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Suvvari T, Kutikuppala LS, Jonna S, Kashif M. Impact of environmental factors on COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review. MGM JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.4103/mgmj.mgmj_10_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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52
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Suwardi A, Ooi CC, Daniel D, Tan CKI, Li H, Liang OYZ, Tang YK, Chee JY, Sadovoy A, Jiang SY, Ramachandran S, Ye E, Kang CW, Cheong WCD, Lim KH, Loh XJ. The Efficacy of Plant-Based Ionizers in Removing Aerosol for COVID-19 Mitigation. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2021; 2021:2173642. [PMID: 33655212 PMCID: PMC7896556 DOI: 10.34133/2021/2173642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Small-sized droplets/aerosol transmission is one of the factors responsible for the spread of COVID-19, in addition to large droplets and surface contamination (fomites). While large droplets and surface contamination can be relatively easier to deal with (i.e., using mask and proper hygiene measures), aerosol presents a different challenge due to their ability to remain airborne for a long time. This calls for mitigation solutions that can rapidly eliminate the airborne aerosol. Pre-COVID-19, air ionizers have been touted as effective tools to eliminate small particulates. In this work, we sought to evaluate the efficacy of a novel plant-based ionizer in eliminating aerosol. It was found that factors such as the ion concentration, humidity, and ventilation can drastically affect the efficacy of aerosol removal. The aerosol removal rate was quantified in terms of ACH (air changes per hour) and CADR- (clean air delivery rate-) equivalent unit, with ACH as high as 12 and CADR as high as 141 ft3/minute being achieved by a plant-based ionizer in a small isolated room. This work provides an important and timely guidance on the effective deployment of ionizers in minimizing the risk of COVID-19 spread via airborne aerosol, especially in a poorly-ventilated environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ady Suwardi
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138634
| | - Chin Chun Ooi
- Institute of High Performance Computing, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138632
| | - Dan Daniel
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138634
| | - Chee Kiang Ivan Tan
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138634
| | - Hongying Li
- Institute of High Performance Computing, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138632
| | - Ou Yang Zhong Liang
- Institute of High Performance Computing, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138632
| | - Yuanting Karen Tang
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138634
| | - Jing Yee Chee
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138634
| | - Anton Sadovoy
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138634
| | - Shu-Ye Jiang
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604
| | - Srinivasan Ramachandran
- Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, 1 Research Link, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117604
| | - Enyi Ye
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138634
| | - Chang Wei Kang
- Institute of High Performance Computing, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138632
| | - Wun Chet Davy Cheong
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138634
| | - Keng Hui Lim
- Institute of High Performance Computing, 1 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138632
| | - Xian Jun Loh
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, 2 Fusionopolis Way, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore 138634
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Barceló MA, Saez M. Methodological limitations in studies assessing the effects of environmental and socioeconomic variables on the spread of COVID-19: a systematic review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE 2021; 33:108. [PMID: 34522574 PMCID: PMC8432444 DOI: 10.1186/s12302-021-00550-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While numerous studies have assessed the effects of environmental (meteorological variables and air pollutants) and socioeconomic variables on the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of them, however, have significant methodological limitations and errors that could call their results into question. Our main objective in this paper is to assess the methodological limitations in studies that evaluated the effects of environmental and socioeconomic variables on the spread of COVID-19. MAIN BODY We carried out a systematic review by conducting searches in the online databases PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus up to December 31, 2020. We first excluded those studies that did not deal with SAR-CoV-2 or COVID-19, preprints, comments, opinion or purely narrative papers, reviews and systematic literature reviews. Among the eligible full-text articles, we then excluded articles that were purely descriptive and those that did not include any type of regression model. We evaluated the risk of bias in six domains: confounding bias, control for population, control of spatial and/or temporal dependence, control of non-linearities, measurement errors and statistical model. Of the 5631 abstracts initially identified, we were left with 132 studies on which to carry out the qualitative synthesis. Of the 132 eligible studies, we evaluated 63.64% of the studies as high risk of bias, 19.70% as moderate risk of bias and 16.67% as low risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS All the studies we have reviewed, to a greater or lesser extent, have methodological limitations. These limitations prevent conclusions being drawn concerning the effects environmental (meteorological and air pollutants) and socioeconomic variables have had on COVID-19 outcomes. However, we dare to argue that the effects of these variables, if they exist, would be indirect, based on their relationship with social contact. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12302-021-00550-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A. Barceló
- Research Group On Statistics, Econometrics and Health (GRECS), and CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), University of Girona, Carrer de la Universitat de Girona 10, Campus de Montilivi, 17003 Girona, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marc Saez
- Research Group On Statistics, Econometrics and Health (GRECS), and CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), University of Girona, Carrer de la Universitat de Girona 10, Campus de Montilivi, 17003 Girona, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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54
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Gorman S, Weller RB. Investigating the Potential for Ultraviolet Light to Modulate Morbidity and Mortality From COVID-19: A Narrative Review and Update. Front Cardiovasc Med 2020; 7:616527. [PMID: 33426009 PMCID: PMC7786057 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2020.616527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease of 2019) pandemic, researchers have been seeking low-cost and accessible means of providing protection from its harms, particularly for at-risk individuals such as those with cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. One possible way is via safe sun exposure, and/or dietary supplementation with induced beneficial mediators (e.g., vitamin D). In this narrative review, we provide rationale and updated evidence on the potential benefits and harms of sun exposure and ultraviolet (UV) light that may impact COVID-19. We review recent studies that provide new evidence for any benefits (or otherwise) of UV light, sun exposure, and the induced mediators, vitamin D and nitric oxide, and their potential to modulate morbidity and mortality induced by infection with SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory disease coronavirus-2). We identified substantial interest in this research area, with many commentaries and reviews already published; however, most of these have focused on vitamin D, with less consideration of UV light (or sun exposure) or other mediators such as nitric oxide. Data collected to-date suggest that ambient levels of both UVA and UVB may be beneficial for reducing severity or mortality due to COVID-19, with some inconsistent findings. Currently unresolved are the nature of the associations between blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D and COVID-19 measures, with more prospective data needed that better consider lifestyle factors, such as physical activity and personal sun exposure levels. Another short-coming has been a lack of measurement of sun exposure, and its potential to influence COVID-19 outcomes. We also discuss possible mechanisms by which sun exposure, UV light and induced mediators could affect COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, by focusing on likely effects on viral pathogenesis, immunity and inflammation, and potential cardiometabolic protective mechanisms. Finally, we explore potential issues including the impacts of exposure to high dose UV radiation on COVID-19 and vaccination, and effective and safe doses for vitamin D supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley Gorman
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Richard B. Weller
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Ma Y, Pei S, Shaman J, Dubrow R, Chen K. Role of air temperature and humidity in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2020:2020.11.13.20231472. [PMID: 33236018 PMCID: PMC7685329 DOI: 10.1101/2020.11.13.20231472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Improved understanding of the effects of meteorological conditions on the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent for COVID-19 disease, is urgently needed to inform mitigation efforts. Here, we estimated the relationship between air temperature or specific humidity (SH) and SARS-CoV-2 transmission in 913 U.S. counties with abundant reported infections from March 15 to August 31, 2020. Specifically, we quantified the associations of daily mean temperature and SH with daily estimates of the SARS-CoV-2 reproduction number ( Rt ) and calculated the fraction of Rt attributable to these meteorological conditions. Both lower temperature and lower SH were significantly associated with increased Rt . The fraction of Rt attributable to temperature was 5.10% (95% eCI: 5.00 - 5.18%), and the fraction of Rt attributable to SH was 14.47% (95% eCI: 14.37 - 14.54%). These fractions generally were higher in northern counties than in southern counties. Our findings indicate that cold and dry weather are moderately associated with increased SARS-CoV-2 transmissibility, with humidity playing a larger role than temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqun Ma
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8034, USA
- Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8034, USA
| | - Sen Pei
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Jeffrey Shaman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Robert Dubrow
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8034, USA
- Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8034, USA
| | - Kai Chen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8034, USA
- Yale Center on Climate Change and Health, Yale School of Public Health, 60 College Street, New Haven, CT, 06520-8034, USA
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Abstract
This article has been withdrawn at the request of the author(s) and/or editor. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. The full Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal can be found at https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Grech
- Department of Pediatrics, Mater Dei Hospital, Msida, Malta
| | - Sarah Cuschieri
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine & Surgery, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
| | - Charmaine Gauci
- Health Regulations, Office of the Superintendence of Public Health, Pietà, Malta
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57
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Zaitchik BF, Sweijd N, Shumake-Guillemot J, Morse A, Gordon C, Marty A, Trtanj J, Luterbacher J, Botai J, Behera S, Lu Y, Olwoch J, Takahashi K, Stowell JD, Rodó X. A framework for research linking weather, climate and COVID-19. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5730. [PMID: 33184283 PMCID: PMC7661498 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19546-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Early studies of weather, seasonality, and environmental influences on COVID-19 have yielded inconsistent and confusing results. To provide policy-makers and the public with meaningful and actionable environmentally-informed COVID-19 risk estimates, the research community must meet robust methodological and communication standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin F Zaitchik
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, 3400N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
| | - Neville Sweijd
- Alliance for Collaboration on Climate and Earth Systems Science (ACCESS) c/o Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), 15 Lower Hope Road, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | - Joy Shumake-Guillemot
- WHO/WMO Climate and Health Joint Office, World Meteorological Organization, 7bis Avenue de la Paix, C.P. 2300, CH-1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Andy Morse
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7BX, UK
| | - Chris Gordon
- CDKN CEL-Ghana and Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Aileen Marty
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, 11200 SW 8th St, AHC2 675, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Juli Trtanj
- Climate Program Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1315 East-West Highway Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA
| | - Juerg Luterbacher
- Science and Innovation Department, World Meteorological Organization, 7bis Avenue de la Paix, C.P. 2300, CH-1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Joel Botai
- South African Weather Service, 01 Ecopark Drive, Ecoglades Block B, Centurion, Pretoria, 0157, South Africa
| | | | - Yonglong Lu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Coastal Wetland Ecosystems, College of the Environment and Ecology, Xiamen University, 361102, Fujian, China
| | - Jane Olwoch
- SASSCAL Regional Secretariat, 28 Robert Mugabe Avenue, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Ken Takahashi
- Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología del Perú-SENAMHI, Jr. Cahuide 785, Jesús María, Lima, 15072, Peru
| | - Jennifer D Stowell
- Boston University, 715 Albany Street, The Talbot Building, T4W, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Xavier Rodó
- ICREA and Climate and Health Program, ISGlobal, Doctor Aiguader 88, Barcelona, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
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58
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Tzampoglou P, Loukidis D. Investigation of the Importance of Climatic Factors in COVID-19 Worldwide Intensity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E7730. [PMID: 33105818 PMCID: PMC7660112 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17217730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the severity of the related disease (COVID-19) are influenced by a large number of factors. This study aimed to investigate the correlation of COVID-19 case and death rates with possible causal climatological and sociodemographic factors for the March to May 2020 (first wave) period in a worldwide scale by statistically processing data for over one hundred countries. The weather parameters considered herein were air temperature, relative humidity, cumulative precipitation, and cloud cover, while sociodemographic factors included population density, median age, and government measures in response to the pandemic. The results of this study indicate that there is a statistically significant correlation between average atmospheric temperature and the COVID-19 case and death rates, with chi-square test p-values in the 0.001-0.02 range. Regarding sociodemographic factors, there is an even stronger dependence of the case and death rates on the population median age (p = 0.0006-0.0012). Multivariate linear regression analysis using Lasso and the forward stepwise approach revealed that the median age ranks first in importance among the examined variables, followed by the temperature and the delays in taking first governmental measures or issuing stay-at-home orders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ploutarchos Tzampoglou
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Dimitrios Loukidis
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
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De Flora S, La Maestra S. Growth and decline of the COVID-19 epidemic wave in Italy from March to June 2020. J Med Virol 2020; 93:1613-1619. [PMID: 32902903 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
March 21, 2020 was the ridgeline between the growth of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic wave in Italy and the start of its decline. We analyzed the epidemic patterns from March 1 to June 30. There was a progressive drop of cases from March (104,710) to April (94,888), May (25,705) and June (8110). Likewise, after a slight increase of deaths in April (14,804) compared to March (12,396), a considerable decline occurred in May (5170) and June (1464). Doubling times of cumulative cases grew from 2 to 6 days until March 20 to 2 weeks up to April 5, and thereafter no further doubling occurred until June 30. There was a striking North-South gradient of both cases and deaths. At the end of June, the nine Northern Italian regions or provinces, five central regions, and seven southern regions had contributed to the 81.1%, 12.4%, and 6.5% of the 240,578 national cases, respectively. Lombardy, the most populous region, was by far the most heavily affected one, accounting for the 39.0% of the national cases occurring over the analyzed 4-month period. However, in relative terms, it was preceded by Aosta Valley, the least populous region, less than 1% of the population of both regions having been affected by cases of COVID-19. The curves showing the ratio of daily cumulative cases and deaths to those of the previous day tended to flatten with time by approaching the zero growth but without reaching it, which documents a persisting circulation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in the Italian territory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvio De Flora
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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60
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Tan DX, Hardeland R. Targeting Host Defense System and Rescuing Compromised Mitochondria to Increase Tolerance against Pathogens by Melatonin May Impact Outcome of Deadly Virus Infection Pertinent to COVID-19. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25194410. [PMID: 32992875 PMCID: PMC7582936 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25194410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Fighting infectious diseases, particularly viral infections, is a demanding task for human health. Targeting the pathogens or targeting the host are different strategies, but with an identical purpose, i.e., to curb the pathogen's spreading and cure the illness. It appears that targeting a host to increase tolerance against pathogens can be of substantial advantage and is a strategy used in evolution. Practically, it has a broader protective spectrum than that of only targeting the specific pathogens, which differ in terms of susceptibility. Methods for host targeting applied in one pandemic can even be effective for upcoming pandemics with different pathogens. This is even more urgent if we consider the possible concomitance of two respiratory diseases with potential multi-organ afflictions such as Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and seasonal flu. Melatonin is a molecule that can enhance the host's tolerance against pathogen invasions. Due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunoregulatory activities, melatonin has the capacity to reduce the severity and mortality of deadly virus infections including COVID-19. Melatonin is synthesized and functions in mitochondria, which play a critical role in viral infections. Not surprisingly, melatonin synthesis can become a target of viral strategies that manipulate the mitochondrial status. For example, a viral infection can switch energy metabolism from respiration to widely anaerobic glycolysis even if plenty of oxygen is available (the Warburg effect) when the host cell cannot generate acetyl-coenzyme A, a metabolite required for melatonin biosynthesis. Under some conditions, including aging, gender, predisposed health conditions, already compromised mitochondria, when exposed to further viral challenges, lose their capacity for producing sufficient amounts of melatonin. This leads to a reduced support of mitochondrial functions and makes these individuals more vulnerable to infectious diseases. Thus, the maintenance of mitochondrial function by melatonin supplementation can be expected to generate beneficial effects on the outcome of viral infectious diseases, particularly COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dun-Xian Tan
- S.T. Bio-Life, San Antonio, TX 78240, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-215-672-550
| | - Ruediger Hardeland
- Johann Friedrich Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany;
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