SARS-CoV-2 infection: physiological and environmental gift factors at high altitude
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COMMENTARY
SARS-CoV-2 infection: physiological and environmental gift factors at high altitude Swati Srivastava1
•
Iti Garg1 • Anju Bansal1 • Bhuvnesh Kumar1
Received: 21 May 2020 / Accepted: 21 August 2020 Ó Indian Virological Society 2020
Abstract Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection has emerged as a global pandemic. This viral disease primarily causes lung pneumonia and has a wide range of clinical manifestations. The severity of infection ranges from those who are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms which do not require hospital admission, to those who require ventilator support and eventually die, depending on immunity, age and other comorbidities existing with the patients. The present report is an attempt to study the effect of physiological and environmental factors existing at high altitudes (HA) with spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Analysis of existing data revealed that HA natives do possess certain physiological advantages such as (1) improved hypoxic ventilatory response, (2) higher concentration of oxygen carrying molecules, haemoglobin, (3) increased production of Vitamin D, due to intense solar radiation, (4) lower rates of comorbidities such as lung infections, obesity etc. and (5) most importantly reduced production of angiotensin converting enzyme 2, a carrier molecule for SARS-CoV-2 virus entry into the host cell; all of which can collectively
account for improved tolerance to SARS-CoV-2 infection in HA natives. In addition, environmental factors at HA such as (6) dry and chilly winds, (7) low air density and (8) intense UV radiations may further inhibit viral growth and spread into the atmosphere. We thus conclude that, high altitude natives may posses physiological and environmental advantage over low landers in terms of reduced severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its limited spread. Graphic abstract Gift factors associated with COVID-19 spread at high altitude.
Swati Srivastava and Iti Garg contributing equal first and corresponding authorship. & Swati Srivastava [email protected] & Iti Garg [email protected] 1
Genomics Group, Defence Research and Development organization (DRDO), Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Science (DIPAS), Ist floor, Cafeteria Building, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi 110054, India
Keywords SARS-CoV-2 High altitude Hypoxic conditions ACE2 UV radiation
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Rapid spread of pathogenic SARS-Coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) in various countries has lead to a global health emergency. This outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemia has stimulated diverse research on various aspects of disease worldwide. Although this disease has spread in almost every country on the globe, its epidemiological data availability is limited. Recently we came across a few interesting studies and reports on COVID-19 spread in high altitude (HA) regions such as Tibet, Bolivia and Equador [1]. The epidemiological data available so far, demonstrates that high altitude natives (those residing above 2500 m sea level), are lesser
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