Glossary of Terms

a glycoprotein that protrudes from the envelope of some viruses (such as a coronavirus) and facilitates entry of the virion in a host cell by binding to a receptor on the surface of the host cell followed by fusion of the viral and host cell membranes – also called an S protein.  Simplest turns, the spike protein is what allows the virus to infect our bodies.

the ability to resist infection that does not depend on prior experience of the invading organism and the resultant production of antibodies or amendment or selection of LYMPHOCYTES. Natural immunity is a general and non-specific resistance to infection possessed by all healthy individuals. Also known as natural resistance.

• Natural Immunity

• Immunity not limited to extreme cases of COVID

resistance manifested by a species (or by races, families, and individuals in a species) that has not been immunized (sensitized, allergized) by previous infection or vaccination; much of it results from body mechanisms that are poorly understood but differ from those responsible for the altered reactivity associated with the specific nature of acquired immunity; in general, innate immunity is nonspecific and is not stimulated by specific antigens.

the template for protein synthesis; the form of RNA that carries information from DNA in the nucleus to the ribosome sites of protein synthesis in the cell

the act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce protection from a specific disease

an overreaction of the immune system, in which an excess of cytokines triggers an onslaught of white blood cells that swarm an infected area of the body, resulting in inflammation, possible tissue damage, and in extreme cases, organ failure (www.dictionary.com)

type of small protein, as interferon, secreted by certain cells, especially immune cells, that helps regulate the body’s immune response to inflammation and disease (www.dictionary.com)

a spectrum of effects that can occur with a vaccines in which the vaccination actually makes the disease worse.

Informed consent is the process in which a health care provider educates a patient about the risks, benefits, and alternatives of a given procedure or intervention. The patient must be competent to make a voluntary decision about whether to undergo the procedure or intervention.  Informed consent is both an ethical and legal obligation of medical practitioners in the US and originates from the patient's right to direct what happens to their body. Implicit in providing informed consent is an assessment of the patient's understanding, rendering an actual recommendation, and documentation of the process. The Joint Commission requires documentation of all the elements of informed consent "in a form, progress notes or elsewhere in the record." The following are the required elements for documentation of the informed consent discussion: (1) the nature of the procedure, (2) the risks and benefits and the procedure, (3) reasonable alternatives, (4) risks and benefits of alternatives, and (5) assessment of the patient's understanding of elements 1 through 4.

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It is the obligation of the provider to make it clear that the patient is participating in the decision-making process and avoid making the patient feel forced to agree to with the provider. The provider must make a recommendation and provide their reasoning for said recommendation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430827/

a layer of tightly packed cells that make up the walls of brain capillaries and prevent substances in the blood from diffusing freely into the brain: passage across the cell membranes is determined by solubility in the lipid bilayer or recognition by a transport molecule. See more.  (www.dictionary.com)

a type of research that modifies a biological agent so that it confers new or enhanced activity to that agent. This research poses biosafety and biosecurity risks; these risks must be carefully managed. (NIH)

• NIH Admits U.S. funded gain of function research