Yasmina Kattou // Photo credit: MARTIN BUREAU / AFP
But what promotes Covid-19 infection? According to INSERM researchers, soda disease, which refers to an accumulation of fats in those of the liver, promotes the entry of the virus into the body: in question, an enzyme which multiplies in a person with a fatty liver and which serves as a gateway to Covid.
What if your liver is too fatty? Around one in five French people are affected by this phenomenon, better known as soda disease or NASH. It refers to an accumulation of fats in the liver cells. Worldwide, nearly a billion people are affected by this disease.
But would having a fatty liver promote the contraction of Covid-19? Researchers from the Rennes Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Cancer of INSERM researchers looked into the issue and discovered that the fat accumulated in liver cells leads to the overproduction of an enzyme in the body. This protein is involved in the regulation of blood pressure, but it also allows Covid to better attach to cells.
“It’s like increasing the number of entrance doors to a house”
“This enzyme is the receptor that SARS-CoV-2 uses to infect cells. It’s like increasing the number of entrance doors in a house. The more entrance doors there are in a house, the more easily, we can enter. In the same way, if we add entry points for the virus into the cells, the infection will be facilitated”, explains to the microphone of Europe 1, Orlando Musso, researcher at INSERM and responsible for the study.
Severe forms of Covid would therefore be more common in people affected by fatty liver disease. This discovery shows the benefit of limiting the production of this enzyme. To achieve this, you need a healthy liver thanks to a less fatty and less sugary diet.