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Saravanan V, Chagaleti BK, Narayanan PL, Anandan VB, Manoharan H, Anjana GV, Peraman R, Namasivayam SKR, Kavisri M, Arockiaraj J, Muthu Kumaradoss K, Moovendhan M. Discovery and development of COVID-19 vaccine from laboratory to clinic. Chem Biol Drug Des 2024; 103:e14383. [PMID: 37953736 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The world has recently experienced one of the biggest and most severe public health disasters with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) which is one of the most widespread and powerful infections affecting human lungs. Current figures show that the epidemic had reached 216 nations, where it had killed about 6,438,926 individuals and infected 590,405,710. WHO proclaimed the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (EVD), in 2014 that killed hundreds of people in West Africa. The development of vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 becomes more difficult due to the viral mutation in its non-structural proteins (NSPs) especially NSP2 and NSP3, S protein, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Continuous monitoring of SARS-CoV-2, dynamics of the genomic sequence, and spike protein mutations are very important for the successful development of vaccines with good efficacy. Hence, the vaccine development for SARS-CoV-2 faces specific challenges starting from viral mutation. The requirement of long-term immunity development, safety, efficacy, stability, vaccine allocation, distribution, and finally, its cost is discussed in detail. Currently, 169 vaccines are in the clinical development stage, while 198 vaccines are in the preclinical development stage. The majority of these vaccines belong to the Ps-Protein subunit type which has 54, and the minor BacAg-SPV (Bacterial antigen-spore expression vector) type, at least 1 vaccination. The use of computational methods and models for vaccine development has revolutionized the traditional methods of vaccine development. Further, this updated review highlights the upcoming vaccine development strategies in response to the current pandemic and post-pandemic era, in the field of vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkatesan Saravanan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Bharath Kumar Chagaleti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Pavithra Lakshmi Narayanan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Vijay Babu Anandan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Haritha Manoharan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - G V Anjana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Ramalingam Peraman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Hajipur, Hajipur, India
| | - S Karthik Raja Namasivayam
- Department of Research & Innovation, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
| | - M Kavisri
- Department of Civil Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS Deemed University, Chennai, India
| | - Jesu Arockiaraj
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Kathiravan Muthu Kumaradoss
- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Research Lab, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, India
| | - Meivelu Moovendhan
- Centre for Ocean Research, Col. Dr. Jeppiar Research Park, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, India
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Lohiniva AL, Pensola A, Hyökki S, Sivelä J, Härmä V, Tammi T. Identifying factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine uptake in Finland - a qualitative study using social media data. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1138800. [PMID: 37361144 PMCID: PMC10288145 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1138800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Vaccine demand creation requires understanding what is driving the uptake of the vaccine. 24 Qualitative research methods are paramount to gaining a localized understanding of behavioral 25 drivers and barriers to vaccine uptake, but they are often underutilized. Methods This is a qualitative study that 26 used public comments on the Facebook and Twitter posts of the Finnish Institute for Health and 27 Welfare (THL) as data sources to identify behavioral drivers for COVID-19 vaccine uptake in 28 Finland. The participatory data analysis utilized thematic analysis and the Theoretical Domains 29 Framework (TDF). NVIVO was used to assist in the coding process. Results The greatest number of FB and 30 Twitter comments were linked with six TDF domains: knowledge, environmental context and 31 resources, beliefs in consequences, beliefs in capabilities, social and professional role, and social 32 influences. The domains included 15 themes that were interlinked. The knowledge domain 33 overlapped with all other domains. Discussion By using public discourse on Facebook and Twitter, and rapid 34 qualitative data analysis methods within a behavioral insight framework, this study adds to the 35 emerging knowledge about behavioral drivers of COVID-19 vaccines that can be used by public 36 health experts to enhance the uptake of vaccines during future pandemics and epidemics.
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Al-Hatamleh MA, Abusalah MA, Hatmal MM, Alshaer W, Ahmad S, Mohd-Zahid MH, Rahman ENSE, Yean CY, Alias IZ, Uskoković V, Mohamud R. Understanding the challenges to COVID-19 vaccines and treatment options, herd immunity and probability of reinfection. J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2023; 18:600-638. [PMID: 36570799 PMCID: PMC9758618 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2022.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike pandemics in the past, the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which rapidly spread worldwide, was met with a different approach to control and measures implemented across affected countries. The lack of understanding of the fundamental nature of the outbreak continues to make COVID-19 challenging to manage for both healthcare practitioners and the scientific community. Challenges to vaccine development and evaluation, current therapeutic options, convalescent plasma therapy, herd immunity, and the emergence of reinfection and new variants remain the major obstacles to combating COVID-19. This review discusses these challenges in the management of COVID-19 at length and highlights the mechanisms needed to provide better understanding of this pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad A.I. Al-Hatamleh
- Department of Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
| | - Mai A. Abusalah
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Zarqa University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Ma'mon M. Hatmal
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
| | - Walhan Alshaer
- Cell Therapy Center (CTC), The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
| | - Suhana Ahmad
- Department of Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
| | - Manali H. Mohd-Zahid
- Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
| | - Engku Nur Syafirah E.A. Rahman
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
| | - Chan Y. Yean
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
| | - Iskandar Z. Alias
- Department of Chemical Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
| | | | - Rohimah Mohamud
- Department of Immunology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia
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Hu L, Sun J, Wang Y, Tan D, Cao Z, Gao L, Guan Y, Jia X, Mao J. A Review of Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine Development in China: Focusing on Safety and Efficacy in Special Populations. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1045. [PMID: 37376434 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11061045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been widespread globally, and vaccination is critical for preventing further spread or resurgence of the outbreak. Inactivated vaccines made from whole inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus particles generated in Vero cells are currently the most widely used COVID-19 vaccines, with China being the largest producer of inactivated vaccines. As a result, the focus of this review is on inactivated vaccines, with a multidimensional analysis of the development process, platforms, safety, and efficacy in special populations. Overall, inactivated vaccines are a safe option, and we hope that the review will serve as a foundation for further development of COVID-19 vaccines, thus strengthening the defense against the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidan Hu
- Department of Nephrology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Jingmiao Sun
- Department of Nephrology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Nephrology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Danny Tan
- Department of Nephrology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Zhongkai Cao
- Department of Nephrology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Langping Gao
- Department of Nephrology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Yuelin Guan
- Department of Nephrology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Xiuwei Jia
- Department of Nephrology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Jianhua Mao
- Department of Nephrology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310030, China
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Bektas İ, Bektas M. The effects of parents' vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 vaccine literacy on attitudes toward vaccinating their children during the pandemic. J Pediatr Nurs 2023:S0882-5963(23)00105-7. [PMID: 37142496 PMCID: PMC10130325 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2023.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The study was conducted to examine the effects of parents' vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 vaccine literacy on their attitudes toward vaccinating their children during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN AND METHODS The study was descriptive, cross-sectional, and comparative. The data were collected from 199 parents with children aged 0-18 using a Google Form on social media. In the study, the Parent Introductory Information Form, the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale in Pandemics, and the COVID-19 Vaccine Literacy Scale were used. In the analysis of the data, numbers, percentages, and means were calculated, and the significance test of the difference between the two means and the logistic regression analysis were used. RESULTS Parents' vaccination hesitancy scale sub-dimensions and COVID-19 vaccine literacy scale sub-dimensions together explain 25.4% of their attitudes toward having their children vaccinated against COVID-19. When the variables were examined individually, it was determined that the sub-dimensions of the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale in Pandemics alone significantly affected their attitudes during the pandemic period (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Parents are hesitant about getting their children vaccinated against COVID-19. Improving vaccine literacy can increase vaccination rates in special groups to overcome vaccine hesitancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- İlknur Bektas
- İzmir Bakırçay University, Faculty of Health Science, Nursing Department, Izmir, Turkey.
| | - Murat Bektas
- Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Nursing, Inciraltı, Izmir, Turkey
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Valizadeh J, Boloukifar S, Soltani S, Jabalbarezi Hookerd E, Fouladi F, Andreevna Rushchtc A, Du B, Shen J. Designing an optimization model for the vaccine supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic. EXPERT SYSTEMS WITH APPLICATIONS 2023; 214:119009. [PMID: 36312907 PMCID: PMC9598262 DOI: 10.1016/j.eswa.2022.119009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people's lives worldwide. Among various strategies being applied to addressing such a global crisis, public vaccination has been arguably the most appropriate approach to control a pandemic. However, vaccine supply chain and management have become a new challenge for governments. In this study, a solution for the vaccine supply chain is presented to address the hurdles in the public vaccination program according to the concerns of the government and the organizations involved. For this purpose, a robust bi-level optimization model is proposed. At the upper level, the risk of mortality due to the untimely supply of the vaccine and the risk of inequality in the distribution of the vaccine is considered. All costs related to the vaccine supply chain are considered at the lower level, including the vaccine supply, allocation of candidate centers for vaccine injection, cost of maintenance and injection, transportation cost, and penalty cost due to the vaccine shortage. In addition, the uncertainty of demand for vaccines is considered with multiple scenarios of different demand levels. Numerical experiments are conducted based on the vaccine supply chain in Kermanshah, Iran, and the results show that the proposed model significantly reduces the risk of mortality and inequality in the distribution of vaccines as well as the total cost, which leads to managerial insights for better coordination of the vaccination network during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaber Valizadeh
- Department of Management, Saveh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Saveh, Iran
| | - Shadi Boloukifar
- Industrial Engineering Department, Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, North Cyprus, Cyprus
| | - Sepehr Soltani
- Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | | | - Farzaneh Fouladi
- Master of Business Administration, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Bo Du
- SMART Infrastructure Facility, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jun Shen
- School of Computing & Information Technology, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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Beccia F, Regazzi L, Marziali E, Beccia V, Pascucci D, Mores N, Vetrugno G, Laurenti P. BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine Safety among Healthcare Workers of a Tertiary Hospital in Italy. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11020477. [PMID: 36851354 PMCID: PMC9964542 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Millions of people have died because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccination campaign helped tackle the pandemic and saved millions of lives. In a retrospective pharmacovigilance study, we explored the safety of the BNT162b2 (Comirnaty) vaccine among healthcare workers (HCWs) in a large Italian teaching hospital, and 2428 Adverse Events Reports (AERs) filed by HCWs after the administration of the first dose of vaccine were collected and analyzed, reporting the results quantitively and comparing them to the vaccine Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). Spearman's correlation coefficients were computed to investigate the correlation among reported adverse effects, and recurrent clusters of symptoms were investigated through the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and k-means Cluster Analysis. The BNT162b2 vaccine's safety profile was favorable, with predominant reports of early onset, mild, non-serious and short-term resolved symptoms. We observed higher than the expected frequency for various non-serious undesirable effects, especially among those listed and classified as less common in the SPC. Furthermore, we identified three clusters of adverse effects that were frequently reported together, defined by the presence/absence of fatigue, malaise, localized pain, chills, pyrexia, insomnia, nausea and injection site pain. Post-marketing pharmacovigilance activities, together with targeted public health interventions, can be valuable tools to promote vaccination and improve the control of the spread of the pandemic, especially in sensitive settings and populations such as hospitals and healthcare professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Beccia
- Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Regazzi
- Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Eleonora Marziali
- Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Viria Beccia
- Medical Oncology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Domenico Pascucci
- Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Nadia Mores
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Vetrugno
- Risk Management Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Laurenti
- Section of Hygiene, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
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González-Parra G, Arenas AJ. Mathematical Modeling of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Wave under Vaccination Effects. COMPUTATION (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 11:36. [PMID: 38957648 PMCID: PMC11218807 DOI: 10.3390/computation11020036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic millions of deaths and hospitalizations have been reported. Different SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern have been recognized during this pandemic and some of these variants of concern have caused uncertainty and changes in the dynamics. The Omicron variant has caused a large amount of infected cases in the US and worldwide. The average number of deaths during the Omicron wave toll increased in comparison with previous SARS-CoV-2 waves. We studied the Omicron wave by using a highly nonlinear mathematical model for the COVID-19 pandemic. The novel model includes individuals who are vaccinated and asymptomatic, which influences the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, the model considers the waning of the immunity and efficacy of the vaccine against the Omicron strain. This study uses the facts that the Omicron strain has a higher transmissibility than the previous circulating SARS-CoV-2 strain but is less deadly. Preliminary studies have found that Omicron has a lower case fatality rate compared to previous circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains. The simulation results show that even if the Omicron strain is less deadly it might cause more deaths, hospitalizations and infections. We provide a variety of scenarios that help to obtain insight about the Omicron wave and its consequences. The proposed mathematical model, in conjunction with the simulations, provides an explanation for a large Omicron wave under various conditions related to vaccines and transmissibility. These results provide an awareness that new SARS-CoV-2 variants can cause more deaths even if their fatality rate is lower.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilberto González-Parra
- Department of Mathematics, New Mexico Tech, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
| | - Abraham J. Arenas
- Departamento de Matematicas y Estadistica, Universidad de Cordoba, Monteria 230002, Colombia
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Bartholomew DC, Nwaigwe CC, Orumie UC, Nwafor GO. Intervention Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccination in Nigeria: The Naive Solution Versus Interrupted Time Series. ANNALS OF DATA SCIENCE 2023:1-26. [PMID: 38625335 PMCID: PMC9851118 DOI: 10.1007/s40745-023-00462-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, an intervention analysis approach was applied to daily cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria in order to evaluate the utilization and effect of the COVID-19 vaccine administered in the country. Data on the daily report of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria were collected and subjected to two models: the naïve solution and the interrupted time series (the intervention model). Based on the Alkaike Information Criterion (AIC), sigma2, and log likelihood values, the interrupted time series model outperformed the Naïve solution model. ARIMA (4, 1, 4) with exogenous variables was identified as the best model. It was observed that the intervention (vaccination) was not significant at the 5% level of significance in reducing the number of daily COVID-19 cases in Nigeria since the start of the vaccination on March 5, 2021, until March 28, 2022. Also, the ARIMA (4, 1, 4) forecasts indicated that there will be surge in the number of daily COVID-19 cases in Nigeria between January and April 2023. As a result, we recommend strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols as well as further vaccination and sensitization programs to educate people on the importance of vaccine uptake and avoid Corona virus spread in the year 2023 and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ukamaka Cynthia Orumie
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria
| | - Godwin Onyeka Nwafor
- Department of Statistics, Federal University of Technology Owerri, Owerri, Imo State Nigeria
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Mudenda S, Mukosha M, Hikaambo CN, Meyer JC, Fadare J, Kampamba M, Kalungia AC, Munsaka S, Okoro RN, Daka V, Chileshe M, Mfune RL, Mufwambi W, Witika BA, Godman B. Awareness and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines and associated factors among pharmacy students in Zambia. Malawi Med J 2022; 34:273-280. [PMID: 38125782 PMCID: PMC10645825 DOI: 10.4314/mmj.v34i4.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim This study aimed to assess the awareness and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines and associated factors among pharmacy students in Zambia. Materials and Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among 326 undergraduate pharmacy students in Lusaka, Zambia, from February to April 2021. Data were analysed using Stata version 16.1. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine key factors influencing vaccine acceptance. Results Of the 326 participants, 98.8% were aware of the COVID-19 vaccines, but only 24.5% would accept vaccination. Compared to other religions, being of Christian faith was associated with reduced odds of awareness of the COVID-19 vaccine (aOR=0.01, 95% CI: 0.01-0.20). Conversely, factors associated with vaccine acceptance were being male, single and unemployed. Compared to females, male respondents were 86% more likely to accept the vaccine if it was made available (aOR=1.86, 95% CI: 1.10-3.14). In addition, unmarried respondents were 2.65 times as likely to accept vaccination than married respondents (aOR=2.65, 95% CI: 1.06-6.63). Conversely, unemployed respondents were less likely to accept vaccination than their employed counterparts (aOR=0.32, 95% CI: 0.16-0.46). Barriers to the acceptability of the vaccine were possible side effects (78.5%) and scepticism about its effectiveness (10.2%). Conclusion There was significant vaccine hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccines among Zambian pharmacy students despite their awareness of the vaccines. Health authorities must work collaboratively with training institutions to mitigate vaccine hesitancy, especially with healthcare students being a key part of the future healthcare workforce overseeing disease prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steward Mudenda
- University of Zambia, School of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Moses Mukosha
- University of Zambia, School of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | - Johanna Catharina Meyer
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Joseph Fadare
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
- Department of Medicine, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria
| | - Martin Kampamba
- University of Zambia, School of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Lusaka, Zambia
| | | | - Sody Munsaka
- University of Zambia, School of Health Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Roland Nnaemeka Okoro
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Administration, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria
| | - Victor Daka
- Copperbelt University, Michael Chilufya Sata School of Medicine, Ndola, Zambia
| | | | | | - Webrod Mufwambi
- University of Zambia, School of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Bwalya Angel Witika
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Brian Godman
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- Centre of Medical and Bio allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, United Arab Emirates
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11
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Elekhnawy E, Negm WA, El-Sherbeni SA, Zayed A. Assessment of drugs administered in the Middle East as part of the COVID-19 management protocols. Inflammopharmacology 2022; 30:1935-1954. [PMID: 36018432 PMCID: PMC9411846 DOI: 10.1007/s10787-022-01050-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The pandemic spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been reported first at the end of 2019. It continues disturbing various human aspects with multiple pandemic waves showing more fatal novel variants. Now Egypt faces the sixth wave of the pandemic with controlled governmental measures. COVID-19 is an infectious respiratory disease-causing mild to moderate illness that can be progressed into life-threatening complications based on patients- and variant type-related factors. The symptoms vary from dry cough, fever to difficulty in breathing that required urgent hospitalization. Most countries have authorized their national protocols for managing manifested symptoms and thus lowering the rate of patients' hospitalization and boosting the healthcare systems. These protocols are still in use even with the development and approval of several vaccines. These protocols were instructed to aid home isolation, bed rest, dietary supplements, and additionally the administration of antipyretic, steroids, and antiviral drugs. The current review aimed to highlight the administered protocols in the Middle East, namely in Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia demonstrating how these protocols have shown potential effectiveness in treating patients and saving many soles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Engy Elekhnawy
- Pharmaceutical Microbiology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Elguish Street (Medical Campus), Tanta, 31527 Egypt
| | - Walaa A. Negm
- Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Elguish Street (Medical Campus), Tanta, 31527 Egypt
| | - Suzy A. El-Sherbeni
- Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Elguish Street (Medical Campus), Tanta, 31527 Egypt
| | - Ahmed Zayed
- Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tanta University, Elguish Street (Medical Campus), Tanta, 31527 Egypt
- Institute of Bioprocess Engineering, Technical University of Kaiserslautern, Gottlieb-Daimler-Straße 49, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
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12
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Tharwat S, Nassar DK, Nassar MK, Saad AM, Hamdy F. Attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination among healthcare workers: a cross sectional study from Egypt. BMC Health Serv Res 2022; 22:1357. [PMCID: PMC9667438 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-022-08751-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Herd immunity is necessary to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Vaccination is the fastest and safest pandemic control strategy. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are essential in providing vaccination information. The aim of this study was to assess intent to be vaccinated against COVID-19 among HCWs in Egypt and to determine the factors that may influence their decision.
Methods
A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs who care for patients in several hospitals in Delta region, Egypt. The questionnaire included sociodemographic, clinical, and occupational data, intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and beliefs and attitudes towards COVID-19 and its vaccination.
Results
The study included 455 HCWs with a mean age of 36.55 years (SD = 10.31) and 80% were females. The acceptance rate for the COVID-19 vaccine was 70.5%, while hesitancy and resistancy were both 17.6 and 11.9% respectively. About one-third (33.4%) of the subjects had previously contracted COVID-19. Most participants believed that they had a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 (71.6%). More than 64% believed they were at risk for vaccination side effects. Fear of infection and being at high risk of infection were the main drivers for COVID-19 vaccination, while the major barriers were waiting for additional experience with these new vaccines and having doubts about the vaccines’ efficacy.
Conclusions
The acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination among HCWs is very high. This crucial group needs to be the focus of educational initiatives and campaigns designed to increase public awareness of the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination.
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Padilla-Rivas GR, Delgado-Gallegos JL, Garza-Treviño G, Galan-Huerta KA, G-Buentello Z, Roacho-Pérez JA, Santoyo-Suarez MG, Franco-Villareal H, Leyva-Lopez A, Estrada-Rodriguez AE, Moreno-Cuevas JE, Ramos-Jimenez J, Rivas-Estrilla AM, Garza-Treviño EN, Islas JF. Association between mortality and cardiovascular diseases in the vulnerable Mexican population: A cross-sectional retrospective study of the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1008565. [PMID: 36438268 PMCID: PMC9686003 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1008565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to be the leading cause of death worldwide. Over the past couple of years and with the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic, mortality from CVDs has been slightly overshadowed by those due to COVID-19, although it was during the peak of the pandemic. In the present study, patients with CVDs (CVDs; n = 41,883) were analyzed to determine which comorbidities had the largest impact on overall patient mortality due to their association with both diseases (n = 3,637). Obesity, hypertension, and diabetes worsen health in patients diagnosed positive for COVID-19. Hence, they were included in the overview of all patients with CVD. Our findings showed that 1,697 deaths were attributable to diabetes (p < 0.001) and 987 deaths to obesity (p < 0.001). Lastly, 2,499 deaths were attributable to hypertension (p < 0.001). Using logistic regression modeling, we found that diabetes (OR: 1.744, p < 0.001) and hypertension (OR: 2.179, p < 0.001) significantly affected the mortality rate of patients. Hence, having a CVD diagnosis, with hypertension and/or diabetes, seems to increase the likelihood of complications, leading to death in patients diagnosed positive for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo R. Padilla-Rivas
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Juan Luis Delgado-Gallegos
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Gerardo Garza-Treviño
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Kame A. Galan-Huerta
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Zuca G-Buentello
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Jorge A. Roacho-Pérez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Michelle Giovana Santoyo-Suarez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | | | - Ahidée Leyva-Lopez
- Centro de Investigación en Salud Poblacional Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México
| | | | - Jorge E. Moreno-Cuevas
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de Monterrey, San Pedro Garza García, México
| | - Javier Ramos-Jimenez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Ana M. Rivas-Estrilla
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Elsa N. Garza-Treviño
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Jose Francisco Islas
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
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14
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Shaik RA, Ahmad MS, Alzahrani M, Alzerwi NAN, Alnemare AK, Reyzah M, Albar HM, Alshagrawi S, Elkhalifa AME, Alzahrani R, Alrohaimi Y, Mahfoz TMB, Ahmad RK, Alahmdi RA, Al-baradie NRS. Comprehensive Highlights of the Universal Efforts towards the Development of COVID-19 Vaccine. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10101689. [PMID: 36298554 PMCID: PMC9611897 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10101689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The world has taken proactive measures to combat the pandemic since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, which was caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). These measures range from increasing the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and highlighting the value of social distancing to the emergency use authorization (EUA) of therapeutic drugs or antibodies and their appropriate use; nonetheless, the disease is still spreading quickly and is ruining people’s social lives, the economy, and public health. As a result, effective vaccines are critical for bringing the pandemic to an end and restoring normalcy in society. Several potential COVID-19 vaccines are now being researched, developed, tested, and reviewed. Since the end of June 2022, several vaccines have been provisionally approved, whereas others are about to be approved. In the upcoming years, a large number of new medications that are presently undergoing clinical testing are anticipated to hit the market. To illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of their technique, to emphasize the additives and delivery methods used in their creation, and to project potential future growth, this study explores these vaccines and the related research endeavors, including conventional and prospective approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riyaz Ahamed Shaik
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence:
| | - Mohammed Shakil Ahmad
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mansour Alzahrani
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nasser A. N. Alzerwi
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Ministry of Education, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad K. Alnemare
- Otolaryngology Department, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Musaed Reyzah
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Ministry of Education, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Haitham M. Albar
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Ministry of Education, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Salah Alshagrawi
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh 11673, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed M. E. Elkhalifa
- Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Riyadh 11673, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Haematology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of El Imam El Mahdi, Kosti 1158, Sudan
| | - Raed Alzahrani
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yousef Alrohaimi
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia
| | - Turki M. Bin Mahfoz
- Department of Otolaryngology, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 13317, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ritu Kumar Ahmad
- Applied Medical Sciences, Buraydah Private Colleges, Buraydah 51418, Saudi Arabia
| | - Riyadh Ahmed Alahmdi
- Department of Family Medicine, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAAUH), Princess Nourah Bin Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
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15
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Targeted therapy in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Implication from cell and gene therapy to immunotherapy and vaccine. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 111:109161. [PMID: 35998506 PMCID: PMC9385778 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly pathogenic and transmissible virus. Infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 known as Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be severe, especially among high risk populations affected of underlying medical conditions. COVID-19 is characterized by the severe acute respiratory syndrome, a hyper inflammatory syndrome, vascular injury, microangiopathy and thrombosis. Antiviral drugs and immune modulating methods has been evaluated. So far, a particular therapeutic option has not been approved for COVID-19 and a variety of treatments have been studied for COVID-19 including, current treatment such as oxygen therapy, corticosteroids, antiviral agents until targeted therapy and vaccines which are diverse in each patient and have various outcomes. According to the findings of different in vitro and in vivo studies, some novel approach such as gene editing, cell based therapy, and immunotherapy may have significant potential in the treatment of COVID-19. Based on these findings, this paper aims to review the different strategies of treatment against COVID-19 and provide a summary from traditional and newer methods in curing COVID-19.
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A novel cyclic γ-AApeptide-based long-acting pan-coronavirus fusion inhibitor with potential oral bioavailability by targeting two sites in spike protein. Cell Discov 2022; 8:88. [PMID: 36075899 PMCID: PMC9453727 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-022-00455-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The receptor-binding domain (RBD) in S1 subunit and heptad repeat 1 (HR1) domain in S2 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein are the targets of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) and pan-coronavirus (CoV) fusion inhibitory peptides, respectively. However, neither nAb- nor peptide-based drugs can be used orally. In this study, we screened a one-bead-two-compound (OBTC) cyclic γ-AApeptide library against SARS-CoV-2 S protein and identified a hit: S-20 with potent membrane fusion inhibitory activity, but moderate selectivity index (SI). After modification, one derivative, S-20-1, exhibited improved fusion inhibitory activity and SI (>1000). S-20-1 could effectively inhibit infection by pseudotyped and authentic SARS-CoV-2 and pseudotyped variants of concern (VOCs), including B.1.617.2 (Delta) and B.1.1.529 (Omicron), as well as MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E, and HCoV-NL63. It could also inhibit infection of a pseudotyped SARS-related coronavirus WIV1 (SARSr-CoV-WIV1) from bats. Intranasal application of S-20-1 to mice before or after challenge with HCoV-OC43 or SARS-CoV-2 provided significant protection from infection. Importantly, S-20-1 was highly resistant to proteolytic degradation, had long half-life, and possessed favorable oral bioavailability. Mechanistic studies suggest that S-20-1 binds with high affinity to RBD in S1 and HR1 domain in S2 of SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Thus, with its pan-CoV fusion and entry inhibitory activity by targeting two sites in S protein, desirable half-life, and promising oral bioavailability, S-20-1 is a potential candidate for further development as a novel therapeutic and prophylactic drug against infection by SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, as well as future emerging and reemerging CoVs.
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17
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Farhat M, Al-Ibrahim R, Almohammedali A, Aljishi R, Alalwan B. Study of the Side Effects of Pfizer and Oxford COVID-19 Vaccines in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Int J Gen Med 2022; 15:7547-7558. [PMID: 36196371 PMCID: PMC9527030 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s379204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background & Objective The COVID-19 pandemic imposed global concern and became one of the deadliest pandemics of the twenty-first century. Several vaccines were developed against SARS-CoV-2 to counteract the effects of this virus. This study aims to determine the post-vaccination side effects of the most common COVID-19 vaccines used in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Methods This is a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire distributed randomly through social media. Frequencies were calculated to determine participants’ demographic information, vaccination details, and post-vaccination side effects. Univariate and multiple regression analysis were applied to test the association between individuals’ willingness to receive a booster dose and different categorical variables. Results A total of 1004 participants were included in the survey, of which 0.6%, 85.3% and 14.1% completed either one, two or three doses of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine and Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines, respectively. The similar common side effects between the first and the second doses were significantly associated with the type of vaccine received; these included fatigue (Pfizer 54.4%, Oxford 73.2%; p < 0.001), headache (Pfizer 33.2%, Oxford 44.7%; p = 0.002), and fever (Pfizer 25.1%, Oxford 57.6%; p < 0.001). Additionally, unusual side effects were also reported (palpitations and menstrual abnormalities). Getting SARS-CoV2 infection after vaccination was significantly associated with the type of vaccine received at the first dose (Chi-Square=5.496, p = 0.019). A statistically significant association was found between the individuals’ willingness to receive a booster dose and their gender (Chi-Square = 39.493, p < 0.001), age (Chi-Square = 11.668, p = 0.02), presence of allergies (Chi-Square = 5.602, p = 0.018), and previous COVID-19 infection (Chi-Square = 9.495, p = 0.002). Conclusion Despite the described side effects, further studies should be done to investigate the unusual and rare side effects to assess COVID-19 vaccines effectiveness and safety over longer period of time within a more diverse population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maha Farhat
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: Maha Farhat, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Imam AbdulRahman Bin Faisal University, King Faisal Ibn Abd Al Aziz, King Faysal University, Dammam, 34212, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966 507107411, Email
| | - Rabab Al-Ibrahim
- College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abrar Almohammedali
- College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Roaa Aljishi
- College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Baneen Alalwan
- College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
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18
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Pidiyar V, Kumraj G, Ahmed K, Ahmed S, Shah S, Majumder P, Verma B, Pathak S, Mukherjee S. COVID-19 management landscape: A need for an affordable platform to manufacture safe and efficacious biotherapeutics and prophylactics for the developing countries. Vaccine 2022; 40:5302-5312. [PMID: 35914959 PMCID: PMC9148927 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.05.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
To gain world-wide control over COVID-19 pandemic, it is necessary to have affordable and accessible vaccine and monoclonal antibody technologies across the globe. In comparison to the western countries, Asian and African countries have less percentage of vaccination done which warrants urgent attention. Global manufacturer production capacities, dependency on advanced nations for the supply of vaccines or the raw material, national economy, limited research facilities, and logistics could be the factors. This review article elaborates the existing therapeutic and prophylactic strategies available for COVID-19, currently adopted vaccine and monoclonal antibody platforms for SARS-CoV-2 along with the approaches to bridge the gap prevailing in the challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries. We believe adoption of yeast-derived P. pastoris technology can help in developing safe, proven, easy to scale-up, and affordable recombinant vaccine or monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. This platform has the advantage of not requiring a dedicated or specialized facility making it an affordable option using existing manufacturing facilities, without significant additional capital investments. Besides, the technology platform of multiantigen vaccine approach and monoclonal antibody cocktail will serve as effective weapons to combat the threat posed by the SARS-CoV-2 variants. Successful development of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies using such a technology will lead to self-sufficiency of these nations in terms of availability of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vyankatesh Pidiyar
- Techinvention Lifecare Pvt. Ltd. #1004, The Summit Business Park, Off WEH Metro Station, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400093. India
| | - Ganesh Kumraj
- Techinvention Lifecare Pvt. Ltd. #1004, The Summit Business Park, Off WEH Metro Station, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400093. India
| | - Kafil Ahmed
- Techinvention Lifecare Pvt. Ltd. #1004, The Summit Business Park, Off WEH Metro Station, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400093. India
| | - Syed Ahmed
- Techinvention Lifecare Pvt. Ltd. #1004, The Summit Business Park, Off WEH Metro Station, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400093. India.
| | - Sanket Shah
- Techinvention Lifecare Pvt. Ltd. #1004, The Summit Business Park, Off WEH Metro Station, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400093. India
| | - Piyali Majumder
- Techinvention Lifecare Pvt. Ltd. #1004, The Summit Business Park, Off WEH Metro Station, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400093. India
| | - Bhawna Verma
- Techinvention Lifecare Pvt. Ltd. #1004, The Summit Business Park, Off WEH Metro Station, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400093. India
| | - Sarang Pathak
- Techinvention Lifecare Pvt. Ltd. #1004, The Summit Business Park, Off WEH Metro Station, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400093. India
| | - Sushmita Mukherjee
- Techinvention Lifecare Pvt. Ltd. #1004, The Summit Business Park, Off WEH Metro Station, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East, Mumbai 400093. India
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19
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A Review on SARS-CoV-2 Genome in the Aquatic Environment of Africa: Prevalence, Persistence and the Future Prospects. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14132020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic (Coronavirus disease 2019) remains problematic in all its manifestations on the global stage where countless events of human-to-human exposure have led to fatal cases; thus, the aftermath being an unprecedented public health concern, with inaccessible health care and the instability of economies and financial institutions. These pose massive obstacles that can insatiably devour existing human resources causing negative impacts, especially in developing countries. Tracking the origin, dissemination and mutating strains of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) on population-wide scales is a somewhat overwhelming task, with the urgent need to map the dissemination and magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 in near real-time. This review paper focuses on the poor sanitation of some waterbodies and wastewater management policies in low-income African countries, highlighting how these contribute to the COVID-19 pandemic on the continent. Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, there has been an upsurge in scientific literature and studies concerning SARS-CoV-2 with different opinions and findings. The current paper highlights the challenges and also summarizes the environmental aspects related to the monitoring and fate of the SARS-CoV-2 genomes in the aquatic milieu of Sub-Saharan Africa.
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20
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Rong H, Qi M, Pan J, Sun Y, Gao J, Zhang X, Li W, Zhang B, Zhang XE, Cui Z. Self-Assembling Nanovaccine Confers Complete Protection Against Zika Virus Without Causing Antibody-Dependent Enhancement. Front Immunol 2022; 13:905431. [PMID: 35615356 PMCID: PMC9124840 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.905431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic poses a substantial threat to the public, and the development of safe and effective vaccines is a demanding challenge. In this study, we constructed a kind of self-assembling nanovaccine which confers complete protection against ZIKV infection. The ZIKV envelop protein domain III (zEDIII) was presented on recombinant human heavy chain ferritin (rHF) to form the zEDIII-rHF nanoparticle. Immunization of mice with zEDIII-rHF nanoparticle in the absence of an adjuvant induced robust humoral and cellular immune responses. zEDIII-rHF vaccination conferred complete protection against lethal infection with ZIKV and eliminated pathological symptoms in the brain. Importantly, the zEDIII-rHF nanovaccine induced immune response did not cross-react with dengue virus-2, overcoming the antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) problem that is a safety concern for ZIKV vaccine development. Our constructed zEDIII-rHF nanovaccine, with superior protective performance and avoidance of ADE, provides an effective and safe vaccine candidate against ZIKV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Rong
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mi Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingdi Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jiawang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Xian-En Zhang
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zongqiang Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Zongqiang Cui,
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21
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Cui MH, Hou XL, Liu JY. Ischemic colitis after receiving the second dose of a COVID-19 inactivated vaccine: A case report. World J Clin Cases 2022; 10:3866-3871. [PMID: 35647139 PMCID: PMC9100719 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v10.i12.3866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has been the most important clinical challenge worldwide since January 2020. COVID-19 inactivated vaccines play a crucial role in reducing the rates of morbidity and mortality.
CASE SUMMARY We presented a 48-year-old woman from Haidian District, Beijing, China who developed ischemic colitis after receiving the second dose of COVID-19 inactivated vaccine. Computed tomography of the abdomen showed edema and bowel wall thickening with hypodensity in the sigmoid colon and descending colon. Colonoscopy revealed hyperemia, edema and erosion of the mucosa with superficial ulceration and a yellow-white coating at the descending colon and sigmoid colon. The symptoms were relieved after 1 wk of receiving pinaverium bromide (50 mg, tid) and aspirin enteric-coated tablets (0.1 g, qd).
CONCLUSION The possible occurrence of ischemic colitis should be considered after administration of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Hua Cui
- Department of Gastroenterology, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Hou
- Department of Gastroenterology, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jun-Yuan Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Aerospace Center Hospital, Beijing 100049, China
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22
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Knobel P, Zhao X, White KM. Do conspiracy theory and mistrust undermine people's intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Austria? JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 50:1269-1281. [PMID: 34551127 PMCID: PMC8656288 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Conspiracy theories flourish during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic especially regarding vaccinations. As the vaccination reluctancy in Austria is high, it is important to understand the antecedents of vaccination intention at the preapproval stage of the vaccination process. An online survey was conducted in August 2020 in Austria with 217 primarily younger, female, educated participants. A two-step cluster analysis resulted in a sceptics cluster with a clear antivaccination tendency along with a right-wing political position, lower trust in general vaccines and lower education levels and the reference cluster. A considerable percentage of participants reported their reluctancy to have a COVID-19 vaccine. Although vaccination intention can be explained by attitude and subjective norm, this decision-making process is undermined by underlying factors such as conspiracy ideation and political position. Policy makers and health interventionists should take political background into consideration in efforts to increase vaccine compliance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phil Knobel
- Institute of PsychologyUniversity of KlagenfurtKlagenfurt am WörtherseeAustria
| | - Xiang Zhao
- Institute of PsychologyUniversity of KlagenfurtKlagenfurt am WörtherseeAustria
- School of Law, Psychology and Social WorkÖrebro UniversityÖrebroSweden
| | - Katherine M. White
- School of Psychology and CounsellingQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbaneAustralia
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23
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Kim N, Kim JN, Lee H, Andreu-Perez L. An Oscillatory Path to Vaccination: The Roles of Normative and Epistemic Factors in Explaining Vaccination Hesitancy in COVID-19. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2022:1-11. [PMID: 35361028 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2022.2054228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the roles of normative and epistemic factors in influencing individuals' reluctance to be vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals' ethical orientations (IEO; teleology vs. deontology) were introduced as normative characteristics, while COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy beliefs and vaccine knowledge were addressed as issue-specific epistemic factors. We conducted two online surveys to investigate each of these three factors' influences on the level of Americans' reluctance to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Combinations of these factors that predict COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy levels were also explored to provide integrated perspectives in the specific vaccination context. Our findings demonstrated the positive association between IEO and reluctance to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Significant interactions between 1) COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy beliefs and IEO and 2) conspiracy beliefs and vaccine knowledge were also identified. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future study were addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narae Kim
- College of Communication and Media Sciences, Zayed University
- The Debiasing and Lay Informatics (DaLI) Lab, The Center for Applied Social Research, The University of Oklahoma
| | - Jeong-Nam Kim
- The Debiasing and Lay Informatics (DaLI) Lab, The Center for Applied Social Research, The University of Oklahoma
- Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, The University of Oklahoma
| | - Hyelim Lee
- The Debiasing and Lay Informatics (DaLI) Lab, The Center for Applied Social Research, The University of Oklahoma
- Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, The University of Oklahoma
| | - Loarre Andreu-Perez
- The Debiasing and Lay Informatics (DaLI) Lab, The Center for Applied Social Research, The University of Oklahoma
- Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, The University of Oklahoma
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24
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Wambani J, Okoth P. Scope of SARS-CoV-2 variants, mutations, and vaccine technologies. THE EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE 2022; 34:34. [PMID: 35368846 PMCID: PMC8962228 DOI: 10.1186/s43162-022-00121-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 is disseminated by respiratory aerosols. The virus uses the spike protein to target epithelial cells by binding to the ACE2 receptor on the host cells. As a result, effective vaccines must target the viral spike glycoprotein. However, the appearance of an Omicron variant with 32 mutations in its spike protein raises questions about the vaccine's efficacy. Vaccines are critical in boosting immunity, lowering COVID-19-related illnesses, reducing the infectious burden on the healthcare system, and reducing economic loss, according to current data. An efficient vaccination campaign is projected to increase innate and adaptive immune responses, offering better protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Main body The presence of altered SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating around the world puts the effectiveness of vaccines already on the market at risk. The problem is made even worse by the Omicron variant, which has 32 mutations in its spike protein. Experts are currently examining the potential consequences of commercial vaccines on variants. However, there are worries about the vaccines' safety, the protection they provide, and whether future structural changes are required for these vaccines to be more effective. As a result of these concerns, new vaccines based on modern technology should be developed to guard against the growing SARS-CoV-2 variations. Conclusion The choice of a particular vaccine is influenced by several factors including mode of action, storage conditions, group of the vaccinee, immune response mounted, cost, dosage protocol, age, and side effects. Currently, seven SARS-CoV-2 vaccine platforms have been developed. This comprises of inactivated viruses, messenger RNA (mRNA), DNA vaccines, protein subunits, nonreplicating and replicating vector viral-like particles (VLP), and live attenuated vaccines. This review focuses on the SARS-CoV-2 mutations, variants of concern (VOCs), and advances in vaccine technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Wambani
- Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) HIV Laboratory-Alupe, P.O Box 3-50400, Busia, Kenya
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Public Health, Biomedical Sciences and Technology, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, P.O Box 190, Kakamega, 50100 Kenya
| | - Patrick Okoth
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, P. O Box 190, Kakamega, 50100 Kenya
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25
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Acceptance and Factors Influencing Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine in a Romanian Population. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12030452. [PMID: 35330452 PMCID: PMC8955399 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12030452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccination has been recognized as one of the most effective ways to overcome the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, the success of this effort relies on national vaccination programmes. In May 2021, we surveyed 1552 people from Romania to determine acceptance rates and factors influencing acceptance of a COVID-19 vaccine. Of these, 39.2% of participants reported that they were vaccinated and 25.6% desired vaccination; nonetheless, 29.5% expressed opposition to vaccination. Concerning vaccination refusal, the top justification given by respondents is that the vaccine is insufficiently safe and there is a risk of serious side effects (84.4%). A higher rate of vaccination refusal was observed among female gender, younger age, and lower educational level. Refusal was also associated with unemployment, being in a relationship, and having a decrease in income during the pandemic. People who are constantly informed by specialized medical staff have a statistically significant higher vaccination rate, while people who choose to get information from friends, family, and co-workers have the strongest intention of avoiding the vaccine. Current levels of vaccine are insufficient to achieve herd immunity of 67%. It is mandatory to understand the aspects that define and establish confidence and to craft nationwide interventions appropriately.
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26
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COVI3D: Automatic COVID-19 CT Image-Based Classification and Visualization Platform Utilizing Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12030649. [PMID: 35328202 PMCID: PMC8947514 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12030649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently many studies have shown the effectiveness of using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in biomedical image analysis. However, they are not automating the COVID level classification process. Additionally, even with the high potential of CT scan imagery to contribute to research and clinical use of COVID-19 (including two common tasks in lung image analysis: segmentation and classification of infection regions), publicly available data-sets are still a missing part in the system care for Algerian patients. This article proposes designing an automatic VR and AR platform for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic data analysis, classification, and visualization to address the above-mentioned challenges including (1) utilizing a novel automatic CT image segmentation and localization system to deliver critical information about the shapes and volumes of infected lungs, (2) elaborating volume measurements and lung voxel-based classification procedure, and (3) developing an AR and VR user-friendly three-dimensional interface. It also centered on developing patient questionings and medical staff qualitative feedback, which led to advances in scalability and higher levels of engagement/evaluations. The extensive computer simulations on CT image classification show a better efficiency against the state-of-the-art methods using a COVID-19 dataset of 500 Algerian patients. The developed system has been used by medical professionals for better and faster diagnosis of the disease and providing an effective treatment plan more accurately by using real-time data and patient information.
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27
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Mathematical Modeling to Study Optimal Allocation of Vaccines against COVID-19 Using an Age-Structured Population. AXIOMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/axioms11030109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Vaccination against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in early December of 2020 in the USA. The efficacy of the vaccines vary depending on the SARS-CoV-2 variant. Some countries have been able to deploy strong vaccination programs, and large proportions of their populations have been fully vaccinated. In other countries, low proportions of their populations have been vaccinated, due to different factors. For instance, countries such as Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ghana, Haiti and Syria have less than 10% of their populations fully vaccinated at this time. Implementing an optimal vaccination program is a very complex process due to a variety of variables that affect the programs. Besides, science, policy and ethics are all involved in the determination of the main objectives of the vaccination program. We present two nonlinear mathematical models that allow us to gain insight into the optimal vaccination strategy under different situations, taking into account the case fatality rate and age-structure of the population. We study scenarios with different availabilities and efficacies of the vaccines. The results of this study show that for most scenarios, the optimal allocation of vaccines is to first give the doses to people in the 55+ age group. However, in some situations the optimal strategy is to first allocate vaccines to the 15–54 age group. This situation occurs whenever the SARS-CoV-2 transmission rate is relatively high and the people in the 55+ age group have a transmission rate 50% or less that of those in the 15–54 age group. This study and similar ones can provide scientific recommendations for countries where the proportion of vaccinated individuals is relatively small or for future pandemics.
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28
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Kumraj G, Pathak S, Shah S, Majumder P, Jain J, Bhati D, Hanif S, Mukherjee S, Ahmed S. Capacity Building for Vaccine Manufacturing Across Developing Countries: The Way Forward. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:2020529. [PMID: 35086416 PMCID: PMC8986212 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.2020529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Approved vaccines prevent 2 to 3 million deaths per year. There is a lack of equitable access to vaccines in the low- and middle-income developing nations. Challenges in the life cycle of vaccine production include process development, lead time, intellectual property, and local vaccine production. A robust and stable manufacturing process and constant raw material supplies over decades is critical. In a continuously evolving vaccine landscape, the need of the hour for developing nations is to manufacture their own vaccines besides having supply security, control over production scheduling and sustainability, control of costs, socio-economic development, and rapid response to local epidemics. There is a need for capacity building of workforce development, technology transfer, and financial support. Technology transfer has improved vaccine access and reduced prices of vaccines. Capacity building for the manufacturing of vaccines in developing countries has always been an area of paramount importance and more so in a pandemic situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganesh Kumraj
- Techinvention Lifecare Private Limited, Mumbai, India
| | - Sarang Pathak
- Techinvention Lifecare Private Limited, Mumbai, India
| | - Sanket Shah
- Techinvention Lifecare Private Limited, Mumbai, India
| | | | | | | | - Sarmad Hanif
- Techinvention Lifecare Private Limited, Mumbai, India
| | | | - Syed Ahmed
- Techinvention Lifecare Private Limited, Mumbai, India
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29
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Shahwan M, Suliman A, Abdulrahman Jairoun A, Alkhoujah S, Al-hemyari SS, AL-Tamimi SK, Godman B, Mothana RA. Prevalence, Knowledge and Potential Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptability Among University Students in the United Arab Emirates: Findings and Implications. J Multidiscip Healthc 2022; 15:81-92. [PMID: 35046663 PMCID: PMC8760974 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s341700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the prevalence, knowledge, attitude and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines and related factors among university students in the United Arab Emirates. Methods Analytical cross-sectional study undertaken among a convenient sample of medical and non-medical colleges of Ajman University using a self-administrated questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic data as well as assessing knowledge of COVID-19, attitudes and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines. Results A total of 467 students participated in the study and completed the questionnaire. A total of 181 (38.8%) participants reported that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 virus, principally with the Sinopharm vaccine (84%). Vaccination against the COVID-19 virus was less prevalent among Arabic nationalities compared to other nationalities, but more prevalent among students from health science colleges compared to those from non-health science colleges. The acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccine among study participants was 56.3%, exacerbated by worries regarding unforeseen problems (65.5%, 306), general mistrust (47.3%, 221) and unforeseen impacts (35.1%, 164). The average knowledge score was 60.1%, with 142 (30.4%) having poor knowledge, 127 (27.2%) acceptable knowledge and 198 (42.4%) good knowledge. There were common misconceptions about symptoms including nausea and diarrhoea, as well as the route of transmission, with half believing antibiotics are effective treatment. Conclusion There was variable knowledge of COVID-19 among students. Misconceptions need addressing going forward. To enhance COVID-19 vaccination uptake in the country and worldwide, health education targeting diverse sociodemographic categories should be prioritized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moyad Shahwan
- College of Pharmacy and Health Science, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- Moyad Shahwan Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, 346, United Arab Emirates - Centre of Medical and Bio-allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, 346, United Arab EmiratesTel +97167056249 Email
| | - Abdulhaq Suliman
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- College of Dentistry, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun
- Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
- Correspondence: Ammar Abdulrahman Jairoun Health and Safety Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai, 67, United Arab EmiratesTel +971558099957 Email
| | - Sahib Alkhoujah
- College of Pharmacy and Health Science, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sabaa Saleh Al-hemyari
- Pharmacy Department, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | | | - Brian Godman
- Centre of Medical and Bio-Allied Health Sciences Research, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
- Division of Public Health Pharmacy and Management, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria, South Africa
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Ramzi A Mothana
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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30
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Faria CGF, de Matos UMA, Llado-Medina L, Pereira-Sanchez V, Freire R, Nardi AE. Understanding and addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in low and middle income countries and in people with severe mental illness: Overview and recommendations for Latin America and the Caribbean. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:910410. [PMID: 36177216 PMCID: PMC9513790 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.910410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the speedy development of vaccines for COVID-19, their rollout has posed a major public health challenge, as vaccine hesitancy (VH) and refusal are high. Addressing vaccine hesitancy is a multifactorial and context-dependent challenge. This perspective focuses on VH in the world region of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and includes people suffering from severe mental illness, therefore covering populations and subpopulations often neglected in scientific literature. We present an overview of VH in LAC countries, discussing its global and historical context. Vaccine uptake has shown to widely vary across different subregions of LAC. Current data points to a possible correlation between societal polarization and vaccination, especially in countries going through political crises such as Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. Poor accessibility remains an additional important factor decreasing vaccination rollout in LAC countries and even further, in the whole Global South. Regarding patients with severe mental illness in LAC, and worldwide, it is paramount to include them in priority groups for immunization and monitor their vaccination coverage through public health indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Gitahy Falcão Faria
- Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Victor Pereira-Sanchez
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.,Division of Translational Epidemiology and Mental Health Equity, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Amoud University, Borama, Somalia
| | - Rafael Freire
- Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Department of Psychiatry and Center for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Antonio Egidio Nardi
- Laboratory of Panic and Respiration, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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31
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Khogali A, Ahmed A, Ibrahim M, Karrar K, Elsheikh M, Abdelraheem E, Cluver L, Elmukashfi E. Building power-ful health systems: the impacts of electrification on health outcomes in LMICs. PSYCHOL HEALTH MED 2022; 27:124-137. [PMID: 35929975 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2022.2109049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Critical disparities threaten health care in developing countries and hinder progress towards global development commitments. Almost a billion people and thousands of public services are not yet connected to electricity - a majority in sub-Saharan Africa. In economically fragile settings, clinics and health services struggle to gain and maintain their access to the most basic energy infrastructure. Less than 30% of health facilities in LMICs report access to reliable energy sources, truncating health outcomes and endangering patients in critical conditions. While 'universal health coverage' and 'sustainable energy for all' are two distinct SDGs with their respective targets, this review challenges their disconnect and inspects their interdependence in LMICs. To evaluate the impact of electrification on healthcare facilities in LMICs, this systematic review analysed relevant publications up to March 2021, using MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CENTRAL, clinicaltrials.gov and CINAHL. Outcomes captured were in accordance with the WHO HHFA modules. A total of 5083 studies were identified, 12 fulfilled the inclusion criteria of this review - most were from Africa, with the exception of two studies from India and one from Fiji. Electrification was associated with improvements in the quality of antenatal care services, vaccination rates, emergency capabilities and primary health services; with many facilities reporting high-quality, reliable and continuous oxygen supplies, refrigeration and enhanced medical supply chains. Renewable energy sources were considered in six of the included studies, most highlighting their suitability for rural health facilities. Notably, solar-powered oxygen delivery systems reduced childhood mortality and length of hospital stay. Unavailable and unreliable electricity is a bottleneck to health service delivery in LMICs. Electrification was associated with increased service availability, readiness and quality of care - especially for women, children and those under critical care. This study indicates that stable and clean electrification allows new heights in achieving SDG 3 and SDG7 in LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alhadi Khogali
- Julius Global Health, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; and the National Ribat University, Sudan
| | - Almegdad Ahmed
- Soba Centre for Audit and Research (SCAR), Soba University Hospital, University of Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Mona Ibrahim
- Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Mohamed Elsheikh
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.,St George's University, School of Medicine, Grenada
| | - Elfatih Abdelraheem
- United Nations Development Programme, Regional Bureau for Arab States, Turkey
| | - Lucie Cluver
- Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,University of Cape Town, South Africa
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32
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Haque A, Pant AB. Mitigating Covid-19 in the face of emerging virus variants, breakthrough infections and vaccine hesitancy. J Autoimmun 2022; 127:102792. [PMID: 34995958 PMCID: PMC8719928 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2021.102792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The emergence and rapid global spread of the new Delta and, more recently, Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 pose a daunting public health emergency. Being an RNA virus, the Covid-19 virus is continuing to mutate, resulting in the emergence of new variants with high transmissibility, such as the recently discovered Omicron variant. In this paper, we consider the conditions that may facilitate viral mutations and the emergence of variants with the ability to evade immunity. Here, we have discussed the importance of vaccination with the currently available vaccines. These vaccines are highly effective at preventing serious disease, hospitalization, and death from Covid-19. However, the antibody response induced by these vaccines is short-lasting and there are reports of breakthrough infections. A stable and persistent interaction between T follicular helper cells and germinal center B cells is needed for robust B cell memory response. We discussed the potential reasons behind the breakthrough infections and underscored the importance of developing better second-generation vaccines that may not necessitate frequent booster immunizations and are preventive in nature. This may involve the development of multivalent vaccines and creating vaccines against other viral proteins including conserved proteins. Vaccine hesitancy remains a notable hurdle for implementing vaccination. Furthermore, we recommend different approaches to increase vaccine acceptance, which is a critical translational component of a successful vaccine strategy. These perspectives on overcoming the pandemic's current challenges provide strategies to contain SARS-CoV-2 globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azizul Haque
- One Medical Center Drive, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA.
| | - Anudeep B Pant
- New Orleans East Hospital, 5620 Read Blvd, New Orleans, LA, 70127, USA.
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33
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Borroni E, Consonni D, Cugno M, Lombardi A, Mangioni D, Bono P, Oggioni M, Uceda Renteria S, Bordini L, Nava CD, Letzgus M, Gentiloni Silverj F, Castaldi S, Rognoni M, Cavallieri D'Oro L, Carugno M, Riboldi L, Ceriotti F, Bandera A, Gori A, Pesatori AC. Side effects among healthcare workers from a large Milan university hospital after second dose of BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. LA MEDICINA DEL LAVORO 2021; 112:477-485. [PMID: 34939617 PMCID: PMC8759050 DOI: 10.23749/mdl.v112i6.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Italy, healthcare workers (HCWs) were among the first to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Aim of the present study is to evaluate frequency and severity of adverse events (AEs) following the second dose of BNT162b2 vaccine among HCWs of a large university hospital in Milan, Italy. METHODS One month after having received the second dose of vaccine, HCWs filled-in a form about type, severity, and duration of post-vaccination local and systemic symptoms. We calculated the overall frequency of AEs and used multivariable Poisson regression models (adjusted for sex, age, BMI, smoking, allergy history, previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, anti-hypertensive therapy, and occupation) to calculate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of AEs according to selected variables. RESULTS We included 3659 HCWs. Overall, 2801 (76.6%) experienced at least one local event, with pain at injection site being the most frequent (2788, 76.2%). Systemic events were reported by 2080 (56.8%) HCWs, with fatigue (52.3%), muscle pain (42.2%), headache (37.7%), joint pain (31.9%), and fever (26.2%) being the most frequent. Risks of systemic events were associated with female gender (RR=1.14, CI: 1.06-1.23), age (strong decrease with increasing age, p-trend<0.001), allergy history (RR=1.13, CI: 1.05-1.20), and current smoking (RR=0.90, CI: 0.84-0.97). HCWs with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection (even if symptomatic) were not at increased risk. CONCLUSIONS Both local and systemic acute effects after second dose of BNT162b2 vaccine were frequently reported. However, symptoms were mostly light/mild and of short duration. Thus, our findings support the safety of COVID-19 vaccination in adults in relatively good health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Borroni
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Dario Consonni
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Massimo Cugno
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Andrea Lombardi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Davide Mangioni
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Patrizia Bono
- Clinical Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Massimo Oggioni
- Clinical Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Sara Uceda Renteria
- Clinical Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Lorenzo Bordini
- Occupational Health Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Carlo Domenico Nava
- Occupational Health Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Matteo Letzgus
- Medical Direction, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | | | - Silvana Castaldi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | | | | | - Michele Carugno
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Luciano Riboldi
- Occupational Health Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Ferruccio Ceriotti
- Clinical Laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Bandera
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Andrea Gori
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
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Exploring public perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine online from a cultural perspective: Semantic network analysis of two social media platforms in the United States and China. TELEMATICS AND INFORMATICS 2021; 65:101712. [PMID: 34887618 PMCID: PMC8429027 DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2021.101712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The development and uptake of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine is a top priority in stifling the COVID-19 pandemic. How the public perceives the COVID-19 vaccine is directly associated with vaccine compliance and vaccination coverage. This study takes a cultural sensitivity perspective and adopts two well-known social media platforms in the United States (Twitter) and China (Weibo) to conduct a public perception comparison around the COVID-19 vaccine. By implementing semantic network analysis, results demonstrate that the two countries' social media users overlapped in themes concerning domestic vaccination policies, priority groups, challenges from COVID-19 variants, and the global pandemic situation. However, Twitter users were prone to disclose individual vaccination experiences, express anti-vaccine attitudes. In comparison, Weibo users manifested evident deference to authorities and exhibited more positive feelings toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Those disparities were explained by the cultural characteristics' differences between the two countries. The findings provide insights into comprehending public health issues in cross-cultural contexts and illustrate the potential of utilizing social media to conduct health informatics studies and investigate public perceptions during public health crisis time.
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Li L, Wang M, Hao J, Han J, Fu T, Bai J, Tian M, Jin N, Zhu G, Li C. Mucosal IgA response elicited by intranasal immunization of Lactobacillus plantarum expressing surface-displayed RBD protein of SARS-CoV-2. Int J Biol Macromol 2021; 190:409-416. [PMID: 34499954 PMCID: PMC8421092 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.08.232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a novel betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has been an ongoing global pandemic. Several vaccines have been developed to control the COVID-19, but the potential effectiveness of the mucosal vaccine remains to be documented. In this study, we constructed a recombinant L. plantarum LP18:RBD expressing the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein via the surface anchoring route. The amount of the RBD protein was maximally expressed under the culture condition with 200 ng/mL of inducer at 33 °C for 6 h. Further, we evaluated the immune response in mice via the intranasal administration of LP18:RBD. The results showed that the LP18:RBD significantly elicited RBD-specific mucosal IgA antibodies in respiratory tract and intestinal tract. The percentages of CD3 + CD4+ T cells in spleens of mice administrated with the LP18:RBD were also significantly increased. This indicated that LP18:RBD could induce a humoral immune response at the mucosa, and it could be used as a mucosal vaccine candidate against the SARS-CoV-2 infection. We provided the first experimental evidence that the recombinant L. plantarum LP18:RBD could initiate immune response in vivo, which implies that the mucosal immunization using recombinant LAB system could be a promising vaccination strategy to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letian Li
- Research Unit of Key Technologies for Prevention and Control of Virus Zoonoses, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Changchun Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130122, China
| | - Maopeng Wang
- Institute of Virology, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Jiayi Hao
- Research Unit of Key Technologies for Prevention and Control of Virus Zoonoses, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Changchun Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130122, China; College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Jicheng Han
- Academician Workstation of Jilin Province, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Tingting Fu
- Research Unit of Key Technologies for Prevention and Control of Virus Zoonoses, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Changchun Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130122, China
| | - Jieying Bai
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Mingyao Tian
- Research Unit of Key Technologies for Prevention and Control of Virus Zoonoses, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Changchun Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130122, China
| | - Ningyi Jin
- Research Unit of Key Technologies for Prevention and Control of Virus Zoonoses, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Changchun Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130122, China; Academician Workstation of Jilin Province, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Guangze Zhu
- Academician Workstation of Jilin Province, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130021, China.
| | - Chang Li
- Research Unit of Key Technologies for Prevention and Control of Virus Zoonoses, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Changchun Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130122, China.
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Chauhan H, Gupta D, Gupta S, Singh A, Aljahdali HM, Goyal N, Noya ID, Kadry S. Blockchain Enabled Transparent and Anti-Counterfeiting Supply of COVID-19 Vaccine Vials. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9111239. [PMID: 34835170 PMCID: PMC8620123 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected almost all facets of peoples’ lives, various economic areas and regions of the world. In such a situation implementation of a vaccination can be viewed as essential but its success will be dependent on availability and transparency in the distribution process that will be shared among the stakeholders. Various distributed ledgers (DLTs) such as blockchain provide an open, public, immutable system that has numerous applications due the mentioned abilities. In this paper the authors have proposed a solution based on blockchain to increase the security and transparency in the tracing of COVID-19 vaccination vials. Smart contracts have been developed to monitor the supply, distribution of vaccination vials. The proposed solution will help to generate a tamper-proof and secure environment for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccination vials. Proof of delivery is used as a consensus mechanism for the proposed solution. A feedback feature is also implemented in order to track the vials lot in case of any side effect cause to the patient. The authors have implemented and tested the proposed solution using Ethereum test network, RinkeyBy, MetaMask, one clicks DApp. The proposed solution shows promising results in terms of throughput and scalability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsha Chauhan
- Chitkara University Institute of Engineering & Technology, Chitkara University, Rajpura 140401, India; (H.C.); (D.G.); (S.G.)
| | - Deepali Gupta
- Chitkara University Institute of Engineering & Technology, Chitkara University, Rajpura 140401, India; (H.C.); (D.G.); (S.G.)
| | - Sheifali Gupta
- Chitkara University Institute of Engineering & Technology, Chitkara University, Rajpura 140401, India; (H.C.); (D.G.); (S.G.)
| | - Aman Singh
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar 144001, India;
| | - Hani Moaiteq Aljahdali
- Faculty of Computing and Information Technology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 37848, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Nitin Goyal
- Chitkara University Institute of Engineering & Technology, Chitkara University, Rajpura 140401, India; (H.C.); (D.G.); (S.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Irene Delgado Noya
- Higher Polytechnic School, Universidad Europea del Atlántico, C/Isabel Torres 21, 39011 Santander, Spain;
- Department of Project Management, Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana, Campeche 24560, Mexico
| | - Seifedine Kadry
- Faculty of Applied Computing and Technology, Noroff University College, 0459 Kristiansand, Norway;
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37
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Ahn M, Song J, Hong BH. Facile Synthesis of N-Doped Graphene Quantum Dots as Novel Transfection Agents for mRNA and pDNA. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11112816. [PMID: 34835580 PMCID: PMC8620666 DOI: 10.3390/nano11112816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Revised: 10/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
In the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, global pharmaceutical companies have developed vaccines for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Some have adopted lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) or viral vectors to deliver the genes associated with the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 for vaccination. This strategy of vaccination by delivering genes to express viral proteins has been successfully applied to the mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, and is also applicable to gene therapy. However, conventional transfection agents such as LNPs and viral vectors are not yet sufficient to satisfy the levels of safety, stability, and efficiency required for the clinical applications of gene therapy. In this study, we synthesized N-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs) for the transfection of various genes, including messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs) and plasmid deoxyribonucleic acids (pDNAs). The positively charged NGQDs successfully formed electrostatic complexes with negatively charged mRNAs and pDNAs, and resulted in the efficient delivery and transfection of the genes into target cells. The transfection efficiency of NGQDs is found to be comparable to that of commercially available LNPs. Considering their outstanding stability even at room temperature as well as their low toxicity, NGQDs are expected to be novel universal gene delivery platforms that can outperform LNPs and viral vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minchul Ahn
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (M.A.); (J.S.)
- BioGraphene Inc., Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Suwon 16229, Korea
| | - Jaekwang Song
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (M.A.); (J.S.)
| | - Byung Hee Hong
- Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (M.A.); (J.S.)
- Graphene Research Center, Advanced Institute of Convergence Technology, Suwon 16229, Korea
- Correspondence:
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Favi E, Leonardis F, Manzia TM, Angelico R, Alalawi Y, Alfieri C, Cacciola R. "Salus Populi Suprema Lex": Considerations on the Initial Response of the United Kingdom to the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic. Front Public Health 2021; 9:646285. [PMID: 34660502 PMCID: PMC8514989 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.646285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In several countries worldwide, the initial response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been heavily criticized by general public, media, and healthcare professionals, as well as being an acrimonious topic in the political debate. The present article elaborates on some aspects of the United Kingdom (UK) primary reaction to SARS-CoV-2 pandemic; specifically, from February to July 2020. The fact that the UK showed the highest mortality rate in Western Europe following the first wave of COVID-19 certainly has many contributing causes; each deserves an accurate analysis. We focused on three specific points that have been insofar not fully discussed in the UK and not very well known outside the British border: clinical governance, access to hospital care or intensive care unit, and implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions. The considerations herein presented on these fundamental matters will likely contribute to a wider and positive discussion on public health, in the context of an unprecedented crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evaldo Favi
- Department of General Surgery, Renal Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Leonardis
- Intensive Care Unit, Department of Surgical Sciences, Università di Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Tommaso Maria Manzia
- HPB Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Surgical SciencesUniversità di Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Angelico
- HPB Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Surgical SciencesUniversità di Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Yousof Alalawi
- Department of Surgery, Kidney Transplantation, King Salman Armed Forces Hospital, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
| | - Carlo Alfieri
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Dialysis and Renal Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Cacciola
- HPB Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Surgical SciencesUniversità di Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.,Department of Surgery, Kidney Transplantation, King Salman Armed Forces Hospital, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
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Ripabelli G, Tamburro M, Buccieri N, Adesso C, Caggiano V, Cannizzaro F, Di Palma MA, Mantuano G, Montemitro VG, Natale A, Rodio L, Sammarco ML. Active Surveillance of Adverse Events in Healthcare Workers Recipients After Vaccination with COVID-19 BNT162b2 Vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech, Comirnaty): A Cross-Sectional Study. J Community Health 2021; 47:211-225. [PMID: 34628568 PMCID: PMC8501918 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-021-01039-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In this cross-sectional study, adverse events after the first and second dose of BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech, Comirnaty) vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 were investigated among employees of clinics in central Italy. A 42-items questionnaire was administrated to vaccine recipients. Adverse events were classified based on severity and occurrence as reported in the literature. A descriptive/univariate analysis using Chi-square or Fisher’s Exact tests was performed. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to assess risk factors. 340 individuals (61.5% females; median age 49 years) participated. Adverse events were reported by 279 (82%) and 281 (82.6%) individuals as induced by the first and second dose, respectively. Mild reactions were mainly reported (80.9% and 80.3%), followed by moderate (11.8% and 37.1%) and severe (3.8% and 4.7%). Adverse events were identical to those already described as very common (81.8% and 80.6%), although vaccine-coincidental events not cited in the literature were reported by 6% and 15.6% following each dose. Age ≤ 55 years was a risk factor for any adverse event after each injection (ORs: 2.942 and 2.818), as well as female sex for those mild (ORs: 1.856 and 2.818) and common (ORs: 3.452 and 2.145). Findings were consistent with national reports as most of the adverse events were mild and associated with female sex and young age, while investigations are needed for reactions not described elsewhere. Data are useful to support the vaccine safety profile, also because largely targeted healthcare personnel more skilled than general population in self-diagnosis of health-related issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Ripabelli
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences "Vincenzo Tiberio", University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, 86100, Campobasso, Italy. .,School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy.
| | - Manuela Tamburro
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences "Vincenzo Tiberio", University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
| | | | - Carmen Adesso
- School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Valeria Caggiano
- School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Fabio Cannizzaro
- School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Michela Anna Di Palma
- School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Gloria Mantuano
- School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | | | - Anna Natale
- School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Leonardo Rodio
- School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Michela Lucia Sammarco
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences "Vincenzo Tiberio", University of Molise, Via De Sanctis, 86100, Campobasso, Italy
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Ruiz-Galiana J, Cantón R, De Lucas Ramos P, 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, Bouza E. [COVID-19 vaccination: the reality after clinical trials]. REVISTA ESPANOLA DE QUIMIOTERAPIA : PUBLICACION OFICIAL DE LA SOCIEDAD ESPANOLA DE QUIMIOTERAPIA 2021; 34:408-418. [PMID: 33906339 PMCID: PMC8638833 DOI: 10.37201/req/035.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
After the start of vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, enough clinical experience is already accumulating, in the real world and outside clinical trials, to resolve some of the questions that are still pending about this problem. The Scientific Committee on COVID-19 of the Madrid College of Physicians has discussed and reviewed some of these issues with a multidisciplinary approach. The following document is an attempt to answer some of these questions with the information available so far. This document is structured in questions on different aspects of the indications, efficacy and tolerance of anti-COVID-19 vaccination.
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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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Danabal KGM, Magesh SS, Saravanan S, Gopichandran V. Attitude towards COVID 19 vaccines and vaccine hesitancy in urban and rural communities in Tamil Nadu, India - a community based survey. BMC Health Serv Res 2021; 21:994. [PMID: 34548088 PMCID: PMC8453251 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-07037-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Effective and safe COVID 19 vaccines have been approved for emergency use since the end of 2020 and countries are actively vaccinating their people. Nevertheless, hesitancy towards the vaccines exist globally. OBJECTIVES We conducted this study to understand the attitudes towards COVID 19 vaccines and hesitancy to accept it among urban and rural communities in Tamil Nadu, India. METHODS We conducted a community based cross sectional study in urban and rural communities among 564 persons who had not been vaccinated yet, selected through multistage random sampling. The vaccine attitude scale (VAX) was used to measure attitudes towards the vaccines and their acceptance of the vaccine was captured by responses to a direct question. RESULTS More than 50% of the respondents had positive attitudes towards the COVID 19 vaccines. Based on their attitudes, they were segmented into four clusters, first with preference for natural immunity compared to vaccines and low concern regarding adverse effects. Second with high level of trust in vaccines and low mistrust. The third cluster members had high level of concern regarding the adverse effects and low levels of mistrust in vaccines and the fourth had high trust in vaccines and low preference for natural immunity. Older individuals with higher education and occupation were more likely to belong to cluster four with high trust in the vaccines. Younger individuals, women, rural residents, belonging to low income labourer class were highly mistrusting of the vaccines. The prevalence of vaccine hesitancy was 40.7% (95% CI - 36.67 - 44.73%), while 19.5% (95% CI = 16.23 - 22.77%) of the respondents were vaccine deniers. While vaccine acceptance was greatest in cluster 1, it was least in cluster 3. CONCLUSIONS Vaccine hesitancy was high in urban and rural Tamil Nadu. The population could be effectively segmented into groups based on their attitudes and this understanding can be used to develop targeted behaviour change communication campaigns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Grace Mascarenhas Danabal
- Employees State Insurance Corporation Medical College and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, KK Nagar, Chennai, 600078, India
| | - Shiva Shankar Magesh
- Employees State Insurance Corporation Medical College and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, KK Nagar, Chennai, 600078, India
| | - Siddharth Saravanan
- Employees State Insurance Corporation Medical College and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, KK Nagar, Chennai, 600078, India
| | - Vijayaprasad Gopichandran
- Department of Community Medicine, Employees State Insurance Corporation Medical College and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, KK Nagar, Chennai, 600078, India.
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Luo C, Ji K, Tang Y, Du Z. Exploring the Expression Differences Between Professionals and Laypeople Toward the COVID-19 Vaccine: Text Mining Approach. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e30715. [PMID: 34346885 PMCID: PMC8404777 DOI: 10.2196/30715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 is still rampant all over the world. Until now, the COVID-19 vaccine is the most promising measure to subdue contagion and achieve herd immunity. However, public vaccination intention is suboptimal. A clear division lies between medical professionals and laypeople. While most professionals eagerly promote the vaccination campaign, some laypeople exude suspicion, hesitancy, and even opposition toward COVID-19 vaccines. OBJECTIVE This study aims to employ a text mining approach to examine expression differences and thematic disparities between the professionals and laypeople within the COVID-19 vaccine context. METHODS We collected 3196 answers under 65 filtered questions concerning the COVID-19 vaccine from the China-based question and answer forum Zhihu. The questions were classified into 5 categories depending on their contents and description: adverse reactions, vaccination, vaccine effectiveness, social implications of vaccine, and vaccine development. Respondents were also manually coded into two groups: professional and laypeople. Automated text analysis was performed to calculate fundamental expression characteristics of the 2 groups, including answer length, attitude distribution, and high-frequency words. Furthermore, structural topic modeling (STM), as a cutting-edge branch in the topic modeling family, was used to extract topics under each question category, and thematic disparities were evaluated between the 2 groups. RESULTS Laypeople are more prevailing in the COVID-19 vaccine-related discussion. Regarding differences in expression characteristics, the professionals posted longer answers and showed a conservative stance toward vaccine effectiveness than did laypeople. Laypeople mentioned countries more frequently, while professionals were inclined to raise medical jargon. STM discloses prominent topics under each question category. Statistical analysis revealed that laypeople preferred the "safety of Chinese-made vaccine" topic and other vaccine-related issues in other countries. However, the professionals paid more attention to medical principles and professional standards underlying the COVID-19 vaccine. With respect to topics associated with the social implications of vaccines, the 2 groups showed no significant difference. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that laypeople and professionals share some common grounds but also hold divergent focuses toward the COVID-19 vaccine issue. These incongruities can be summarized as "qualitatively different" in perspective rather than "quantitatively different" in scientific knowledge. Among those questions closely associated with medical expertise, the "qualitatively different" characteristic is quite conspicuous. This study boosts the current understanding of how the public perceives the COVID-19 vaccine, in a more nuanced way. Web-based question and answer forums are a bonanza for examining perception discrepancies among various identities. STM further exhibits unique strengths over the traditional topic modeling method in statistically testing the topic preference of diverse groups. Public health practitioners should be keenly aware of the cognitive differences between professionals and laypeople, and pay special attention to the topics with significant inconsistency across groups to build consensus and promote vaccination effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Luo
- School of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
- The Faculty of International Media, Communication University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Kaiyuan Ji
- School of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yulong Tang
- Institute of Communication Studies, Communication University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiyuan Du
- School of Journalism and Communication, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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Abstract
The first round of vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) began in early December of 2020 in a few countries. There are several vaccines, and each has a different efficacy and mechanism of action. Several countries, for example, the United Kingdom and the USA, have been able to develop consistent vaccination programs where a great percentage of the population has been vaccinated (May 2021). However, in other countries, a low percentage of the population has been vaccinated due to constraints related to vaccine supply and distribution capacity. Countries such as the USA and the UK have implemented different vaccination strategies, and some scholars have been debating the optimal strategy for vaccine campaigns. This problem is complex due to the great number of variables that affect the relevant outcomes. In this article, we study the impact of different vaccination regimens on main health outcomes such as deaths, hospitalizations, and the number of infected. We develop a mathematical model of COVID-19 transmission to focus on this important health policy issue. Thus, we are able to identify the optimal strategy regarding vaccination campaigns. We find that for vaccines with high efficacy (>70%) after the first dose, the optimal strategy is to delay inoculation with the second dose. On the other hand, for a low first dose vaccine efficacy, it is better to use the standard vaccination regimen of 4 weeks between doses. Thus, under the delayed second dose option, a campaign focus on generating a certain immunity in as great a number of people as fast as possible is preferable to having an almost perfect immunity in fewer people first. Therefore, based on these results, we suggest that the UK implemented a better vaccination campaign than that in the USA with regard to time between doses. The results presented here provide scientific guidelines for other countries where vaccination campaigns are just starting, or the percentage of vaccinated people is small.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilberto Gonzalez-Parra
- Department of Mathematics, New Mexico Tech, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, NM 87801, USA
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44
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Hou Z, Tong Y, Du F, Lu L, Zhao S, Yu K, Piatek SJ, Larson HJ, Lin L. Assessing COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy, Confidence, and Public Engagement: A Global Social Listening Study. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e27632. [PMID: 34061757 PMCID: PMC8202656 DOI: 10.2196/27632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Monitoring public confidence and hesitancy is crucial for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Social media listening (infoveillance) can not only monitor public attitudes on COVID-19 vaccines but also assess the dissemination of and public engagement with these opinions. Objective This study aims to assess global hesitancy, confidence, and public engagement toward COVID-19 vaccination. Methods We collected posts mentioning the COVID-19 vaccine between June and July 2020 on Twitter from New York (United States), London (United Kingdom), Mumbai (India), and Sao Paulo (Brazil), and Sina Weibo posts from Beijing (China). In total, we manually coded 12,886 posts from the five global metropolises with high COVID-19 burdens, and after assessment, 7032 posts were included in the analysis. We manually double-coded these posts using a coding framework developed according to the World Health Organization’s Confidence, Complacency, and Convenience model of vaccine hesitancy, and conducted engagement analysis to investigate public communication about COVID-19 vaccines on social media. Results Among social media users, 36.4% (571/1568) in New York, 51.3% (738/1440) in London, 67.3% (144/214) in Sao Paulo, 69.8% (726/1040) in Mumbai, and 76.8% (2128/2770) in Beijing indicated that they intended to accept a COVID-19 vaccination. With a high perceived risk of getting COVID-19, more tweeters in New York and London expressed a lack of confidence in vaccine safety, distrust in governments and experts, and widespread misinformation or rumors. Tweeters from Mumbai, Sao Paulo, and Beijing worried more about vaccine production and supply, whereas tweeters from New York and London had more concerns about vaccine distribution and inequity. Negative tweets expressing lack of vaccine confidence and misinformation or rumors had more followers and attracted more public engagement online. Conclusions COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is prevalent worldwide, and negative tweets attract higher engagement on social media. It is urgent to develop an effective vaccine campaign that boosts public confidence and addresses hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccine rollouts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Hou
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Global Health Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yixin Tong
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fanxing Du
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Linyao Lu
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sihong Zhao
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kexin Yu
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Simon J Piatek
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Heidi J Larson
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Leesa Lin
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.,Laboratory of Data Discovery for Health, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
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45
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Bayat M, Asemani Y, Mohammadi MR, Sanaei M, Namvarpour M, Eftekhari R. An overview of some potential immunotherapeutic options against COVID-19. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 95:107516. [PMID: 33765610 PMCID: PMC7908848 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
After the advent of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) in the late 2019, the resulting severe and pernicious syndrome (COVID-19) immediately was deployed all around the world. To date, despite relentless efforts to control the disease by drug repurposing, there is no approved specific therapy for COVID-19. Given the role of innate and acquired immune components in the control and elimination of viral infections and inflammatory mutilations during SARS-CoV2 pathogenesis, immunotherapeutic strategies appear to be beneficent. Passive immunotherapies such as convalescent plasma, which has received much attention especially in severe cases, as well as suppressing inflammatory cytokines, interferon administration, inhibition of kinases and complement cascade, virus neutralization with key engineered products, cell-based therapies, immunomodulators and anti-inflammatory drugs are among the key immunotherapeutic approaches to deal with COVID-19, which is discussed in this review. Also, details of leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates as the most potent immunotherapy have been provided. However, despite salient improvements, there is still a lack of completely assured vaccines for universal application. Therefore, adopting proper immunotherapies according to the cytokine pattern and involved immune responses, alongside engineered biologics specially ACE2-Fc to curb SARS-CoV2 infection until achieving a tailored vaccine is probably the best strategy to better manage this pandemic. Therefore, gaining knowledge about the mechanism of action, potential targets, as well as the effectiveness of immune-based approaches to confront COVID-19 in the form of a well-ordered review study is highly momentous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Bayat
- Department of Immunology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Yahya Asemani
- Department of Immunology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Corresponding author at: Department of Immunology, Medical School, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 1985717443, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Mohammadi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Sanaei
- Department of Environmental, Polymer and Organic Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran
| | - Mozhdeh Namvarpour
- Department of Immunology, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Science and services, Yazd, Iran
| | - Reyhaneh Eftekhari
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
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46
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Ueda Y. Challenges and Perspectives for Prevention of Infectious Diseases. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9060571. [PMID: 34205856 PMCID: PMC8227332 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9060571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Ueda
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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47
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Martínez-Rodríguez D, Gonzalez-Parra G, Villanueva RJ. Analysis of Key Factors of a SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Program: A Mathematical Modeling Approach. EPIDEMIOLOGIA 2021; 2:140-161. [PMID: 35141702 PMCID: PMC8824484 DOI: 10.3390/epidemiologia2020012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The administration of vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started in early December of 2020. Currently, there are only a few approved vaccines, each with different efficacies and mechanisms of action. Moreover, vaccination programs in different regions may vary due to differences in implementation, for instance, simply the availability of the vaccine. In this article, we study the impact of the pace of vaccination and the intrinsic efficacy of the vaccine on prevalence, hospitalizations, and deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Then we study different potential scenarios regarding the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in the near future. We construct a compartmental mathematical model and use computational methodologies to study these different scenarios. Thus, we are able to identify some key factors to reach the aims of the vaccination programs. We use some metrics related to the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to assess the impact of the efficacy of the vaccine and the pace of the vaccine inoculation. We found that both factors have a high impact on the outcomes. However, the rate of vaccine administration has a higher impact in reducing the burden of the COVID-19 pandemic. This result shows that health institutions need to focus on increasing the vaccine inoculation pace and create awareness in the population about the importance of COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Martínez-Rodríguez
- Insituto Universitario de Matemática Multidisciplinar, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (D.M.-R.); (R.-J.V.)
| | | | - Rafael-J. Villanueva
- Insituto Universitario de Matemática Multidisciplinar, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain; (D.M.-R.); (R.-J.V.)
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48
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Amporndanai K, Meng X, Shang W, Jin Z, Rogers M, Zhao Y, Rao Z, Liu ZJ, Yang H, Zhang L, O'Neill PM, Samar Hasnain S. Inhibition mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 main protease by ebselen and its derivatives. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3061. [PMID: 34031399 PMCID: PMC8144557 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23313-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has triggered global efforts to develop therapeutics. The main protease of SARS-CoV-2 (Mpro), critical for viral replication, is a key target for therapeutic development. An organoselenium drug called ebselen has been demonstrated to have potent Mpro inhibition and antiviral activity. We have examined the binding modes of ebselen and its derivative in Mpro via high resolution co-crystallography and investigated their chemical reactivity via mass spectrometry. Stronger Mpro inhibition than ebselen and potent ability to rescue infected cells were observed for a number of derivatives. A free selenium atom bound with cysteine of catalytic dyad has been revealed in crystallographic structures of Mpro with ebselen and MR6-31-2 suggesting hydrolysis of the enzyme bound organoselenium covalent adduct and formation of a phenolic by-product, confirmed by mass spectrometry. The target engagement with selenation mechanism of inhibition suggests wider therapeutic applications of these compounds against SARS-CoV-2 and other zoonotic beta-corona viruses. Ebselen is an organoselenium drug that inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). Here, the authors co-crystallised Mpro with ebselen and an ebselen derivative and observed an enzyme bound organoselenium covalent adduct in the crystal structures, which was also confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangsa Amporndanai
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Department of Biochemistry and System Biology, Institute of System, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Xiaoli Meng
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK
| | - Weijuan Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China
| | - Zhenmig Jin
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Michael Rogers
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK
| | - Yao Zhao
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Zihe Rao
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Zhi-Jie Liu
- iHuman Institute and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Haitao Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
| | - Leike Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China.
| | - Paul M O'Neill
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZD, UK.
| | - S Samar Hasnain
- Molecular Biophysics Group, Department of Biochemistry and System Biology, Institute of System, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK.
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49
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Han K, Francis MR, Zhang R, Wang Q, Xia A, Lu L, Yang B, Hou Z. Confidence, Acceptance and Willingness to Pay for the COVID-19 Vaccine among Migrants in Shanghai, China: A Cross-Sectional Study. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9050443. [PMID: 34063182 PMCID: PMC8147504 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9050443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the public’s attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination and their acceptance could help facilitate the COVID-19 rollout. This study aimed to assess the acceptance and willingness to pay (WTP) for the COVID-19 vaccine among migrants in Shanghai, China. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2126 migrants in Shanghai for the period 1–20 November 2020. Convenience sampling was used to recruit respondents in workplaces with large numbers of migrant workers. Multivariable (ordered) logistic regressions were used to examine factors associated with acceptance and WTP of the COVID-19 vaccine. Most (89.1%) migrants would accept COVID-19 vaccination. Over 90.0% perceived the COVID-19 vaccine as important, while only 75.0% and 77.7% perceived vaccines safe and effective. Socio-demographic factors were not significantly associated with vaccine acceptance, but confidence in the importance (OR 8.71, 95% CI 5.89–12.89), safety (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.24–2.61) and effectiveness (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.83–3.87) of COVID-19 vaccine was significantly positively associated with vaccine acceptance. The top reasons for vaccine hesitancy were lack of vaccine information and confidence. The proportion of those definitely willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine was 20% lower if paid by themselves than free vaccination. Migrants were willing to pay a median amount of USD 46 for the COVID-19 vaccine. Results show that a high acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine was universal among migrants in Shanghai. Concerns about vaccine safety, effectiveness and high costs of the COVID-19 vaccine may hinder their uptake. Effective health communication to build confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine and subsidies toward the costs of these vaccines are needed to improve uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyi Han
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (K.H.); (R.Z.); (Q.W.); (A.X.); (L.L.)
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Mark R. Francis
- Health Sciences Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tampere University, 33014 Tampere, Finland;
| | - Ruiyun Zhang
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (K.H.); (R.Z.); (Q.W.); (A.X.); (L.L.)
| | - Qian Wang
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (K.H.); (R.Z.); (Q.W.); (A.X.); (L.L.)
| | - Aichen Xia
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (K.H.); (R.Z.); (Q.W.); (A.X.); (L.L.)
| | - Linyao Lu
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (K.H.); (R.Z.); (Q.W.); (A.X.); (L.L.)
| | - Bingyi Yang
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China;
| | - Zhiyuan Hou
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; (K.H.); (R.Z.); (Q.W.); (A.X.); (L.L.)
- NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Correspondence:
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50
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Sakr MM, Elsayed NS, El-Housseiny GS. Latest updates on SARS-CoV-2 genomic characterization, drug, and vaccine development; a comprehensive bioinformatics review. Microb Pathog 2021; 154:104809. [PMID: 33647446 PMCID: PMC7910145 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2021.104809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, several bioinformatic analyses have been conducted on SARS-CoV-2 virus genome. Numerous studies rushed to fill the gap about this novel virus. Comparison with other related sequences, structural predictions of the produced proteins, determination of variations in amino acid residues and depiction of possible drug and vaccine targets have been the focus of scientific research from the beginning of this year. In addition to discussing the viral taxonomy, clinical features, life cycle, and genome organization, this review will focus on the recent updates in genome and viral proteins characterization and potential therapeutic and vaccine candidates developed so far. Comparative studies with related genomes and proteins provide understanding for the viral molecular mechanisms and suggest targets for therapeutics and vaccinology trials to stop the escalation of this new virus. This pandemic, with its resulting social and economic afflictions, will definitely have significant marks on our lives in the following years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masarra M Sakr
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Organization of African Unity St., 11566, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Noha S Elsayed
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Organization of African Unity St., 11566, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Ghadir S El-Housseiny
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Organization of African Unity St., 11566, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt
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