Human Organs Targeted by Covid-19

The Covid-19 virus is well known to cause pneumonia. However, it can also attack some other organs. Those susceptible organs have something in common that allows the SARS-CoV-2 virus to attack them. The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes Covid-19.

One way the virus can enter a cell is if that cell has an ACE2 receptor. ACE2 stands for angiotensin-converting enzyme – 2. The Covid-19 virus finds the ACE2 receptor and then sticks to it.

The Covid-19 virus can enter a cell to manipulate the genes present in specific organs to make an enzyme. Those enzymes can activate a protein in the Covid-19 virus and allow it to attach to those cells. Once the virus attaches to the cell, it can enter it and reproduce copies of itself to cause infection and organ damage.

Severe damage can lead to organ failure. That may explain why multi-system organ failure happens in some patients.

One of those genes is TMPRRS2. TMPRRS2 short is for transmembrane serine protease 2.

A preprint paper that has not been peer-reviewed lists the organs with ACE2 and TMPRSS2 receptors. The study is from the School of Mathematics, Harbin Institute of Technology in China.

The authors used the available gene data of the different organs of the body. The gene data were obtained by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). From that information, they can tell which organs have the most ACE2 and TMPRSS2.

A cell can either or both ACE2 or TMPPRS2. The more ACE2 and TMPPRS2 an organ has, the more likely it that Covid-19 can affect that organ. This is what they found.

The Vulnerable Organs

1. Respiratory – Nose, Lungs
2. Digestive – Esophagus, Gallbladder, Pancreas,  Small intestines, Large intestines
3. Reproductive – Testis, Uterus, and Fallopian tubes
4. Nervous System – Brain
5. Circulatory – Heart
6. Urinary system – Kidneys and Urinary bladder

This study is only limited to an investigation of ACE2 and TMPRSS2. The SARS-CoV-2 uses other genes. The study gives us more understanding about the virus in how it makes people sick and potential treatment.

A future article will talk about an existing drug that can protect organs with ACE2 and TMPRSS2.

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Don’t Get Sick!

Related Readings:

1. The Complete COVID-19 Articles

2. Why Scheduled Surgery Has to Wait in Covid-19

3. What Happens to Critically-ill Covid-19 patients?

4. The Covid-19 can Attack the Brain

5. Who Gets Cardiac Injury in Covid-19?

6. Can’t Smell and Taste Suddenly? It Can be Covid-19!

7. Not enough U.S. hospital beds one Covid-19 epidemic is full-blown

8. Lessons Learned from 72,314 COVID-19 Patients: A China CDC Study

9. Covid-19 Can Lead to Heart Failure

10. Who Dies From the Coronavirus?

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