151
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Perotti C, Baldanti F, Bruno R, Del Fante C, Seminari E, Casari S, Percivalle E, Glingani C, Musella V, Belliato M, Garuti M, Meloni F, Frigato M, Di Sabatino A, Klersy C, De Donno G, Franchini M. Mortality reduction in 46 severe Covid-19 patients treated with hyperimmune plasma. A proof of concept single arm multicenter trial. Haematologica 2020; 105:2834-2840. [PMID: 33256382 PMCID: PMC7716363 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2020.261784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperimmune plasma from Covid-19 convalescent is a potential treatment for severe Covid-19. We conducted a multicenter one arm proof of concept interventional study. Patients with Covid-19 disease with moderate-to-severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, elevated C-reactive Protein and need for mechanical ventilation and/or CPAP were enrolled. One to three 250-300 ml unit of hyperimmune plasma (neutralizing antibodies titer ≥1:160) were administered. Primary outcome was 7-days hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were PaO2/FiO2, laboratory and radiologic changes, as well as weaning from mechanical ventilation and safety. The study observed 46 patients from March, 25 to April, 21 2020. Patients were aged 63, 61% male, of them, 30 were on CPAP and 7 intubated. PaO2/FiO2 was 128 (SD 47). Bilateral infiltrates on chest X-ray was present in 36 patients (84%). Symptoms and ARDS duration were 14 (SD 7) and 6 days (SD 3). Three patients (6.5%) died within 7 days as compared to an expected 15% from the National Statistics and 30% from a small concurrent cohort of 23 patients. The upper one-sided 90%CI was 13.9%, allowing to reject the null hypothesis of a 15% mortality. PaO2/FiO2 increased by 112 units (95%CI 82 to142) in survivors, the chest radiogram severity decreased in 23% (95%CI 5% to 42%); CRP, Ferritin and LDH decreased by 60, 36 and 20% respectively. Weaning from CPAP was obtained in 26/30 patients and 3/7 were extubated. Five serious adverse events occurred in 4 patients (2 likely, 2 possible treatment related). In conclusion, Hyperimmune plasma in Covid-19 shows promising benefits, to be confirmed in a randomized controlled trial. This proof of concept study could open to future developments including hyperimmune plasma banking, development of standardized pharmaceutical products and monoclonal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesare Perotti
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Intensive Care, Virology and Clinical Epidemiology & Biometry, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia
| | - Fausto Baldanti
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Intensive Care, Virology and Clinical Epidemiology & Biometry, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia
- University of Pavia, Pavia
| | - Raffaele Bruno
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Intensive Care, Virology and Clinical Epidemiology & Biometry, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia
- University of Pavia, Pavia
| | - Claudia Del Fante
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Intensive Care, Virology and Clinical Epidemiology & Biometry, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia
| | - Elena Seminari
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Intensive Care, Virology and Clinical Epidemiology & Biometry, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia
| | - Salvatore Casari
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Carlo Poma Hospital, ASST Mantova, Mantova, Italy
| | - Elena Percivalle
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Intensive Care, Virology and Clinical Epidemiology & Biometry, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia
| | - Claudia Glingani
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Carlo Poma Hospital, ASST Mantova, Mantova, Italy
| | - Valeria Musella
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Intensive Care, Virology and Clinical Epidemiology & Biometry, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia
| | - Mirko Belliato
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Intensive Care, Virology and Clinical Epidemiology & Biometry, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia
| | - Martina Garuti
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Carlo Poma Hospital, ASST Mantova, Mantova, Italy
| | - Federica Meloni
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Intensive Care, Virology and Clinical Epidemiology & Biometry, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia
- University of Pavia, Pavia
| | - Marilena Frigato
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Carlo Poma Hospital, ASST Mantova, Mantova, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Sabatino
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Intensive Care, Virology and Clinical Epidemiology & Biometry, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia
- University of Pavia, Pavia
| | - Catherine Klersy
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Intensive Care, Virology and Clinical Epidemiology & Biometry, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia
| | - Giuseppe De Donno
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Carlo Poma Hospital, ASST Mantova, Mantova, Italy
| | - Massimo Franchini
- Departments of Immunohematology and Transfusion, Infectious Diseases, Respiratory Diseases, Carlo Poma Hospital, ASST Mantova, Mantova, Italy
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152
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Rovers JJE, van de Linde LS, Kenters N, Bisseling EM, Nieuwenhuijse DF, Oude Munnink BB, Voss A, Nabuurs-Franssen M. Why psychiatry is different - challenges and difficulties in managing a nosocomial outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in hospital care. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2020; 9:190. [PMID: 33261660 PMCID: PMC7705849 DOI: 10.1186/s13756-020-00853-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was officially declared a pandemic in March 2020. Many cases of COVID-19 are nosocomial, but to the best of our knowledge, no nosocomial outbreaks on psychiatric departments of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been reported in Europe. The different nature of psychiatry makes outbreak management more difficult. This study determines which psychiatry specific factors contributed to a nosocomial outbreak taking place in a psychiatric department. This will provide possible interventions in future outbreak management.
Method A case series describing a nosocomial outbreak in a psychiatric department of an acute care hospital in the Netherlands between March 13, 2020 and April, 14 2020. The outbreak was analyzed by combining data from standardized interviews, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and whole genome sequencing (WGS). Results The nosocomial outbreak in which 43% of staff of the psychiatric department and 19% of admitted patients were involved, was caused by healthcare worker (HCW)-to-HCW transmissions, as well as patient-to-HCW-to-patient transmission. We identified four aspects associated with the mental health care system which might have made our department more susceptible to an outbreak. Conclusions Infection control measures designed for hospitals are not directly applicable to psychiatric departments. Psychiatric patients should be considered a high-risk group for infectious diseases and customized measures should be designed and implemented. Extra attention for psychiatric departments is necessary during a pandemic as psychiatric HCWs are less familiar with outbreak management. Clear communication and governance is crucial in correctly implementing these measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J E Rovers
- Department of Psychiatry, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6534 SZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - L S van de Linde
- Department of Psychiatry, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6534 SZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - N Kenters
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - E M Bisseling
- Department of Psychiatry, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6534 SZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - D F Nieuwenhuijse
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - B B Oude Munnink
- Department of Psychiatry, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6534 SZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Voss
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M Nabuurs-Franssen
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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153
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Kwok S, Adam S, Ho JH, Iqbal Z, Turkington P, Razvi S, Le Roux CW, Soran H, Syed AA. Obesity: A critical risk factor in the COVID-19 pandemic. Clin Obes 2020; 10:e12403. [PMID: 32857454 PMCID: PMC7460880 DOI: 10.1111/cob.12403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 152] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Obesity is an emerging independent risk factor for susceptibility to and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Previous viral pandemics have shown that obesity, particularly severe obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2 ), is associated with increased risk of hospitalization, critical care admission and fatalities. In this narrative review, we examine emerging evidence of the influence of obesity on COVID-19, the challenges to clinical management from pulmonary, endocrine and immune dysfunctions in individuals with obesity and identify potential areas for further research. We recommend that people with severe obesity be deemed a vulnerable group for COVID-19; clinical trials of pharmacotherapeutics, immunotherapies and vaccination should prioritize inclusion of people with obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- See Kwok
- Cardiovascular Trials UnitManchester University NHS Foundation TrustManchesterUK
- Faculty of BiologyMedicine and Health, University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Safwaan Adam
- Faculty of BiologyMedicine and Health, University of ManchesterManchesterUK
- Department of EndocrinologyChristie NHS Foundation TrustManchesterUK
| | - Jan Hoong Ho
- Cardiovascular Trials UnitManchester University NHS Foundation TrustManchesterUK
- Faculty of BiologyMedicine and Health, University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Zohaib Iqbal
- Cardiovascular Trials UnitManchester University NHS Foundation TrustManchesterUK
- Faculty of BiologyMedicine and Health, University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Peter Turkington
- Department of Respiratory MedicineSalford Royal NHS Foundation TrustSalfordUK
| | - Salman Razvi
- Cardiovascular Research CentreInstitute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneUK
| | - Carel W. Le Roux
- Diabetes Complications Research CentreUniversity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Handrean Soran
- Cardiovascular Trials UnitManchester University NHS Foundation TrustManchesterUK
- Faculty of BiologyMedicine and Health, University of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Akheel A. Syed
- Faculty of BiologyMedicine and Health, University of ManchesterManchesterUK
- Department of DiabetesEndocrinology and Obesity Medicine, Salford Royal NHS Foundation TrustSalfordUK
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154
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de Cáceres C, Martínez R, Bachiller P, Marín L, García JM. The effect of tocilizumab on cytokine release syndrome in COVID-19 patients. Pharmacol Rep 2020; 72:1529-1537. [PMID: 33165762 PMCID: PMC7650573 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-020-00186-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study was aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) and to investigate the factors related to the progress and mortality of patients with a secondary cytokine release syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2. METHODS A retrospective descriptive observational study of hospitalised patients with a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) result for SARS-CoV-2 and whose clinical evolution required the administration of one or more doses of TCZ was conducted. Demographic variables, clinical evolution, radiologic progress and analytical parameters were analysed on days 1, 3 and 5 after administration the first dose of TCZ. RESULTS A total of 75 patients with a clinical history of Accurate Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) were analysed, among whom, 19 had mild ARDS (25.3%), 37 moderate ARDS (49.4%) and 19 severe ARDS (25.3%). Lymphocytopenia and high levels of PCR, D-Dimer and IL-6 were observed in almost all the patients (91.8%). Treatment with TCZ was associated with a reduction of lymphocytopenia, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, severe ARDS cases and fever. Although a better evolution of PaO2/FiO2 was observed in patients who received two or more doses of TCZ (38/75), there was an increase in their mortality (47.4%) and ICU admission (86.8%). The 30-day mortality rate was 30.7% (20.5-42.4% CI) being hypertension, high initial D-dimer levels and ICU admission the only predictive factors found. CONCLUSION Based on our results, treatment with TCZ was associated with a fever, swelling and ventilator support improvement. However, there is no evidence that the administration of two or more doses of TCZ was related to a mortality decrease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen de Cáceres
- Pharmacy Department, Hospital General de Segovia, C/Luis Erik Clavería Neurólogo S/N, 40002 Segovia, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Martínez
- Internal Medicine Department, Hospital General de Segovia, C/Luis Erik Clavería Neurólogo S/N, 40002 Segovia, Spain
| | - Pablo Bachiller
- Internal Medicine Department, Hospital General de Segovia, C/Luis Erik Clavería Neurólogo S/N, 40002 Segovia, Spain
| | - Laura Marín
- Pharmacy Department, Hospital General de Segovia, C/Luis Erik Clavería Neurólogo S/N, 40002 Segovia, Spain
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155
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Cox RC, Jessup SC, Luber MJ, Olatunji BO. Pre-pandemic disgust proneness predicts increased coronavirus anxiety and safety behaviors: Evidence for a diathesis-stress model. J Anxiety Disord 2020; 76:102315. [PMID: 33007711 PMCID: PMC7507982 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2020.102315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Although health anxiety and corresponding safety behaviors can facilitate disease transmission avoidance, they can be maladaptive in excess, including during the coronavirus pandemic. Disgust proneness (i.e., tendency to experience and be sensitive to disgust) is one factor that may predict elevated coronavirus anxiety and safety behaviors during the pandemic, given the role of disgust in avoiding disease transmission. The present study examined the relations between pre-pandemic disgust proneness and coronavirus anxiety and safety behaviors in community adults who completed a 2016 study and were re-contacted on 4/1/2020 (N = 360). Interactions between pre-pandemic disgust proneness and current perceived stress were tested to examine a diathesis-stress model of the role of disgust proneness in anxiety response to the pandemic. Increased pre-pandemic disgust proneness predicted increased coronavirus anxiety and safety behaviors, controlling for number of COVID-19 cases by state. Consistent with a diathesis-stress model, current perceived stress moderated this effect, such that highest coronavirus anxiety and safety behaviors were reported by those with high disgust proneness and high stress. Trait disgust proneness may be a vulnerability factor for anxiety responses to the coronavirus pandemic, particularly among individuals experiencing high stress. Assessing disgust proneness and current stress may facilitate targeted anxiety intervention during the pandemic.
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156
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Franchini M, Marano G, Cruciani M, Mengoli C, Pati I, Masiello F, Veropalumbo E, Pupella S, Vaglio S, Liumbruno GM. COVID-19-associated coagulopathy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 7:357-363. [PMID: 32683333 DOI: 10.1515/dx-2020-0078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a viral respiratory illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been recently recognized as a systemic disorder inducing a prothrombotic state. The molecular mechanisms underlying the hypercoagulable state seen in patients with COVID-19 is still incompletely understood, although it presumably involves the close link between inflammatory and hemostatic systems. The laboratory coagulation monitoring of severely ill COVID-19 patients is mandatory to identify those patients at increased thrombotic risk and to modulate thromboprophylaxis accordingly. In this review, we summarize the current understanding on the pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features and management of coagulopathy associated with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Franchini
- Italian National Blood Centre, Rome, Italy.,Department of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, Carlo Poma Hospital, Mantua, Italy
| | | | - Mario Cruciani
- Italian National Blood Centre, Rome, Italy.,Infection Control Committee and Antibiotic Stewardship Programme, AULSS9, Scaligera, Verona, Italy
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157
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Serological Assays Estimate Highly Variable SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody Activity in Recovered COVID-19 Patients. J Clin Microbiol 2020; 58:JCM.02005-20. [PMID: 32917729 PMCID: PMC7685895 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.02005-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) following infection or vaccination is likely to be critical for the development of sufficient population immunity to drive cessation of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A large number of serologic tests, platforms, and methodologies are being employed to determine seroprevalence in populations to select convalescent plasma samples for therapeutic trials and to guide policies about reopening. The development of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) following infection or vaccination is likely to be critical for the development of sufficient population immunity to drive cessation of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A large number of serologic tests, platforms, and methodologies are being employed to determine seroprevalence in populations to select convalescent plasma samples for therapeutic trials and to guide policies about reopening. However, the tests have substantial variations in sensitivity and specificity, and their ability to quantitatively predict levels of NAbs is unknown. We collected 370 unique donors enrolled in the New York Blood Center Convalescent Plasma Program between April and May of 2020. We measured levels of antibodies in convalescent plasma samples using commercially available SARS-CoV-2 detection tests and in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and correlated serological measurements with NAb activity measured using pseudotyped virus particles, which offer the most informative assessment of antiviral activity of patient sera against viral infection. Our data show that a large proportion of convalescent plasma samples have modest antibody levels and that commercially available tests have various degrees of accuracy in predicting NAb activity. We found that the Ortho anti-SARS-CoV-2 total Ig and IgG high-throughput serological assays (HTSAs) and the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay quantify levels of antibodies that strongly correlate with the results of NAb assays and are consistent with gold standard ELISA results. These findings provide immediate clinical relevance to serology results that can be equated to NAb activity and could serve as a valuable roadmap to guide the choice and interpretation of serological tests for SARS-CoV-2.
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158
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Raeiszadeh M, Adeli B. A Critical Review on Ultraviolet Disinfection Systems against COVID-19 Outbreak: Applicability, Validation, and Safety Considerations. ACS PHOTONICS 2020; 7:2941-2951. [PMID: 37556269 PMCID: PMC7571309 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.0c01245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The global health-threatening crisis from the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), highlights the scientific and engineering potentials of applying ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technologies for biocontaminated air and surfaces as the major media for disease transmission. Nowadays, various environmental public settings worldwide, from hospitals and health care facilities to shopping malls and airports, are considering implementation of UV disinfection devices for disinfection of frequently touched surfaces and circulating air streams. Moreover, the general public utilizes UV sterilization devices for various surfaces, from doorknobs and keypads to personal protective equipment, or air purification devices with an integrated UV disinfection technology. However, limited understanding of critical UV disinfection aspects can lead to improper use of this promising technology. In this work, fundamentals of UV disinfection phenomena are addressed; furthermore, the essential parameters and protocols to guarantee the efficacy of the UV sterilization process in a human-safe manner are systematically elaborated. In addition, the latest updates from the open literature on UV dose requirements for incremental log removal of SARS-CoV-2 are reviewed remarking the advancements and existing knowledge gaps. This study, along with the provided illustrations, will play an essential role in the design and fabrication of effective, reliable, and safe UV disinfection systems applicable to preventing viral contagion in the current COVID-19 pandemic, as well as potential future epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milad Raeiszadeh
- Department of Chemical and Biological
Engineering, The University of British
Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4,
Canada
- Department of Research and
Development, Acuva Technologies, Burnaby,
BC V5J 5G5, Canada
| | - Babak Adeli
- Department of Research and
Development, Acuva Technologies, Burnaby,
BC V5J 5G5, Canada
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159
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Nardo AD, Schneeweiss-Gleixner M, Bakail M, Dixon ED, Lax SF, Trauner M. Pathophysiological mechanisms of liver injury in COVID-19. LIVER INTERNATIONAL : OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF THE LIVER 2020. [PMID: 33190346 DOI: 10.1111/liv.14730.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a world-wide pandemic. Disseminated lung injury with the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the main cause of mortality in COVID-19. Although liver failure does not seem to occur in the absence of pre-existing liver disease, hepatic involvement in COVID-19 may correlate with overall disease severity and serve as a prognostic factor for the development of ARDS. The spectrum of liver injury in COVID-19 may range from direct infection by SARS-CoV-2, indirect involvement by systemic inflammation, hypoxic changes, iatrogenic causes such as drugs and ventilation to exacerbation of underlying liver disease. This concise review discusses the potential pathophysiological mechanisms for SARS-CoV-2 hepatic tropism as well as acute and possibly long-term liver injury in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander D Nardo
- Hans Popper Laboratory of Molecular Hepatology, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mathias Schneeweiss-Gleixner
- Medical Intensive Care Unit 13H1. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - May Bakail
- Campus IT, Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Emmanuel D Dixon
- Hans Popper Laboratory of Molecular Hepatology, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sigurd F Lax
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Graz II, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,School of Medicine, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria
| | - Michael Trauner
- Hans Popper Laboratory of Molecular Hepatology, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Medical Intensive Care Unit 13H1. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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160
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Kaur U, Acharya K, Mondal R, Singh A, Saso L, Chakrabarti S, Chakrabarti SS. Should ACE2 be given a chance in COVID-19 therapeutics: A semi-systematic review of strategies enhancing ACE2. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 887:173545. [PMID: 32926917 PMCID: PMC7485553 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in almost 28 million cases of COVID-19 (Corona virus disease-2019) and more than 900000 deaths worldwide since December 2019. In the absence of effective antiviral therapy and vaccine, treatment of COVID-19 is largely symptomatic. By making use of its spike (S) protein, the virus binds to its primary human cell receptor, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) which is present in the pulmonary epithelial cells as well as other organs. SARS-CoV-2 may cause a downregulation of ACE2. ACE2 plays a protective role in the pulmonary system through its Mas-receptor and alamandine-MrgD-TGR7 pathways. Loss of this protective effect could be a major component of COVID-19 pathogenesis. An attractive strategy in SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics would be to augment ACE2 either directly by supplementation or indirectly through drugs which increase its levels or stimulate its downstream players. In this semi-systematic review, we have analysed the pathophysiological interplay between ACE and ACE2 in the cardiopulmonary system, the modulation of these two proteins by SARS-CoV-2, and potential therapeutic avenues targeting ACE-Ang II and ACE2-Ang (1-7) axes, that can be utilized against COVID-19 disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Upinder Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Gorakhpur, UP, India
| | - Kumudini Acharya
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, UP, India
| | - Ritwick Mondal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Kolkata, WB, India
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, UP, India
| | - Luciano Saso
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Sasanka Chakrabarti
- Department of Biochemistry and Central Research Cell, Maharishi Markandeshwar (deemed to be) University, Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India.
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161
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Habibi-Yangjeh A, Asadzadeh-Khaneghah S, Feizpoor S, Rouhi A. Review on heterogeneous photocatalytic disinfection of waterborne, airborne, and foodborne viruses: Can we win against pathogenic viruses? J Colloid Interface Sci 2020; 580:503-514. [PMID: 32711201 PMCID: PMC7361121 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Microbial pathogenic contaminations have world widely represented a serious health hazard to humans. Viruses, as a member of microbial contaminants, seriously threaten human health due to their high environmental resistance, having small sizes, and causing an extensive range of diseases. Therefore, selecting an appropriate technology to remove viral contaminants from the air, water, and foods is of prominent significance. Traditional methods for viral disinfection have not proven to be highly practical and effective because they need high energy resources and operational expenses. In recent years, semiconductor-based photocatalysis has attracted more attention in the field of microorganism inactivation due to its outstanding performance and mild reaction conditions. Therefore, this review primarily concentrates on the recent development in viral inactivation/disinfection by heterogeneous photocatalysts. Moreover, the photocatalytic viral inactivation of waterborne, airborne, and foodborne viruses is discussed. Given the appealing merits of heterogeneous photocatalytic disinfection of viruses, there is no doubt that this technology will be an impressively active research field and a source of comfort and confidence to humans in battling against viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aziz Habibi-Yangjeh
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran; Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Research Group, Mineral and Drinking Waters Research Group, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
| | | | - Solmaz Feizpoor
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
| | - Afsar Rouhi
- Department of English Language, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
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162
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Antiochia R. Nanobiosensors as new diagnostic tools for SARS, MERS and COVID-19: from past to perspectives. Mikrochim Acta 2020; 187:639. [PMID: 33151419 PMCID: PMC7642243 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-020-04615-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and novel coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) epidemics represent the biggest global health threats in the last two decades. These infections manifest as bronchitis, pneumonia or severe, sometimes fatal, respiratory illness. The novel coronavirus seems to be associated with milder infections but it has spread globally more rapidly becoming a pandemic. This review summarises the state of the art of nanotechnology-based affinity biosensors for SARS, MERS and COVID-19 detection. The nanobiosensors are antibody- or DNA-based biosensors with electrochemical, optical or FET-based transduction. Various kinds of nanomaterials, such as metal nanoparticles, nanowires and graphene, have been merged to the affinity biosensors to enhance their analytical performances. The advantages of the use of the nanomaterials are highlighted, and the results compared with those obtained using non-nanostructured biosensors. A critical comparison with conventional methods, such as RT-PCR and ELISA, is also reported. It is hoped that this review will provide interesting information for the future development of new reliable nano-based platforms for point-of-care diagnostic devices for COVID-19 prevention and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccarda Antiochia
- Department of Chemistry and Drug Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy.
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163
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Alyami MH, Alyami HS, Warraich A. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): From causes to preventions in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Pharm J 2020; 28:1481-1491. [PMID: 32994704 PMCID: PMC7513931 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2020.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that has been affected by COVID-19. At the beginning of March 2020, it revealed a steadily rising number of laboratory-confirmed cases. By 20th May 2020, 59,854 infected cases had been confirmed, with 329 deaths. To prevent a further outbreak of COVID-19, this article discusses the current understanding of COVID-19 and compares it with the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012 in Saudi Arabia. It also discusses the causes, transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments and prevention measures to identify an applicable measure to control COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad H. Alyami
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Najran University, Najran 11001, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hamad S. Alyami
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Najran University, Najran 11001, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ansaar Warraich
- Life and Health Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Aston University, Birmingham B4 7ET, United Kingdom
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164
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McDermott CV, Cox EJ, Scanlan JM, Alicic RZ. COVID-19 and Gastrointestinal Tract Symptoms: Recognition, Containment, and Learning From the Past. Mayo Clin Proc 2020; 95:2320-2324. [PMID: 33153620 PMCID: PMC7447220 DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2020.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen V McDermott
- Spokane Teaching Health Center, Spokane, WA; Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane, WA; University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA.
| | - Emily J Cox
- Providence Medical Research Center, Spokane, WA
| | | | - Radica Z Alicic
- Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, Spokane, WA; University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
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Ferri C, Giuggioli D, Raimondo V, L'Andolina M, Tavoni A, Cecchetti R, Guiducci S, Ursini F, Caminiti M, Varcasia G, Gigliotti P, Pellegrini R, Olivo D, Colaci M, Murdaca G, Brittelli R, Mariano GP, Spinella A, Bellando-Randone S, Aiello V, Bilia S, Giannini D, Ferrari T, Caminiti R, Brusi V, Meliconi R, Fallahi P, Antonelli A. COVID-19 and rheumatic autoimmune systemic diseases: report of a large Italian patients series. Clin Rheumatol 2020; 39:3195-3204. [PMID: 32852623 PMCID: PMC7450255 DOI: 10.1007/s10067-020-05334-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Covid-19 infection poses a serious challenge for immune-compromised patients with inflammatory autoimmune systemic diseases. We investigated the clinical-epidemiological findings of 1641 autoimmune systemic disease Italian patients during the Covid-19 pandemic. METHOD This observational multicenter study included 1641 unselected patients with autoimmune systemic diseases from three Italian geographical areas with different prevalence of Covid-19 [high in north (Emilia Romagna), medium in central (Tuscany), and low in south (Calabria)] by means of telephone 6-week survey. Covid-19 was classified as (1) definite diagnosis of Covid-19 disease: presence of symptomatic Covid-19 infection, confirmed by positive oral/nasopharyngeal swabs; (2) highly suspected Covid-19 disease: presence of highly suggestive symptoms, in absence of a swab test. RESULTS A significantly higher prevalence of patients with definite diagnosis of Covid-19 disease, or with highly suspected Covid-19 disease, or both the conditions together, was observed in the whole autoimmune systemic disease series, compared to "Italian general population" (p = .030, p = .001, p = .000, respectively); and for definite + highly suspected diagnosis of Covid-19 disease, in patients with autoimmune systemic diseases of the three regions (p = .000, for all comparisons with the respective regional general population). Moreover, significantly higher prevalence of definite + highly suspected diagnosis of Covid-19 disease was found either in patients with various "connective tissue diseases" compared to "inflammatory arthritis group" (p < .000), or in patients without ongoing conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs treatments (p = .011). CONCLUSIONS The finding of a higher prevalence of Covid-19 in patients with autoimmune systemic diseases is particularly important, suggesting the need to develop valuable prevention/management strategies, and stimulates in-depth investigations to verify the possible interactions between Covid-19 infection and impaired immune-system of autoimmune systemic diseases. Key Points • Significantly higher prevalence of Covid-19 is observed in a large series of patients with autoimmune systemic diseases compared to the Italian general population, mainly due to patients' increased susceptibility to infections and favored by the high exposure to the virus at medical facilities before the restriction measures on individual movement. • The actual prevalence of Covid-19 in autoimmune systemic diseases may be underestimated, possibly due to the wide clinical overlapping between the two conditions, the generally mild Covid-19 disease manifestations, and the limited availability of virological testing. • Patients with "connective tissue diseases" show a significantly higher prevalence of Covid-19, possibly due to deeper immune-system impairment, with respect to "inflammatory arthritis group". • Covid-19 is more frequent in the subgroup of autoimmune systemic diseases patients without ongoing conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, mainly hydroxyl-chloroquine and methotrexate, which might play some protective role against the most harmful manifestations of Covid-19.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use
- Arthritis, Psoriatic/drug therapy
- Arthritis, Psoriatic/epidemiology
- Arthritis, Psoriatic/physiopathology
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid/epidemiology
- Arthritis, Rheumatoid/physiopathology
- Autoimmune Diseases/drug therapy
- Autoimmune Diseases/epidemiology
- Autoimmune Diseases/physiopathology
- Betacoronavirus
- COVID-19
- Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology
- Coronavirus Infections/physiopathology
- Dermatomyositis/drug therapy
- Dermatomyositis/epidemiology
- Dermatomyositis/physiopathology
- Female
- Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use
- Humans
- Italy/epidemiology
- Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/drug therapy
- Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/epidemiology
- Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/physiopathology
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Pandemics
- Pneumonia, Viral/epidemiology
- Pneumonia, Viral/physiopathology
- Rheumatic Diseases/drug therapy
- Rheumatic Diseases/epidemiology
- Rheumatic Diseases/physiopathology
- SARS-CoV-2
- Scleroderma, Systemic/drug therapy
- Scleroderma, Systemic/epidemiology
- Scleroderma, Systemic/physiopathology
- Sjogren's Syndrome/drug therapy
- Sjogren's Syndrome/epidemiology
- Sjogren's Syndrome/physiopathology
- Spondylitis, Ankylosing/drug therapy
- Spondylitis, Ankylosing/epidemiology
- Spondylitis, Ankylosing/physiopathology
- Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases/drug therapy
- Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases/epidemiology
- Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases/physiopathology
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Affiliation(s)
- Clodoveo Ferri
- Rheumatology Unit, School of Medicine, University of Modena & RE, Modena, Italy.
- Rheumatology Clinic 'Madonna dello Scoglio' Cotronei, Crotone, Italy.
| | - Dilia Giuggioli
- Rheumatology Unit, School of Medicine, University of Modena & RE, Modena, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Raimondo
- Rheumatology Clinic 'Madonna dello Scoglio' Cotronei, Crotone, Italy
| | - Massimo L'Andolina
- Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic, ASP-Vibo Valentia-Tropea Hospital, Tropea, Italy
| | - Antonio Tavoni
- Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Francesco Ursini
- Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute Bologna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maurizio Caminiti
- UOD Reumatologia, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Domenico Olivo
- Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic, San Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Crotone, Italy
| | - Michele Colaci
- Rheumatology Unit, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Murdaca
- Department of Internal Medicine, San Martino Policlinic Hospital, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | | | - Amelia Spinella
- Rheumatology Unit, School of Medicine, University of Modena & RE, Modena, Italy
| | | | - Vincenzo Aiello
- Rheumatology Clinic 'Madonna dello Scoglio' Cotronei, Crotone, Italy
| | - Silvia Bilia
- Clinical Immunology Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Rodolfo Caminiti
- Rheumatology Clinic 'Madonna dello Scoglio' Cotronei, Crotone, Italy
| | - Veronica Brusi
- Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute Bologna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Riccardo Meliconi
- Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute Bologna, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Poupak Fallahi
- Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Antonelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Immuno-Endocrine Section of Internal Medicine, Laboratory of Primary Human Cells, School of Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Savi, 10, I-56126, Pisa, Italy.
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166
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Abd-Elsalam S, Esmail ES, Khalaf M, Abdo EF, Medhat MA, Abd El Ghafar MS, Ahmed OA, Soliman S, Serangawy GN, Alboraie M. Hydroxychloroquine in the Treatment of COVID-19: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Study. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 103:1635-1639. [PMID: 32828135 PMCID: PMC7543820 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is showing an exponential growth, mandating an urgent need to develop an effective treatment. Indeed, to date, a well-established therapy is still lacking. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) added to standard care in patients with COVID-19. This was a multicenter, randomized controlled trial conducted at three major university hospitals in Egypt. One hundred ninety-four patients with confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were included in the study after signing informed consent. They were equally randomized into two arms: 97 patients administrated HCQ plus standard care (HCQ group) and 97 patients administered only standard care as a control arm (control group). The primary endpoints were recovery within 28 days, need for mechanical ventilation, or death. The two groups were matched for age and gender. There was no significant difference between them regarding any of the baseline characteristics or laboratory parameters. Four patients (4.1%) in the HCQ group and 5 (5.2%) patients in the control group needed mechanical ventilation (P = 0.75). The overall mortality did not differ between the two groups, as six patients (6.2%) died in the HCQ group and 5 (5.2%) died in the control group (P = 0.77). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that HCQ treatment was not significantly associated with decreased mortality in COVID-19 patients. So, adding HCQ to standard care did not add significant benefit, did not decrease the need for ventilation, and did not reduce mortality rates in COVID-19 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherief Abd-Elsalam
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Eslam Saber Esmail
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Mai Khalaf
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Ehab Fawzy Abdo
- Department of Gastroenterology and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Mohammed A Medhat
- Department of Gastroenterology and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Samir Abd El Ghafar
- Department of Anesthesia, Surgical Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | | | - Shaimaa Soliman
- Public Health and Community Medicine, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
| | - Ghada N Serangawy
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Alboraie
- Department of Internal Medicine, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
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167
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Liu A, Zhang X, Li R, Zheng M, Yang S, Dai L, Wu A, Hu C, Huang Y, Xie M, Chen Q. Overexpression of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 is induced by cigarette smoke in bronchial and alveolar epithelia. J Pathol 2020; 253:17-30. [PMID: 32991738 PMCID: PMC7537258 DOI: 10.1002/path.5555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as the functional receptor of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) and a target for disease prevention. However, the relationship between ACE2 expression and its clinical implications in SARS‐CoV‐2 pathogenesis remains unknown. Here, we explored the location and expression of ACE2, and its correlation with gender, age, and cigarette smoke (CS), in a CS‐exposed mouse model and 224 non‐malignant lung tissues (125 non‐smokers, 81 current smokers, and 18 ex‐smokers) by immunohistochemistry. Moreover, the correlations of ACE2 with CS‐induced oxidative stress‐related markers, hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and 4‐hydroxynonenal (4‐HNE) were investigated. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays identified the cause of ACE2 overexpression in human primary lung epithelial cells. We demonstrated that ACE2 was predominantly overexpressed on the apical surface of bronchial epithelium, while reduced in alveolar epithelium, owing to the dramatically decreased abundance of alveolar type II pneumocytes in CS‐exposed mouse lungs. Consistent with this, ACE2 was primarily significantly overexpressed in human bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells in smokers regardless of age or gender. Decreased ACE2 expression was observed in bronchial epithelial cells from ex‐smokers compared with current smokers, especially in those who had ceased smoking for more than 10 years. Moreover, ACE2 expression was positively correlated with the levels of HIF‐1α, iNOS, and 4‐HNE in both mouse and human bronchioles. The results were further validated using a publicly available dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and our previous integrated data from Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 microarray (AE‐meta). Finally, our results showed that HIF‐1α transcriptionally upregulates ACE2 expression. Our results indicate that smoking‐induced ACE2 overexpression in the apical surface of bronchial epithelial cells provides a route by which SARS‐CoV‐2 enters host cells, which supports clinical relevance in attenuating the potential transmission risk of COVID‐19 in smoking populations by smoking cessation. © 2020 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aibin Liu
- Department of Geriatrics, Respiratory MedicineXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Clinical Experimental Center, Jiangmen Key Laboratory of Clinical Biobanks and Translational ResearchJiangmen Central Hospital, Affiliated Jiangmen Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityJiangmenPR China
| | - Ronggang Li
- Department of Pathology, Jiangmen Central HospitalAffiliated Jiangmen Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityJiangmenPR China
| | - Mingzhu Zheng
- Clinical Experimental Center, Jiangmen Key Laboratory of Clinical Biobanks and Translational ResearchJiangmen Central Hospital, Affiliated Jiangmen Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityJiangmenPR China
| | - Shasha Yang
- Department of Geriatrics, Respiratory MedicineXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
| | - Longxia Dai
- Department of Geriatrics, Respiratory MedicineXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
| | - Anhua Wu
- Center for Healthcare‐associated Infection ControlXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
| | - Chengping Hu
- Department of Respiratory MedicineXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
| | - Yanming Huang
- Clinical Experimental Center, Jiangmen Key Laboratory of Clinical Biobanks and Translational ResearchJiangmen Central Hospital, Affiliated Jiangmen Hospital of Sun Yat‐sen UniversityJiangmenPR China
| | - Mingxuan Xie
- Department of Geriatrics, Respiratory MedicineXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
| | - Qiong Chen
- Department of Geriatrics, Respiratory MedicineXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric DisordersXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangshaPR China
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Apaza-Panca CM, Santa-Cruz Arévalo JE, Maquera-Luque PJ, Ticona-Carrizales L. Rethinking Tourism Public Policies to mitigate the effects of Covid-19. CUESTIONES POLÍTICAS 2020. [DOI: 10.46398/cuestpol.38e.08] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The objective of the research was to examine and analyze the articles that address public tourism policies in specialized magazines at a global level, with the aim of knowing through comparative public policies, alternative solutions in a post-pandemic scenario. Regarding the methodology, articles were selected whose titles presented one or more keywords that referred to the disease "Covid-19" and "public tourism policies" in Spanish and English. To process the information, the content analysis technique was used. The results showed that the place and space occupied by tourism public policies in the main tourism magazines is scarce and not seen as a management tool for the sector. The conclusion emphasized the lack of clarity regarding the methodology used in the articles and the scarce proposal of public policies that were implemented in situations of health crises, epidemics, wars, etc. For the rest, the following questions served as a guide for the analysis: 1) What is the role of governments in the tourism sector? and, 2) What public policies did governments implement in similar situations such as the current health crisis?
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169
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Discovery of small molecule PLpro inhibitor against COVID-19 using structure-based virtual screening, molecular dynamics simulation, and molecular mechanics/Generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) calculation. Struct Chem 2020; 32:879-886. [PMID: 33106741 PMCID: PMC7578240 DOI: 10.1007/s11224-020-01665-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 is spreading in a global pandemic that is endangering human life and health. Therefore, there is an urgent need to target COVID-19 to find effective treatments for this emerging acute respiratory infection. Viral Papain-Like cysteine protease (PLpro), similar to papain and the cysteine deubiquitinase enzyme, has been a popular target for coronavirus inhibitors, as an indispensable enzyme in the process of coronavirus replication and infection of the host. Combined structure-based virtual screening, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, and molecular mechanics/Generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) free energy calculation approaches were utilized for identification of PLpro inhibitors. Four compounds (F403_0159, F112_0109, G805_0497, D754_0006) with diverse chemical scaffolds were retrieved as hits based on docking score and clustering analysis. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that the contribution of van der Waals interaction dominated the binding free energies of these compounds, which may be attributed to the hydrophobicity of active site of PLpro from COVID-19. Moreover, all four compounds formed conservative hydrogen bonds with the residues Asp164, Gln269, and Tyr273. We hoped that these four compounds might represent the promising chemical scaffolds for further development of novel PLpro inhibitors against COVID-19.
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170
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Schlick T, Zhu Q, Jain S, Yan S. Structure-altering mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 frameshifting RNA element. Biophys J 2020; 120:1040-1053. [PMID: 33096082 PMCID: PMC7575535 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
With the rapid rate of COVID-19 infections and deaths, treatments and cures besides hand washing, social distancing, masks, isolation, and quarantines are urgently needed. The treatments and vaccines rely on the basic biophysics of the complex viral apparatus. Although proteins are serving as main drug and vaccine targets, therapeutic approaches targeting the 30,000 nucleotide RNA viral genome form important complementary approaches. Indeed, the high conservation of the viral genome, its close evolutionary relationship to other viruses, and the rise of gene editing and RNA-based vaccines all argue for a focus on the RNA agent itself. One of the key steps in the viral replication cycle inside host cells is the ribosomal frameshifting required for translation of overlapping open reading frames. The RNA frameshifting element (FSE), one of three highly conserved regions of coronaviruses, is believed to include a pseudoknot considered essential for this ribosomal switching. In this work, we apply our graph-theory-based framework for representing RNA secondary structures, "RAG (or RNA-As-Graphs)," to alter key structural features of the FSE of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Specifically, using RAG machinery of genetic algorithms for inverse folding adapted for RNA structures with pseudoknots, we computationally predict minimal mutations that destroy a structurally important stem and/or the pseudoknot of the FSE, potentially dismantling the virus against translation of the polyproteins. Our microsecond molecular dynamics simulations of mutant structures indicate relatively stable secondary structures. These findings not only advance our computational design of RNAs containing pseudoknots, they pinpoint key residues of the SARS-CoV-2 virus as targets for antiviral drugs and gene editing approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Schlick
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York; Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York; NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, P. R. China.
| | - Qiyao Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York; Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Swati Jain
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Shuting Yan
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York
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Oboh MA, Omoleke SA, Imafidon CE, Ajibola O, Oriero EC, Amambua-Ngwa A. Beyond SARS-CoV-2: Lessons That African Governments Can Apply in Preparation for Possible Future Epidemics. J Prev Med Public Health 2020; 53:307-310. [PMID: 33070501 PMCID: PMC7569020 DOI: 10.3961/jpmph.20.259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has placed unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems, even in advanced economies. While the number of cases of SARS-CoV-2 in Africa compared to other continents has so far been low, there are concerns about under-reporting, inadequate diagnostic tools, and insufficient treatment facilities. Moreover, proactiveness on the part of African governments has been under scrutiny. For instance, issues have emerged regarding the responsiveness of African countries in closing international borders to limit trans-continental transmission of the virus. Overdependence on imported products and outsourced services could have contributed to African governments’ hesitation to shut down international air and seaports. In this era of emerging and re-emerging pathogens, we recommend that African nations should consider self-sufficiency in the health sector as an urgent priority, as this will not be the last outbreak to occur. In addition to the Regional Disease Surveillance Systems Enhancement fund (US$600 million) provided by the World Bank for strengthening health systems and disease surveillance, each country should further establish an epidemic emergency fund for epidemic preparedness and response. We also recommend that epidemic surveillance units should create a secure database of previous and ongoing pandemics in terms of aetiology, spread, and treatment, as well as financial management records. Strategic collection and analysis of data should also be a central focus of these units to facilitate studies of disease trends and to estimate the scale of requirements in preparation and response to any future pandemic or epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Aigbiremo Oboh
- Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul, Gambia
| | - Semeeh Akinwale Omoleke
- Immunization, Vaccines and Emergencies Unit, World Health Organization, Kebbi State Field Office, Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria
| | - Christian Eseigbe Imafidon
- Renal Research Laboratory, Department of Physiology, Bowen University College of Health Sciences, Iwo, Nigeria
| | - Olumide Ajibola
- Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul, Gambia.,Department of Biology, First Technical University, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Eniyou Cheryll Oriero
- Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul, Gambia
| | - Alfred Amambua-Ngwa
- Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul, Gambia
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172
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Parvathaneni V, Gupta V. Utilizing drug repurposing against COVID-19 - Efficacy, limitations, and challenges. Life Sci 2020; 259:118275. [PMID: 32818545 PMCID: PMC7430345 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The recent outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first in Eastern Asia and then essentially across the world has been declared a pandemic by the WHO. COVID-19 is caused by a novel virus SARS-CoV2 (2019-nCoV), against which there is currently no vaccine available; and current antiviral therapies have failed, causing a very high mortality rate. Drug repurposing i.e. utilizing an approved drug for different indication, offers a time- and cost-efficient alternative for making new therapies available to patients. Although there are several reports presenting novel approaches to treat COVID-19, still an attentive review of previous scientific literature is essential to overcome their failure to exhibit efficacy. There is an urgent need to provide a comprehensive outlook toward utilizing drug repurposing as a tool for discovery of new therapies against COVID-19. In this article, we aim to provide a to-the-point review of current literature regarding efficacy of repurposed drugs against COVID-19 and other respiratory infections caused by coronaviruses. We have briefly discussed COVID-19 epidemiology, and then have discussed drug repurposing approaches and examples, specific to respiratory viruses. Limitations of utilization of repurposed drug molecules such as dosage regimen and associated challenges such as localized delivery in respiratory tract have also been discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vineela Parvathaneni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA
| | - Vivek Gupta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA.
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173
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Fambuena-Muedra I, Jiménez-García M, Hershko S, Altemir-Gómez I, Tobarra-López A. What can visual caregivers expect with patients treated for SARS-CoV-2? An analysis of ongoing clinical trials and ocular side effects. Eur J Ophthalmol 2020; 31:291-303. [PMID: 33829895 DOI: 10.1177/1120672120958323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Within the COVID-19 pandemic context, the WHO has proposed a list of medicines to treat patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2). An analysis of their ocular side effects was performed. Only chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine were found to have an ocular impact in the medium and long-term. Detailed search strategies were performed in EMBASE, MEDLINE, SCOPUS and WOS Core Collection. Additionally, the worldwide ongoing clinical trials including chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine were evaluated, and their proposals of drug administration and exclusion criteria analyzed. In general, high maximum cumulative doses of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine are being used for a short period in 135 currently underway clinical trials (to 21st April 2020). Typically, the doses were 2 to 5 times greater than the AAO recommendation (adjusted to weight) to avoid toxic retinopathy, the most undesirable ocular side effect. Maximum cumulative doses up to 12,000 mg for chloroquine and 18,000 mg for hydroxychloroquine were found. In prophylaxis clinical trials, 72,000 mg and 22,500 mg were the maximum cumulative doses for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine respectively. Only 48% of the clinical trials considered retinal impairment as an exclusion criterion, and just one referred to an ophthalmic examination previous to study inclusion. How chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine treatment affect patients with a previous retinal condition is still poorly understood. A comprehensive ophthalmological examination 6 months after treatment is recommended in this subgroup. This review provides an overview of this topic and sheds light on the challenges visual caregivers may face regarding these repurposed drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Fambuena-Muedra
- Ophthalmology Mediterranean Foundation (FOM), Valencia, Spain.,Department of Optometry and Vision Science, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Jiménez-García
- Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Antwerp, Belgium.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sarah Hershko
- Department of Ophthalmology, Antwerp University Hospital (UZA), Antwerp, Belgium.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Irene Altemir-Gómez
- Ophthalmology Department, University Hospital Miguel Servet (HUMS), Zaragoza, Spain.,Aragon Health Research Institute (IISA), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Ana Tobarra-López
- Department of Community Nursing, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and History of Science, Public Health Research Group, University of Alicante, Spain.,Department of Optics, Pharmacology and Anatomy, Science Faculty, University of Alicante, Spain.,Alicante Health and Biomedical Research Institute (ISABIAL), Alicante University General Hospital, Alicante, Spain
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174
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Yang H, Hu B, Zhan S, Yang LY, Xiong G. Effects of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection on Pregnant Women and Their Infants. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2020; 144:1217-1222. [PMID: 32422078 DOI: 10.5858/arpa.2020-0232-sa] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT.— The pandemic of a novel coronavirus, termed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has created an unprecedented global health burden. OBJECTIVE.— To investigate the effect of the SARS-CoV-2 infection on maternal, fetal, and neonatal morbidity and other poor obstetrical outcomes. DESIGN.— All suspected cases of pregnant women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) admitted into one center in Wuhan from January 20 to March 19, 2020, were included. Detailed clinical data of those pregnancies with COVID-19 were retrospectively collected and analyzed. RESULTS.— Twenty-seven pregnant women (4 early pregnancies included) with laboratory or clinically confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and 24 neonates born to the 23 women in late pregnancy were analyzed. On admission, 46.2% (13 of 27) of the patients had symptoms, including fever (11 of 27), cough (9 of 27), and vomiting (1 of 27). Decreased total lymphocytes count was observed in 81.5% (22 of 27) of patients. Twenty-six patients showed typical viral pneumonia by chest computed tomography scan, whereas 1 patient confirmed with COVID-19 infection showed no abnormality on chest computed tomography. One mother developed severe pneumonia 3 days after her delivery. No maternal or perinatal death occurred. Moreover, 1 early preterm newborn born to a mother with the complication of premature rupture of fetal membranes, highly suspected to have SARS-CoV-2 infection, was SARS-CoV-2 negative after repeated real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing. Statistical differences were observed between the groups of women in early and late pregnancy with COVID-19 in the occurrence of lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSIONS.— No major complications were reported among the studied cohort, though 1 serious case and 1 perinatal infection were observed. Much effort should be made to reduce the pathogenic effect of COVID-19 infection in pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Yang
- From the Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China (H. Yang)
| | - Bin Hu
- The Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China (Hu, Xiong)
| | - Sudong Zhan
- The Department of Digestive Surgical Oncology, Cancer Center, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China (Zhan)
| | - Li-Ye Yang
- The Central Laboratory, Chaozhou Central Hospital affiliated to Southern Medical University, Chaozhou, China (L. Yang)
| | - Guoping Xiong
- The Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China (Hu, Xiong)
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175
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Mori G, Alfano G, Fontana F, Magistroni R. Hybrid dialysis: a promising strategy to reduce hospital access during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. BMJ Case Rep 2020; 13:13/10/e236411. [PMID: 33028570 PMCID: PMC7542613 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2020-236411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In March 2020, a 74-year-old man affected by end-stage renal disease and on peritoneal dialysis was referred to an emergency room in Modena, Northern Italy, due to fever and respiratory symptoms. After ruling out COVID-19 infection, a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation was confirmed and he was thus transferred to the nephrology division. Physical examination and blood tests revealed a positive fluid balance and insufficient correction of the uraemic syndrome, although peritoneal dialysis prescription was maximised. After discussion with the patient and his family, the staff decided to start hybrid dialysis, consisting of once-weekly in-hospital haemodialysis and home peritoneal dialysis for the remaining days. He was discharged at the end of the antibiotic course, after an internal jugular vein central venous catheter placement and the first haemodialysis session. This strategy allowed improvement of depuration parameters and avoidance of frequent access to the hospital, which is crucial in limiting exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in an endemic setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Mori
- Struttura Complessa di Nefrologia Dialisi e Trapianto Renale, University Hospital Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Gaetano Alfano
- Struttura Complessa di Nefrologia Dialisi e Trapianto Renale, University Hospital Modena, Modena, Italy.,Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Francesco Fontana
- Struttura Complessa di Nefrologia Dialisi e Trapianto Renale, University Hospital Modena, Modena, Italy
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176
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The potential application of probiotics and prebiotics for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. NPJ Sci Food 2020; 4:17. [PMID: 33083549 PMCID: PMC7536434 DOI: 10.1038/s41538-020-00078-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is a pandemic disease caused by the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This new viral infection was first identified in China in December 2019, and it has subsequently spread globally. The lack of a vaccine or curative treatment for COVID-19 necessitates a focus on other strategies to prevent and treat the infection. Probiotics consist of single or mixed cultures of live microorganisms that can beneficially affect the host by maintaining the intestinal or lung microbiota that play a major role in human health. At present, good scientific evidence exists to support the ability of probiotics to boost human immunity, thereby preventing colonization by pathogens and reducing the incidence and severity of infections. Herein, we present clinical studies of the use of probiotic supplementation to prevent or treat respiratory tract infections. These data lead to promising benefits of probiotics in reducing the risk of COVID-19. Further studies should be conducted to assess the ability of probiotics to combat COVID-19.
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177
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Novaes Rocha V. Viral replication of SARS-CoV-2 could be self-limitative - The role of the renin-angiotensin system on COVID-19 pathophysiology. Med Hypotheses 2020; 145:110330. [PMID: 33049594 PMCID: PMC7528883 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Currently, the world is suffering with one of the biggest pandemics of recent history. Caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is provoking devastating consequences on economic and social fields throughout all continents. Therefore, pathophysiological knowledge about COVID-19 is imperative for better planning of preventive measures, diagnosis, and therapeutics of the disease. Based on previous studies, this work proposes new hypothesis related to the role of the renin-angiotensin system on the pathophysiology of COVID-19, and its purpose is to enrich the discussion and to offer alternative ways for experimental and clinical studies aiming at the formulation of new diagnosis and/or treatment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinicius Novaes Rocha
- Laboratory of Pathology and Veterinary Histology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil.
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178
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Riggioni C, Comberiati P, Giovannini M, Agache I, Akdis M, Alves‐Correia M, Antó JM, Arcolaci A, Azkur AK, Azkur D, Beken B, Boccabella C, Bousquet J, Breiteneder H, Carvalho D, De las Vecillas L, Diamant Z, Eguiluz‐Gracia I, Eiwegger T, Eyerich S, Fokkens W, Gao Y, Hannachi F, Johnston SL, Jutel M, Karavelia A, Klimek L, Moya B, Nadeau KC, O'Hehir R, O'Mahony L, Pfaar O, Sanak M, Schwarze J, Sokolowska M, Torres MJ, Veen W, Zelm MC, Wang DY, Zhang L, Jiménez‐Saiz R, Akdis CA. A compendium answering 150 questions on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2. Allergy 2020; 75:2503-2541. [PMID: 32535955 PMCID: PMC7323196 DOI: 10.1111/all.14449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
In December 2019, China reported the first cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). This disease, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), has developed into a pandemic. To date, it has resulted in ~9 million confirmed cases and caused almost 500 000 related deaths worldwide. Unequivocally, the COVID‐19 pandemic is the gravest health and socioeconomic crisis of our time. In this context, numerous questions have emerged in demand of basic scientific information and evidence‐based medical advice on SARS‐CoV‐2 and COVID‐19. Although the majority of the patients show a very mild, self‐limiting viral respiratory disease, many clinical manifestations in severe patients are unique to COVID‐19, such as severe lymphopenia and eosinopenia, extensive pneumonia, a “cytokine storm” leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome, endothelitis, thromboembolic complications, and multiorgan failure. The epidemiologic features of COVID‐19 are distinctive and have changed throughout the pandemic. Vaccine and drug development studies and clinical trials are rapidly growing at an unprecedented speed. However, basic and clinical research on COVID‐19–related topics should be based on more coordinated high‐quality studies. This paper answers pressing questions, formulated by young clinicians and scientists, on SARS‐CoV‐2, COVID‐19, and allergy, focusing on the following topics: virology, immunology, diagnosis, management of patients with allergic disease and asthma, treatment, clinical trials, drug discovery, vaccine development, and epidemiology. A total of 150 questions were answered by experts in the field providing a comprehensive and practical overview of COVID‐19 and allergic disease.
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179
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Xu R, Huang J, Duan C, Liao Q, Shan Z, Wang M, Rong X, Li C, Fu Y, Wang H. Low prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 among voluntary blood donors in Guangzhou, China. J Med Virol 2020; 93:1743-1747. [PMID: 32813273 PMCID: PMC7461367 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Since the first case of COVID‐19 reported in late December of 2019 in Wuhan, China, the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus has caused approximately 20 million infections and 732 thousand deaths around the world by 11 August 2020. Although the pathogen generally infects the respiratory system, whether it is present in the bloodstream and whether it poses a threat to the blood supply during the period of the outbreak is of serious public concern. In this study, we used enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to screen total antibodies against SARS‐CoV‐2 in 2199 blood donors, who had donated blood at the Guangzhou Blood Center during the epidemic. The Ig‐reactive samples were further characterized for IgA, IgG, and IgM subtypes by ELISA and viral nucleic acid by real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Among the 2199 plasma samples, seven were reactive under total antibodies' screening. Further testing revealed that none of them had detectable viral nucleic acid or IgM antibody, but two samples contained IgA and IgG. The IgG antibody titers of both positive samples were 1:16 and 1:4, respectively. Our results indicated a low prevalence of past SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in our blood donors, as none of the tests were positive for viral nucleic acid and only 2 out of 2199 (0.09%) of samples were positive for IgG and IgA. There would be a limited necessity for the implementation of such testing in blood screening in a COVID‐19 low‐risk area. The prevalence of past SARS‐CoV‐2 infection was relatively low among voluntary blood donors in Guangzhou, China Screening of SARS‐CoV‐2 among voluntary blood donors may not be in priority in Guangzhou, China, because of the low risk of transmission via transfusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru Xu
- Institute of Blood Transfusion, Guangzhou Blood Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,The Key Medical Laboratory of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jieting Huang
- Institute of Blood Transfusion, Guangzhou Blood Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,The Key Medical Laboratory of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chaohui Duan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Qiao Liao
- Institute of Blood Transfusion, Guangzhou Blood Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,The Key Medical Laboratory of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhengang Shan
- Institute of Blood Transfusion, Guangzhou Blood Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,The Key Medical Laboratory of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Min Wang
- Institute of Blood Transfusion, Guangzhou Blood Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,The Key Medical Laboratory of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xia Rong
- Institute of Blood Transfusion, Guangzhou Blood Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,The Key Medical Laboratory of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Department of Transfusion Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chengyao Li
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yongshui Fu
- Institute of Blood Transfusion, Guangzhou Blood Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,The Key Medical Laboratory of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Department of Transfusion Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Institute of Blood Transfusion, Guangzhou Blood Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,The Key Medical Laboratory of Guangzhou, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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180
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Mezue K, Edwards P, Nsofor I, Goha A, Anya I, Madu K, Baugh D, Nunura F, Gaulton G, Madu E. Sub-Saharan Africa Tackles COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities. Ethn Dis 2020; 30:693-694. [PMID: 32989369 DOI: 10.18865/ed.30.4.693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
As of May 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic had reached 187 countries with more than 3.7 million confirmed cases and 263,000 deaths. While sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has not been spared, the extent of disease is currently far less than in Europe or North America leading some to posit that climatic, genetic or other conditions will self-limit disease in this location. Nonetheless, infections in tropical Africa continue to rise at an alarming pace with the potential to soon exceed health resource availability and to exhaust a health care workforce that is already grossly under supported and ill-equipped. This perspective outlines the context of COVID-19 disease in Africa with a focus on the distinctive challenges faced by African nations and a potential best path forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenechukwu Mezue
- Altru Hospital; Department of Internal Medicine, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND
| | - Paul Edwards
- Heart Institute of the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica
| | | | | | | | | | - Dainia Baugh
- Heart Institute of the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Felix Nunura
- Heart Institute of the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Glen Gaulton
- Center for Global Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Ernest Madu
- Heart Institute of the Caribbean, Kingston, Jamaica
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181
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Petushkova AI, Zamyatnin AA. Papain-Like Proteases as Coronaviral Drug Targets: Current Inhibitors, Opportunities, and Limitations. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E277. [PMID: 32998368 PMCID: PMC7601131 DOI: 10.3390/ph13100277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Papain-like proteases (PLpro) of coronaviruses (CoVs) support viral reproduction and suppress the immune response of the host, which makes CoV PLpro perspective pharmaceutical targets. Their inhibition could both prevent viral replication and boost the immune system of the host, leading to the speedy recovery of the patient. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the third CoV outbreak in the last 20 years. Frequent mutations of the viral genome likely lead to the emergence of more CoVs. Inhibitors for CoV PLpro can be broad-spectrum and can diminish present and prevent future CoV outbreaks as PLpro from different CoVs have conservative structures. Several inhibitors have been developed to withstand SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV). This review summarizes the structural features of CoV PLpro, the inhibitors that have been identified over the last 20 years, and the compounds that have the potential to become novel effective therapeutics against CoVs in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiia I. Petushkova
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Andrey A. Zamyatnin
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biotechnology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 1 Olympic Ave, 354340 Sochi, Russia
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182
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Alberca RW, Teixeira FME, Beserra DR, de Oliveira EA, Andrade MMDS, Pietrobon AJ, Sato MN. Perspective: The Potential Effects of Naringenin in COVID-19. Front Immunol 2020; 11:570919. [PMID: 33101291 PMCID: PMC7546806 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.570919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. Severe COVID-19 cases develop severe acute respiratory syndrome, which can result in multiple organ failure, sepsis, and death. The higher risk group includes the elderly and subjects with pre-existing chronic illnesses such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. To date, no specific treatment or vaccine is available for COVID-19. Among many compounds, naringenin (NAR) a flavonoid present in citrus fruits has been investigated for antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties like reducing viral replication and cytokine production. In this perspective, we summarize NAR potential anti-inflammatory role in COVID-19 associated risk factors and SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Wesley Alberca
- Laboratory of Dermatology and Immunodeficiencies, LIM-56, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Danielle Rosa Beserra
- Laboratory of Dermatology and Immunodeficiencies, LIM-56, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Emily Araujo de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Dermatology and Immunodeficiencies, LIM-56, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Milena Mary de Souza Andrade
- Laboratory of Dermatology and Immunodeficiencies, LIM-56, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Maria Notomi Sato
- Laboratory of Dermatology and Immunodeficiencies, LIM-56, Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine and Institute of Tropical Medicine of São Paulo, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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183
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Abdihamid O, Cai C, Kapesa L, Zeng S. The Landscape of COVID-19 in Cancer Patients: Prevalence, Impacts, and Recommendations. Cancer Manag Res 2020; 12:8923-8933. [PMID: 33061588 PMCID: PMC7520115 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s272008] [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: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer patients are susceptible groups to COVID-19, and risk-adjusted models show that most cancer patients have a 25-39% mortality risk if infected with COVID-19. The infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 in cancer patients in China was 0.79% (12 of 1524 patients; 95% CI, 0.31.2%). The case fatality rate of COVID-19 in the overall population ranges from 2.3 to 8.0%; among these, the case fatality rate for cancer patients is at 5.6%. In a retrospective cohort study of 28 COVID-19-infected cancer patients, a total of 15 (53.6%) patients had severe outcomes with a mortality rate of 28.6%. In a pooled analysis by Aakash et al, a 2% cancer prevalence was found among admitted patients with COVID-19. In Italy, a report shows that among the 3200 patients who died of SARS-CoV-2, 19.4% were patients with cancer. In New York, 61 (28%) cancer patients succumbed to COVID-19 with a case fatality rate of 37% (20/54) and 25% (41/164) for hematologic and solid malignancies, respectively. Impacts of COVID-19 in cancer care include interruptions of life-saving therapies, distraction effects, and diagnostic overshadowing that involve diverting attention to the pandemic rather than to cancer patients and disruptions of primary palliative care to patients due to forced quarantine. Herein, we review the landscape of COVID-19 in cancer care. We also briefly share our experience and the measures in place to protect cancer patients against COVID-19 in our center.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Abdihamid
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410008, People’s Republic of China
| | - Changjing Cai
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410008, People’s Republic of China
| | - Linda Kapesa
- Department of Oncology, Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Shan Zeng
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410008, People’s Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410008, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Radiation Oncology of Hunan Province, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410008, People’s Republic of China
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184
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Reddy BL, Saier MHJ. The Causal Relationship between Eating Animals and Viral Epidemics. Microb Physiol 2020; 30:2-8. [PMID: 32957108 PMCID: PMC7573891 DOI: 10.1159/000511192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
For decades it has been known that infectious agents including pathogenic protozoans, bacteria, and viruses, adapted to a particular animal host, can mutate to gain the ability to infect another host, and the mechanisms involved have been studied in great detail. Although an infectious agent in one animal can alter its host range with relative ease, no example of a plant virus changing its host organism to an animal has been documented. One prevalent pathway for the transmission of infectious agents between hosts involves ingestion of the flesh of one organism by another. In this article we document numerous examples of viral and prion diseases transmitted by eating animals. We suggest that the occurrence of cross-species viral epidemics can be substantially reduced by shifting to a more vegetarian diet and enforcing stricter laws that ban the slaughter and trade of wild and endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaskara L Reddy
- Division of Biological Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Milton H Jr Saier
- Division of Biological Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA,
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185
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Uversky VN, Elrashdy F, Aljadawi A, Redwan EM. Household pets and SARS-CoV2 transmissibility in the light of the ACE2 intrinsic disorder status. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 40:1441-1444. [PMID: 32948117 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1821784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir N Uversky
- Biological Science Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Molecular Medicine and USF Health Byrd Alzheimer's Research Institute, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.,Institute for Biological Instrumentation of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Pushchino, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Fatma Elrashdy
- Department of Endemic Medicine and Hepatogastroenterology, Kasr Alainy School of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Abdullah Aljadawi
- Biological Science Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Elrashdy M Redwan
- Biological Science Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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186
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Palermo S. Covid-19 Pandemic: Maximizing Future Vaccination Treatments Considering Aging and Frailty. Front Med (Lausanne) 2020; 7:558835. [PMID: 33072783 PMCID: PMC7530612 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2020.558835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is proving to be a multiplier of inequalities. Especially toward the elderly population. A voiceless scream that comes from geriatrics, nursing homes, hospices from all over Italy. They call it the silent massacre: from North to South, the bulletin of coronavirus positive—or already deceased—elderly people continues to grow exponentially without a chance to counter it. Population aging and chronicity are a question that needs to be addressed. Frailty is the most challenging expression of population aging, with major consequences for public health and clinical practice. It is a geriatric syndrome which consists in a state of higher vulnerability to stressors attributed to a lower homeostatic reserve due to an age-related multisystem physiological change. People over 60, and especially over 80, are particularly vulnerable to severe or fatal infection. Moreover, the age-related dysregulation of the immune system in the elderly (i.e., immunosenescence and inflammaging) results in poorer responses to vaccination. Physical frailty is an effective health indicator and it has previously shown to predict the response to the seasonal flu vaccine. These findings suggest that assessing frailty in the elderly may identify those who are less likely to respond to immunization and be at higher risk for COVID-19 and its complications. Moreover, cognitive frailty and neurocognitive disorders, mental health and reduced awareness of illness negatively impact on adherence to complex medication regimens among elderly patients. A worldwide research and development blueprint have been initiated to accelerate the development of vaccines and therapeutics for the COVID-19 outbreak. Considered the above, I suggest the importance to consider aging in thinking about future Civud-19 vaccination and treatment, focusing on the possible impact of physical and cognitive frailty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Palermo
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Aging, Bruxelles, Belgium
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187
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Jamwal S, Gautam A, Elsworth J, Kumar M, Chawla R, Kumar P. An updated insight into the molecular pathogenesis, secondary complications and potential therapeutics of COVID-19 pandemic. Life Sci 2020; 257:118105. [PMID: 32687917 PMCID: PMC7366108 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an unprecedented disease caused by highly pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 and characterized by extreme respiratory deterrence, pneumonia and immune damage. The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the sequence similarity of SARS-CoV-2 with other SARS-like bat viruses. The primary source and intermediate host are not yet confirmed, although transmission from human to human is universally confirmed. The new SARS-CoV-2 virus reaches cells via ACE-2 and subsequently down-regulates ACE-2, leaving angiotensin II unbalanced in affected organs primarily in the lungs, heart, brain, and kidneys. As reported recently, numerous secondary complications i.e., neurological, nephrological, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune, and hepatic complications, are associated with COVID-19 infection along with prominent respiratory disease including pneumonia. Extensive research work on recently discovered SARS-CoV-2 is in the pipeline to clarify pathogenic mechanisms, epidemiological features, and identify new drug targets that will lead to the development of successful strategies for prevention and treatment. There are currently no appropriate scientifically approved vaccines/drugs for COVID-19. Nonetheless, few broad-spectrum antiviral drugs, azithromycin were tested against COVID-19 in clinical trials, and finally, FDA approved emergency use of remdesivir in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Additionally, administration of convalescent plasma obtained from recovered COVID-19 patients to infected COVID-19 patients reduces the viral burden via immunomodulation. This review analysis therefore concentrates primarily on recent discoveries related to COVID-19 pathogenesis along with a full description of the structure, genome, and secondary complication associated with SARS-CoV-2. Finally, a short and brief clinical update has been provided concerning the development of therapeutic medications and vaccines to counter COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumit Jamwal
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Akash Gautam
- Center for Neural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500046, India
| | - John Elsworth
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Mandeep Kumar
- University of Genoa, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Viale Cembrano 4, Genoa, Italy
| | - Rakesh Chawla
- University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Research, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, Punjab, India
| | - Puneet Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda 151001, India.
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188
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Nollace L, Cravero C, Abbou A, Mazda-Walter B, Bleibtreu A, Pereirra N, Sainte-Marie M, Cohen D, Giannitelli M. Autism and COVID-19: A Case Series in a Neurodevelopmental Unit. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E2937. [PMID: 32932951 PMCID: PMC7564973 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9092937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 has become pandemic and can impact individuals with autism as well. Here, we report a case series admitted to a neurobehavioral unit dedicated to challenging behaviors in patients with autism. METHODS We describe 16 patients (mean age 20.8 years; range 12-43 years; 76% male) with autism hospitalized between March 2020 and mid-April 2020 for challenging behaviors, for which COVID-19 disease has been suspected and who needed both psychiatric and medical care. A close cooperation with the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department was organized to limit viral spread and training sessions (e.g., hygiene, clinical COVID-19 monitoring, virus testing) were given to staff members. RESULTS Most patients had severe autism and severe/moderate intellectual disability. Eleven patients were already in the unit when it was hit by the pandemic, and five were admitted from the community. Based on a virus search via reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or serology at the 2-month follow-up, we had 11 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The main COVID-19 symptoms included benign upper respiratory infection signs (N = 9, 81.8%), diarrhea (N = 7, 63.6%), fatigue (N = 7, 63.6%), and respiratory signs (N = 5, 45.5%), including one patient who needed oxygen therapy. Three patients remained asymptomatic and COVID-19-free (including two under immunosuppressive treatments). Among the symptomatic patients, five showed atypical behaviors that we understood as idiosyncratic manifestations (e.g., irrepressible licking behavior). On day 14, only one patient with respiratory dysfunction still had a positive RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 test. CONCLUSIONS Organizing a COVID+ unit for patients with autism is realistic and requires close collaboration with infectologists. We believe that this initiative should be promoted to limit both the spread of the virus and the ostracism of patients with autism and challenging behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie Nollace
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Reference Centre for Rare Psychiatric Diseases, APHP. Sorbonne Université, 75013 Paris, France; (L.N.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (B.M.-W.); (N.P.); (M.S.-M.); (M.G.)
| | - Cora Cravero
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Reference Centre for Rare Psychiatric Diseases, APHP. Sorbonne Université, 75013 Paris, France; (L.N.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (B.M.-W.); (N.P.); (M.S.-M.); (M.G.)
- Interdepartmental Mobile Unit for Complex Situations in Autism (UMI 75-92), Elan Retrouvé Foundation, 75009 Paris, France
| | - Alice Abbou
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Reference Centre for Rare Psychiatric Diseases, APHP. Sorbonne Université, 75013 Paris, France; (L.N.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (B.M.-W.); (N.P.); (M.S.-M.); (M.G.)
| | - Brice Mazda-Walter
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Reference Centre for Rare Psychiatric Diseases, APHP. Sorbonne Université, 75013 Paris, France; (L.N.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (B.M.-W.); (N.P.); (M.S.-M.); (M.G.)
| | - Alexandre Bleibtreu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, APHP. Sorbonne Université, 75013 Paris, France;
| | - Nathalie Pereirra
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Reference Centre for Rare Psychiatric Diseases, APHP. Sorbonne Université, 75013 Paris, France; (L.N.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (B.M.-W.); (N.P.); (M.S.-M.); (M.G.)
| | - Myriam Sainte-Marie
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Reference Centre for Rare Psychiatric Diseases, APHP. Sorbonne Université, 75013 Paris, France; (L.N.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (B.M.-W.); (N.P.); (M.S.-M.); (M.G.)
| | - David Cohen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Reference Centre for Rare Psychiatric Diseases, APHP. Sorbonne Université, 75013 Paris, France; (L.N.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (B.M.-W.); (N.P.); (M.S.-M.); (M.G.)
- Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et Robotiques (ISIR), CNRS UMR 7222, Sorbonne Université, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Marianna Giannitelli
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Reference Centre for Rare Psychiatric Diseases, APHP. Sorbonne Université, 75013 Paris, France; (L.N.); (C.C.); (A.A.); (B.M.-W.); (N.P.); (M.S.-M.); (M.G.)
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189
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Konwarh R. Can CRISPR/Cas Technology Be a Felicitous Stratagem Against the COVID-19 Fiasco? Prospects and Hitches. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:557377. [PMID: 33134311 PMCID: PMC7511716 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.557377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The current global debacle of COVID-19, spelled by SARS-CoV-2 needs no elaboration. With incessant and constantly clambering number of deaths across various nations, the need of the hour is to develop readily deployable, fast, affordable detection assays and kits, yielding precise and consistent results as well as timely availability of efficacious anti-SARS-CoV-2 strategies to contain it. Conventionally employed real time PCR based technique for detection of the virus suffers from a couple of handicaps. Amongst other approaches, CRISPR based technology has ushered in new hopes. Recent efforts have been directed toward developing CRISPR/Cas based low-cost, rapid detection methods as well as development of one-pot assay platforms. The plausible application of CRISPR-Cas system to counteract the viral assault has also been assessed. The write up in this article mirrors the current status, the prospects and the practical snags of CRISPR/Cas technology for the detection and inactivation of the novel corona virus, SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocktotpal Konwarh
- Department of Biotechnology, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.,Centre of Excellence-Nanotechnology, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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190
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Li M, Zhao Y, Li Y, Chen X, Luo D, Luo M, Hou J, Liu J, Liu H, Wang H, Dong Y, Zhang L, Ji M, Zhao X, Wei C, Li W, Gao J, Shan H, Fu X. Development and evaluation of a Novel RT-PCR system for reliable and rapid SARS-CoV-2 screening of blood donations. Transfusion 2020; 60:2952-2961. [PMID: 32798248 PMCID: PMC7461364 DOI: 10.1111/trf.16049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ongoing outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused great global concerns. In contrast to SARS, some SARS-CoV-2-infected people can be asymptomatic or have only mild nonspecific symptoms. Furthermore, there is evidence that SARS-CoV-2 may be infectious during an asymptomatic incubation period. With the discovery that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in plasma or serum, blood safety is worthy of consideration. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS We developed a nucleic acid test (NAT) screening system for SARS-CoV-2 targeting nucleocapsid protein (N) and open reading frame 1ab (ORF 1ab) gene that could screen 5076 samples every 24 hours. The 2019 novel coronavirus RNA standard was used to evaluate linearity of standard curves. Diagnostic sensitivity and reproducibility were evaluated using artificial SARS-CoV-2. Specificity was evaluated with 61 other respiratory pathogens. Diagnostic performance was evaluated by testing two sputum and nine oropharyngeal swab specimens. The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was used to screen SARS-CoV-2 RNA in blood donor specimens collected during the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 in Chengdu. RESULTS Limits of detection of the SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assay for N and ORF 1ab gene were 12.5 and 27.58 copies/mL, respectively. Intra-assay and interassay for the SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assay based on cycle threshold were acceptably low. No cross-reactivity was observed with other respiratory virus and bacterial isolates. The overall agreement value between the SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assay and clinical diagnostic results was 100%. A total of 16 287 blood specimens collected from blood donors during SARS-CoV-2 surveillance were tested negative. CONCLUSIONS A high-throughput NAT screening system was developed for SARS-CoV-2 screening of blood donations during the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Li
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuwei Zhao
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Ying Li
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Xue Chen
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Dongxia Luo
- Teaching & Research Department, Public Health and Clinical Center of Chengdu, Chengdu, China
| | - Mei Luo
- Infectious Disease Research Laboratory, Public Health and Clinical Center of Chengdu, Chengdu, China
| | - Jue Hou
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Juan Liu
- Productresearch & Development Department, Sansure Biotechnology Company, Changsha, China
| | - Humin Liu
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Huan Wang
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Yufang Dong
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Lanjiang Zhang
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Maosheng Ji
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Caibing Wei
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Wen Li
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Jialiang Gao
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
| | - Hua Shan
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Xuemei Fu
- Blood Research Laboratory, Chengdu Blood Center, Chengdu, China
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191
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Luchsinger LL, Ransegnola B, Jin D, Muecksch F, Weisblum Y, Bao W, George PJ, Rodriguez M, Tricoche N, Schmidt F, Gao C, Jawahar S, Pal M, Schnall E, Zhang H, Strauss D, Yazdanbakhsh K, Hillyer CD, Bieniasz PD, Hatziioannou T. Serological Assays Estimate Highly Variable SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody Activity in Recovered COVID19 Patients. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2020. [PMID: 32577675 PMCID: PMC7302251 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.08.20124792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The development of neutralizing antibodies (nAb) against SARS-CoV-2, following infection or vaccination, is likely to be critical for the development of sufficient population immunity to drive cessation of the COVID19 pandemic. A large number of serologic tests, platforms and methodologies are being employed to determine seroprevalence in populations to select convalescent plasmas for therapeutic trials, and to guide policies about reopening. However, tests have substantial variability in sensitivity and specificity, and their ability to quantitatively predict levels of nAb is unknown. We collected 370 unique donors enrolled in the New York Blood Center Convalescent Plasma Program between April and May of 2020. We measured levels of antibodies in convalescent plasma using commercially available SARS-CoV- 2 detection tests and in-house ELISA assays and correlated serological measurements with nAb activity measured using pseudotyped virus particles, which offer the most informative assessment of antiviral activity of patient sera against viral infection. Our data show that a large proportion of convalescent plasma samples have modest antibody levels and that commercially available tests have varying degrees of accuracy in predicting nAb activity. We found the Ortho Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Total Ig and IgG high throughput serological assays (HTSAs), as well as the Abbott SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay, quantify levels of antibodies that strongly correlate with nAb assays and are consistent with gold-standard ELISA assay results. These findings provide immediate clinical relevance to serology results that can be equated to nAb activity and could serve as a valuable ‘roadmap’ to guide the choice and interpretation of serological tests for SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry L Luchsinger
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Regenerative Research, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Brett Ransegnola
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Regenerative Research, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel Jin
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Regenerative Research, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Frauke Muecksch
- Laboratory of Retrovirology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yiska Weisblum
- Laboratory of Retrovirology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Weili Bao
- Laboratory of Complement Biology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Parakkal Jovvian George
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Marilis Rodriguez
- Laboratory of Blood-Borne Parasites, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nancy Tricoche
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Fabian Schmidt
- Laboratory of Retrovirology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Chengjie Gao
- Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shabnam Jawahar
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Mouli Pal
- Laboratory of Complement Biology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Emily Schnall
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Huan Zhang
- Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Donna Strauss
- New York Blood Center Enterprises, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Karina Yazdanbakhsh
- Laboratory of Complement Biology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christopher D Hillyer
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Regenerative Research, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, NY 10065, USA.,New York Blood Center Enterprises, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Paul D Bieniasz
- Laboratory of Retrovirology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY 10016, USA
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192
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Survival and predictors of deaths of patients hospitalised due to COVID-19 from a retrospective and multicentre cohort study in Brazil. Epidemiol Infect 2020; 148:e198. [PMID: 32892789 PMCID: PMC7487752 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268820002034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to analyse the survival of patients admitted to Brazilian hospitals due to the COVID-19 and estimate prognostic factors. This is a retrospective, multicentre cohort study, based on data from 46 285 hospitalisations for COVID-19 in Brazil. Survival functions were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier's method. The log-rank test compared the survival functions for each variable and from that, hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated, and the proportional hazard model was used in Cox multiple regression. The smallest survival curves were the ones for patients at the age of 68 years or more, black/mixed race, illiterate, living in the countryside, dyspnoea, respiratory distress, influenza-like outbreak, O2 saturation <95%, X-ray change, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), invasive ventilatory support, previous heart disease, pneumopathy, diabetes, Down's syndrome, neurological disease and kidney disease. Better survival was observed in the influenza-like outbreak and in an asthmatic patient. The multiple model for increased risk of death when they were admitted to the ICU HR 1.28, diabetes HR 1.17, neurological disease HR 1.34, kidney disease HR 1.11, heart disease HR 1.14, black or mixed race of HR 1.50, asthma HR 0.71 and pneumopathy HR 1.12. This reinforces the importance of socio-demographic and clinical factors as a prognosis for death.
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193
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Costanzo L, Failla G, Antignani PL, Fareed J, Gu Y, Pitha J, Aluigi L, Karplus T, Mansilha A. The vascular side of COVID-19 disease. Position paper of the International Union of Angiology. INT ANGIOL 2020; 39:445-451. [PMID: 32892615 DOI: 10.23736/s0392-9590.20.04539-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19) is causing an ongoing pandemic and potentially fatal disease. Development of coagulopathy with thrombotic complications such as deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are emerging as factors for progression to severe disease and death. Also, a markedly increased level of D-dimer, a protein product of fibrin degradation, has been associated to mortality. Furthermore, activation of immune response due to virus infection may led to uncontrolled severe inflammation with damage to host cells and induction of endotheliitis and cellular apoptosis and pyroptosis. The use of low molecular weight heparin in early stage of the disease could prevent vascular complications and reduce the progression to severe stage of the disease. Aim of this paper was to summarize current evidence about vascular involvement in COVID-19 disease and potential antithrombotic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Costanzo
- Unit of Angiology, Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular, Policlinico-San Marco University Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy -
| | - Giacomo Failla
- Unit of Angiology, Department of Cardio-Thoraco-Vascular, Policlinico-San Marco University Hospital, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Jawied Fareed
- Hemostasis and Thrombosis Research Laboratories, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Yongquan Gu
- Department of Vascular Surgery, XuanWu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jan Pitha
- Laboratory for Atherosclerosis Research, Center for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Leonardo Aluigi
- Angiology Care Unit, Private Villalba Hospital (GVM), Bologna, Italy
| | - Thomas Karplus
- Department of Vascular Medicine, Sydney Local Health District, Concord Hospital, Sidney, Australia
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194
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Kolakowsky-Hayner SA, Goldin Y. Sex and Gender Issues for Individuals With Acquired Brain Injury During COVID-19: A Commentary. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2020; 101:2253-2255. [PMID: 32891634 PMCID: PMC7470884 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Worldwide, the rehabilitation community has been affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The effect of COVID-19 has been disproportionately devastating for individuals with disabilities, particularly those with acquired brain injury (ABI) owing to injury-related cognitive or sensory and physical difficulties. Many physical and psychological symptoms of COVID-19 are already well-known issues for individuals with ABI. Even in a fully functional social and health care system, post-ABI deficits can pose greater challenges to women and other marginalized groups, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender-nonconforming, and queer or questioning-identified individuals. The restrictions and changes brought about by COVID-19 have the potential to broaden the existing disparities and limitations. This commentary highlights 3 key areas to attend to during this pandemic to help assuage such disparities and limitations.
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195
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Schoeman D, Fielding BC. Is There a Link Between the Pathogenic Human Coronavirus Envelope Protein and Immunopathology? A Review of the Literature. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:2086. [PMID: 33013759 PMCID: PMC7496634 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.02086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, human coronaviruses (hCoVs) have been identified as causative agents of severe acute respiratory tract infections. Two more hCoV outbreaks have since occurred, the most recent being SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The clinical presentation of SARS and MERS is remarkably similar to COVID-19, with hyperinflammation causing a severe form of the disease in some patients. Previous studies show that the expression of the SARS-CoV E protein is associated with the hyperinflammatory response that could culminate in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a potentially fatal complication. This immune-mediated damage is largely caused by a cytokine storm, which is induced by significantly elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6, which are partly mediated by the expression of the SARS-CoV E protein. The interaction between the SARS-CoV E protein and the host protein, syntenin, as well as the viroporin function of SARS-CoV E, are linked to this cytokine dysregulation. This review aims to compare the clinical presentation of virulent hCoVs with a specific focus on the cause of the immunopathology. The review also proposes that inhibition of IL-1β and IL-6 in severe cases can improve patient outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Burtram C. Fielding
- Molecular Biology and Virology Research Laboratory, Department of Medical Biosciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
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196
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J A, Francis D, C S S, K G A, C S, Variyar EJ. Repurposing simeprevir, calpain inhibitor IV and a cathepsin F inhibitor against SARS-CoV-2 and insights into their interactions with M pro. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2020; 40:325-336. [PMID: 32873185 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2020.1813200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The world has come to a sudden halt due to the incessant spread of a viral pneumonia dubbed COVID-19 caused by the beta-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. The main protease of SARS-CoV-2 plays a key role in the replication and propagation of the virus in the host cells. Inhibiting the protease blocks the replication of the virus; therefore it is considered as an attractive therapeutic target. Here we describe the screening of the DrugBank database, a public repository for small molecule therapeutics, to identify approved or experimental phase drugs that can be repurposed against the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. The initial screening was performed on more than 13,000 drug entries in the target database using an energy optimised pharmacophore hypothesis AARRR. A sub-set of the molecules selected based on the fitness score was further screened using molecular docking by sequentially filtering the molecules through the high throughput virtual screening, extra precision and standard precision docking modalities. The best hits were subjected to binding free energy estimation using the MM-GBSA method. Approved drugs viz, Cobicistat, Larotrectinib and Simeprevir were identified as potential candidates for repurposing. Drugs in the discovery phase identified as inhibitors include the known cysteine protease inhibitors, Calpain inhibitor IV and an experimental cathepsin F inhibitor. In order to analyse the stability of the binding interactions, the known cysteine protease inhibitors viz, Simeprevir, calpain inhibitor IV and the cathepsin F inhibitor in complex Mpro were subjected to molecular dynamics simulations at 100 ns. Based on the results Simeprevir was found to be a strong inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhithaj J
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Kannur University, Kannur, India
| | - Dileep Francis
- Department of Life Sciences, Kristu Jayanti College (Autonomous), Bengaluru, India
| | - Sharanya C S
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Kannur University, Kannur, India
| | - Arun K G
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Kannur University, Kannur, India
| | - Sadasivan C
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Kannur University, Kannur, India
| | - E Jayadevi Variyar
- Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Kannur University, Kannur, India
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197
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Neurologic Manifestations and Complications of SARS-CoV-2 Infection. INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1097/ipc.0000000000000901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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198
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Ang L, Lee HW, Kim A, Lee MS. Herbal medicine for the management of COVID-19 during the medical observation period: A review of guidelines. Integr Med Res 2020; 9:100465. [PMID: 32691000 PMCID: PMC7328533 DOI: 10.1016/j.imr.2020.100465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Medical observation period is a period of 14 days after any exposure to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred. This review aimed to summarize and analyze the herbs and herbal formulae recommended by available guidelines. METHODS A total of 14 sources were searched for potential guidelines that provide herbal medicine treatment for the medical observation period of COVID-19. We summarized and analyzed the recommended herbal formulae and performed a network analysis to identify the relationship between herbs. RESULTS We found 9 guidelines that provide herbal formula for medical observation based on clinical manifestation. There are 12 herbal formulae with a total of 53 herbs recommended by the guidelines. The result of our network analysis showed that the herb Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (Chen Pi) strongly paired with the herb Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Gan Cao). CONCLUSION This review briefly summarized the usage of herbal medicine for the medical observation period of COVID-19 and may serve as a reference for future studies. More research is needed in the future to provide evidence on the usage of herbal medicine in various phases of COVID-10.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Ang
- Clinical Medicine Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Korean Convergence Medicine, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Won Lee
- Herbal Medicine Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Anna Kim
- Future Medicine Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeong Soo Lee
- Clinical Medicine Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Korean Convergence Medicine, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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199
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200
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Olaimat AN, Aolymat I, Elsahoryi N, Shahbaz HM, Holley RA. Attitudes, Anxiety, and Behavioral Practices Regarding COVID-19 among University Students in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 103:1177-1183. [PMID: 32662398 PMCID: PMC7470553 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic represents a major public health, economic, political, and scientific concern in most countries around the globe where COVID-19 cases and deaths have been confirmed. This study assessed the attitudes, anxiety, and behavioral practices of university students in Jordan regarding COVID-19 during the early period of the infection (March 19-21, 2020) using a validated, self-administered survey questionnaire. Positive attitudes or low-risk practices were given 1 point, whereas negative attitudes or high-risk practices were scored 0. Percentages of the total score were used for categorizing data into negative attitudes or high-risk practices (≤ 60%), moderate attitudes or moderate-risk practices (60.01-80%), and positive attitudes or low-risk practices (> 80%). Generally, the university students displayed positive attitudes and low-risk practices toward preventing COVID-19, with an average score of 81.1% and 84.3%, respectively. Approximately two-thirds (69.1%) of the students showed a positive attitude toward COVID-19 seriousness, concern of contracting the virus, and the appropriate prevention measures, and low-risk practices (67.6%) toward preventing COVID-19 including implementation of social distancing and good hygiene. Female, older, medical, or postgraduate students practiced significantly more (P ≤ 0.05) appropriate hygiene and social distancing behaviors toward COVID-19 than their counterparts of each group. More than two-thirds (69.2%) of the students were anxious that they might become infected with COVID-19. These results are important for health authorities to develop appropriate educational programs and protective health measures including good respiratory etiquette and handwashing practices, to enhance safer lifestyles and prevent COVID-19 transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin N. Olaimat
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Iman Aolymat
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Nour Elsahoryi
- Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Petra, Amman, Jordan
| | - Hafiz M. Shahbaz
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Richard A. Holley
- Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
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