Corona Calls

Corona Calls for 04.16.2024 – COVID and Interstitial Macrophages

Discussed in this episode:

  • A new paper finds that SARS-COV2 infects a type of immune cell the in the lungs called interstitial macrophages, helping to explain the cascade of inflammation, lung damage, and scarring seen in severe COVID-19. The virus enters those cells using a receptor (CD209) different from the ACE2 receptor targeted by current COVID vaccines.
  • An analysis in the San Jose Mercury News of COVID deaths in California over the past six  months shows the death burden has become disportionately old (70% of deaths are people over the age of 75) and White (60%).

To send us a question in advance of next week’s show, write to: coronacalls@kpfa.org . Tune in live Monday mornings at 7:30am Pacific at kpfa.org

Podcast music credit:  Now Son by Podington Bear, licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.