Coronaviruses and COVID-19 – Complications and Lessons Learned for the Future

Correlating the trends of COVID-19 spread and air quality during lockdowns in Tier-I and Tier-II cities of India-lessons learnt and futuristic strategies

The present study focuses on the impact of early imposed lockdowns and following unlocking phases on the status of air quality in six Tier-I and nine Tier-II cities of India as compared to the pre-lockdown measures. Furthermore, the study highlights the possible correlation of air quality index (AQI) with the initial trend of COVID-19 issues including the vaccination cases. Based on the statistical data analysis, we observed that the long-term averages for representing the short-term pre-lockdown conditions can impose a healing effect to the observed anomalies in air pollution data. However, the reduction in air pollution during the imposed lockdown series was only a phenomenal consequence, and the trends started reversing during the later phases of partial unlocking, where the correlation showed reversing trends. Being a yearly averaged parameter, the marginal reductions in the exceedance factor (EF) alone could not dictate air quality compared to the AQI. As there is incoherent variability in the pollutant distributions among the cities during various phases of the study, the trend analysis served as a preferable criterion to choose the preferred sources of variations. Based on the results, the correlation analysis revealed that air quality expressed in terms of AQI can act as an important precursor to estimate the critical phase of COVID-19 spread and the effectiveness of various control measures taken during each phase. Based on our proposed ranking, Kolkata and Patna are ranked first in the Tier-I and Tier-II cities respectively according to their responsiveness to the various institutionalized restrictions in terms of air quality parameters.

Elevated Fasting Blood Glucose Levels Are Associated with Worse Clinical Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients Than in Pneumonia Patients with Bacterial Infections

Aims: We investigate how fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels affect the clinical severity in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, pneumonia patients with sole bacterial infection, and pneumonia patients with concurrent bacterial and fungal infections. Methods: We enrolled 2761 COVID-19 patients, 1686 pneumonia patients with bacterial infections, and 2035 pneumonia patients with concurrent infections. We used multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess the associations between FBG levels and clinical severity. Results: FBG levels in COVID-19 patients were significantly higher than in other pneumonia patients during hospitalisation and at discharge (all p < 0.05). Among COVID-19 patients, the odds ratios of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), respiratory failure (RF), acute hepatitis/liver failure (AH/LF), length of stay, and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were 12.80 (95% CI, 4.80−37.96), 5.72 (2.95−11.06), 2.60 (1.20−5.32), 1.42 (1.26−1.59), and 5.16 (3.26−8.17) times higher in the FBG ≥7.0 mmol/L group than in FBG < 6.1 mmol/L group, respectively. The odds ratios of RF, AH/LF, length of stay, and ICU admission were increased to a lesser extent in pneumonia patients with sole bacterial infection (3.70 [2.21−6.29]; 1.56 [1.17−2.07]; 0.98 [0.88−1.11]; 2.06 [1.26−3.36], respectively). The odds ratios of ARDS, RF, AH/LF, length of stay, and ICU admission were increased to a lesser extent in pneumonia patients with concurrent infections (3.04 [0.36−6.41]; 2.31 [1.76−3.05]; 1.21 [0.97−1.52]; 1.02 [0.93−1.13]; 1.72 [1.19−2.50], respectively). Among COVID-19 patients, the incidence rate of ICU admission on day 21 in the FBG ≥ 7.0 mmol/L group was six times higher than in the FBG < 6.1 mmol/L group (12.30% vs. 2.21%, p < 0.001). Among other pneumonia patients, the incidence rate of ICU admission on day 21 was only two times higher. Conclusions: Elevated FBG levels at admission predict subsequent clinical severity in all pneumonia patients regardless of the underlying pathogens, but COVID-19 patients are more sensitive to FBG levels, and suffer more severe clinical complications than other pneumonia patients.

Could technology enable individuals with schizophrenia to access health care? The case of Ecuador

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to fill in the gaps in the literature regarding health-care access for individuals with schizophrenia, with a focus on Ecuador, and how technology can enable health-care access during the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this aim, the author reviewed peer-reviewed articles in English and Spanish (using, among other sources, Medline and ProQuest), the Ecuadorian Constitution, law projects on mental health and suicide and government reports.

Findings

The consensus seems to be that the Ecuadorian health-care system has failed in its constitutional mandate to provide essential care for mentally ill patients, such as those suffering from schizophrenia. The data supporting the use of the internet and smartphone technology for delivering health services during the pandemic are extremely clear, but substantive governmental responses have been lacking.

Research limitations/implications

The major limitation of this study is the lack of data on schizophrenia in Ecuador and the use of technology.

Originality/value

This evaluation of the current literature on the effect of the pandemic on access to health care for patients suffering from mental illness is much-needed and should provide a welcome data source for research, practice and policymaking.

Stem cell therapies and benefaction of somatic cell nuclear transfer cloning in COVID-19 era

BACKGROUND

The global health emergency of COVID-19 has necessitated the development of multiple therapeutic modalities including vaccinations, antivirals, anti-inflammatory, and cytoimmunotherapies, etc. COVID-19 patients suffer from damage to various organs and vascular structures, so they present multiple health crises. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are of interest to treat acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection.

MAIN BODY

Stem cell-based therapies have been verified for prospective benefits in copious preclinical and clinical studies. MSCs confer potential benefits to develop various cell types and organoids for studying virus-human interaction, drug testing, regenerative medicine, and immunomodulatory effects in COVID-19 patients. Apart from paving the ways to augment stem cell research and therapies, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) holds unique ability for a wide range of health applications such as patient-specific or isogenic cells for regenerative medicine and breeding transgenic animals for biomedical applications. Being a potent cell genome-reprogramming tool, the SCNT has increased prominence of recombinant therapeutics and cellular medicine in the current era of COVID-19. As SCNT is used to generate patient-specific stem cells, it avoids dependence on embryos to obtain stem cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The nuclear transfer cloning, being an ideal tool to generate cloned embryos, and the embryonic stem cells will boost drug testing and cellular medicine in COVID-19.

Risk management strategies and therapeutic modalities to tackle COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2

The recent emergence of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) triggered by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in substantial mortality worldwide. Presently, there is no approved treatment for COVID-19. Consequently, the clinical, scientific, and regulatory authorities have joint efforts to reduce the severe impact of COVID-19. To date, there is minimal arsenal with no definite curative drugs, licensed-vaccines, or therapeutic conducts to combat the COVID-19 infections. Keeping in view the threats of this pandemic, various global organizations, physicians, researchers, and scientists, are trying to recognize the epidemiological characteristics and pathogenic mechanisms of COVID-19 to discover potential treatment regimens, vaccines, and therapeutic modes for future anticipation. Herein, we summarize a contemporary overview of curative invasions and vaccines for COVID-19 based on the earlier information and considerate of similar earlier RNA coronaviruses. The information reviewed here establishes a paramount intellectual basis to promote ongoing research to develop vaccines and curative agents. Thus, this review suggests the furthermost accessible frontiers in the vaccine development to tackle or combat the COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2.

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Caused by (SARS-CoV-2) Infections: A Real Challenge for Human Gut Microbiota

The current COVID-19 pandemic is a great challenge for worldwide researchers in the human microbiota area because the mechanisms and long-term effects of the infection at the GI level are not yet deeply understood. In the current review, scientific literature including original research articles, clinical studies, epidemiological reports, and review-type articles concerning human intestinal infection with SARS-CoV-2 and the possible consequences on the microbiota were reviewed. Moreover, the following aspects pertaining to COVID-19 have also been discussed: transmission, resistance in the human body, the impact of nutritional status in relation to the intestinal microbiota, and the impact of comorbid metabolic disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), obesity, and type two diabetes (T2D). The articles investigated show that health, age, and nutritional status are associated with specific communities of bacterial species in the gut, which could influence the clinical course of COVID-19 infection. Fecal microbiota alterations were associated with fecal concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 severity. Patients suffering from metabolic and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are thought to be at a moderate-to-high risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2, indicating the direct implication of gut dysbiosis in COVID-19 severity. However, additional efforts are required to identify the initial GI symptoms of COVID-19 for possible early intervention.

Nanobiosensors for the Detection of Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV and Other Pandemic/Epidemic Respiratory Viruses: A Review

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is considered a public health emergency of international concern. The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that caused this pandemic has spread rapidly to over 200 countries, and has drastically affected public health and the economies of states at unprecedented levels. In this context, efforts around the world are focusing on solving this problem in several directions of research, by: (i) exploring the origin and evolution of the phylogeny of the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome; (ii) developing nanobiosensors that could be highly effective in detecting the new coronavirus; (iii) finding effective treatments for COVID-19; and (iv) working on vaccine development. In this paper, an overview of the progress made in the development of nanobiosensors for the detection of human coronaviruses (SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is presented, along with specific techniques for modifying the surface of nanobiosensors. The newest detection methods of the influenza virus responsible for acute respiratory syndrome were compared with conventional methods, highlighting the newest trends in diagnostics, applications, and challenges of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 causative virus) nanobiosensors.

ROLE OF TOLL-LIKE RECEPTORS IN CORONAVIRUS INFECTION AND IMMUNE RESPONSE

The emergence of a novel coronavirus referred to as SARS-CoV-2 has become a global health apprehension due to rapid transmission tendency, severity, and wide geographical spread. This emergence was started from Wuhan, China in 2019 from the zoonotic source and spread worldwide, infecting almost half of the community on this earth. Many of the receptors are involved in proceeding with this infection in the organism's body. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play essential and protective functions from a wide range of microbial pathogens. Small setup of TLR adaptor proteins leads to activate nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) and interferon-regulatory factor (IRF). Consequently, various advanced inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and interferon reaction properties can be up-regulated. Similarly, TLR flagging works on autophagy in macrophages. Autophagy is a cell response to starvation that helps to eliminate damaged cytosol organelles and persistent proteins. It is also able to prevent the replication of intracellular pathogens. Several microbes subvert the autophagy pathways to sustain their viability. This review investigates how TLRs can modulate a macrophagic system and analyze the role of natural resistance autophagy.