Coronaviruses: a paradigm of new emerging zoonotic diseases

Screening for SARS-CoV-2 and Other Coronaviruses in Urban Pigeons (Columbiformes) from the North of Spain under a 'One Health' Perspective

Coronaviruses have a major impact on human and animal health. The SARS-CoV-2, a beta coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is a clear example. It continues circulating and causes human deaths, and its high replication rate results in numerous variants. Coronaviruses adapt to birds and mammals and constitute a serious threat, and new viruses are likely to emerge. Urban pigeons (Columbiformes) are synanthropic birds of great interest from a 'One Health' perspective, due to their interaction with humans and other animals. Aware that they may act as viral reservoirs and contribute to their spread, we aimed to investigate the possible presence of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses in Columbiformes in the city of Logroño, Spain. Oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs were tested using real-time (N1 and E genes from SARS-CoV-2) and conventional PCR assays (RdRp gene from all coronaviruses). SARS-CoV-2 was not detected. A total of 13.3% of pigeons harbored coronaviruses closely related to Gamma coronavirus (Igacovirus) from Columbiformes in Finland, Poland and China. Monitoring the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 capable of infecting Columbiformes should continue. SARS-CoV-2 is still circulating, the viral RNA of this virus has been detected in avian species (Phasianidae and Anatidae), and other coronaviruses are associated with animals that are in close contact with humans. The presence of Gamma coronavirus in urban pigeons must be considered for the risk of surveillance of human infections.

Comprehensive Insights Into the Multi-faceted Manifestations of COVID-19: A Narrative Review

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the ensuing COVID-19 pandemic had far-reaching and multifaceted effects on global health. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the physical, extrapulmonary, and psychological manifestations associated with COVID-19. It highlights the wide-ranging impact of the virus on various organ systems, including the respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal, ocular, dermatologic, and nervous systems. Additionally, it explores the complex connections between COVID-19 infection and neuropsychiatric symptoms, shedding light on the potential underlying mechanisms. The paper also delves into the phenomenon of "long COVID," a condition characterized by persistent symptoms extending well beyond the disease's acute phase. It discusses the diverse and often debilitating symptoms that individuals with long COVID may experience, encompassing physical, cognitive, and psychological aspects. The complexity and variability of long COVID underscore the challenges it poses to healthcare professionals and the importance of ongoing research to understand its underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, the paper touches on the current state of knowledge regarding the aetiology of long COVID and the various approaches to symptom management and treatment. While a definitive cure remains elusive, efforts are underway to alleviate the burden of long COVID through pharmacological interventions, physical therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and support networks. This paper comprehensively explores COVID-19's far-reaching effects, emphasizing the need for a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to understanding and managing the diverse manifestations of this global health challenge. Ongoing research and collaborative efforts are essential in addressing the complex and evolving nature of COVID-19 and its aftermath.

The Potential Role of Viral Persistence in the Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC)

The infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated not only with the development of acute disease but also with long-term symptoms or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). Multiple lines of evidence support that some viral antigens and RNA can persist for up to 15 months in multiple organs in the body, often after apparent clearance from the upper respiratory system, possibly leading to the persistence of symptoms. Activation of the immune system to viral antigens is observed for a prolonged time, providing indirect evidence of the persistence of viral elements after acute infection. In the gastrointestinal tract, the persistence of some antigens could stimulate the immune system, shaping the local microbiota with potential systemic effects. All of these interactions need to be investigated, taking into account predisposing factors, multiplicity of pathogenic mechanisms, and stratifying populations of vulnerable individuals, particularly women, children, and immunocompromised individuals, where SARS-CoV-2 may present additional challenges.

Optic Neuritis in Resolving Phase of COVID-19 Infection and Its Management: A Case Report

Optic neuritis is assumed to be immune-mediated, although the specific antigens that cause demyelination are uncertain. Systemic T-cell activation is detected at the onset of symptoms, which occurs before alterations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The optic nerve disease is a rare disease and can occur in one or both eyes, especially in those with no established inflammatory or autoimmune illnesses. Adult ophthalmic neuritis is usually unilateral and is frequently associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Generally, it starts as a rapid loss of vision and pain in eye movement. It progresses and achieves the maximal deficiency over a week. The objectives of this paper were to determine the association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and optic neuritis and to study the management of optic neuritis in the resolving phase of COVID-19. A case study was done on a 38-year-old female complaining of sudden diminution of vision in her right eye for one week. She tested positive on the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test for COVID-19 for which she was managed symptomatically and was started on antiretrovirals. This case report is based on an infrequent COVID-19 complication. It has been proposed that this virus has the probability of manifesting various neurological complications. In our case, optic neuritis occurs mainly three weeks after COVID-19 infection. Our patient was managed by intravenous methylprednisolone injection followed by oral prednisone for 14 days. So, further case studies will be required to support the above treatment plan for optic neuritis caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Unilateral or bilateral optic neuritis can occur as a neurological complication in the resolving stage of COVID-19 infection. Early detection and treatment with steroids can result in the best visual outcome.

Effect of a Total Extract and Saponins from Astragalus glycyphyllos L. on Human Coronavirus Replication In Vitro

Members of the family Coronaviridae cause diseases in mammals, birds, and wildlife (bats), some of which may be transmissible to humans or specific to humans. In the human population, they can cause a wide range of diseases, mainly affecting the respiratory and digestive systems. In the scientific databases, there are huge numbers of research articles about the antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and anthelmintic activities of medicinal herbs and crops with different ethnobotanical backgrounds. The subject of our research is the antiviral effect of isolated saponins, a purified saponin mixture, and a methanol extract of Astragalus glycyphyllos L. In the studies conducted for the cytotoxic effect of the substances, CC50 (cytotoxic concentration 50) and MTC (maximum tolerable concentration) were determined by the colorimetric method (MTT assay). The virus was cultured in the MDBK cell line. As a result of the experiments carried out on the influence of substances on viral replication (using MTT-based colorimetric assay for detection of human Coronavirus replication inhibition), it was found that the extract and the purified saponin mixture inhibited 100% viral replication. The calculated selective indices are about 13 and 18, respectively. The obtained results make them promising for a preparation with anti-Coronavirus action.

Survival Analysis of Hospital Length of Stay of COVID-19 Patients in Ilam Province, Iran: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Knowledge of the length of hospitalization of patients infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), its characteristics, and its related factors creates a better understanding of the impact of medical interventions and hospital capacities. Iran is one of the countries with the most deaths in the world (146,321 total deaths; 5 September 2023) and ranks first among the countries of the Middle East and the EMRO. Analysis of confirmed COVID-19 patients' hospital length of stay in Ilam Province can be informative for decision making in other provinces of Iran. This study was conducted to analyze the survival of COVID-19 patients and the factors associated with COVID-19 deaths in the hospitals of Ilam Province. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study. Data from confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ilam Province were obtained from the SIB system in 2019. The sample size was 774 COVID-19-positive patients from Ilam Province. Measuring survival and risk probabilities in one-week intervals was performed using Cox regression. Most patients were male (55.4%) and 55.3% were over 45 years old. Of the 774 patients, 87 (11.2%) died during the study period. The mean hospital length of stay was 5.14 days. The median survival time with a 95% confidence interval was four days. The probability of survival of patients was 80%, 70%, and 38% for 10, 20, and 30 days of hospital stay, respectively. There was a significant relationship between the survival time of patients with age, history of chronic lung diseases, history of diabetes, history of heart diseases, and hospitalization in ICU (p < 0.05). The risk of dying due to COVID-19 disease was higher among men, older age groups, and patients with a history of chronic lung diseases, diabetes, and heart disease. According to the results, taking preventive measures for elderly patients and those with underlying conditions to prevent the infection of COVID-19 patients is of potential interest. Efficiency in the management of hospital beds should also be considered.

Community-based management of a five-arm randomised clinical trial in COVID-19 outpatients in South Africa: challenges and opportunities

BACKGROUND

Repeated COVID-19 waves and corresponding mitigation measures have impacted health systems globally with exceptional challenges. In response to the pandemic, researchers, regulators, and funders rapidly pivoted to COVID-19 research activities. However, many clinical drug studies were not completed, due to often complex and rapidly evolving research conditions.

METHODS

We outline our experience of planning and managing a randomised, adaptive, open-label, phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of four repurposed drug regimens versus standard-of-care (SOC) in outpatients with 'mild to moderate' COVID-19 in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the context of a partnership with multiple stakeholders. The study was conducted between 3 September 2020 and 23 August 2021 during changing COVID-19 restrictions, significant morbidity and mortality waves, and allied supply line, economic, and political instability.

RESULTS

Our clinical study design was pragmatic, including low-risk patients who were treated open label. There was built-in flexibility, including provision for some sample size adjustment and a range of secondary efficacy outcomes. Barriers to recruitment included the timing of waves, staff shortages due to illness, late presentation of patients, COVID-19 misinformation, and political unrest. Mitigations were the use of community health workers, deployment of mobile clinical units, and simplification of screening. Trial management required a radical reorganisation of logistics and processes to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions. These included the delivery of staff training and monitoring remotely, electronic consent, patient training and support to collect samples and report data at home, and the introduction of tele-medicine. These measures were successful for data collection, safe, and well received by patients.

CONCLUSION

Completing a COVID-19 trial in outpatients during the height of the pandemic required multiple innovations in nearly every aspect of clinical trial management, a high commitment level from study staff and patients, and support from study sponsors. Our experience has generated a more robust clinical research infrastructure, building in efficiencies to clinical trial management beyond the pandemic.

Persistent and transient olfactory deficits in COVID-19 are associated to inflammation and zinc homeostasis

Introduction

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is mainly a respiratory syndrome that can affect multiple organ systems, causing a variety of symptoms. Among the most common and characteristic symptoms are deficits in smell and taste perception, which may last for weeks/months after COVID-19 diagnosis owing to mechanisms that are not fully elucidated.

Methods

In order to identify the determinants of olfactory symptom persistence, we obtained olfactory mucosa (OM) from 21 subjects, grouped according to clinical criteria: i) with persistent olfactory symptoms; ii) with transient olfactory symptoms; iii) without olfactory symptoms; and iv) non-COVID-19 controls. Cells from the olfactory mucosa were harvested for transcriptome analyses.

Results and discussion

RNA-Seq assays showed that gene expression levels are altered for a long time after infection. The expression profile of micro RNAs appeared significantly altered after infection, but no relationship with olfactory symptoms was found. On the other hand, patients with persistent olfactory deficits displayed increased levels of expression of genes involved in the inflammatory response and zinc homeostasis, suggesting an association with persistent or transient olfactory deficits in individuals who experienced SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Dynamic calibration with approximate Bayesian computation for a microsimulation of disease spread

The global COVID-19 pandemic brought considerable public and policy attention to the field of infectious disease modelling. A major hurdle that modellers must overcome, particularly when models are used to develop policy, is quantifying the uncertainty in a model's predictions. By including the most recent available data in a model, the quality of its predictions can be improved and uncertainties reduced. This paper adapts an existing, large-scale, individual-based COVID-19 model to explore the benefits of updating the model in pseudo-real time. We use Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) to dynamically recalibrate the model's parameter values as new data emerge. ABC offers advantages over alternative calibration methods by providing information about the uncertainty associated with particular parameter values and the resulting COVID-19 predictions through posterior distributions. Analysing such distributions is crucial in fully understanding a model and its outputs. We find that forecasts of future disease infection rates are improved substantially by incorporating up-to-date observations and that the uncertainty in forecasts drops considerably in later simulation windows (as the model is provided with additional data). This is an important outcome because the uncertainty in model predictions is often overlooked when models are used in policy.

Relationship between KIR genotypes and HLA-ligands with SARS-CoV-2 infection in the Saudi population

Aim

To ascertain whether killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) genes polymorphisms and HLA-I ligands are associated with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

Eighty-seven COVID-19 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and one hundred and fourteen healthy controls were enrolled in this study for genotyping of the 16 KIR genes, HLA-C1 and -C2 allotypes and HLA-G 14-bp indels polymorphisms using the sequence specific primer polymerase chain reaction (SSP-PCR) method. KIR genotype frequency differences and combination KIR-HLA-C ligand were tested for significance.

Results

Framework genes KIR2DL4, KIR3DL2, KIR3DL3, and KIR3DP2 were present in all individuals. The frequencies of KIR2DL2 and KIR2D4 were higher in COVID-19 positive patients than in healthy individuals. The frequencies of the combination KIR2DL2-HLA-C2 was also significantly higher in patients affected by COVID-19 compared with healthy controls.

Conclusion

It was found that the inhibitory KIR2DL2 gene in isolation or combined with its HLA-C2 ligand could be associated with susceptibility to COVID-19 in the Saudi population.

COVID-19 Vaccines, Effectiveness, and Immune Responses

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has captivated the globe's attention since its emergence in 2019. This highly infectious, spreadable, and dangerous pathogen has caused health, social, and economic crises. Therefore, a worldwide collaborative effort was made to find an efficient strategy to overcome and develop vaccines. The new vaccines provide an effective immune response that safeguards the community from the virus' severity. WHO has approved nine vaccines for emergency use based on safety and efficacy data collected from various conducted clinical trials. Herein, we review the safety and effectiveness of the WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines and associated immune responses, and their impact on improving the public's health. Several immunological studies have demonstrated that vaccination dramatically enhances the immune response and reduces the likelihood of future infections in previously infected individuals. However, the type of vaccination and individual health status can significantly affect immune responses. Exposure of healthy individuals to adenovirus vectors or mRNA vaccines causes the early production of antibodies from B and T cells. On the other hand, unhealthy individuals were more likely to experience harmful events due to relapses in their existing conditions. Taken together, aligning with the proper vaccination to a patient's case can result in better outcomes.

Tackling the Future Pandemics: Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agents (BSAAs) Based on A-Type Proanthocyanidins

A-type proanthocyanidins (PAC-As) are plant-derived natural polyphenols that occur as oligomers or polymers of flavan-3-ol monomers, such as (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin, connected through an unusual double A linkage. PAC-As are present in leaves, seeds, flowers, bark, and fruits of many plants, and are thought to exert protective natural roles against microbial pathogens, insects, and herbivores. Consequently, when tested in isolation, PAC-As have shown several biological effects, through antioxidant, antibacterial, immunomodulatory, and antiviral activities. PAC-As have been observed in fact to inhibit replication of many different human viruses, and both enveloped and non-enveloped DNA and RNA viruses proved sensible to their inhibitory effect. Mechanistic studies revealed that PAC-As cause reduction of infectivity of viral particles they come in contact with, as a result of their propensity to interact with virion surface capsid proteins or envelope glycoproteins essential for viral attachment and entry. As viral infections and new virus outbreaks are a major public health concern, development of effective Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Agents (BSAAs) that can be rapidly deployable even against future emerging viruses is an urgent priority. This review summarizes the antiviral activities and mechanism of action of PAC-As, and their potential to be deployed as BSAAs against present and future viral infections.

The Role of Host Cell Glycans on Virus Infectivity: The SARS-CoV-2 Case

Glycans are ubiquitously expressed sugars, coating the cell and protein surfaces. They are found on many proteins as either short and branched chains or long chains sticking out from special membrane proteins, known as proteoglycans. This sugar cushion, the glycocalyx, modulates specific interactions and protects the cell. Here it is shown that both the expression of proteoglycans and the glycans expressed on the surface of both the host and virus proteins have a critical role in modulating viral attachment to the cell. A mathematical model using SARS-Cov-2 as an archetypical virus to study the glycan role during infection is proposed. It is shown that this occurs via a tug-of-war of forces. On one side, the multivalent molecular recognition that viral proteins have toward specific host glycans and receptors. On the other side, the glycan steric repulsion that a virus must overcome to approach such specific receptors. By balancing both interactions, viral tropism can be predicted. In other words, the authors can map out the cells susceptible to virus infection in terms of receptors and proteoglycans compositions.

Human health in peril: The need to upgrade medical education in light of COVID-19

While we might leave the COVID-19 pandemic behind, future health professionals are still confronted with another global phenomenon: the increasing pandemic of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Both issues are strongly interwoven, yet current medical education fails to address their syndemic nature accordingly. There is scientific consensus that (i) most emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, (ii) the overexploitation of earth's resources for animal protein production (i.e., tropical deforestation) rapidly escalates human contact with unknown pathogens, and (iii) people following a healthy plant-based diet present fewer rates of NCDs as well as severe illness and mortality from COVID-19. A shift toward whole food plant-based nutrition in the general population thus holds the potential to tackle both public health threats. We are convinced that it is every physician's responsibility to care for individual, public, and global health issues; however, future health professionals are not trained and educated regarding the health potential of plants and plant-based diets. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the urgent need for a "prevention first" approach. Therefore, in order to upgrade medical education worldwide and protect current and future human health properly, greater medical professional awareness of evidence on plant-based diets is urgently needed in classes, universities, and hospitals.

Giloy: a potential anti-COVID-19 herb with propitious pharmacological attributes: a short review

Plant-based medicine actually restores the balance in the body instead of treating the source of the disease. The strain of coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2) going to be more serious due to the lack of a reliable treatment option. Holistic treatment for this disease is in the form of Ayurveda as traditional medicine. As the infection of coronavirus is spreading like a wildfire, so the one way to fight is 'immunity'. Building immunity is the only way to stay safe and healthy and prepared themselves for the ongoing pandemic. In the current scenario, good immunity safeguard us from disease progression and prevention from this deadly virus. Giloy herb came into the limelight after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic due to its immunomodulatory and antiviral activity. The genome sequencing of Giloy is proved to be a breakthrough for controlling the COVID-19.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

The COVID-19 pandemic: Virus transmission and risk assessment

The coronaviruses are the largest known RNA viruses of which SASR-CoV-2 has been spreading continuously due to its repeated mutation triggered by several environmental factors. Multiple human interventions and lessons learned from the SARS 2002 outbreak helped reduce its spread considerably, and thus, the virus was contained but the emerging mutations burdened the medical facility leading to many deaths in the world. As per the world health organization (WHO) droplet mode transmission is the most common mode of SASR-CoV-2 transmission to which environmental factors including temperature and humidity play a major role. This article highlights the responsibility of environmental causes that would affect the distribution and fate of the virus. Recent development in the risk assessment models is also covered in this article.

Spatial effects in parasite-induced marine diseases of immobile hosts

Emerging marine infectious diseases pose a substantial threat to marine ecosystems and the conservation of their biodiversity. Compartmental models of epidemic transmission in marine sessile organisms, available only recently, are based on non-spatial descriptions in which space is homogenized and parasite mobility is not explicitly accounted for. However, in realistic scenarios epidemic transmission is conditioned by the spatial distribution of hosts and the parasites' mobility patterns, calling for an explicit description of space. In this work, we develop a spatially explicit individual-based model to study disease transmission by waterborne parasites in sessile marine populations. We investigate the impact of spatial disease transmission through extensive numerical simulations and theoretical analysis. Specifically, the effects of parasite mobility into the epidemic threshold and the temporal progression of the epidemic are assessed. We show that larger values of pathogen mobility imply more severe epidemics, as the number of infections increases, and shorter timescales to extinction. An analytical expression for the basic reproduction number of the spatial model, R ~ 0 , is derived as a function of the non-spatial counterpart, R ₀, which characterizes a transition between a disease-free and a propagation phase, in which the disease propagates over a large fraction of the system.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody detection among healthcare workers and hospital staff of a university hospital in Colombia

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The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among hospital workers in a Colombian university hospital was low.

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The presence of antibodies against the virus was high among healthcare workers.

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Some professions showed a higher chance of being SARS-CoV-2 seropositive.

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine current and previous SARS-COV-2 infection, and describe risk factors associated with seropositivity, among HCWs and hospital staff between June and October of 2020.

Methodology

Data from the day of enrollment for a prospective cohort study were analyzed to determine point prevalence and seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCWs and hospital staff of a university hospital in Colombia. Respiratory samples were collected to perform RT-PCR tests, along with blood samples to measure SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies. Data on nosocomial and community risk factors for infection were also collected and analyzed.

Findings

420 HCWs and hospital staff members were included. The seroprevalence at baseline was 23.2%, of which 10.7% had only IgM antibodies, 0.7% had IgG, and 11.7% had IgM and IgG. The prevalence of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection was 1.9%. Being a nurse assistant was significantly associated with seropositivity when compared with all other job duties (PR 2.39, 95% CI 1.27–3.65, p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Overall SARS-CoV-2 prevalence was 1.9% and seroprevalence was 23.15%. Nurse assistants, medical doctors or students, and laboratory workers had a higher possibility of being SARS-CoV-2 seropositive.

The Core Concepts, Competencies and Grand Challenges of Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy and Morphology

Core concepts offer coherence to the discourse of a scientific discipline and facilitate teaching by identifying large unifying themes that can be tailored to the level of the class and expertise of the instructor. This approach to teaching has been shown to encourage deeper learning that can be integrated across subdisciplines of biology and has been adopted by several other biology subdisciplines. However, Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy, although one of the oldest biological areas of study, has not had its core concepts identified. Here, we present five core concepts and seven competencies (skills) for Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy that came out of an iterative process of engagement with the broader community of vertebrate morphologists over a 3-year period. The core concepts are (A) evolution, (B) structure and function, (C) morphological development, (D) integration, and (E) human anatomy is the result of vertebrate evolution. The core competencies students should gain from the study of comparative vertebrate anatomy are (F) tree thinking, (G) observation, (H) dissection of specimens, (I) depiction of anatomy, (J) appreciation of the importance of natural history collections, (K) science communication, and (L) data integration. We offer a succinct description of each core concept and competency, examples of learning outcomes that could be used to assess teaching effectiveness, and examples of relevant resources for both instructors and students. Additionally, we pose a grand challenge to the community, arguing that the field of Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy needs to acknowledge racism, androcentrism, homophobia, genocide, slavery, and other influences in its history and address their lingering effects in order to move forward as a thriving discipline that is inclusive of all students and scientists and continues to generate unbiased knowledge for the betterment of humanity. Despite the rigorous process used to compile these core concepts and competencies, we anticipate that they will serve as a framework for an ongoing conversation that ensures Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy remains a relevant field in discovery, innovation, and training of future generations of scientists.

Swine coronaviruses (SCoVs) and their emerging threats to swine population, inter-species transmission, exploring the susceptibility of pigs for SARS-CoV-2 and zoonotic concerns

Swine coronaviruses (SCoVs) are one of the most devastating pathogens affecting the livelihoods of farmers and swine industry across the world. These include transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV), porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV), swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), and porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV). Coronaviruses infect a wide variety of animal species and humans because these are having single stranded-RNA that accounts for high mutation rates and thus could break the species barrier. The gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and nervous systems are the primary organ systems affected by SCoVs. Infection is very common in piglets compared to adult swine causing high mortality in the former. Bat is implicated to be the origin of all CoVs affecting animals and humans. Since pig is the only domestic animal in which CoVs cause a wide range of diseases; new coronaviruses with high zoonotic potential could likely emerge in the future as observed in the past. The recently emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), causing COVID-19 pandemic in humans, has been implicated to have animal origin, also reported from few animal species, though its zoonotic concerns are still under investigation. This review discusses SCoVs and their epidemiology, virology, evolution, pathology, wildlife reservoirs, interspecies transmission, spill-over events and highlighting their emerging threats to swine population. The role of pigs amid ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will also be discussed. A thorough investigation should be conducted to rule out zoonotic potential of SCoVs and to design appropriate strategies for their prevention and control.

Can the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Confer Natural Immunity against COVID-19?

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still ongoing, with no signs of abatement in sight. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is the causative agent of this pandemic and has claimed over 5 million lives, is still mutating, resulting in numerous variants. One of the newest variants is Omicron, which shows an increase in its transmissibility, but also reportedly reduces hospitalization rates and shows milder symptoms, such as in those who have been vaccinated. As a result, many believe that Omicron provides a natural vaccination, which is the first step toward ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on published research and scientific evidence, we review and discuss how the end of this pandemic is predicted to occur as a result of Omicron variants being surpassed in the community. In light of the findings of our research, we believe that it is most likely true that the Omicron variant is a natural way of vaccinating the masses and slowing the spread of this deadly pandemic. While the mutation that causes the Omicron variant is encouraging, subsequent mutations do not guarantee that the disease it causes will be less severe. As the virus continues to evolve, humans must constantly adapt by increasing their immunity through vaccination.

Coronavirus Infection-Associated Cell Death Signaling and Potential Therapeutic Targets

COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection that occurred in 2019. The virus-host-specific interactions, molecular targets on host cell deaths, and the involved signaling are crucial issues, which become potential targets for treatment. Spike protein, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), cathepsin L-cysteine peptidase, transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), nonstructural protein 1 (Nsp1), open reading frame 7a (ORF7a), viral main protease (3C-like protease (3CLpro) or Mpro), RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) (Nsp12), non-structural protein 13 (Nsp13) helicase, and papain-like proteinase (PLpro) are molecules associated with SARS-CoV infection and propagation. SARS-CoV-2 can induce host cell death via five kinds of regulated cell death, i.e., apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, and PANoptosis. The mechanisms of these cell deaths are well established and can be disrupted by synthetic small molecules or natural products. There are a variety of compounds proven to play roles in the cell death inhibition, such as pan-caspase inhibitor (z-VAD-fmk) for apoptosis, necrostatin-1 for necroptosis, MCC950, a potent and specific inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome in pyroptosis, and chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine, which can mitigate the corresponding cell death pathways. However, NF-κB signaling is another critical anti-apoptotic or survival route mediated by SARS-CoV-2. Such signaling promotes viral survival, proliferation, and inflammation by inducing the expression of apoptosis inhibitors such as Bcl-2 and XIAP, as well as cytokines, e.g., TNF. As a result, tiny natural compounds functioning as proteasome inhibitors such as celastrol and curcumin can be used to modify NF-κB signaling, providing a responsible method for treating SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. The natural constituents that aid in inhibiting viral infection, progression, and amplification of coronaviruses are also emphasized, which are in the groups of alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, diarylheptanoids, and anthraquinones. Natural constituents derived from medicinal herbs have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, as well as inhibitory effects, on the viral life cycle, including viral entry, replication, assembly, and release of COVID-19 virions. The phytochemicals contain a high potential for COVID-19 treatment. As a result, SARS-CoV-2-infected cell death processes and signaling might be of high efficacy for therapeutic targeting effects and yielding encouraging outcomes.

Post COVID-19: a solution scan of options for preventing future zoonotic epidemics

The crisis generated by the emergence and pandemic spread of COVID-19 has thrown into the global spotlight the dangers associated with novel diseases, as well as the key role of animals, especially wild animals, as potential sources of pathogens to humans. There is a widespread demand for a new relationship with wild and domestic animals, including suggested bans on hunting, wildlife trade, wet markets or consumption of wild animals. However, such policies risk ignoring essential elements of the problem as well as alienating and increasing hardship for local communities across the world, and might be unachievable at scale. There is thus a need for a more complex package of policy and practical responses. We undertook a solution scan to identify and collate 161 possible options for reducing the risks of further epidemic disease transmission from animals to humans, including potential further SARS-CoV-2 transmission (original or variants). We include all categories of animals in our responses (i.e. wildlife, captive, unmanaged/feral and domestic livestock and pets) and focus on pathogens (especially viruses) that, once transmitted from animals to humans, could acquire epidemic potential through high rates of human-to-human transmission. This excludes measures to prevent well-known zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, that cannot readily transmit between humans. We focused solutions on societal measures, excluding the development of vaccines and other preventive therapeutic medicine and veterinary medicine options that are discussed elsewhere. We derived our solutions through reading the scientific literature, NGO position papers, and industry guidelines, collating our own experiences, and consulting experts in different fields. Herein, we review the major zoonotic transmission pathways and present an extensive list of options. The potential solutions are organised according to the key stages of the trade chain and encompass solutions that can be applied at the local, regional and international scales. This is a set of options targeted at practitioners and policy makers to encourage careful examination of possible courses of action, validating their impact and documenting outcomes.

Systemic Inflammation and Complement Activation Parameters Predict Clinical Outcome of Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infections

Overactivation of the complement system has been characterized in severe COVID-19 cases. Complement components are known to trigger NETosis via the coagulation cascade and have also been reported in human tracheobronchial epithelial cells. In this longitudinal study, we investigated systemic and local complement activation and NETosis in COVID-19 patients that underwent mechanical ventilation. Results confirmed significantly higher baseline levels of serum C5a (24.5 ± 39.0 ng/mL) and TCC (11.03 ± 8.52 µg/mL) in patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.01 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Furthermore, systemic NETosis was significantly augmented in patients (5.87 (±3.71) × 10⁶ neutrophils/mL) compared to healthy controls (0.82 (±0.74) × 10⁶ neutrophils/mL) (p < 0.0001). In tracheal fluid, baseline TCC levels but not C5a and NETosis, were significantly higher in patients. Kinetic studies of systemic complement activation revealed markedly higher levels of TCC and CRP in nonsurvivors compared to survivors. In contrast, kinetic studies showed decreased local NETosis in tracheal fluid but comparable local complement activation in nonsurvivors compared to survivors. Systemic TCC and NETosis were significantly correlated with inflammation and coagulation markers. We propose that a ratio comprising systemic inflammation, complement activation, and chest X-ray score could be rendered as a predictive parameter of patient outcome in severe SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Factors That Influence Mortality in Critically Ill Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Multicenter Study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

SARS-CoV-2 infection has a high mortality rate and continues to be a global threat, which warrants the identification of all mortality risk factors in critically ill patients.

METHODS

This is a retrospective multicenter cohort study conducted in five hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). We enrolled patients with confirmed SARS-COV-2 infection admitted to any of the intensive care units from the five hospitals between March 2020 and July 2020, corresponding to the peak of recorded COVID-19 cases in the KSA.

RESULTS

In total, 229 critically ill patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in the study. The presenting symptoms and signs of patients who died during hospitalization were not significantly different from those observed among patients who survived. The baseline comorbidities that were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality were diabetes (62% vs. 48% among patients who died and survived (p = 0.046)), underlying cardiac disease (38% vs. 19% (p = 0.001)), and underlying kidney disease (32% vs. 12% (p < 0.001)).

CONCLUSION

In our cohort, the baseline comorbidities that were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality were diabetes, underlying cardiac disease, and underlying kidney disease. Additionally, the factors that independently influenced mortality among critically ill COVID-19 patients were high Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (aPTT )and international normalization ratio (INR), acidosis, and high ferritin.

The COVID-19 Pandemic: Are There Any Impacts on Sustainability?

This paper sets out to explain and describe the potential ways to control COVID-19′s impact on the environment and what controllable strategies and anticipations emerge from rethinking sustainable production. The rapid and devastating spread of this disease has made millions of people throughout the world cover themselves, wear gloves, and use hand sanitizers and other medical applications. However, it means that a huge amount of clinical waste is being dumped into landfills or the oceans, and such activity may simply worsen the infection’s transmission and the sustainability of the environment, the socio-economy, and sustainable productions. This disease has greatly changed the way people live and has caused considerable occupational job losses and misfortunes, sending sustainable businesses and other organizations to the wall. Virtually every country is trying to stop the infection transmission by testing patients and isolating people, but the environmental effects of the pandemic and sustainable business have not previously been analyzed. The study suggests that the current options for sustainable production must be measured and also further researched.

In silico investigation of phytoconstituents from Indian medicinal herb 'Tinospora cordifolia (giloy)' against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) by molecular dynamics approach

The recent appearance of COVID-19 virus has created a global crisis due to unavailability of any vaccine or drug that can effectively and deterministically work against it. Naturally, different possibilities (including herbal medicines having known therapeutic significance) have been explored by the scientists. The systematic scientific study (beginning with in silico study) of herbal medicines in particular and any drug in general is now possible as the structural components (proteins) of COVID-19 are already characterized. The main protease of COVID-19 virus is Mpro or 3CLpro which is a key CoV enzyme and an attractive drug target as it plays a pivotal role in mediating viral replication and transcription. In the present study, 3CLpro is used to study drug:3CLpro interactions and thus to investigate whether all or any of the main chemical constituents of Tinospora cordifolia (e.g. berberine (C20H18NO4), β-sitosterol (C29H50O), coline (C5H14NO), tetrahydropalmatine (C21H25NO4) and octacosanol (C28H58O)) can be used as an anti-viral drug against SARS-CoV-2. The in silico study performed using tools of network pharmacology, molecular docking including molecular dynamics have revealed that among all considered phytochemicals in Tinospora cordifolia, berberine can regulate 3CLpro protein's function due to its easy inhibition and thus can control viral replication. The selection of Tinospora cordifolia was motivated by the fact that the main constituents of it are known to be responsible for various antiviral activities and the treatment of jaundice, rheumatism, diabetes, etc.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Attitudes, stressors and work outcomes related to the COVID-19 pandemic among dental assistants in Germany: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed great challenges to medical professionals worldwide. Dental assistants (DAs) are at exceptionally high risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 due to frequent and close patient contact and involvement in various high-risk dental procedures. This study aimed to investigate attitudes, stressors and work outcomes among DAs from all over Germany at the peak of cases in spring 2020.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression.

SETTING

Dental, maxillofacial surgery and orthodontic practices across Germany, April 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants aged 18 years and above and currently working as DAs in Germany.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES

A self-devised online questionnaire was employed comprising questions on SARS-CoV-2-related attitudes, stressors and work outcomes. Validated scales assessed symptoms of depression and anxiety.

RESULTS

Among 1481 participating DAs (median age 35 years, 98.4% female, 91.8% working in dental practices), major stressors were uncertainty about the pandemic's temporal scope (97.9% agreement, n=1450), uncertainty about one's financial situation (87.8%, n=1301), uncertainty about how to act correctly (87.6%, n=1298) and thoughts about a possible infection during work (83.8%, n=1241). Forty-two per cent of DAs (n=622) felt sufficiently prepared for dealing with patients with SARS-CoV-2. Only 17.5% (n=259) agreed that material for personal protection was sufficiently available. Multivariable logistic regression analyses suggested that working in a dental practice, compared with orthodontic and maxillofacial surgery practices, was significantly associated with uncertainty about one's financial situation (OR 2.13 (95% CI 1.33 to 3.44)) and with the reported availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) (0.55 (0.36 to 0.84)).

CONCLUSIONS

Training about correct behaviour of DAs during future infectious disease outbreaks is needed, especially for DAs working in dental practices. In the future, it will also be necessary to strengthen supply chains to ensure that PPE is sufficiently available in a timely manner.

Potential antiviral properties of antiplatelet agents against SARS-CoV-2 infection: an in silico perspective

SARS-CoV-2 represents the causative agent of the current pandemic (COVID-19). The drug repurposing technique is used to search for possible drugs that can bind to SARS-CoV-2 proteins and inhibit viral replication. In this study, the FDA-approved antiplatelets are tested against the main protease and spike proteins of SARS-CoV-2 using in silico methods. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation are used in the current study. The results suggest the effectiveness of vorapaxar, ticagrelor, cilostazol, cangrelor, and prasugrel in binding the main protease (M^pro) of SARS-CoV-2. At the same time, vorapaxar, ticagrelor, and cilostazol are the best binders of the spike protein. Therefore, these compounds could be successful candidates against COVID-19 that need to be tested experimentally.

Spatio-temporal characteristics and control strategies in the early period of COVID-19 spread: a case study of the mainland China

COVID-19 has caused huge impacts on human health and the economic operation of the world. Analyzing and summarizing the early propagation law can help reduce the losses caused by public health emergencies in the future. Early data on the spread of COVID-19 in 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) of mainland China except for Hubei, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan were selected in this study. Spatio-temporal analysis, inflection point analysis, and correlation analysis are used to explore the spatio-temporal characteristics in the early COVID-19 spread. The results suggested that (1) the total confirmed cases have risen in an "S"-shaped curve over time, and the daily new cases have first increased and finally decreased; (2) the spatial distributions of both total and daily new cases show a trend of more in the east and less in the west, with a "multi-center agglomeration distribution" around Hubei Province and some major cities; (3) the spatial agglomeration of total confirmed cases has been increasing over time, while that of the daily new cases shows much more obvious in the mid-stage; and (4) timely release of the first-level public health emergency response can accelerate the emergence of the epidemic inflection point. The above analysis results have a specific reference value for the government's policy-making and measures to face public health emergencies.

The Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on the Physical Performance of Professional Soccer Players: An Example of German and Polish Leagues

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the in-season pandemic lockdown influenced physical match performance in professional soccer players who participated in the competition of German Bundesliga and Polish Ekstraklasa. The data from 306 games for German Bundesliga and 296 games for Polish Ekstraklasa were divided into before- and after-lockdown periods. The physical performance of German Bundesliga teams after the 63-day COVID-19 lockdown did not differ significantly from that in the first part of the season. In contrast, Polish Ekstraklasa teams, after the 81-day lockdown, displayed significantly shorter total distances (p < 0.001), shorter high-intensity running distances (p = 0.03), and fewer high-intensity actions (p = 0.02). Moreover, when the effective playing time was considered, teams covered significantly less relative total distance (p < 0.001) and relative high-intensity running distance (p = 0.02). The results of the current study suggest that physical performance during the matches of the German Bundesliga was not influenced by the COVID-19 lockdown, contrary to those of the Polish Ekstraklasa. This difference could have been caused by different break lengths and different restrictions implemented in these countries during the pandemic lockdown.

Genomic evolution of the human and animal coronavirus diseases

Different coronaviruses have emerged due to their ability to infect, mutate and recombine multiple species and cell types, suggesting that these viruses will carry on to evolve and origin both veterinary and human diseases. So far, more than fifteen coronavirus-related diseases have been described in animals and seven in humans. Of which recently, a novel human betacoronavirus designated by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), an emerging zoonotic coronavirus is the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019. This virus emerged in China and spread rapidly worldwide. At the end of January 2020, the WHO declared the pandemic as a public health emergency of international concern. In this pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has infected more than 198 million people, with 4.2 million deaths worldwide (as of 2 August 2021). In the past two decades, this is the third betacoronavirus that has crossed the interspecies barrier from animals to infect humans and other animal species. The diseases caused mainly severe respiratory infections. The aim of this review is to summarize and provide an overview of the coronaviruses that can affect animals and humans and the diseases that ensue, as well as, its genomic relationship.

Metatranscriptomic Characterization of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Identified a Host Transcriptional Classifier Associated With Immune Signaling

BACKGROUND

The recent identification of a novel coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2, has caused a global outbreak of respiratory illnesses. The rapidly developing pandemic has posed great challenges to diagnosis of this novel infection. However, little is known about the metatranscriptomic characteristics of patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

METHODS

We analyzed metatranscriptomics in 187 patients (62 cases with COVID-19 and 125 with non-COVID-19 pneumonia). Transcriptional aspects of three core elements – pathogens, the microbiome, and host responses – were interrogated. Based on the host transcriptional signature, we built a host gene classifier and examined its potential for diagnosing COVID-19 and indicating disease severity.

RESULTS

The airway microbiome in COVID-19 patients had reduced alpha diversity, with 18 taxa of differential abundance. Potentially pathogenic microbes were also detected in 47% of the COVID-19 cases, 58% of which were respiratory viruses. Host gene analysis revealed a transcriptional signature of 36 differentially expressed genes significantly associated with immune pathways such as cytokine signaling. The host gene classifier built on such a signature exhibited potential for diagnosing COVID-19 (AUC of 0.75-0.89) and indicating disease severity.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to those with non-COVID-19 pneumonias, COVID-19 patients appeared to have a more disrupted airway microbiome with frequent potential concurrent infections, and a special trigger host immune response in certain pathways such as interferon gamma signaling. The immune-associated host transcriptional signatures of COVID-19 hold promise as a tool for improving COVID-19 diagnosis and indicating disease severity.

Cinnamon: A Promising Natural Product Against COVID-19

COVID-19 is a pandemic and acute respiratory disease. Every day, all around the world, researchers are endeavoring to find effective or potential adjuvant therapies. Studies illustrate that essential oils from cinnamon and derivatives such as cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic acid possess numerous biological activities. In this paper, we have reviewed the possible mechanisms of cinnamon on the inflammatory cascade as a potential alternative therapy to decrease oxidative stress and inflammation in COVID-19 patients.

Post COVID-19: a solution scan of options for preventing future zoonotic epidemics

The crisis generated by the emergence and pandemic spread of COVID-19 has thrown into the global spotlight the dangers associated with novel diseases, as well as the key role of animals, especially wild animals, as potential sources of pathogens to humans. There is a widespread demand for a new relationship with wild and domestic animals, including suggested bans on hunting, wildlife trade, wet markets or consumption of wild animals. However, such policies risk ignoring essential elements of the problem as well as alienating and increasing hardship for local communities across the world, and might be unachievable at scale. There is thus a need for a more complex package of policy and practical responses. We undertook a solution scan to identify and collate 161 possible options for reducing the risks of further epidemic disease transmission from animals to humans, including potential further SARS-CoV-2 transmission (original or variants). We include all categories of animals in our responses (i.e. wildlife, captive, unmanaged/feral and domestic livestock and pets) and focus on pathogens (especially viruses) that, once transmitted from animals to humans, could acquire epidemic potential through high rates of human-to-human transmission. This excludes measures to prevent well-known zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, that cannot readily transmit between humans. We focused solutions on societal measures, excluding the development of vaccines and other preventive therapeutic medicine and veterinary medicine options that are discussed elsewhere. We derived our solutions through reading the scientific literature, NGO position papers, and industry guidelines, collating our own experiences, and consulting experts in different fields. Herein, we review the major zoonotic transmission pathways and present an extensive list of options. The potential solutions are organised according to the key stages of the trade chain and encompass solutions that can be applied at the local, regional and international scales. This is a set of options targeted at practitioners and policy makers to encourage careful examination of possible courses of action, validating their impact and documenting outcomes.

Identification of phytochemical inhibitors against main protease of COVID-19 using molecular modeling approaches

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel corona virus that causes corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The COVID-19 rapidly spread across the nations with high mortality rate even as very little is known to contain the virus at present. In the current study, we report novel natural metabolites namely, ursolic acid, carvacrol and oleanolic acid as the potential inhibitors against main protease (Mpro) of COVID-19 by using integrated molecular modeling approaches. From a combination of molecular docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, we found three ligands bound to protease during 50 ns of MD simulations. Furthermore, the molecular mechanic/generalized/Born/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/G/P/BSA) free energy calculations showed that these chemical molecules have stable and favourable energies causing strong binding with binding site of Mpro protein. All these three molecules, namely, ursolic acid, carvacrol and oleanolic acid, have passed the ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion) property as well as Lipinski's rule of five. The study provides a basic foundation and suggests that the three phytochemicals, viz. ursolic acid, carvacrol and oleanolic acid could serve as potential inhibitors in regulating the Mpro protein's function and controlling viral replication. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

The Potential Role of School Citizen Science Programs in Infectious Disease Surveillance: A Critical Review

Public involvement in science has allowed researchers to collect large-scale and real-time data and also engage citizens, so researchers are adopting citizen science (CS) in many areas. One promising appeal is student participation in CS school programs. In this literature review, we aimed to investigate which school CS programs exist in the areas of (applied) life sciences and if any projects target infectious disease surveillance. This review’s objectives are to determine success factors in terms of data quality and student engagement. After a comprehensive search in biomedical and social databases, we found 23 projects. None of the projects found focused on infectious disease surveillance, and the majority centered around species biodiversity. While a few projects had issues with data quality, simplifying the protocol or allowing students to resubmit data made the data collected more usable. Overall, students at different educational levels and disciplines were able to collect usable data that was comparable to expert data and had positive learning experiences. In this review, we have identified limitations and gaps in reported CS school projects and provided recommendations for establishing future programs. This review shows the value of using CS in collaboration with traditional research techniques to advance future science and increasingly engage communities.

Climate change, environment pollution, COVID-19 pandemic and mental health

Converging data would indicate the existence of possible relationships between climate change, environmental pollution and epidemics/pandemics, such as the current one due to SARS-CoV-2 virus. Each of these phenomena has been supposed to provoke detrimental effects on mental health. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to review the available scientific literature on these variables in order to suggest and comment on their eventual synergistic effects on mental health. The available literature report that climate change, air pollution and COVID-19 pandemic might influence mental health, with disturbances ranging from mild negative emotional responses to full-blown psychiatric conditions, specifically, anxiety and depression, stress/trauma-related disorders, and substance abuse. The most vulnerable groups include elderly, children, women, people with pre-existing health problems especially mental illnesses, subjects taking some types of medication including psychotropic drugs, individuals with low socio-economic status, and immigrants. It is evident that COVID-19 pandemic uncovers all the fragility and weakness of our ecosystem, and inability to protect ourselves from pollutants. Again, it underlines our faults and neglect towards disasters deriving from climate change or pollution, or the consequences of human activities irrespective of natural habitats and constantly increasing the probability of spillover of viruses from animals to humans. In conclusion, the psychological/psychiatric consequences of COVID-19 pandemic, that currently seem unavoidable, represent a sharp cue of our misconception and indifference towards the links between our behaviour and their influence on the "health" of our planet and of ourselves. It is time to move towards a deeper understanding of these relationships, not only for our survival, but for the maintenance of that balance among man, animals and environment at the basis of life in earth, otherwise there will be no future.

Structural Basis for the Understanding of Entry Inhibitors Against SARS Viruses

Outbreaks due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) initiated in Wuhan city, China, in December 2019 which continued to spread internationally, posing a pandemic threat as declared by WHO and as of March 10, 2021, confirmed cases reached 118 million along with 2.6 million deaths worldwide. In the absence of specific antiviral medication, symptomatic treatment and physical isolation remain the options to control the contagion. The recent clinical trials on antiviral drugs highlighted some promising compounds such as umifenovir (haemagglutinin-mediated fusion inhibitor), remdesivir (RdRp nucleoside inhibitor), and favipiravir (RdRp Inhibitor). WHO launched a multinational clinical trial on several promising analogs as a potential treatment to combat SARS infection. This situation urges a holistic approach to invent safe and specific drugs as a prophylactic and therapeutic cure for SARS-related-viral diseases, including COVID-19. It is significant to note that researchers worldwide have been doing their best to handle the crisis and have produced an extensive and promising literature body. It opens a scope and allows understanding the viral entry at the molecular level. A structure-based approach can reveal the molecular-level understanding of viral entry interaction. The ligand profiling and non-covalent interactions among participating amino-acid residues are critical information to delineate a structural interpretation. The structural investigation of SARS virus entry into host cells will reveal the possible strategy for designing drugs like entry inhibitors. The structure-based approach demonstrates details at the 3D molecular level. It shows specificity about SARS-CoV-2 spike interaction, which uses human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a receptor for entry, and the human protease completes the process of viral fusion and infection. The 3D structural studies reveal the existence of two units, namely S1 and S2. S1 is called a receptor-binding domain (RBD) and responsible for interacting with the host (ACE2), and the S2 unit participates in the fusion of viral and cellular membranes. TMPRSS2 mediates the cleavage at S1/S2 subunit interface in S-protein of SARS CoV-2, leading to viral fusion. Conformational difference associated with S1 binding alters ACE2 interaction and inhibits viral fusion. Overall, the detailed 3D structural studies help understand the 3D structural basis of interaction between viruses with host factors and available scope for the new drug discovery process targeting SARS-related virus entry into the host cell.

Acute Bilateral Femoral Arterial Thrombosis in a Young Adult: A Rare Association With Asymptomatic COVID-19

Thrombotic complications have been well described in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) because of its associated states of hypercoagulability and inflammation. We present a unique case of thrombosis of the femoral artery in a 42-year-old man with asymptomatic COVID-19. This case highlights the need for vigilance when treating patients with COVID-19 to make the necessary diagnostic evaluations and provide appropriate treatment.

The Influence of the Urban Environment on Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus on Air Pollution and Migration-A Narrative Review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused a crisis worldwide, due to both its public health impact and socio-economic consequences. Mental health was consistently affected by the pandemic, with the emergence of newly diagnosed psychiatric disorders and the exacerbation of pre-existing ones. Urban areas were particularly affected by the virus spread. In this review, we analyze how the urban environment may influence mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering two factors that profoundly characterize urbanization: air pollution and migration. Air pollution serves as a possibly risk factor for higher viral spread and infection severity in the context of urban areas and it has also been demonstrated to play a role in the development of serious mental illnesses and their relapses. The urban environment also represents a complex social context where minorities such as migrants may live in poor hygienic conditions and lack access to adequate mental health care. A global rethinking of the urban environment is thus required to reduce the impact of these factors on mental health. This should include actions aimed at reducing air pollution and combating climate change, promoting at the same time a more inclusive society in a sustainable development perspective.

Real-World Ethical Dilemmas in Laboratory Safety for Microbiology Under-Resourced and Outreach Teaching

With modernization of safety standards for microbiology outreach teaching laboratories, ethical challenges arise in teaching microbiology for the public good without short-changing students in under-resourced situations, or when institutional support is subpar. Still, educators want students to engage using applied skills for inquiry, research-based microbial learning activities – safely. Following several United States microbial outbreaks, federal investigation traced sources back to teaching laboratories. Policy discussions ensued. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Task Force provides recommended but not mandated guidelines; however, guidelines are not amenable by all. Here, a real-world, ethical scenario of a university-level outreach microbiology laboratory course hosted at several locations provides context for under-resourced challenges in safety compliance. In this example of biomedical and public health ethical considerations, upper administration puts the onus on instructors to assure safe labs for their students and the general public. Temporarily hired instructors without curriculum or sufficient institutional support are put in precarious positions with often egregious practices to get the job done. This scenario is examined with different public health ethical frameworks and principles: non-maleficence, beneficence, health maximization, efficiency of policy regulations, respect for institutional and instructor autonomy, justice, and proportionality balancing stakeholder concerns. Sample curricular strategies are employed to mitigate these challenges. Taking a utilitarianism framework of the greatest good for the most benefit, this paper advocates for social justice supporting access to education as a moral duty. Administrations should ensure instructors are supported sufficiently to provide safe, authentic learning experiences. Solutions for under-resourced outreach teaching are needed for public trust.

Animal Hosts and Experimental Models of SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Viruses arise through cross-species transmission and can cause potentially fatal diseases in humans. This is the case of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which recently appeared in Wuhan, China, and rapidly spread worldwide, causing the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and posing a global health emergency. Sequence analysis and epidemiological investigations suggest that the most likely original source of SARS-CoV-2 is a spillover from an animal reservoir, probably bats, that infected humans either directly or through intermediate animal hosts. The role of animals as reservoirs and natural hosts in SARS-CoV-2 has to be explored, and animal models for COVID-19 are needed as well to be evaluated for countermeasures against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Experimental cells, tissues, and animal models that are currently being used and developed in COVID-19 research will be presented.

Optic Neuritis in a Child With COVID-19: A Rare Association

The recent coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant mortality and morbidity, affecting patients of all ages. COVID-19 affects various tissues and systems in the body, including the central and peripheral nervous systems. However, COVID-19 has rarely affected the eyes and caused optic neuritis. We report a unique case of COVID-19-related unilateral optic neuritis in a 10-year-old girl.

Predictive Analysis of the Neutralization Activity in Convalescent Plasmas From COVID-19 Recovered Patients in Zhejiang Province, China, January-March, 2020

Background

Convalescent plasma (CP) transfusion is considered to be the priority therapeutic option for COVID-19 inpatients when no specific drugs are available for emerging infections. An alternative, simple, and sensitive method is urgently needed for clinical use to detect neutralization activity of the CP to avoid the use of inconvenient micro-neutralization assay.

Method

This study aims to explore optimal index in predicting the COVID-19 CP neutralization activity (neutralizing antibody titers, NAb titers) in an indirect ELISA format. Fifty-seven COVID-19-recovered patients plasma samples were subjected to anti-SARS-CoV-2 RBD, S1, and N protein IgG antibody by indirect ELISA.

Results

ELISA-RBD exhibited high specificity (96.2%) and ELISA-N had high sensitivity (100%); while ELISA-S1 had low sensitivity (86.0%) and specificity (73.1%). Furthermore, ELISA-RBD IgG titers and pseudovirus-based NAb titers correlated significantly, with R² of 0.2564 (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

ELISA-RBD could be a substitute for the neutralization assay in resource-limited situations to screen potential plasma donors for further plasma infusion therapy.