New coronavirus: ``resistant virus'' mutating in cancer patients...Positive status persists for more than 100 days, treatment may be prolonged
2024/02/14 10:08
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When immunocompromised cancer patients are infected with the new coronavirus, the virus continues to remain in their bodies even after antiviral drugs are administered, and there are cases where the virus mutates into a resistant virus that is ineffective against the drugs, according to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases. (Infectious Disease Research Institute) and other organizations found this out. Countermeasures such as administering a different drug are not included in the ``medical treatment guidelines'' drawn up by the government, and research teams such as the National Institute for Infectious Diseases are working to create and disseminate new treatment guidelines by the end of March. It's a policy. (Chikako Nakata)
Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa is infected with the new coronavirus and will not attend events until the 12th.
National Institute of Infectious Diseases
After the ``sixth wave'' in early 2022, when the number of coronavirus patients rapidly increased, the National Institute for Infectious Diseases reported cases in which immunocompromised patients from various medical institutions contracted the coronavirus and continued to test positive even after being hospitalized for a certain period of time. We have begun to receive inquiries regarding this issue. Patients with malignant lymphoma, a disease in which immune cells in the blood turn into cancer, were particularly notable.
Even if you are infected with the coronavirus, it is usually possible to significantly reduce the amount of the virus with medicine, and the body's immune system can eventually fight off the virus that survives. However, in immunocompromised people, the virus cannot be eradicated, and there are cases where drug-resistant viruses are increasing again.
In the treatment of infectious diseases, switching to a different drug is generally considered effective against resistant viruses, but the handbook that doctors refer to when treating the coronavirus does not include any countermeasures. Clinical trials are required to incorporate this information, and revisions will take time.
For this reason, a team led by Tadaki Suzuki, director of infectious pathology at the National Institute for Infectious Diseases, who was involved in creating the guideline, proceeded with patient analysis and began creating a ``draft medical treatment guideline'' for immunocompromised patients to complement the guideline. Director Suzuki says, ``I hope that by making the issue more widely known, it will lead to the development of treatments and drugs that are effective for immunocompromised patients.''
Approximately 36,000 people are diagnosed with malignant lymphoma each year in Japan, and it is believed that there are a certain number of people who are at risk of prolonging their coronavirus treatment. National Center for Global Health Research Takao OmagariOmagari Norio ・The director of the International Center for Infectious Diseases said, ``If a patient with malignant lymphoma or other diseases is infected with the coronavirus for a long time, they will not be able to receive the anticancer treatment they had planned, which could be life-threatening.Resistant viruses may also cause the spread of new infections. "Therefore, it is extremely important to treat immunocompromised patients."
Coping with simultaneous administration of multiple drugs
At the Kansai Medical University General Medical Center (Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture), which functioned as a ``Corona Severe Center'' during the spread of infection, there were a number of cases where treatment was prolonged due to severe immunodeficiency. Some people remained positive for more than 100 days after onset of symptoms.
The center analyzes the virus, and if it appears to be resistant to the virus, it can take action by administering multiple drugs at the same time or changing drugs midway through. The virus has been suppressed in many patients.
However, these treatment methods were not mentioned in the medical treatment manual, and some patients were transferred from other medical institutions because they thought the condition would not heal despite treatment.
According to the center, as of February 8, 86 patients hospitalized with coronavirus had long-term treatment due to immunodeficiency. There were 59 cases of malignant lymphoma and 27 cases of patients taking immunosuppressants to prevent rejection after organ transplantation. Yasushi Nakamori, vice president of the hospital, said, ``Many medical institutions are hesitant to administer medications using methods that are not in the manual, and patients across the country may continue to be left behind.'
"It's easier to fool someone than to convince them they've been fooled."11
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