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An Overview of Coronavirus COVID-19 with their Pathogenesis and Risk Assessment of the Disease Utilizing Positive
Tapan Krishna Biswas1, Malabika Biswas2, Rajib Bandyopadhyay1
1Department of Instrumentation and Electronics Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India.
Insights
COVID-19 disrupts oxygen exchange by dissociating iron from hemoglobin, leading to lung damage and clotting. Clinical data and biomarkers can assess COVID-19 risk before RT-PCR results are available.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Pathology
- Virology
Background:
- COVID-19 pandemic impacts global health, causing severe respiratory distress and clotting disorders.
- The SARS-CoV-2 virus interferes with hemoglobin's heme structure, impairing oxygen and carbon dioxide transport.
- Elevated iron ions and carbon dioxide contribute to lung damage and disease severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the biochemical mechanisms of COVID-19-induced lung damage and clotting.
- To identify key clinical and biochemical parameters for early COVID-19 risk assessment.
- To establish a risk assessment tool for COVID-19 prior to RT-PCR confirmation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the virus's effect on hemoglobin and ferrous ion dissociation.
- Monitoring of serum biomarkers including ferritin, LDH, d-dimer, IL-6, and cardiac troponin.
- Evaluation of clinical data such as age, fever, gender, and comorbidities.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 causes ferrous ion dissociation from heme, hindering gas exchange.
- Increased serum ferritin, LDH, d-dimer, IL-6, and troponin are observed.
- Leukocytosis, lymphocytopenia, and lung radiological changes are pathological hallmarks.
Conclusions:
- Biochemical disruption of hemoglobin is a key mechanism in COVID-19 pathogenesis.
- Clinical and biochemical markers can serve as an early risk assessment tool for COVID-19.
- Timely risk assessment can guide interventions and potentially save lives.
Abstract:
COVID-19 has created a devastating pandemic, infecting more than 200 countries in its wake, only sparing Antarctica. The virus dissociates ferrous ion from the porphyrin ring of heme of haemoglobin-thus hampering the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange in the lung and tissue. The toxic effect of ferrous (Fe2+) ions and carbon dioxide causes lung damage giving rise to severe respiratory distress and an often observed clotting disorder. Serum ferritin level is increased along with the rise of serum LDH, d-dimer, serum IL-6 and cardiac troponin. Associated leukocytosis, occasional lymphocytopenia and radiological changes of the lung are the pathological hallmarks of the disease. All these parameters including other clinical data such as age, fever, gender and associated co-morbidities may be used as a Risk Assessment tool for COVID-19 before the report of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) is available. A timely intervention can contribute to rescuing millions from an untimely death.
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