New low-cost biofilters for SARS-CoV-2 using Hymenachne grumosa as a precursor

The ongoing global spread of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 2019 disease) is causing an unprecedented repercussion on human health and the economy. Despite the primary mode of transmission being through air droplets and contact, the transmission via wastewater is a critical concern. There is a lack of techniques able to provide complete disinfection, along with the uncertainty related to the behavior of SARS-CoV-2 in the natural environment and risks of contamination. This fact makes urgent the research towards new alternatives for virus removal from water and wastewater. Thus, this research aimed to characterize new lost-cost adsorbents for SARS-CoV-2 using Hymenachne grumosa as a precursor and verify its potential for removing SARS-CoV-2 from the solution. The aquatic macrophyte H. grumosa had in natura and activated carbon produced with H. grumosa and zinc chloride (ZnCl_2,1:1) impregnation and carbonization (700 °C, 1 h) were incubated for 24 h with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 viral suspension, and then the ribonucleic acid (RNA) was extracted and viral load quantified through reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) technique. The results demonstrated the great adsorption potential, achieving removal of 98.44% by H. grumosa "in natura", and 99.61% by H. grumosa with carbon activation, being similar to commercial activated carbon (99.67%). Thus, this study highlights the possibility of low-cost biofilters to be used for SARS-CoV-2 removal, as an excellent alternative for wastewater treatment or watercourses decontamination.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus using an alternative molecular method and evaluation of biochemical, hematological, inflammatory, and oxidative stress in healthcare professionals

In early December 2019, an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by a new strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), occurred in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Since then, frontline healthcare professionals have been experiencing extremely stressful situations and damage to their physical and mental health. These adverse conditions cause stress and biochemical, hematological, and inflammatory changes, as well as oxidative damage, and could be potentially detrimental to the health of the individual. The study population consisted of frontline health professionals working in BHU in a city in southern Brazil. Among the 45 participants, two were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and were diagnosed using immunochromatographic tests such as salivary RT-LAMP and qRT-PCR. We also evaluated biochemical, hematological, inflammatory, and oxidative stress markers in the participants. The infected professionals (CoV-2-Prof) showed a significant increase in the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), cholesterol, lactic dehydrogenase, lymphocytes, and monocytes. In this group, the levels of uric acid, triglycerides, leukocytes, neutrophils, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelets decreased. In the group of uninfected professionals (NoCoV-2-Prof), significant increase in HDL levels and the percentages of eosinophils and monocytes, was observed. Further, in this group, uric acid, LDH, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels, and the hematocrit count and mean corpuscular volume were significantly reduced. Both groups showed significant inflammatory activity with changes in the levels of C-reactive protein and mucoprotein. The NoCoV-2-Prof group showed significantly elevated plasma cortisol levels. To our kowledge, this study is the first to report the use of the RT-LAMP method with the saliva samples of health professionals, to evalute of SARS-CoV-2.