How does covid target people's weak spots?
It seems like covid hurts most at your weakest places, right?
Well, this is very common for pathogens.
Pathogens will take up the host in the easiest place possible, where there is immunosuppression, as it’s easier to evade your immune system. R
For example, think about swimming in a like: bacteria won’t get into your body, unless you give it somewhere easy to get into (like a cut on your skin, or the epithelium in your nose, etc).
This immunosuppression is why people who have active AIDS from HIV are much more susceptible to acquiring other infections, which can lead to death in that instance. R
More Specifically with Covid…
Through the respiratory tract, SARS-CoV-2 enters blood circulation and interacts with Endothelial Cells (ECs) possessing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). R
In some studies, it’s been shown that an intact glycocalyx prevents SARS-CoV-2 invasion of ECs. R
When the glycocalyx is incomplete, virus spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 binds with ACE2 and enters ECs for replication. In addition, cytokine storm targets glycocalyx, leading to subsequent coagulation disorder. R
So we need those trees/hairs (the glycocalyx) to keep us safe.
So for example, if you had had an acute kidney injury 5 years ago, and your glycocalyx of the globular cells hasn't healed or grown back in that area, it's more susceptible to getting infected, as there is no glycocalyx to block the virus from attaching to the ACE2 receptors. R
Also - Several other receptors used by SARS-CoV-2 to invade host cells have been identified: TMPRSS2, TMPRSS4 (activation of virus proteins), GRP78, CD147 and AXL. R
Thank you for reading! :)