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Londra Gazete, 21 April 2022 LondraGazete.com/English 9

Study ‘identifies specific genes Valneva Covid

linked to schizophrenia’ vaccine approved for use in UK

atric disorder that causes a range of
different psychological symptoms A new Covid vaccine has been
including hallucinations and delu- approved for use in the UK by re-
sions. gulators.
It starts in late adolescence or ear-
It is manufactured by Valneva,
ly adulthood, and, according to the using more traditional techno-
World Health Organisation, affects logy - similar to how polio and flu
about one in 300 people worldwide. shots are made.
Co-lead author Professor Michael
It contains a whole copy of the
O’Donovan, from the division of psy- virus which has been inactivated,
chological medicine and clinical neu- so that it can't cause the disease
rosciences at Cardiff University, said: but does teach the body how to
“Previous research has shown asso- fight it.
ciations between schizophrenia and The UK was due to receive 100
many anonymous DNA sequences, million doses of the jab, but the
but rarely has it been possible to link government cancelled the deal in
the findings to specific genes. September due to a "breach of ob-
“The present study not only vast-
ly increased the number of those ligations".
The largest-ever genetic study of associations, but we have now been The French company strenu-
schizophrenia has identified large able to link many of them to specific ously denied the government's vaccine". MHRA authorisation.
numbers of specific genes linked to genes, a necessary step in what re- accusation. As with the AstraZeneca and In trials, blood results from vo-
the disorder. mains a difficult journey towards un- Dr June Raine, chief executive Pfizer vaccines, it is designed to lunteers who received the jab had
Researchers found a greater num- derstanding the causes of this disor- of the UK's Medicines and Healt- be given as two doses. high levels of neutralising antibo-
ber of genetic links to schizophrenia der and identifying new treatments.” hcare products Regulatory Agen- The jab developed by Valneva, dies against the pandemic virus.
than ever before, in 287 different Hundreds of researchers across cy, said the approval followed which has a factory in Livingston It outperformed the AstraZe-
regions of the genome – the human 45 countries analysed DNA from "a rigorous review of the safety, near Edinburgh, is the sixth Co- neca vaccine on this measure in
body’s DNA blueprint. 76,755 people with schizophrenia quality and effectiveness of this vid-19 vaccine to be granted an head-to-head tests.
Within these regions, they were and 243,649 without it.
able to identify 120 genes likely to As well as identifying the specif-
contribute to the disorder. ic genes, the Psychiatric Genomics `
Experts say the findings are a step Consortium study found the genet-
towards understanding the causes of ic risk for schizophrenia is seen in Mental health referrals for children
the condition and identifying new genes concentrated in brain cells
treatments. called neurons, but not in any other surge during Covid
Schizophrenia is a serious psychi- tissue or cell type.
THE number of children YoungMinds saw the num- situation 'alarming'.
ONS: Long Covid cases reach and young people needing ber of calls to its email, web One in six children aged 6
mental health support has chat and crisis text line – for to 19 now have a 'probable
1.7 million hit an 'unprecedented' high children and young people mental disorder', the Men-
after surging by more than up to the age of 25 - rise by
tal Health of Children and
half after the start of lock- almost half (48%) between Young People in England
THE number of people in the down. 2019 and last year.
UK suspected to be living with There were 395,369 re- The charity is calling for a Survey found in 2021.
long Covid has risen to 1.7 mil- ferrals to NHS Child and nationwide rollout of early The NHS study revea-
lion in a new record high, the lat- Adolescent Mental Health support hubs for under 25s. led 58.2% of 17 to 19 year
est data show. Services between April and The Royal College of Ps- olds had possible eating
Estimates from the Office for October last year, a rise of ychiatrists is one of many problems (up from 44.6%
National Statistics (ONS) sug- 52 per cent on 2020. Lock- groups to speak out on the in 2017) while over half
gest that, as of 5 March, nearly 3 down began on March 23, 'devastating' impact of Co- (57.2%) of those aged 17 to
per cent of the population were 2020, with most restrictions vid on youngsters' mental 23 were having issues slee-
suffering from persistent Covid rather than clinical diagnoses. in England ending in July health, calling the current ping.
symptoms four weeks after an in- The rising burden of long Covid 2021.
fection. has been fuelled by the Omicron
It marks a rise from February’s wave, which swept across the UK Official figures also
figures, when 1.5 million were be- during the winter, leading to re- showed an increase in emer-
lieved to have the condition. cord infection levels. gency referrals to crisis care
The number of people who have Of the 1.7 people with self-re- teams, which handle the
lived with long Covid for more ported long Covid, 334,000 were most serious cases. The-
than a year has also risen, accord- first infected during the Omicron se were up by 28% in 2021
ing to the ONS, from 685,000 to phase. More than half a million compared to 2019, before
784,000 - an increase of 14.4 per first acquired Covid-19 before Al- the pandemic.
cent. pha became the main variant. Mental health charity
And for the first time, the ONS Long Covid symptoms adverse- YoungMinds, which uncove-
has revealed that 74,000 people ly affected the day-to-day activi- red the data, said record de-
in the UK have been suffering ties of 1.1 million people (67 per mand combined with a lack
from the condition for at least cent), the ONS said, with 322,000 of funding for vital NHS ser-
two years. (or 19 per cent) reporting that vices meant many families
The ONS said that its estimates their ability to undertake their were not getting the help
were based on self-reported long day-to-day activities had been they needed.
Covid among study participants, “limited a lot”.