting' our circadian clock and keeping it on track,' Lustig said. Parthasarathy explained that this is especially true for people with cataracts, a common eye condition that impacts more than 50% of Americans ages 80 and up, according to the National Institutes of Health. Cataracts cause blurred vision, double vision, and general trouble seeing. 'If there's cataracts, the evening light doesn't go into the eyes as much, so, according to the brain, sunset is earlier than when it actually set,' Parthasarathy said. Why does this matter? Since there is less light getting into the eyes because of the vision issues cataracts cause, the body starts to release melatonin (the sleep hormone) earlier than it should. For younger people, melatonin 'starts rising after sunset,' Parthasarathy said, which is why you generally feel tired a few hours after. For people with cataracts whose brain thinks sunset was earlier, their perceived sunset is earlier, which makes them tired sooner in the evening. And going to bed sooner means waking up earlier. 'There is some evidence that cataract removal surgery can help improve sleep quality and duration by helping those light cues get through,' Lustig said. If this is you, there are a few steps you can take to sleep better. According to Parthasarathy, if you struggle with this issue, you should ignore the advice to put away the screens and instead expose yourself to bright light in the late evening. This can mean going for a walk outside before the sun sets, reading a book on a bright iPad, getting artificial lights for your home, or watching TV on a bright screen. These bright lights will tell the brain that the sun hasn't set yet, which will hold the melatonin production, he said. To help yourself stay up a little later (and sleep a little later as a result), Parthasarathy said you should try these things 30 to 60 minutes before sunset, which will vary depending on the time of year and where you live in the US. The exact amount of time you should expose yourself to bright light varies, and might take a bit of trial and error, but he said you should aim for about two hours of exposure — and should certainly keep the light on after sunset. Lustig added you should avoid alcohol before bed — 'While that nightcap might make you sleepy, it actually disrupts the quality of your sleep.' Additionally, she said exercise can help you get better sleep, and the morning sun can help your circadian clock follow the sun's rise and set cues. All in all, changes in sleep patterns are a part of life. While some of these factors are out of your control, you can also counteract them with healthy habits so you can get your best rest.
