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Luo H, Ren Y. Analysis of COVID-19 Collective Irrationalities Based on Epidemic Psychology. Front Psychol 2022; 13:825452. [PMID: 35386891 PMCID: PMC8977506 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.825452] [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: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
As the SARS-CoV-2 virus swept the world in late 2019, it has brought widespread fear, some suspicion, and degrees of stigma. In the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemics, a series of collective irrationalities such as panic buying, protest marches against vaccines, and pandemic stigma occurred. This phenomenon is inseparable from the spread of rumors about the epidemic. The advent of social media has radically changed the way we consume information and form opinions and made a flood of digital misinformation becoming ubiquitous. The diffusion of false rumors affects the public’s perception of reality and disrupts the prevention of the epidemic. This paper analyzes the COVID-19 collective irrationalities from epidemic psychology to provide a new reference view for overcoming psychological problems related to COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Luo
- Department of Orthopedics, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, China
| | - Yu Ren
- Department of Pharmacy, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, China
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2
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García-Botella A, García-Lledó A, Gómez-Pavón J, González Del Castillo J, Hernández-Sampelayo T, Martín-Delgado MC, Martín Sánchez FJ, Martínez-Sellés M, Molero García JM, Moreno Guillén S, Rodríguez-Artalejo FJ, Ruiz-Galiana J, Cantón R, De Lucas Ramos P, Bouza E. Booster or additional vaccination doses in patients vaccinated against COVID-19. REVISTA ESPANOLA DE QUIMIOTERAPIA : PUBLICACION OFICIAL DE LA SOCIEDAD ESPANOLA DE QUIMIOTERAPIA 2022; 35:105-114. [PMID: 34775740 PMCID: PMC8972704 DOI: 10.37201/req/149.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Several health organizations, mainly in Western countries, have recently authorized the use of a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for patients previously vaccinated with mRNA vaccines, with criteria that do not always coincide. The COVID Scientific Committee of the Illustrious College of Physicians of Madrid (ICOMEM) has received and asked several questions about this situation, to which the group has tried to give answers, after deliberation and consensus. The efficacy of the vaccines administered so far is beyond doubt and they have managed to reduce, fundamentally, the severe forms of the disease. The duration of this protection is not well known, is different in different individuals and for different variants of the virus and is not easily predictable with laboratory tests. Data on the real impact of a supplementary or "booster" dose in the scientific literature are scarce for the moment and its application in large populations such as those in the state of Israel may be associated with a decrease in the risk of new and severe episodes in the short observation period available. We also lack sufficient data on the safety and potential adverse effects of these supplementary doses and we do not know the ideal time to administer them in different situations. In this state of affairs, it seems prudent to administer supplemental doses to those exposed to a higher risk, such as immunocompromised individuals and the elderly. On the other hand, we consider that this is not the time to accelerate, on the spur of the moment, a massive administration of a third dose to other population groups that are less exposed and at lower risk, without waiting for adequate scientific information, which will undoubtedly arrive gradually. We do not believe that this position is incompatible with the practical and ethical warnings made by the World Health Organization in this respect.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - E Bouza
- Servicio de Microbiología Clínica y Enfermedades Infecciosas del Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Universidad Complutense. CIBERES. Ciber de Enfermedades Respiratorias. Madrid, Spain.
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3
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McColl K, Debin M, Souty C, Guerrisi C, Turbelin C, Falchi A, Bonmarin I, Paolotti D, Obi C, Duggan J, Moreno Y, Wisniak A, Flahault A, Blanchon T, Colizza V, Raude J. Are People Optimistically Biased about the Risk of COVID-19 Infection? Lessons from the First Wave of the Pandemic in Europe. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:436. [PMID: 35010707 PMCID: PMC8744599 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Unrealistic optimism, the underestimation of one's risk of experiencing harm, has been investigated extensively to understand better and predict behavioural responses to health threats. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a relative dearth of research existed in this domain regarding epidemics, which is surprising considering that this optimistic bias has been associated with a lack of engagement in protective behaviours critical in fighting twenty-first-century, emergent, infectious diseases. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by investigating whether people demonstrated optimism bias during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, how this changed over time, and whether unrealistic optimism was negatively associated with protective measures. Taking advantage of a pre-existing international participative influenza surveillance network (n = 12,378), absolute and comparative unrealistic optimism were measured at three epidemic stages (pre-, early, peak), and across four countries-France, Italy, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Despite differences in culture and health response, similar patterns were observed across all four countries. The prevalence of unrealistic optimism appears to be influenced by the particular epidemic context. Paradoxically, whereas absolute unrealistic optimism decreased over time, comparative unrealistic optimism increased, suggesting that whilst people became increasingly accurate in assessing their personal risk, they nonetheless overestimated that for others. Comparative unrealistic optimism was negatively associated with the adoption of protective behaviours, which is worrying, given that these preventive measures are critical in tackling the spread and health burden of COVID-19. It is hoped these findings will inspire further research into sociocognitive mechanisms involved in risk appraisal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen McColl
- Unite des Virus Emergents, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement 190, Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) 1207, Health, Aix-Marseille University, 13009 Marseille, France;
- École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique (EHESP) French School of Public Health, 35043 Rennes, France
| | - Marion Debin
- Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (M.D.); (C.S.); (C.G.); (C.T.); (T.B.); (V.C.)
| | - Cecile Souty
- Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (M.D.); (C.S.); (C.G.); (C.T.); (T.B.); (V.C.)
| | - Caroline Guerrisi
- Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (M.D.); (C.S.); (C.G.); (C.T.); (T.B.); (V.C.)
| | - Clement Turbelin
- Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (M.D.); (C.S.); (C.G.); (C.T.); (T.B.); (V.C.)
| | - Alessandra Falchi
- Laboratoire de Virologie, Unité de Recherche 7310, Université de Corse, 20250 Corte, France;
| | | | - Daniela Paolotti
- Istituto per l’Interscambio Scientifico, ISI Foundation, 10126 Turin, Italy;
| | | | - Jim Duggan
- School of Computer Science, National University of Ireland, H91 TK33 Galway, Ireland;
| | - Yamir Moreno
- Institute for Biocomputation and Physics and Complex Systems, University of Zaragoza, 50001 Zaragoza, Spain;
| | - Ania Wisniak
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; (A.W.); (A.F.)
| | - Antoine Flahault
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland; (A.W.); (A.F.)
| | - Thierry Blanchon
- Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (M.D.); (C.S.); (C.G.); (C.T.); (T.B.); (V.C.)
| | - Vittoria Colizza
- Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP), Sorbonne Université, F-75012 Paris, France; (M.D.); (C.S.); (C.G.); (C.T.); (T.B.); (V.C.)
| | - Jocelyn Raude
- Unite des Virus Emergents, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement 190, Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) 1207, Health, Aix-Marseille University, 13009 Marseille, France;
- École des Hautes Études en Santé Publique (EHESP) French School of Public Health, 35043 Rennes, France
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Xu Y, Xu D, Luo L, Ma F, Wang P, Li H, Li Q, Wei L, Diao J, Liu Y, Zhang W, Zheng X. A Cross-Sectional Survey on COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Parents From Shandong vs. Zhejiang. Front Public Health 2021; 9:779720. [PMID: 34805084 PMCID: PMC8602062 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.779720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: With the approval of COVID-19 vaccinations for children and adolescents in China, parental vaccine hesitancy will emerge as a new challenge with regard to the administration of these vaccines. However, little is known regarding this hesitancy as well as regional differences that may exist between parents from Shandong vs. Zhejiang. Methods: To assess these issues, an online survey was conducted via a Wenjuanxing platform over the period from July 22 to August 14, 2021. Parents from Shandong and Zhejiang were recruited from Wechat groups and results from a total of 917 subjects were analyzed. Factors evaluated in this survey included socio-demographic variables, parental vaccine hesitancy, Parental Attitudes toward Childhood Vaccines (PACV) domains (behavior, safety and efficacy, general attitudes) and social support. Results: Compared with those from Shandong (N = 443), parents from Zhejiang (N = 474) showed significantly higher prevalence rates of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (19.4 vs. 11.7%, p = 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that yearly household incomes of ≥120,000 RMB (p = 0.041), medical workers (p = 0.022) and general attitudes of PACV (p = 0.004) were risk factors for vaccine hesitancy among parents from Shandong, while behavior (p = 0.004), safety and efficacy (p < 0.001) and general attitudes of PACV (p = 0.002) were risk factors for parents from Zhejiang. Among parents with vaccine hesitancy (N = 144), concerns over side effects (91.0%) and unknown effects (84.0%) of the COVID-19 vaccine were the most prevalent reasons for hesitancy. Evidence providing proof of vaccine safety (67.4%) and assurance of a low risk of being infected by COVID-19 (60.4%) were the two most effective persuasive factors. Conclusion: Parents from Zhejiang showed a higher prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy as compared with those from Shandong. Behavior, safety and efficacy, and general attitudes of PACV were the risk factors associated with this hesitancy in these parents from Zhejiang. Given the identification of the various reasons for parental vaccine hesitancy, different strategies as well as regional adjustments in these strategies will be required for an effective and convincing protocol for childhood vaccinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun Xu
- Department of Neurology, Dongyang People's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dongjuan Xu
- Department of Neurology, Dongyang People's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liyan Luo
- Department of Epidemiology, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Fengqiao Ma
- Department of Neurology, Dongyang People's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Hongfei Li
- Department of Neurology, Dongyang People's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Lianyan Wei
- Department of Neurology, Dongyang People's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiuzhou Diao
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Weiqiang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Dongyang People's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaolei Zheng
- Department of Neurology, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Chandu VC, Baddam VRR, Mupparapu M, Marella Y. Vaccination induced complacency in adherence to COVID-19 precautionary measures among oral health care professionals in India and the United States: a retrospective pretest-posttest design. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17:5105-5113. [PMID: 34613854 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1978794] [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: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination-induced behavioral complacency in adherence to COVID-19 appropriate behavior emerged as a significant concern. This study was conducted among a convenience sample of 540 oral health care professionals in India and the United States. This was a retrospective pretest-post-test design, a choice to eliminate response-shift bias, where the participants responded online on their adherence or otherwise to COVID-19 precautionary measures before and after vaccination. The difference between post-test and retrospective pretest scores was used in assessing the magnitude of complacency demonstrated by the individual as a function of getting vaccinated, and the process was validated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with principal axis factoring and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on two randomly split subsets of the overall sample. It was observed that there had been a decline in the adherence to all the considered COVID-19 precautionary measures from the time before vaccination to the time of achievement of the fully vaccinated status. EFA performed on the randomly split sub sample of 240 subjects returned a two factor solution with five items in factor 1 and seven items in factor 2. Items in both the factors demonstrated adequate internal consistency in reliability analysis (Cronbach's alpha 0.84 and 0.82, respectively). The two factor solution obtained in EFA demonstrated good model fit in CFA [RMSEA (90%CI) - 0.077 (0.063-0.092); TLI - 0.872; CFI - 0.897; SRMR - 0.056]. These results highlight the vaccination-induced complacency in observing COVID-19 appropriate behavior among oral health professionals in India and the United States.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viswa Chaitanya Chandu
- Department of Public Health Dentistry, Government Dental College and Hospital, Vijayawada, India
| | | | - Mel Mupparapu
- Department of Oral Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yamuna Marella
- Department of Periodontology, SIBAR Institute of Dental Sciences, Guntur, India
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Adeyanju GC, Engel E, Koch L, Ranzinger T, Shahid IBM, Head MG, Eitze S, Betsch C. Determinants of influenza vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women in Europe: a systematic review. Eur J Med Res 2021; 26:116. [PMID: 34583779 PMCID: PMC8477621 DOI: 10.1186/s40001-021-00584-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnant women are at high risk for severe influenza. However, maternal influenza vaccination uptake in most World Health Organization (WHO) European Region countries remains low, despite the presence of widespread national recommendations. An influenza vaccination reduces influenza-associated morbidity and mortality in pregnancy, as well as providing newborns with protection in their first months. Potential determinants of vaccine hesitancy need to be identified to develop strategies that can increase vaccine acceptance and uptake among pregnant women. The primary objective of the systematic review is to identify the individual determinants of influenza vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women in Europe, and how to overcome the hesitancy. METHODS Databases were searched for peer-reviewed qualitative and quantitative studies published between 2009 and 2019 inclusive. Databases included PubMed via MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, SAGE Journals, Taylor and Francis and Springer nature. These covered themes including psychology, medicine, and public health. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach, 11 studies were eligible and analyzed for significant determinants of influenza vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women in Europe. RESULTS The most commonly reported factors were psychological aspects, for example concerns about safety and risks to mother and child, or general low risk perception of becoming ill from influenza. Doubts about the effectiveness of the vaccine and a lack of knowledge about this topic were further factors. There was also influence of contextual factors, such as healthcare workers not providing adequate knowledge about the influenza vaccine or the pregnant lady stating their antivaccine sentiment. CONCLUSION Health promotion that specifically increases knowledge among pregnant women about influenza and vaccination is important, supporting a valid risk judgment by the pregnant lady. The development of new information strategies for dialogue between healthcare providers and pregnant women should form part of this strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gbadebo Collins Adeyanju
- Centre for Empirical Research in Economics and Behavioural Science (CEREB), University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany.
- Media and Communication Science, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany.
| | - Elena Engel
- Media and Communication Science, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Laura Koch
- Media and Communication Science, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Tabea Ranzinger
- Media and Communication Science, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
| | | | - Micheal G Head
- Clinical Informatics Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Sarah Eitze
- Centre for Empirical Research in Economics and Behavioural Science (CEREB), University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
- Media and Communication Science, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Cornelia Betsch
- Centre for Empirical Research in Economics and Behavioural Science (CEREB), University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
- Media and Communication Science, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
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Baccini M, Cereda G. Screening plans for SARS-CoV-2 based on sampling and rotation: An example in a European school setting. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0257099. [PMID: 34506536 PMCID: PMC8432749 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Screening plans for prevention and containment of SARS-CoV-2 infection should take into account the epidemic context, the fact that undetected infected individuals may transmit the disease and that the infection spreads through outbreaks, creating clusters in the population. In this paper, we compare through simulations the performance of six screening plans based on poorly sensitive individual tests, in detecting infection outbreaks at the level of single classes in a typical European school context. The performance evaluation is done by simulating different epidemic dynamics within the class during the four weeks following the day of the initial infection. The plans have different costs in terms of number of individual tests required for the screening and are based on recurrent evaluations on all students or subgroups of students in rotation. Especially in scenarios where the rate of contagion is high, at an equal cost, testing half of the class in rotation every week appears to be better in terms of sensitivity than testing all students every two weeks. Similarly, testing one-fourth of the students every week is comparable with testing all students every two weeks, despite the first one is a much cheaper strategy. In conclusion, we show that in the presence of natural clusters in the population, testing subgroups of individuals belonging to the same cluster in rotation may have a better performance than testing all the individuals less frequently. The proposed simulations approach can be extended to evaluate more complex screening plans than those presented in the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Baccini
- Department of Statistics, Computer Science, Applications (DISIA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Giulia Cereda
- Department of Statistics, Computer Science, Applications (DISIA), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Monzavi SM, Naderi M, Ahmadbeigi N, Kajbafzadeh AM, Muhammadnejad S. An outlook on antigen-specific adoptive immunotherapy for viral infections with a focus on COVID-19. Cell Immunol 2021; 367:104398. [PMID: 34217004 PMCID: PMC8214814 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2021.104398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Although not a standard-of-care yet, adoptive immunotherapeutic approaches have gradually earned a place within the list of antiviral therapies for some of fatal and hard-to-treat viral diseases. To maintain robust antiviral immunity and to effectively target the viral particles and virally-infected cells, immune cells capable of recognizing the viral antigens are required. While conventional vaccination can induce these cells in vivo; another option is to prime and generate antigen-specific immune cells ex vivo. This approach has been successfully trialed for virulent opportunistic viral infections after bone marrow transplantation. Amid the crisis of SARS-CoV2 pandemic, which has been followed by the success of certain early-authorized vaccines; some institutions and companies have explored the effects of viral-specific adoptive cell transfers (ACTs) in trials, as alternative treatments. Aimed at outlining a perspective on antigen-specific adoptive immunotherapy for viral infections, this review article specifically provides an appraisal of ACT-based studies/trials on SARS-CoV2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mostafa Monzavi
- Gene Therapy Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Pediatric Urology and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahmood Naderi
- Gene Therapy Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Naser Ahmadbeigi
- Gene Therapy Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdol-Mohammad Kajbafzadeh
- Pediatric Urology and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Department of Applied Cell Sciences, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Corresponding authors at: Pediatric Urology and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Children's Medical Center (A.M. Kajbafzadeh) and Gene Therapy Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (S. Muhammadnejad)
| | - Samad Muhammadnejad
- Gene Therapy Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Corresponding authors at: Pediatric Urology and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Children's Medical Center (A.M. Kajbafzadeh) and Gene Therapy Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (S. Muhammadnejad)
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9
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Antonio A, Wiedemann L, Galante E, Guimarães A, Matharu A, Veiga-Junior V. Efficacy and sustainability of natural products in COVID-19 treatment development: opportunities and challenges in using agro-industrial waste from Citrus and apple. Heliyon 2021; 7:e07816. [PMID: 34423146 PMCID: PMC8366044 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural products have been used in the treatment of illnesses throughout the history of humankind. Exploitation of bioactive compounds from natural sources can aid in the discovery of new drugs, provide the scaffold of new medicines. In the face of challenging diseases, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, for which there was no effective treatment, nature could offer insights as to novel therapeutic options for control measures. However, the environmental impact and supply chain of bioactive production must be carefully evaluated to ensure the detrimental effects will not outweigh the potential benefits gained. History has already proven that highly bioactive compounds can be rare and not suitable for medicinal exploitation; therefore, the sustainability must be accessed before expensive, time-demanding, and large trials can be initialized. A sustainable option to readily produce a phytotherapy with minimal environmental stress is the use of agro-industry wastes, a by-product produced in high quantities. In this review we evaluate the sustainability issues associated with the production of phytotherapy as a readily available tool for pandemic control.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.S. Antonio
- Chemical Engineering Section, Military Institute of Engineering, Praça General Tibúrcio, 80, Praia Vermelha, Urca, 22290-270, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Chemistry Department, Institute of Exact Sciences, Amazonas Federal University, Avenida Rodrigo Otávio, 6200, Coroado, 69077-000, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - L.S.M. Wiedemann
- Chemistry Department, Institute of Exact Sciences, Amazonas Federal University, Avenida Rodrigo Otávio, 6200, Coroado, 69077-000, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - E.B.F. Galante
- Chemical Engineering Section, Military Institute of Engineering, Praça General Tibúrcio, 80, Praia Vermelha, Urca, 22290-270, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - A.C. Guimarães
- Chemistry Department, Institute of Exact Sciences, Amazonas Federal University, Avenida Rodrigo Otávio, 6200, Coroado, 69077-000, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - A.S. Matharu
- Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, Department of Chemistry, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - V.F. Veiga-Junior
- Chemical Engineering Section, Military Institute of Engineering, Praça General Tibúrcio, 80, Praia Vermelha, Urca, 22290-270, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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10
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Tariq A, Banda JM, Skums P, Dahal S, Castillo-Garsow C, Espinoza B, Brizuela NG, Saenz RA, Kirpich A, Luo R, Srivastava A, Gutierrez H, Chan NG, Bento AI, Jimenez-Corona ME, Chowell G. Transmission dynamics and forecasts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, March-December 2020. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254826. [PMID: 34288969 PMCID: PMC8294497 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mexico has experienced one of the highest COVID-19 mortality rates in the world. A delayed implementation of social distancing interventions in late March 2020 and a phased reopening of the country in June 2020 has facilitated sustained disease transmission in the region. In this study we systematically generate and compare 30-day ahead forecasts using previously validated growth models based on mortality trends from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation for Mexico and Mexico City in near real-time. Moreover, we estimate reproduction numbers for SARS-CoV-2 based on the methods that rely on genomic data as well as case incidence data. Subsequently, functional data analysis techniques are utilized to analyze the shapes of COVID-19 growth rate curves at the state level to characterize the spatiotemporal transmission patterns of SARS-CoV-2. The early estimates of the reproduction number for Mexico were estimated between Rt ~1.1-1.3 from the genomic and case incidence data. Moreover, the mean estimate of Rt has fluctuated around ~1.0 from late July till end of September 2020. The spatial analysis characterizes the state-level dynamics of COVID-19 into four groups with distinct epidemic trajectories based on epidemic growth rates. Our results show that the sequential mortality forecasts from the GLM and Richards model predict a downward trend in the number of deaths for all thirteen forecast periods for Mexico and Mexico City. However, the sub-epidemic and IHME models perform better predicting a more realistic stable trajectory of COVID-19 mortality trends for the last three forecast periods (09/21-10/21, 09/28-10/27, 09/28-10/27) for Mexico and Mexico City. Our findings indicate that phenomenological models are useful tools for short-term epidemic forecasting albeit forecasts need to be interpreted with caution given the dynamic implementation and lifting of social distancing measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amna Tariq
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Juan M. Banda
- Department of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Pavel Skums
- Department of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Sushma Dahal
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Carlos Castillo-Garsow
- Department of Mathematics, Eastern Washington University, Cheney, Washington, United States of America
| | - Baltazar Espinoza
- Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, Network Systems Science and Advanced Computing Division, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Noel G. Brizuela
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | | | - Alexander Kirpich
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Ruiyan Luo
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Anuj Srivastava
- Department of Statistics, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America
| | - Humberto Gutierrez
- Department of Physics, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierias (CUCEI), University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Nestor Garcia Chan
- Department of Physics, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierias (CUCEI), University of Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Ana I. Bento
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | | | - Gerardo Chowell
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
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Hoang T, Nguyen TQ, Tran TTA. Genetic Susceptibility of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in Six Common Cancers and Possible Impacts on COVID-19. Cancer Res Treat 2021; 53:650-656. [PMID: 33421977 PMCID: PMC8291170 DOI: 10.4143/crt.2020.950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread worldwide rapidly and patients with cancer have been considered as a vulnerable group for this infection. This study aimed to examine the expressions of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) in tumor tissues of six common cancer types. MATERIALS AND METHODS The expression levels of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in tumors and control samples were obtained from online databases. Survival prognosis and biological functions of these genes were investigated for each tumor type. RESULTS There was the overexpression of ACE2 in colon and stomach adenocarcinomas compared to controls, meanwhile colon and prostate adenocarcinomas showed a significantly higher expression of TMPRSS2. Additionally, survival prognosis analysis has demonstrated that upregulation of ACE2 in liver hepatocellular carcinoma was associated with higher overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.65; p=0.016) and disease-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.66; p=0.007), while overexpression of TMPRSS2 was associated with a 26% reduced risk of death in lung adenocarcinoma (p=0.047) but 50% increased risk of death in breast invasive carcinoma (p=0.015). CONCLUSION There is a need to take extra precautions for COVID-19 in patients with colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, and lung cancer. Further information on other types of cancer at different stages should be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tung Hoang
- Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Danang, Vietnam
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Duy Tan University, Danang, Vietnam
| | - Trung Quang Nguyen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nghe An Oncology Hospital, Nghe An, Vietnam
| | - Tho Thi Anh Tran
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nghe An Oncology Hospital, Nghe An, Vietnam
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Effects of a 2-Week 5000 IU versus 1000 IU Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Recovery of Symptoms in Patients with Mild to Moderate Covid-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13072170. [PMID: 34202578 PMCID: PMC8308273 DOI: 10.3390/nu13072170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 severity. This multi-center randomized clinical trial aims to determine the effects of 5000 IU versus 1000 IU daily oral vitamin D3 supplementation in the recovery of symptoms and other clinical parameters among mild to moderate COVID-19 patients with sub-optimal vitamin D status. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING A total of 69 reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) SARS-CoV-2 positive adults who were hospitalized for mild to moderate COVID-19 disease were allocated to receive once daily for 2 weeks either 5000 IU oral vitamin D3 (n = 36, 21 males; 15 females) or 1000 IU oral vitamin D3 (standard control) (n = 33, 13 males; 20 females). Anthropometrics were measured and blood samples were taken pre- and post-supplementation. Fasting blood glucose, lipids, serum 25(OH)D, and inflammatory markers were measured. COVID-19 symptoms were noted on admission and monitored until full recovery. RESULTS Vitamin D supplementation for 2 weeks caused a significant increase in serum 25(OH)D levels in the 5000 IU group only (adjusted p = 0.003). Within-group comparisons also showed a significant decrease in BMI and IL-6 levels overtime in both groups (p-values < 0.05) but was not clinically significant in between-group comparisons. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the 5000 IU group had a significantly shorter time to recovery (days) than the 1000 IU group in resolving cough, even after adjusting for age, sex, baseline BMI, and D-dimer (6.2 ± 0.8 versus 9.1 ± 0.8; p = 0.039), and ageusia (loss of taste) (11.4 ± 1.0 versus 16.9 ± 1.7; p = 0.035). CONCLUSION A 5000 IU daily oral vitamin D3 supplementation for 2 weeks reduces the time to recovery for cough and gustatory sensory loss among patients with sub-optimal vitamin D status and mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms. The use of 5000 IU vitamin D3 as an adjuvant therapy for COVID-19 patients with suboptimal vitamin D status, even for a short duration, is recommended.
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Anand U, Cabreros C, Mal J, Ballesteros F, Sillanpää M, Tripathi V, Bontempi E. Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: From transmission to control with an interdisciplinary vision. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 197:111126. [PMID: 33831411 PMCID: PMC8020611 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
There a lot of review papers addressing specific COVID-19 research sectors, then devoted to specialists. This review provides an in-depth summary of the available information about SARS-CoV-2 and the corresponding disease (also known as COVID-19), with a multi-disciplinary approach. After the paper introduction, the first section treats the virological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, the medical implications of the infection, and the human susceptivity. Great attention is devoted to the factor affecting the infection routes, distinguishing among the possible human-to-human, environmental-to-human, and pollution-to-human transmission mechanisms. The second section is devoted to reporting the impact of SARS-CoV-2 not only on the healthcare systems but also on the economy and society. The third section is devoted to non-pharmaceutical behaviours against COVID-19. In this context, this review section presents an analysis of the European second wave allowing not only to focalize the importance of some restrictions, but also the relevance of social acceptance of some measures. The data reassumed in this work are very useful for interdisciplinary researchers that work in a team to find the basic available information about all the aspects connected with this pandemic (from virus diffusion mechanism to health information, from economic and social impacts to measures to reduce the pandemic spread), with great attention to social acceptance of restriction measures and of vaccines (that currently results to be insufficient to achieve community immunity). Then, this review paper highlights the fundamental role of the trans-multi-disciplinary research that is devoted not only to understand the basics of the pandemic to propose solutions but has also the commitment to find strategies to increase population resilience. For this aim, the authors strongly suggest the establishment of an international health-care trans-multi-disciplinary workforce devoted to investigate, mitigate, and control also future viral events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uttpal Anand
- Department of Life Sciences, National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion, University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Carlo Cabreros
- Environmental Engineering Program, National Graduate School of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Joyabrata Mal
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Florencio Ballesteros
- Environmental Engineering Program, National Graduate School of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines; Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Mika Sillanpää
- Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, 550000, Viet Nam; Faculty of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, 550000, Viet Nam; School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Vijay Tripathi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Engineering, Jacob Institute of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, 211007, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Elza Bontempi
- INSTM and Chemistry for Technologies, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
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Anand U, Cabreros C, Mal J, Ballesteros F, Sillanpää M, Tripathi V, Bontempi E. Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: From transmission to control with an interdisciplinary vision. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 197:111126. [PMID: 33831411 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021a.111126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
There a lot of review papers addressing specific COVID-19 research sectors, then devoted to specialists. This review provides an in-depth summary of the available information about SARS-CoV-2 and the corresponding disease (also known as COVID-19), with a multi-disciplinary approach. After the paper introduction, the first section treats the virological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, the medical implications of the infection, and the human susceptivity. Great attention is devoted to the factor affecting the infection routes, distinguishing among the possible human-to-human, environmental-to-human, and pollution-to-human transmission mechanisms. The second section is devoted to reporting the impact of SARS-CoV-2 not only on the healthcare systems but also on the economy and society. The third section is devoted to non-pharmaceutical behaviours against COVID-19. In this context, this review section presents an analysis of the European second wave allowing not only to focalize the importance of some restrictions, but also the relevance of social acceptance of some measures. The data reassumed in this work are very useful for interdisciplinary researchers that work in a team to find the basic available information about all the aspects connected with this pandemic (from virus diffusion mechanism to health information, from economic and social impacts to measures to reduce the pandemic spread), with great attention to social acceptance of restriction measures and of vaccines (that currently results to be insufficient to achieve community immunity). Then, this review paper highlights the fundamental role of the trans-multi-disciplinary research that is devoted not only to understand the basics of the pandemic to propose solutions but has also the commitment to find strategies to increase population resilience. For this aim, the authors strongly suggest the establishment of an international health-care trans-multi-disciplinary workforce devoted to investigate, mitigate, and control also future viral events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uttpal Anand
- Department of Life Sciences, National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion, University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel
| | - Carlo Cabreros
- Environmental Engineering Program, National Graduate School of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Joyabrata Mal
- Department of Biotechnology, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, Prayagraj, 211004, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Florencio Ballesteros
- Environmental Engineering Program, National Graduate School of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines; Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines, 1101, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Mika Sillanpää
- Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, 550000, Viet Nam; Faculty of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, 550000, Viet Nam; School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Vijay Tripathi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Engineering, Jacob Institute of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj, 211007, Uttar Pradesh, India.
| | - Elza Bontempi
- INSTM and Chemistry for Technologies, University of Brescia, Via Branze 38, 25123, Brescia, Italy.
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15
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Chen L, Zhou X, Han X, Shi A, Cheng Z, Mou H. Addressing People's Vaccine Hesitancy Will Be Helpful for COVID-19 Vaccination in China. Asia Pac J Public Health 2021; 33:603-604. [PMID: 34049449 DOI: 10.1177/10105395211018175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Chen
- Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xinfa Zhou
- Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Han
- Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Anqichen Shi
- Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhe Cheng
- Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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Humeyestewa D, Burke RM, Kaur H, Vicenti D, Jenkins R, Yatabe G, Hirschman J, Hamilton J, Fazekas K, Leslie G, Sehongva G, Honanie K, Tu'tsi E, Mayer O, Rose MA, Diallo Y, Damon S, Zilversmit Pao L, McCraw HM, Talawyma B, Herne M, Nuvangyaoma TL, Welch S, Balajee SA. COVID-19 response by the Hopi Tribe: impact of systems improvement during the first wave on the second wave of the pandemic. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 6:bmjgh-2021-005150. [PMID: 33963017 PMCID: PMC8108130 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation home to ~7500 Hopi persons living primarily in 12 remote villages. The Hopi Tribe, like many other American Indian nations, has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. On 18 May 2020, a team from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was deployed on the request of the tribe in response to increases in COVID-19 cases. Collaborating with Hopi Health Care Center (the reservation’s federally run Indian Health Service health facility) and CDC, the Hopi strengthened public health systems and response capacity from May to August including: (1) implementing routine COVID-19 surveillance reporting; (2) establishing the Hopi Incident Management Authority for rapid coordination and implementation of response activities across partners; (3) implementing a community surveillance programme to facilitate early case detection and educate communities on COVID-19 prevention; and (4) applying innovative communication strategies to encourage mask wearing, hand hygiene and physical distancing. These efforts, as well as community adherence to mitigation measures, helped to drive down cases in August. As cases increased in September–November, the improved capacity gained during the first wave of the pandemic enabled the Hopi leadership to have real-time awareness of the changing epidemiological landscape. This prompted rapid response coordination, swift scale up of health communications and redeployment of the community surveillance programme. The Hopi experience in strengthening their public health systems to better confront COVID-19 may be informative to other indigenous peoples as they also respond to COVID-19 within the context of disproportionate burden.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rachel M Burke
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Harpriya Kaur
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | | | | | - Graydon Yatabe
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | | | - Kathleen Fazekas
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Gary Leslie
- Hopi Health Care Center, Polacca, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Kay Honanie
- Hopi Health Care Center, Polacca, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Oren Mayer
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Michelle Ann Rose
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Yvette Diallo
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Scott Damon
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Leah Zilversmit Pao
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - H Mac McCraw
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Mose Herne
- Hopi Health Care Center, Polacca, Arizona, USA
| | | | - Seh Welch
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - S Arunmozhi Balajee
- COVID-19 Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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17
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Flood CM, Thomas B, Wilson K. Vaccination obligatoire des travailleurs de la santé: analyse juridique et politique. CMAJ 2021; 193:E629-E633. [PMID: 33903139 PMCID: PMC8101978 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.202755-f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Colleen M Flood
- Faculté de droit - Section de common law (Flood, Thomas), et Faculté de médecine - École d'épidémiologie et de santé publique (Wilson), Université d'Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont; Institut de recherche Bruyère (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont; Institut de recherche de l'Hôpital d'Ottawa (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont
| | - Bryan Thomas
- Faculté de droit - Section de common law (Flood, Thomas), et Faculté de médecine - École d'épidémiologie et de santé publique (Wilson), Université d'Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont; Institut de recherche Bruyère (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont; Institut de recherche de l'Hôpital d'Ottawa (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont.
| | - Kumanan Wilson
- Faculté de droit - Section de common law (Flood, Thomas), et Faculté de médecine - École d'épidémiologie et de santé publique (Wilson), Université d'Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont; Institut de recherche Bruyère (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont; Institut de recherche de l'Hôpital d'Ottawa (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont
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18
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Dai H, Han J, Lichtfouse E. Smarter cures to combat COVID-19 and future pathogens: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS 2021; 19:2759-2771. [PMID: 33824633 PMCID: PMC8017513 DOI: 10.1007/s10311-021-01224-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Prevention is better than cure. A milestone of the anthropocene is the emergence of a series of epidemics and pandemics often characterized by the transmission of a pathogen from animals to human in the past two decades. In particular, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has made a profound impact on emergency responding and policy-making in a public health crisis. Classical solutions for controlling the virus, such as travel restrictions, lockdowns, repurposed drugs and vaccines, are socially unpopular and medically limited by the fast mutation and adaptation of the virus. This is exacerbated by microbial resistance to therapeutic drugs and the slowness of vaccine development. In other words, microbial pathogens are somehow 'smarter' and faster than us, thus calling for more intelligent cures to combat future pandemics. Here, we compare therapeutics for COVID-19 such as synthetic drugs, vaccines, antibodies and phages. We present the strength and limitations of antibiotic and antiviral drugs, vaccines, and antibody-based therapeutics. We describe smarter, cheaper and preventive cures such as bacteriophages, food medicine using probiotics and prebiotics, sports, healthy diet, music, yoga, Tai Chi, dance, reading, knitting, cooking and outdoor activities. Some of these preventive cures have been intuitively developed since thousands of years ago, as illustrated by the fascinating similarity of the Chinese characters for 'music' and 'herbal medicine.'
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Dai
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049 People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Han
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049 People’s Republic of China
| | - Eric Lichtfouse
- CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Coll France, CEREGE, Aix-Marseille University, 13100 Aix en Provence, France
- State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049 Shaanxi People’s Republic of China
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19
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Tang G, Luo Y, Lu F, Li W, Liu X, Nan Y, Ren Y, Liao X, Wu S, Jin H, Zomaya AY, Sun Z. Prediction of Sepsis in COVID-19 Using Laboratory Indicators. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:586054. [PMID: 33747973 PMCID: PMC7966961 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.586054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global public health concern. Many inpatients with COVID-19 have shown clinical symptoms related to sepsis, which will aggravate the deterioration of patients’ condition. We aim to diagnose Viral Sepsis Caused by SARS-CoV-2 by analyzing laboratory test data of patients with COVID-19 and establish an early predictive model for sepsis risk among patients with COVID-19. Methods This study retrospectively investigated laboratory test data of 2,453 patients with COVID-19 from electronic health records. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) was employed to build four models with different feature subsets of a total of 69 collected indicators. Meanwhile, the explainable Shapley Additive ePlanation (SHAP) method was adopted to interpret predictive results and to analyze the feature importance of risk factors. Findings The model for classifying COVID-19 viral sepsis with seven coagulation function indicators achieved the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) 0.9213 (95% CI, 89.94–94.31%), sensitivity 97.17% (95% CI, 94.97–98.46%), and specificity 82.05% (95% CI, 77.24–86.06%). The model for identifying COVID-19 coagulation disorders with eight features provided an average of 3.68 (±) 4.60 days in advance for early warning prediction with 0.9298 AUC (95% CI, 86.91–99.04%), 82.22% sensitivity (95% CI, 67.41–91.49%), and 84.00% specificity (95% CI, 63.08–94.75%). Interpretation We found that an abnormality of the coagulation function was related to the occurrence of sepsis and the other routine laboratory test represented by inflammatory factors had a moderate predictive value on coagulopathy, which indicated that early warning of sepsis in COVID-19 patients could be achieved by our established model to improve the patient’s prognosis and to reduce mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoxing Tang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Feng Lu
- National Engineering Research Center for Big Data Technology and System, Services Computing Technology and System Lab, Cluster and Grid Computing Lab, School of Computer Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Li
- The Australia-China Joint Research Centre for Energy Informatics and Demand Response Technologies, Centre for Distributed and High Performance Computing, School of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Xiongcheng Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Big Data Technology and System, Services Computing Technology and System Lab, Cluster and Grid Computing Lab, School of Computer Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yucen Nan
- The Australia-China Joint Research Centre for Energy Informatics and Demand Response Technologies, Centre for Distributed and High Performance Computing, School of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Yufei Ren
- Department of Computer Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaofei Liao
- National Engineering Research Center for Big Data Technology and System, Services Computing Technology and System Lab, Cluster and Grid Computing Lab, School of Computer Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Song Wu
- National Engineering Research Center for Big Data Technology and System, Services Computing Technology and System Lab, Cluster and Grid Computing Lab, School of Computer Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hai Jin
- National Engineering Research Center for Big Data Technology and System, Services Computing Technology and System Lab, Cluster and Grid Computing Lab, School of Computer Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Albert Y Zomaya
- The Australia-China Joint Research Centre for Energy Informatics and Demand Response Technologies, Centre for Distributed and High Performance Computing, School of Computer Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Ziyong Sun
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Sallam M, Dababseh D, Eid H, Hasan H, Taim D, Al-Mahzoum K, Al-Haidar A, Yaseen A, Ababneh NA, Assaf A, Bakri FG, Matar S, Mahafzah A. Low COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Is Correlated with Conspiracy Beliefs among University Students in Jordan. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:2407. [PMID: 33804558 PMCID: PMC7967761 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Vaccination to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged as a promising measure to overcome the negative consequences of the pandemic. Since university students could be considered a knowledgeable group, this study aimed to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among this group in Jordan. Additionally, we aimed to examine the association between vaccine conspiracy beliefs and vaccine hesitancy. We used an online survey conducted in January 2021 with a chain-referral sampling approach. Conspiracy beliefs were evaluated using the validated Vaccine Conspiracy Belief Scale (VCBS), with higher scores implying embrace of conspiracies. A total of 1106 respondents completed the survey with female predominance (n = 802, 72.5%). The intention to get COVID-19 vaccines was low: 34.9% (yes) compared to 39.6% (no) and 25.5% (maybe). Higher rates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance were seen among males (42.1%) and students at Health Schools (43.5%). A Low rate of influenza vaccine acceptance was seen as well (28.8%), in addition to 18.6% of respondents being anti-vaccination altogether. A significantly higher VCBS score was correlated with reluctance to get the vaccine (p < 0.001). Dependence on social media platforms was significantly associated with lower intention to get COVID-19 vaccines (19.8%) compared to dependence on medical doctors, scientists, and scientific journals (47.2%, p < 0.001). The results of this study showed the high prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its association with conspiracy beliefs among university students in Jordan. The implementation of targeted actions to increase the awareness of such a group is highly recommended. This includes educational programs to dismantle vaccine conspiracy beliefs and awareness campaigns to build recognition of the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malik Sallam
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (H.H.); (A.M.)
- Department of Clinical Laboratories and Forensic Medicine, Jordan University Hospital, Amman 11942, Jordan
- Department of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, 22184 Malmö, Sweden
| | - Deema Dababseh
- Department of Dentistry, Jordan University Hospital, Amman 11942, Jordan;
| | - Huda Eid
- School of Dentistry, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (H.E.); (D.T.); (A.A.-H.)
| | - Hanan Hasan
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (H.H.); (A.M.)
| | - Duaa Taim
- School of Dentistry, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (H.E.); (D.T.); (A.A.-H.)
| | | | - Ayat Al-Haidar
- School of Dentistry, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (H.E.); (D.T.); (A.A.-H.)
| | - Alaa Yaseen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, School of Science, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (A.Y.); (S.M.)
| | - Nidaa A. Ababneh
- Cell Therapy Center (CTC), The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan;
| | - Areej Assaf
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan;
| | - Faris G. Bakri
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan;
- Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Center, University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| | - Suzan Matar
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, School of Science, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (A.Y.); (S.M.)
| | - Azmi Mahafzah
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Forensic Medicine, School of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan; (H.H.); (A.M.)
- Department of Clinical Laboratories and Forensic Medicine, Jordan University Hospital, Amman 11942, Jordan
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Wilcox CR, Islam N, Dambha-Miller H. Association between influenza vaccination and hospitalisation or all-cause mortality in people with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open Respir Res 2021; 8:e000857. [PMID: 33664123 PMCID: PMC7934200 DOI: 10.1136/bmjresp-2020-000857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recent evidence suggests that influenza vaccination may offer protection against COVID-19 severity. Our aim was to quantify the association between influenza vaccination status and risk of hospitalisation or all-cause mortality in people diagnosed with COVID-19. METHODS A retrospective cohort study using routinely collected health records from patients registered to a General Practitioner (GP) practice in South West England within the Electronic Care and Health Information Analytics database. The cohort included 6921 people with COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic (1 January-31 July 2020). Data on influenza vaccination, hospitalisation and all-cause mortality were ascertained through linked clinical and demographic records. We applied propensity score methods (stabilised inverse probability of treatment weight) to quantify the association between influenza vaccination status and COVID-19 outcomes (hospitalisation or all-cause mortality). RESULTS 2613 (38%) participants received an influenza vaccination between 1 January 2019 and COVID-19 diagnosis. Receipt of influenza vaccination was associated with a significantly lower odds of hospitalisation or all-cause mortality (adjusted OR: 0.85, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.97, p=0.02), and 24% reduced odds of all-cause mortality (adjusted OR: 0.76, 95% CI 0.64 to 0.90). DISCUSSION Influenza vaccination was associated with a 15%-24% lower odds of severe COVID-19 outcomes. The current UK influenza vaccination programme needs urgent expansion as an integral component of the ongoing response plans to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nazrul Islam
- Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit (CTSU), Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
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22
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Shim E. Optimal Allocation of the Limited COVID-19 Vaccine Supply in South Korea. J Clin Med 2021; 10:jcm10040591. [PMID: 33557344 PMCID: PMC7914460 DOI: 10.3390/jcm10040591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Initial supply of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine may be limited, necessitating its effective use. Herein, an age-structured model of COVID-19 spread in South Korea is parameterized to understand the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19. The model determines optimal vaccine allocation for minimizing infections, deaths, and years of life lost while accounting for population factors, such as country-specific age distribution and contact structure, and various levels of vaccine efficacy. A transmission-blocking vaccine should be prioritized in adults aged 20–49 years and those older than 50 years to minimize the cumulative incidence and mortality, respectively. A strategy to minimize years of life lost involves the vaccination of adults aged 40–69 years, reflecting the relatively high case-fatality rates and years of life lost in this age group. An incidence-minimizing vaccination strategy is highly sensitive to vaccine efficacy, and vaccines with lower efficacy should be administered to teenagers and adults aged 50–59 years. Consideration of age-specific contact rates and vaccine efficacy is critical to optimize vaccine allocation. New recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines under consideration by the Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are mainly based on a mortality-minimizing allocation strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunha Shim
- Department of Mathematics, Soongsil University, Seoul 06978, Korea
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23
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Flood CM, Thomas B, Wilson K. Mandatory vaccination for health care workers: an analysis of law and policy. CMAJ 2021; 193:E217-E220. [PMID: 33468521 PMCID: PMC7954540 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.202755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Colleen M Flood
- Faculty of Law (Flood, Thomas), Common Law Section, and Department of Medicine (Wilson), School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont; Bruyère Research Institute (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont
| | - Bryan Thomas
- Faculty of Law (Flood, Thomas), Common Law Section, and Department of Medicine (Wilson), School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont; Bruyère Research Institute (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont.
| | - Kumanan Wilson
- Faculty of Law (Flood, Thomas), Common Law Section, and Department of Medicine (Wilson), School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont; Bruyère Research Institute (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (Wilson), Ottawa, Ont
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Talley NJ. A New Year, the top research articles, and a call to deliver a "net zero" Australian health care system by 2040. Med J Aust 2021; 214:17-19. [PMID: 33454973 DOI: 10.5694/mja2.50896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Ercumen A, Guiteras R, Spears D. Biology, behavior and policy, or, Dr. Fauci, Sen. Paul and Prof. Lucas walk into a pandemic. EClinicalMedicine 2021; 31:100719. [PMID: 33490933 PMCID: PMC7806783 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ayse Ercumen
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, USA
| | - Raymond Guiteras
- Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 8109, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Dean Spears
- Department of Economics, University of Texas at Austin, USA
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Challenges and Opportunities from Targeting Inflammatory Responses to SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Narrative Review. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9124021. [PMID: 33322733 PMCID: PMC7763517 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9124021] [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: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic that continues to sweep across the world, posing an urgent need for effective therapies and prevention of the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome related to coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). A major hypothesis that is currently guiding research and clinical care posits that an excessive and uncontrolled surge of pro-inflammatory cytokines (the so-called “cytokine storm”) drives morbidity and mortality in the most severe cases. In the overall efforts made to develop effective and safe therapies (including vaccines) for COVID-19, clinicians are thus repurposing ready-to-use drugs with direct or indirect anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. Speculatively, there are many opportunities and challenges in targeting immune/inflammatory processes in the evolving settings of COVID-19 disease because of the need to safely balance the fight against virus and aggressive inflammation versus the suppression of host immune defenses and the risk of additional harms in already compromised patients. To this end, many studies are globally underway to weigh the pros and cons of tailoring drugs used for inflammatory-driven conditions to COVID-19 patient care, and the next step will be to summarize the growing clinical trial experience into clean clinical practice. Based on the current evidence, anti-inflammatory drugs should be considered as complementary approaches to anti-viral drugs that need to be timely introduced in the management of COVID-19 according to disease severity. While drugs that target SARS-CoV-2 entry or replication are expected to confer the greatest benefits at the early stage of the infection, anti-inflammatory drugs would be more effective in limiting the inflammatory processes that drive the worsening of the disease.
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