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Bibliography on: covid-19

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ESP: PubMed Auto Bibliography 24 Apr 2024 at 01:41 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 45108 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 pmcbook NOT ispreviousversion

Citations The Papers (from PubMed®)

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RevDate: 2024-04-23
CmpDate: 2024-04-18

Ntwali F, Gilliaux Q, PM Honoré (2024)

Nivolumab-Induced Cytokine Release Syndrome: A Case Report and Literature Review.

The American journal of case reports, 25:e941835.

BACKGROUND CRS (cytokine release syndrome) is a massive activation of the inflammatory system characterized by a supra-physiological rate of inflammatory cytokines. The interleukin 6 cytokine plays a central role in CRS. The main clinical sign of CRS is fever, but CRS can lead to multiple organ failure in severe cases. CRS is usually described in sepsis, more recently in SARS COV-2 infection, and in chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy. However, it can also be associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), which is infrequently described. ICI have growing indications and can lead to CRS by causing an uncontrolled activation of the immune system. There are currently no treatment guidelines for ICI-induced CRS. CASE REPORT We report a rare case of grade 3 CRS induced by nivolumab associated with 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin for gastric cancer. The patient was 65-year-old man with an adenocarcinoma of the cardia. CRS developed during the tenth course of treatment and was characterized by fever, hypotension requiring vasopressors, hypoxemia, acute kidney injury, and thrombopenia. The patient was transferred quickly to the Intensive Care Unit. He was treated for suspected sepsis, but it was ruled out after multiple laboratory examinations. There was rapid resolution after infusion of hydrocortisone. CONCLUSIONS The use of ICIs is expanding. Nivolumab-induced CRS is rarely described but can be severe and lead to multiple organ dysfunction; therefore, intensive care practitioners should be informed about this adverse effect. More studies are needed to better understand this condition and establish treatment guidelines.

RevDate: 2024-04-16

Zaeri N (2024)

Artificial intelligence and machine learning responses to COVID-19 related inquiries.

Journal of medical engineering & technology [Epub ahead of print].

Researchers and scientists can use computational-based models to turn linked data into useful information, aiding in disease diagnosis, examination, and viral containment due to recent artificial intelligence and machine learning breakthroughs. In this paper, we extensively study the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in delivering efficient responses to the COVID-19 pandemic almost four years after its start. In this regard, we examine a large number of critical studies conducted by various academic and research communities from multiple disciplines, as well as practical implementations of artificial intelligence algorithms that suggest potential solutions in investigating different COVID-19 decision-making scenarios. We identify numerous areas where artificial intelligence and machine learning can impact this context, including diagnosis (using chest X-ray imaging and CT imaging), severity, tracking, treatment, and the drug industry. Furthermore, we analyse the dilemma's limits, restrictions, and hazards.

RevDate: 2024-04-16

Liu X, Wu Y, Huo Z, et al (2024)

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among People Living with HIV: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

AIDS and behavior [Epub ahead of print].

Vaccine hesitancy is one of the top 10 threats to global health, which affects the prevalence and fatality of vaccine-preventable diseases over the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people living with HIV (PLWH) may have higher risks of infection, more serious complications, and worse prognosis without the protection of the COVID-19 vaccine. A systematic review and meta-analysis aiming to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among PLWH was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for studies published between January 1, 2020, and August 31, 2022. The pooled prevalence with a corresponding 95%CI of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among PLWH was reported. Subgroup analysis was conducted to explore variation in prevalence across different categories. 23 studies with a total of 19,922 PLWH were included in this study. The prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among PLWH was 34.0%, and the influencing factors included male, influenza vaccination experience, and a CD4 count of more than 200 cells/mm[3]. Subgroup analysis did not identify significant causes of heterogeneity but showed that the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among PLWH varies by study period, region, and race. Although all PLWH are recommended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a large proportion of them remain hesitant to be vaccinated. Therefore, governments and relevant institutions should take specific measures to encourage and promote vaccination to improve the coverage of the COVID-19 vaccine among PLWH.

RevDate: 2024-04-23
CmpDate: 2024-04-08

O'Connor S (2024)

Over twenty years of pedagogical research from Nurse Education in Practice: A bibliometric analysis from 2001 to 2023.

Nurse education in practice, 76:103912.

AIM: To present a bibliometric overview of pedagogical research from Nurse Education in Practice from its inception in 2001 up until 2023.

BACKGROUND: Bibliometric methods are useful in analysing and understanding the characteristics of scientific publications in a particular field and the influence of specific journals. However, no bibliometric analysis of a nurse education journal has been undertaken to date which would highlight important research trends in this area of nursing and midwifery.

METHODS: A total of 2231 publications (articles and reviews only) from Nursing Education in Practice were retrieved from the Scopus database between 2001 and 2023. Several software applications including Microsoft Excel and VOSviewer were used to undertake bibliometric analysis on this dataset. Publication trends such as country analysis, author analysis, keywords analyses (cluster, content and trend analysis) were generated to help understand the volume and scope of pedagogical nursing and midwifery research in this journal.

RESULTS: There has been a steady increase in pedagogical research from Nurse Education in Practice since its launch in 2001 up until 2018, with a dip in publications in 2022 most likely due to the impact of restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. The most prolific institutions publishing in the journal are mainly from the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States, with over eighty countries represented demonstrating its global reach and impact. Nursing students, nursing education, simulation and learning are some of the most frequent author keywords.

CONCLUSION: The diversity of pedagogies in nursing and midwifery education, clinical learning and supervision in practice environments, and competence and confidence when transitioning to practice are the most popular research areas in Nurse Education in Practice. This study informs nurse and midwife educators and scholars about the volume and scope of pedagogical research in nursing and midwifery. It also makes recommendations on how to improve aspects of scholarship in education and areas for future pedagogical research.

RevDate: 2024-04-23
CmpDate: 2024-04-23

DelbrĂ¼ck H, Lambertz E, Migliorini F, et al (2024)

Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on hospitalisations at a paediatric traumatology department during 2020: a single-centre observational study and comprehensive literature review.

European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society, 50(2):591-601.

PURPOSE: The study investigates changes in the injury characteristics of hospitalised children in a paediatric trauma centre during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: Data from injured children from the pre-pandemic year 2019 were compared to the pandemic year 2020 using Pearson's chi-squared test and the Mann-Whitney U test. The period of highly restrictive regulations (HRP) was evaluated separately. A comprehensive literature review with defined search terms resulted in a descriptive data synthesis.

RESULTS: Data from 865 patients indicated reductions in admissions of 5.6% and 54.4% during the HRP. In 2020, the hospitalisation time was longer (2.2 ± 2.7 days in 2019 vs. 2.4 ± 2.6 in 2020, p = 0.045); the proportions of wounds requiring surgical therapy (p = 0.008) and of observational treatments, primarily for mild brain injuries (p = 0.046), were higher; and conservative treatments, primarily for contusions, were lower (p = 0.005). There were no significant changes in age, location of lesions, or frequency of surgical therapy; nor were there differences in the HRP, except for fewer injuries in school and kindergarten (p < 0.001). The literature review summarises the main results of 79 studies.

CONCLUSION: Limited resources did not alter the indications for surgical therapy. Further studies should examine whether the more common injuries sustained at home were caused by excessive work/childcare demands on parents. Reduced inpatient conservative treatment implies that hospital resources possibly were overused previously. The literature offers answers to many detailed questions regarding childhood injuries during a pandemic and more efficient safe treatment. Registration Ethical committee of RWTH Aachen University EK 22-320; Center for Translational & Clinical Research RWTH Aachen University (CTC-A) 21-430.

RevDate: 2024-04-23
CmpDate: 2024-04-23

Lee A, Kim S, W Noh (2024)

Learning Environments in Undergraduate Nursing Education During COVID-19: A Scoping Review.

Nurse educator, 49(3):E136-E141.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic radically changed nursing education.

PURPOSE: To map the existing literature on learning environments (LEs) in undergraduate nursing education during COVID-19 and identify the LE elements based on the 4 domains of Gruppen's conceptual framework: personal, social, organizational, and physical and virtual spaces.

METHOD: Eligible articles were reviewed using the Joanna Briggs framework.

RESULTS: The search retrieved 5003 articles, of which 80 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were cross-sectional and conducted in the United States. Of the studies included, 68 studies focused on the personal component of students, 67 investigated physical and virtual space components, 19 examined the social domain, and 15 examined organizational aspects.

CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly influenced the LE of nursing students. Based on the current review of LE in nursing education, nurse educators and researchers can develop interventions to maintain the quality and accessibility of nursing education in future crises.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Bartholomew DC, Nwaigwe CC, Orumie UC, et al (2023)

Intervention Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccination in Nigeria: The Naive Solution Versus Interrupted Time Series.

Annals of data science [Epub ahead of print].

In this paper, an intervention analysis approach was applied to daily cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria in order to evaluate the utilization and effect of the COVID-19 vaccine administered in the country. Data on the daily report of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria were collected and subjected to two models: the naĂ¯ve solution and the interrupted time series (the intervention model). Based on the Alkaike Information Criterion (AIC), sigma[2], and log likelihood values, the interrupted time series model outperformed the NaĂ¯ve solution model. ARIMA (4, 1, 4) with exogenous variables was identified as the best model. It was observed that the intervention (vaccination) was not significant at the 5% level of significance in reducing the number of daily COVID-19 cases in Nigeria since the start of the vaccination on March 5, 2021, until March 28, 2022. Also, the ARIMA (4, 1, 4) forecasts indicated that there will be surge in the number of daily COVID-19 cases in Nigeria between January and April 2023. As a result, we recommend strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols as well as further vaccination and sensitization programs to educate people on the importance of vaccine uptake and avoid Corona virus spread in the year 2023 and beyond.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Gorjian H, NG Khaligh (2023)

Myrtle: a versatile medicinal plant.

Nutrire : revista de Sociedade Brasileira de Alimentacao e Nutricao = journal of the Brazilian Society of Food and Nutrition, 48(1):10.

UNLABELLED: Myrtus, commonly called myrtle, is a genus of flowering plants in the Myrtaceae family. This study aimed to review myrtle's pharmaceutical, food, and other uses. The pharmacological effects of myrtle for antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities, reduction of COVID-19 symptoms, anti-diabetic in the animal model, hepatoprotective in the rat model, antihypertensive, control of intestinal helminthiasis in mice model, inhibition of glucosyltransferase activity, protective effect on oxidative metabolism in the hypothyroidism model, and reducing the damage caused by skin burns are reviewed. In addition, the food uses of this plant such as improving the oxidative and microbial stability of products containing salmon, antimicrobial activity in meat and dairy products, flavoring in sea salt, microbial improvement of fresh fruits during post-harvest storage, animal nutrition, and bio-oil production are summarized.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41110-023-00194-y.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Rehman M, Yanen W, Mushtaq RT, et al (2022)

Additive manufacturing for biomedical applications: a review on classification, energy consumption, and its appreciable role since COVID-19 pandemic.

Progress in additive manufacturing [Epub ahead of print].

The exponential rise of healthcare problems like human aging and road traffic accidents have developed an intrinsic challenge to biomedical sectors concerning the arrangement of patient-specific biomedical products. The additively manufactured implants and scaffolds have captured global attention over the last two decades concerning their printing quality and ease of manufacturing. However, the inherent challenges associated with additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, namely process selection, level of complexity, printing speed, resolution, biomaterial choice, and consumed energy, still pose several limitations on their use. Recently, the whole world has faced severe supply chain disruptions of personal protective equipment and basic medical facilities due to a respiratory disease known as the coronavirus (COVID-19). In this regard, local and global AM manufacturers have printed biomedical products to level the supply-demand equation. The potential of AM technologies for biomedical applications before, during, and post-COVID-19 pandemic alongwith its relation to the industry 4.0 (I4.0) concept is discussed herein. Moreover, additive manufacturing technologies are studied in this work concerning their working principle, classification, materials, processing variables, output responses, merits, challenges, and biomedical applications. Different factors affecting the sustainable performance in AM for biomedical applications are discussed with more focus on the comparative examination of consumed energy to determine which process is more sustainable. The recent advancements in the field like 4D printing and 5D printing are useful for the successful implementation of I4.0 to combat any future pandemic scenario. The potential of hybrid printing, multi-materials printing, and printing with smart materials, has been identified as hot research areas to produce scaffolds and implants in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and orthopedic implants.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Hua J, Li J, Jiang Y, et al (2022)

Skin-Attachable Sensors for Biomedical Applications.

Biomedical materials & devices (New York, N.Y.) [Epub ahead of print].

With the growing concern about human health issues, especially during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for personalized healthcare regarding disease prevention and recovery is increasing. However, tremendous challenges lie in both limited public medical resources and costly medical diagnosis approaches. Recently, skin-attachable sensors have emerged as promising health monitoring platforms to overcome such difficulties. Owing to the advantages of good comfort and high signal-to-noise ratio, skin-attachable sensors enable household, real-time, and long-term detection of weak physiological signals to efficiently and accurately monitor human motion, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, lung and heart sound, glucose, and biomarkers in biomedical applications. To further improve the integration level of biomedical skin-attachable sensors, efforts have been made in combining multiple sensing techniques with elaborate structural designs. This review summarizes the recent advances in different functional skin-attachable sensors, which monitor physical and chemical indicators of the human body. The advantages, shortcomings, and integration strategies of different mechanisms are presented. Specially, we highlight sensors monitoring pulmonary function such as respiratory rate and blood oxygen saturation for their potential usage in the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the future development of skin-attachable sensors is envisioned.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Mathis A, R Rooks (2022)

Geographic Differences in Vaccine Hesitancy Among Older Adults.

The Public policy and aging report.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Sheth A, Sushra T, Kshirsagar A, et al (2022)

Global Economic Impact in Stock and Commodity Markets during Covid-19 pandemic.

Annals of data science, 9(5):889-907.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus led everyone globally to face various setbacks. Such a sector that oversaw several shocks worldwide was the financial sector, namely the stock and the commodity markets. Both the markets had different and unprecedented reactions in the different corners of the world. This was due to several reasons like government intervention, welfare policies, investor behaviour etc. This paper discusses that topic in further detail, with examples and studies from all around the planet. The main objective is to expand the pre-existing knowledge on how different regions had different reactions to the pandemic and the policies that it brought along. The stock market, in general, faced an adverse shock that led to low investments and careful foreign investment. The commodity market saw the prices of all commodities on an upward trend except for gold which observed a downward trend. Moreover, this paper also discusses the future scope and the challenges that might be faced by the markets further down the line.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Turay B (2022)

Flood hazard management in a multiple hazard context: a systematic review of flood hazard management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa.

Discover water, 2(1):6.

Result-oriented research can uncover hidden flood management obstacles and propose solutions that, if combined with political will, appropriate technology, and resources, can overcome the majority of Africa's future flood calamities. In view of this, it is critical to examine researchers' findings on flood hazard management, particularly now that the continent is struggling with COVID-19 and other hazards. This study employed a systematic review approach to critically analyze 103 contextually detailed studies with a set of criteria that were not only meant to keep the focus on floods and the COVID-19 pandemic but also to understand the context of managing floods during COVID-19 and other hazards at the same time on the continent. I found that the authors strongly recommend how institutions should create non-structural enabling environments for managing combined hazards. Also, researchers paid little attention to recommending ecosystem-based measures for flood management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. Future research should study how different countries in Africa are preparing to manage multiple future hazards, including the comparative assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of individual countries' planning and preparation.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Metz JK, Hittinger M, CM Lehr (2022)

In vitro tools for orally inhaled drug products-state of the art for their application in pharmaceutical research and industry and regulatory challenges.

In vitro models, 1(1):29-40.

The drug development process is a lengthy and expensive challenge for all involved players. Experience with the COVID-19 pandemic underlines the need for a rapid and effective approval for treatment options. As essential prerequisites for successful drug approval, a combination of high-quality studies and reliable research must be included. To this day, mainly in vivo data are requested and collected for assessing safety and efficacy and are therefore decisive for the pre-clinical evaluation of the respective drug. This review aims to summarize the current state of the art for safety and efficacy studies in pharmaceutical research and industry to address the relevant regulatory challenges and to provide an outlook on implementing more in vitro methods as alternative to animal testing. While the public demand for alternative methods is becoming louder, first examples have meanwhile found acceptance in relevant guidelines, e.g. the OECD guidelines for skin sensitizer. Besides ethically driven developments, also the rather low throughput and relatively high costs of animal experiments are forcing the industry towards the implementation of alternative methods. In this context, the development of orally inhaled drug products is particularly challenging due to the complexity of the lung as biological barrier and route of administration. The replacement of animal experiments with focus on the lungs requires special designed tools to achieve predictive data. New in vitro test systems of increasing complexity are presented in this review. Limits and advantages are discussed to provide some perspective for a future in vitro testing strategy for orally inhaled drug products.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Bertoletti A, Tan AT, N Le Bert (2021)

The T-cell response to SARS-CoV-2: kinetic and quantitative aspects and the case for their protective role.

Oxford open immunology, 2(1):iqab006.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19), triggers an adaptive immunity in the infected host that results in the production of virus-specific antibodies and T cells. Although kinetic and quantitative aspects of antibodies have been analyzed in large patient cohorts, similar information about SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells are scarce. We summarize the available knowledge of quantitative and temporal features of the SARS-CoV-2 T-cell response in this review. Currently, most of the data are derived only from the analysis of the circulatory compartment. Despite this limitation, early appearance, multi-specificity and functionality of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells are associated with accelerated viral clearance and with protection from severe COVID-19.

RevDate: 2024-04-16

Mantoan E, Centeno V, Feijo C, et al (2021)

Why has the Brazilian economy stagnated in the 2010s? A Minskyan analysis of the behavior of non-financial companies in a financialized economy.

Review of evolutionary political economy, 2(3):529-550.

The Brazilian economy entered a deep recession in 2015-2016 and since then has shown a sluggish recovery. In this paper, we offer an interpretation for the slow growth based on Minsky's financial instability hypothesis and recent literature on financialization and growth. We analyze the balance sheet of large non-financial companies over the period 2012-2019, a period that comprises the positive investment cycle-initiated during the commodities boom which lasted from the second half of the 2000s until 2014-the 2015-2016 recession, and the period preceding the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on Minsky's taxonomy of financial profiles, we map a proxy for financial instability at the firm level based on Davis et al. (2019). We also propose an aggregate financial stability index. We conclude that after the 2015-2016 recession, companies have been restructuring their debt profile and adopting a defensive behavior, increasing their liquidity preference. Our analysis supports the interpretation that, even with the sharp fall in domestic real interest rates, the degree of confidence on expectations to recover investment in productive assets is low. This corroborates with the thesis that agents' decisions do not respond only to supply stimulus, but are guided by expectations of future returns, which fundamentally depend on the performance of aggregate demand. Since 2015, Brazilian economic policy has been driven by fiscal consolidation, which has proven ineffective in increasing economic growth.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Srivastava P, Dhyani S, Emmanuel MA, et al (2021)

COVID-19 and environment: a poignant reminder of sustainability in the new normal.

Environmental sustainability (Singapore), 4(4):649-670.

The nexus of COVID-19 and environment is conspicuously deep-rooted. The roles of environmental factors in the origin, transmission and spread of COVID-19 and the mutual impact of the pandemic on the global environment have been the two perspectives to view this nexus. The present paper attempts to systematically review the existing literature to understand and explore the linkages of COVID-19 with environment and proposes conceptual frameworks to underline this nexus. Our study indicates a critical role of meteorological factors, ambient air pollutants and wastewater in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) transmission-spread dynamics. The study also focuses on the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 on the regional and global environment. Most of the indirect environmental effects of COVID-19 were attributed to global human confinement that resulted from the implementation of the pandemic containment measures. This worldwide anthropogenic 'pause' sent ripples to all environmental compartments and presented a unique test bed to identify anthropogenic impacts on the earth's natural systems. The review further addresses emerging sustainability challenges in the new normal and their potential solutions. The situation warrants critical attention to the environment-COVID-19 nexus and innovative sustainable practices to address the ramifications of short- and long-term environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Sharma S, Singh A, T Banerjee (2021)

Antibacterial agents used in COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Environmental sustainability (Singapore), 4(3):503-513.

There have been speculations regarding rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally owing to indiscriminate antibiotic usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. To curb the menace through decisive policies, it is essential to assess the antibiotics, particularly the antibacterial agents. This systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to assess antibiotic use in COVID-19 patients. A thorough systematic search was undertaken in databases like PubMed, Cochrane library, Google Scholar, World Health Organization (WHO) database and clinicaltrials.gov by two independent reviewers for articles in English published from January 1, 2019 to October 31, 2020. Studies were included if they assessed confirmed COVID-19 cases and mentioned the use of antibiotics. The primary outcome was the proportion of COVID-19 patients subjected to specific antibacterial agents. An attempt to stratify the data based on study settings and disease severity was also performed. Of the total 6012 studies screened, 40 were eligible for qualitative review and 19 for meta-analysis. Specific antibacterial agents were mentioned in 23 studies (57.5%). In the random effect meta-analysis, pooled prevalence of azithromycin use was 24.5% (95% CI 22.9-26.2%) followed by cephalosporins as 26.6% (95% CI 24.9-28.4). None of the studies clearly specified indications for antibiotic use. Ten studies (25%) mentioned empirical use of antibiotics. Bacterial co-infections/secondary infections were documented in four studies with mean prevalence of infection of 1.9% (95% CI 1.2-2.8%). There is lack of data on use of specific antibacterial agents, indications for their use based on severity of infections and microbiological evidence of bacterial co-infections.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Truxillo DM, Cadiz DM, GM Brady (2020)

COVID-19 and its Implications for Research on Work Ability.

Work, aging and retirement.

Research into work ability is increasing in the aging workforce literature. We argue that the COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered a number of possible gaps in our understanding of the work ability concept itself, its antecedents, and outcomes. We offer future research directions to further examine the theoretical underpinnings of work ability, moderators that may enhance its effects, and ways to broaden work ability conceptually to better capture the experiences of older workers.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Alkema GE (2020)

Post-Coronavirus Disease 2019 Aging Agenda for 2021 and Beyond.

The Public policy and aging report.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Morrow-Howell N, E Gonzales (2020)

Recovering From Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Resisting Ageism and Recommitting to a Productive Aging Perspective.

The Public policy and aging report.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Kanfer R, Lyndgaard SF, CE Tatel (2020)

For Whom the Pandemic Tolls: A Person-Centric Analysis of Older Workers.

Work, aging and retirement.

We offer a worker-centric perspective on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for the aging workforce. We briefly describe 3 broad characteristics of pandemics-mortality salience, isolation from the workplace, and rising unemployment-in terms of their associated pathways of influence on older workers, and recommendations for future research.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Rudolph CW, H Zacher (2020)

"The COVID-19 Generation": A Cautionary Note.

Work, aging and retirement.

With COVID-19 presenting as a global pandemic, we have noticed an emerging rhetoric concerning "the COVID-19 Generation," both anecdotally and across various media outlets. The narratives advanced to support such rhetoric have distinct implications for the study of work, aging, and retirement. In this commentary, we review this emerging issue and present evidence against attempts to define "the COVID-19 Generation" as a new construct along conceptual, methodological, as well as practical lines, with a specific focus on identifying real dangers associated with investigating and potentially managing a new generation associated with this pandemic. We strongly caution against the adoption of "the COVID-19 Generation" as a concept of study and instead offer several suggestions to researchers, organizations, and practitioners seeking answers to complicated questions about links between COVID-19 and various processes relevant to work, aging, and retirement during this time of uncertainty.

RevDate: 2024-04-22
CmpDate: 2024-04-22

Prendergast N, Boakye P, Bailey A, et al (2024)

Anti-Black racism: Gaining insight into the experiences of Black nurses in Canada.

Nursing inquiry, 31(2):e12604.

The call to address anti-Black racism in workplaces resonates across several organizations and institutions in Canada. But specifically, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic shed further light on how health inequities negatively impact the Black community. After conducting a literature review of the experiences of Black nurses in Canada, a deeper understanding of their plight was gained. In healthcare, the findings from the Black Nurses' Task Force report conclude that anti-Black racist practices are pervasive in nursing, and there remains a paucity of research in this area. This study builds off the report by exploring how Black nurses experience anti-Black racism while working in Canada's healthcare system. Inspired by critical race theory and Black feminist thought, an exploratory qualitative research study was conducted, using semistructured interviews to gather data. The study concludes that Black nurses experience anti-Black racism within the workplace, and it manifests itself through some of the attitudes of colleagues, patients, and nurses in leadership roles. Despite policies and statements that were in place to protect them, anti-Black racism continues to occur systematically. The findings point to the need for change in the overall workplace culture, which includes a fair representation of Black nurses in leadership roles, further research to identify best practices for tackling anti-Black racism within Canada's healthcare system, and mandatory training on anti-Black racism for healthcare leaders, educators, and service providers.

RevDate: 2024-04-22
CmpDate: 2024-04-22

Lee S, Erdem G, J Yasuhara (2024)

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children associated with COVID-19: from pathophysiology to clinical management and outcomes.

Minerva pediatrics, 76(2):268-280.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), also known as pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS), is a new postinfectious illness associated with COVID-19, affecting children after SARS-CoV-2 exposure. The hallmarks of this disorder are hyperinflammation and multisystem involvement, with gastrointestinal, cardiac, mucocutaneous, and hematologic disturbances seen most commonly. Cardiovascular involvement includes cardiogenic shock, ventricular dysfunction, coronary artery abnormalities, and myocarditis. Now entering the fourth year of the pandemic, clinicians have gained some familiarity with the clinical presentation, initial diagnosis, cardiac evaluation, and treatment of MIS-C. This has led to an updated definition from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA driven by increased experience and clinical expertise. Furthermore, the available evidence established expert consensus treatment recommendations supporting a combination of immunoglobulin and steroids. However, the pathophysiology of the disorder and answers to what causes this remain under investigation. Fortunately, long-term outcomes continue to look promising, although continued follow-up is still needed. Recently, COVID-19 mRNA vaccination is reported to be associated with reduced risk of MIS-C, while further studies are warranted to understand the impact of COVID-19 vaccines on MIS-C. We review the findings and current literature on MIS-C, including pathophysiology, clinical features, evaluation, management, and medium- to long-term follow-up outcomes.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Darbari A, Kumar K, Darbari S, et al (2021)

Requirement of artificial intelligence technology awareness for thoracic surgeons.

The cardiothoracic surgeon, 29(1):13.

BACKGROUND: We have recently witnessed incredible interest in computer-based, internet web-dependent mechanisms and artificial intelligence (AI)-dependent technique emergence in our day-to-day lives. In the recent era of COVID-19 pandemic, this nonhuman, machine-based technology has gained a lot of momentum.

MAIN BODY OF THE ABSTRACT: The supercomputers and robotics with AI technology have shown the potential to equal or even surpass human experts' accuracy in some tasks in the future. Artificial intelligence (AI) is prompting massive data interweaving with elements from many digital sources such as medical imaging sorting, electronic health records, and transforming healthcare delivery. But in thoracic surgical and our counterpart pulmonary medical field, AI's main applications are still for interpretation of thoracic imaging, lung histopathological slide evaluation, physiological data interpretation, and biosignal testing only. The query arises whether AI-enabled technology-based or autonomous robots could ever do or provide better thoracic surgical procedures than current surgeons but it seems like an impossibility now.

SHORT CONCLUSION: This review article aims to provide information pertinent to the use of AI to thoracic surgical specialists. In this review article, we described AI and related terminologies, current utilisation, challenges, potential, and current need for awareness of this technology.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Elsayed HH, Hassaballa AS, Ahmed TA, et al (2021)

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with severe COVID-19 adult respiratory distress syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The cardiothoracic surgeon, 29(1):9.

BACKGROUND: COVID 19 is the most recent cause of adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) can support gas exchange in patients failing conventional mechanical ventilation, but its role is still controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on ECMO for COVID-associated ARDS to study its outcome.

MAIN BODY: CENTRAL, MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were systematically searched from inception to May 28, 2020. Studies reporting five or more patients with COVID-19 infection treated venovenous with ECMO were included. The main outcome assessed was mortality and ICU/hospital discharge. Baseline, procedural, outcome, and validity data were systematically appraised and pooled with random-effect methods. The validity of all the included observational studies was appraised with the Newcastle Ottawa scale. Meta-regression and publication bias were tested. This trial was registered with PROSPERO under registration number CRD42020183861.From 1647 initial citations, 34 full-text articles were analyzed and 12 studies were selected, including 194 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection requiring ICU admission and venovenous ECMO treatment. Median Newcastle-Ottawa scale was 6 indicating acceptable study validity. One hundred thirty-six patients reached an endpoint of weaning from ECMO with ICU/hospital discharge or death while the rest were still on ECMO or in the ICU. The median Berlin score for ARDS prior to starting ECMO was III. Patients received mechanical ventilation before ECMO implementation for a median of 4 days and ECMO was maintained for a median of 13 days. In hospital and short-term mortality were highly variable among the included studies ranging between 0 and 100%. Random-effect pooled estimates suggested an overall in-hospital mortality risk ratio of 0.49 (95% confidence interval 0.259 to 0.721; I[2] = 94%). Subgroup analysis according to country of origin showed persistent heterogeneity only in the 7 Chinese studies with pooled estimate mortality risk ratio of 0.66 (I[2] = 87%) (95% CI = 0.39-0.93), while the later larger studies coming from the USA showed pooled estimate mortality risk ratio of 0.41 (95% CI 0.28-0.53) with homogeneity (p=0.67) similar to France with a pooled mortality risk ratio of 0.26 (95% CI 0.08-0.43) with homogeneity (p=0.86). Meta-regression showed only younger age as a predictor of mortality (p=0.02). Publication bias was excluded by visualizing the funnel plot of standard error, Egger's test with p=0.566, and Begg and Mazumdar test with p=0.373.

CONCLUSION: The study included the largest number of patients with outcome findings of ECMO in this current pandemic. Our findings showed that the use of venovenous ECMO at high-volume ECMO centers may be beneficial for selected COVID 19 patients with severe ARDS. However, none of the included studies involve prospective randomized analyses; and therefore, all the included studies were of low or moderate quality according to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. In the current era and environment of the pandemic, it will likely be very challenging to conduct a prospective randomized trial of ECMO versus no-ECMO for COVID-19. Therefore, the information contained in this systematic review of the literature is valuable and provides important guidance.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol link is at www.crd.yorl.ac.uk/PROSPERO under registration number CRD42020183861.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Schmidt Azevedo P, Fock RA, Pereira FL, et al (2021)

The evident and the hidden factors of vitamin D status in older people during COVID-19 pandemic.

Nutrire : revista de Sociedade Brasileira de Alimentacao e Nutricao = journal of the Brazilian Society of Food and Nutrition, 46(1):1.

PURPOSE: Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, vitamin D is a target of research and speculation. Lockdown or home isolation reduces sunlight exposition and increases the risk of vitamin D deficiency. Special attention is needed for older people at risk of both severe forms of COVID-19 and vitamin D deficiency. This review aims to highlight the association of vitamin D and COVID-19 in two instances, the direct influence of vitamin D on the immune system, and the indirect risks for other vitamin D deficiency-related diseases, such as musculoskeletal properties in older persons.

METHODS: We performed a narrative review.

RESULTS: Whether vitamin D deficiency is associated with COVID-19 poor prognosis, and if vitamin D supplementation may improve the post-infection outcomes is still unclear. In any case, the pandemic generates indirect burden, such as the sequence: home isolation, low sunlight exposition, vitamin D deficiency, and fragility fractures.

CONCLUSION: Therefore, it is time to debate how to optimize vitamin D status in older people, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Aryan H, Saxena A, A Tiwari (2021)

Correlation between bioactive lipids and novel coronavirus: constructive role of biolipids in curbing infectivity by enveloped viruses, centralizing on EPA and DHA.

Systems microbiology and biomanufacturing, 1(2):186-192.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) belongs to the family coronaviridae. It is spherical and possesses proteins called spikes, which can clamp onto the human cells. Once in close interaction with the human cells, these viruses undergo structural change and can fuse with the cell membrane. The virus enters the host and starts the process of translation and transcription in the cells and uncoated genome, respectively. Due to the rapid transmittable nature of the virus, extant actions should be taken. The fatty acids administrated orally, or intravenously, could help us gear things up in providing resistance and preventing infection. Hence, the multiplication of the virus could be hindered by arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). In that context, the current review highlights the role of these unsaturated fatty acids and their derivatives such as lipoxins and resolvins in the inactivation of the enveloped coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Dutta V, Kumar S, D Dubey (2021)

Recent advances in satellite mapping of global air quality: evidences during COVID-19 pandemic.

Environmental sustainability (Singapore), 4(3):469-487.

UNLABELLED: There was a significant decline in air pollution in different parts of the world due to enforcement of lockdown by many countries to check the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In particular, commercial and industrial activities had been limited globally with restricted air and surface traffic movements in response to social distancing and isolation. Both satellite remote sensing and ground-based monitoring were used to measure the change in the air quality. There was momentous decline in the averaged concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), methane (CH4) and aerosols. Many cities across India, China and several major cities in Europe observed strong reductions in nitrogen dioxide levels dropping by around 40-50% owing to lockdowns. Similarly, concentrations of SO2 in polluted areas in India, especially around large coal-fired power plants and industrial areas decreased by around 40% as evidenced by the comparative satellite mapping during April 2019 and April 2020. Recent advances in sensors on board various satellites played a significant role in real-time monitoring of emission regimes over various parts of the world. The satellite data is relying upon single scene profusion for real-time air quality measurements, and also using averaged dataset over certain time-period. The daily global-scale remote sensing data of NO2, as measured through the Copernicus Sentinel-5 Precursor Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (S5p/TROPOMI) of European Space Agency (ESA), indicated exceptional decreases in tropospheric NO2 pollution in urban areas. Similarly, Greenhouse gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT) of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, with a repeat cycle of three days helped in assessing the sources and sinks of CO2 and CH4 on a sub-continental scale.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42398-021-00166-w.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Jone PN, MD Everitt (2021)

Management of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated with COVID-19 Infection.

Current treatment options in pediatrics, 7(3):119-128.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to summarize what is known about multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) associated with COVID-19 infection.

RECENT FINDINGS: The timing of presentation and features of diagnosis are described. Cardiac involvement is common and is the focus of this review. Arrhythmias, heart block, acute heart failure, shock, cardiac dysfunction, and coronary dilation have all been reported. Therapies used to treat children with this hyperinflammation syndrome include supportive care and agents that modulate the immune system. Therapies commonly described include intravenous immunoglobulin, steroids, and cytokine-directed agents, particularly tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockade and interleukin receptor blockade. The threshold for diagnosing coronary involvement in MIS-C is coronary artery dimensions indexed to body surface that exceed the normative values (Z score >2). Those hospitalized with MIS-C are evaluated by electrocardiogram and echocardiogram; outpatient assessment by a cardiologist is indicated prior to sports clearance.

SUMMARY: The prognosis of treated MIS-C patients is good. Future work is needed to understand the scope of cardiac involvement associated with acute COVID-19 and MIS-C in children and to define the optimal therapeutic targets for these distinct entities.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Mishra J, Mishra P, NK Arora (2021)

Linkages between environmental issues and zoonotic diseases: with reference to COVID-19 pandemic.

Environmental sustainability (Singapore), 4(3):455-467.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has taken mankind by surprise with various unprecedented impacts on human life around the globe. This zoonotic pandemic is proving to be the most destructive disease outbreaks since decades. The increasing human population and anthropogenic activities have impacted the environment and have direct linkages with the current and other recent outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. Despite having a difference in their origin, major reasons behind the emergence and spread of zoonotic pandemics are related to activities such as habitat fragmentation, deforestation, biodiversity loss, intensive agriculture and livestock farming, uncontrolled urbanization, pollution, climate change and bushmeat hunting and trading. It is important to focus on environmental and climatic factors that are involved in the emergence of such pandemics involving novel human pathogens and viruses in particular. Research and data analysis, particularly in relation to COVID-19, has shown that meteorological factors along with population density and living conditions (particularly in the urban and semi-urban areas) play a crucial role in the intensity, evolution and spread of SARS-CoV-2. This particular virus is novel but coronaviruses have a long history and are known to cause disease outbreaks earlier as well. COVID-19 pandemic provides learning for the future, in particular the importance of environmental sustainability for controlling such outbreaks. A strategic plan can be developed involving policy-makers, organizations, and governments to control the onset and spread of the novel pathogens. This review-based study recommends that prevention of COVID-19 like pandemics from re-occurring is through tackling the issues related to the environment by controlling anthropogenic activities. It will also be important to track the lineage and future evolution course of such human pathogens so as to determine the nexus of environmental and biological factors in the development and spread of novel strains.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Ankit , Kumar A, Jain V, et al (2021)

Environmental impact of COVID-19 pandemic: more negatives than positives.

Environmental sustainability (Singapore), 4(3):447-454.

Coronaviruses are the well-known cause of severe respiratory, enteric and systemic infections in a wide range of animal hosts including man. The scientific interest on coronaviruses has increased since the outbreak of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) that initiated in Wuhan, China. This was soon declared a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern' by World Health Organisation (WHO). Presently, the best strategy against this pandemic is prevention through regular hand and face washes, use of masks, gloves and personal protective equipment and social distancing. At the government level, the task is to perform as many tests as possible to identify coronavirus infected people and to isolate them to avoid the uncontrollable spread of the virus. The ongoing and future strategies against coronavirus ensue that huge quantity of masks, plastic products (personal protective equipment (PPE) kits, face shields, etc.) and chemicals (chloroxylenol, chlorine, H2O2, etc.) would be generated as waste in near future. Further, the amount of water consumption per person shall also increase. These effects can have unforeseen impacts on the environment. Apart from this, the ecological impacts on human-animal interactions can also be seen, such as people avoiding pets in coming future as a health and safety measure. The present review gives an overview of coronavirus, its current state of spread and environmental and ecological risks ensuing from the pandemic.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Chaudhary M (2020)

COVID-19 susceptibility: potential of ACE2 polymorphisms.

The Egyptian journal of medical human genetics, 21(1):54.

BACKGROUND: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is a metallopeptidase that primarily functions as a negative regulator of renin angiotensin system (RAS) by converting angiotensin II (Ang II) to angiotensin 1-7. Contrary to this, another RAS component, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) catalyzes synthesis of Ang II from angiotensin I (Ang I) that functions as active compound in blood pressure regulation. This indicates importance of ACE/ACE2 level in regulating blood pressure by targeting Ang II. An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) highlighted the additional role of ACE2 as a receptor for SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection.

MAIN BODY OF THE ABSTRACT: ACE2 is a functional receptor for SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. Activation of spike (S)-protein by either type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs) or cathepsin-mediated cleavage initiates receptor binding and viral entry. In addition to TTSPs, ACE2 can also be trimmed by ADAM 17 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17) that competes for the same receptor. Cleavage by TTSPs activates ACE2 receptor for binding, whereas ADAM17 releases extracellular fragment called soluble ACE2 (sACE2). Structural studies of both ACE2 and S-protein have found critical sites involved in binding mechanism. In addition to studies on structural motifs, few single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) studies have been done to find an association between genetic variants and SARS susceptibility. Though no association was found in those reports, but seeing the non-reproducibility of SNP studies among different ethnic groups, screening of ACE2 SNPs in individual population can be undertaken.

SHORT CONCLUSION: Thus, screening for novel SNPs focussing on recently identified critical regions of ACE2 can be targeted to monitor susceptibility towards coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Oladejo BO, Adeboboye CF, TT Adebolu (2020)

Understanding the genetic determinant of severity in viral diseases: a case of SARS-Cov-2 infection.

The Egyptian journal of medical human genetics, 21(1):77.

BACKGROUND: Numerous research studies have identified specific human gene variants that affect enhanced susceptibility to viral infections. More recently is the current pandemic where the SARS-CoV-2 infection has shown a high degree of person-to-person clinical variability. A wide range of disease severity occurs in the patients' experiences, from asymptomatic cases, mild infections to serious life threatening conditions requiring admission into the intensive care unit (ICU).

MAIN BODY OF THE ABSTRACT: Although, it is generally reported that age and co-morbidities contribute significantly to the variations in the clinical outcome of the scourge of COVID-19, a hypothetical question of the possibility of genetic involvement in the susceptibility and severity of the disease arose when some unique severe outcomes were seen among young patients with no co-morbidity. The role human genetics play in clinical response to the viral infections is scarcely understood; however, several ongoing researches all around the world are currently focusing on possible genetic factors. This review reports the possible genetic factors that have been widely studied in defining the severity of viral infections using SARS-CoV-2 as a case study. These involve the possible involvements of ACE2, HLA, and TLR genes such as TLR7 and TLR3 in the presentation of a more severe condition.

SHORT CONCLUSION: Understanding these variations could help to inform efforts to identify people at increased risk of infection outbreaks through genetic diagnosis of infections by locating disease genes or mutations that predispose patients to severe infection. This will also suggest specific targets for therapy and prophylaxis.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Menshawey R, Menshawey E, Alserr AHK, et al (2020)

Low iron mitigates viral survival: insights from evolution, genetics, and pandemics-a review of current hypothesis.

The Egyptian journal of medical human genetics, 21(1):75.

BACKGROUND: Upon re-examination of our human history, evolutionary perspectives, and genetics, a prevailing iron deficiency phenotype appears to have evolved to protect the human race from extinction.

BODY: In this review, we summarize the evolutionary and genetic perspectives pointing towards the hypothesis that low iron mitigates infection. The presence of infection promotes the generation of resistance alleles, and there are some evolutionary and genetic clues that suggest the presence of an iron deficiency phenotype that may have developed to protect against infection. Examples include the relative paucity of iron overload genes given the essential role of iron, as well as the persistence of iron deficiency among populations in spite of public health efforts to treat it. Additional examination of geographic areas with severe iron deficiency in the setting of pandemics including H1N1, SARS, and COVID-19 reveals that areas with higher prevalence of iron deficiency are less affected. RNA viruses have several evolutionary adaptations which suggest their absolute need for iron, and this dependency may be exploited during treatment.

CONCLUSION: RNA viruses pose a unique challenge to modern healthcare, with an average of 2-3 new pathogens being discovered yearly. Their overarching requirements for iron, along with human evolutionary and genetic adaptations which favored an iron deficiency phenotype, ultimately suggest the potential need for iron control in these infections.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Rieder HE (2020)

[A review of the state of the climate crisis in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic].

Elektrotechnik und Informationstechnik : E & I, 137(7):335-340.

The atmospheric concentration of well-mixed greenhouse gases has drastically increased since 1850. The prime cause for this increase is anthropogenic activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels. As a consequence of the changing atmospheric composition, we observe a net positive radiative forcing, which manifests in global warming. The global mean surface temperature has increased since the preindustrial by about 1.0 °C. Under the assumption of continued greenhouse gas emissions, climate models project a temperature increase between 3.7 °C and 4.8 °C until 2100 (compared to the 1850-1900 mean). The assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change detail the catastrophic consequences of global warming of such extent for both ecosystems and mankind. As a consequence, the Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming to below 2 °C, ideally 1.5 °C, when compared to the preindustrial. To achieve this goal, fast and ambitious emission controls are required, reaching net zero emission by 2050 at the latest. Examining the global greenhouse gas emissions of recent decades, it becomes obvious how far away we are at present from reaching this goal. Also, the currently determined national contributions for emission reduction do not suffice to meet the 1.5 °C target. Thus, it is of uttermost importance to raise the global ambition in climate protection. The 1.5 °C target can still be reached, however, the time to set the required measures will expire within this decade.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Longhitano GA, Nunes GB, Candido G, et al (2021)

The role of 3D printing during COVID-19 pandemic: a review.

Progress in additive manufacturing, 6(1):19-37.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread through more than 180 countries, leading to diverse health systems overload around the world. Because of the high number of patients and the supply chain disruption, it generated a shortage of medical devices and personal protective equipment. In this context, initiatives from the additive manufacturing community emerged to fight the lack of devices. Diverse designs were produced and are currently being used in hospitals by patients and health workers. However, as some devices must follow strict standards, these products may not fulfill these standards. Therefore, to ensure the user's health, there is a need for understanding each device, their usage, and standards. This study reviews the use of additive manufacturing during COVID-19 pandemic. It gathers the source of several 3D printed devices such as face shields, face masks, valves, nasopharyngeal swabs, and others, discussing their use and regulatory issues. In this regard, the major drawbacks of the technology, addressed for the next pandemic scenario, are highlighted. Finally, some insights of the future of additive manufacturing during emergency are given and discussed.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Biswas TK, Biswas M, R Bandyopadhyay (2020)

An Overview of Coronavirus COVID-19 with their Pathogenesis and Risk Assessment of the Disease Utilizing Positive Predictive Value of the Clinical and Laboratory Data.

Transactions of the Indian National Academy of Engineering : an international journal of engineering and technology, 5(2):417-427.

COVID-19 has created a devastating pandemic, infecting more than 200 countries in its wake, only sparing Antarctica. The virus dissociates ferrous ion from the porphyrin ring of heme of haemoglobin-thus hampering the oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange in the lung and tissue. The toxic effect of ferrous (Fe[2+]) ions and carbon dioxide causes lung damage giving rise to severe respiratory distress and an often observed clotting disorder. Serum ferritin level is increased along with the rise of serum LDH, d-dimer, serum IL-6 and cardiac troponin. Associated leukocytosis, occasional lymphocytopenia and radiological changes of the lung are the pathological hallmarks of the disease. All these parameters including other clinical data such as age, fever, gender and associated co-morbidities may be used as a Risk Assessment tool for COVID-19 before the report of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) is available. A timely intervention can contribute to rescuing millions from an untimely death.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

da Silva FR, Junior AHL, Brant VM, et al (2020)

The effects of COVID-19 quarantine on eating and sleeping behaviors.

Nutrire : revista de Sociedade Brasileira de Alimentacao e Nutricao = journal of the Brazilian Society of Food and Nutrition, 45(2):25.

ABSTRACT: Since the beginning of the pandemic, the population has been exposed to a substantial period of social isolation, which leads to anxiety, fear, and metabolic and immune impairments.

PURPOSE: Considering that sleep restriction influences eating behavior, we highlight that changes in it may occur during the COVID-19 quarantine. Alterations in feeding time can uncouple the body clocks, leading to circadian misalignment and consequently to a disruption in homeostasis and disturbances in many metabolic functions.

METHOD: Narrative review.

RESULTS: Do not apply.

CONCLUSION: The increase of body weight is related to increased food intake in response to mental stress and more time spent at home, increased opportunity to feed, and increased visual and olfactory stimulation to eat, which represents a potential risk of overfeeding nowadays. In this article, we postulate that the unusual lifestyle imposed by the COVID-19 quarantine may induce a circadian misalignment, which is capable to induce alterations on eating and sleep behaviors.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Jefferson M (2020)

COVID-19: The Lessons We Should Have Learned from Existing Literature.

Biophysical economics and sustainability, 5(3):13.

The linkages between natural resources and human well-being lie at the heart of biophysical economics. Huge disruptions to human well-being which can occur as a result of the impact of particular natural resources or species are, or should be, an obvious focus of interest for the biophysical economist whose focus is on flows between the natural world and human society. The causes and consequences of such disruptions, such as emanate from pandemics and epidemics, are a clear example of this. There is a need for better understanding of these causes and consequences. As an example, twelve books on epidemics and pandemics are considered here as providing the core for what guidance they might, and should, have provided on the sources, spreaders, and responses to COVID-19. A substantial amount of guidance is given in these and other sources referenced, which if followed would have reduced spread and mortality, but in far too many countries preparedness and speed of responses were inadequate. An effective global network and funding are required, as long advocated, but still not implemented. The economic and resource costs of this failure are huge.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Chu AMY, Kwok PWH, Chan JNL, et al (2024)

COVID-19 Pandemic Risk Assessment: Systematic Review.

Risk management and healthcare policy, 17:903-925.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic presents the possibility of future large-scale infectious disease outbreaks. In response, we conducted a systematic review of COVID-19 pandemic risk assessment to provide insights into countries' pandemic surveillance and preparedness for potential pandemic events in the post-COVID-19 era.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to systematically identify relevant articles and synthesize pandemic risk assessment findings to facilitate government officials and public health experts in crisis planning.

METHODS: This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines and included over 620,000 records from the World Health Organization COVID-19 Research Database. Articles related to pandemic risk assessment were identified based on a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant articles were characterized based on study location, variable types, data-visualization techniques, research objectives, and methodologies. Findings were presented using tables and charts.

RESULTS: Sixty-two articles satisfying both the inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified. Among the articles, 32.3% focused on local areas, while another 32.3% had a global coverage. Epidemic data were the most commonly used variables (74.2% of articles), with over half of them (51.6%) employing two or more variable types. The research objectives covered various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with risk exposure assessment and identification of risk factors being the most common theme (35.5%). No dominant research methodology for risk assessment emerged from these articles.

CONCLUSION: Our synthesized findings support proactive planning and development of prevention and control measures in anticipation of future public health threats.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Mekonen ZT, Fenta TG, Nadeem SP, et al (2024)

Global Health Commodities Supply Chain in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges, Impacts, and Prospects: A Systematic Review.

Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 17:1523-1539.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic led to the most substantial health crisis in the 21st Century. This pandemic interrupted the supply of essential commodities for human beings. Among the essential commodities for human survival, disruption of the supply of essential health commodities has become a global concern.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to systematically analyze published articles on the challenges, impacts, and prospects of the global health commodities' supply chain in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: A standard searching strategy was conducted in seven research databases to retrieve pertinent articles. Finally, 459 articles were retrieved for further screening, and only 13 articles were selected for final synthesis.

RESULTS: Almost 38.5% of the studies targeted the supply chain of health commodities used to treat HIV, TB, and malaria. Lockdown policies, travel restrictions, lack of transportation, low manufacturing capacity, and rising costs were the significant challenges indicated for the supply interruption of essential health commodities and COVID-19 vaccines. Findings indicated that the supply interruption of essential health commodities leads to a devastating impact on global health.

CONCLUSION: Global medicine shortages due to the pandemic crisis can have a devastatingly harmful impact on patient outcomes and might result in a devastatingly long-lasting effect on the health of the world community. Supply-related challenges of the COVID-19 vaccine affect countries' ambitions for achieving herd immunity quickly. Monitoring the pandemic's effect on the health commodities' supply system and designing a short-term and long-term resilient health supply chain system that can cope with current and future health catastrophes is pivotal.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Chattu VK, Mol R, Singh B, et al (2024)

Pandemic treaty as an instrument to strengthen global health security: Global health diplomacy at its crux.

Health promotion perspectives, 14(1):9-18.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Assembly (WHA), on 1[st] December 2021, unanimously agreed to launch a global process to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement, or other international instrument under the World Health Organization's (WHO's) constitution to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. We aimed to explore the role of global health diplomacy (GHD) in pandemic treaty negotiations by providing deep insight into the ongoing drafting process under the WHO leadership.

METHODS: We conducted a narrative review by searching Scopus, Web of Sciences, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar search engine using the keywords "Pandemic Treaty," OR "International Health Regulations," OR "International conventions," OR "International treaties" in the context of recent COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, we included articles recommending the need for GHD, leadership and governance mechanisms for this international treaty drafting approved by the WHA.

RESULTS: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the concept of GHD bolstered the international system and remained high on the agendas of many national, regional and global platforms. As per Article 19 of the WHO constitution, the Assembly established an intergovernmental negotiating body (INB) to draft and negotiate this convention/ agreement to protect the world from disease outbreaks of pandemic potential. Since GHD has helped to strengthen international cooperation in health systems and address inequities in achieving health-related global targets, there is a great scope for the successful drafting of this pandemic treaty.

CONCLUSION: The pandemic treaty is a defining moment in global health governance, particularly the pandemic governance reforms. However, the treaty's purpose will only be served if the equity considerations are optimized, accountability mechanisms are established, and a sense of shared responsibility is embraced. While fulfilling treaty commitments might be complex and challenging, it provides an opportunity to rethink and build resilient systems for pandemic preparedness and response in the future.

RevDate: 2024-04-16

Kamble P, Daulatabad V, Singhal A, et al (2024)

JN.1 variant in enduring COVID-19 pandemic: is it a variety of interest (VoI) or variety of concern (VoC)?.

Hormone molecular biology and clinical investigation [Epub ahead of print].

The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, classified as a Variant of Concern (VoC) in November 2021, marked a significant shift in the COVID-19 landscape. This study investigates the subsequent development of a novel Omicron sublineage, JN.1, which displays distinctive mutations in the spike protein. The study delves into the phylogenetic differences between these variants and their potential implications. A comprehensive analysis of the genomic profiles and mutation patterns of JN.1 and BA.2.86 was conducted, utilizing SARS-CoV-2 database. The study explores the unique mutations, such as S:L455S in JN.1, associated with increased transmissibility and immune escape. Furthermore, a comparison with prevalent strains like XBB.1.5 and HV.1 highlights the substantial genetic divergence of JN.1. JN.1, first detected in August 2023, exhibits a notable spike protein mutation profile, including the reappearance of earlier variants' mutations (E484K and P681R). The variant's increased transmissibility and immune evasion potential are attributed to specific spike protein mutations like R21T, S50L, V127F, R158G, and others. The study also explores the distribution and prevalence of JN.1 globally, with a focus on the rising cases in India. JN.1 poses a unique challenge as one of the most immune-evading variants, with potential implications for COVID-19 transmission. The study emphasizes the importance of monitoring and understanding emerging variants, especially those with distinct spike protein mutations. The observed cases in India highlight the need for vigilance and prompt public health responses. As JN.1 continues to evolve, ongoing surveillance, vaccination strategies, and adherence to preventive measures are crucial to mitigating its potential impact on global public health.

RevDate: 2024-04-19
CmpDate: 2024-04-19

Bakhshaei A, Ramachandran S, M Brondani (2024)

Teledentistry within oral health care providers' training: A scoping review.

European journal of dental education : official journal of the Association for Dental Education in Europe, 28(2):631-644.

INTRODUCTION: Despite teledentistry (TD) ubiquitous utilization, it has yet to be fully adopted by oral health care providers' educational training. This study aimed to explore TD incorporation in the training of oral health care providers.

METHODS: This review included studies on the TD content offered to oral health care providers. The JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology was used, and two reviewers screened the literature. Studies published between 1989 and 4 June 2022 were searched using "Teledentistry" and "Education" as initial keywords. The searched databases included MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, EPPI, Scopus, Epistemonikos, ERIC, MedEdPORTAL, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, and Google Scholar. All of the relevant literature, regardless of their language, were added. The data were extracted using an extraction table and are presented in tabular and narrative summary formats.

RESULTS: A total of 2180 documents were found, and 1804 documents were screened by the title and abstract after deduplication; 59 were selected for full-text review; and 19 were eligible for data extraction. Of all studies, 63.15% were published after the COVID-19 pandemic. Practicing TD and TD reimbursement were some of the addressed topics. Didactic education and hands-on practice were the most employed training methods. Self/peer evaluations and surveys were among the employed assessment techniques.

CONCLUSION: TD education has been emphasized during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a variation in the existing TD educational programmes, from addressing topics to assessment techniques. However, the number of educational programmes on this topic is sparse.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Pomarici E, R Sardone (2020)

EU wine policy in the framework of the CAP: post-2020 challenges.

Agricultural and food economics, 8(1):17.

The EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and with it the EU wine policy, is experiencing a reform process, started in 2018, in order to address ambitious environmental and social objectives, in conjunction with the goal of a competitive agricultural sector. Given the role of the EU in wine supply, the aim of this paper is to present the design, the rationale and the potential effect of the proposed reform with specific reference to wine sector. To better understand the forthcoming process, it is firstly presented how CAP and its wine policy evolved in terms of objectives and tools over time. The EU wine policy is a paradigmatic example of a combination between the horizontal measures, valid for all agricultural sectors, and vertical measures, peculiarly encompassing the whole wine supply chain. The reform proposal confirms, with some interesting modifications, the set of tools already operating in the sector; however, it calls for a planning of the implementation of the available tools for all products in a unitary frame represented by a national CAP Strategic Plan, applying a lean administrative procedure. In the hypothesis that the COVID-19 outbreak will not cause a radical change in the global agri-food system, the proposed planning process should stimulate shared strategies. These are intended to effectively coordinate, according to the principle of complementarity, the implementation of available policy tools, in order to obtain a better use of resources and a more balanced achievement of all policy objectives.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Singh R, V Vijayan (2020)

Chloroquine: A Potential Drug in the COVID-19 Scenario.

Transactions of the Indian National Academy of Engineering : an international journal of engineering and technology, 5(2):399-410.

Today, the whole world is fighting a public health emergency called 'COVID-19' caused by a new infectious virus called SARS-CoV2. Any person can catch COVID-19 from an infected person via aerosol droplets when the person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. To limit such a transmission, World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended people to wear masks and physically distance themselves by staying at least 1 m (3 feet) away from others. As aerosol droplets (by cough or sneeze) land on objects and surfaces around the person such as tables, doorknobs and handrails, and remain active on these surfaces for hours to days, people are advised to use soaps for at least 20 s. and alcohol-based sanitizers as well. As the public made efforts, clinicians and researchers investigated and found that drugs which were initially used to treat other diseases may work as a treatment option for COVID-19. One of those drugs was Chloroquine and its related derivative called hydroxychloroquine. In this review article, we have systematically searched for details of COVID-19 pandemic till May 2020 and assembled few data pertaining to (i) Corona viruses; (ii) SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19' and (iii) How chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine mediates anti-viral effect in both prophylactic and therapeutic setting. These data have been acquired mostly from PubMed and websites of WHO and Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). We did a systematic search and found that the properties of chloroquine are very much essential for the COVID-19 scenario. We also bring to you some evidence that the anti-lysosomal activity of chloroquine may be increased by botanicals like betulinic acid.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Teixeira Zavadzki de Pauli S, Kleina M, WH Bonat (2020)

Comparing Artificial Neural Network Architectures for Brazilian Stock Market Prediction.

Annals of data science, 7(4):613-628.

Prediction of financial time series is a great challenge for statistical models. In general, the stock market times series present high volatility due to its sensitivity to economic and political factors. Furthermore, recently, the covid-19 pandemic has caused a drastic change in the stock exchange times series. In this challenging context, several computational techniques have been proposed to improve the performance of predicting such times series. The main goal of this article is to compare the prediction performance of five neural network architectures in predicting the six most traded stocks of the official Brazilian stock exchange B3 from March 2019 to April 2020. We trained the models to predict the closing price of the next day using as inputs its own previous values. We compared the predictive performance of multiple linear regression, Elman, Jordan, radial basis function, and multilayer perceptron architectures based on the root of the mean square error. We trained all models using the training set while hyper-parameters such as the number of input variables and hidden layers were selected using the testing set. Moreover, we used the trimmed average of 100 bootstrap samples as our prediction. Thus, our approach allows us to measure the uncertainty associate with the predicted values. The results showed that for all times series, considered all architectures, except the radial basis function, the networks tunning provide suitable fit, reasonable predictions, and confidence intervals.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Zhou J, Hu Z, Zabihi F, et al (2020)

Progress and Perspective of Antiviral Protective Material.

Advanced fiber materials, 2(3):123-139.

Public health events caused by viruses pose a significant risk to humans worldwide. From December 2019 till now, the rampant novel 2019 coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2) has hugely impacted China and over world. Regarding a commendable means of protection, mask technology is relatively mature, though most of the masks cannot effectively resist the viral infections. The key material of the mask is a non-woven material, which makes the barrier of virus through filtration. Due to the lack of the ability to kill the viruses, masks are prone to cross-infection and become an additional source of infection after being discarded. If the filteration and antiviral effects can be simultaneously integrated into the mask, it will be more effcient, work for a longer time and create less difficulty in post-treatment. This mini-review presents the advances in antiviral materials, different mechanisms of their activity, and their potential applications in personal protective fabrics. Furthermore, the article addresses the future challenges and directions of mask technology.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Mack K, Kruszelnicki K, Randall L, et al (2020)

Reaching out.

Nature reviews. Physics, 2(6):282-284.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, science is crucial to inform public policy. At the same time, mistrust of scientists and misinformation about scientific facts are rampant. Six scientists, actively involved in outreach, reflect on how to build a better understanding and trust of science.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Kullar R, Goff DA, Gauthier TP, et al (2020)

To Tweet or Not to Tweet-a Review of the Viral Power of Twitter for Infectious Diseases.

Current infectious disease reports, 22(6):14.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: With real-time communication crucial to both healthcare professionals (HCPs) and the public in infectious diseases (ID), social media networking sites has become even more important. Twitter is the most popular form of social media used for ID communication. We will review the power of Twitter in ID.

RECENT FINDINGS: Twitter allows for real-time sharing of educational resources at ID scientific conferences, enabling individuals that are not able to attend conferences to follow conferences anytime anywhere and stimulate discussion around topics of interest with experts from across the globe. Further, Twitter chats are a valuable tool for stewardship, with different accounts periodically hosting chats on various stewardship topics. Several studies have also demonstrated the strong relationship between dissemination and citation impact of publications with the help of Twitter. There is great value in engaging with non-ID people on Twitter via dissemination of ID knowledge to other disciplines. Lastly, when used appropriately, Twitter is a useful site for distributing vaccine information, whether informally (by advocates and physicians) or formally (by government entities) and allows one to keep up with ongoing ID outbreaks in real time.

SUMMARY: Twitter has transformed how we communicate in healthcare. Particularly in ID, where bacteria and viruses can enter/exit borders anytime anywhere, global real-time information about outbreaks and antimicrobial resistance for clinicians and the public is critical. Twitter has no hierarchy or barriers, is a conduit for global collaboration, and is a way for HCPs and the public to "social"ize on healthcare topics, if used appropriately.

RevDate: 2024-04-17
CmpDate: 2024-04-17

Choi HS, Choi AY, Kopp JB, et al (2024)

Review of COVID-19 Therapeutics by Mechanism: From Discovery to Approval.

Journal of Korean medical science, 39(14):e134.

The global research and pharmaceutical community rapidly mobilized to develop treatments for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Existing treatments have been repurposed and new drugs have emerged. Here we summarize mechanisms and clinical trials of COVID-19 therapeutics approved or in development. Two reviewers, working independently, reviewed published data for approved COVID-19 vaccines and drugs, as well as developmental pipelines, using databases from the following organizations: United States Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), Japanese Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), and ClinicalTrials.gov. In all, 387 drugs were found for initial review. After removing unrelated trials and drugs, 66 drugs were selected, including 17 approved drugs and 49 drugs under development. These drugs were classified into six categories: 1) drugs targeting the viral life cycle 2) Anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Monoclonal Antibodies, 3) immunomodulators, 4) anti-coagulants, 5) COVID-19-induced neuropathy drugs, and 6) other therapeutics. Among the 49 drugs under development are the following: 6 drugs targeting the viral life cycle, 12 immunosuppression drugs, 2 immunostimulants, 2 HIF-PHD targeting drugs, 3 GM-CSF targeting drugs, 5 anti-coagulants, 2 COVID-19-induced neuropathy drugs, and 17 others. This review provides insight into mechanisms of action, properties, and indications for COVID-19 medications.

RevDate: 2024-04-16

Plys E, Ahmad N, Wei A, et al (2024)

Psychosocial Distress Among Certified Nursing Assistants in Long-Term Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Social Ecological Model Informed Scoping Review.

Clinical gerontologist [Epub ahead of print].

OBJECTIVES: This scoping review maps the literature on psychosocial distress and coping among nursing assistants (CNAs) in long-term care facilities (LTC) during the COVID-19 pandemic onto the Social Ecological Model (SEM) of Occupational Stress.

METHODS: Searches yielded 862 unique studies. Inclusion criteria were sample CNAs or equivalent in LTC; includes psychosocial variable; and collect data from February 2020-. A multi-phasic, meta-synthesis was used to synthesize qualitative data.

RESULTS: We identified 20 studies (13 quantitative, 7 qualitative) conducted between March 2020 and December 2021 from 14 countries. Prevalence rates were reported for perceived stress (31-33%; n = 1 study), post-traumatic stress (42%; n = 1), anxiety (53%; n = 1), depression (15-59%; n = 2), suicidal thoughts (11-15%; n = 1), and everyday emotional burnout (28%; n = 1). Qualitative studies identified factors contributing to psychosocial distress and coping at each SEM level (i.e. individual, microsystem, organization, and peri-/extra-organizational). Quantitative studies primarily measured factors relating to psychosocial distress and coping at the individual and organizational levels.

This review identifies specific targets for intervention for psychosocial distress among CNAs in LTC at multiple levels, including job clarity; workload; facility culture; community relations; and policy. These intervention targets remain relevant to the LTC industry beyond the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Chan JF, Yuan S, Chu H, et al (2024)

COVID-19 drug discovery and treatment options.

Nature reviews. Microbiology [Epub ahead of print].

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused substantial morbidity and mortality, and serious social and economic disruptions worldwide. Unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated older individuals with underlying diseases are especially prone to severe disease. In patients with non-fatal disease, long COVID affecting multiple body systems may persist for months. Unlike SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, which have either been mitigated or remained geographically restricted, SARS-CoV-2 has disseminated globally and is likely to continue circulating in humans with possible emergence of new variants that may render vaccines less effective. Thus, safe, effective and readily available COVID-19 therapeutics are urgently needed. In this Review, we summarize the major drug discovery approaches, preclinical antiviral evaluation models, representative virus-targeting and host-targeting therapeutic options, and key therapeutics currently in clinical use for COVID-19. Preparedness against future coronavirus pandemics relies not only on effective vaccines but also on broad-spectrum antivirals targeting conserved viral components or universal host targets, and new therapeutics that can precisely modulate the immune response during infection.

RevDate: 2024-04-17
CmpDate: 2024-04-17

Mahsusi M, Hudaa S, Nuryani N, et al (2024)

Global Rate of Willingness to Volunteer Among Medical and Health Students During Pandemic: Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis.

JMIR medical education, 10:e56415.

BACKGROUND: During health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, shortages of health care workers often occur. Recruiting students as volunteers could be an option, but it is uncertain whether the idea is well-accepted.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to estimate the global rate of willingness to volunteer among medical and health students in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar for studies reporting the number of health students willing to volunteer during COVID-19 from 2019 to November 17, 2023. The meta-analysis was performed using a restricted maximum-likelihood model with logit transformation.

RESULTS: A total of 21 studies involving 26,056 health students were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimate of the willingness-to-volunteer rate among health students across multiple countries was 66.13%, with an I2 of 98.99% and P value of heterogeneity (P-Het)<.001. Removing a study with the highest influence led to the rate being 64.34%. Our stratified analyses indicated that those with older age, being first-year students, and being female were more willing to volunteer (P<.001). From highest to lowest, the rates were 77.38%, 77.03%, 65.48%, 64.11%, 62.71%, and 55.23% in Africa, Western Europe, East and Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Eastern Europe, respectively. Because of the high heterogeneity, the evidence from this study has moderate strength.

CONCLUSIONS: The majority of students are willing to volunteer during COVID-19, suggesting that volunteer recruitment is well-accepted.

RevDate: 2024-04-18
CmpDate: 2024-04-18

Shaji Mathew J, Shingina A, Khan MQ, et al (2024)

Proceedings of the 28th Annual Congress of the International Liver Transplantation Society.

Liver transplantation : official publication of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society, 30(5):544-554.

The 2023 Joint International Congress of the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS), the European Liver and Intestine Transplant Association (ELITA), and the Liver Intensive Care Group of Europe (LICAGE) held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, marked a significant recovery milestone for the liver transplant community after COVID-19. With 1159 participants and a surge in abstract submissions, the event focused on "Liver Disorders and Transplantation: Innovations and Evolving Indications." This conference report provides a comprehensive overview of the key themes discussed during the event, encompassing Hepatology, Anesthesia and Critical Care, Acute Liver Failure, Infectious Disease, Immunosuppression, Pediatric Liver Transplantation, Living Donor Liver Transplantation, Transplant Oncology, Surgical Approaches, and Machine Perfusion. The congress provided a platform for extensive discussions on a wide range of topics, reflecting the continuous advancements and collaborative efforts within the liver transplant community.

RevDate: 2024-04-18
CmpDate: 2024-04-18

Kheur S, Ghosal S, KM Desai (2024)

Oral Microbial and Molecular Cross Talk between SARS-CoV-2 and Diabetes Mellitus - A Mini Review.

Current diabetes reviews, 20(2):e260423216221.

The oral microbiome has long been considered a measure of overall systemic health. It is often significantly altered in case of chronic inflammation or any other systemic infection. Therefore, a shift in oral microbiota and oral health is bound to be observed in diabetics infected with the coronavirus. The prognosis of COVID-19 in a diabetic individual is often worse than that in a healthy individual. The increased pathogenicity of coronavirus in diabetics is due to the peculiar ways in which it interacts with specific physiological mechanisms in a diabetic patient and vice versa. Diabetes Mellitus Type-II (DM -II) is one of the most frequently associated co-morbidities in a COVID-19 patient, and therefore it is even more pertinent that their interrelationship is understood. It is essential to recognize the above-mentioned interactions and consider their implications while treating susceptible patients. This article attempts to review and summarize the said vital interactions. Additionally, it attempts to guide and prepare oral health professionals on what to expect and how to treat diabetic patients in a future where coronavirus is, as unfortunate as it is, a regularity and not a rarity.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Bizzoca ME, Leuci S, Mignogna MD, et al (2022)

Natural compounds may contribute in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection: a narrative review.

Food science and human wellness, 11(5):1134-1142.

Coronavirus pandemic infection is the most important health issue worldwide. Coronavirus disease 2019 is a contagious disease characterized by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. To date, excluding the possibility of vaccination, against SARS-CoV-2 infection it is possible to act only with supportive care and non-virus-specific treatments in order to improve the patient's symptoms. Pharmaceutical industry is investigating effects of medicinal plants, phytochemical extracts and aromatic herbs to find out natural substances which may act as antiviral drugs. Several studies have revealed how these substances may interfere with the viral life cycle, viral entry, replication, assembly or discharge, as well as virus-specific host targets or stimulating the host immune system, reducing oxidative stress and inflammatory response. A natural compound can be used as a prophylaxis by people professionally exposed to the risk of contagion and/or positive patients not in intensive care. The aim of this paper is to perform a narrative review of current literature in order to summarize the most studied natural compounds and their modes of action.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Wolf A, Khimani F, Yoon B, et al (2022)

The mechanistic basis linking cytokine storm to thrombosis in COVID-19.

Thrombosis update, 8:100110.

It is now well established that infection with SARS-CoV-2 resulting in COVID-19 disease includes a severely symptomatic subset of patients in whom an aggressive and/or dysregulated host immune response leads to cytokine storm syndrome (CSS) that may be further complicated by thrombotic events, contributing to the severe morbidity and mortality observed in COVID-19. This review provides a brief overview of cytokine storm in COVID-19, and then presents a mechanistic discussion of how cytokine storm affects integrated pathways in thrombosis involving the endothelium, platelets, the coagulation cascade, eicosanoids, auto-antibody mediated thrombosis, and the fibrinolytic system.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Silva-HernĂ¡ndez L, Cabal-Paz B, Mayo-Canalejo D, et al (2021)

Post-COVID symptoms of potential peripheral nervous and muscular origin.

Neurology perspectives, 1:S25-S30.

Many patients report persistent symptoms attributable to dysfunction of the peripheral nervous and muscular systems after acute COVID-19. These symptoms may constitute part of the so-called post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS), or may result from neuromuscular complications of hospitalisation in intensive care units (ICUs). This article provides an updated review of symptoms of potential neuromuscular origin in patients with PACS, differentiating symptoms according to muscle, peripheral nerve, or autonomic nervous system involvement, and analyses the forms of neuromuscular involvement in patients who were admitted to the ICU due to severe COVID-19.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Altuna M, SĂ¡nchez-SaudinĂ³s MB, A LleĂ³ (2021)

Cognitive symptoms after COVID-19.

Neurology perspectives, 1:S16-S24.

INTRODUCTION: SARS-CoV-2 infection frequently causes neurological symptoms. Cognitive alterations are among the most frequent symptoms, and may persist beyond the acute phase of infection.

METHODS: We conducted a narrative review of the literature.

RESULTS: Hospitalised patients, and especially critically ill patients, are at greater risk of developing cognitive symptoms. Post-COVID-19 cognitive symptoms, unlike those associated with other viral illnesses, have been observed in patients with mild infection, and present some atypical features. Cognitive symptoms may last longer in COVID-19 than in other infectious processes, and more frequently affect young people. Post-COVID-19 cognitive symptoms share common features with those described in chronic fatigue syndrome, including a similar profile with affective symptoms. Brief screening tests for cognitive impairment present suboptimal diagnostic performance, and standardised criteria are needed to ensure correct diagnosis.Post-COVID-19 cognitive impairment can have a significant impact on the patient's quality of life and functional independence, regardless of other post-COVID-19 symptoms. Currently, no specific treatments have been approved for post-COVID-19 cognitive impairment, although cognitive stimulation may be useful in some patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Post-COVID-19 cognitive symptoms are common and are often associated with other systemic symptoms. Neuropsychological evaluation may be useful for diagnosis and to quantify their severity and long-term prognosis. Detailed, and individualised assessment of cognitive impairment may enable the design of treatment plans.

RevDate: 2024-04-18

Membrilla JA, Caronna E, Trigo-LĂ³pez J, et al (2021)

Persistent headache after COVID-19: Pathophysioloy, clinic and treatment.

Neurology perspectives, 1:S31-S36.

SARS-CoV-2 is the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The acute infection is characterised not only by respiratory symptoms, but also by multiple systemic manifestations, including neurological symptoms. Among these, headache is a frequent complaint. As the pandemic progresses and the population of patients recovering from COVID-19 grows, it is becoming apparent that the headache present in the acute stage of the infection may persist for an indeterminate period, becoming a major problem for the patient and potentially leading to disability. In this review we describe the pathophysiological and clinical aspects of persistent headache after COVID-19 based on the information currently available in the literature and the authors' clinical experience.

RevDate: 2024-04-17
CmpDate: 2024-04-17

Kotani Y, Belletti A, Maiucci G, et al (2024)

Renin as a Prognostic Marker in Intensive Care and Perioperative Settings: A Scoping Review.

Anesthesia and analgesia, 138(5):929-936.

Serum renin increases in response to sympathetic nerve activation and hypotension. Recent studies have reported the association of serum renin levels with adverse clinical outcomes in acute care settings. This scoping review aimed to systematically review the available literature on renin as a prognostic marker in intensive care and perioperative patients. We searched for studies published since inception until March 31, 2023, which assessed the association between serum renin levels and clinical outcomes or the effect of synthetic angiotensin II administration on serum renin levels in critically ill and perioperative patients in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. The primary outcome was mortality at the longest follow-up; the secondary outcomes were adverse renal outcomes (ie, acute kidney injury, the need for renal replacement therapy, and major adverse kidney events), hemodynamic instability, outcomes to angiotensin II administration, and prognostic performance for mortality when compared with lactate. Among the 2081 studies identified, we included 16 studies with 1573 patients (7 studies on shock, 5 on nonspecific critical illness, 2 on cardiac surgery, 1 on noncardiac surgery, and 1 on coronavirus disease 2019). A significant association between serum renin levels and poor outcomes was identified in 14 studies, with 10 studies demonstrating an association with mortality. One post hoc analysis found that angiotensin II administration reduced mortality in patients with markedly elevated renin values. Two studies showed that renin was superior to lactate as a prognostic marker of mortality. Our scoping review showed that elevated serum renin levels may be associated with clinically relevant outcomes among various perioperative and intensive care populations. Increased serum renin levels may identify patients in which synthetic angiotensin II administration improves clinical outcomes and may outperform serum lactate in predicting mortality.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Khimani F, Wolf AJ, Yoon B, et al (2023)

Therapeutic considerations for prevention and treatment of thrombotic events in COVID-19.

Thrombosis update, 10:100126.

Thrombosis is a known complication of SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly within a severely symptomatic subset of patients with COVID-19 disease, in whom an aggressive host immune response leads to cytokine storm syndrome (CSS). The incidence of thrombotic events coinciding with CSS may contribute to the severe morbidity and mortality observed in association with COVID-19. This review provides an overview of pharmacologic approaches based upon an emerging understanding of the mechanisms responsible for thrombosis across a spectrum of COVID-19 disease involving an interplay between immunologic and pro-thrombotic events, including endothelial injury, platelet activation, altered coagulation pathways, and impaired fibrinolysis.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Risnandar (2022)

DeSa COVID-19: Deep salient COVID-19 image-based quality assessment.

Journal of King Saud University. Computer and information sciences, 34(10):9501-9512.

This study offers an advanced method to evaluate the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) image quality. The salient COVID-19 image map is incorporated with the deep convolutional neural network (DCNN), namely DeSa COVID-19, which exerts the n-convex method for the full-reference image quality assessment (FR-IQA). The glaring outcomes substantiate that DeSa COVID-19 and the recommended DCNN architecture can convey a remarkable accomplishment on the COVID-chestxray and the COVID-CT datasets, respectively. The salient COVID-19 image map is also gauged in the minuscule COVID-19 image patches. The exploratory results attest that DeSa COVID-19 and the recommended DCNN methods are very good accomplishment compared with other advanced methods on COVID-chestxray and COVID-CT datasets, respectively. The recommended DCNN also acquires the enhanced outgrowths faced with several advanced full-reference-medical-image-quality-assessment (FR-MIQA) techniques in the fast fading (FF), blocking artifact (BA), white noise Gaussian (WG), JPEG, and JPEG2000 (JP2K) in the distorted and undistorted COVID-19 images. The Spearman's rank order correlation coefficient (SROCC) and the linear correlation coefficient (LCC) appraise the recommended DCNN and DeSa COVID-19 fulfillment which are compared the recent FR-MIQA methods. The DeSa COVID-19 evaluation outshines 2.63% and 2.62% higher compared the recommended DCNN, and 28.53% and 29.01% esteem all of advanced FR-MIQAs methods on SROCC and LCC measures, respectively. The shift add operations of trigonometric, logarithmic, and exponential functions are mowed down in the computational complexity of the DeSa COVID-19 and the recommended DCNN. The DeSa COVID-19 more superior the recommended DCNN and also the other recent full-reference medical image quality assessment methods.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Altooq N, Humood A, Alajaimi A, et al (2022)

The role of micronutrients in the management of COIVD-19 and optimizing vaccine efficacy.

Human nutrition & metabolism, 27:200141.

Since COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic, a race between researchers has begun to deeply examine the mechanism of the virus and how to combat it. Few clinical investigations and studies have paid attention to the role of micronutrients in the disease's course and how it may affect the disease outcomes. Micronutrients have a noticeable effect on the host immune system regulation, as well as micronutrients insufficiencies where they can affect the host immune response against SARS-CoV-2 by, for example, altering the production and the function of the inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, IFN-α, TNF and interleukins. Recent studies have shown that low levels of vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin A, zinc, selenium, copper and magnesium have a great clinical impact on COVID-19 patients, where, they are linked to prolong hospital stay, increase the mortality rate and raise the complications rate related not only to the respiratory system but also to the other systems. Optimizing the need for these micronutrients will act as a productive factor by decreasing the incidence of COVID-19 infection, lowering the rate of complications, and improving the disease prognosis and outcomes. Optimal micro-nutrition supports and contributes to the efficiency of COVID-19 vaccine. The aim of this review is to highlight the role of different micronutrients in the management of COVID-19 and optimizing vaccines, and to revile the clinical effects of micronutrients deficiencies on patients with COVID-19.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Shruti VC, PĂ©rez-Guevara F, G Kutralam-Muniasamy (2021)

Wet wipes contribution to microfiber contamination under COVID-19 era: An important but overlooked problem.

Environmental challenges (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 5:100267.

Wet wipes for disinfection, sanitizing, and medical purposes, like personal protective equipment, have witnessed an upsurge in production and use as a result of COVID-19 outbreak. They are a potential source of microfibers and have recently been found in COVID-19 plastic litter survey campaigns conducted in a few marine environments around the world. This mini-review highlights wet wipes as a one of the key debris items contributing to the growing COVID-19-related microplastic pollution, and there are significant gaps in our understanding of microfiber release under different environmental conditions, morphological, and chemical degradation signatures, necessitating a comprehensive study of disinfectant wipes. Thus, we urge microplastic researchers to investigate the environmental implications of wet wipes in order to keep the total estimate of the plastic problem up to date and manage the associated environmental challenges.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Arbillaga-Etxarri A, Lista-Paz A, Alcaraz-Serrano V, et al (2022)

[Respiratory physiotherapy in post-COVID-19: a decision-making algorithm for clinical practice].

Open respiratory archives, 4(1):100139.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has posed a great challenge for the healthcare system which has been later aggravated by the need of managing clinical manifestations and potential sequelae in COVID-19 survivors. In this context, respiratory Physiotherapy emerges as a cornerstone in the interdisciplinary management warranted in this population. Given that the implementation and resources available for the interdisciplinary therapeutic interventions in Spain is scarce, it is essential to perform a comprehensive, exhaustive and personalised assessment. This will allow us to establish more accurate selection criteria in order to optimise the use of existing human and material resources. To this end, we propose here a decision-making algorithm for clinical practice to assess the clinical manifestations in people recovered from COVID-19 based on well-established, validated tests and assessment tools. This algorithm can be used at any clinical practice environment (primary care/community or hospital-based), combined with a patient-centered model and the use of community and e-Health resources and its application to improve the Physiotherapy care of these patients in the COVID-19 era.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Adhikari A, Sengupta J, CM Hussain (2021)

Declining carbon emission/concentration during COVID-19: A critical review on temporary relief.

Carbon trends, 5:100131.

In December 2019 the deadly pandemic COVID-19 traumatized mankind through its lethal impact. To seize the outbreak, nationwide/region-based lockdown strategies were adopted by most of the COVID-19 affected countries. This in turn resulted in restricted transportation via surface, water, and air, as well as significantly reduced working hours of the industry sectors, so on and so forth. The obvious outcome was a sudden discernible decline in atmospheric adulteration. Accordingly, the anthropogenic emissions at the global and regional/local scales were examined during the lockdown period by several researchers using both or either satellite-based and ground-based monitoring. Among several other air-contaminants, carbon has a dominant toxicological profile causing adverse health effects and thereby attracting researches interest in carbon-release probing during the systematic confinement period imposed by the ruling authorities across the globe. The results of those studies indicated a confirmed decline in carbon emission/concentration making the air more breathable for the period. In this review, the studies related to anthropogenic emissions of carbon during the lockdown period are accounted for by compiling the recently reported data from published articles.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Foroughi M, Gupta R, Ganguly A, et al (2021)

Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of COVID-19: A Review.

Advances in psychiatry and behavioral health, 1(1):161-172.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Shao L, Ge S, Jones T, et al (2021)

The role of airborne particles and environmental considerations in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

Geoscience frontiers, 12(5):101189.

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus, results in an acute respiratory condition coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and is highly infectious. The recent spread of this virus has caused a global pandemic. Currently, the transmission routes of SARS-CoV-2 are being established, especially the role of environmental transmission. Here we review the environmental transmission routes and persistence of SARS-CoV-2. Recent studies have established that the transmission of this virus may occur, amongst others, in the air, water, soil, cold-chain, biota, and surface contact. It has also been found that the survival potential of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is dependent on different environmental conditions and pollution. Potentially important pathways include aerosol and fecal matter. Particulate matter may also be a carrier for SARS-CoV-2. Since microscopic particles can be easily absorbed by humans, more attention must be focused on the dissemination of these particles. These considerations are required to evolve a theoretical platform for epidemic control and to minimize the global threat from future epidemics.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Paramitha MP, Suyanto JC, S Puspitasari (2021)

The role of continuous renal replacement therapy (Crrt) in Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients.

Trends in anaesthesia & critical care, 39:12-18.

Even without the presence of the novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), acute kidney injury has been a serious problem in medicine for decades, with mortality rate up to 70% among those who eventually required renal replacement therapy, and the number has not changed significantly for the last 30 years despite major advances in technology and experience. On the other hand, even without acute kidney injury, COVID-19 was a major cause of death globally in the year 2020, but the occurrence of acute kidney injury among COVID-19 patients is an independent risk factor of increased mortality. Continuous renal replacement therapy has been recommended to treat acute kidney injury in COVID-19 patients instead of conventional intermittent hemodialysis. Moreover, its use might have another beneficial role in stopping the progression of severe COVID-19 by removing pro-inflammatory cytokines during cytokine storm syndrome, which is postulated as the pathophysiology behind severe and critically severe cases of COVID-19. This review will cover a brief history of continuous renal replacement therapy and its modalities, before digging up more into its use in COVID-19 patients, including the optimum filtration dose and timing, membrane filtration used, vascular access, anticoagulation therapy, and drug dosing adjustment during continuous renal replacement therapy.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Bhushan I, Sharma M, Mehta M, et al (2021)

Bioactive compounds and probiotics-a ray of hope in COVID-19 management.

Food science and human wellness, 10(2):131-140.

The use of bioactive compounds and probiotic bacteria against the viral diseases in human is known for a long time. Anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties of bioactive compounds and bacteria with probiotic properties in respiratory viral diseases may have significance to enhance immunity. This review highlights some of the important bioactive compounds and probiotic bacteria, suggesting them as a ray of hope in the milieu of the COVID-19 management.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Sengupta J, CM Hussain (2021)

Carbon nanomaterials to combat virus: A perspective in view of COVID-19.

Carbon trends, 2:100019.

The rapid outbreaks of lethal viruses necessitate the development of novel antiviral substance. Besides the conventional antiviral substances, biocompatible nanomaterials also have significant potential in combating the virus at various stages of infection. Carbon nanomaterials have an impressive record against viruses and can deal with many crucial healthcare issues. In accordance with the published literature, biocompatible carbon nanomaterials have a promising prospect as an antiviral substance. Subsequently, the antiviral properties of different carbon nanomaterials namely fullerene, carbon nanotube, carbon dot and graphene oxide have been reviewed.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Lange KW (2021)

Food science and COVID-19.

Food science and human wellness, 10(1):1-5.

Theories proposing a role of specific dietary components or food supplements in the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 have received extensive social media coverage. A multitude of scientific publications have also pointed to the importance of food and nutrition in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. The present perspective critically addresses the question of what food science can actually contribute in this context. Animal studies suggest that micronutrients, food bioactives or functional foods may carry the potential to augment viral defense. However, the specific roles of food components in viral infectious diseases in humans remain unclear. Rigorous research assessing the efficacy of food compounds in counteracting infections would require long-term randomized controlled trials in large samples. While no foods, single nutrients or dietary supplements are capable of preventing infection with COVID-19, a balanced diet containing sufficient amounts of macronutrients and diverse micronutrients is a prerequisite of an optimally functioning immune system. High-energy diets and obesity are major risk factors for a more severe course of COVID-19. Therefore, population-wide body weight control and weight reduction in overweight people are important preventive measures. Diet may play a beneficial role in maintaining a healthy body weight and preventing non-communicable conditions.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Fajardo A, RodrĂ­guez A, Chica C, et al (2023)

[Prone position in the third trimester of pregnancy during the COVID-19 era: a transdisciplinary approach.].

Clinica e investigacion en ginecologia y obstetricia pii:S0210-573X(23)00076-X [Epub ahead of print].

There is very limited evidence regarding the use of prone position as part of the treatment of severe ARDS in pregnant patients. Currently, recommendations for invasive ventilatory management in this population are very scarce and are based on the extrapolation of conclusions obtained in studies of non-pregnant patients. The available literature asserts that the anatomy and physiology of the pregnant woman undergoes complex adaptive changes that must be considered during invasive ventilatory support and prone position. With prone ventilation, the benefits obtained for the couple far outweigh the eventual risks. Adequate programming of the mechanical ventilator correlates with a clear and simple concept: individualization of support. In any case, the decision on the timing of termination of pregnancy should be based on adequate multidisciplinary clinical judgment and should be supported by strict monitoring of the product.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

de Broucker T (2023)

[COVID-19: Neurological manifestations and complications during the acute phase of the disease].

Bulletin de l'Academie nationale de medecine pii:S0001-4079(23)00190-5 [Epub ahead of print].

The neurological manifestations and complications of the acute phase of COVID-19 are numerous. They mainly concern the central nervous system in the frequent forms of encephalopathy, encephalitis and neurovascular pathologies. Peripheral neurological manifestations mainly include acute polyneuropathies such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and intensive care neuromyopathies. Most of these manifestations were described during the first wave of the pandemic. The epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical, pathophysiological and therapeutic aspects are addressed in this general review of the literature published from 2020 to early 2023.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Das A, Azarudheen S, Chandrasekaran B, et al (2023)

The plausible effects of wearing face masks on sports performance - A scoping review.

Science & sports pii:S0765-1597(23)00133-8 [Epub ahead of print].

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this scoping review are to discuss, firstly, the positive aspects of wearing face masks during training (such as a barrier to COVID-19 transmission, air pollutant exposure, and adding load on respiratory resistance flow); secondly, the negative aspects (adverse effects on body temperature and hypoxia risks); and thirdly, the training responses of wearing face masks on aerobic and anaerobic performance.

NEWS: Besides social distancing and hand hygiene, wearing a face mask is proposed to be the prime advocacy for virus containment. During the period of high risk of contamination, the return to sport guidelines proposed by international and national sport federations included wearing face masks during training sessions. However, it is necessary to discuss the pros and cons of wearing face masks during exercise.

PROSPECTS: Although it was essential to wear a face mask during exercise or sport-specific training, there is conflicting evidence on the implications of the use of face masks on physical, physiological as well as psychological well-being or performance. Based on the conflicting empirical findings and anecdotal evidence, certain recommendations have been made for adequate use of face masks during exercise; both to break the chain of transmission and prevent the physiological compromise expected from wearing face masks during exercise. The present review can help stakeholders balance sport guidelines in the event of a respiratory virus pandemic with athlete safety.

CONCLUSION: Conflicting evidence of mechanistic links between the dose of exercise and the possible adverse effects associated with exercising with face masks is available. Adequately powered studies with strong methodological quality on appropriate selection of masks and usage based on the intensity, duration, and type of sport, age, and gender is needed now for the stakeholders to make informed decisions with respect to exercising with face masks.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Nori W, D Akeel Salman (2023)

Seminal fluid changes in the COVID-19 era: During infection and Post-vaccination.

Gynecology and obstetrics clinical medicine, 3(2):88-93.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) predilection for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors allows its entrance and replication; however, they are not biochemically required for viral fusion into the cell membrane. Testicular tissue has abundant ACE2 receptors, making it a target for the COVID-19 virus. Seminal fluid parameters are measures of male fertility. Changes in semen parameters have been caused by coronavirus disease and vaccines. Some attribute that effect to direct hematogenic spread to the testis; others propose that the excessive immunological response triggered by the infection causes a deleterious effect. An unsubstantiated claim questioned whether the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine could trigger an unintentional immunological response that would impair male fertility once receiving the vaccine. Extensive research confirms the transient nature of those changes that affect sperm motility and count with full recovery post-COVID-19 infection and after vaccination. The vaccine's safety was reaffirmed; however, there are currently no recommendations for screening sperm donors. Research is warranted to guarantee the safety of couples undergoing assisted reproduction.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Shallik N, Bashir K, Elmoheen A, et al (2023)

High flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) in the treatment of COVID-19 infection of adult patients from - An emergency perspective: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Trends in anaesthesia & critical care, 50:101238.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, which was first discovered in Wuhan, China. The disease has grown into a global pandemic causing mild to moderate symptoms in most people. The disease can also exhibit serious illnesses, especially for patients with other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, or cancer. In such cases of severe illness, high flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) has been used to provide oxygenation to COVID-19 patients. However, the efficiency of HFNO remains uncertain, prompting the conduction of this systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy. A thorough search for relevant and original articles was carried out on five electronic databases, including ScienceDirect, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Google Scholar. No time limitation was placed during the search as it included all the articles related to COVID-19 from 2019 to 2022. The search strategy utilized in this systematic review yielded 504 articles, of which only 10 met the eligibility criteria and were included. Our meta-analysis reveals that HFNO success rate was higher than HFNO failure rates (0.52 (95% CI; 0.47, 0.56) and 0.48 (95% CI; 0.44, 0.53), respectively), however, the difference was statistically insignificant. HFNO was associated with a significant decrease in mortality and intubation rates (0.28 (95% CI; 0.19, 0.39) and 0.28 (95% CI; 0.18, 0.41), respectively). Our statistical analysis has shown that significantly lower ROX index (5.07 ± 1.66, p = 0.028) and PaO2/FiO2 (100 ± 27.51, p = 0.031) are associated with HFNO failure, while a significantly lower respiratory rate (RR) (23.17 ± 4.167, p = 0.006) is associated with HFNO success. No statistically significant difference was observed in SpO2/FiO2 ratio between the HFNO success and failure groups (154.23 ± 42.74 vs. 124.025 ± 28.50, p = 0.62, respectively). Based on the results from our meta-analysis, the success or failure of HFNO in treating COVID-19 adult patients remains uncertain. However, HFNO has been shown to be an effective treatment in reducing mortality and intubation rates. Therefore, HFNO can be recommended for COVID-19 patients but with close monitoring and should be carried out by experienced healthcare workers.

RevDate: 2024-04-16
CmpDate: 2024-04-16

Chedid M, Hentzien M, Eckerle I, et al (2024)

[Singularities of COVID-19 in immunosuppressed persons].

Revue medicale suisse, 20(869):756-763.

Immunosuppressed persons are a heterogeneous population that represents approximately 3 % of the adult population. They are more vulnerable to infectious agents, such as SARS-CoV-2. This is reflected by a reduced response to vaccination, a higher rate of progression towards a severe form of the disease, and recurrent or persistent infections associated with intra-host viral evolution. This review summarizes the evidence regarding vaccine efficacy, clinical and virological singularities, and the management in immunosuppressed patients.

RevDate: 2024-04-16
CmpDate: 2024-04-16

Wei MZ, Chen L, Zhang R, et al (2024)

Overview of the recent advances in porcine epidemic diarrhea vaccines.

Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997), 304:106097.

Vaccination is the most effective means of preventing and controlling porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED). Conventional vaccines developed from porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) GI-a subtypes (CV777 and SM98) have played a vital role in preventing classical PED. However, with the emergence of PEDV mutants in 2010, conventional PEDV GI-a subtype-targeting vaccines no longer provide adequate protection against PEDV GII mutants, thereby making novel-type PED vaccine development an urgent concern to be addressed. Novel vaccines, including nucleic acid vaccines, genetically engineered subunit vaccines, and live vector vaccines, are associated with several advantages, such as high safety and stability, clear targeting, high yield, low cost, and convenient usage. These vaccines can be combined with corresponding ELISA kits to differentiate infected from vaccinated animals, which is beneficial for disease confirmation. This review provides a detailed overview of the recent advancements in PED vaccines, emphasizing on the research and application evaluation of novel PED vaccines. It also considers the future directions and challenges in advancing these vaccines to widespread use in clinics.

RevDate: 2024-04-16
CmpDate: 2024-04-16

Tanev KS, Camprodon JA, Caplan DN, et al (2024)

Telemedicine-Based Cognitive Examinations During COVID-19 and Beyond: Perspective of the Massachusetts General Hospital Behavioral Neurology & Neuropsychiatry Group.

The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences, 36(2):87-100.

Telehealth and telemedicine have encountered explosive growth since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in increased access to care for patients located far from medical centers and clinics. Subspecialty clinicians in behavioral neurology & neuropsychiatry (BNNP) have implemented the use of telemedicine platforms to perform cognitive examinations that were previously office based. In this perspective article, BNNP clinicians at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) describe their experience performing cognitive examinations via telemedicine. The article reviews the goals, prerequisites, advantages, and potential limitations of performing a video- or telephone-based telemedicine cognitive examination. The article shares the approaches used by MGH BNNP clinicians to examine cognitive and behavioral areas, such as orientation, attention and executive functions, language, verbal learning and memory, visual learning and memory, visuospatial function, praxis, and abstract abilities, as well as to survey for neuropsychiatric symptoms and assess activities of daily living. Limitations of telemedicine-based cognitive examinations include limited access to and familiarity with telecommunication technologies on the patient side, limitations of the technology itself on the clinician side, and the limited psychometric validation of virtual assessments. Therefore, an in-person examination with a BNNP clinician or a formal in-person neuropsychological examination with a neuropsychologist may be recommended. Overall, this article emphasizes the use of standardized cognitive and behavioral assessment instruments that are either in the public domain or, if copyrighted, are nonproprietary and do not require a fee to be used by the practicing BNNP clinician.

RevDate: 2024-04-16
CmpDate: 2024-04-16

Genrich CM, Ward J, N Shokar (2024)

Telemedicine and Its Perceptions in a Border Community: A Review of How Health Care Technology Has Helped Increase Access.

Telemedicine journal and e-health : the official journal of the American Telemedicine Association, 30(4):987-993.

Introduction: Telemedicine is a practical way of offering medical services to remote and underserved areas. During the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has provided convenient access to health care and has overcome barriers such as distance that prevent patients from receiving care. Border populations are impacted by this change in health care delivery. The goal of this study was to investigate how a border patient population perceives their experiences with telemedicine. Methods: We utilized telephone surveys of patients who had a recent telehealth visit at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center (TTUHSC) Family Medicine Center clinic in El Paso, Texas. Survey measures included patients' demographics, a quality assessment of the patients' most recent telehealth visit and their experience, a comparison of the patients' telehealth visit to past in-person visits, and a rating of their telehealth visit. Result: Over 2,000 individuals (n = 2,040), primarily Hispanic females, older than the age of 44 years were identified for potential inclusion in the study. Of these, 928 had a contact attempt, of which 1,378 could not be contacted, 592 were invited, 70 declined leading to a response rate of 67.6% (number invited/completed the survey). Most patients agreed that during their most recent telehealth visit their clinician listened well (98.7%), spent adequate time with them (98.2%), was prompt (94.5%), explained things well (98.0%), and was someone they would recommend to others (97.2%). When comparing telehealth to in-person visits, patients reported the following: less wait time, easier convenience, and similar quality between virtual and in-person visits. Patients rated both their likelihood of using telehealth again and their likelihood of recommending telehealth to others as an 8.68 out of 10, on average. Patients 65 years old or older had 3.17 times greater likelihood of satisfaction with virtual visits when compared with patients younger than 45 years old (confidence interval [95% CI], 1.24-11.11). Patients also had less satisfaction with virtual visits if they had lower educational attainment (odds ratio = 0.10; 95% CI, 0.01-0.81). Conclusions: We found that individuals in a border community had a positive experience with telehealth primary care visits. This approach may improve access to health care.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Mandal SK, Tare M, PR Deepa (2023)

COVID-19 infection and metabolic comorbidities: Mitigating role of nutritional sufficiency and drug - nutraceutical combinations of vitamin D.

Human nutrition & metabolism, 31:200179.

The vulnerability of human health is amplified in recent times with global increase in non-communicable diseases (due to lifestyle changes and environmental insults) and infectious diseases (caused by newer pathogens and drug-resistance strains). Clinical management of diseases is further complicated by disease severity caused by other comorbid factors. Drug-based therapy may not be the sole approach, particularly in scenarios like the COVID-19 pandemic, where there is no specific drug against SARS-CoV-2. Nutritional interventions are significant in armouring human populations in disease prevention, and as adjunctive therapy for disease alleviation. Amidst ongoing clinical trials to determine the efficacy of Vit. D against infections and associated complications, this review examines the pleiotropic benefits of nutritional adequacy of vitamin D (Vit. D) in combating viral infections (COVID-19), its severity and complications due to co-morbidities (obesity, diabetes, stroke and Kawasaki disease), based on research findings and clinical studies. Supplements of Vit. D in combination with other nutrients, and drugs, are suggested as promising preventive-health and adjunct-treatment strategies in the clinical management of viral infections with metabolic comorbidities.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Hussain A, Kausar T, Sehar S, et al (2022)

Utilization of pumpkin, pumpkin powders, extracts, isolates, purified bioactives and pumpkin based functional food products: A key strategy to improve health in current post COVID 19 period: An updated review.

Applied food research, 2(2):100241.

Progression of today's world has been given setback due to the adversity of a novel, viral and deadly outbreak COVID 19, which raised the concerns of the scientists, researchers and health related officials about the inherent and adaptive immune system of the living body and its relation with healthy diet balanced with pharma foods. Choice of right food can help to build and boost adaptive immunity and pumpkin due to excellent profile of functional and nutraceutical constituents must be the part of both infected and non-infected person's daily diet. Vitamins, minerals, phenolic acids, essential oils, peptides, carotenoids and polysaccharides present in pumpkin could accommodate the prevailing deficiencies in the body to fought against the pathogens. Pumpkins are well equipped with nutraceuticals and functional ingredients therefore, consumption and processing of this remarkable fruit must be encouraged as pharma food due to its antihyperlipidemic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antihyperglycemic, immunomodulatory, antihypertensive, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential, and these pharmacological properties of pumpkin are directly or indirectly related to the COVID 19 outbreak. Utilization of pumpkin has a domain in the form of powders, extracts, isolates, and pumpkin incorporated food products. A wide range of healthy, nutritious and functional food products has been developed from pumpkin, which includes juice, soup, porridge, chips, biscuits, bread, cake, bar and noodles. In recent times some innovative and novel technologies have been applied to process and preserve pumpkin for its enhanced shelf life and bioaccessibility of nutrients. Need of healthy eating in current post COVID 19 period is very crucial for healthy population, and medicinal foods like pumpkin, and bioactive compounds present in this functional food could play a vital role in developing a healthy community around the globe.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Khan Z, Ahmad U, Ualiyeva D, et al (2022)

Guillain-Barre syndrome: An autoimmune disorder post-COVID-19 vaccination?.

Clinical immunology communications, 2:1-5.

SARS-CoV-2 causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious condition that can present none or one or more of these symptoms: fever, cough, headache, sore throat, loss of taste and smell, aches, fatigue and musculoskeletal pain. For the prevention of COVID-19, there are vaccines available including those developed by Pfizer, Moderna, Sinovac, Janssen, and AstraZeneca. Recent evidence has shown that some COVID-19-vaccinated individuals can occasionally develop as a potential side effect Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), a severe neurological autoimmune condition in which the immune response against the peripheral nerve system (PNS) can result in significant morbidity. GBS had been linked previously to several viral or bacterial infections, and the finding of GBS after vaccination with certain COVID-19, while rare, should alert medical practitioners for an early diagnosis and targeted treatment. Here we review five cases of GBS that developed in different countries after COVID-19 vaccination.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Lamptey E, Senkyire EK, Banoya MT, et al (2022)

COVID-19 vaccination in pregnancy: A review of maternal and infant benefits.

Gynecology and obstetrics clinical medicine, 2(3):124-128.

Pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit and their babies born prematurely. Clinical trials excluded pregnant women from the vaccine and safety data were limited. However, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated the safety and immunogenicity of the COVID-19 vaccines for pregnant women and their babies including evidence of maternal transfer of antibodies. In addition to these benefits, the vaccines are proved to be effective for both the pregnant women and infants. The current evidence supports the safety, immunogenicity of the COVID-19 vaccine and its effectiveness in reducing the theoretical risk of the infection among pregnant women and their infants. This review summarizes the recent data on the beneficial effects of COVID-19 immunization on both the pregnant mother and infant.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Ma L, J Willey (2022)

The interplay between inflammation and thrombosis in COVID-19: Mechanisms, therapeutic strategies, and challenges.

Thrombosis update, 8:100117.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can cause life-threatening pathology characterized by a dysregulated immune response and coagulopathy. While respiratory failure induced by inflammation is the most common cause of death, micro-and macrovascular thrombosis leading to multiple organ failure are also causes of mortality. Dysregulation of systemic inflammation observed in severe COVID-19 patients is manifested by cytokine release syndrome (CRS) - the aberrant release of high levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6, IL-1, TNFα, MP-1, as well as complement. CRS is often accompanied by activation of endothelial cells and platelets, coupled with perturbation of the balance between the pro-and antithrombotic mechanisms, resulting in thrombosis. Inflammation and thrombosis form a vicious circle, contributing to morbidity and mortality. Treatment of hyperinflammation has been shown to decrease thrombosis, while anti-thrombotic treatment also downregulates cytokine release. This review highlights the relationship between COVID-19-mediated systemic inflammation and thrombosis, the molecular pathways involved, the therapies targeting these processes, and the challenges currently encountered.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Brenner B, Ay C, Gal GL, et al (2022)

Venous thromboembolism risk, prophylaxis and management in cancer patients with COVID-19: An unmet medical need.

Thrombosis update, 6:100098.

Cancer patients exhibit an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), with VTE being the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients. The implementation of lockdowns following the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in decreased mobility and delayed access to care, thus further increasing the susceptibility to VTE. Cancer patients may also be at a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and have been shown to be more likely to experience severe COVID-19 disease compared to patients without cancer. Given that both cancer and COVID-19 exhibit a hypercoagulable state, stasis of blood flow, and endothelial injury, cancer patients with COVID-19 constitute a vulnerable population with a high risk of thrombosis and bleeding. However, to date there are limited studies evaluating whether cancer patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 have a higher VTE incidence than COVID-19 patients without cancer, how to assess the risk of VTE, prophylaxis and treatment in this special population. Herein, we highlight the urgent need for studies in cancer patients with COVID-19 to ensure appropriate patient care and improve clinical outcomes.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Swan D, Enright H, Desmond R, et al (2021)

Vaccine-induced thrombosis and thrombocytopenia (VITT) in Ireland: A review of cases and current practices.

Thrombosis update, 5:100086.

Since the beginning of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2) virus pandemic, several highly effective and safe vaccines have been produced at remarkable speed. Following global implementation of vaccination programmes, cases of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia following administration of adenoviral vector-based vaccines started being reported. In this review we discuss the known pathogenesis and epidemiology of so-called vaccine induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT). We consider the available guidelines, diagnostic laboratory tests and management options for these patients. Finally, we discuss important unanswered questions and areas for future research in this novel pathoclinical entity.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Chavda VP, Vora LK, DR Vihol (2021)

COVAX-19Ⓡ Vaccine: Completely blocks virus transmission to non-immune individuals.

Clinical complementary medicine and pharmacology, 1(1):100004.

Various vaccine platforms are geared against COVID-19 vaccine development to produce immunogens in cells. To design a recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, Vaxine pty Ltd used computer models of the spike protein and its human receptor, ACE2, to identify how the virus infects human cells. Based on this, the COVAX-19Ⓡ vaccine is synthesized. It does reduce not only COVID-19 disease but also blocks virus shedding and transmission. Researchers are optimistic that this vaccine candidate could be clinically available soon with sufficient vaccine efficacy with a considerable amount of reduction in vaccination-related side effects.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Anand S, Mahajan D, Kataki S, et al (2021)

Conceptualizing a novel Hybrid Decontamination System (HDS) based on UV/H2O2 treatment for the enhanced decontamination and reuse of N95 FFRs.

Environmental challenges (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 5:100276.

The ongoing Pandemic of COVID-19 caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has severely stressed the worldwide healthcare system and has created dangerous shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) including N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). Even though suppliers struggled to meet global demand for N95 masks at an unprecedented level, a shortage of FFR appears as a significant factor in the transmission of the disease to frontline workers. CDC, USA has mentioned that FFR decontamination and reuse may be necessary during times of shortage to ensure guaranteed availability. Hence present stressed condition faced by the healthcare sector seeks for an affordable decontamination strategy that can be replicated easily broadening the utility of FFR decontamination across a range of healthcare settings. After reviewing available literature on the various disinfection techniques that may be used for the decontamination of FFRs, a first of its kind, portable Hybrid Decontamination System/procedure has been conceptualized and designed. This system combines the disinfecting properties of both vaporous hydrogen peroxide (VHP) and ultra-violet C irradiation (UV C) to ensure maximum decontamination of N95 respirators. The instrument will be equipped with a hydrogen peroxide chamber and UV light source. Sterilization of the FFRs will be done through treatment with VHP followed by UV light treatment. The proposed system will allow the user to completely sterilize the FFRs in a time-efficient manner.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Daru J, White K, BJ Hunt (2021)

COVID-19, thrombosis and pregnancy.

Thrombosis update, 5:100077.

Increased thromboembolic events have been seen in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 pneumonia, especially those with acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring intensive care support. The coronavirus pandemic has had varied effects on pregnant women globally. Concerns about the potential for thromboembolic events in the prothrombotic period of pregnancy and puerperium when combined with COVID-19 infection, and the impact this may have on maternal and infant morbidity and mortality has led to the development of expert-led guidance providing increased use of thromboprophylaxis in this group. We discuss the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on national and international guidance to prevent thromboembolic events in pregnant women.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Rijkers GT, FJ van Overveld (2021)

The "original antigenic sin" and its relevance for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) vaccination.

Clinical immunology communications, 1:13-16.

Imprinting of the specific molecular image of a given protein antigen into immunological memory is one of the hallmarks of immunity. A later contact with a related, but different antigen should not trigger the memory response (because the produced antibodies would not be effective). The preferential expansion of cross-reactive antibodies, or T-lymphocytes for that matter, by a related antigen has been termed the original antigenic sin and was first described by Thomas Francis Jr. in 1960. The phenomenon was initially described for influenza virus, but also has been found for dengue and rotavirus. The antibody dependent enhancement observed in feline coronavirus vaccination also may be related to the original antigenic sin. For a full interpretation of the effectivity of the immune response against SARS-CoV-2, as well as for the success of vaccination, the role of existing immunological memory against circulating corona viruses is reviewed and analyzed.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Maqsood A, Abbas J, Rehman G, et al (2021)

The paradigm shift for educational system continuance in the advent of COVID-19 pandemic: Mental health challenges and reflections.

Current research in behavioral sciences, 2:100011.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus pandemic appeared as the worst global health disaster of the century. Since the advent of the Second world war-2, humankind has experienced the most challenging health emergencies. The novel respiratory disease (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan at the end of December 2019.

AIM: The study focuses on providing education through the educational system with a mode of delivery using digital solutions with a new paradigm method.

METHOD: This research incorporates the statistical data related to the Pakistani Ministry of Health's coronavirus epidemic to draw the results.

RESULTS: WHO reported more than 51.949 million confirmed COVID-19 patients in more than 200 territories and countries. This epidemic caused more than 1.282 million deaths; however, more than 36.49 million people have recovered from the infection of the deadly disease COVID-19, as of November 11, 2020. The COVID-19 has put forward unique challenges in personal and social life spheres. The precautionary measures, including social distancing, called for abrupt closure of educational institutions, leaving the digital solutions as the primary mean of continuity in educational activities.

CONCLUSION: The current review looks into the dynamics of embracing the change in the educational system, ranging from delivery mode to shifting to a new paradigm moving to digital solutions. This study looks into the challenges, issues, barriers, and success parameters of Pakistan's online learning management system. From the preparedness phase to the actual implementation of the learning system at higher education, the level is noteworthy. The private sector has provided higher, secondary, and primary levels; the private sector came forward to maintain learning continuity. The review suggests a way forward ahead for the educational system's continuity and sustainability in the coronavirus pandemic and educational institutions' crises.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Profili J, Brunet R, Dubois ÉL, et al (2021)

Use of 3D printed connectors to redesign full face snorkeling masks in the COVID-19 era: A preliminary technical case-study.

Annals of 3D printed medicine, 3:100023.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in severe shortages of personal protection equipment and non-invasive ventilation devices. As traditional supply chains could not meet up with the demand, makeshift solutions were developed and locally manufactured by rapid prototyping networks. Among the different global initiatives, retrofitting of full-face snorkeling masks for Non-Invasive-Ventilation (NIV) applications seems the most challenging. This article provides a systematic overview of rapid prototyped - 3D printed - designs that enable attachment of medical equipment to snorkeling masks, highlighting potential and challenges in additive manufacturing. The different NIV connector designs are compared on low-cost 3D fabrication time and costs, which allows a rapid assessment of developed connectors for health care workers in urgent need of retrofitting snorkeling masks for NIV purposes. Challenges and safety issues of the rapid prototyping approach for healthcare applications during the pandemic are discussed as well. When critical parameters such as the final product cost, geographical availability of the feedstock and the 3D printers and the medical efficiency of the rapid prototyped products are well considered before deploying decentralized 3D printing as manufacturing method, this rapid prototyping strategy contributed to reduce personal protective equipment and NIV shortages during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also concluded that it is crucial to carefully optimize material and printer parameter settings to realize best fitting and airtight connector-mask connections, which is heavily depending on the chosen feedstock and type of printer.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Hassan MM, Sium FS, Islam F, et al (2021)

A review on plasmonic and metamaterial based biosensing platforms for virus detection.

Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research, 33:100429.

Due to changes in our climate and constant loss of habitat for animals, new pathogens for humans are constantly erupting. SARS-CoV-2 virus, become so infectious and deadly that they put new challenge to the whole technological advancement of healthcare. Within this very decade, several other deadly virus outbreaks were witnessed by humans such as Zika virus, Ebola virus, MERS-coronavirus etc. and there might be even more infectious and deadlier diseases in the horizon. Though conventional techniques have succeeded in detecting these viruses to some extent, these techniques are time-consuming, costly, and require trained human-resources. Plasmonic metamaterial based biosensors might pave the way to low-cost rapid virus detection. So this review discusses in details, the latest development in plasmonics and metamaterial based biosensors for virus, viral particles and antigen detection and the future direction of research in this field.

RevDate: 2024-04-15

Piedade J, G Pereira (2021)

COVID-19 in liver transplant recipients.

Journal of liver transplantation, 3:100026.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has emerged as a serious threat to public health. Liver transplant (LT) recipients may be at increased risk of acquisition of SARS-CoV-2 infection and higher morbidity and mortality due to constant contact with health-care services, the use of immunosuppressants and frequent comorbidities. In the first part of this review we discuss (1) the epidemiology and risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in LT recipients; (2) the clinical and laboratory features of COVID-19 in this specific population, highlighting differences in presenting signs and symptoms with respect to general populations and (3) the natural history and prognostic factors in LT recipients hospitalized with COVID-19, with particular focus on the possible role of immunosuppression. Thereafter, we review the potential therapeutic options for COVID-19 treatment and prevention. Specifically, we give an overview of current practice in immunosuppressant regimen changes, showing the potential benefits of this strategy, and explore safety and efficacy issues of currently approved drugs in LT recipients. The last topic is dedicated to the potential benefits and pitfalls of vaccination.

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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

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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 07 JUL 2018 )