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Ailments in covid-19 trials raise questions about vaccine method
Two Covid-19 vaccines stalled by potential side effects have one key feature in common: Both are based on adenoviruses, cold germs that researchers have used in experimental therapies for decades with varying results.
Johnson & Johnson said late Monday it would pause its trial to investigate an illness, which it didn’t specify, in a study participant. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca Plc’s U.S. trial of the vaccine it’s developing with the University of Oxford has been halted by regulators for more than a month after neurological symptoms arose in two volunteers.
With AstraZeneca in a pit stop, vaccines from Moderna Inc. and the Pfizer Inc.-BioNTech SE partnership have taken the lead in the race to be first out with a shot. Meanwhile, the two paused trials are reviving questions about adenoviral vectors, which have been used in laboratory, animal and human experiments for years. In some cases, the experiments have succeeded, but not always.
And this year, with Covid-19 vaccines entering strongly into the politics of the hour, transparency and trust are key to fighting a virus that’s hit more than 39 million people globally and hamstrung economies. If concerns about side effects in experimental vaccines in trials using adenoviruses are validated, it could boost skepticism in the general public and raise questions for other drugmakers.
“While it could be a coincidence,” said Sam Fazeli, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst, in a research note, “there’s still the possibility that adenoviral vector vaccines run a higher risk of rare side effects – such as autoimmune attacks like transverse myelitis – than those of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Novavax.”
Pauses to investigate side effects aren’t unusual in vaccine trials, which require a high safety bar because they’re taken by healthy people. Oxford has said there’s insufficient evidence to connect the participants’ illnesses to their vaccine. Its human tests in the U.K., South Africa and Brazil resumed weeks ago.
Adenoviral vectors are well studied, versatile, and shown to be well tolerated, making them good candidates for Covid vaccines, AstraZeneca said in an email. Reactions to the Astra/Oxford vaccine in early studies were comparable to those seen in previous trials of other vaccines using adenoviruses, the company said. Oxford researchers declined to comment.
If adenoviruses are associated with the side effects that have appeared in Covid vaccines, it may set back development of numerous projects, as it did with HIV and gene therapy. There are more than a dozen Covid vaccines in development based on adenoviruses, according to the World Health Organization.
Should investigators in the current trials determine the cause of the episodes is related to the vaccines, they would look for potential links to the adenovirus approach as well as to the spike protein the vaccine is designed to make to prepare the immune system for a real infection, according to Washington University’s Kinch.
At this point, he said, there’s not enough information to know. “Is this just random chance?” Kinch said. “First and foremost, there’s bad luck. If it turns out there’s a correlation and a causation, then the conversation very quickly turns.”
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health and remedies
Train smarter, not harder: How taking occasional breaks from gym can revolutionise your fitness routine
Taking regular breaks from intense training, like deload weeks, helps your body recover, preventing fatigue and injury, and ultimately boosts fitness gains.
When it comes to getting fit, the idea of spending hours at the gym might come to mind, but many fitness experts argue that taking a “deload week” every six to eight weeks is actually key to improving your fitness gains. A deload week involves reducing the intensity of workouts to allow the body to recover from the fatigue and muscle damage caused by intense training.
While high-intensity training helps build strength and fitness, it can also lead to muscle strain, and without adequate recovery, these gains can’t fully materialise. Deload weeks give the body much-needed rest to repair and rebuild, ensuring continued progress. (Also read: Bhagyashree swears by this super easy exercise for instant leg pain relief and better mobility. Watch how to do it )
Why recovery is key for muscle growth
According to an article by The Conversation, intense exercise can cause tiny tears in muscle fibres, leading to inflammation that requires rest or low-intensity exercise to heal. This inflammation is essential for muscle growth and fitness improvements. However, without proper recovery, muscles remain in a state of slight damage, preventing inflammation from resolving. This chronic state of inflammation can hinder muscle function, reducing oxygen efficiency and impairing performance. Giving muscles time to recover through rest ensures they repair properly and are primed for continued progress, setting us up for greater success in our fitness journey.
Many gymgoers fear taking time off and are worried it will lead to a loss of gains. However, research shows that muscle genes have a “memory imprint,” which keeps them in a semi-prepared state. This allows muscles to respond more quickly and effectively to future training, promoting growth after a rest period. Even after extended periods of reduced intensity, up to seven weeks, muscular fitness can be restored to prime condition—and in some cases, surpass previous levels. Interestingly, recovery can occur twice as fast as it took to reach peak fitness initially, even if some strength is lost.
Taking time off from intense training is crucial to prevent muscle soreness and avoid overtraining syndrome. Overtraining occurs when the body doesn’t get enough rest, leading to prolonged fatigue, decreased performance, and mood disturbances. Symptoms develop gradually, making overtraining difficult to recognize until it’s severe. Rest is essential to avoid these issues and ensure long-term progress in training.
Role of overtraining syndrome and deload weeks
Overtraining syndrome is challenging to quantify due to its vague symptoms. Studies suggest it may affect as few as 10% of elite athletes, though rates could climb to 60% among highly competitive individuals. Recovery is essential for both fitness and overall health. When engaging in heavy gym routines, it’s vital to incorporate sufficient recovery time into your workout plan. Unlike rest days, which involve little to no exercise once or twice a week, deload weeks feature lighter training at reduced intensity—typically about 50% fewer workouts or a 20% drop in workout intensity.
Both rest days and deload weeks are essential for recovery and crucial to improving fitness. It’s not about choosing one over the other—they complement each other. For instance, intense training for marathons, Ironman, or CrossFit competitions requires weekly rest days alongside scheduled deload weeks. However, for recreational gym-goers exercising 1–3 times weekly at a moderate intensity, the recovery from this routine is often sufficient without the need for additional deload weeks.
Fitness influencers recommend incorporating deload weeks into training schedules every 4–8 weeks, aligning closely with the expert advice of 4–6 weeks. However, it’s crucial to listen to your body and schedule deload weeks as needed. If your performance plateaus or worsens, it may signal time for a deload. Training plans should be flexible enough to allow rest when required. Deload weeks not only enhance performance but also support overall health.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
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