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Bibliography on: covid-19

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ESP: PubMed Auto Bibliography 01 Jan 2026 at 01:43 Created: 

covid-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2), a virus closely related to the SARS virus. The disease was discovered and named during the 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak. Those affected may develop a fever, dry cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath. A sore throat, runny nose or sneezing is less common. While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms, some can progress to pneumonia and multi-organ failure. The infection is spread from one person to others via respiratory droplets produced from the airways, often during coughing or sneezing. Time from exposure to onset of symptoms is generally between 2 and 14 days, with an average of 5 days. The standard method of diagnosis is by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab or sputum sample, with results within a few hours to 2 days. Antibody assays can also be used, using a blood serum sample, with results within a few days. The infection can also be diagnosed from a combination of symptoms, risk factors and a chest CT scan showing features of pneumonia. Correct handwashing technique, maintaining distance from people who are coughing and not touching one's face with unwashed hands are measures recommended to prevent the disease. It is also recommended to cover one's nose and mouth with a tissue or a bent elbow when coughing. Those who suspect they carry the virus are recommended to wear a surgical face mask and seek medical advice by calling a doctor rather than visiting a clinic in person. Masks are also recommended for those who are taking care of someone with a suspected infection but not for the general public. There is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment, with management involving treatment of symptoms, supportive care and experimental measures. The case fatality rate is estimated at between 1% and 3%. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). As of 29 February 2020, China, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the United States are areas having evidence of community transmission of the disease.

NOTE: To obtain the entire bibliography (all 58731 citations) in bibtek format (a format that can be easily loaded into many different reference-manager software programs, click HERE.

Created with PubMed® Query: ( SARS-CoV-2 OR COVID-19 OR (wuhan AND coronavirus) AND review[SB] )NOT 40982904[pmid] NOT 40982965[pmid] NOT pmcbook NOT ispreviousversion

Citations The Papers (from PubMed®)

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RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Arjun MM, GP Sreekanth (2026)

Engineering Nipah virus: Reverse genetics as a gateway to novel drug discovery.

New microbes and new infections, 69:101682.

Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic and re-emerging virus that requires containment in biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratories. The limited accessibility of these high-security facilities poses major obstacles to investigating immunopathogenesis and developing effective antiviral treatments. Reverse genetics allows manipulation of viral genomes without the need to handle the wild-type virus and has become instrumental in understanding NiV pathogenesis and advancing therapeutic research. These tools have proven vital for other high-containment viruses, notably during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and have been adapted effectively for NiV. Reverse genetics-derived systems were used to evaluate the drug candidates in the preclinical studies of NiV, with several candidates in the development pipeline. This narrative review summarizes established reverse genetics and pseudotyping methodologies for NiV, highlighting their contributions to understanding viral pathogenesis and accelerating vaccine and therapeutic development.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Tiwari S, Dhakal T, Kim BJ, et al (2025)

Genomics in Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance: An Exploratory Analysis.

Life (Basel, Switzerland), 15(12):.

Genomics has revolutionized epidemiology and disease surveillance by providing powerful tools for identifying, tracking, and analyzing pathogens at the molecular level. This exploratory analysis examines the integration of genomic with traditional epidemiological approaches, highlighting the role of whole-genome sequencing as a key method for pathogen identification, outbreak investigation, and understanding transmission dynamics. By enabling the detection of mutations and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance, genomics allows for precise mapping of infection sources and transmission pathways, thereby improving the timeliness and accuracy of public health responses. Furthermore, genomic surveillance supports the early detection of emerging variants, such as those observed during viral outbreaks like COVID-19, facilitating proactive intervention strategies. Despite its transformative potential, challenges related to data privacy, infrastructure, and interdisciplinary collaboration persist. This analysis emphasizes the importance of genomics in building resilient surveillance systems to address future infectious disease threats and advocates for sustained investment in genomic technologies to advance global health security.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Ben Khlifa E, Campese A, Corsi A, et al (2025)

Post-Translational Modifications in Respiratory Virus Infection: Recent Insights into the Development of In Vitro Models.

International journal of molecular sciences, 26(24):.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are crucial chemical alterations occurring on proteins post-synthesis, impacting various cellular processes. During viral infections, PTMs are shown to play a multitude of roles in viral replication, host interaction, and immune evasion. Thus, these modifications can influence infectivity, with direct impact on the anti-viral host immune responses and potentially viral adaptation across species. This field is still scarcely explored, whilst understanding PTMs is not only important to advance the knowledge of virus pathology but also potentially to provide insights for vaccine development. In this review, we attempt to summarize the latest findings mainly published over the last 10 years, focusing on the roles of PTMs involved in virus infection and anti-viral immune responses, in the context of relevant human respiratory infections: influenza A virus (IAV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2. We decided to concentrate on these three viruses because they currently represent a global health problem due to recurrent outbreaks and pandemic potential. A deeper characterization of the PTMs may help in understanding virus-host interaction with possible implications on curative strategies. Further, we will report on cutting-edge technologies to study in vitro virus infection in different cellular-based systems. In particular, we describe and discuss the application of 2D and 3D lung organoid cell-culture systems as in vitro models to mimic respiratory environments and to study the PTMs in a controlled setting. Finally, we will discuss the importance of PTMs in the context of next-generation vaccine design, especially for their potential role to offer effective protection against respiratory viruses.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Guria K, Melnikov I, Shtelmakh V, et al (2025)

Fibrin Monomer in Thrombosis and Haemostasis: A Clinical Biomarker and Beyond.

International journal of molecular sciences, 26(24):.

Fibrin monomer (FM) is a transient intermediate of blood coagulation that functions as both an active regulator of haemostasis and a sensitive biomarker for prothrombotic states. Clinically, FM is measured indirectly as its derivative, soluble fibrin monomer complexes (SFMC), which is also often referred to as FM throughout the clinical literature. FM participates in a complex regulatory network modulating thrombin generation and fibrinolysis, interacting with platelet receptors, including integrin αIIbβ3 and GPVI, and engaging GPIb-vWF interactions. This comprehensive review examines FM's molecular mechanisms in haemostatic regulation and evaluates clinical evidence for FM as a biomarker. Particular focus is placed on FM's utility for risk stratification across thrombotic conditions, including disseminated intravascular coagulation, venous thromboembolism, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and COVID-19-associated coagulopathy. Current challenges, including assay standardization and universal cut-off values, are discussed. By synthesizing mechanistic insights with clinical data, this integrated perspective may accelerate the translation of FM biology into improved risk assessment tools and novel therapeutic strategies.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Duque-Clavijo V, Doan HQ, SK Tyring (2025)

A Review of Cutaneous Viral Infections and Their Potential Role in Neurologic Diseases.

Journal of clinical medicine, 14(24):.

Background: Cutaneous viral infections, defined as viral pathogens that either primarily affect the skin (e.g., herpesviruses, enteroviruses) or frequently produce dermatologic manifestations despite systemic tropism (e.g., HIV, SARS-CoV-2), can trigger systemic inflammatory and neurotropic responses that extend their impact to the nervous system. A growing body of evidence suggests that viruses with dermatologic manifestations may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of neurologic disorders. Summary: Although individual viruses have been studied in isolation, the skin-brain axis in viral infections remains incompletely characterized. This review synthesizes existing knowledge and highlights gaps in understanding the mechanisms linking cutaneous viral infections to neurologic disease. We explore the principal mechanisms linking viral skin infections to central and peripheral nervous system damage, including direct neuroinvasion, immune-mediated injury, and vascular or endothelial dysfunction. Particular attention is given to herpesviruses, retroviruses, enteroviruses, and respiratory viruses, which have been associated with conditions such as dementia, multiple sclerosis, myelopathies, Guillain-BarrƩ syndrome, and the post-acute neurologic sequelae of COVID-19. Furthermore, we discuss the role of neuroinflammation in viral-associated neurodegeneration and highlight emerging evidence supporting the recombinant zoster vaccine (Shingrix) as a potential modulator of neuroinflammatory processes and a protective factor against dementia. Conclusions: Cutaneous viral infections extend beyond local skin pathology, contributing to a broad spectrum of neurologic complications through intertwined infectious and inflammatory mechanisms. A clearer understanding of how peripheral viral activity shapes central nervous system vulnerability remains a major unmet need. A multidisciplinary approach integrating dermatologic and neurologic perspectives is essential for early recognition and prevention. While observational studies suggest that zoster vaccination may reduce viral reactivation and modulate neuroinflammatory pathways, definitive evidence of neuroprotection is still lacking. Future studies should clarify causal relationships, test mechanistic hypotheses regarding skin-brain immune crosstalk, and explore vaccine-mediated neuroprotection as a novel therapeutic strategy.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Jia Y, C Turcu (2025)

Climate, Health, and Urban Green Infrastructure: The Evidence Base and Implications for Urban Policy and Spatial Planning.

International journal of environmental research and public health, 22(12):.

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) is widely used to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Its multiple benefits are well documented, with health-related benefits receiving growing attention, especially post-COVID-19. However, the existing evidence remains fragmented and limited to narrow disciplinary perspectives, offering only partial insights into the intersection of UGI and climate adaptation measures with health co-benefits. This paper addresses these gaps by providing an interdisciplinary review of the field. It presents a systematic literature review of studies between 2015 and 2025, assessing the extent of documented evidence and drawing out key policy implications. The review adopts the PRISMA framework and synthesizes evidence from 178 primary research articles across seven databases. Health co-benefits are reported across ten types of UGI: residential greenery, urban vegetation, school greenery, trees, urban parks, urban forests, green roofs and walls, green streets, grasslands, and community or private gardens. Building on the review's findings and additional literature, the paper discusses seven key implications for urban policy and spatial planning, which are relevant to climate adaptation policymakers, urban planners, and public health authorities working in cities.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Abdel-Motaal KA, El Kheir-Mataria WA, S Chun (2025)

Global Health Governance and the WHO Pandemic Agreement: A Scoping Review of Challenges and Analysis of Reforms.

International journal of environmental research and public health, 22(12):.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed persistent weaknesses in global health governance, particularly in preparedness, equity, and accountability. The WHO Pandemic Agreement, adopted in May 2025, aims to address these systemic gaps through a binding international framework.

OBJECTIVE: To identify key challenges in global pandemic preparedness and health governance reported in the literature (2019-2024) through a systematic scoping review, and to evaluate how these challenges are addressed in the provisions of the WHO Pandemic Agreement via qualitative document analysis.

METHODS: Using Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we systematically identified and thematically analyzed 52 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2024. The thematic results informed a qualitative document analysis of the WHO Pandemic Agreement text to assess the extent to which its provisions address the identified challenges.

RESULTS: Persistent gaps in governance (limited enforceability, fragmented coordination), equity (inequitable access to medical countermeasures), capacity (technology transfer and financing), and accountability were identified. Health systems in low- and middle-income countries continue to face critical resource constraints and lack robust mechanisms to ensure accountability and continuous learning. Document analysis showed the WHO Pandemic Agreement addresses coordination and financing but offers limited advances in enforcement, technology transfer, and independent monitoring.

CONCLUSION: The WHO Pandemic Agreement introduces important institutional and financing measures, but persistent gaps remain in enforcement, technology transfer, and inclusive implementation. Strengthening these domains is crucial to achieving equitable and resilient preparedness. By systematically linking evidence from the pandemic preparedness literature to Treaty provisions, this study offers a novel analytical framework for assessing how global health treaties respond to research-identified challenges.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Wright T, Smith R, Sah RK, et al (2025)

The Impact of COVID-19 on Racialised Minority Populations: A Systematic Review of Experiences and Perspectives.

International journal of environmental research and public health, 22(12):.

Racialised minority populations were disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and saw the highest rate of COVID-19 infections and mortality. Low socioeconomic status, working as frontline workers, temporary employment, precarious immigration status and pre-existing medical conditions were factors that contributed to disadvantaged experiences. This systematic review looked at the impact of COVID-19 on racialised minority populations globally, recognising their experiences, perspectives and the effects on their physical and mental health. Eight electronic databases were searched (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Social Policy and Practice (SPP), Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), MedRxiv and Research Square) for English language qualitative studies. Reference lists of relevant literature reviews and reference lists of articles were hand-searched for additional potentially relevant articles. Duplicates were removed, and articles were screened for titles and abstracts, followed by full-text screening. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess the quality of the included studies (n = 70). Data were synthesised using thematic synthesis. Seven major and three minor themes were identified. The major themes related to (i) children and young people's experiences of COVID-19; (ii) exacerbated pre-existing disparities relating to income, employment and housing security, health insurance and immigration status; (iii) lack of knowledge and information about COVID-19 and COVID-19 misinformation; (iv) racial history of medicine and treatment of racialised populations; (v) contemporary experiences of racism; (vi) impact on physical and mental health and wellbeing; (vii) concerns about safety at work. Minor themes related to (a) experiences of intercommunity mutual aid; (b) adherence to preventative guidance/COVID-19 restrictions; (c) the role of faith. Research needs to focus on developing and testing interventions that support transformation of social, cultural and economic systems towards equity of access to healthcare and healthcare knowledge. Research should be cognisant of interventions that have worked in shifting the equity dial in the past, implement these and use them to inform new approaches. Policy and practice should be mechanisms for enabling the implementation of interventions.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Raycheva R, Kostadinov K, Rangelova V, et al (2025)

Economic Analyses of COVID-19 Interventions: A Narrative Review of Global Evidence.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 13(24):.

Background/Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic imposed an unprecedented global health and economic burden, prompting rapid implementation of diverse public health interventions. This review aimed to synthesize global evidence on the cost-effectiveness of key COVID-19 control strategies, including vaccination, testing, and social distancing and to identify methodological, contextual, and equity-related determinants of their economic value. Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted using peer-reviewed studies published between January 2020 and September 2025 and indexed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Eligible studies included economic evaluations and modeling analyses addressing COVID-19 interventions in healthcare, community, or educational settings. Data on costs, outcomes, and methodological features were extracted and synthesized descriptively. Results: Across 74 included studies, vaccination-particularly with messenger RNA (mRNA) platforms-emerged as the most cost-effective intervention across all settings, often cost-saving among high-risk populations. Combined or layered strategies integrating vaccination, testing, and selective social distancing consistently outperformed single interventions in both health and economic outcomes. Early and targeted implementation yielded the highest cost-effectiveness by preventing exponential transmission and healthcare overload. However, heterogeneity in modeling assumptions, analytic perspectives, and outcome measures limited comparability. Few studies applied extended or distributional cost-effectiveness frameworks to address equity, while indirect and long-term effects such as productivity losses and "long COVID" were frequently omitted. Conclusions: COVID-19 interventions are most efficient when early, targeted, and adaptive to local epidemiologic conditions. Integrating equity, methodological consistency, and broader societal impacts into future evaluations will strengthen evidence-based, economically sustainable pandemic preparedness and response strategies.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Fleser RC, Necula V, Ujvary LP, et al (2025)

Hearing Loss in Young Adults: Risk Factors, Mechanisms and Prevention Models.

Biomedicines, 13(12):.

Hearing loss is increasingly recognized as a major public health concern among young adults, who are traditionally considered a low-risk group. This narrative review synthesizes recent evidence on risk and aggravating factors of early-onset hearing impairment, including recreational and occupational noise exposure, genetic susceptibility, infections, ototoxic medications, and lifestyle contributors. Pathophysiological mechanisms include cochlear synaptopathy, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, vascular compromise, and immune-mediated injury. Global Burden of Disease data and World Health Organization reports indicate that more than one billion young people are at risk due to unsafe listening practices. Studies highlight emerging risk factors such as hidden hearing loss, extended high-frequency impairment and associations with COVID-19. Aggravating factors include delayed diagnosis, cumulative exposures and lack of preventive strategies. Early detection via advanced audiological assessments, such as extended high-frequency audiometry, otoacoustic emissions, speech-in-noise testing and auditory brainstem responses, is critical to prevent permanent damage. Public health interventions-particularly safe listening campaigns, early screening and monitoring in high-risk populations-are essential to reduce long-term disability.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Andriankaja OM, Whiteheart S, MBA Mattos (2025)

Biological Plausibility Between Long-COVID and Periodontal Disease Development or Progression.

Biomedicines, 13(12): pii:biomedicines13123023.

Background: Long COVID (LC) is a multi-system disorder with persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the oral cavity and periodontium raises questions about its potential impact on periodontal health. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed using terms related to LC (e.g., "long-COVID," "post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection," "PASC," "post-COVID-19," "long-haul COVID") and oral/periodontal diseases (e.g., "periodontal disease," "periodontitis," "gingiva," "oral disease," "dental"), filtered for English-language full-text articles published from 2019 to 2024. The search yielded 260 articles, which were supplemented with targeted searches on pathogenesis, immune mechanisms, microbiome alterations, and clinical outcomes, resulting in approximately 248 studies included in this review. Results: LC exhibits systemic immunoinflammatory dysregulation, including neutrophil activation, elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, and complement activation, overlapping with mechanisms implicated in periodontitis. LC also leads to gastrointestinal and pulmonary dysbiosis, with potential effects on oral microbial communities. Gingival epithelium and periodontal ligament cells express ACE2, which is increased in periodontitis, facilitating viral entry. LC has been associated with reactivation of herpesviruses, such as Epstein-Barr virus, which are linked to autoimmune disorders and periodontitis. Conclusions: LC may act as a systemic risk factor for periodontitis. This review provides the theoretical foundation for the interactions between LC and oral health and highlights priorities for future epidemiologic and mechanistic research to better understand these relationships.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Haralović V, Mokos M, Špoljar S, et al (2025)

Hypochlorous Acid: Clinical Insights and Experience in Dermatology, Surgery, Dentistry, Ophthalmology, Rhinology, and Other Specialties.

Biomedicines, 13(12): pii:biomedicines13122921.

Background: Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is an integral component of the human innate immune system. It possesses antimicrobial properties and is available in solution, dermal spray, and scar gel forms. Objectives/Methods: This review presents data from studies on the clinical use of HOCl in various specialties, including dermatology, surgery, dentistry, ophthalmology, and rhinology. Results: Due to its anti-inflammatory/antimicrobial/immunomodulatory and healing properties, HOCl is advantageous in treating various skin disorders: ulcus cruris (and wound care), diabetic ulcers, atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, pruritus, acne vulgaris, etc. Also, the application of a HOCl spray/gel after surgical procedures may prevent infection, reduce inflammation, and accelerate healing. HOCl is also effective and safe for the prevention and treatment of hypertrophic and keloid scars. Growing evidence shows a broader role for HOCl in limiting cancer cell survival and slowing tumor growth. It is also important in treating various viral infections like SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus), influenza, and herpes, thereby helping to prevent the spread of aerosols. In addition, since HOCl is an endogenous compound naturally present in mammals with a high safety profile, it may be an effective bacterial disinfectant in dental waterlines. In ophthalmology, adjuvant treatment with HOCl ophthalmic spray can reduce the duration of antibiotic/corticosteroid use, even in severe blepharitis. To fully harness the protective/therapeutic properties of HOCl, future advancements will rely on the development of new chemical compounds and sophisticated pharmaceutical formulations. Conclusions: The majority of clinical studies have confirmed that HOC1 is useful in therapy, although the results are not entirely consistent. Further research is essential to optimize HOCl dosing and to develop controlled-release systems aimed at maximizing its anti-inflammatory and photoprotective effects while minimizing tissue irritation and damage.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Młynarska E, Hossa K, Krupińska N, et al (2025)

Atrial Fibrillation in COVID-19: Mechanisms, Clinical Impact, and Monitoring Strategies.

Biomedicines, 13(12): pii:biomedicines13122889.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed a close and multifaceted relationship between viral infection, systemic inflammation, and cardiovascular health. Among the cardiac complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), atrial fibrillation (AF)-especially new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF)-has emerged as a major determinant of disease severity and prognosis. Clinical studies and meta-analyses show that 5-10% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients develop AF, with markedly higher rates in critically ill individuals. Both pre-existing and NOAF are independently associated with increased risks of intensive care admission, mechanical ventilation, thromboembolic events, and mortality. The underlying mechanisms involve a combination of cytokine-mediated inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, microvascular injury, and dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Viral downregulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors contributes to myocardial fibrosis, while hypoxia, oxidative stress, and autonomic imbalance further promote electrical remodeling and arrhythmogenesis. Post-infectious studies indicate that atrial structural changes and autonomic dysfunction may persist for months, predisposing survivors to recurrent arrhythmias. Technological advances in telecardiology and digital medicine have provided new tools for early detection and long-term monitoring. Wearable electroencephalography (ECG) devices, implantable loop recorders (ILRs), and artificial intelligence (AI)-based diagnostic algorithms enable continuous rhythm surveillance and individualized management, improving outcomes in post-COVID patients. This review summarizes current evidence on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical implications, and monitoring strategies of AF in COVID-19. It underscores the importance of integrating telemedicine and AI-assisted diagnostics into cardiovascular care to mitigate the long-term arrhythmic and systemic consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

RevDate: 2025-12-30
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Halas RG, Berceanu Vaduva DM, Radulescu M, et al (2025)

Long COVID Prevalence and Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.

Biomedicines, 13(12): pii:biomedicines13122859.

Background: Long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), affects millions globally, with persistent symptoms impacting quality of life. This meta-analysis synthesizes prospective cohort studies to estimate the prevalence of Long COVID symptoms and identify risk factors. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed for prospective cohort studies (2020-2025) on Long COVID, focusing on prevalence and risk factors. Studies with ≄100 participants and follow-up ≄3 months were included. Data were extracted on symptom prevalence (e.g., fatigue, dyspnoea) and risk factors (e.g., sex, hospitalization). Random-effects models were used to pool prevalence and odds ratios (OR). Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results: Fourteen prospective studies (n = 168,679) were included. Pooled prevalence of Long COVID was 18.0% (95% CI: 12.5-23.5%, I[2] = 9.8%) among survivors followed for ≄6 months. Fatigue (41.0%, 95% CI: 33.2-49.4%) and dyspnoea (22.5%, 95% CI: 15.6-29.8%) were the most common symptoms. Female sex (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.25-1.92) and prior hospitalization (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.98-2.90) were significant risk factors. High heterogeneity (I[2] > 90%) was noted. Conclusions: Long COVID affects over one-fifth of SARS-CoV-2 survivors, with fatigue and dyspnoea persisting in many. Female sex and severe acute infection increase risk. Standardized definitions and longer follow-up are needed.

RevDate: 2025-12-29
CmpDate: 2025-12-30

Wu Z, Li Y, Chen J, et al (2025)

The occurrence of thromboembolism among patients with coronavirus disease 2019: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Scientific reports, 15(1):44783.

The results of reported thrombosis occurrences in patients with COVID-19 are inconsistent. Objectives To elucidate the occurrence of thromboembolism in COVID-19 patients with different types. The search was conducted up to May 10, 2024. The observational studies reporting the occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and/or arterial thromboembolism (ATE) in COVID-19 patients were included, which were independently evaluated by two researchers. The outcomes were VTE and ATE, including deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, myocardial infarction, and stroke. The effect sizes were combined using a random-effects model with inverse variance weighting, and a 95% confidence interval was calculated through arcsine transformation. A total of 224 studies was included. The occurrence of VTE was 5.8% (95% CI, 5.0%-6.7%, I2 = 99.912%; 91 studies; 4,545,285 patients). The occurrence of VTE was higher in the intensive care unit compared to the ward (13.2%, 95% CI, 11.7%-14.7%; I2 = 96.840%; 47 studies; 172,571 patients, vs. 3.2%, 95% CI, 2.9%-3.5%; I2 = 95.714%; 40 studies; 1,046,738 patients; P < 0.001), and was even lower among outpatient and discharged cohorts (0.0%, 95% CI, 0.0%-0.0%; I2 = 99.410%; 10 studies; 2,566,194 patients, vs. 0.7%, 95% CI, 0.4%-1.1%; I2 = 98.924%; 16 studies; 828,884 patients; P < 0.001). In contrast, the occurrence of ATE was lower, which was 2.6% (95% CI, 1.8%-3.5%, I2 = 99.924%; 44 studies; 2,884,839 patients). This study found that COVID-19 patients had a relatively high risk of VTE and ATE, but with significant variations among different types. Consequently, the selection of anticoagulant measures for them should be careful.

RevDate: 2025-12-29
CmpDate: 2025-12-29

Malaeb D, Mansour S, Dia N, et al (2025)

Scoping review about pathogenesis, risk factors, and treatment of venous and arterial thrombosis in coronavirus infection.

Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 12:1688115.

INTRODUCTION: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, is now understood as a systemic illness marked by a distinctive coagulopathy that extends beyond its primary respiratory manifestations. Direct viral injury to the endothelium and an exaggerated inflammatory "cytokine storm" and complement activation disrupt normal hemostasis and create a prothrombotic environment. This scoping review aims to synthesize and compare the mechanisms, risk factors, and antithrombotic strategies associated with venous and arterial thrombosis in COVID-19.

METHODS: A scoping review of English-language studies indexed in PubMed/Medline, OVID, and Wiley Library was conducted from January 2020 to June 2024. Search terms related to COVID-19, thrombotic complications, pathophysiological mechanisms, and antithrombotic therapies were included. Clinical trials, cohort and retrospective observational studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and case reports are included. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full texts for relevance and extracted data to map current evidence on venous and arterial thrombosis in COVID-19.

RESULTS: COVID-19-related coagulation problems can cause both venous and arterial thrombosis. Venous thromboembolism, which includes deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, occurs in about 4% to 15% of hospitalized patients and can increase to 30% in those in intensive care, even with standard prevention. Elevated D-dimer levels are strongly associated with a higher risk of clot formation. Arterial clots, like strokes or heart damage, are less common but generally more serious, caused by platelet activation, inflammation, and small vessel blockage rather than just slow blood flow in veins. Evidence indicates that low-molecular-weight heparin is the preferred anticoagulant because it reduces both inflammation and clotting. Therapeutic doses may be especially beneficial for high-risk patients, and continuing clot prevention after hospital discharge helps lower the risk of late clots without significantly increasing bleeding risk.

CONCLUSION: Recognition of COVID-19-associated coagulopathy underscores the necessity of early risk stratification and individualized anticoagulation to mitigate thrombotic events and improve outcomes. Extended post-discharge prophylaxis appears promising in reducing late thrombotic complications. Future research should aim to refine optimal anticoagulant regimens and determine ideal prophylaxis duration for COVID-19-related thrombosis to reduce morbidity and mortality rates.

RevDate: 2025-12-29
CmpDate: 2025-12-29

Mohamed A, Elasad A, Fuad U, et al (2025)

The Rise of Telemedicine in Orthopaedic Trauma Follow-Up Care and Its Long-Term Outcomes: A Narrative Review.

Cureus, 17(11):e97896.

Telemedicine has rapidly transformed healthcare delivery, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated its use across nearly all medical specialties. Virtual consultations have become an integral part of patient follow-up and management in orthopedic trauma care. This review explores the evolution and current applications of telemedicine in orthopaedic trauma, highlighting its implementation and patient and clinician responses. We examine evidence comparing virtual and in-person care in terms of clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility. This review also discusses the common barriers to adoption, practical solutions, and strategies that promote successful integration. Finally, we consider the long-term sustainability of telemedicine platforms and outline future directions for virtual orthopaedic trauma services. Together, these insights aim to guide ongoing efforts to optimize patient care delivery in the digital era.

RevDate: 2025-12-29
CmpDate: 2025-12-29

Fagundes Silva JK, Lins-Kusterer L, Moreira MBA, et al (2025)

Burnout in Dentists and the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review.

Clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health : CP & EMH, 21:e17450179400081.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to identify and analyze research on burnout in dentists, measured both prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).

METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted across five databases using the search terms "Dentists" and "Burnout, Psychological." Articles published between 1981 and December 2024 that utilized the MBI were included. Studies were classified based on the time of data collection: either prior to or during the COVID-19 pandemic (defined as January 30, 2020, to May 5, 2023).

RESULTS: We selected 15 of the 1,486 articles identified. Eleven of these reported means and standard deviations for the burnout scales. Among them, eight calculated scale means and standard deviations according to the guidelines recommended in the MBI manual; six studies were conducted prior to the pandemic, and two during it. An initial analysis suggests that mean levels of Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization increased during the pandemic, while mean levels of Personal Accomplishment remained comparable to pre-pandemic levels. However, five studies used different cutoff points to define low, moderate, or high burnout levels for each scale, limiting comparability across studies.

DISCUSSION: Few articles have adequately utilized the MBI to assess burnout in dental surgeons either before or during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CONCLUSION: Theoretical arguments suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic may have adversely affected burnout levels in dentists. However, the studies we analyzed offer only limited evidence supporting an increase in the burnout dimensions of Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization during the pandemic.

RevDate: 2025-12-29
CmpDate: 2025-12-29

Richardson T, Ashworth S, Sood M, et al (2025)

The relationship between financial disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic and mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Journal of public health research, 14(4):22799036251395263.

OBJECTIVE: Financial difficulties are associated with poor mental health. This paper aimed to systematically review the impact of COVID-19 related financial difficulties on mental health in adults.

METHODS: A systematic search was conducted across Web of Science, Medline, and PsycINFO, from March 2020 to March 2023 to identify studies examining the mental health impact of COVID-19 related financial disruption in adults. We performed two meta-analyses to quantify the effect of income loss due to the pandemic on anxiety and depression. Studies were rated using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute was used.

RESULTS: A total of 2659 papers were identified of which 76 (59 cross-sectional and 17 longitudinal) met inclusion criteria. The results show that COVID-19 related financial disruption (income loss and financial stress) negatively impact mental health across a range of adult populations globally, including the general population, students, and other specific groups. The meta-analyses examined data from 278,854 participants from 15 studies indicated that those who lost income reported greater anxiety levels than those who did not experience income loss. Similarly for 268,128 participants across 16 studies, a meta-analysis showed greater depression symptoms for those experiencing income loss.

CONCLUSION: COVID-related financial constraints, both objective and subjective, are associated with poor mental health outcomes (particularly anxiety and depression) in various populations around the world. The results highlight the need for targeted clinical interventions for those experiencing mental health problems linked to financial problems during global crises.

RevDate: 2025-12-28
CmpDate: 2025-12-28

Hao H, Chen D, Qian C, et al (2025)

Immune Inflammation at the Crossroads of Atherosclerosis and Ischemic Stroke: Mechanisms, Trends, and Translational Perspectives.

CNS neuroscience & therapeutics, 31(12):e70712.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder and a major cause of ischemic stroke. Immune-mediated mechanisms are increasingly recognized as central in this continuum, yet the global research landscape and its clinical translation remain insufficiently characterized.

METHODS: We conducted a multi-level bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science Core Collection and MEDLINE. Searches targeted atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke, and immunity, restricted to English-language articles and reviews. After screening, 1760 WoSCC records and 708 human-only MEDLINE articles were analyzed with VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrix. Comparative assessment between China and the United States examined differences in research output, thematic focus, and methodological orientation.

RESULTS: Global publications rose steadily from 1999 to 2025, peaking in 2022. Inflammation, atherosclerosis, and ischemic stroke were the dominant themes, with growing interest in causal inference (e.g., Mendelian randomization) and translational biomarkers. China showed rapid post-2015 growth with focus on immune-cell mechanisms, while the United States maintained leadership in scholarly impact, clinical orientation, and collaboration. Human-only studies confirmed these patterns and highlighted emerging topics such as microRNAs, COVID-19, insulin resistance, and lipoprotein(a).

CONCLUSIONS: Research has shifted from associative links to mechanistic insights and early translational strategies. However, gaps remain between molecular and clinical domains, and causal pathways are underdeveloped. Future work should emphasize molecular-clinical integration, expand immunological targets, apply multi-omics and AI approaches, and strengthen international collaboration-particularly between China and the United States-to advance precision prevention and intervention in atherosclerotic ischemic stroke.

RevDate: 2025-12-27

Yasuda H, Ando J, M Ando (2025)

Persistent COVID-19 in Patients With Hematological Malignancies: A Focused Review in the Omicron Era.

Clinical lymphoma, myeloma & leukemia pii:S2152-2650(25)04295-8 [Epub ahead of print].

COVID-19 is a threat to patients with hematological malignancies (HM) even in the Omicron era, because mortality rates are still high in HM patients, and a significant number of patients develop a protracted disease course called "persistent COVID-19 (pCOVID-19)" which can continue for weeks to months. pCOVID-19 can be life-threatening by itself, but also drastically affects the disease course of the underlying HM by delaying or terminating chemotherapy. Also, patients with pCOVID-19 can be potentially contagious, and timing of ending isolation is a dilemma the hematology ward faces. Furthermore, pCOVID-19 has been reported to lead to acquisition of SARS-CoV-2 multidrug-resistant mutations, which is an alarming issue for both the patient and public health. The optimal management method of pCOVID-19 is currently unknown, and because HM patients are excluded from randomized clinical trials, evidence is limited to case reports and small case series. We carried out a comprehensive literature review of Omicron pCOVID-19 occurring in HM patients, compiled the scattered evidence, and provide practical recommendations which can be of guide to clinicians. Main topics discussed within this review include efficacy of vaccinations in HM patients, risk factors for developing pCOVID-19 (B-cell depleting agents, bendamustine + rituximab therapy, bispecific T-cell engagers, etc.), treatment of pCOVID-19 including extended/sequential/combination therapy incorporating antivirals (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, remdesivir, molnupiravir, and ensitrelvir) and convalescent plasma/intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, monitoring pCOVID-19 with reverse transcription (RT)-PCR, and optimal target cycle threshold values as goals of therapy.

RevDate: 2025-12-27

Albertson FA, Alnakhi W, Barksdale S, et al (2025)

Teach-back techniques in telehealth: A review and insights for future directions.

Patient education and counseling, 144:109453 pii:S0738-3991(25)00820-1 [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The rapid expansion of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges in patient-provider communication due to the absence of in-person interactions and visual cues. Teach-back, a method where patients repeat information to confirm understanding, is a promising tool for improving communication in virtual care. This review evaluates the effectiveness of teach-back techniques in telehealth settings.

METHODS: A search of four databases (CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed) was conducted, yielding 10 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The article inclusion/exclusion criteria consisted of the following: (1) telehealth services topic; (2) direction provision related to teach-back; and (3) English, peer-reviewed, empirical journal publication. Risk of bias in included studies was assessed using established tools for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), non-randomized controlled trials (NRCTs), and qualitative studies. Data synthesis followed the PICO framework, and thematic analysis was used to compare outcomes across studies.

RESULTS: Included studies which varied in design, modality, and telehealth specialty. Teach-back was consistently associated with improved patient knowledge, confidence, and self-management, as well as clinical outcomes such as better glycemic control and medication adherence. Overall evidence quality was moderate, with common limitations including small sample sizes and brief follow-up periods.

Teach-back is effective in enhancing patient understanding and outcomes in telehealth settings. However, variability in study design and implementation highlights the need for standardized protocols and additional research. Provider training in effective virtual teach-back strategies may enhance patient comprehension, strengthen communication, and advance health equity in telehealth delivery.

RevDate: 2025-12-27

Reid JC, Semrau JS, O'Grady HK, et al (2025)

Rehabilitation in critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Australian critical care : official journal of the Confederation of Australian Critical Care Nurses, 39(1):101500 pii:S1036-7314(25)00330-3 [Epub ahead of print].

INTRODUCTION: Before the pandemic, intensive care unit rehabilitation was common. However, for critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection, rehabilitation became secondary to lifesaving measures and managing scarce resources.

OBJECTIVE: In this systematic review, we investigated the impact of rehabilitation for critically ill adults with COVID-19 infection on outcomes.

DATA SOURCES: Five electronic databases from 2020 to 2024 were searched for this study.

STUDY SELECTION: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and nonrandomised studies of critically ill adults with COVID-19 infection receiving in-hospital rehabilitation interventions were included in this study.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two independent reviewers screened titles/abstracts and full texts. Intervention types were organised into 13 categories. We assessed completeness of study reporting using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines and intervention reporting using the Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template. For RCTs, we assessed risk of bias, conducted meta-analyses using random-effect models, and evaluated certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: There were 11 prespecified outcomes including physical function and resource utilisation.

RESULTS: Sixty-eight studies (n = 50 observational, 8 RCTs, 4 experimental non-RCTs, and 6 other designs) enrolling 23,630 participants met inclusion criteria. Thirty-one reported interventions; mobility was the most common activity (74% of studies). Authors used 87 outcome measures at 57 reported time points. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology scores were adequate with >75% items reported. Mean Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template reporting for intervention (n = 45) was moderate (54% [23%]), and that for control groups (n = 11) was poor (48% [20%]). Risk of bias was low; very-low-certainty evidence showed that multidisciplinary functional and respiratory rehabilitation and bed cycling + tilt table may result in shorter duration of mechanical ventilation (2 RCTs, n = 116, intervention = 9.1 days, control = 11.7 days; standardised mean difference: 0.44 days [95% confidence interval: -0.81 to-0.07]) and shorter hospital length of stay (three RCTs, n = 116, intervention = 17.6-days, control = 26.2-days; standardised mean difference: 2 days [95% confidence interval: -4.22 to 0.04]).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Based on very-low-certainty evidence, rehabilitation may lead to shorter mechanical ventilation duration and hospital length of stay. Substantial heterogeneity across interventions, outcomes, and time points limited evidence synthesis. This review may aid in planning future rehabilitation studies with critically ill patients and for future pandemics where rehabilitation will have an important role.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION: CRD42023340256.

RevDate: 2025-12-27

Yang XM, Bian H, ZN Chen (2025)

CD147/Basigin: From Integrative Molecular Hub to Translational Therapeutic Target.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) [Epub ahead of print].

CD147 (Basigin/EMMPRIN), a multifunctional member of the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF), is a critical regulator of tumor progression, immune modulation, and metabolic adaptation. Under physiological conditions, it acts as a dynamic scaffold, interacting with monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), integrins, and cyclophilin A (CyPA) to orchestrate spermatogenesis, embryo implantation, and neural network function. Pathological overexpression of CD147 induces the secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metabolic reprogramming, and immune evasion, functioning as an independent prognostic biomarker in multiple malignancies. Beyond oncology, CD147 is exploited as an entry receptor for pathogens, including SARS‑CoV‑2, HIV‑1, Plasmodium falciparum, and contributes mechanistically to cardiovascular, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases. Notably, CD147 acts as a fundamental "Energy-Structure Coupler," coordinating metabolic flux (via MCTs) with morphogenetic plasticity (via integrins/MMPs) to maintain cellular homeostasis. This review summarizes current insights into CD147's molecular structure, isoforms, post-translational modifications, and signaling pathways, highlighting its pivotal roles across cancer, infection, autoimmunity, and cardiovascular disease. Finally, we discuss challenges such as the "specificity paradox" and propose emerging strategies to exploit CD147 as a precision biomarker and therapeutic target across diverse diseases.

RevDate: 2025-12-27

Gillespie LK, Richards TN, E Whitehouse (2025)

Remote and Hybrid Work in Crime Victim Services: A Scoping Review.

Trauma, violence & abuse [Epub ahead of print].

Remote and hybrid options for crime victim services grew slowly during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, followed by rapid expansion on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there has been significant focus on remote work in other sectors such as healthcare and tech industries, there have been no scoping reviews on remote service delivery in crime victim services. Using the PRISMA-ScR framework for scoping reviews, we identified 27 studies on remote or hybrid services in victim service agencies that met our inclusion criteria (empirical studies on remote and/or hybrid work in community- and/or systems-based victim service agencies, written in English). Studies were examined regarding the (a) methods and data used in empirical studies; (b) provider-level and client-level challenges and benefits; and (c) recommendations. Findings show that most studies were exploratory or descriptive in nature, collected qualitative data from service providers, and were conducted, at least in part, to learn about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Common provider-level challenges included technological barriers, concerns about the security of online services, and the development of rapport with clients virtually, while strengths included personal-professional flexibility, new collaborations, and work productivity/efficiency. Client-level challenges included technology access, digital literacy, and confidentiality and safety concerns, while strengths included increased access to services, reduced cost, and increased anonymity of online services. Results suggest that we need additional, rigorous evaluation research to understand how processes and outcomes differ between remote and in-person services for crime victims and victim service providers.

RevDate: 2025-12-26

Agorsor PI, MO Eze (2025)

Early Detection of Infectious Diseases: A Review of Recent Advances in Pathogen Identification, Molecular Tools, and Metabolomics-Driven Biomarker Discovery.

Journal of proteome research [Epub ahead of print].

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has heightened public interest in noninvasive methods for early diagnosis of infectious diseases. In addition, various government agencies have implemented "infectious disease preparedness" to mitigate future outbreaks. This review highlights conventional and advanced methods for infectious disease diagnosis with an emphasis on emerging mass spectrometry methods. Conventional methods for pathogen identification, such as culture-based techniques and molecular methods, have limitations with respect to sensitivity, specificity, and turnaround time. Recent advances in high-resolution mass spectrometry have revolutionized the field of infectious disease biomarker discovery. These techniques enable the comprehensive profiling of metabolites in various biological samples, identification of disease-specific biomarkers, and elucidation of complex host-pathogen interactions. While liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry has been extensively used to identify metabolic alterations in diseases, such as COVID-19, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and influenza, this often requires the use of body fluids. On the other hand, advances in gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry are enabling noninvasive detection of infectious diseases by means of breath-based volatile organic compounds. These methods offer high sensitivity and specificity, enabling the detection of low-abundance biomolecules and the elucidation of complex biological pathways. This review further examines the limitations of each approach while emphasizing the essential applications of metabolomics in infectious disease diagnosis.

RevDate: 2025-12-29
CmpDate: 2025-12-26

Tzang CC, Sheng H, Kuo VF, et al (2025)

Association between COVID-19 and New-Onset Autoimmune Diseases: Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 97 Million Individuals.

Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology, 68(1):111.

SARS-CoV-2 infection may induce long-term immune dysregulation; however, its contribution to the development of autoimmune disease remains disputed. We aim to quantify the relative risk of new-onset autoimmune diseases following COVID-19 and its modifiers through a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based cohort studies. MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched to March 31, 2025, for cohort studies comparing individuals with and without confirmed COVID-19. Random-effects meta-analysis estimated pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs. Subgroup analyses examined the severity of acute COVID-19, vaccination status, and demographics. Risk of bias was evaluated with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, certainty of evidence with GRADE, and publication bias with funnel plots and Egger's test. The review protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42025646186). Seventeen cohort studies, including over 250 million person-years, were included. COVID-19 was associated with a 49% increased risk of new-onset autoimmune-related diseases (AIRD; HR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.21-1.83; p = 0.0002). Significant associations (p < 0Ā·05) were observed for 17 of 23 outcomes, with the strongest risks in antiphospholipid syndrome (HR = 2Ā·16), ANCA-associated vasculitis (HR = 2Ā·15), mixed connective tissue disease (HR = 2Ā·12), and immune thrombocytopenic purpura (HR = 1Ā·87). Risk was higher after severe infection (HR = 1.70), but was reduced in vaccinated individuals (HR = 0.56, compared to 1.42 in unvaccinated individuals). The certainty of evidence was moderate for conditions with large effect sizes, but low overall, reflecting heterogeneity across studies and the non-randomized design of the included studies. SARS-CoV-2 infection increases the risk of autoimmune diseases, particularly those affecting vascular and connective tissue. Risk is amplified by severe infection and attenuated by vaccination. These findings highlight the necessity of vaccination and targeted follow-up in severe COVID survivors.

RevDate: 2025-12-29
CmpDate: 2025-12-29

Trump BD, Galaitsi S, Cegan J, et al (2025)

How Will AI Shape the Future of Pandemic Response? Early Clues From Data Analytics.

Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis, 45(12):4544-4556.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed critical gaps in our management of systemic risks within complex, interconnected systems. This review examines 10 key areas where artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics can significantly enhance pandemic preparedness, response, and recovery. Inadequate early warning systems, insufficient real-time data on resource needs, and the limitations of traditional epidemiological models in capturing complex disease dynamics are among the challenges analyzed. To address these issues, we explore the potential of AI applications, including machine learning-based surveillance, deep learning for improved epidemiological modeling, and AI-driven optimization of non-pharmaceutical interventions. These technologies offer the promise of more timely, accurate, and granular analysis of pandemic risks, thereby supporting evidence-based decision-making in rapidly evolving crises. However, implementing AI in pandemic response raises significant ethical and governance challenges, particularly concerning privacy, fairness, and accountability. We parse the promise and challenges of AI in the evolving space of emergency response data analytics and highlight critical steps forward.

RevDate: 2025-12-28
CmpDate: 2025-12-26

Chaudhary V, P Bhadola (2025)

Artificial Intelligence-Powered Nanosensor Platforms for Non-Invasive Breathomic Diagnostics.

Nanotechnology, science and applications, 18:611-641.

Global healthcare settings are increasingly burdened by critical diseases, where conventional diagnostics are often expensive, invasive, time-consuming and centralised. It creates a critical gap for rapid, accessible, portable and non-invasive health assessment. AI-powered Nanosensors for Breathomics Diagnostics (AND) platforms have emerged as a transformative solution to this complex global problem, integrating highly sensitive nanomaterials with advanced machine intelligence to detect disease biomarkers in exhaled breath. These platforms have already demonstrated high performance, with reports of 90-95% diagnostic accuracy for conditions such as lung cancer and achieving sub-ppb detection limits. These platforms are not limited to controlled laboratory settings but have been employed to monitor a spectrum of diseases, including cancer, asthma, diabetes, coronavirus disease, and renal failure. Their integration into wearable systems, smartphones, smart masks and multimodal laboratory systems further extends their applications in predictive analytics, personalised medicine and real-time human-machine interaction. However, challenges related to data standardisation, sensor selectivity, ethical AI, and clinical validation have limited their commercialization. It necessitates solutions such as Explainable AI, physics-informed modelling, network theory, and the development of large-scale clinical breath databases to enhance clinical reliability, model robustness, diagnose sensor drift, and attain transparency. This article critically details the recent progress and charts a new path forward for translating AND platforms from research to clinical reality as next-generation healthcare.

RevDate: 2025-12-26
CmpDate: 2025-12-26

Tamura M, Yagi Y, Hanayama S, et al (2025)

MRI-negative myelitis, especially after COVID-19: a case report and literature review.

Frontiers in immunology, 16:1708018.

BACKGROUND: Neurological sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) include inflammatory myelopathies. Among these, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-negative myelitis- defined as normal spinal cord MRI findings despite compatible clinical features-presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

CASE PRESENTATION: A 22-year-old Japanese woman developed progressive distal paresthesia, gait disturbance, bladder and rectal dysfunction, and sensory loss approximately three months after COVID-19. Neurological examination presented with pyramidal tract signs and sensory deficits in both lower limbs. Cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal bands were positive. Brain MRI showed subtle corticospinal tract hyperintensities, whereas spinal MRI findings remained normal throughout the course. Somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEP) demonstrated absent right N20 and bilateral P37 responses, localizing dysfunction to the thoracic cord. Treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy with plasma exchange resulted in marked clinical recovery and SEP normalization, with only mild residual paresthesia at two-year follow-up.

DISCUSSION: The present case illustrates the clinical utility of SEPs for monitoring disease activity and establishing objective criteria for treatment escalation in post-COVID-19 MRI-negative myelitis. Although MRI-negative myelitis can be observed in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD), lupus myelitis, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) astrocytopathy, post-COVID-19 myelitis lacks specific biomarkers, complicating both diagnosis and treatment. A review of 20 reported cases of post-COVID-19 MRI-negative myelitis revealed a mean age of 54.4 years, a male-to-female ratio of 3:2, frequent bladder and rectal disturbances and paresis (85% each), high severity (63.2%), a median infection-to-neurological interval of 28 days, oligoclonal bands in 25% (4/16), multiple immunotherapies in 66.7%, and marked improvement or recovery in 66.7%.

CONCLUSION: In post-COVID-19 MRI-negative myelitis, SEPs offer critical diagnostic and prognostic information. Early recognition and timely escalation of combination immunotherapy may optimize neurological outcomes.

RevDate: 2025-12-26
CmpDate: 2025-12-26

Galvan C, Ovsyannikova IG, RB Kennedy (2025)

Glycosylation as a strategic mechanism for measles virus and mumps virus immune evasion.

Frontiers in immunology, 16:1716829.

Glycosylation of viral surface proteins by host cell factors is one strategy paramyxoviruses employ to evade the host's immune system during infection. Viral glycosylation thus has the potential for innate and adaptive immune modulation. However, an adequate assessment of the effects glycosylation has on immune recognition and response for two important paramyxoviruses, Measles virus (MeV) and Mumps virus (MuV), is lacking. This review aims to provide a comparison of epitope-site sequence changes in the surface glycoproteins MeV-H, MeV-F, MuV-HN, and MuV-F across different wild type and vaccine strains of measles and mumps. Such changes may alter glycosylation patterns at antigenic sites, thus altering the virus' efficiency to induce an immune response as well. Further investigation of measles and mumps viral glycosylation studies will aid the development of specific therapeutics that modulate viral glycosylation during immune diseases, viral infections, and oncolytic treatments. Moreover, determining how glycosylation affects measles and mumps immune responses may pave the way for the development of novel vaccine strains for the improved immunogenicity and immune durability of measles and mumps vaccines.

RevDate: 2025-12-26
CmpDate: 2025-12-26

Putra BA (2025)

Digital Technologies in a Post-Pandemic Southeast Asia: Measures for Enhancing Regional Approaches.

F1000Research, 14:623.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has taken some measures to advance collective action to accelerate telehealth in the region. Still, it has encountered the problem of digital readiness and digital health preparedness disparities within the region. To maintain the consolidation of digital health utilization across ASEAN member states, this article offers policy recommendations to address the diverse approaches taken and compensate for capacity differences among members. Drawing on insights from published official policies, government health ministry websites of Southeast Asian nations, and ASEAN's digital health policies, the article first reviews the diversities of digital technologies in a post-pandemic Southeast Asia and then assesses measures to enhance regional approaches. Several recommendations are presented: First, ASEAN can standardize regional frameworks for telehealth by sharing digital health transformation blueprints and leveraging ASEAN and ASEAN Plus forums to bridge divergent understandings and advance the region's digital health initiatives. Second, ASEAN facilitates investment through a telehealth sandbox and fosters collaboration among stakeholders. Although the recommendations are consistent with the 'ASEAN Way,' lingering concerns in Southeast Asia's telehealth landscape include different commitments and expectations, risks of privacy infringements, and the misuse of technology in the region's authoritarian states.

RevDate: 2025-12-26
CmpDate: 2025-12-26

Mukherjee D, Sagar K, Kobialka RM, et al (2025)

Filling the gap: artificial intelligence-driven one health integration to strengthen pandemic preparedness in resource-limited settings.

Frontiers in public health, 13:1707306.

Emerging zoonotic pathogens like SARS-CoV-2 and Nipah virus demonstrate the critical need for integrated surveillance systems connecting human, animal, and environmental health. This review examines how artificial intelligence can address One Health integration gaps in pandemic surveillance, focusing on resource-limited settings. While global digitization levels now support Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered platforms, LMICs face barriers including limited resources and fragmented data systems. Current AI tools remain domain-specific and designed for high-income settings, limiting its applicability to pandemic preparedness in low-resource settings. Existing AI-tools and gaps are described and put into perspective within an AI-driven One Health framework, specifically for LMICs. The framework exemplifies resource optimization, governance, sectoral collaboration, capacity building, health system integration, geographic accessibility, and prioritization. The framework also features an exemplified dual solution combining Graph Neural Networks for integrated risk assessment with offline-first mobile applications for community surveillance. AI technologies offer substantial potential for pandemic preparedness through automated data harmonization, predictive modeling, and resource optimization. However, successful implementation requires concurrent digitization, cultural adaptation, and local capacity building. Prioritizing mobile solutions with minimal infrastructure requirements alongside community engagement will be essential for creating equitable AI-based surveillance systems in LMICs.

RevDate: 2025-12-26
CmpDate: 2025-12-26

Singh E, Nishi N, Tripathi M, et al (2026)

SARS-CoV-2 Genome and S2 Spike Protein: IRF-Driven Interferon Regulation and Host Cell Responses.

Reviews in medical virology, 36(1):e70094.

Coronaviruses, members of the betacoronavirus genus. They are mostly enveloped and has +ve sense RNA which infects a wide range of hosts, including mammals and birds. This SARS-CoV-2 in December 2019 triggered a global pandemic, with transmission primarily occurring through respiratory droplets. SARS-CoV-2 comprises four structural proteins namely: spike, membrane, envelope and nucleocapsid protein (S, M, E, and N respectively) along with multiple non-structural proteins (nsp1-nsp16) essential for infections. The trimeric S protein, composed of S1 and S2 subunits which helps in virus entry into the cell after attachment to the ACE2 recpetor of host cell. Interferon regulatory factors (IRF-1 and IRF-2) are critical transcription factors in antiviral immune responses, yet their specific roles in SARS-CoV-2 infection remain insufficiently understood. Disruption of their regulatory functions may compromise host antiviral defenses and influence disease progression. Elucidating the mechanistic roles of IRF-1 and IRF-2 could facilitate the production of novel therapeutic strategies which further modulates the immune responses, mitigates the viral pathogenicity, and hence clinical outcomes will be improved. A deep insight of these immune pathways is pivotal for designing targeted interventions to strengthen host resilience against coronavirus infections.

RevDate: 2025-12-25

Onakpoya IJ, Plüddemann A, Rosca EC, et al (2025)

Viral cultures for assessing airborne infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BMC infectious diseases pii:10.1186/s12879-025-12430-z [Epub ahead of print].

INTRODUCTION: There is uncertainty about the quantification, viability and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in air samples. Our objective was to systematically review the evidence for air sample virus infectiousness with high-level confirmatory studies.

METHODS: We conducted literature searches in LitCovid, medRxiv, PubMed, the WHO Covid-19 databases, and Google Scholar. We included studies that assessed viral infectiousness in the air using viral culture or serial qRT-PCR with or without genomic sequencing. Our primary outcome was the proportion of culture-positive air samples of SARS-CoV-2. Secondary outcomes explored the relationship between infectiousness and Cycle threshold (Ct). We used published methods for assessing quality, and R software for meta-analysis.

RESULTS: We included 26 studies that used viral culture to assess air sample positivity of SARS-CoV-2. The overall reporting quality was moderate. The overall pooled frequency of positive viral cultures was 14% (95% CI 7-17, I[2] = 52.3%; p = 0.001). The data were not sufficient to compute a threshold for infectivity, or to explore the relationship between distance and infectiousness.

CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of positive SARS-CoV-2 viral cultures following positive RNA samples in the air is low, suggesting that while viral RNA may be present, the likelihood of detecting culturable, infectious viruses is substantially lower. Our findings underscore the need for standardized guidelines to assess and report the infectivity and potential for transmissibility of airborne viruses, including the consistent reporting of Ct values and methods to mitigate bias.

RevDate: 2025-12-25

Habashy NH (2025)

Antiviral potential of major royal jelly proteins.

International journal of biological macromolecules pii:S0141-8130(25)10441-8 [Epub ahead of print].

Royal jelly (RJ), a honeybee secretion, contains nine distinct water-soluble proteins known as major RJ proteins (MRJPs). MRJPs are the primary constituents of RJ and have demonstrated significant potential as antiviral agents. MRJPs exhibit antiviral effects against various viruses, including HCV, HBV, HIV, and SARS-CoV-2. Previous research has indicated that MRJPs can interfere with viral replication by targeting specific stages of the viral life cycle, such as by inhibiting key enzymes, including RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and reverse transcriptase. They also block viral entry into host cells and influence immune responses. In addition to their direct antiviral actions, MRJPs exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties, further enhancing their therapeutic potential. Despite these promising preclinical findings, further mechanistic and translational investigations are required to validate and enhance the therapeutic potential of MRJPs. This review presents a narrative and systematic summary of the antiviral effects of MRJPs supplemented by original in silico docking analyses and highlights their potential as natural candidates for antiviral drug development.

RevDate: 2025-12-25

Zhao Y (2025)

Research progress and applications of reverse genetics systems for infectious bronchitis virus.

Poultry science, 105(2):106312 pii:S0032-5791(25)01552-4 [Epub ahead of print].

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) poses a persistent threat to global poultry health, driving the need for advanced molecular tools to study and combat this pathogen. Reverse genetics has emerged as a pivotal technology in IBV research, enabling precise manipulation of the viral genome to investigate pathogenesis, design novel vaccines, and identify potential antiviral targets. This review systematically examines the development, applications, and challenges of reverse genetics platforms for IBV. Established methods, including vaccinia virus supported systems, in vitro ligation and transcription, targeted RNA recombination, bacterial artificial chromosome cloning, transformation associated recombination, and circular polymerase extension reaction are detailed, with their principles, advantages, and limitations highlighted. Furthermore, contributions of these platforms to elucidating gene function, rational vaccine design, and the development of IBV as a viral vector for multipathogen vaccines are discussed. Current technical hurdles, safety considerations, and knowledge gaps are addressed, along with future perspectives integrating CRISPR/Cas9, synthetic biology, and computational approaches. This comprehensive overview aims to guide researchers in selecting appropriate reverse genetics strategies and to inspire innovative solutions for IBV control.

RevDate: 2025-12-25
CmpDate: 2025-12-25

Lazaretti CR, C Aguzzoli (2025)

Clinical Manifestations.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 21 Suppl 3(Suppl 3):e105305.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the overall health of those affected, often harming general cognition distinct and higher cortical functions. Recent studies suggest that the infection may result in prolonged cognitive deficits. This study aims to review differences in long-term cognitive impairment in individuals who developed mild-to-moderate COVID-19 symptoms relative to severe cases.

METHOD: We conducted a scoping review on the long-term cognitive effects of COVID-19, selecting articles from 2020 to 2024 indexed in the PubMed database. Inclusion criteria required studies that assessed long-term cognitive impairment in individuals recovering from COVID-19.

RESULT: A total of twenty articles were screened for eligibility, and eight full-text publications were assessed (Figure 1). The prevalence of cognitive impairment in the acute phase of COVID-19 ranged from 61.5% in mild to moderate cases to 80% in moderate to severe cases. We found that executive function, working memory, verbal fluency, and attention were the cognitive domains most impacted. In the long-term, more than 50% of patients continued to experience cognitive deficits even after full recovery, particularly in attention, memory, and executive function. A Swedish study reported that 48% of severe-symptom survivors exhibited cognitive deficits-such as short memory deficit-five months after hospital discharge, while another study showed that 38% of moderate and 11.2% of severe cases experienced immediate verbal memory impairment. Another single-center study assessing 726 survivors of COVID-19 from the Intensive Care Unit with a median age of 62 years found that 87.5% had not fully regained their daily activity levels, and only 6.2% had returned to their previous functional level.

CONCLUSION: A growing body of evidence indicates that post-COVID-19 cognitive impairment may persist in a significant proportion of survivors, indicating that cognitive impairment are not limited to severe cases but can affect individuals across clinical stages. Among the various cognitive difficulties observed, memory impairment stands out as the predominant domain among patients recovering from COVID-19. Therefore, the clinical evaluation of long-term follow-up of these patients is important, with special attention to cognitive function.

RevDate: 2025-12-25
CmpDate: 2025-12-25

Kohler MM, Kolbe M, Kƶrtgen B, et al (2025)

Efficacy of simulation-based training for airway management in preparing hospitals for the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.

Frontiers in medicine, 12:1656737.

BACKGROUND: In response to the coronavirus pandemic, hospitals worldwide implemented simulation-based training to help healthcare providers (HCPs) adapt to revised protocols for airway management in patients with infectious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a systematic review of simulation-based studies on airway management in COVID-19 patients, with the aim of analyzing the findings of these studies and consolidating evidence-based recommendations to optimize responses to possible future pandemics.

METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, Medline, and the Cochrane Library on 25 August 2022. As different studies measured different outcomes (e.g., only confidence, only knowledge, or both) in different ways, a random-effects model was used for meta-analysis and change scores were calculated.

RESULTS: The systematic review included 20 studies after screening 141 articles. The meta-analysis revealed significant improvements in participants' confidence and knowledge after simulation training, as evidenced by negative standardized mean differences (SMDs, Cohen's d). Sensitivity analysis confirmed that the results were robust across various correlation estimates. However, there was a high risk of publication bias, as funnel plots showed asymmetry and studies fell outside the 95% confidence interval.

CONCLUSION: This systematic review highlights the effectiveness of simulation training in improving healthcare providers' confidence and knowledge regarding airway management during pandemics. The findings underscore the positive impact of simulation-based education, as demonstrated by significant improvements from pre-training to post-training assessments. However, the observed publication bias suggests that additional high-quality, unbiased studies are necessary to strengthen the evidence base and inform future training programs for pandemic preparedness.

PROSPERO, CRD42022293708.

RevDate: 2025-12-25
CmpDate: 2025-12-25

Jin T, Peng J, Peng R, et al (2025)

Research trends and hotspots of traditional Chinese medicine for asthenopia: a comprehensive visualization and bibliometric study as of 2024.

Frontiers in medicine, 12:1613177.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the preventive and therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for asthenopia.

METHODS: The literatures on TCM for asthenopia published in Web of Science, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang from the inception of each database to December 31, 2024 were retrieved and summarized. Network cluster co-occurrence analysis and qualitative narrative methods were used for this review.

RESULTS: The related research has shown a fluctuating upward trend. The institutions that published more relevant studies were Chinese medicine universities and their affiliated hospitals. The analysis found that the research mainly focused on elucidating the treatment mechanism, optimizing the acupoint stimulation mode of external treatment, and optimizing the systematic regulation of the TCM decoction program.

CONCLUSION: The research on TCM for asthenopia is unevenly distributed among countries and regions, and mainly concentrated in China. However, since the outbreak of COVID-19, the research on asthenopia abroad has gradually increased, which may be related to lifestyle and the development of modern electronic technology. Current research trends mainly focus on the establishment of evidence-based TCM clinical intervention programs and the establishment of a comorbidity model of asthenopia.

RevDate: 2025-12-25
CmpDate: 2025-12-25

Xiao Y, Song Z, Zhou L, et al (2025)

Coronavirus nucleocapsid proteins: a multifaceted modulator in the innate immune evasion.

Frontiers in microbiology, 16:1658339.

Coronaviruses are capable of inducing diverse infectious diseases that pose significant threats to the public health and the economic development. With a single positive-stranded RNA genome, coronaviruses utilize viral proteins to execute diverse immune escape strategies to facilitate their replication. Of all the identified structural proteins and non-structural proteins within the coronaviruses, nucleocapsid (N) protein is highly conserved and is the most abundant viral protein in infected host cells. N protein regulates the more complex and diverse mechanisms through which viruses suppress host immunity. In this review, we analyzed the basic structure of coronavirus N protein, and further elaborate on its multifaceted regulatory functions in the virion assembly, pathogenesis, host innate immune responses, as well as the innate immunity-related programmed cell death and cell cycle, and also other cell processes. A better understanding of the immune evasion strategy regulated by N protein will help to provide a theoretical basis for the development of broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus drugs targeting N proteins.

RevDate: 2025-12-25
CmpDate: 2025-12-25

Barrera I, Wang G, Rajakumar B, et al (2025)

Mobile addiction treatment units: a narrative review.

Addiction science & clinical practice, 20(1):99.

BACKGROUND: Drug overdose deaths have increased in the last decade, becoming a substantial public health priority. Mobile Addiction Treatment Units (MATU) are vans, vehicles, or portable clinics that provide low-threshold, low-barrier, community-based services for addiction treatment including opioid agonist medications. MATUs are a point of entry for care, particularly for individuals who have faced barriers to access at in-person healthcare facilities.

OBJECTIVE: This narrative review aims to synthesize and conduct a thematic analysis of the research on implementation and outcomes of MATUs in the United States. Our study's primary objectives were threefold: 1) to evaluate MATU program reach, 2) to evaluate MATU program effectiveness, and 3) to evaluate MATU program implementation.

METHODS: We identified studies examining MATUs by searching electronic databases MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Elsevier), PsycINFO (EBSCO), and Web of Science Core Collection (Clarivate). Records were selected for full-text review if their abstract referenced any mobile modality for substance use treatments. Exclusion criteria included review articles, opinion articles, theoretical articles, abstracts, dissertations, studies conducted outside of the United States, and studies focused solely on mobile harm-reduction interventions without offering medication treatment for SUD. This review is reported per the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines.

RESULTS: A total of 2,232 articles were screened at the title and abstract level, of which 83 were assessed for full text eligibility. The 34 articles selected for inclusion were varied in methodology, and included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), observational studies, cohort studies, and mixed-methods research. The most common study locations were Baltimore, MD (10 studies), Boston, MA (5 studies), Philadelphia, PA (4 studies), and New Haven, CT (3 studies). Regarding reach, four studies were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Six studies were conducted primarily in a population experiencing homelessness; two studies were conducted primarily in populations with criminal justice involvement; four studies were conducted primarily in youth or young-adult populations; three studies were conducted in rural populations. In these settings, MATUs successfully engaged vulnerable and underserved populations, delivering comprehensive care that combined harm reduction, primary care, and mental health services. These units demonstrated potential to enhance health outcomes, reduce stigma, increase treatment retention rates in marginalized populations compared to office-based programs, and tackle social determinants of health. Common challenges included patient engagement, logistical and regulatory barriers, and financial sustainability, all compounded by limited space, staffing, and resources, while homelessness, encampment removals, and the COVID-19 pandemic further disrupted care continuity (J Subst Abuse Treat 120:108149, 2021; Front Public Health 11:1154813, 2023; J Subst Use Addict Treat 159:209272, 2024; J Subst Use Addict Treat 164, 2024; Health Place 28:153-66, 2014; Addict Sci Clin Pract 18:71, 2023).

CONCLUSION: MATUs proved to be innovative and effective in addressing OUD and related issues for vulnerable populations traditionally lacking access to care. However, ongoing efforts to overcome implementation challenges and ensure sustainable funding and resources are crucial for their continued success and expansion. Future research should focus on large-scale, quantitative studies, particularly in diverse and rural settings, to better understand their long-term impact and sustainability.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Wilson JE, Gurdasani D, Helbok R, et al (2025)

COVID-19-associated neurological and psychological manifestations.

Nature reviews. Disease primers, 11(1):91.

Long COVID is an infection-associated chronic condition that typically occurs within 3 months of acute COVID-19 infection in which symptoms are intermittently or continuously present for at least 3 months. Long COVID is estimated to affect between 80 and 400 million people globally, with an incidence of 5-20% in the community and up to 50% among hospitalized patients following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Common neuropsychiatric and mental health symptoms of long COVID include memory deficits, executive dysfunction, anxiety, depression, recurring headaches, sleep disturbances, neuropathies, problems with taste and smell, and dizziness that accompanies erratic heart rates and severe post-exertional malaise. Underlying pathophysiological mechanisms includes SARS-CoV-2 viral persistence, herpesvirus reactivation, microbiota dysbiosis, autoimmunity, clotting and endothelial abnormalities, and chronic immune activation. Owing to the variability in the clinical presentation, management must be tailored based on a patient's presenting symptoms.

RevDate: 2025-12-26
CmpDate: 2025-12-26

Cook KD, GG Guyol (2026)

Early childhood education matters for child, family, and community health.

Current opinion in pediatrics, 38(1):9-14.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Strong evidence shows that early childhood education (ECE) impacts child health and wellbeing throughout the life course. Contextual factors including the rising cost of ECE and the strain of the COVID-19 pandemic on childcare arrangements have ignited national conversations about ECE. We build on existing evidence to propose a conceptual model that demonstrates mechanisms of multilevel health impacts.

RECENT FINDINGS: There is increasing recognition that ECE influences health beyond the level of the child to impact health at the levels of parent/family and community. Innovations in medical and ECE settings and cross-sector efforts can improve multilevel health outcomes by leveraging the healthcare platform to improve access to ECE, integrating mental health supports into ECE settings, and facilitating communication and data sharing between the two systems.

SUMMARY: We integrate insights from multiple early childhood disciplines, including psychology, education, and medicine to propose a model for the impacts of ECE on multilevel health outcomes. This model highlights the importance of cross-disciplinary approaches to realize the full health benefits of ECE and can inform future research and advocacy. We highlight the need for pediatricians to work across early childhood disciplines to achieve greater impact on comprehensive wellbeing.

RevDate: 2025-12-26
CmpDate: 2025-12-26

Sim BZ, Kalil AC, CR Wolfe (2026)

Antiviral clinical trial design throughout the COVID pandemic: evolving endpoints and lessons learnt.

Current opinion in infectious diseases, 39(1):75-81.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Trial design during the novel coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic was stymied by significant uncertainty about the natural history of the virus, at-risk populations, and optimal patient care by investigators and clinicians alike.

RECENT FINDINGS: Three main types of trial design were invoked to address both the variable clinical disease and the evolving viral landscape, and to fit the respective health systems deploying the trials. These included adaptive trial design, platform trials, and master protocols. Strengths and challenges faced with each are discussed in more detail in the main text.

SUMMARY: Future pandemics will almost certainly continue to arise. Similarly, the landscape will continue to evolve alongside our understanding of the disease. Designing trials that remain scientifically rigorous and practical while still addressing the changing natural history of the disease continues to pose a challenge.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Puchner KP, Kondilis E, Palantza N, et al (2025)

Competing Theories on Global and Regional Vaccine Inequities: A Scoping Literature Review Within the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Vaccines, 13(12):.

Background/Objectives: Despite global efforts, COVID-19 revealed severe spatial vaccine inequities, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Scholars across disciplines proposed numerous-and often competing-terms and theories to explain these disparities. In this review and within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we assess the usage, definition, and appropriateness of these terms and their linked theories or frameworks. Methods: We conducted a scoping review aiming to clarify key definitions, concepts, and frameworks of eight prominent terms used in the literature regarding COVID-19 global and/or regional vaccine inequities (i.e., vaccine nationalism, vaccine apartheid, vaccine colonialism, vaccine imperialism, vaccine racism, vaccine diplomacy, vaccine solidarity, and vaccine internationalism). The methodology followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines for Scoping Reviews and included papers from January 2020 to the end of October 2024. Results: We included 79 papers in our study. The majority (71%) were published in 2021-2022, with less than one-quarter authored by scholars from LMICs. Vaccine imperialism was consistently defined but rarely used, while vaccine nationalism and vaccine apartheid appeared more frequently with varied meanings. Yet, in most cases, all of these concepts identified economic interests of vaccine-producing countries as the root cause of the observed vaccine inequities. Vaccine diplomacy showed similar ambiguity, viewed by some as worsening inequities and by others as potentially mitigating them. The terms vaccine racism, vaccine colonialism, and vaccine solidarity were not explicitly identified but appear to be embedded within the definitions of other prominent terms detected. Conclusions: Across the preselected terms examined, we found numerous-and often conflicting-definitions, revealing the fragmented and competing understandings of the major drivers fueling global vaccine inequities. This lack of coherence inhibits evidence synthesis or shared theoretical progress but, most importantly, might undermine current and future efforts to address these inequities.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Sun M, K Elliott (2025)

StealthX: A Versatile and Potent Exosome-Based Vaccine Platform for the Next Pandemic.

Vaccines, 13(12):.

Exosome-based vaccines represent a transformative platform in modern vaccinology, combining nanoscale delivery, biocompatibility, and potent immunogenicity. Among these, the StealthX platform developed by Capricor, Inc. has demonstrated exceptional versatility, enabling antigen presentation at nanogram level doses without the need for adjuvants. Preclinical studies using StealthX have shown strong humoral and cellular immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Delta and Omicron, as well as broader applications against influenza and RSV antigens. The platform's ability to accommodate multiple antigens within a single formulation addresses the challenges of viral variation and facilitates multivalent "mix-and-match" immunization strategies. This review offers an in-depth evaluation of the StealthX vaccine platform, covering the biological mechanisms underlying exosome function, the engineering approaches used to load antigens, and preclinical results demonstrated across three pivotal studies. By synthesizing current evidence, this review underscores the platform's applicability for emerging infectious diseases and explores the strategic value of multivalent exosome-based vaccines in global immunization efforts as an emerging next-generation vaccine technology.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Naji A, El Sahly HM, JA Whitaker (2025)

A Review of the Effects of Ipsilateral or Contralateral Vaccine Boosting on the Adaptive Immune Response.

Vaccines, 13(12):.

Vaccines have been pivotal in reducing the incidence and severity of infectious diseases, improving population health, and lowering mortality rates globally. While substantial progress has been made in optimizing vaccine formulations, adjuvants, and schedules, comparatively less attention has been given to how the site of vaccination may influence immunologic outcomes. This review examines the impact of the administration of prime and booster vaccine doses in the same (ipsilateral) versus the opposite arms (contralateral) on vaccine immunogenicity. We review animal model and human studies evaluating the impact of ipsilateral versus contralateral COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 vaccine boosting on immunologic outcomes with a focus on the germinal center response, antibody production, and T cell activation. While some studies suggest that ipsilateral administration may enhance the quality of germinal center B cell responses and antibody magnitude, data across different studies have been inconsistent. Relatively few studies have compared ipsilateral versus contralateral boosting, and differences in study design and outcomes have limited the ability to draw conclusions as to whether one is superior to the other. This review highlights a noteworthy and underexplored area in vaccinology and the need for future research to clarify whether ipsilateral/contralateral boosting strategies matter. To answer this question, high-quality, randomized controlled trials evaluating different types of vaccines that consider immunologic mechanisms, capture key time points and appropriate specimens, and evaluate early and long-term immunogenicity endpoints are required.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Wiblin S, Feldman C, MacIntyre CR, et al (2025)

Risk Groups for Vaccine-Preventable Respiratory Infections in Children and Adults: An Overview of the Australian Environment.

Vaccines, 13(12):.

Respiratory infections are a leading cause of sickness and death in Australia. In Australia, there is a funded immunisation program for both adults and children aimed at preventing and controlling vaccine-preventable respiratory infections (VPRI), such as pneumococcal disease (PD), influenza A/B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection, and COVID-19. This narrative review outlines the current Australian adult and paediatric immunisation guidance for VPRIs. It also examines the literature that supports the current risk group recommendations, including the clinical and economic burden of VPRIs, vaccination effectiveness, and coverage. Gaps in current risk group definitions, as well as additional risk groups that could be included in vaccine recommendations, are also discussed. Further research is needed to determine the optimum age for vaccination in adults which may enable alignment of age recommendations across different VPRIs. Individuals with multiple risk factors, commonly referred to as risk stacking, are at a greater risk of developing severe disease for VPRIs. This emphasises the importance of vaccinating these individuals. More research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccines in older adults and to create more effective vaccines for high-risk paediatric groups, such as those with compromised immunity or for children who have undergone haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Cianciulli A, Santoro E, Bruno N, et al (2025)

The Role of the Family and Community Nurse in Improving Quality of Life and Optimizing Home Care Post-COVID: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy), 15(12):.

Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift toward community- and home-based care models. Within this transformation, Family and Community Nurses (FCNs) have become key in bridging hospital and primary care, supporting continuity, self-care, and quality of life (QoL). Despite increasing recognition, evidence on FCN-led interventions remains fragmented. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize evidence on the impact of FCN interventions on QoL and clinical outcomes in post-COVID and people living with chronic conditions managed in community and home settings. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, we searched PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, and Cochrane Library (January 2020-November 2024). Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials evaluating FCN-led interventions. Primary outcomes were QoL (measured with validated tools) and glycemic control (HbA1c). Secondary outcomes included hospital readmissions, anxiety, depression, and self-care abilities. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB2 tool for randomized controlled trials. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed, with heterogeneity evaluated by I[2]. The protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024567890) before data extraction. Results: Seventy-one studies (n = 19,390) were included. Interventions comprised home visits, telehealth, patient education, and case management. Pooled analyses demonstrated significant improvement in QoL (SMD 0.34, 95% CI 0.18-0.50) and reduction in HbA1c (-0.47%, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.25). FCN interventions also reduced hospital readmissions (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.62-0.89) and improved mental health outcomes. Most studies were judged at low to moderate risk of bias. Conclusions: FCN-led interventions significantly enhance QoL, mental health, and clinical outcomes while reducing hospital readmissions. These findings highlight the strategic importance of integrating FCNs into community-based healthcare models.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Wang J, Ma N, Mo G, et al (2025)

Hazards and Health Risks of the Antibacterial Agent Triclosan to Fish: A Review.

Journal of xenobiotics, 15(6):.

Triclosan (TCS) is a widely used antimicrobial agent found in personal care products and household cleaners. While valued since the 1960s for its ability to inhibit bacterial fatty acid synthesis, its environmental persistence, ecotoxicity, and bioaccumulative potential have raised significant global concern. The increased use of disinfectants during the COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated its prevalence as an aquatic pollutant. In the environment, TCS is distributed through water bodies and sediments, undergoing processes such as biodegradation and photochemical degradation. Its bioaccumulation poses a substantial threat to aquatic organisms, particularly fish. A growing body of research indicates that TCS acts as an endocrine disruptor and developmental toxicant, with documented adverse effects encompassing impaired embryonic and larval development, skeletal malformations, and induction of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, DNA damage, and inflammatory responses. Furthermore, TCS exposure is linked to reproductive toxicity, including altered sex hormone levels and diminished reproductive capacity. This review consolidates current knowledge on the chemical properties, environmental fate, biodegradation pathways, and ecotoxicological impacts of TCS, with a specific emphasis on its multifaceted health risks to fish. The synthesis aims to provide a foundation for future research, inform environmental risk assessments, and support the development of evidence-based regulatory measures.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Mbeye NM, Chipojola R, Banda S, et al (2025)

Integration Models for Delivering COVID-19 Vaccines Through HIV Services in Low-and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review.

Infectious disease reports, 17(6):.

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a major global public health issue. People living with HIV (PLHIV) are among the vulnerable groups facing a higher risk of severe outcomes. Combining COVID-19 vaccination with HIV services can improve access and utilization of the vaccine among PLHIV although effective methods of delivery are yet to be ascertained. We conducted a scoping review to identify and describe models for delivering COVID-19 vaccines through HIV care services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

METHODS: We used PRISMA-ScR guidelines to conduct the review. On 3rd and 4th February 2025, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE for studies on integrated COVID-19 vaccine delivery for PLHIV.

RESULTS: Three studies from sub-Saharan Africa reported call-back strategy, diverse partnership, and mixed service delivery models for implementing COVID-19 vaccination in HIV care services. Key strategies that were used included building capacity, generating demand, managing the supply chain, and involving stakeholders. The outcomes showed significant increases in vaccination coverage among PLHIV and reduced vaccine wastage.

CONCLUSIONS: Integrating COVID-19 vaccination into HIV services is practical and effective in LMICs. It makes use of current infrastructure, partnerships, and local innovations.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

LĆ”szló SA, Ianoși ES, Văsieșiu AM, et al (2025)

COVID-19 and Lung Cancer Interactions: A Literature Review.

Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 13(4):.

This review aims to discuss the apparent reduction in pulmonary cancer incidence in the general population during and shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic from a biological and pathophysiological mechanistic point of view. While the epidemiological evidence points to a disruption in the early- and mid-stage diagnostic process, which causes a shift to late-stage lung cancer discovery with no impact on its actual prevalence, an alternative hypothesis based on the intersection of viral and cancer biology could have a real effect on lung carcinogenesis as an independent phenomenon. By weaving together population-level trends, mechanistic insights, and translational oncology, we discuss whether the pandemic-associated decline in lung cancer diagnoses reflects primarily a temporary diagnostic artifact or whether it also reveals biologically relevant intersections between SARS-CoV-2 and pulmonary oncogenesis. The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has exerted profound and multifaceted effects on global healthcare systems, altering patterns of disease detection, management, and outcomes across nearly all medical disciplines. These disruptions generated what has been termed a "diagnostic deficit", producing a backlog of undetected cancers that have only partially been recovered in subsequent years. This phenomenon, sometimes described as a "COVID-19 debt" in oncology, is thought to contribute to excess late-stage diagnoses and potentially worse medium-term survival outcomes. Beyond the disruption of medical systems, the pandemic also raised a more speculative but biologically intriguing question: could SARS-CoV-2 infection itself, through direct or indirect mechanisms, influence lung cancer biology? Our review aims to critically synthesize the evidence across seven domains to address this dual hypothesis. (1) We examine the observed effects of the pandemic on cancer incidence, highlighting global registry and health-system data; (2) we review SARS-CoV-2 infection biology, including viral entry, replication, protein functions, and treatment implications; (3) we summarize the pathogenesis of lung cancer; (4) we explore the role of immune checkpoints in tumor immune evasion, followed by (5) analyses of immune dysregulation in acute infection and (6) in long COVID; and (7) finally, we evaluate proposed oncogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2, integrating molecular virology with cancer immunology. We conclude that the "diagnostic deficit" phenomenon was a reality during and immediately post-pandemic. However, a definitive answer to the questions related to the impact of the infection as an independent phenomenon would require advanced research information covering the biology of the viral infection and lung cancer oncogenesis: processes that are not currently implemented in routine clinical laboratory investigations.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Fatima M, Fatima M, Abbas N, et al (2025)

Opportunities and Challenges in Gas Sensor Technologies for Accurate Detection of COVID-19.

Biosensors, 15(12): pii:bios15120792.

Gas sensors provide versatile opportunities for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as acetone, methanol, ethanol, propanol, isoprene, and aldehydes in exhaled breath (EB) associated with COVID-19 respiratory infections. These VOCs provide valuable information about metabolic markers linked with COVID-19. They have opened opportunities to develop sensors for COVID-19 screening based on breath analysis. These sensors have the potential to provide the rapid detection of viruses in healthcare settings. RT-PCR, as a conventionally adopted diagnostic method, has a detection limit around 10-100 RNA copies/mL, with an accuracy of around 95%. Gas sensors have demonstrated VOC detection limits at the ppm level in COVID-19 EB and have displayed a sensitivity and specificity of 98.2% and 74.3%, respectively. Multiple gas sensors combined with machine learning algorithms have the potential to enhance the specificity of VOC detection. In addition to having an accuracy similar to that of the PCR method, the VOC-based diagnosis of COVID-19 offers unique advantages in terms of non-invasive and rapid detection. This review provides an overview of state-of-the-art gas sensors developed for COVID-19 detection. Despite there being significant developments in this field, there are certain challenges that still need to be addressed-these include the impact of environmental factors, the specificity of detection, the sensing range, and precision limitations, leading to accuracy issues. Despite these existing challenges, the integration of gas sensors with machine learning methods can enhance the accuracy of the detection of COVID-19. Future research directions are proposed to validate and standardize the application of gas sensors for COVID-19 in clinical settings.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Elkoury E, Yehia A, Caparelli EC, et al (2025)

Brain Volumetric Changes Post-COVID-19: A Systematic Review.

Brain sciences, 15(12): pii:brainsci15121255.

Background: The potential long-term effects of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection on the brain structure have not yet been fully elucidated. Even though existing studies have reported structural changes in the post-COVID-19 period, the results remain highly inconsistent and controversial. As such, identifying an imaging biomarker for post-COVID brains is still under investigation. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the structural MRI (sMRI) studies that focus on volumetric brain changes at least two weeks following COVID-19 infection. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Google Scholar up to 9 September 2025. Studies that utilized sMRI to assess volumetric brain changes post-COVID at greater than two weeks following infection were included. Exclusion criteria encompassed research involving pediatric or adolescent populations and imaging modalities other than sMRI. Preprints, reviews, case reports, case series and post-mortem studies were also excluded. Results: Forty-one studies satisfied the inclusion criteria and consisted of 2895 patients and 1729 healthy controls. Despite the wide variability in image acquisition protocols, data processing methods, and comorbidities between studies, multiple studies reported statistically significant volumetric reductions in the hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens and the cerebellum months to years after infection, especially in older hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19. Conclusions: The emerging literature reports long-term volume changes across various brain regions in individuals previously infected with COVID-19; however, the evidence is inconsistent. Specific imaging biomarkers following exposure to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the underlying mechanisms of these changes are yet to be identified. Future studies with harmonized imaging protocols, longitudinal designs, and integrated biomarker and clinical data are needed to define robust biomarkers and elucidate the pathophysiology of these findings.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

ZuƱiga-Jimenez CT, Rojas-Esguerra DF, MuƱoz-Martinez AP, et al (2025)

Musculoskeletal Sequelae of Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: A Systematic Review.

Diseases (Basel, Switzerland), 13(12): pii:diseases13120391.

Background/Objectives: COVID-19 infection is a respiratory illness that affects multiple body systems, including the musculoskeletal system. In August 2024, Colombia reported 6 million infections and a 2.2% mortality rate related to COVID-19. Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is a chronic condition occurring after the acute infection, typically characterized by fatigue, weakness, pain, and sarcopenia, impacting the patient's quality of life (QoL). This systematic review aimed to identify musculoskeletal sequelae, including peripheral muscle strength, fatigue, and QoL, in patients with PCS. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies focusing on musculoskeletal sequelae in patients with COVID-19 infection published between 2020 and 2025. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed using the MINORS and the ROBINS-E scales, respectively. Results: Thirteen studies (n = 5657 patients) met the eligibility criteria. Seventy-six percent of studies indicated muscle weakness as the most common sequela, primarily in older adults and individuals with comorbidities (obesity, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). General fatigue (reported in 76% of the studies) significantly influenced patients' daily lives, whereas 90% of patients reported some level of deterioration in their QoL, primarily regarding mental health, bodily pain, and physical performance. Conclusions: Patients with PCS who required mechanical ventilation showed reduced muscle strength and poor physical performance, especially older adults. Inactive individuals had worse musculoskeletal sequelae, while physical activity was associated with better strength levels. Although QoL improved after 12 months, the combination of aerobic exercise with adequate nutrition is essential to promote muscle recovery, reduce fatigue, and improve overall functional capacity in post-COVID-19 patients.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Gong EJ, Bang CS, Lee JJ, et al (2025)

Smart Ring in Clinical Medicine: A Systematic Review.

Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland), 10(12): pii:biomimetics10120819.

BACKGROUND: Smart rings enable continuous physiological monitoring through finger-worn sensors. Despite growing consumer adoption, their clinical utility beyond sleep tracking remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES: To systematically review evidence for smart ring applications in clinical medicine, assess measurement accuracy, and evaluate clinical outcomes.

METHODS: We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science through 31 July 2025. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-I and RoB 2.0.

RESULTS: From 862 citations, 107 studies met inclusion criteria including approximately 100,000 participants. Studies were equally distributed between sleep (47.7%) and non-sleep applications (52.3%). Smart rings demonstrated high accuracy: heart rate r[2] = 0.996, heart rate variability r[2] = 0.980, and sleep detection 93-96% sensitivity. Predictive capabilities included COVID-19 detection 2.75 days pre-symptom (82% sensitivity), inflammatory bowel disease flare prediction 7 weeks early (72% accuracy), and bipolar episode detection 3-7 days early (79% sensitivity). However, 65% of studies had moderate-to-high bias risk. Limitations included small samples, proprietary algorithms (89%), poor diversity reporting (35%), and declining adherence (80% at 3 months to 43% at 12 months).

CONCLUSION: Smart rings have evolved into clinical tools capable of early disease detection. However, algorithmic opacity, population homogeneity, and adherence challenges require attention before widespread implementation.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Li S, Zheng Y, L Cheng (2025)

Messenger RNA vaccines in the prevention of allergic diseases.

The World Allergy Organization journal, 18(12):101150.

Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines are composed of mRNA sequences encoding pathogens. The first coronavirus mRNA vaccine (BNT162B2, Pfizer/BioNTech), approved in the United Kingdom in 2020, had prevented approximately 20 million deaths globally within the first year of use. mRNA vaccines were initially used against tumors and infectious diseases, but recent research has also turned its attention to the prevention of allergic diseases. Here, we summarized the characteristics and outcomes of mRNA vaccines in preventing allergic diseases and analyzed their advantages over traditional inactivated vaccines and DNA vaccines. This review focused on the feasibility, potential mechanisms, and preclinical research results of prophylactic allergen mRNA vaccines in the prevention of type I hypersensitivity reactions, and preliminarily addressed the key issues in clinical trials of allergen mRNA vaccines. Allergen mRNA vaccines hold promise for preventing IgE-mediated allergic diseases, yet their potential uses warrant further clinical investigations.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Cheng AL, Barker R, von Nordheim D, et al (2025)

Long COVID: What is it? Who has it? What Are Treatment Resources in Missouri?.

Missouri medicine, 122(6):488-494.

As we pass the five-year mark since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the prevalence of persistent (and often disabling) symptoms from the SARS-CoV-2 virus is estimated to be on par with the prevalence of heart disease. Yet, these Long COVID symptoms can masquerade as other conditions and/or normal aging, so it is believed that Long COVID is under-diagnosed and, as a result, under-treated. Although there is not yet a true cure for Long COVID, many patients benefit substantially from rehabilitation strategies, medications, and social support resources that are available in Missouri. The purpose of this article is to review the definition and epidemiology of Long COVID, provide practical guidance for Long COVID assessment and management especially in the primary care setting, and increase awareness of regional resources for people in Missouri who are living with Long COVID and for the clinicians who are caring for them.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

SaraƧ İA, SU Uzun (2025)

Human metapneumovirus: an emerging public health threat and harbinger of a new pandemic.

GMS hygiene and infection control, 20:Doc78.

Human metapneumovirus (hMPV), first identified in 2001, has increasingly been recognized as a significant cause of acute respiratory tract infections worldwide. Although often overshadowed by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza, hMPV contributes substantially to the global burden of respiratory disease, particularly among young children, older adults, and immunocompromised populations. The COVID-19 pandemic further altered the epidemiology of respiratory viruses, disrupting established seasonal patterns and creating immunity gaps that have fueled unusual hMPV outbreaks in recent years. Despite its clinical relevance, hMPV remains underdiagnosed due to limited awareness, restricted access to reliable diagnostic tools, and frequent co-infections that obscure its contribution to disease severity. Currently, no licensed antivirals or vaccines exist, leaving supportive care as the only treatment option. Ongoing research into monoclonal antibodies, vaccine candidates, and combined RSV-hMPV preventive strategies offers promise but remains in early stages. In the context of global interconnectedness and the demonstrated capacity of respiratory viruses to cause widespread disruption, hMPV raises important concerns as a potential emerging public health threat. While unlikely to cause pandemic-scale disruption, hMPV's endemic circulation and disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations warrant its recognition as an emerging threat demanding proactive public health intervention and sustained investment in prevention strategies. This review examines hMPV's evolving role as a public health threat in the post-COVID-19 landscape, where altered epidemiological patterns and increased surveillance have highlighted its underappreciated impact.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Zemp C, ValliĆØres F, Broecker F, et al (2025)

Self-harm and suicide prevention in humanitarian and fragile contexts: A systematic scoping review.

Global mental health (Cambridge, England), 12:e145.

Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death globally, with growing evidence that humanitarian emergencies and fragile states, most of which unfold in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), are associated with elevated risk of suicide. However, the few suicide-targeted interventions for use in humanitarian contexts remain both sparse and fragmented. This scoping review aims to identify and synthesise evidence from suicide and self-harm prevention interventions implemented in all types of humanitarian settings, globally, that have been evaluated for their effectiveness in improving suicide and self-harm-related outcomes. We systematically searched eight electronic databases, including two grey literature databases, and relevant organisational websites for records published through November 2024 and in any language. Screening was done using the Covidence platform, with each record independently screened by two reviewers. Among other preselected inclusion criteria, studies must have conducted a quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of an intervention on improving suicide and self-harm-related outcomes during a humanitarian crisis to be included for data extraction. Data extraction and quality assessment were both conducted by two authors. In all, 6,209 records were screened at the title and abstract phase; 104 were included for full text screening; and 23 studies were included for data extraction. Most studies were conducted during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (COVID-19), and in high-income countries. Evaluated interventions encompassed various approaches, including psychotherapeutic, practical, and pharmacological assistance, often employing multiple components. The majority targeted the general population, were delivered via remote modalities and relied on mental health specialists for their administration. Overall, 15 (65.2%) interventions were associated with statistically significant positive effects on suicide and or self-harm-related outcomes. Promising approaches include cognitive behavioural therapy-based text services, skills-building programmes, and strategies that foster supportive environments for high-risk individuals. These findings highlight both promising approaches and critical gaps in suicide prevention efforts in humanitarian settings. The limited evidence base - particularly in LMICs and with particularly at-risk populations - alongside the increasing frequency of humanitarian crises, underscores the urgent need for future implementation and associated research of suicide and self-harm prevention initiatives within humanitarian contexts.

RevDate: 2025-12-24

An L, Xu H, Fan Q, et al (2025)

Metabolic control of macrophages in coronavirus disease 2019.

Virulence [Epub ahead of print].

In the context of COVID-19, macrophages are primarily responsible for sensing and responding to the virus, significantly influencing disease outcomes. They are involved in early pathogen recognition, immune activation, and tissue repair. Heterogeneity and phenotypic plasticity of macrophages are dynamically shaped by microenvironmental cues, including metabolites, hypoxia, and pathogen-derived signals. Notably, emerging evidence underscores that cellular metabolism, particularly in macrophages, dictates immune responses to viral infection. This metabolic-immune crosstalk critically determines COVID-19 severity, ranging from viral clearance to hyperinflammation or fibrosis. In this review, we systematically dissect how cell-intrinsic metabolic nodes and extrinsic factors modulate macrophage effector functions, while illustrating the complications associated with macrophage metabolic dysregulation in SARS-CoV-2 infection. These mechanistic insights provide a rational foundation for therapeutic strategies targeting macrophage metabolism to rebalance immune responses and mitigate COVID-19 complications.

RevDate: 2025-12-23
CmpDate: 2025-12-23

Blake SR, M Gatzoulis (2025)

Technology for better adult congenital heart disease care: the time is now.

Open heart, 12(2): pii:openhrt-2025-003766.

BACKGROUND: The growing population of patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) present complex lifelong care needs that traditional health systems are struggling to meet. Without innovation, gaps in access, timeliness and specialist oversight will widen. Digital health technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), telemedicine, wearable devices and interoperable platforms offer a unique opportunity to transform care, but their potential in ACHD remain underexplored.

CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS: AI-driven prediction models show encouraging performance in mortality and event risk but require external validation and lesion-specific adaptation. Telemedicine, accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, has demonstrated safety and high patient satisfaction in selected cohorts, yet robust hybrid pathways are lacking. Wearables can capture rhythm, oxygen saturations and activity in real time, but consumer devices remain poorly validated for complex ACHD physiology. Data integration frameworks, such as federated learning, demonstrate global feasibility but face challenges in governance and interoperability.

FUTURE PRIORITIES: Progress in ACHD digital health will depend on three imperatives: (1) rigorous, prospective validation of digital tools in congenital populations; (2) equitable implementation, addressing digital literacy, infrastructure and reimbursement; (3) governance frameworks that embed specialist oversight, data privacy and cybersecurity from the outset.

CONCLUSION: Digital health is no longer optional in ACHD care. The field risks falling behind broader cardiovascular innovation unless patients, clinicians, technologists and policymakers commit to specialist-led integration. A decisive shift towards validated, equitable and interoperable solutions can transform ACHD management into a more predictive, personalised and preventive discipline. The aim of this viewpoint is to highlight how digital technologies could strengthen ACHD care and define priorities for future adoption.

RevDate: 2025-12-23
CmpDate: 2025-12-23

Seeher KM (2025)

Public Health.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 21 Suppl 6(Suppl 6):e110731.

The Global Action Plan helps guide countries in addressing the dementia public health crisis. For several reasons, including COVID-19, action has been slowed in many countries, resulting in the World Health Assembly recently extending the Plan to 2031. This presentation will review what the Plan is and the prospects for implementation by the end of the decade.

RevDate: 2025-12-23

Yang EJ, Jin L, Jiang HH, et al (2025)

An Immunomodulatory Mushroom, Cordyceps militaris, and Its Constituents: A Review of In Vitro/In Vivo Studies and Clinical Trials.

Phytotherapy research : PTR [Epub ahead of print].

Cordyceps, known as "winter-worm summer-grass", has been used as a medicinal mushroom to boost energy levels and immune activity. Among cordyceps types, Cordyceps militaris (CM) is the most commercially useful owing to its ease of artificial cultivation for mass production. In contrast, other types, such as Ophiocordyceps sinensis, are expensive and difficult to collect. Therefore, numerous studies have explored the therapeutic potential and active constituents of CM. The therapeutic use of CM is based on its various pharmacological activities, including immunomodulatory, anti-tumor, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, and neuroprotective activities, of which the immunomodulatory effects have been the most studied. CM contains active constituents such as nucleosides (cordycepin and adenosine), polysaccharides, peptides, proteins, sterols, glycolipids, and carotenoids. Recent studies show that CM extract, cordycepin, and polysaccharides exert immunomodulatory effects in response to the immune environments. They enhance innate and cell-mediated adaptive immunity not only under normal conditions but also in immunosuppressed states induced by cyclophosphamide, interleukin-4, tumor culture supernatant, methotrexate, cancer cell-line-xenografts, influenza virus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Meanwhile, they suppress an overactivated immune system stimulated by factors such as angiotensin II ± vascular endothelial growth factors, concanavalin A, 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP)-serum albumin ± DNP-specific immunoglobulin E, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid, phytohemagglutinin, phorbol myristate acetate plus calcium ionophore A23187, calcium chloride, cecal ligation and puncture ± LPS, dextran sodium sulfate, monosodium iodoacetate, ovalbumin, myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 25-35, monosodium urate, and Western diet by ameliorating innate and humoral adaptive immune responses. This study reviewed recent and notable literature evaluating the immunomodulatory potentials of CM extract, cordycepin, and polysaccharides. In vitro, in vivo, and clinical trial results indicate that CM is safe for administration and shows promise for developing functional foods having various efficacies such as immunomodulation, anti-tumor, and neuroprotection.

RevDate: 2025-12-23
CmpDate: 2025-12-23

Azahar SN, Yong CK, Fahami NAM, et al (2025)

Pathogenesis of alcoholic fatty liver disease: Molecular and cellular changes.

The Malaysian journal of pathology, 47(3):377-400.

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is a significant public health issue, leading to liver injuries, including fatty liver, hepatitis, and cirrhosis. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problem by increasing alcohol abuse and hospitalisations for ALD. Since there are no approved therapies for ALD, promoting abstinence from alcohol is the primary approach. However, the mechanisms by which alcohol induces fat accumulation in the liver, the disease's initial stage, are not fully understood. This knowledge gap hampers the development of new treatments for ALD. This review aims to explore research on alcohol-induced fatty liver and compare it with metabolic-associated fatty liver disease. The goal is to merge these findings with current knowledge of ALD and hepatic lipid metabolism, including fatty acid oxidation, lipogenesis, and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion. Besides lipid metabolism, factors like inflammation, oxidative stress, cellular hypoxia, and autophagy also contribute to ALD's development and progression. By identifying gaps in understanding the molecular mechanisms of ALD progression, this review suggests future research directions. It emphasises how alcohol disrupts hepatic lipid metabolism, highlighting mechanisms leading to alcohol-associated fatty liver disease and other harmful effects of alcohol abuse.

RevDate: 2025-12-23

Zacharjasz A, AB Anbari (2025)

Rural COVID-19 Vaccine Decision-Making: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.

Journal of advanced nursing [Epub ahead of print].

AIMS: This qualitative meta-synthesis (QMS) aimed to develop a theoretical framework to contextualise the COVID-19 vaccine decision-making processes among rural U.S. individuals, describing complex cognitive, social, and structural influences.

DESIGN: Qualitative meta-synthesis utilising thematic synthesis and diagramming methods.

DATA SOURCES: Searches conducted across PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and grey literature databases between January 2020 and September 2024 identified relevant qualitative and mixed-methods studies.

REVIEW METHODS: Studies were screened against inclusion criteria: qualitative or mixed-methods design, U.S. rural adult populations, COVID-19 vaccine focus, and publication after January 2020. Twenty-one studies were selected, data extracted, coded, and analysed thematically to create a conceptual model. Quality appraisal was performed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist.

RESULTS: Analysis yielded seven interrelated themes-Information, Beliefs, Trust, Feelings, Institutional, Community, and Culture-with 24 subthemes, highlighting dynamic interactions influencing vaccine decisions. Central factors included communication quality, media influence, institutional trust, social relationships, and cultural values. Decisions were temporal, iterative, and sensitive to evolving information and trust dynamics. Rural-specific barriers such as limited health literacy, systemic inequities, geographic isolation, and misinformation significantly shaped vaccine decisions.

CONCLUSION: This qualitative meta-synthesis provides a nuanced, rural-contextualised theoretical framework emphasising the interplay between information, trust, and social determinants in COVID-19 vaccine decision-making. Vaccine decisions among rural populations are embedded in complex sociocultural and structural contexts, evolving temporally with shifting trust and information landscapes.

IMPACT: The developed framework offers actionable insights to inform tailored public health interventions and policy strategies targeting vaccine hesitancy. Enhancing health literacy, leveraging trusted local communicators, ensuring transparency, and addressing structural inequities can effectively improve vaccine uptake and promote equitable health outcomes in rural communities.

The synthesis incorporates perspectives directly from rural community members, reflecting their lived experiences and contextual realities in vaccine decision-making processes.

RevDate: 2025-12-23
CmpDate: 2025-12-23

Amlaev KR, Dakhkilgova HT, Zakirova NR, et al (2025)

[THE FACTORS AFFECTING MENTAL HEALTH OF MIGRANTS AND WAYS OF ITS AMELIORATION].

Problemy sotsial'noi gigieny, zdravookhraneniia i istorii meditsiny, 33(6):1420-1426.

The article considers international experience of studying mental health of migrants. The actuality of this problem is conditioned by massive migration flow that occurred because of large number of military conflicts and desire of people to ensure better life for themselves and their descendants. The article describes the most common mental disorders among migrants, factors affecting their mental health and barriers they encounter on their way to good mental state. The impact of coronavirus infection pandemic on mental health of migrants is considered. The review indicates measures targeted to improve mental status of displaced persons, including application of participatory approach and implementation of concept of positive mental health. To maintain adequate mental health of migrants, holistic and interdisciplinary approach is required that considers ethnic and cultural characteristics of community of displaced persons.

RevDate: 2025-12-23
CmpDate: 2025-12-23

Galardo G, Ceccarelli C, Branda F, et al (2025)

Designing Resilience for Overlapping Respiratory Epidemics: A One Health Perspective from Seasonal Influenza.

The new microbiologica, 48(4):293-298.

Recent European winter seasons have been characterized by the simultaneous circulation of influenza A virus, SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and an unusual rise in group A streptococcal infections, including invasive disease. This overlap has transformed seasonal influenza from a largely predictable event into a complex clinical and epidemiological scenario where viral-bacterial interactions amplify disease severity, extend risk to previously healthy individuals, and stress both surveillance and diagnostic systems. We analyse this evolving landscape through an integrated One Health perspective, examining how local epidemiology, rapid multiplex diagnostics, adaptive antimicrobial stewardship, occupational health surveillance, and infection-prevention-oriented architectural design converge to mitigate the impact of overlapping respiratory epidemics. Such multidimensional preparedness is essential to prevent avoidable mortality, protect healthcare workers, and ensure the resilience of healthcare infrastructures facing concurrent viral and bacterial outbreaks.

RevDate: 2025-12-23
CmpDate: 2025-12-23

Mohajer-Bastami A, Moin S, Ahmad S, et al (2025)

Establishing a Preparedness Program: Lessons From COVID-19 to Strengthen Global Strategies for Future Pandemics.

Cureus, 17(11):e97402.

This study aimed to evaluate the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, identify preparedness gaps, and propose strategies to strengthen resilience for future health crises, drawing on the natural history of SARS-CoV-2 and epidemiological models. The research team conducted a narrative review with a descriptive analysis supported by case examples and modeling. We synthesized published literature, official reports, and surveillance data, analyzing COVID-19 transmission using the epidemiological triangle model. Comparative case studies from South Korea, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom were examined to assess intervention effectiveness. National surveillance systems, outbreak response mechanisms, and public communication strategies were critically reviewed. Our findings show that disparities in testing, data transparency, and infrastructure shaped outcomes globally. Surprisingly, many high-income countries underperformed despite prior preparedness rankings. Countries implementing early lockdowns, equitable vaccine rollouts, and consistent public messaging achieved better control. However, asymptomatic transmission, weak surveillance integration, and delayed policy actions hindered containment. Vaccine inequity and fragmented data systems further limited coordinated response. Future preparedness must emphasize early interventions, sustained surveillance investment, transparent communication, and equitable access to care. Lessons from COVID-19 underscore the value of multidisciplinary response teams, international data sharing, and targeted testing strategies to mitigate the impact of future pandemics.

RevDate: 2025-12-23
CmpDate: 2025-12-23

Zhou X, Li MR, Sui XH, et al (2025)

Multiple myeloma in a man with breast cancer: A case report and literature review.

Medicine, 104(51):e46540.

RATIONALE: The development of multiple myeloma (MM) following male breast cancer is extremely rare and can often be mistaken for bone metastases in the early stages, potentially leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment.

PATIENT CONCERNS: In this case report, we describe a 68-year-old male patient who presented with multiple osteolytic lesions on imaging following breast cancer surgery, and was ultimately diagnosed with MM via bone marrow biopsy.

DIAGNOSES: MM.

INTERVENTIONS: After being diagnosed with MM, the patient was treated with various chemotherapy regimens, with the subsequent emergence of rare extramedullary disease necessitating an adjustment in therapy.

OUTCOMES: The patient successfully underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation but later succumbed to a novel coronavirus infection.

LESSONS: This case highlights the diagnostic challenge of misattributing osteolytic lesions to breast cancer and underscores the importance of biopsy in patients with metastatic disease.

RevDate: 2025-12-24
CmpDate: 2025-12-24

Kranke P, Jakobsson J, Marin L, et al (2026)

Protecting clinician autonomy and patient safety within the climate debate: the case for desflurane in modern anaesthesia.

Current opinion in anaesthesiology, 39(1):115-125.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The anaesthesia community should play a more active role in shaping sustainable healthcare practices. Current environmental measures, such as the European Commission's impending restriction on desflurane (an inhaled anaesthetic) from January 2026, risk unintended consequences for patient care and clinical autonomy.

RECENT FINDINGS: While desflurane's high global warming potential (GWP) has been the central justification, GWP is an oversimplified metric that fails to reflect the transient atmospheric behaviour of short-lived gases like desflurane compared with long-lived gases like carbon dioxide (CO 2). Recent climate modelling shows desflurane's impact on global temperature is negligible, reversible, and overstated by CO₂-equivalence comparisons. Clinically, desflurane offers significant advantages, including rapid, predictable emergence, particularly beneficial for high-risk patient groups, such as elderly, obese, paediatric, neurosurgical, and cardiac patients.

SUMMARY: Blanket restrictions undermine anaesthetists' ability to tailor care, and limit training, resilience, and preparedness in the face of drug shortages. We urge policymakers to support anaesthetic diversity and protect desflurane's availability where use is clinically justified. Sustainability efforts should focus on high-impact areas like energy use, equipment manufacturing, and waste, rather than eliminating valuable pharmacological options. Patient safety and evidence-based practice must remain central as we strive toward a more responsible, nuanced environmental approach in anaesthesia.

RevDate: 2025-12-22

Aladejana OM, DF Ayorinde (2025)

The intersection between human metapneumovirus and the respiratory microbiome.

Virology journal pii:10.1186/s12985-025-02872-x [Epub ahead of print].

Human metapneumovirus is one of the viral causes of respiratory illness that can range from mild to life-threatening diseases. In December 2024, there was news about increased cases of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in China, when 6.2% and 5.4% of positive respiratory illnesses and admissions, respectively, were linked to HMPV, surpassing adenovirus, rhinovirus, and COVID-19. There have been concerns about it becoming another epidemic, and by implication, a pandemic, especially as the world is gradually recovering from COVID-19 and its devastating impacts. Currently, there is no directly acting antiviral drug targeting HMPV, and this has left a gap in its treatment and management, especially in the young, elderly, and immunocompromised, who are prone to having severe manifestations. As the immune system is crucial in fighting and eliminating the infection, modulating the immune system directly or indirectly can treat HMPV. The lung that was initially known to be sterile is now found to house different populations of microorganisms, including bacteriome, virome, and mycobiome. The lung microbiome modulates HMPV infection. The presence of pathobionts like H. influenzae enhances HMPV infection and severity. The detection of the microbiome was made possible by the advent of cutting-edge technologies like next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics tools. The combination of Recombinase Polymerase Assay, CRISPR-Cas12a, and Fluorescence Assay has been used in the rapid detection of HMPV in China. The microbiome plays a crucial role in shaping the immune system. Exploring such can be a way of managing HMPV. Probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics are ways in which the microbiota can be manipulated to limit adverse drug reactions. These can be explored in HMPV diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

RevDate: 2025-12-22

Xu D, Zhang M, Zhao Y, et al (2025)

Prevalence of autoantibody responses in COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BMC infectious diseases pii:10.1186/s12879-025-12407-y [Epub ahead of print].

RevDate: 2025-12-23

Huang Y, Ou Z, Xue X, et al (2025)

Experimental and computational approaches to adaptive viral evolution: Linking molecular variation to phenotypic outcomes.

Journal of microbiological methods, 241:107379 pii:S0167-7012(25)00295-7 [Epub ahead of print].

Viruses pose a persistent global health threat due to their high mutation rates and rapid evolutionary capacity, which drive zoonotic spillover, vaccine escape, and drug resistance. Even single amino acid substitutions might impact viral invasion, receptor binding, immune evasion, or transmissibility, as illustrated by recent influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging viruses' outbreaks. Understanding these processes requires linking molecular variation to phenotypic consequences. This review summarizes five experimental and computational technologies-pseudovirus systems, minigenome assays, display systems, deep mutational scanning (DMS), and in silico modeling-that together form an iterative framework for studying viral adaptation. A representative integration of DMS with reverse genetics has validated computationally predicted escape mutations and revealed trade-offs between binding and replication that conventional assays could not capture. We discuss each approach's strengths and limitations, highlighting how their coordinated use supports mechanism-based evaluation and data-driven design of vaccines and antiviral strategies.

RevDate: 2025-12-22
CmpDate: 2025-12-22

Zafar S, Andlib Z, Fareed Z, et al (2025)

Food Security and Environmental Pollution: Policy Directions in the Face of COVID19.

Food and environmental virology, 18(1):2.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries were experiencing rising levels of acute food insecurity due to many factors, for instance, natural disasters, extreme weather and climate events and socioeconomic conditions. Subsequently, COVID-19 led to substantial and pervasive increases in global food insecurity, impacting vulnerable households worldwide. Owing to these facts, the first empirical study intends to investigate the empirical relationship between COVID-19, environmental pollution, and food shortage. We employ rolling window multiple correlation analysis on worldwide daily data of COVID-19 cases, carbon emissions, and food shortage news index from 22nd January 2020 to 29th November 2021. The results reveal a significant correlation between bivariate and multivariate cases over time. In bivariate cases, we find asymmetric but insignificant correlations between COVID-19 vs. food security and food security vs. CO2 emissions, except for a significant interconnection between COVID-19 vs. CO2 emissions at different periods. In the trivariate case, CO2 emissions and COVID-19 significantly and positively correlated to the food shortage index. This study provides policymakers with critical insights into the global food scarcity crisis driven by COVID-19 and climate change.

RevDate: 2025-12-22

Sun Y, Wong L-YR, TL Chang (2025)

ACE2-independent entry factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and immune activation.

mBio [Epub ahead of print].

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), remains a major public health threat, particularly in vulnerable populations. SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins interact with the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, together with accessory molecules that facilitate viral entry, through its spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). Although ACE2 is the primary receptor required for viral replication, its expression patterns do not fully correlate with viral distribution or tissue pathology. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to infect cells and tissues lacking detectable ACE2 expression. Viral entry via ACE2-independent pathways may also confer resistance to some monoclonal antibodies (Abs) targeting the spike RBD that block ACE2-mediated binding. These observations highlight the potential significance of ACE2-independent entry factors in SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly in vaccinated individuals with Abs directed against ACE2-dependent viral entry. In this review, we discuss the emerging roles of ACE2-independent entry factors in SARS-CoV-2 infection and the immune responses. These factors include CD147, AXL, CD169/Siglec-1, CD209L, CD209, CLEC4G, ASGR1, LDLRAD3, TMEM30A, TMEM106B, transferrin receptor 1, GPR78, integrin α5β1, KREMEN1, LFA-1, and CD4. While ACE2 remains central to viral replication, ACE2-independent entry appears sufficient to elicit immune responses. Therefore, future investigations are warranted to elucidate the roles of ACE2-independent mechanisms in immune-mediated pathology and viral evolution, independent of immune pressure targeting ACE2-mediated entry in previously infected or vaccinated individuals.

RevDate: 2025-12-22
CmpDate: 2025-12-22

Zhu Y, Yang W, Li N, et al (2025)

Comparative Effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety: A Network Meta-Analysis.

Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 21:2817-2834.

BACKGROUND: Postpartum depression (PPD), a prevalent perinatal mood disorder characterized by persistent depressive and anxiety symptoms, significantly impacts maternal-infant health. The COVID-19 pandemic has further increased the global burden of PPD, emphasizing the need for effective and accessible interventions. Although non-pharmacological interventions are widely used, their comparative efficacy remains uncertain.

METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, CNKI, VIP Database, and Wanfang Database (inception to September 1, 2024) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Interventions included acupuncture (ACU), exercise (EXE), psychotherapy (PSY), exercise combined with psychotherapy (ECP), and music therapy (MT). Primary (depression) and secondary (anxiety) outcomes were pooled using mean differences (MD) with 95% credible intervals (CrI). Risk of bias was assessed via Cochrane RoB2. (PROSPERO: CRD42020166801).

RESULTS: Thirty-five RCTs were included (n=4047). Meta-analyses for depressive symptoms (5 interventions, n=4047) showed a statistically significant improvement in the non-pharmacological intervention group compared with the control group (standard care, no intervention, or placebo et al), particularly for the ECP (95% CrI -2.3 to -0.85), followed by ACU (95% CrI -1.8 to -0.44) and EXE (95% CrI -1.7 to -0.48). Similarly, for anxiety symptoms (5 interventions, n=863), the overall effect of the non-pharmacological interventions was superior to that of the control group, with ECP again being the most effective modality (95% CrI -2.3 to -0.18), followed by EXE (95% CrI -2.0 to -0.0021) and ACU (95% CrI -0.96 to -0.052).

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the promise of non-pharmacological interventions, particularly exercise, acupuncture, and ECP, for alleviating PPD symptoms, positioning ECP as a potential first-line intervention for mild to moderate cases.

RevDate: 2025-12-22
CmpDate: 2025-12-22

Al-Otaibi FMS, Alotaibi MT, Altamimi N, et al (2025)

Social isolation and anxiety disorders during COVID-19: a systematic review.

Frontiers in public health, 13:1688239.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review examines the relationship between prolonged social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and anxiety levels in adults, with specific focus on social anxiety. It highlights that enforced distancing measures like lockdowns and reduced social contact significantly contributed to a global rise in psychological distress and anxiety disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize recent evidence on how social isolation influenced anxiety levels in the general adult population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODOLOGY: This study followed a qualitative systematic review design. Relevant literature was identified through searches in databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and others, using combinations of MeSH terms and keywords. Data extraction and quality assessment followed the PRISMA guidelines and used the Downs and Black Checklist to evaluate methodological quality.

RESULTS: Seven studies were included, with a total of 3,014 participants. Findings revealed a consistent positive association between social isolation and anxiety. Perceived isolation was a stronger predictor of anxiety than objective isolation. Older adults showed higher vulnerability when isolated or lacking social support. Students and young adults also experienced elevated anxiety, especially when living alone or facing COVID-related stressors.

CONCLUSION: Social isolation during the pandemic significantly contributed to increased anxiety symptoms across global adult populations. Public health efforts should target loneliness and promote sustainable social connectedness to mitigate long-term psychological consequences.

RevDate: 2025-12-23
CmpDate: 2025-12-22

Ding M (2025)

A critical review of Chinese vaccine enterprises in the global aid market: evolution, drivers, and structural constraints.

Frontiers in public health, 13:1692140.

The Chinese government has assumed an increasingly prominent role in global health governance in recent years, yet the engagement of Chinese enterprises remains underexplored. Existing studies have largely focused on Beijing's major initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, overlooking the evolving role of Chinese enterprises as non-state actors. This article provides a comprehensive review of the participation of Chinese vaccine companies in the global aid market, with particular attention to their changing roles, underlying motivations, and persistent challenges as latecomers from the Global South. Drawing on around 80 industry and policy documents, publicly available datasets, and 10 semi-structured interviews with industry and government stakeholders, this study uses documentary synthesis and thematic analysis to show that COVID-19 marked a critical turning point, accelerating Chinese vaccine manufacturers' international engagement while exposing persistent structural barriers. Unlike earlier studies, this review shows that Chinese vaccine enterprises' engagement in the global aid market is shaped not only by strategic market ambitions and alignment with national public health priorities, but also by enduring structural constraints such as geopolitical tensions, institutional mistrust, talent shortages, and reputational vulnerabilities. By situating Chinese enterprises within broader debates on non-state actors in global health, the study advances existing literature and offers policy-relevant insights to strengthen their capacity and influence in promoting equitable vaccine access.

RevDate: 2025-12-22
CmpDate: 2025-12-22

Chen H, Gu Y, Song L, et al (2025)

Next-generation vaccines against bacterial pathogens: mRNA and beyond.

Frontiers in immunology, 16:1709794.

The global rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections has exacerbated the need for effective vaccines to prevent these hard-to-treat pathogens. Traditional vaccine approaches have achieved tremendous successes but often fall short for pathogens like Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB), which evades host immunity through complex mechanisms, and for multidrug-resistant ESKAPE bacteria, where antibiotic resistance and antigenic variability complicate effective vaccine development. The COVID-19 pandemic spurred unprecedented advances in vaccine technology - particularly mRNA vaccines - reviving interest in novel platforms for bacterial diseases. Here we review next-generation vaccine strategies, focusing on nucleic acid-based platforms such as mRNA, DNA, and self-amplifying RNA (saRNA), as well as viral vector vaccines. We also examine nanoparticle technologies that serve as delivery systems or adjuvant platforms across these approaches. We discuss the unique opportunities of mRNA vaccines to induce both robust antibody and T-cell responses required for intracellular infections like TB, as well as the challenges of antigen discovery and delivery (e.g. lipid nanoparticles). Each platform's mechanism, immunogenic profile, current development status, and challenges are analyzed, including comparative insights. We highlight recent progress such as mRNA vaccine candidates against TB entering clinical trials and saRNA prototypes protecting against plague in animals. Finally, we provide a perspective on the future of vaccine strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) - emphasizing the integration of multiple platforms, global collaborative efforts, regulatory pathways, and the translational hurdles that must be overcome to bring these next-generation vaccines from bench to bedside.

RevDate: 2025-12-22
CmpDate: 2025-12-22

Pourshaban M, Allahbakhshian A, M Purabdollah (2025)

Mapping the Contributing Factors to Missed Nursing Care in Hospital Settings During a Global Health Crisis: A Systematic Scoping Review.

Journal of nursing management, 2025:7343469.

BACKGROUND: Little foreknowledge and preparation exist for health-related crises, and they do not match the magnitude of the problem. During the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing care in some countries faced more challenges. One of these challenges was missed nursing care. This scoping review aims to identify and map the factors influencing missed nursing care in hospital settings during the COVID-19 pandemic in studies conducted in developed and developing countries.

METHODS: A scoping review was conducted according to methodology recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). We searched five databases-PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, ProQuest, and Web of Science-as well as the Google Scholar search engine, from December 2019 to July 2025. Keywords of the study were selected according to the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and previous research. We included studies in hospital wards that examined missed nursing care and related concepts, specifically those whose data collection periods occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Language restrictions were not applied. The factors were derived inductively, considering conceptual similarities, relevance to the core themes, and similarities in meaning, including aspects related to the missed nursing care model, the developed model derived from it related to the factors considered for missed nursing care, and emerging challenges introduced by COVID-19. Findings were reported following the PRISMA-ScR.

FINDINGS: From the 1966 studies, we included 57 articles in the final review. Among them, 50 were cross-sectional, four were qualitative, two were mixed, and one was quasiexperimental. They were conducted mainly in Iran and the hospital units. Four main themes and nine subthemes emerged (1) work environment (structure, work climate), (2) nurse characteristics (individual and professional, personal), (3) workflow characteristics (intensity, predictability, risk), (4) country (developed, developing). Although the lack of human resources was reported in most studies, it was not the most significant contributing factor.

CONCLUSION: These findings can inform the development of strategies to address underlying factors affecting workflow, such as nurses' attitudes and the work environment, thereby enhancing adaptability to future global health crises and serving as a crucial policy foundation for mitigating the missed nursing care during health emergencies.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: These findings not only complement other global research exploring the reasons behind missed cares in nursing but also offer a framework for understanding and anticipating reported instances of missed care, enabling targeted interventions to address them effectively.

RevDate: 2025-12-22
CmpDate: 2025-12-22

Bhat HM, Nazir R, ZA Kashoo (2025)

Rising Threats of Viral Infections: Exploring Probiotics as Antiviral Agents.

Indian journal of microbiology, 65(4):1781-1798.

Viral infections are the most common etiological agents behind a wide range of human illnesses, with significant and widespread effects on human health. Vaccines have been developed to combat viral infectious diseases in various ways. However, the high rate of mutation in viruses, specifically RNA viruses, makes vaccines and medications for viral infectious diseases ineffective. Meanwhile, published research continues to offer insight into the efficacy of probiotics as antiviral agents. Various clinical findings reveal those specific probiotic strains aid in the prevention of viral and bacterial infections. Probiotics have been used to prevent and treat common viral infections such as rotavirus, coronavirus, hepatitis, human papillomavirus, human immunodeficiency virus, and herpes simplex viruses etc. The studies compiled in this review demonstrate the value of probiotics in the treatment and prevention of several viral infections using in vitro and in vivo trials in both experimental animals and humans and also provide perspectives on probiotics' probable antiviral mechanisms. Although the initial findings are promising, the current research is limited by small sample sizes, short study durations, and a lack of diversity in population groups. Consequently, further research with larger, more diverse cohorts and extended follow-up periods is necessary to thoroughly assess and confirm the effectiveness of this probiotic treatment against these severe infectious diseases.

RevDate: 2025-12-22
CmpDate: 2025-12-22

Tang P, Xiao R, Xiao W, et al (2026)

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on osteoporotic fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Annals of medicine, 58(1):2604391.

BACKGROUND: Recent reports suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns may have influenced the epidemiology of osteoporotic fractures, but results vary across regions and fracture types. The aim of this study was to provide evidence-based insights into the impact of the pandemic on osteoporotic fracture incidence.

METHODS: We searched four databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) up to August 2025 for observational or retrospective studies comparing osteoporotic fracture incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) with the pre-pandemic period (2019). The primary outcome of interest was the change in fracture incidence, analysed using risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) in Review Manager 5.4. Subgroup analyses were performed by sex, geographic region, and fracture type.

RESULTS: Nine studies meeting the inclusion criteria were analysed. Overall, "all types" of osteoporotic fractures showed a significant decrease during the pandemic (RR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.80-0.91, p < 0.0001). Specifically, forearm fractures decreased significantly (RR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.79-0.96, p = 0.002). However, for the most clinically significant fractures, no statistically significant global change was found for hip fractures (RR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.76-1.15, p = 0.14) or vertebral fractures (RR = 1.35, 95% CI 0.85-2.15, p = 0.20). In regional subgroup analysis, hip fracture incidence decreased significantly in South America (RR = 0.79, p = 0.0004) and in both males and females, but no significant change was observed in Europe (RR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.81-1.04, p = 0.17).

CONCLUSION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a decrease in the incidence of minor fractures, such as those of the forearm, likely due to reduced outdoor activity. However, the incidence of major osteoporotic fractures (hip and vertebral) remained stable globally, with significant reductions observed only in specific regions like South America.

RevDate: 2025-12-22

Vereijken FR, Frielink N, Jahoda A, et al (2025)

Continued Involvement: A Scoping Review on Family Members' Needs and Experiences Collaborating With Support Staff for Relatives With Intellectual Disabilities Living Outside the Family Home.

Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR [Epub ahead of print].

BACKGROUND: Family members' involvement in the care for their relative often continues after their relative has moved out of the family home. However, little is known about the needs of family members when collaborating specifically with support staff caring for their relative. This scoping review provides an overview of existing literature to inform future research.

METHOD: The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA for Scoping Review statement. Seven databases were systematically searched in April 2022 (with a final update in May 2025). Studies that were published in English in peer-reviewed journals and examined the needs and experiences of family members collaborating with support staff in residential care settings were considered for inclusion. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess risk of bias and a thematic synthesis was conducted to analyse the data.

RESULTS: Ten articles met the inclusion criteria. Four studies focused on family members' experiences following a relative's transition from institutional or hospital settings, one study on sibling-staff collaboration, one on the roles of adult siblings, one exploring family experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, one on parental perceptions of communication, one on family experiences postabuse inquiry and one focused on collaboration within hospital settings. The studies involved relatives with severe (n = 1), mild, severe and profound (n = 1), severe to profound (n = 1) or profound intellectual disabilities (n = 3). Four did not mention the level of intellectual disability. The synthesis yielded four analytical themes: (1) complexities in building personal relationships amidst changing contexts (n = 8), (2) navigating how to address unmet needs and the vulnerability it exposes (n = 3), (3) a desire for partnership and recognition (n = 10) and (4) a desire for staff to uphold their relative's quality of life (n = 10).

DISCUSSION: This review highlights key areas for future research, including how family characteristics, disability severity and living arrangement can influence needs and experiences when collaborating with support staff. Additionally, further insight is needed on what impacts the dynamic nature of family-staff relationships. Lastly, understanding the views and experiences of support staff regarding family involvement is important, as it can aid the development of collaboration that is sensitive to their specific needs.

RevDate: 2025-12-22
CmpDate: 2025-12-22

Failla KR, Pelletier LR, DM Poeltler (2026)

Newly Licensed Nurse Retention: What a 5-Year Review of Data Tells Us.

Nursing administration quarterly, 50(1):3-8.

Although many articles address retention, few define the concept. There is a need for all health care organizations to adopt a standard definition in order to make accurate comparisons. This organization provides a definition of retention, measures pre-COVID and post-COVID retention, and uses psychometrically tested tools to measure the effectiveness of an accredited Nurse Residency Program. Characteristics of nurses who stay and nurses who leave are provided. Evidence-based retention strategies and opportunities for improvement are discussed, as all health care organizations and nurse leaders desire to have a return on their investment of enculturating newly licensed nurses.

RevDate: 2025-12-21

Veronese N, Barratt J, Coemans E, et al (2025)

Infectious diseases, infection control, vaccines and long-term care: an European interdisciplinary Council on ageing consensus document.

Aging clinical and experimental research pii:10.1007/s40520-025-03271-6 [Epub ahead of print].

The accelerating ageing of populations worldwide presents profound challenges for public health, particularly within long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Older adults, often burdened by multimorbidity, frailty, and immunosenescence, are highly vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases such as influenza, pneumococcal pneumonia, COVID-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), pertussis, and herpes zoster (HZ). Despite the availability of effective vaccines, immunization coverage in LTCFs remains inadequate, hindered by fragmented national policies, insufficient mandates, and systemic neglect of adult vaccination. In many settings, vaccination uptake is not even systematically monitored, leaving policymakers and clinicians without reliable data to identify gaps or measure progress. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored these vulnerabilities, temporarily spurring emergency vaccination efforts but failing to establish sustainable, life-course immunization frameworks. This consensus document, developed by the European Interdisciplinary Council on Ageing (EICA) following the San Servolo (Venice, Italy) 2025 meeting, synthesizes evidence on intrinsic and environmental infection risk factors in LTCFs, the health and economic burden of infections, and the persistent gaps in vaccine uptake among both residents and staff. We highlight the cost-effectiveness of preventive interventions, the critical role of non-pharmacological infection control measures, and the need to address antimicrobial resistance through integrated vaccination strategies. The Council emphasizes that routine adult vaccination must become a structural element of care planning for ageing populations, supported by digital registries, systematic assessments at LTC admission, co-administration strategies, and robust staff engagement. Stronger global and national policy leadership is urgently needed to align LTCF immunization with life-course approaches and primary healthcare integration. Protecting frail older adults from infectious diseases is not only a clinical necessity but also a societal obligation-central to safeguarding dignity, resilience, and healthy ageing in Europe and beyond.

RevDate: 2025-12-21

Taha MK, Weil-Olivier C, Leng S, et al (2025)

Meningococcal Disease in Older Adults: Challenges in Diagnosis and Management.

Infectious diseases and therapy [Epub ahead of print].

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in older adults frequently presents with atypical clinical manifestations, including bacteremic pneumonia, often without classical meningeal signs or sepsis, which presents clinicians with diagnostic challenges, and may delay treatment, which contributes to the high mortality observed in older adults. Within the broader resurgence of IMD observed since relaxation of quarantine measures introduced to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a notable increase in reporting of such atypical cases. The aim of this review is to summarize epidemiological, diagnostic, and treatment aspects of non-meningeal forms of IMD in older patients, with a focus on meningococcal pneumonia. By convention, laboratory confirmation requires N. meningitidis detection by culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or antigen detection. In most cases, presentation of meningococcal pneumonia is similar to that of other forms of community-acquired pneumonia, and cerebrospinal fluid sampling may be non-informative. This places a premium on early blood culture for N. meningitidis, allied with testing of respiratory samples (e.g., broncho-alveolar washes). Many cases are linked to isolates of serogroups Y and W. When confirmed, treatment with third-generation cephalosporins is generally preferred. Chemoprophylaxis and vaccination of close contacts is essential for controlling onward meningococcal disease transmission and prevention of further cases.

RevDate: 2025-12-22
CmpDate: 2025-12-22

Baichoo S, Oladeji O, Villareal L, et al (2025)

Scoping review of artificial intelligence via mobile technology and social media for health in Africa.

Nature communications, 16(1):11288.

The combination of mobile technologies and social media with Artificial Intelligence (AI) opens new opportunities for multi-modal data generation, analysis, and inference for various health applications. To investigate how these tools are being used for health applications in Africa, we conduct a scoping review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach. We screen 469 articles and synthesize 116. We include 29 studies documenting the use of a broad range of advanced and straightforward machine-learning techniques to study infectious and chronic diseases such as COVID-19 (4 studies, 13.8%), malaria (5, 17.2%), and cervical cancer (2, 6.9%). Countries with high internet and mobile phone penetration have higher representation. Based on identified gaps, we make research and policy recommendations to enhance the contribution of these tools in advancing health in Africa. These include investing in studies on chronic diseases and implementing frameworks to address geographic inequity.

RevDate: 2025-12-21

Duggan MR, Chatila ZK, Auber LA, et al (2025)

Can the COVID-19 pandemic advance neuroinfectious research?.

Brain, behavior, and immunity, 132:106233 pii:S0889-1591(25)00475-1 [Epub ahead of print].

Investments in SARS-CoV-2 research provide a unique opportunity to explore how microbes may contribute to neurological conditions, an area of investigation that has been chronically underfunded. As exemplified by HIV/AIDS funding, crisis-driven research can yield broader biomedical advances, including spillover effects that address unanticipated and unmet medical needs. Leveraging newly established SARS-CoV-2 funding opportunities to study immune crosstalk and genetic predispositions could reveal therapeutic pathways and biomarkers for individuals who are vulnerable to infection-related dementia risk and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Despite the vast consequences of SARS-CoV-2, research investments following this pandemic may have long lasting benefits for other scientific endeavors, including insights for microbial contributions to neurodegenerative disease.

RevDate: 2025-12-19

Liao ZX, SJ Tseng (2025)

Evaluating the potential of mRNA technology for cytokine production and delivery in antitumor therapy.

Drug discovery today pii:S1359-6446(25)00303-4 [Epub ahead of print].

Tumors evolve in tandem with their tumor microenvironment (TME), often creating an immunosuppressive state that hinders anticancer responses. Whereas antitumor immunostimulating cytokines can reverse this suppression and trigger effective immunity, their systemic administration causes severe toxicity, limiting their clinical use. mRNA technology, recognized as a medical breakthrough highlighted by COVID-19 vaccines, offers a promising approach. This review posits that local delivery of mRNA-encoded antitumor cytokines to the TME enables targeted, in situ production, maximizing antitumor effects while minimizing systemic toxicity.

RevDate: 2025-12-19

KrahƩ B (2025)

Situational risk factors for intimate partner violence.

Current opinion in psychology, 68:102228 pii:S2352-250X(25)00241-6 [Epub ahead of print].

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a worldwide problem with a wide range of negative effects, and a broad literature has identified risk factors at the societal, relationship, interpersonal, and individual level associated with relatively stable differences in the likelihood of IPV. In addition, risk factors for IPV may be located within a given situation, promoting the use of violence by one or both partners. Based on two influential theories of aggression, the General Aggression Model and I[3] theory, this article presents evidence on five situational risk factors for IPV: alcohol use, provocation and jealousy, acute stress, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the presence of firearms, and outlines implications for prevention.

RevDate: 2025-12-21
CmpDate: 2025-12-19

Carmona Pestaña A, Herrera-Peco I, Jiménez-Gómez B, et al (2025)

Internet Memes as Drivers of Health Narratives and Infodemics: Integrative Review.

JMIR infodemiology, 5:e77029.

BACKGROUND: Digital media memes have emerged as influential tools in health communication, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. While they offer opportunities for emotional engagement and community resilience, they also act as vectors for health misinformation, contributing to the global infodemic. Despite growing interest in their communicative power, the role of memes in shaping public perception and misinformation diffusion remains underexplored in infodemiology.

OBJECTIVE: This integrative review aims to analyze how memes influence emotional, behavioral, and ideological responses to health crises, and to examine their dual role as both contributors to and potential mitigators of infodemics. The paper also explores strategies for integrating memes into public health campaigns and infodemic management.

METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across 3 major databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science), identifying a total of 386 records. Following duplicate removal and eligibility screening, 14 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025 were included. An integrative narrative approach was used to synthesize evidence on social media behavior, misinformation dynamics, and digital health campaigns. The analysis was grounded in infodemiological and infoveillance frameworks as established by Eysenbach, incorporating insights from psychology, media studies, and public health.

RESULTS: Memes function as emotionally salient and visually potent carriers of health-related narratives. While they can simplify complex messages and foster adaptive humor during crises, they are also susceptible to distortion, particularly in echo chambers and conspiracy communities. Findings reveal that misinformation-laden memes often leverage humor and disgust to bypass critical thinking, and their viral potential is linked to emotional intensity. However, memes have also been successfully integrated into prebunking strategies, increasing engagement and reducing susceptibility to false claims when culturally tailored. The review identifies key mechanisms that enhance or hinder the infodemiological value of memes, including political orientation, digital literacy, and narrative framing.

CONCLUSIONS: Memes are a double-edged sword in the context of infodemics. Their integration into infodemic surveillance and digital health campaigns requires a nuanced understanding of their emotional, cultural, and epistemic effects. Public health institutions should incorporate meme analysis into real-time infoveillance systems, apply evidence-based meme formats in prebunking efforts, and foster digital literacy that enables critical meme consumption. Future infodemiology research should further explore the long-term behavioral impacts of memetic misinformation and the scalability of meme-based interventions.

RevDate: 2025-12-22
CmpDate: 2025-12-22

Dhir S, Karim N, Berka H, et al (2024)

Pharmacological management of pediatric insomnia.

Frontiers in sleep, 3:1389052.

Insomnia is the most commonly reported sleep disorder among children and adolescents, impacting their cognitive, emotional, behavioral, and physical development. The prevalence of insomnia generally increases with age, often persisting into adulthood if unaddressed. Insomnia is exceedingly common among those with developmental disabilities and is frequently comorbid with a great range of psychiatric diagnoses. The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the prevalence of insomnia among children and adolescents. Health care providers are routinely called upon to treat insomnia in the pediatric population. Psychoeducation and behavioral interventions, especially cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), remain the first line treatments, given empirical evidence for their efficacy and success in relapse prevention. However, medications are frequently employed in clinical practice, despite the fact that no medications are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of pediatric insomnia. This review was designed to educate and support practitioners who are treating children and adolescents who struggle with insomnia. A thorough narrative review was completed to identify all published medication studies of pediatric insomnia; the identified studies are described and then graded into four categories according to the strength of the evidence supporting their use, side effect profiles, co-morbidities, and overall risk vs. benefit of each pharmacological treatment. This review will help practitioners in making clinical decisions for their pediatric patients who suffer with insomnia.

RevDate: 2025-12-19
CmpDate: 2025-12-19

Silveira LC, Santos KF, Campos JS, et al (2025)

Association of genetic variants with the progression of COVID-19 symptoms in diabetic patients: a systematic review and in silico protein interaction analysis.

Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia, 85:e297127 pii:S1519-69842025000100452.

Diabetes mellitus is a global public health issue and, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, was identified as a risk factor associated with high morbidity and mortality in cases of acute respiratory infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. This study investigated genetic variants in diabetic patients with COVID-19 through a systematic analysis of the PubMed/NCBI, EMBASE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, and Virtual Health Library databases, with the protocol registered on the PROSPERO platform (registration number CRD42020181311). Fifteen genetic variants were associated with five specific genes in symptomatic diabetic patients with COVID-19. Inheritance models, diabetic individuals carrying the heterozygous genotype TC (VDR rs4516035) showed ~10-15-fold higher odds of symptomatic COVID-19. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis showed that the proteins ACE, ACE2, IL-6, and IL-17 exhibited strong predicted interactions with each other, as well as with insulin and the TMPRSS2 protease. Limitations include small number of eligible studies, heterogeneity in populations and outcome definitions. These preliminary findings highlight the need for further studies to understand better the relationship between the identified genetic variants and the progression of COVID-19 in diabetic patients.

RevDate: 2025-12-21
CmpDate: 2025-12-19

Miquilussi PA, Aguiar TV, Cruz PLD, et al (2025)

Impact of SARS-Cov-2 exposure during pregnancy on child neurodevelopment: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Revista paulista de pediatria : orgao oficial da Sociedade de Pediatria de Sao Paulo, 43:e2025094.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of intrauterine exposure to SARS-CoV-2 on neurodevelopment in children up to 2 years of age.

DATA SOURCE: A combination of keywords and truncations was adapted for five electronic databases: Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS), PubMed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science. Additionally, gray literature sources were consulted, including the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Google Scholar, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Checklist. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the primary outcome using R in R Studio version 1.2.1335 (RStudio Inc., Boston, USA). Study weights were calculated using the Mantel-Haenszel method, and variance, expressed by Tau2 values, employed the DerSimonian-Laird estimator. The Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation was applied to approximate a normal data distribution, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each meta-analysis.

DATA SYNTHESIS: Nine articles were included in the qualitative synthesis and eight in the quantitative analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in neurodevelopment between infants exposed and unexposed to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy [RR=5.10; 95%CI 0.36-71.85; I2=91%]. However, for the "fine motor" domain, the exposed group had a 2.38 times higher risk of deficit [95%CI 1.22-4.68] compared to the non-exposed group, with low heterogeneity in the analysis (I2=0%).

CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus during the gestational period is not associated with neurodevelopmental delay up to 2 years of age, although it has been linked to an increased risk of delayed fine motor development. However, this evidence remains uncertain due to the limited number of studies on the topic and the heterogeneity of methodologies.

RevDate: 2025-12-19
CmpDate: 2025-12-19

Oliveira AM, CartĆøgenes AD, Berni LC, et al (2025)

Impacts of COVID-19 on pediatric patients with congenital heart disease: a small systematic and integrative literature review.

Revista paulista de pediatria : orgao oficial da Sociedade de Pediatria de Sao Paulo, 43:e2025073.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compile primary studies to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on pediatric patients with congenital heart disease.

DATA SOURCE: A systematic review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method, with searches conducted in the PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) databases. Studies published in the last 5 years, open access, and addressing the research question, "What are the main impacts of COVID-19 on pediatric patients with congenital heart disease?" were included. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools.

DATA SYNTHESIS: A total of 377 articles were identified, of which 12 met the inclusion criteria. The NOS tool indicated that two of the eight cohort studies had a risk of bias and lower methodological quality. The JBI tool revealed that three of the four cross-sectional studies had a low risk of bias and good methodological quality. The integrative analysis highlighted three main impacts of COVID-19 on these patients: difficulties in follow-up and treatment, reduced physical activity due to social distancing, and postponement of procedures and surgeries. Infected patients experienced increased complications and hospitalizations, but without a significant change in mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the health and management of congenital heart disease, leading to clinical complications and worsening follow-up. Further primary and secondary studies are needed to strengthen the evidence and improve patient management.

RevDate: 2025-12-20
CmpDate: 2025-12-20

Boardman SA, Hetherington C, Hughes T, et al (2025)

Viral Infection and the Blood-Brain Barrier: Molecular Research Insights and Therapies.

The Journal of infectious diseases, 232(6):1273-1282.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain from pathogenic microorganisms. Neurologic complications from viral infections, including herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster virus, HIV, Japanese encephalitis virus, and SARS-CoV-2, are linked to BBB dysfunction and loss of barrier integrity. Increased BBB permeability associated with viral infections can occur through several mechanisms, such as direct neurotropism, Trojan horse mechanisms, or systemic infection and inflammation. Viruses cause direct and indirect immune-mediated damage. Understanding these neuroimmune mechanisms is critical to establish therapeutic strategies to protect BBB function. This review describes the effect of viral infection on the BBB, clinical methods to assess BBB integrity, and clinical management approaches to address viral-induced BBB damage.

RevDate: 2025-12-20
CmpDate: 2025-12-20

Visentin A, Nazeri A, PeƱalvo JL, et al (2026)

Lessons from the European mpox outbreak: strengthening cohort research for future pandemic preparedness.

Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 32(1):62-69.

BACKGROUND: Well-designed cohort studies are crucial for pandemic preparedness, informing evidence-based infection prevention and treatment strategies.

OBJECTIVES: Following the 2022 mpox outbreak in Europe, this scoping review critically evaluates the design, implementation, and characteristics of cohort studies focusing on mpox. The aim is to inform recommendations for the Cohort Coordination Board and the COordination MEchanism for Cohorts and Trials (CoMeCT) to enhance cohort study research and improve preparedness.

SOURCES: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, the European Union Clinical Trials Register, and the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network (ECRIN) metadata repository up to December 2024.

CONTENT: Forty-nine cohorts were identified, encompassing 10 728 individuals with primary or breakthrough mpox and 34 010 individuals without mpox (vaccinated and unvaccinated). The majority of cohorts collected data prospectively (30, 63%) and were multicentre (25, 52%). The primary aims were the natural history of mpox (31, 65%); effectiveness of vaccination (15, 31%); and treatment (2, 4%). The most frequent target population was individuals at increased risk of sexually transmitted infection (18, 38%). Follow-up of participants varied widely among cohorts. Significant data heterogeneity, stemming from the inconsistent use of standardized data dictionaries, impeded data sharing and meta-analyses. Under-representation of vulnerable populations and limited biobanking further compounded these challenges.

IMPLICATIONS: This review underscores critical gaps in the research response during the mpox outbreak. Based on these findings, we propose the following recommendations: (1) establishing and maintaining "ever-warm" cohorts of high-risk individuals during inter-epidemic periods to enable rapid data collection during future outbreaks; (2) promoting data interoperability through the development and adoption of standardized data collection tools and ontologies; (3) improving the quality of study reporting through strict adherence to relevant guidelines; and (4) strengthening European and global coordination through the establishment of collaborative research networks. Sustained investment in research infrastructure is essential for a more effective, equitable, and timely public health response to future outbreaks.

RevDate: 2025-12-20
CmpDate: 2025-12-20

Majid U, Hussain SAS, Wasim A, et al (2022)

A Systematic Map of Non-Clinical Evidence Syntheses Published Globally on COVID-19.

Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 16(6):2659-2664.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Evidence syntheses perform rigorous investigations of the primary literature and they have played a vital role in generating evidence-based recommendations for governments worldwide during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, there has not yet been an attempt to organize them by topic and other characteristics. This study performed a systematic mapping exercise of non-clinical evidence syntheses pertaining to Covid-19.

METHODS: This study conducted a systematic search on December 5, 2020 across 10 databases and servers: CINAHL (EBSCO Information Services, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States), Embase (Elsevier, Aalborg, Denmark), Global Health (EBSCO Information Services, Ipswich, Massachusetts, United States), Healthstar (NICHSR and AHA, Bethesda, United States), MEDLINE (NLM, Bethesda, United States), PsychINFO (APA, Washington, DC, United States), Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics, London, UK), Research Square (Research Square, Durham, North Carolina), MEDRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York, United States), and PROSPERO (NIHR, York, United Kingdom). Only full evidence syntheses published in a peer-reviewed journal or preprint server were included.

RESULTS: This study classified all evidence syntheses in the following topics: health service delivery (n = 280), prevention and behavior (n = 201), mental health (n = 140), social epidemiology (n = 31), economy (n = 22), and environment (n = 19). This study provides a comprehensive resource of all evidence syntheses categorized according to topic.

CONCLUSIONS: This study proposes the following research priorities: governance, the impact of Covid-19 on different populations, the effectiveness of prevention and control methods across contexts, mental health, and vaccine hesitancy.

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ESP Quick Facts

ESP Origins

In the early 1990's, Robert Robbins was a faculty member at Johns Hopkins, where he directed the informatics core of GDB — the human gene-mapping database of the international human genome project. To share papers with colleagues around the world, he set up a small paper-sharing section on his personal web page. This small project evolved into The Electronic Scholarly Publishing Project.

ESP Support

In 1995, Robbins became the VP/IT of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA. Soon after arriving in Seattle, Robbins secured funding, through the ELSI component of the US Human Genome Project, to create the original ESP.ORG web site, with the formal goal of providing free, world-wide access to the literature of classical genetics.

ESP Rationale

Although the methods of molecular biology can seem almost magical to the uninitiated, the original techniques of classical genetics are readily appreciated by one and all: cross individuals that differ in some inherited trait, collect all of the progeny, score their attributes, and propose mechanisms to explain the patterns of inheritance observed.

ESP Goal

In reading the early works of classical genetics, one is drawn, almost inexorably, into ever more complex models, until molecular explanations begin to seem both necessary and natural. At that point, the tools for understanding genome research are at hand. Assisting readers reach this point was the original goal of The Electronic Scholarly Publishing Project.

ESP Usage

Usage of the site grew rapidly and has remained high. Faculty began to use the site for their assigned readings. Other on-line publishers, ranging from The New York Times to Nature referenced ESP materials in their own publications. Nobel laureates (e.g., Joshua Lederberg) regularly used the site and even wrote to suggest changes and improvements.

ESP Content

When the site began, no journals were making their early content available in digital format. As a result, ESP was obliged to digitize classic literature before it could be made available. For many important papers — such as Mendel's original paper or the first genetic map — ESP had to produce entirely new typeset versions of the works, if they were to be available in a high-quality format.

ESP Help

Early support from the DOE component of the Human Genome Project was critically important for getting the ESP project on a firm foundation. Since that funding ended (nearly 20 years ago), the project has been operated as a purely volunteer effort. Anyone wishing to assist in these efforts should send an email to Robbins.

ESP Plans

With the development of methods for adding typeset side notes to PDF files, the ESP project now plans to add annotated versions of some classical papers to its holdings. We also plan to add new reference and pedagogical material. We have already started providing regularly updated, comprehensive bibliographies to the ESP.ORG site.

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With the world now in the middle of a new and rapidly spreading pandemic, now is the time to read this book, originally published in 2012, that describes animal infections and the next human pandemic (that's actually the book's subtitle). You would be hard pressed to find a more relevant explanation of how this got started and why there will be more after this one. R. Robbins

Electronic Scholarly Publishing
961 Red Tail Lane
Bellingham, WA 98226

E-mail: RJR8222 @ gmail.com

Papers in Classical Genetics

The ESP began as an effort to share a handful of key papers from the early days of classical genetics. Now the collection has grown to include hundreds of papers, in full-text format.

Digital Books

Along with papers on classical genetics, ESP offers a collection of full-text digital books, including many works by Darwin and even a collection of poetry — Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg.

Timelines

ESP now offers a large collection of user-selected side-by-side timelines (e.g., all science vs. all other categories, or arts and culture vs. world history), designed to provide a comparative context for appreciating world events.

Biographies

Biographical information about many key scientists (e.g., Walter Sutton).

Selected Bibliographies

Bibliographies on several topics of potential interest to the ESP community are automatically maintained and generated on the ESP site.

ESP Picks from Around the Web (updated 28 JUL 2024 )