grahamaphotype – BioQuakes

Is Monkeypox even around anymore?

On March 16, 2023

According to the CDC, monkeypox is a virus that can cause many symptoms ranging from respiratory problems to rashes and scabs, as research studies have shown. While, according to the world health organization, the virus was first identified in 1970, and there have been multiple outbreaks since. The first outbreak to reach the US occurred in 2003, when a young girl was bitten by a prairie dog and exhibited symptoms days later. Typically, the virus has an incubation period of 3-17 days which a patient may not show symptoms. However, once the virus emerges, it may stay with a patient for up to four weeks. Often the virus enters the system through either the skin or the respiratory system. After this, the virus binds the D8L protein to chondroitin sulfate, a cell surface receptor. Once the virus has bound to a cell, it can enter through either endocytosis or by fusing through the cell membrane. After this, the virus can infect the cell and spread to others.

When the virus had a recent outbreak this past May the CDC and WHO were quick to react. As the virus emerged soon after the COVID-19 pandemic, it could be said that both WHO and the CDC were “warmed up” for this monkeypox outbreak and the virus was quickly dispelled in the continental US. However, before it could be dealt with, 30 thousand people in the US were infected and across the world, just over 85 thousand cases were reported. Similarly, a study was done across the US, surveying hundreds of cases between April and June of 2022, and the study revealed that while monkeypox is very infectious, it doesn’t necessarily target those with immune system problems nor the elderly. However, 95% of people who contracted the virus did develop some sort of rash, meaning that was the most common symptom. While the mortality rate of monkeypox is relatively low, at around 3%, it is still a debilitating disease, affecting nearly a hundred thousand people across the world. As such, it is impressive how countries have come together to deal with this virus so quickly. But how?

While the first US outbreak was from animal to human, the 2022-23 outbreak has been somewhat trickier for eradication as the recent outbreak has spread from human to human. However, the monkeypox virus is quite similar to the smallpox virus, for which a vaccine exists. Luckily, this vaccine is up to 85% effective for those experiencing symptoms.

However, more measures had to be taken than simply a vaccine that is only 85% effective. The CDC and WHO implemented measures such as mask-wearing, vigorous hand washing, and awareness campaigns in areas heavily affected by monkeypox. With these protocols implemented across the world, monkeypox was tamped down quite quickly in relation to how quickly it spread. As such, monkeypox left the media just as soon as it emerged, and generally, people can sleep soundly at night without worry of waking up feverish, with large painful rashes and scabs.

The Covid Complacency Craze!

By grahamaphotype

On December 8, 2022

In Student Post

In the pandemic’s early days, countries reported their COVID-19 levels daily. However, that isn’t the case now. In 2022, countries most often report their COVID-19 infection and vaccination levels only five days a week. Despite this, there are still outbreaks of the virus. China, however, has a strict zero COVID-19 policy which results in lockdowns when too many cases are reported. This means that Chinese citizens often find daily life disrupted by the presence of COVID, an experience that we Americans have left more or less in the past.

This begs the question, which course of action should be adopted by countries worldwide? Of course, a middle ground would be ideal, however, that may be unrealistic as governments are trying to find a “new normal” (as the UK put it). Despite this hope to live with COVID, many people are outraged at what seems to be complacency coming from international governments, as citizens say that more needs to be done. What more is there to be done, though? Besides going back to the early ways of the pandemic, reporting cases and deaths daily, governments worldwide are doing everything possible to keep people informed on both COVID and its effects.

China’s lockdowns, while effective, are very extreme by international standards. There is a call from citizens in China asking for the COVID-19 protocols to be lessened, as the lockdowns are affecting people’s livelihoods. There are small wins, as the Chinese government has slightly repealed COVID-19 protocols, as citizens no longer need to show a negative covid test to use public transport. A study showed that when intrusive protocols are introduced, people overall show “non-compliance in applying health protocols” meaning that while China’s health practices may be effective for now, they may mean trouble in the long run as people stop following them. This supports the idea of a happy middle ground between the United States’ and China’s current protocols.

The Science Of Addiction

By grahamaphotype

On November 3, 2022

In Student Post

Overview of the brain

There are three main parts of the brain: the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem. The cerebrum controls most of our functions such as movements, thoughts, and even our senses. The cerebrum is roughly two-thirds of the brain as a whole and is divided into four lobes: the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital. These lobes control emotions, pain receptors, hearing, vision, and more. Second, the cerebellum is located right behind and a little below the cerebrum, and controls most of our motor functions. Finally, the brain stem is the smallest portion of the brain, sitting beneath the cerebrum and in front of the cerebellum. The brain stem controls both breathing and heart rate, making it just as important as the other parts of the brain regardless of its small size.

Addiction

Abusive drugs increase the amount of dopamine in the brain which is produced by the brain stem. Often brain activity that would often be seen from a simple social interaction or through eating food will be seen after addictive drugs are consumed, but the activity will be much more powerful and persistent, leading to the addiction. The brain recognizes the pleasure the drug may grant the user and this numbs the user, over time, to natural releases of dopamine. Further, a study conducted on mice proved that the prefrontal cortex controls social behavior and as social behavior is affected by addiction, one of the major parts of the brain is damaged by drug use.

Connection to biology

The original article articulates how drugs of abuse target circuits in the brain and affect how the reward centers are damaged by drug use. Further, the article focuses on how cortisol levels can affect how quickly a person can recover from an addiction. This is important for addiction research as recovery windows will be more accurate if doctors can test how much cortisol a person has. However, this is not nearly as important as the study of the effects drugs have on our brains. This connects to our biology class so far this year as the plants we’ve been experimenting on in the lab have been watered daily. However, if we suddenly just decided to stop watering them the plants would have the same reaction as someone who was addicted to drugs being cut off: yearning for what was taken from them. In the same way that plants depend on water, a drug addiction makes the addict depend on the drug for functionality as the person’s brain is so damaged that it can no longer produce dopamine without synthetic production through drugs.

BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Author: grahamaphotype

Is Monkeypox even around anymore?

The Covid Complacency Craze!

The Science Of Addiction

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