Helminths and COVID-19 susceptibility, disease progression, and vaccination efficacy

Bradley Whitehead; Simon Christiansen; Lars Østergaard; Peter Nejsum

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2022.01.007

Helminths and COVID-19 susceptibility, disease progression, and vaccination efficacy

Trends Parasitol. 2022 Apr;38(4):277-279. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.01.007. Epub 2022 Jan 19.

Authors

Bradley Whitehead¹, Simon Christiansen¹, Lars Østergaard¹, Peter Nejsum²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
² Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark. Electronic address: [email protected].

Abstract

Almost 2 years into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it remains to be determined how helminths interact with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We discuss how helminths may alter susceptibility to infection, COVID-19 pathology, and the efficiency of vaccines by combined analysis of available COVID-19 data and previous investigations of the effect of helminths in viral infections.

Keywords: COVID-19; helminths; vaccine efficiency.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
COVID-19 Vaccines
COVID-19* / prevention & control
Disease Susceptibility
Helminths*
SARS-CoV-2
Vaccination

Substances

COVID-19 Vaccines