In the early days of the pandemic, test kits were primitive and few and far between. Doctors relied on physical symptoms, and these had to develop before they were sure they were not regular flu. This gave rise to a widely-held viewpoint the virus attacks the respiratory system first. However, a new study highlights many personas of the Covid-19 virus that tell a different story.
ACE2 Receptors are Behind the Personas of the Covid Virus
China first identified two Ace receptors for the coronavirus in late January, 2020. However, two decades earlier medical science had already mapped these gateways throughout the body. Stat News published a follow-up on this on June 26, 2020. A very important study took place under guidance of Anderson Cancer Center.
Researchers already knew Ace receptors line the insides of blood vessels. Accordingly, they are present in kidney tubules that cleanse blood, the gastrointestinal tract, and even the testes. This variety is behind the many personas of the Covid-19 virus that present as discernible symptoms.
Therefore We Need to Look Wider for Less Obvious Signs
We don’t know why it took so long for clinicians to figure this out, writes Sharon Begley, Stat News contributor. However, what we do know now is we need to look more carefully for less-obvious indicators.
The virus can start in the gut, causing diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain. However, there are more personas of the Covid-19 virus than just that. The disease can appear first in our kidneys, our senses of taste and smell, and of course our upper respiratory tract.
The Anderson Cancer Center study tapped into health records of 77,167 people tested for Covid-19. The researchers say their findings disprove the assumption respiratory symptoms are the first discernible sign.
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Preview Image: Nephrons in Kidneys
