Study confirms why COVID-19 causes complications across the body

From kidney failure to heart damage to strokes, COVID-19 can cause a wide range of complications from head to toe.

New research from a team of San Diego scientists helps explain why and Scripps Anchor Derek Staahl is going in-depth on how the study reveals new secrets about the virus' famous spikes.

WELCOME BACK...NEW RESEARCH FROM A TEAMOF SAN DIEGO SCIENTISTS ISHELPING EXPLAIN WHY THECORONAVIRUS CAN CAUSECOMPLICATIONS ACROSS THE BODY.SCRIPPS ANCHOR... DEREKSTAAHL IS GOING IN-DEPTH..... ONHOW IT REVEALS..... NEWSECRETS.... ABOUT THE VIRUS’FAMOUS SPIKES.WE OFTEN THINK OF COVID-19 AS ALUNG DISEASE... BUT FROM THESTART OF THE PANDEMIC, DOCTORSHAVE NOTICED PATIENTS WITHSTRANGE SYMPTOMS -- FROM BRAINDAMAGE TO SWOLLEN TOES TO HEARTCOMPLICATIONS AND KIDNEYFAILURE.

NOW, NEW RESEARCH FROMTHE SALK INSTITUTE IS HELPINGEXPLAIN WHY, FROM THE CELLULARLEVEL.THE VIRUS ACTUALLY ATTACKSWHAT’S CALLED A VASCULARENDOTHELIAL CELL.

PROFESSOR URIMANOR AND HIS COLLEAGUESDOCUMENTED HOW THE CORONAVIRUSATTACKS THE CELLS LINING BLOODVESSELS.

AND THOSE BLOOD VESSELSARE THE CRITICAL LINK, SAYS DR.CHRISTIAN RAMERS, WHO WAS NOTINVOLVED WITH THE STUDY.YOU HAVE BLOOD VESSELS ALLTHROUGHOUT YOUR BODY.

EVERYORGAN IN YOUR BODY NEEDS TO BEFED WITH ARTERIAL BLOOD AND THENVENOUS BLOOD DRAINS AWAY FROMTHAT SO SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLYATTACKS THE VASCULAR BED ATTACKSTHE ENTIRE BODY, HEAD TO TOE.(15:17)SCIENTISTS HAVE KNOWN FOR AWHILE THAT THE CORNAVIRUS’DISTINCTIVE SPIKE PROTEINS ALLOWIT TO ENTER CELLS BUT THE SALKRESEARCHERS FOUND THE SPIKESALSO DO SOMETHING ELSETHEY DISCOVERED IT BY BUILDINGA KIND OF ARTIFICIAL VIRUS.WE CREATED WHAT’S CALLED APSEUDOVIRUS WHICH IS BASICALLYSOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE AVIRUS, THAT HAS A SURFACE WITHTHE PROTEINS ON THE SURFACE.THE APPROACH LET THEM FIGUREOUT THE IMPACT OF JUST THESPIKES ALONE... AND THEYDISCOVERED THE SPIKES DON’T JUSTUNLOCK CELLS THEY ALSO DAMAGETHEM.THE TAKE HOME FROM THIS RESEARCHI THINK CONFIRMS WHAT CLINICIANSHAVE BEEN SEEING THROUGHOUT THEPANDEMIC, WHICH IS THAT THIS ISNOT YOUR ORDINARY RESPIRATORYVIRUS.ONE WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT ISTHAT THIS VIRUS IS JUST COATEDIN KRYPTONITE.THE RESEARCHERS SHOWED THATWHEN THE SPIKES ATTACH TO A PARTOF THE CELLIT EVENTUALLY LEADS TO DAMAGEIN THE CELL’S POWER SOURCE,CALLED MITOCHONDRIA.

6:55 --THEY’RE A MAJOR SIGNALING HUBFOR THE CELL THAT’S INVOLVED ININFLAMMATION, IN AGING ANDTELLING THE CELLS WHEN TO DIEAND WHEN TO LIVE.PROFESSOR MANOR SAYSMITOCHONDRIA DAMAGE CAN LEAD TOA LOT OF LONG-TERM EFFECTS...AND HE WONDERS IF THAT DAMAGECOULD BE CONTRIBUTING TO LONGHAUL COVID.

EITHER WAY, HE SAYSTHE STUDY COULD HELP RESEARCHERSSTART SCREENING FOR NEW