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35 | 7f0soutj | What new public datasets are available related to COVID-19? | Fighting the COVID-19 Infodemic: Modeling the Perspective of Journalists, Fact-Checkers, Social Media Platforms, Policy Makers, and the Society With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the political and the medical aspects of disinformation merged as the problem got elevated to a whole new level to become the first global infodemic. Fighting this infodemic is ranked second in the list of the most important focus areas of the World Health Organization, with dangers ranging from promoting fake cures, rumors, and conspiracy theories to spreading xenophobia and panic. Addressing the issue requires solving a number of challenging problems such as identifying messages containing claims, determining their check-worthiness and factuality, and their potential to do harm as well as the nature of that harm, to mention just a few. Thus, here we design, annotate, and release to the research community a new dataset for fine-grained disinformation analysis that (i)focuses on COVID-19, (ii) combines the perspectives and the interests of journalists, fact-checkers, social media platforms, policy makers, and society as a whole, and (iii) covers both English and Arabic. Finally, we show strong evaluation results using state-of-the-art Transformers, thus confirming the practical utility of the annotation schema and of the dataset. |
22 | zh1j0kpj | are cardiac complications likely in patients with COVID-19? | Usefulness of echocardiography to detect cardiac involvement in COVID-19 patients Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is a current global healthcare burden, leading to the life-threatening severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, evidence showed that, even if the prevalence of COVID-19 damage consists in pulmonary lesions and symptoms, it could also affect other organs, such as heart, liver, and spleen. Particularly, some infected patients refer to the emergency department for cardiovascular symptoms, and around 10% of COVID-19 victims had finally developed heart injury. Therefore, the use of echocardiography, according to the safety local protocols and ensuring the use of personal protective equipment, could be useful firstly to discriminate between primary cardiac disease or COVID-19-related myocardial damage, and then for assessing and monitoring COVID-19 cardiovascular complications: acute myocarditis and arrhythmias, acute heart failure, sepsis-induced myocardial impairment, and right ventricular failure derived from treatment with high-pressure mechanical ventilation. The present review aims to enlighten the applications of transthoracic echocardiography for the diagnostic and therapeutic management of myocardial damage in COVID-19 patients. |
24 | z52mrixd | what kinds of complications related to COVID-19 are associated with diabetes | Immunosuppression during the COVID-19 pandemic in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders patients: A new challenge |
6 | sw23wf4b | what types of rapid testing for Covid-19 have been developed? | Ultra-sensitive nanozyme-based chemiluminescence paper test for rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection The recently emerged coronavirus disease COVID-19 has now evolved into a global pandemic. Early detection is crucial for its effective control. Nucleic acid testing for viral pathogen and serological testing for host antibodies are playing important roles in current COVID-19 diagnosis. However, while nucleic acid testing is complicated, facility-restricted and time-consuming, antibody testing may result in high rates of false-negative diagnoses, especially during the early stages of viral infection. Thus, a more rapid and reliable test for both early COVID-19 diagnosis and whole-population screening is urgently needed. Here, we developed a novel nanozyme-based chemiluminescence paper assay for rapid and high-sensitive testing of SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen. Our paper test uses a newly established peroxidase-mimic Co-Fe@hemin nanozyme instead of natural HRP that catalytically amplifies the chemiluminescent signal, allowing for target concentrations to be as low as 0.1 ng/ml. Furthermore, our nanozyme-based chemiluminescence test exhibits a linear range that is 32-fold wider compared to ELISA tests. Importantly, testing is completed in less than 16 min, compared to 1-2 h required for ELISA or nucleic acid tests. Critically, signal detection is feasible using a smartphone camera. Ingredients for our test are simple and readily available, rendering overall cost considerably lower than those used in current diagnoses. In conclusion, our novel test provides a high-sensitive, point-of-care testing (POCT) approach for SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection, which should greatly increase current early screening capacities for suspected infections, and considerably lower demand for national healthcare resources. |
26 | pd3vu5y6 | what are the initial symptoms of Covid-19? | Infectious Diseases: The Role of the Healthcare Professional For the healthcare professional dealing with infections presents two main problems. First, managing detainees or police personnel who have contracted a disease and may be infectious or unwell, and second, handling complainants of assault, including police officers, who have potentially been exposed to an infectious disease. This chapter addresses some general principles of infection control and safety in the working environment and then goes on to discuss some infections that may be encountered in police custody and how they can best be managed. |
5 | mh95ueih | what drugs have been active against SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 in animal studies? | Computational screening of antagonist against the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) coronavirus by molecular docking Abstract In the current episode of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) spreads, antiviral drug discovery is of great importance. Auto dock vina was used to screen potential drugs by molecular docking with the structure protein and non-structure protein sites of new coronavirus. Ribavirin, a common antiviral drug, as well as remdesivir, chloroquine and luteolin, were all studied. Honeysuckle is generally believed to have antiviral effect in traditional Chinese medicine, the main flavonoid in which is Luteolin. In the study, it was found luteolin could bind to the same sites of main protease of SARS-CoV-2 as the control molecular with a high affinity. Chloroquine, was proved clinically effective, can bind to the main protease, which may be the possible antiviral mechanism. And the study was restricted to molecular docking without validation by MD simulations. Interactions with the main protease may play a key role in in fighting against viruses. Luteolin is a potential antiviral molecule worthy of attention. |
38 | m5u6ryy9 | What is the mechanism of inflammatory response and pathogenesis of COVID-19 cases? | STAT2 signaling as double-edged sword restricting viral dissemination but driving severe pneumonia in SARS-CoV-2 infected hamsters Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 causing COVID-19, the world is being shaken to its core with numerous hospitalizations and hundreds of thousands of deaths. In search for key targets of effective therapeutics, robust animal models mimicking COVID-19 in humans are urgently needed. Here, we show that productive SARS-CoV-2 infection in the lungs of mice is limited and restricted by early type I interferon responses. In contrast, we show that Syrian hamsters are highly permissive to SARS- CoV-2 and develop bronchopneumonia and a strong inflammatory response in the lungs with neutrophil infiltration and edema. Moreover, we identify an exuberant innate immune response as a key player in pathogenesis, in which STAT2 signaling plays a dual role, driving severe lung injury on the one hand, yet restricting systemic virus dissemination on the other. Finally, we assess SARS-CoV- 2-induced lung pathology in hamsters by micro-CT alike used in clinical practice. Our results reveal the importance of STAT2-dependent interferon responses in the pathogenesis and virus control during SARS-CoV-2 infection and may help rationalizing new strategies for the treatment of COVID-19 patients. |
2 | ykllp5wq | how does the coronavirus respond to changes in the weather | Exposures Before Issuance of Stay-at-Home Orders Among Persons with Laboratory-Confirmed COVID-19 — Colorado, March 2020 On March 26, 2020, Colorado instituted stay-at-home orders to reduce community transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To inform public health messaging and measures that could be used after reopening, persons with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 during March 9-26 from nine Colorado counties comprising approximately 80% of the state's population† (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld) were asked about possible exposures to SARS-CoV-2 before implementation of stay-at-home orders. Among 1,738 persons meeting the inclusion criteria§ in the Colorado Electronic Disease Surveillance System, 600 were randomly selected and interviewed using a standardized questionnaire by telephone. Data collection during April 10-30 included information about demographic characteristics, occupations, and selected activities in the 2 weeks preceding symptom onset. During the period examined, SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing was widely available in Colorado; community transmission was documented before implementation of the stay-at-home order. At least three attempts were made to contact all selected patients or their proxy (for deceased patients, minors, and persons unable to be interviewed [e.g., those with dementia]) on at least 2 separate days, at different times of day. Data were entered into a Research Electronic Data Capture (version 9.5.13; Vanderbilt University) database, and descriptive analyses used R statistical software (version 3.6.3; The R Foundation). |
37 | vahud6o5 | What is the result of phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence? | The origin and underlying driving forces of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 began spreading in December 2019 and has since become a pandemic that has impacted many aspects of human society. Several issues concerning the origin, time of introduction to humans, evolutionary patterns, and underlying force driving the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak remain unclear. METHOD: Genetic variation in 137 SARS-CoV-2 genomes and related coronaviruses as of 2/23/2020 was analyzed. RESULT: After correcting for mutational bias, the excess of low frequency mutations on both synonymous and nonsynonymous sites was revealed which is consistent with the recent outbreak of the virus. In contrast to adaptive evolution previously reported for SARS-CoV during its brief epidemic in 2003, our analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes shows signs of relaxation. The sequence similarity in the spike receptor binding domain between SARS-CoV-2 and a sequence from pangolin is probably due to an ancient intergenomic introgression that occurred approximately 40 years ago. The current outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 was estimated to have originated on 12/11/2019 (95% HPD 11/13/2019-12/23/2019). The effective population size of the virus showed an approximately 20-fold increase from the onset of the outbreak to the lockdown of Wuhan (1/23/2020) and ceased to increase afterwards, demonstrating the effectiveness of social distancing in preventing its spread. Two mutations, 84S in orf8 protein and 251 V in orf3 protein, occurred coincidentally with human intervention. The former first appeared on 1/5/2020 and plateaued around 1/23/2020. The latter rapidly increased in frequency after 1/23/2020. Thus, the roles of these mutations on infectivity need to be elucidated. Genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 collected from China is two times higher than those derived from the rest of the world. A network analysis found that haplotypes collected from Wuhan were interior and had more mutational connections, both of which are consistent with the observation that the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak originated in China. CONCLUSION: SARS-CoV-2 might have cryptically circulated within humans for years before being discovered. Data from the early outbreak and hospital archives are needed to trace its evolutionary path and determine the critical steps required for effective spreading. |
1 | 0xhho1sh | what is the origin of COVID-19 | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): The epidemic and the challenges The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; previously provisionally named 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV) disease (COVID-19) in China at the end of 2019 has caused a large global outbreak and is a major public health issue. As of 11 February 2020, data from the World Health Organization (WHO) have shown that more than 43 000 confirmed cases have been identified in 28 countries/regions, with >99% of cases being detected in China. On 30 January 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 as the sixth public health emergency of international concern. SARS-CoV-2 is closely related to two bat-derived severe acute respiratory syndrome-like coronaviruses, bat-SL-CoVZC45 and bat-SL-CoVZXC21. It is spread by human-to-human transmission via droplets or direct contact, and infection has been estimated to have mean incubation period of 6.4 days and a basic reproduction number of 2.24–3.58. Among patients with pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 (novel coronavirus pneumonia or Wuhan pneumonia), fever was the most common symptom, followed by cough. Bilateral lung involvement with ground-glass opacity was the most common finding from computed tomography images of the chest. The one case of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in the USA is responding well to remdesivir, which is now undergoing a clinical trial in China. Currently, controlling infection to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is the primary intervention being used. However, public health authorities should keep monitoring the situation closely, as the more we can learn about this novel virus and its associated outbreak, the better we can respond. |
32 | b418k1gz | Does SARS-CoV-2 have any subtypes, and if so what are they? | Type III, IV, and VI Collagens Turnover in Systemic Sclerosis - a Longitudinal Study Tissue turnover, especially in the skin, is altered in systemic sclerosis (SSc), leading to tissue accumulation. The objective was to examine type III, IV, and VI collagens turnovers in SSc and investigate longitudinal alterations in relation to modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS). We included patients fulfilling the 2013 ACR/EULAR criteria for SSc (limited cutaneous [lcSSc, n = 20], diffuse cutaneous SSc [dcSSc, n = 23]) and healthy controls (HC, n = 10). Biomarkers of type III, IV, and VI collagens formation (PRO-C3, PRO-C4, PRO-C6) and degradation (C3M, C4M, C6M) were measured in serum. The fibrotic index of the individual collagens (FICol) were calculated. The fibrotic index of type III and VI collagens (FICol3 and FICol6) were increased in dcSSc compared to lcSSc (FICol3: 1.4 vs. 0.8, P = 0.0001; FICol6: 1.2 vs. 0.9, P = 0.03). The fibrotic index of type IV collagen (FICol4) was not different between the groups but was 1.5 times higher than HC (HC: 6.9, lcSSc 10.4, dcSSc: 10.5). Both FICol3 and FICol6 correlated with mRSS with rho's of 0.59 (P < 0.0001) and 0.35 (P = 0.04). Furthermore, FICol3 steadily decrease over the disease course. Examining collagen turnover and specific collagens could be beneficial in following patients' skin fibrosis and possibly identifying progressors. |
32 | ld0vo1rl | Does SARS-CoV-2 have any subtypes, and if so what are they? | COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine design using reverse vaccinology and machine learning To ultimately combat the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, it is desired to develop an effective and safe vaccine against this highly contagious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Our literature and clinical trial survey showed that the whole virus, as well as the spike (S) protein, nucleocapsid (N) protein, and membrane protein, have been tested for vaccine development against SARS and MERS. We further used the Vaxign reverse vaccinology tool and the newly developed Vaxign-ML machine learning tool to predict COVID-19 vaccine candidates. The N protein was found to be conserved in the more pathogenic strains (SARS/MERS/COVID-19), but not in the other human coronaviruses that mostly cause mild symptoms. By investigating the entire proteome of SARS-CoV-2, six proteins, including the S protein and five non-structural proteins (nsp3, 3CL-pro, and nsp8–10) were predicted to be adhesins, which are crucial to the viral adhering and host invasion. The S, nsp3, and nsp8 proteins were also predicted by Vaxign-ML to induce high protective antigenicity. Besides the commonly used S protein, the nsp3 protein has not been tested in any coronavirus vaccine studies and was selected for further investigation. The nsp3 was found to be more conserved among SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV than among 15 coronaviruses infecting human and other animals. The protein was also predicted to contain promiscuous MHC-I and MHC-II T-cell epitopes, and linear B-cell epitopes localized in specific locations and functional domains of the protein. Our predicted vaccine targets provide new strategies for effective and safe COVID-19 vaccine development. |
29 | s0wmll4q | which SARS-CoV-2 proteins-human proteins interactions indicate potential for drug targets. Are there approved drugs that can be repurposed based on this information? | Cryo-EM structure of infectious bronchitis coronavirus spike protein reveals structural and functional evolution of coronavirus spike proteins As cell-invading molecular machinery, coronavirus spike proteins pose an evolutionary conundrum due to their high divergence. In this study, we determined the cryo-EM structure of avian infectious bronchitis coronavirus (IBV) spike protein from the γ-genus. The trimeric IBV spike ectodomain contains three receptor-binding S1 heads and a trimeric membrane-fusion S2 stalk. While IBV S2 is structurally similar to those from the other genera, IBV S1 possesses structural features that are unique to different other genera, thereby bridging these diverse spikes into an evolutionary spectrum. Specifically, among different genera, the two domains of S1, the N-terminal domain (S1-NTD) and C-terminal domain (S1-CTD), diverge from simpler tertiary structures and quaternary packing to more complex ones, leading to different functions of the spikes in receptor usage and membrane fusion. Based on the above structural and functional comparisons, we propose that the evolutionary spectrum of coronavirus spikes follows the order of α-, δ-, γ-, and β-genus. This study has provided insight into the evolutionary relationships among coronavirus spikes and deepened our understanding of their structural and functional diversity. |
2 | p4o580bz | how does the coronavirus respond to changes in the weather | 4 General Systemic States |
35 | zlimm3xr | What new public datasets are available related to COVID-19? | Contextualizing covid-19 spread: a county level analysis, urban versus rural, and implications for preparing for the next wave Paraphrasing [Morano and Holt, 2017], contextual determinants of health including social, environmental, healthcare and others, are a so-called deck of cards one is dealt. The ability to modify health outcomes varies then based upon how one's hand is played. It is thus of great interest to understand how these determinants associate with the emerging pandemic covid-19. To this end, we conducted a deep-dive analysis into this problem using a recently curated public dataset on covid-19 that connects infection spread over time to a rich collection of contextual determinants for all counties of the U.S and Washington, D.C. Using random forest machine learning methodology, we identified a relevant constellation of contextual factors of disease spread which manifest differently for urban and rural counties. The findings also have clear implications for better preparing for the next wave of disease. |
21 | 8q1veo3q | what are the mortality rates overall and in specific populations | Reduction of lymphocyte at early stage elevates severity and death risk of COVID-19 patients: a hospital-based case-cohort study Background and objective: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been pandemic worldwide. Several reports observed a reduction of lymphocytes among COVID-19 patients. However, clinical significance of lymphocyte reduction in COVID-19 patients remains unclear. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between lymphocyte reduction at early stage and the prognosis of COVID-19 patients. Methods: All 192 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 were enrolled. Electronic medical records, including demographic data, clinical characteristics, comorbidities and exposure history, were collected. Biochemical indexes on admission and chest computed tomography (CT) were detected. Patient's prognosis was followed up. Results: On admission, 84 (43.8%) patients suffered from lymphocyte reduction among COVID-19 patients. The count and percentage of lymphocytes on admission were lower among more than seventy-year-old patients than those of younger patients. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that older age was a risk factor of lymphocyte reduction. Of interest, chest CT score, a key marker of lung injury, was increased among COVID-19 patients with lymphocyte reduction. By contrast, PaCO2, SpO2 and oxygenation index, several respiratory function markers, were decreased in COVID-19 patients with lymphocyte reduction. Moreover, TBIL and DBIL, two markers of hepatic injury, creatinine and urea nitrogen, two indices of renal function, and creatine kinase, AST and LDH, three myocardial enzymes, were elevated in COVID-19 patients with lymphocyte reduction. Among 84 COVID-19 patients with lymphocyte reduction, 32.1% died. Fatality rate was obviously higher in COVID-19 patients with lymphocyte reduction than those with normal lymphocyte (RR=5.789, P<0.001). Conclusion: Older COVID-19 patients are more susceptible to lymphocyte reduction. Lymphocyte reduction at early stage aggravates the severity of multiple organ injuries and elevates death risk of COVID-19 patients. |
5 | 52vzwax8 | what drugs have been active against SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 in animal studies? | Phagocytic cells contribute to the antibody-mediated elimination of pulmonary-infected SARS coronavirus Abstract While the 2002–2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) resulted in 774 deaths, patients who were affected with mild pulmonary symptoms successfully recovered. The objective of the present work was to identify, using SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) mouse infection models, immune factors responsible for clearing of the virus. The elimination of pulmonary SARS-CoV infection required the activation of B cells by CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, passive immunization (post-infection) with homologous (murine) anti-SARS-CoV antiserum showed greater elimination efficacy against SARS-CoV than that with heterologous (rabbit) antiserum, despite the use of equivalent titers of neutralizing antibodies. This distinction was mediated by mouse phagocytic cells (monocyte-derived infiltrating macrophages and partially alveolar macrophages, but not neutrophils), as demonstrated both by adoptive transfer from donors and by immunological depletion of selected cell types. These results indicate that the cooperation of anti-SARS-CoV antibodies and phagocytic cells plays an important role in the elimination of SARS-CoV. |
3 | e1k8dhki | will SARS-CoV2 infected people develop immunity? Is cross protection possible? | COVID-19 Antibody Test / Vaccination Certification: There's an app for that Goal: As the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2019/2020 unfolds, a COVID-19 'Immunity Passport' has been mooted as a way to enable individuals to return back to work. While the quality of antibody testing, the availability of vaccines, and the likelihood of even attaining COVID-19 immunity continue to be researched, we address the issues involved in providing tamper-proof and privacy-preserving certification for test results and vaccinations. Methods: We developed a prototype mobile phone app and requisite decentralized server architecture that facilitates instant verification of tamper-proof test results. Personally identifiable information is only stored at the user's discretion, and the app allows the end-user selectively to present only the specific test result with no other personal information revealed. The architecture, designed for scalability, relies upon (a) the 2019 World Wide Web Consortium standard called 'Verifiable Credentials', (b) Tim Berners-Lee's decentralized personal data platform 'Solid', and (c) a Consortium Ethereum-based blockchain. Results: Our mobile phone app and decentralized server architecture enable the mixture of verifiability and privacy in a manner derived from public/private key pairs and digital signatures, generalized to avoid restrictive ownership of sensitive digital keys and/or data. Benchmark performance tests show it to scale linearly in the worst case, as significant processing is done locally on each app. For the test certificate Holder, Issuer (e.g. healthcare staff, pharmacy) and Verifier (e.g. employer), it is 'just another app' which takes only minutes to use. Conclusions: The app and decentralized server architecture offer a prototype proof of concept that is readily scalable, applicable generically, and in effect 'waiting in the wings' for the biological issues, plus key ethical issues raised in the discussion section, to be resolved. |
20 | tmi11sez | are patients taking Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) at increased risk for COVID-19? | Response to recent commentaries regarding the involvement of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and renin-angiotensin system blockers in SARS-CoV-2 infections |
27 | iusv19qd | what is known about those infected with Covid-19 but are asymptomatic? | Comparative features of a coronavirus isolated from a cheetah with feline infectious peritonitis Abstract A coronavirus which was isolated from a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) that succumbed to feline infectious peritonitis was characterized in vitro. The virus was determined to be highly cell-associated with Crandell feline kidney (CrFK) cells and was routinely maintained as a persistent infection (CrFK 83–4497). The cheetah coronavirus was compared with other members of the feline coronavirus group including the feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) 79–1683 and the feline infectious peritonitis viruses (FIPV), 79–1146, and UCD-1. The cheetah coronavirus was demonstrated to have a restricted host-cell range with limited cytopathic effect. Indirect immunofluorescence with antisera to FIPV UCD-1 revealed the concentration of viral antigens in the perinuclear region of cells infected with the cheetah coronavirus. Ultrastructural studies of the cheetah coronavirus indicated a limited number of immature viral particles within cytoplasmic vesicles and at the cell surface. This was in contrast to electron microscopy results of FECV 79–1683 and FIPV 79–1146, which had numerous mature virus particles within the cytoplasmic vesicles, as well as at the cell surface. The cheetah coronavirus was tentatively placed in the feline coronavirus family based upon its antigenic reactivity by immunofluorescence; however, the possibility that it represents a unique coronavirus of cheetahs should not be dismissed without further analyses at the host and genomic levels. |
18 | 0xhho1sh | what are the best masks for preventing infection by Covid-19? | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19): The epidemic and the challenges The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; previously provisionally named 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV) disease (COVID-19) in China at the end of 2019 has caused a large global outbreak and is a major public health issue. As of 11 February 2020, data from the World Health Organization (WHO) have shown that more than 43 000 confirmed cases have been identified in 28 countries/regions, with >99% of cases being detected in China. On 30 January 2020, the WHO declared COVID-19 as the sixth public health emergency of international concern. SARS-CoV-2 is closely related to two bat-derived severe acute respiratory syndrome-like coronaviruses, bat-SL-CoVZC45 and bat-SL-CoVZXC21. It is spread by human-to-human transmission via droplets or direct contact, and infection has been estimated to have mean incubation period of 6.4 days and a basic reproduction number of 2.24–3.58. Among patients with pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 (novel coronavirus pneumonia or Wuhan pneumonia), fever was the most common symptom, followed by cough. Bilateral lung involvement with ground-glass opacity was the most common finding from computed tomography images of the chest. The one case of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in the USA is responding well to remdesivir, which is now undergoing a clinical trial in China. Currently, controlling infection to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 is the primary intervention being used. However, public health authorities should keep monitoring the situation closely, as the more we can learn about this novel virus and its associated outbreak, the better we can respond. |
18 | zkjg6kvz | what are the best masks for preventing infection by Covid-19? | Organ procurement and transplantation during the COVID-19 pandemic |
16 | bkz2t7p3 | how long does coronavirus remain stable on surfaces? | Presymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infections and Transmission in a Skilled Nursing Facility BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can spread rapidly within skilled nursing facilities. After identification of a case of Covid-19 in a skilled nursing facility, we assessed transmission and evaluated the adequacy of symptom-based screening to identify infections in residents. METHODS: We conducted two serial point-prevalence surveys, 1 week apart, in which assenting residents of the facility underwent nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal testing for SARS-CoV-2, including real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), viral culture, and sequencing. Symptoms that had been present during the preceding 14 days were recorded. Asymptomatic residents who tested positive were reassessed 7 days later. Residents with SARS-CoV-2 infection were categorized as symptomatic with typical symptoms (fever, cough, or shortness of breath), symptomatic with only atypical symptoms, presymptomatic, or asymptomatic. RESULTS: Twenty-three days after the first positive test result in a resident at this skilled nursing facility, 57 of 89 residents (64%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Among 76 residents who participated in point-prevalence surveys, 48 (63%) tested positive. Of these 48 residents, 27 (56%) were asymptomatic at the time of testing; 24 subsequently developed symptoms (median time to onset, 4 days). Samples from these 24 presymptomatic residents had a median rRT-PCR cycle threshold value of 23.1, and viable virus was recovered from 17 residents. As of April 3, of the 57 residents with SARS-CoV-2 infection, 11 had been hospitalized (3 in the intensive care unit) and 15 had died (mortality, 26%). Of the 34 residents whose specimens were sequenced, 27 (79%) had sequences that fit into two clusters with a difference of one nucleotide. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid and widespread transmission of SARS-CoV-2 was demonstrated in this skilled nursing facility. More than half of residents with positive test results were asymptomatic at the time of testing and most likely contributed to transmission. Infection-control strategies focused solely on symptomatic residents were not sufficient to prevent transmission after SARS-CoV-2 introduction into this facility. |
45 | 2q7fb55t | How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health? | Why all COVID-19 Hospitals should have Mental Health Professionals: The importance of mental health in a worldwide crisis! Abstract COVID-19 pandemic has led to a worldwide crisis. At present, everyone is focusing on the prevention of COVID-19 infection, preparing and discussing issues related to physical health consequences. However, it is important to understand that the life-threatening negative physical health consequences are going to be faced by a few, but everyone is going to face the negative mental health consequences of the pandemic. At various places COVID-19 hospitals are being established, to address the physical health consequences of the pandemic. However, mental health professionals have not been very actively involved in the management of people going through this pandemic. This viewpoint discusses the mental health consequences of the pandemic for the health care workers, people who are undergoing quarantine, people who are admitted to the COVID-19 hospitals, and those who have recovered from the infection. The article also highlights the mental health needs of people at different levels and the kind of interventions, which may be carried out. |
12 | n1z68cyg | what are best practices in hospitals and at home in maintaining quarantine? | Safe Hospital Preparedness in the Era of COVID-19: The Swiss Cheese Model Since the first emergence in December 2019, COVID-19 rapidly spread out worldwide. During the pandemic of an emerging infectious disease, it is very important to prevent nosocomial outbreak and operate hospitals safely to maintain their functions. In this article, we presented the strategies for safe hospital operation based on the experiences of the Republic of Korea during early COVID-19 pandemic. Each hospital should keep multiple layered defenses to prevent even small cracks in the hospital's quarantine system. |
18 | uu3e4pjw | what are the best masks for preventing infection by Covid-19? | Is Returning to Work during the COVID-19 Pandemic Stressful? A Study on Immediate Mental Health Status and Psychoneuroimmunity Prevention Measures of Chinese Workforce Abstract This study aimed to quantify the immediate psychological effects and psychoneuroimmunity prevention measures of a workforce returning to work during the COVID-19 epidemic. Workforce returning to work was invited to complete an online questionnaire regarding their attitude toward the COVID-19 epidemic and return-to-work along with psychological parameters including the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale- 21 (DASS-21) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Psychoneuroimmunity prevention measures include precautions at personal and organization levels. From 673 valid questionnaires, we found that 10.8% of respondents met the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after returning to work. The respondents reported a low prevalence of anxiety (3.8%), depression (3.7%), stress (1.5%) and insomnia (2.3%). There were no significant differences in the severity of psychiatric symptoms between workers/technicians and executives/managers. More than 95% reported psychoneuroimmunity prevention measures including good ventilation in the workplace and wore a face mask as protective. Factors that were associated with the severity of psychiatric symptoms in the workforce were marital status, presence of physical symptom, poor physical health and viewing return to work as a health hazard (p<0.05). In contrast, personal psychoneuroimmunity prevention measures including hand hygiene and wearing face masks as well as organizational measures including significant improvement of workplace hygiene and concerns from the company were associated with less severe psychiatric symptoms (p<0.05). Contrary to expectations, returning to work had not caused a high level of psychiatric symptoms in the workforce. The low prevalence of psychiatric symptoms could be due to confidence instilled by psychoneuroimmunity prevention measures before the resumption of work. Our findings would provide information for other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
31 | kyc1wks5 | How does the coronavirus differ from seasonal flu? | Extensive multiplex PCR diagnostics reveal new insights into the epidemiology of viral respiratory infections Viral respiratory infections continue to pose a major global healthcare burden. At the community level, the co-circulation of respiratory viruses is common and yet studies generally focus on single aetiologies. We conducted the first comprehensive epidemiological analysis to encompass all major respiratory viruses in a single population. Using extensive multiplex PCR diagnostic data generated by the largest NHS board in Scotland, we analysed 44230 patient episodes of respiratory illness that were simultaneously tested for 11 virus groups between 2005 and 2013, spanning the 2009 influenza A pandemic. We measured viral infection prevalence, described co-infections, and identified factors independently associated with viral infection using multivariable logistic regression. Our study provides baseline measures and reveals new insights that will direct future research into the epidemiological consequences of virus co-circulation. In particular, our study shows that (i) human coronavirus infections are more common during influenza seasons and in co-infections than previously recognized, (ii) factors associated with co-infection differ from those associated with viral infection overall, (iii) virus prevalence has increased over time especially in infants aged <1 year, and (iv) viral infection risk is greater in the post-2009 pandemic era, likely reflecting a widespread change in the viral population that warrants further investigation. |
27 | 6ua5txjc | what is known about those infected with Covid-19 but are asymptomatic? | Asymptomatic transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic and implications for public health strategies SARS-CoV-2 spread rapidly within months despite global public health strategies to curb transmission by testing symptomatic patients and encouraging social distancing. Here, we summarize rapidly emerging evidence highlighting transmission by asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals. Viral load of asymptomatic carriers is comparable to symptomatic patients, viral shedding is highest before symptom onset suggesting high transmissibility before symptoms. Within universally tested subgroups, surprisingly high percentages of COVID-19 positive asymptomatic individuals were found. Asymptomatic transmission was reported in several clusters. A Wuhan study showed an alarming rate of intrahospital transmission, and several countries reported higher prevalence among healthcare workers than the general population. This raises concern that health workers could act as silent disease vectors. Therefore, current public health strategies relying solely on 'symptom onset' for infection identification need urgent reassessment. Extensive universal testing irrespective of symptoms may be considered with priority placed on groups with high frequency exposure to positive patients. |
19 | awcrz0s4 | what type of hand sanitizer is needed to destroy Covid-19? | First description of SARS-CoV-2 in ascites |
35 | zqbw7uc9 | What new public datasets are available related to COVID-19? | A Study of Knowledge Sharing related to Covid-19 Pandemic in Stack Overflow The Covid-19 outbreak, beyond its tragic effects, has changed to an unprecedented extent almost every aspect of human activity throughout the world. At the same time, the pandemic has stimulated enormous amount of research by scientists across various disciplines, seeking to study the phenomenon itself, its epidemiological characteristics and ways to confront its consequences. Information Technology, and particularly Data Science, drive innovation in all related to Covid-19 biomedical fields. Acknowledging that software developers routinely resort to open question and answer communities like Stack Overflow to seek advice on solving technical issues, we have performed an empirical study to investigate the extent, evolution and characteristics of Covid-19 related posts. In particular, through the study of 464 Stack Overflow questions posted mainly in February and March 2020 and leveraging the power of text mining, we attempt to shed light into the interest of developers in Covid-19 related topics and the most popular technological problems for which the users seek information. The findings reveal that indeed this global crisis sparked off an intense and increasing activity in Stack Overflow with most post topics reflecting a strong interest on the analysis of Covid-19 data, primarily using Python technologies. |
2 | brwmpm5a | how does the coronavirus respond to changes in the weather | Comparison of the spatiotemporal characteristics of the COVID-19 and SARS outbreaks in mainland China Background: Both coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) are caused by coronaviruses and have infected people in China and worldwide. We aimed to investigate whether COVID-19 and SARS exhibited similar spatial and temporal features at the provincial level in mainland China. Methods: The number of people infected by COVID-19 and SARS were extracted from daily briefings on newly confirmed cases during the epidemics, as of Mar. 4, 2020 and Aug. 3, 2003, respectively. We depicted the spatiotemporal patterns of the COVID-19 and SARS epidemics using spatial statistics such as Moran's I and the local indicators of spatial association (LISA). Results: Compared to SARS, COVID-19 had a higher incidence. We identified 3 clusters (predominantly located in south-central China, highest RR=135.08) for COVID-19 and 4 clusters (mainly in Northern China, highest RR=423.51) for SARS. Fewer secondary clusters were identified after the "Wuhan lockdown". The LISA cluster map detected a significantly high-low (Hubei) and low-high spatial clustering (Anhui, Hunan, and Jiangxi, in Central China) for COVID-19. Two significant high-high (Beijing and Tianjin) and low-high (Hebei) clusters were detected for SARS, although the global Moran's I value was not significant. Conclusions: The different spatiotemporal clustering patterns between COVID-19 and SARS could point to changes in social and demographic factors, local government containment strategies or differences in transmission mechanisms between these coronaviruses. |
20 | o1bxwvso | are patients taking Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) at increased risk for COVID-19? | Intranasal treatment with poly(I•C) protects aged mice from lethal respiratory virus infections. In the 2002-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) epidemic, no patients under 24 years of age died, while mortality was greater than 50% in those over 65 years. Greater than 90% of all deaths from influenza A virus (IAV) occur in the elderly (>65 years of age). To address this age-related susceptibility to SARS-CoV and IAV, we infected C57BL/6 (B6) mice with mouse-adapted SARS-CoV (MA15) or IAV (PR8), both of which cause severe disease in aged mice. Intranasal pretreatment of aged mice with poly(I·C) (a TLR3 agonist) and, to a lesser extent, CpG, R848, or lipopolysaccharide (TLR9, TLR7/8, or TLR4 agonists), provided a high level of protection [90% to 100% survival rate after poly(I·C) treatment] against lethal MA15 or IAV challenge and reduced pathological changes and virus loads in the lungs at early times after infection. Poly(I·C) pretreatment upregulated beta interferon (IFN-β), IFN-γ, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) gene expression in the lungs. Intranasal pretreatment with IFN-β or IFN-γ but not IL-1β or TNF also protected aged mice, consistent with the notion that poly(I·C) pretreatment functioned, at least in part, by inducing IFN-β and IFN-γ. We also identified a potential cellular target for poly(I·C) by showing that treatment inhibited virus replication in primary human airway epithelial cells. These results suggest that intranasal poly(I·C) should be evaluated as a prophylactic agent in aged individuals at high risk for contracting SARS-CoV or IAV infections. |
5 | 7xh761g9 | what drugs have been active against SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 in animal studies? | The FDA-approved drug ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro Although several clinical trials are now underway to test possible therapies, the worldwide response to the COVID-19 outbreak has been largely limited to monitoring/containment. We report here that Ivermectin, an FDA-approved anti-parasitic previously shown to have broad-spectrum anti-viral activity in vitro, is an inhibitor of the causative virus (SARS-CoV-2), with a single addition to Vero-hSLAM cells 2 h post infection with SARS-CoV-2 able to effect ~5000-fold reduction in viral RNA at 48 h. Ivermectin therefore warrants further investigation for possible benefits in humans. |
41 | czu0bga0 | What are the impacts of COVID-19 among African-Americans that differ from the rest of the U.S. population? | Deep-COVID: Predicting COVID-19 From Chest X-Ray Images Using Deep Transfer Learning The COVID-19 pandemic is causing a major outbreak in more than 150 countries around the world, having a severe impact on the health and life of many people globally. One of the crucial step in fighting COVID-19 is the ability to detect the infected patients early enough, and put them under special care. Detecting this disease from radiography and radiology images is perhaps one of the fastest way to diagnose the patients. Some of the early studies showed specific abnormalities in the chest radiograms of patients infected with COVID-19. Inspired by earlier works, we study the application of deep learning models to detect COVID-19 patients from their chest radiography images. We first prepare a dataset of 5,000 Chest X-rays from the publicly available datasets. Images exhibiting COVID-19 disease presence were identified by board-certified radiologist. Transfer learning on a subset of 2,000 radiograms was used to train four popular convolutional neural networks, including ResNet18, ResNet50, SqueezeNet, and DenseNet-121, to identify COVID-19 disease in the analyzed chest X-ray images. We evaluated these models on the remaining 3,000 images, and most of these networks achieved a sensitivity rate of 97\%($\pm$ 5\%), while having a specificity rate of around 90\%. While the achieved performance is very encouraging, further analysis is required on a larger set of COVID-19 images, to have a more reliable estimation of accuracy rates. Besides sensitivity and specificity rates, we also present the receiver operating characteristic (ROC), area under the curve (AUC), and confusion matrix of each model. The dataset, model implementations (in PyTorch), and evaluations, are all made publicly available for research community, here: https://github.com/shervinmin/DeepCovid.git |
45 | kvl2nric | How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted mental health? | The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on elderly mental health |
25 | owjgs6ja | which biomarkers predict the severe clinical course of 2019-nCOV infection? | Therapeutic effects of dipyridamole on COVID-19 patients with coagulation dysfunction The human coronavirus HCoV-19 infection can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), hypercoagulability, hypertension, extrapulmonary multiorgan dysfunction. Effective antiviral and anti-coagulation agents with safe clinical profiles are urgently needed to improve the overall prognosis. We screened an FDA approved drug library and found that an anticoagulant agent dipyridamole (DIP) suppressed HCoV-19 replication at an EC50 of 100 nM in vitro. It also elicited potent type I interferon responses and ameliorated lung pathology in a viral pneumonia model. In analysis of twelve HCoV-19 infected patients with prophylactic anti-coagulation therapy, we found that DIP supplementation was associated with significantly increased platelet and lymphocyte counts and decreased D-dimer levels in comparison to control patients. Two weeks after initiation of DIP treatment, 3 of the 6 severe cases (60%) and all 4 of the mild cases (100%) were discharged from the hospital. One critically ill patient with extremely high levels of D-dimer and lymphopenia at the time of receiving DIP passed away. All other patients were in clinical remission. In summary, HCoV-19 infected patients could potentially benefit from DIP adjunctive therapy by reducing viral replication, suppressing hypercoagulability and enhancing immune recovery. Larger scale clinical trials of DIP are needed to validate these therapeutic effects. |
34 | ip9geldg | What are the longer-term complications of those who recover from COVID-19? | Estimates of the severity of coronavirus disease 2019: a model-based analysis BACKGROUND: In the face of rapidly changing data, a range of case fatality ratio estimates for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been produced that differ substantially in magnitude. We aimed to provide robust estimates, accounting for censoring and ascertainment biases. METHODS: We collected individual-case data for patients who died from COVID-19 in Hubei, mainland China (reported by national and provincial health commissions to Feb 8, 2020), and for cases outside of mainland China (from government or ministry of health websites and media reports for 37 countries, as well as Hong Kong and Macau, until Feb 25, 2020). These individual-case data were used to estimate the time between onset of symptoms and outcome (death or discharge from hospital). We next obtained age-stratified estimates of the case fatality ratio by relating the aggregate distribution of cases to the observed cumulative deaths in China, assuming a constant attack rate by age and adjusting for demography and age-based and location-based under-ascertainment. We also estimated the case fatality ratio from individual line-list data on 1334 cases identified outside of mainland China. Using data on the prevalence of PCR-confirmed cases in international residents repatriated from China, we obtained age-stratified estimates of the infection fatality ratio. Furthermore, data on age-stratified severity in a subset of 3665 cases from China were used to estimate the proportion of infected individuals who are likely to require hospitalisation. FINDINGS: Using data on 24 deaths that occurred in mainland China and 165 recoveries outside of China, we estimated the mean duration from onset of symptoms to death to be 17·8 days (95% credible interval [CrI] 16·9–19·2) and to hospital discharge to be 24·7 days (22·9–28·1). In all laboratory confirmed and clinically diagnosed cases from mainland China (n=70 117), we estimated a crude case fatality ratio (adjusted for censoring) of 3·67% (95% CrI 3·56–3·80). However, after further adjusting for demography and under-ascertainment, we obtained a best estimate of the case fatality ratio in China of 1·38% (1·23–1·53), with substantially higher ratios in older age groups (0·32% [0·27–0·38] in those aged <60 years vs 6·4% [5·7–7·2] in those aged ≥60 years), up to 13·4% (11·2–15·9) in those aged 80 years or older. Estimates of case fatality ratio from international cases stratified by age were consistent with those from China (parametric estimate 1·4% [0·4–3·5] in those aged <60 years [n=360] and 4·5% [1·8–11·1] in those aged ≥60 years [n=151]). Our estimated overall infection fatality ratio for China was 0·66% (0·39–1·33), with an increasing profile with age. Similarly, estimates of the proportion of infected individuals likely to be hospitalised increased with age up to a maximum of 18·4% (11·0–7·6) in those aged 80 years or older. INTERPRETATION: These early estimates give an indication of the fatality ratio across the spectrum of COVID-19 disease and show a strong age gradient in risk of death. FUNDING: UK Medical Research Council. |
16 | qylmr0l7 | how long does coronavirus remain stable on surfaces? | Biometric Fingerprinting for Visa Application: Device and Procedure Are Risk Factors for Infection Transmission BACKGROUND: Biometric fingerprint identity verification is currently introduced in visa application and entry screening at border control. The system implies physical contact between the skin and the surface of the fingerprint‐capturing and reading devices. AIM: To assess the risk of infection transmission through fingerprinting. METHODS: The medical literature was reviewed for the potential of microorganisms to be carried on the skin of hands in the community, to be transferred from hands to inanimate surfaces, to survive on surfaces, and to be transferred in doses exceeding the infectious dose. The fingerprinting procedures as currently applied were reviewed. RESULTS: Factors that favor transfer of microorganisms are large skin–surface contact between flat fingers (2 × 20 cm(2)) and fingerprint‐capturing device, nonporous contact surface, large overlap of contact surface and short turnaround time between successive applicants, high contact pressure, and difficulties to disinfect devices. Transmission risk exists for enteric viruses (rotavirus, norovirus, and hepatitis A virus), respiratory viruses (respiratory syncytial virus, rhinovirus, influenzavirus, etc.), and enteropathogenic bacteria with low infectious doses (Shigella dysenteriae, Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli, etc.). Using Monte Carlo risk analysis on US data, transmission of human rotavirus is estimated at 191 [95% credible intervals (CI) 0–289] per million fingerprint‐capturing procedures. Application of 70% isopropyl hand rub and 85% ethanol hand gel reduces the risk to 77 (95% CI 0–118) and 0.3 (95% CI 0–0.3) transmissions per million procedures, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The fingerprinting procedure as currently used is associated with a risk of infection transmission. Simple hygienic measures can considerably reduce this transmission risk. |
6 | idg8uz46 | what types of rapid testing for Covid-19 have been developed? | Evaluation of rapid antigen test for detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus BACKGROUND: The rapid diagnosis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients is essential to reduce the disease spread. Rapid antigen detection (RAD) tests are available, however, there is scanty data on the performance of RAD tests. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of the commercially available BIOCREDIT COVID-19 Ag test and compare it with RT-PCR for detecting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. Analytical sensitivity for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus was determined for the RAD test using viral culture and RT-PCR as reference methods. The RAD test was further evaluated using respiratory samples collected from confirmed COVID-19 patients. The results were compared with RT-PCR test. RESULTS: The detection limits between RAD test, viral culture and RT-PCR varied hugely. RAD was 103 fold less sensitive than viral culture while RAD was 105 fold less sensitive than RT-PCR. The RAD test detected between 11.1 % and 45.7 % of RT-PCR-positive samples from COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the RAD test serves only as adjunct to RT-PCR test because of potential for false-negative results. |
29 | mb9ofh12 | which SARS-CoV-2 proteins-human proteins interactions indicate potential for drug targets. Are there approved drugs that can be repurposed based on this information? | A network-informed analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis genes' interactions points to Neutrophil Extracellular Traps as mediators of thrombosis in COVID-19 Abnormal coagulation and an increased risk of thrombosis are features of severe COVID-19, with parallels proposed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a life-threating condition associated with hyperinflammation. The presence of HLH was described in severely ill patients during the H1N1 influenza epidemic, presenting with pulmonary vascular thrombosis. We tested the hypothesis that genes causing primary HLH regulate pathways linking pulmonary thromboembolism to the presence of SARS-CoV-2 using novel network-informed computational algorithms. This approach led to the identification of Neutrophils Extracellular Traps (NETs) as plausible mediators of vascular thrombosis in severe COVID-19 in children and adults. Taken together, the network-informed analysis led us to propose the following model: the release of NETs in response to inflammatory signals acting in concert with SARS-CoV-2 damage the endothelium and direct platelet-activation promoting abnormal coagulation leading to serious complications of COVID-19. The underlying hypothesis is that genetic and/or environmental conditions that favor the release of NETs may predispose individuals to thrombotic complications of COVID-19 due to an increase risk of abnormal coagulation. This would be a common pathogenic mechanism in conditions including autoimmune/infectious diseases, hematologic and metabolic disorders. |
38 | 0y80k5kw | What is the mechanism of inflammatory response and pathogenesis of COVID-19 cases? | Characterizing and controlling the inflammatory network during influenza A virus infection To gain insights into the pathogenesis of influenza A virus (IAV) infections, this study focused on characterizing the inflammatory network and identifying key proteins by combining high-throughput data and computational techniques. We constructed the cell-specific normal and inflammatory networks for H5N1 and H1N1 infections through integrating high-throughput data. We demonstrated that better discrimination between normal and inflammatory networks by network entropy than by other topological metrics. Moreover, we identified different dynamical interactions among TLR2, IL-1β, IL10 and NFκB between normal and inflammatory networks using optimization algorithm. In particular, good robustness and multistability of inflammatory sub-networks were discovered. Furthermore, we identified a complex, TNFSF10/HDAC4/HDAC5, which may play important roles in controlling inflammation, and demonstrated that changes in network entropy of this complex negatively correlated to those of three proteins: TNFα, NFκB and COX-2. These findings provide significant hypotheses for further exploring the molecular mechanisms of infectious diseases and developing control strategies. |
44 | p93u753c | How much impact do masks have on preventing the spread of the COVID-19? | Can wearing face masks in public affect transmission route and viral load in COVID-19? The mandatory face mask wearing was implemented in the Czech Republic and Slovakia shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak in Central Europe. So far, the number of COVID-19-associated deaths per 100,000 individuals is far lower in these countries as compared with other neighbouring or close countries. The use of face masks in public may not protect the general public from contracting the virus, however, presumptively decreases the viral load and contributes to a favourable clinical outcome in COVID-19 disease. A certain time is required for antigen-specific T cells and B cells to fully develop. Obligatory face mask wearing in public favours the virus transmission through oral mucosa and/or conjunctival epithelium, which enables the adaptive immune responses to evolve. In the case of inhalation of high loads of SARS-CoV-2, the time for the development of fully protective adaptive immune responses seems to be insufficient. Then, a less specific and more damaging innate immune response prevails. |
1 | e7hefkd3 | what is the origin of COVID-19 | KCDC Risk Assessments on the Initial Phase of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Korea OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the risk assessments of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) in the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), from the point of detection to the provision of basic information to the relevant public health authorities. METHODS: To estimate the overall risk of specific public health events, probability, and impact at the country-level were evaluated using available information. To determine the probability of particular public health events, the risk of importation and risk of transmission were taken into consideration. KCDC used 5 levels ("very low," "low," "moderate," "high," and "very high") for each category and overall risk was eventually decided. RESULTS: A total of 8 risk assessments were performed on 8 separate occasions between January 8(th) to February 28(th), 2020, depending on the detection and report of COVID-19 cases in other countries. The overall risk of the situation in each assessment increased in severity over this period: "low" (first), "moderate" (second), "high" (third), "high" (fourth), "high" (fifth), "high" (sixth), "high" (seventh), and "very high" (eighth). CONCLUSION: The KCDC's 8 risk assessments were utilized to activate national emergency response mechanisms and eventually prepare for the pandemic to ensure the containment and mitigation of COVID-19 with non-pharmaceutical public health measures. |
46 | erv9oz6r | what evidence is there for dexamethasone as a treatment for COVID-19? | COVID‐19‐associated immune thrombocytopenia Thrombocytopenia is a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality in patients with the new severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus, SARS‐CoV‐2 infection (COVID‐19 infection).(1) Thrombocytopenia in COVID‐19 patients may be caused by disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), sepsis or drug‐induced. Recently a single case report suggested immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) may be associated with COVID‐19 infection.(2) ITP is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by a platelet count < 100x10(9)/L, leading to an increased bleeding risk.(3) Several risk factors have been described for ITP including environmental (e.g. infection, malignancy and drugs) and genetic predisposition.(4) We report here the first case series of three patients with ITP associated with COVID‐19 infection. |
50 | v9ndmjzm | what is known about an mRNA vaccine for the SARS-CoV-2 virus? | A Scalable Topical Vectored Vaccine Candidate Against SARS-CoV-2 The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused an ongoing unprecedented global public health crises of coronavirus disease in 2019 (CoVID-19). The precipitously increased death rates, its impact on livelihood and trembling economies warrant the urgent development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine which would be safe, efficacious and scalable. Owing to unavailability of the vaccine, we propose a de novo synthesised avian orthoavulavirus 1 (AOaV-1)-based topical respiratory vaccine candidate against CoVID-19. Avirulent strain of Newcastle disease virus, proto-type virus of AOaV-1, was engineered to express full length spike (S) glycoprotein which is highly neutralizing and major protective antigen of the SARS-CoV-2. Broad-scale in vitro characterization of recombinant vaccine candidate demonstrated efficient co-expression of the hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) of AOaV-1 and S protein of SARS-CoV-2, and comparable replication kinetics were observed in cell culture model. The recombinant vaccine candidate virus actively replicated and spread within cells independently of exogenous trypsin. Interestingly, incorporation of S protein of SARS-CoV-2 into the recombinant AOaV-1 particles attributed the sensitivity to anti-SARS-CoV-2 antiserum and more prominently to anti-AOaV-1 antiserum. Finally, our results demonstrated that the recombinant vaccine vector stably expressed S protein after multiple propagation in chicken embryonated eggs, and this expression did not significantly impact the in vitro growth characteristics of the recombinant. Taken together, the presented respiratory vaccine candidate is highly attenuated in primates per se, safe and lacking pre-existing immunity in human, and carries the potential for accelerated vaccine development against CoVID-19 for clinical studies. |
1 | c0r2nbzo | what is the origin of COVID-19 | Virtual screening and repurposing of FDA approved drugs against COVID-19 main protease Abstract Aims In December 2019, the Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) virus has emerged in Wuhan, China. In this research, the first resolved COVID-19 crystal structure (main protease) was targeted in a virtual screening study by of FDA approved drugs dataset. In addition, a knowledge gap in relations of COVID-19 with the previously known fatal Coronaviruses (CoVs) epidemics, SARS and MERS CoVs, was covered by investigation of sequence statistics and phylogenetics. Materials and methods Molecular modeling, virtual screening, docking, sequence comparison statistics and phylogenetics of the COVID-19 main protease were investigated. Key findings COVID-19 Mpro formed a phylogenetic group with SARS CoV that was distant from MERS CoV. The identity% was 96.061 and 51.61 for COVID-19/SARS and COVID-19/MERS CoV sequence comparisons, respectively. The top 20 drugs in the virtual screening studies comprised a broad-spectrum antiviral (ribavirin), anti-hepatitis B virus (telbivudine), two vitamins (vitamin B12 and nicotinamide) and other miscellaneous systemically acting drugs. Of special interest, ribavirin had been used in treating cases of SARS CoV. Significance The present study provided a comprehensive targeting of the first resolved COVID+19 structure of Mpro and found a suitable save drugs for repurposing against the viral Mpro. Ribavirin, telbivudine, vitamin B12 and nicotinamide can be combined and used for COVID treatment. This initiative relocates already marketed and approved safe drugs for potential use in COVID-treatment. |
46 | hgsqd42a | what evidence is there for dexamethasone as a treatment for COVID-19? | COVID-19: An Update on the Epidemiological, Clinical, Preventive and Therapeutic Evidence and Guidelines of Integrative Chinese-Western Medicine for the Management of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease As of 22 February 2020, more than 77662 cases of confirmed COVID-19 have been documented globally with over 2360 deaths. Common presentations of confirmed cases include fever, fatigue, dry cough, upper airway congestion, sputum production, shortness of breath, myalgia/arthralgia with lymphopenia, prolonged prothrombin time, elevated C-reactive protein, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase. The reported severe/critical case ratio is approximately 7-10% and median time to intensive care admission is 9.5-10.5 days with mortality of around 1-2% varied geographically. Similar to outbreaks of other newly identified virus, there is no proven regimen from conventional medicine and most reports managed the patients with lopinavir/ritonavir, ribavirin, beta-interferon, glucocorticoid and supportive treatment with remdesivir undergoing clinical trial. In China, Chinese medicine is proposed as a treatment option by national and provincial guidelines with substantial utilization. We reviewed the latest national and provincial clinical guidelines, retrospective cohort studies, and case series regarding the treatment of COVID-19 by add-on Chinese medicine. We have also reviewed the clinical evidence generated from SARS and H1N1 management with hypothesized mechanisms and latest in silico findings to identify candidate Chinese medicines for the consideration of possible trials and management. Given the paucity of strongly evidence-based regimens, the available data suggest that Chinese medicine could be considered as an adjunctive therapeutic option in the management of COVID-19. |
27 | f2z4zlqt | what is known about those infected with Covid-19 but are asymptomatic? | Détection pré et postopératoire de l'infection virale en cas de chirurgie carcinologique ne pouvant être retardée, pendant la pandémie de COVID-19 |
29 | dmchpir0 | which SARS-CoV-2 proteins-human proteins interactions indicate potential for drug targets. Are there approved drugs that can be repurposed based on this information? | COVID‐19 treatment by repurposing drugs until the vaccine is in sight Corona virus disease (COVID‐19) has created pandemic in the world as declared by WHO on March 12, 2020. It is a viral disease caused by SARS‐CoV 2 virus and has affected large populations in over 120 countries. There is no specific treatment available and management is empirical. Until such time that an effective vaccine is available for COVID‐19 viral infection, one can repurpose known therapeutic drug molecules such as angiotensin receptor 2 blocker, a commonly used antihypertensive drug, to control COVID‐19 virus from gaining entry into the host cell by blocking the angiotensin receptor. Clinical trials should also be undertaken to use statins, which are lipid‐lowering drugs but have anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties to prevent acute lung injury in COVID‐19 infection. |
37 | 4ze0mfxp | What is the result of phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence? | The Novel Coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2: From a Zoonotic Infection to Coronavirus Disease‐19 (COVID19) OBJECTIVE: The novel coronavirus, SARS‐CoV‐2 is an international public health emergency. Until now, the intermediate host and mechanisms of interspecies jump of this virus are unknown. METHODS: Phylogenetic analysis of all available bat coronavirus (CoV) complete genomes was performed in order to analyze the relationships between bat CoV and SARS‐CoV‐2. In order to suggest a possible intermediate host, another phylogenetic reconstruction of CoV genomes obtained from animals which were hypothetically commercialized in the Chinese markets was also carried out. Moreover, mutation analysis was executed to suggest genomic regions which may have permitted the adaptation of SARS‐CoV‐2 to the human host. RESULTS: The phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that SARS‐CoV‐2 formed a cluster with the bat CoV isolate RaTG13. Possible CoV interspecies jumps among bat isolates were also observed. The phylogenetic tree reconstructed from CoV strains belonging to different animals demonstrated that SARS‐CoV‐2, bat RaTG13 and pangolin CoV genomes formed a monophyletic cluster, demonstrating that pangolins may be suggested as SARS‐CoV‐2 intermediate hosts. Three AA substitutions localized in the S1 portion of the S gene were observed, some of which have been correlated to structural modifications of the S protein which may facilitate SARS‐CoV‐2 tropism to human cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our analysis shows the tight relationship between SARS‐CoV‐2 and bat SARS‐like strains. It also hypothesizes that pangolins might have been possible intermediate hosts of the infection. Some of the observed AA substitutions in the S binding protein may serve as possible adaptation mutations in humans but more studies are needed to elucidate their function. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. |
31 | vpodtbjk | How does the coronavirus differ from seasonal flu? | A Comprehensive Literature Review on the Clinical Presentation, and Management of the Pandemic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a declared global pandemic. There are multiple parameters of the clinical course and management of the COVID-19 that need optimization. A hindrance to this development is the vast amount of misinformation present due to scarcely sourced manuscript preprints and social media. This literature review aims to presents accredited and the most current studies pertaining to the basic sciences of SARS-CoV-2, clinical presentation and disease course of COVID-19, public health interventions, and current epidemiological developments. The review on basic sciences aims to clarify the jargon in virology, describe the virion structure of SARS-CoV-2 and present pertinent details relevant to clinical practice. Another component discussed is the brief history on the series of experiments used to explore the origins and evolution of the phylogeny of the viral genome of SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, the clinical and epidemiological differences between COVID-19 and other infections causing outbreaks (SARS, MERS, H1N1) are elucidated. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based medicine to evaluate the frequency of presentation of various symptoms to create a stratification system of the most important epidemiological risk factors for COVID-19. These can be used to triage and expedite risk assessment. Furthermore, the limitations and statistical strength of the diagnostic tools currently in clinical practice are evaluated. Criteria on rapid screening, discharge from hospital and discontinuation of self-quarantine are clarified. Epidemiological factors influencing the rapid rate of spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are described. Accurate information pertinent to improving prevention strategies is also discussed. The penultimate portion of the review aims to explain the involvement of micronutrients such as vitamin C and vitamin D in COVID19 treatment and prophylaxis. Furthermore, the biochemistry of the major candidates for novel therapies is briefly reviewed and a summary of their current status in the clinical trials is presented. Lastly, the current scientific data and status of governing bodies such as the Center of Disease Control (CDC) and the WHO on the usage of controversial therapies such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (Ibuprofen), and corticosteroids usage in COVID-19 are discussed. The composite collection of accredited studies on each of these subtopics of COVID-19 within this review will enable clarification and focus on the current status and direction in the planning of the management of this global pandemic. |
31 | 2bz9u8k0 | How does the coronavirus differ from seasonal flu? | Measuring COVID-19 and Influenza in the Real World via Person-Generated Health Data Background: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic data from smartphones and connected sensors has been used to learn about symptoms presentation and management outside the clinic walls. However, reports on the validity of such data are still sparse, especially when it comes to symptom progression and relevance of wearable sensors. Objective: To understand the relevance of Person-GeneratedHealth Data (PGHD) as a means for early detection, monitoring and management of COVID-19 in everyday life. This includes quantifying prevalence and progression of symptoms from self-reports as well as changes in activity and physiological parameters continuously measured from wearable sensors, and contextualizing findings for COVID-19 patients with those from cohorts of flu patients. Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective digital cohort study of individuals with a self-reported positive SARS-CoV-2 or influenza test followed over the period 2019-12-02 to2020-04-27. Three cohorts were derived: Patients who self-reported being diagnosed with flu prior to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (N=6270, of which 1226 also contributed sensorPGHD); Patients who reported being diagnosed with flu during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (N=426, of which 85 also shared sensor PGHD); and patients who reported being diagnosed withCOVID-19 (N=230, of which sensor PGHD was available for 41).The cohorts were derived from a large-scale digital participatory surveillance study designed to track Influenza-like Illness(ILI) incidence and burden over time. Exposures: Self-reported demographic data, comorbidities, and symptoms experienced during a diagnosed ILI episode, including SARS-CoV-2.Physiological and behavioral parameters measured daily from commercial wearable sensors, includingResting Heart Rate (RHR), total step count, and nightly sleep hours. Main Outcomes and Measures: We investigated the percent-age of individuals experiencing symptoms of a given type (e.g.shortness of breath) across demographic groups and over time. We examined illness duration, and care seeking behavior, and how RHR, step count, and nightly sleep hours deviated from expected behavior on healthy days over the course of the infection episode. Results: Self-reported symptoms of COVID-19 present differently from flu. COVID-19 cases tended to last longer than flu(median of 12 vs. 9 days), are uniquely characterized by chest pain/pressure, shortness of breath, and anosmia. The fraction of elevated RHR measurements collected daily from commercial wearable devices rise significantly in the 2 days surrounding ILI symptoms onset, but does not appear to do so in a way specific to COVID-19. Steps lost due to COVID-19 persists for longer. Conclusion and Relevance: PGHD can be a valid source of longitudinal real world data to detect and monitor COVID-19-related symptoms and behaviors at population scale. PGHD may provide continuous, near realtime feedback to intervention effectiveness that otherwise requires waiting for symptoms to develop into contacts with the healthcare system. It has also the potential to increase pre-test probability of other downstream diagnostics. To effectively leverage PGHD for participatory surveillance it is crucial to invest in the creation of trusted, long-term communication channels with individuals through whichdata can be efficiently collected, consented, and contextualized,while protecting the privacy of individuals and ultimately facilitating the transition in and out of care. |
13 | lqmc7yy4 | what are the transmission routes of coronavirus? | COVID-19: Zoonotic aspects |
12 | dqour5jr | what are best practices in hospitals and at home in maintaining quarantine? | Characterization of spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 on virus entry and its immune cross-reactivity with SARS-CoV Since 2002, beta coronaviruses (CoV) have caused three zoonotic outbreaks, SARS-CoV in 2002–2003, MERS-CoV in 2012, and the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 in late 2019. However, little is currently known about the biology of SARS-CoV-2. Here, using SARS-CoV-2 S protein pseudovirus system, we confirm that human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) is the receptor for SARS-CoV-2, find that SARS-CoV-2 enters 293/hACE2 cells mainly through endocytosis, that PIKfyve, TPC2, and cathepsin L are critical for entry, and that SARS-CoV-2 S protein is less stable than SARS-CoV S. Polyclonal anti-SARS S1 antibodies T62 inhibit entry of SARS-CoV S but not SARS-CoV-2 S pseudovirions. Further studies using recovered SARS and COVID-19 patients' sera show limited cross-neutralization, suggesting that recovery from one infection might not protect against the other. Our results present potential targets for development of drugs and vaccines for SARS-CoV-2. |
7 | 19h2i631 | are there serological tests that detect antibodies to coronavirus? | Immunological, structural, and preliminary X-ray diffraction characterizations of the fusion core of the SARS-coronavirus spike protein Abstract The SARS-CoV spike protein, a glycoprotein essential for viral entry, is a primary target for vaccine and drug development. Two peptides denoted HR-N(SN50) and HR-C(SC40), corresponding to the Leu/Ile/Val-rich heptad-repeat regions from the N-terminal and C-terminal segments of the SARS-CoV spike S2 sequence, respectively, were synthesized and predicted to form trimeric assembly of hairpin-like structures. The polyclonal antibodies produced by recombinant S2 protein were tested for antigenicity of the two heptad repeats. We report here the first crystallographic study of the SARS spike HR-N/HR-C complex. The crystal belongs to the triclinic space group P1 and the data-set collected to 2.98Å resolution showed noncrystallographic pseudo-222 and 3-fold symmetries. Based on these data, comparative modeling of the SARS-CoV fusion core was performed. The immunological and structural information presented herein may provide a more detailed understanding of the viral fusion mechanism as well as the development of effective therapy against SARS-CoV infection. |
27 | azwu5ay9 | what is known about those infected with Covid-19 but are asymptomatic? | Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients Can Contaminate Their Surroundings: an Environment Sampling Study The contamination of patients' surroundings by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains understudied. We sampled the surroundings and the air of six negative-pressure non-intensive care unit (non-ICU) rooms in a designated isolation ward in Chengdu, China, that were occupied by 13 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients who had returned from overseas travel, including 2 asymptomatic patients. A total of 44 of 112 (39.3%) surface samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2 as detected by real-time PCR, suggesting extensive contamination, although all of the air samples were negative. In particular, in a single room occupied by an asymptomatic patient, four sites were SARS-CoV-2 positive, highlighting that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients do contaminate their surroundings and impose risks for others with close contact. Placement of COVID-19 patients in rooms with negative pressure may bring a false feeling of safety, and the importance of rigorous environment cleaning should be emphasized.IMPORTANCE Although it has been well recognized that the virus SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, can be acquired by exposure to fomites, surprisingly, the contamination of patients' surroundings by SARS-CoV-2 is largely unknown, as there have been few studies. We performed an environmental sampling study for 13 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients and found extensive contamination of patients' surroundings. In particular, we found that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients contaminated their surroundings and therefore imposed risks for other people. Environment cleaning should be emphasized in negative-pressure rooms. The findings may be useful to guide infection control practice to protect health care workers. |
48 | av0so7mz | what are the benefits and risks of re-opening schools in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? | Surgical precautions for Urologists in the era of COVID-19 |
5 | w6bk2x1n | what drugs have been active against SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 in animal studies? | Abelson Kinase Inhibitors Are Potent Inhibitors of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Fusion. UNLABELLED The highly pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cause significant morbidity and morality. There is currently no approved therapeutic for highly pathogenic coronaviruses, even as MERS-CoV is spreading throughout the Middle East. We previously screened a library of FDA-approved drugs for inhibitors of coronavirus replication in which we identified Abelson (Abl) kinase inhibitors, including the anticancer drug imatinib, as inhibitors of both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV in vitro Here we show that the anti-CoV activity of imatinib occurs at the early stages of infection, after internalization and endosomal trafficking, by inhibiting fusion of the virions at the endosomal membrane. We specifically identified the imatinib target, Abelson tyrosine-protein kinase 2 (Abl2), as required for efficient SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV replication in vitro These data demonstrate that specific approved drugs can be characterized in vitro for their anticoronavirus activity and used to identify host proteins required for coronavirus replication. This type of study is an important step in the repurposing of approved drugs for treatment of emerging coronaviruses. IMPORTANCE Both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV are zoonotic infections, with bats as the primary source. The 2003 SARS-CoV outbreak began in Guangdong Province in China and spread to humans via civet cats and raccoon dogs in the wet markets before spreading to 37 countries. The virus caused 8,096 confirmed cases of SARS and 774 deaths (a case fatality rate of ∼10%). The MERS-CoV outbreak began in Saudi Arabia and has spread to 27 countries. MERS-CoV is believed to have emerged from bats and passed into humans via camels. The ongoing outbreak of MERS-CoV has resulted in 1,791 cases of MERS and 640 deaths (a case fatality rate of 36%). The emergence of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV provides evidence that coronaviruses are currently spreading from zoonotic sources and can be highly pathogenic, causing serious morbidity and mortality in humans. Treatment of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infection is limited to providing supportive therapy consistent with any serious lung disease, as no specific drugs have been approved as therapeutics. Highly pathogenic coronaviruses are rare and appear to emerge and disappear within just a few years. Currently, MERS-CoV is still spreading, as new infections continue to be reported. The outbreaks of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV and the continuing diagnosis of new MERS cases highlight the need for finding therapeutics for these diseases and potential future coronavirus outbreaks. Screening FDA-approved drugs streamlines the pipeline for this process, as these drugs have already been tested for safety in humans. |
18 | 09yhzszy | what are the best masks for preventing infection by Covid-19? | Introducing the "Corona Curtain": an innovative technique to prevent airborne COVID-19 exposure during emergent intubations BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic places healthcare workers at risk of exposure to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Emergency department (ED) staff are particularly vulnerable when managing patients with acute respiratory distress due to the aerosolization of the virus during endotracheal intubation. A simple and innovative intubation tent was designed with the intent of decreasing the risk of accidental viral transmission from emergent intubations during the COVID-19 pandemic. PRESENTATION OF TECHNIQUE: The materials and assembly process of the novel "Corona Curtain" are described in technical detail, with the intent of allowing other providers to template the concept at their respective facilities. RESULTS: A total of 36 intubation tents were mounted in the ED at the Medical Center of Aurora, Colorado, on April 7, 2020, and thereafter consistently used for all intubations during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. The cost of raw materials and labor for the initial assembly averaged US $ 8.00 per construct. The price of the single-use plastic cover is variable depending on the vendor source. CONCLUSION: The new "Corona Curtain" was designed to improve the safety of ED staff when performing urgent/emergent intubations during the current COVID-19 pandemic. The concept can easily be adopted to other patient care areas, including perioperative and intensive care units. Future validation studies are needed to determine the safety and efficacy of the intubation tents by quantifying the pre−/post-intubation exposure through "point-of-care" SARS-CoV-2 testing once these resources are more widely available. |
19 | nqca8mio | what type of hand sanitizer is needed to destroy Covid-19? | COVID-19 virus outbreak lockdown: What impacts on household food wastage? The 2019–2020 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a public health issue. Lockdown is among options suggested to reduce spread of the virus. This study aimed to determining the impact of COVID-19 lockdown on Tunisian consumer awareness, attitudes and behaviors related to food wastage. An online survey was conducted during the first 2 weeks of COVID-19 lockdown. The survey collected information on demographic data, awareness and attitudes toward food waste, food purchase behavior and household food expenditure estimation; extent of household food waste; willingness and information needs to reduce food waste. This study included 284 respondents. About 89% of respondents claimed to be aware of food waste, and the COVID-19 lockdown would impact for 93% of respondents, their waste levels, and for 80%, their grocery shopping habits. Interestingly, the COVID-19 lockdown improved food shopping performances and pushed toward a positive behavioral change regarding food wastage: 85% respondents declared nothing of what they bought would be discarded, and most of the respondents have set up a strategy of saving, storing and eating leftovers. The most cited reasons given for discarding food were overcooking, inappropriate storage and overbuying. Consumers' changes in food waste prevention might be probably driven more by the socioeconomical context of the COVID-19 lockdown (i.e. food availability, restricted movements, loss of income), than by a pro-environmental concern. Finally, our study pointed out the consumers' needs of information for taking further action. In conclusion, our study can constitute a basis to further promote household food waste prevention behavior, outlasting the COVID-19 crisis. |
38 | nuwvge0t | What is the mechanism of inflammatory response and pathogenesis of COVID-19 cases? | A MultiSite Gateway(TM )vector set for the functional analysis of genes in the model Saccharomyces cerevisiae BACKGROUND: Recombinatorial cloning using the Gateway(TM) technology has been the method of choice for high-throughput omics projects, resulting in the availability of entire ORFeomes in Gateway(TM) compatible vectors. The MultiSite Gateway(TM) system allows combining multiple genetic fragments such as promoter, ORF and epitope tag in one single reaction. To date, this technology has not been accessible in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one of the most widely used experimental systems in molecular biology, due to the lack of appropriate destination vectors. RESULTS: Here, we present a set of three-fragment MultiSite Gateway(TM) destination vectors that have been developed for gene expression in S. cerevisiae and that allow the assembly of any promoter, open reading frame, epitope tag arrangement in combination with any of four auxotrophic markers and three distinct replication mechanisms. As an example of its applicability, we used yeast three-hybrid to provide evidence for the assembly of a ternary complex of plant proteins involved in jasmonate signalling and consisting of the JAZ, NINJA and TOPLESS proteins. CONCLUSION: Our vectors make MultiSite Gateway(TM) cloning accessible in S. cerevisiae and implement a fast and versatile cloning method for the high-throughput functional analysis of (heterologous) proteins in one of the most widely used model organisms for molecular biology research. |
16 | u1i5onqr | how long does coronavirus remain stable on surfaces? | Understanding Epidemic Data and Statistics: A case study of COVID-19 The 2019-Novel-Coronavirus (COVID-19) has affected 181 countries and out of about 1197405 confirmed cases (By April 5). Understanding the transmission dynamics of the infection in each country which affected on a daily basis and evaluating the effectiveness of control policies is critical for our further actions. To date, the statistics of COVID-19 reported cases show more than 80 percent of infected had a mild case of disease, while around 14 percent of infected experienced a severe one and about 5 percent are categorized as critical disease victims. Today's report (2020-04-05; daily updates in the prepared website) shows the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US, Spain, Italy, and Germany are 308850, 126168, 124632, and 96092; respectively. Calculating the total Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of Italy (2020-04-04), about 13.3% of confirmed cases passed away. Compared to South Korea's rate of 1.8% (7 times lower than Italy) and China's 4% (69% lower than Italy), the CFR of Italy is too high. There are some effective policies that yield significant changes in the trend of cases. The lockdown policy in China, Italy, and Spain (the effect observed after some days), Shutdown of all non-essential companies in Hubei (the effect observed after 5 days), combined policy in South Korea, and reducing working hours in Iran. |
36 | vybs0fj8 | What is the protein structure of the SARS-CoV-2 spike? | Learning from the Past: Possible Urgent Prevention and Treatment Options for Severe Acute Respiratory Infections Caused by 2019-nCoV. With the current trajectory of the 2019-nCoV outbreak unknown, public health and medicinal measures will both be needed to contain spreading of the virus and to optimize patient outcomes. While little is known about the virus, an examination of the genome sequence shows strong homology with its more well-studied cousin, SARS-CoV. The spike protein used for host cell infection shows key nonsynonymous mutations which may hamper efficacy of previously developed therapeutics but remains a viable target for the development of biologics and macrocyclic peptides. Other key drug targets, including RdRp and 3CLpro, share a strikingly high (>95%) homology to SARS-CoV. Herein, we suggest 4 potential drug candidates (an ACE2-based peptide, remdesivir, 3CLpro-1 and a novel vinylsulfone protease inhibitor) that can be used to treat patients suffering with the 2019-nCoV. We also summarize previous efforts into drugging these targets and hope to help in the development of broad spectrum anti-coronaviral agents for future epidemics. |
39 | dix0tqic | What is the mechanism of cytokine storm syndrome on the COVID-19? | Survival of COVID-19 patients requires precise immune regulation: The hypothetical immunoprotective role of nicotinic agonists recent studies have provided novel evidence regarding the effect of nicotine agonists on the prevention or modulation of cytokines storm and reduction of infection. In this study we tried to attempt to address these issues from a therapeutic perspective of nicotine agonists in this manner and we describe one of the most challenging theories of immunotherapy in coronavirus-19 (COVID-19). The analysis of the proposed mechanism goes beyond the physiological consequences of a way to design new strategies to provide anti-inflammatory drugs. |
7 | kjovtgua | are there serological tests that detect antibodies to coronavirus? | Rapid and accurate identification of COVID-19 infection through machine learning based on clinical available blood test results Since the sudden outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it has rapidly evolved into a momentous global health concern. Due to the lack of constructive information on the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and specific treatment, it highlights the importance of early diagnosis and timely treatment. In this study, 11 key blood indices were extracted through random forest algorithm to build the final assistant discrimination tool from 49 clinical available blood test data which were derived by commercial blood test equipments. The method presented robust outcome to accurately identify COVID-19 from a variety of suspected patients with similar CT information or similar symptoms, with accuracy of 0.9795 and 0.9697 for the cross-validation set and test set, respectively. The tool also demonstrated its outstanding performance on an external validation set that was completely independent of the modeling process, with sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of 0.9512, 0.9697, and 0.9595, respectively. Besides, 24 samples from overseas infected patients with COVID-19 were used to make an in-depth clinical assessment with accuracy of 0.9167. After multiple verification, the reliability and repeatability of the tool has been fully evaluated, and it has the potential to develop into an emerging technology to identify COVID-19 and lower the burden of global public health. The proposed tool is well-suited to carry out preliminary assessment of suspected patients and help them to get timely treatment and quarantine suggestion. The assistant tool is now available online at http://lishuyan.lzu.edu.cn/COVID2019_2/. |
7 | rbnfh89u | are there serological tests that detect antibodies to coronavirus? | Evaluation of Enzyme-Linked Immunoassay and Colloidal Gold- Immunochromatographic Assay Kit for Detection of Novel Coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2) Causing an Outbreak of Pneumonia (COVID-19) Abstract BACKGROUND: In December 2019, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infected pneumonia (COVID-19) occurred in Wuhan, China. Travel-associated cases have also been reported in other countries. The number of cases has increased rapidly but laboratory diagnosis is limited. METHODS: We collect two groups of cases diagnosed with COVID-19 for experiments. One group collected 63 samples for Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) IgG and IgM antibodies. The other group collected 91 plasma samples for colloidal gold-immunochromatographic assay (GICA). RESULTS: The sensitivity of the combined ELISA IgM and ELISA IgG detection was 55/63 ( 87.3%), The sensitivity of the combined GICA IgM and GICA IgG detection was 75/91 ( 82.4%), Both methods are negative for healthy controls, specificity of 100% .There is no significant difference between the sensitivity of between ELISA and GICA (IgM+ IgG). CONCLUSIONS: ELISA and GICA for specific IgM and IgG antibodies are conventional serological assays, they are simple, fast, and safe, the results can be used for clinical reference, and the huge clinical diagnosis and treatment pressure can be greatly relieved. |
13 | 9l47awje | what are the transmission routes of coronavirus? | Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 7a accessory protein is a viral structural protein. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SCoV) 7a protein is one of the viral accessory proteins. In expressing cells, 7a protein exhibits a variety of biological activities, including induction of apoptosis, activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, inhibition of host protein translation, and suppression of cell growth progression. Analysis of SCoV particles that were purified by either sucrose gradient equilibrium centrifugation or a virus capture assay, in which intact SCoV particles were specifically immunoprecipitated by anti-S protein monoclonal antibody, demonstrated that 7a protein was associated with purified SCoV particles. Coexpression of 7a protein with SCoV S, M, N, and E proteins resulted in production of virus-like particles (VLPs) carrying 7a protein, while 7a protein was not released from cells expressing 7a protein alone. Although interaction between 7a protein and another SCoV accessory protein, 3a, has been reported, 3a protein was dispensable for assembly of 7a protein into VLPs. S protein was not required for the 7a protein incorporation into VLPs, and yet 7a protein interacted with S protein in coexpressing cells. These data established that, in addition to 3a protein, 7a protein was a SCoV accessory protein identified as a SCoV structural protein. |
41 | riyedlqw | What are the impacts of COVID-19 among African-Americans that differ from the rest of the U.S. population? | Promoting health equity in the era of COVID-19 |
16 | 5uvmwj0i | how long does coronavirus remain stable on surfaces? | Coronavirus Disease 2019: In-Home Isolation Room Construction Patient care duties will expose health care workers to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Many are concerned about subsequent household exposure to their families, particularly those family members with high risk of complications or mortality, potentiating additional community spread. Herein is described a temporary isolation room that can be created within a home, thereby decreasing bioburden exposure to family members. The design is simple, expedient, and can be built with locally sourced inexpensive supplies. A viewing and access window facilitates safe family interaction and decreases the emotional costs of isolation while providing a route to pass items as necessary. |
15 | lc0yib8h | how long can the coronavirus live outside the body | COVID-19 Presenting as Acute Hepatitis |
35 | k0mw4crz | What new public datasets are available related to COVID-19? | An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time |
39 | bvyer90z | What is the mechanism of cytokine storm syndrome on the COVID-19? | Psychometric Testing of Three COVID-19-Related Scales Among People with Mental Illness Fear of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) may result in psychological health problems among different populations. Moreover, believing COVID-19 information and preventive COVID-19 infection behaviors are relevant constructs associated with fear of COVID-19. Therefore, the present study validated three instruments assessing fear, beliefs, and preventive behaviors related to COVID-19 among individuals with mental illness. Moreover, relationships between the three constructs were examined. Individuals with mental illness (N = 400; 178 females; mean age = 46.91 years) completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), Believing COVID-19 Information Scale (BCIS), Preventive COVID-19 Infection Behaviors Scale (PCIBS), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). The FCV-19S, BCIS, and PCIBS demonstrated a single-factor structure with satisfactory fit indices. Moreover, believing COVID-19 information positively and significantly associated with fear of COVID-19, and fear of COVID-19 negatively and significantly associated with preventive behaviors and positively and significantly associated with psychological distress. The FCV-19S, BCIS, and PCIBS may assist healthcare providers in assessing COVID-19-related information among individuals with mental illness. Consequently, relevant programs may be designed to help individuals with mental illness going through the period of crisis. |
37 | 9atjk9si | What is the result of phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence? | A tug-of-war between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and host antiviral defence: lessons from other pathogenic viruses World Health Organization has declared the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The virus was named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Human infection with SARS-CoV-2 leads to a wide range of clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic, mild, moderate to severe. The severe cases present with pneumonia, which can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome. The outbreak provides an opportunity for real-time tracking of an animal coronavirus that has just crossed species barrier to infect humans. The outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection is largely determined by virus-host interaction. Here, we review the discovery, zoonotic origin, animal hosts, transmissibility and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 in relation to its interplay with host antiviral defense. A comparison with SARS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, community-acquired human coronaviruses and other pathogenic viruses including human immunodeficiency viruses is made. We summarize current understanding of the induction of a proinflammatory cytokine storm by other highly pathogenic human coronaviruses, their adaptation to humans and their usurpation of the cell death programmes. Important questions concerning the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and host antiviral defence, including asymptomatic and presymptomatic virus shedding, are also discussed. |
38 | zsyi98t0 | What is the mechanism of inflammatory response and pathogenesis of COVID-19 cases? | Early Short Course Corticosteroids in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 BACKGROUND: There is no proven antiviral or immunomodulatory therapy for COVID-19. The disease progression associated with the pro-inflammatory host response prompted us to examine the role of early corticosteroid therapy in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19. METHODS: We conducted a single pre-test, single post-test quasi-experiment in a multi-center health system in Michigan from March 12 to March 27, 2020. Adult patients with confirmed moderate to severe COVID were included. A protocol was implemented on March 20, 2020 using early, short-course, methylprednisolone 0.5 to 1 mg/kg/day divided in 2 intravenous doses for 3 days. Outcomes of standard of care (SOC) and early corticosteroid groups were evaluated, with a primary composite endpoint of escalation of care from ward to ICU, new requirement for mechanical ventilation, and mortality. All patients had at least 14 days of follow-up. RESULTS: We analyzed 213 eligible subjects, 81 (38%) and 132 (62%) in SOC and early corticosteroid groups, respectively.The composite endpoint occurred at a significantly lower rate in the early corticosteroid group (34.9% vs. 54.3%, p=0.005). This treatment effect was observed within each individual component of the composite endpoint. Significant reduction in median hospital length of stay was also observed in the early corticosteroid group (8 vs. 5 days, p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated an independent reduction in the composite endpoint at 14-days controlling for other factors (aOR: 0.41; 95% CI [0.22 - 0.77]). CONCLUSION: An early short course of methylprednisolone in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 reduced escalation of care and improved clinical outcomes. |
21 | zoig0b39 | what are the mortality rates overall and in specific populations | COVID-19: unidades de terapia intensiva, ventiladores mecânicos e perfis latentes de mortalidade associados à letalidade no Brasil./ COVID-19: unidades de terapia intensiva, ventiladores mecânicos e perfis latentes de mortalidade associados à letalidade no Brasil./ COVID-19: intensive care units, mechanical ventilators, and latent mortality profiles associated with case-fatality in Brazil In response to the accelerated increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, countries must increase their supply of beds in intensive care units (ICUs). Respiratory diseases, neoplasms, cardiopathies and hypertension, and diabetes are associated with higher COVID-19 case-fatality. The study aimed to identify the regions of Brazil with higher specific mortality rates from these comorbidities and the regions with the greatest shortage of ICU beds and mechanical ventilators. A cross-sectional ecological study was performed in which the units of analysis were the country's Health Regions. Data were obtained from Brazilian Health Informatics Department - DATASUS (National Registry of Healthcare Establishments - 2019, Mortality Information Systems - 2017, and Population Projections - 2017). We calculated the disease group-specific mortality rates for hypertension, neoplasms, diabetes, cardiac diseases, respiratory diseases and the rates of total ICU beds, private ICU beds, ICU beds in the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS), and ventilators in the SUS, per 100,000 inhabitants. The mortality profile was determined by latent profiles analysis, and the cluster analysis of ICU beds and ventilators used the spatial scan method. Kernel maps were constructed for the data's visualization. Level of significance was set at 5%. Four latent mortality profiles were observed. The Health Regions with the highest mean mortality rates were located in regions with shortages of ICU beds and ventilators, especially in parts of the Northeast, Southeast, and South of Brazil. The spatial localization of regions with both the highest mortality and shortages of ICU beds/ventilators requires attention by policymakers and public planners to deal efficiently and fairly with the COVID-19 epidemic in Brazil. |
9 | 2dyn9uez | how has COVID-19 affected Canada | AGA Institute Rapid Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Procedures During the COVID-19 Pandemic |
38 | f3itn0sb | What is the mechanism of inflammatory response and pathogenesis of COVID-19 cases? | Targeting the Heme-Heme Oxygenase System to Prevent Severe Complications Following COVID-19 Infections SARS-CoV-2 is causing a pandemic resulting in high morbidity and mortality. COVID-19 patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are often critically ill and show lung injury and hemolysis. Heme is a prosthetic moiety crucial for the function of a wide variety of heme-proteins, including hemoglobin and cytochromes. However, injury-derived free heme promotes adhesion molecule expression, leukocyte recruitment, vascular permeabilization, platelet activation, complement activation, thrombosis, and fibrosis. Heme can be degraded by the anti-inflammatory enzyme heme oxygenase (HO) generating biliverdin/bilirubin, iron/ferritin, and carbon monoxide. We therefore postulate that free heme contributes to many of the inflammatory phenomena witnessed in critically ill COVID-19 patients, whilst induction of HO-1 or harnessing heme may provide protection. HO-activity not only degrades injurious heme, but its effector molecules possess also potent salutary anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties. Until a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 becomes available, we need to explore novel strategies to attenuate the pro-inflammatory, pro-thrombotic, and pro-fibrotic consequences of SARS-CoV-2 leading to morbidity and mortality. The heme-HO system represents an interesting target for novel "proof of concept" studies in the context of COVID-19. |
41 | 55osk2g6 | What are the impacts of COVID-19 among African-Americans that differ from the rest of the U.S. population? | Ethnic and regional variations in hospital mortality from COVID-19 in Brazil: a cross-sectional observational study BACKGROUND: Brazil ranks second worldwide in total number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Understanding the possible socioeconomic and ethnic health inequities is particularly important given the diverse population and fragile political and economic situation. We aimed to characterise the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and assess variations in mortality according to region, ethnicity, comorbidities, and symptoms. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study of COVID-19 hospital mortality using data from the SIVEP-Gripe (Sistema de Informação de Vigilância Epidemiológica da Gripe) dataset to characterise the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. In the study, we included hospitalised patients who had a positive RT-PCR test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and who had ethnicity information in the dataset. Ethnicity of participants was classified according to the five categories used by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics: Branco (White), Preto (Black), Amarelo (East Asian), Indígeno (Indigenous), or Pardo (mixed ethnicity). We assessed regional variations in patients with COVID-19 admitted to hospital by state and by two socioeconomically grouped regions (north and central-south). We used mixed-effects Cox regression survival analysis to estimate the effects of ethnicity and comorbidity at an individual level in the context of regional variation. FINDINGS: Of 99 557 patients in the SIVEP-Gripe dataset, we included 11 321 patients in our study. 9278 (82·0%) of these patients were from the central-south region, and 2043 (18·0%) were from the north region. Compared with White Brazilians, Pardo and Black Brazilians with COVID-19 who were admitted to hospital had significantly higher risk of mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1·45, 95% CI 1·33-1·58 for Pardo Brazilians; 1·32, 1·15-1·52 for Black Brazilians). Pardo ethnicity was the second most important risk factor (after age) for death. Comorbidities were more common in Brazilians admitted to hospital in the north region than in the central-south, with similar proportions between the various ethnic groups. States in the north had higher HRs compared with those of the central-south, except for Rio de Janeiro, which had a much higher HR than that of the other central-south states. INTERPRETATION: We found evidence of two distinct but associated effects: increased mortality in the north region (regional effect) and in the Pardo and Black populations (ethnicity effect). We speculate that the regional effect is driven by increasing comorbidity burden in regions with lower levels of socioeconomic development. The ethnicity effect might be related to differences in susceptibility to COVID-19 and access to health care (including intensive care) across ethnicities. Our analysis supports an urgent effort on the part of Brazilian authorities to consider how the national response to COVID-19 can better protect Pardo and Black Brazilians, as well as the population of poorer states, from their higher risk of dying of COVID-19. FUNDING: None. |
31 | gqvwiy5h | How does the coronavirus differ from seasonal flu? | Viruses with Single-Stranded, Positive-Sense RNA Genomes Eight virus families whose members infect vertebrates are currently known to possess single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genomes: the families Picornaviridae, Caliciviridae and Hepeviridae have non-enveloped capsids, whereas the families Flaviviridae, Togaviridae, Arteriviridae and Coronaviridae are characterized by enveloped capsids. They all have in common the property of using their own genome as messenger RNA (mRNA), from which they synthesize one or several polyproteins that are subsequently cleaved into individual proteins by viral or cellular proteases. These viruses possess the genetic information for the synthesis of an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. This enzyme transcribes the positive RNA strand as well as the complementary negative RNA strands, which arise as intermediate products of genome replication. In the course of this process, the new genomic RNA molecules are generated from the second transcription step. The classification into the different taxonomic families depends on the number, size, position and orientation of viral genes in the RNA molecule, the number of different polyproteins that are synthesized during viral infection and the existence of an envelope as a virion component. |
6 | w11wop27 | what types of rapid testing for Covid-19 have been developed? | Diagnosing COVID-19 hina continues to fight the outbreak of a novel coronavirus, called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has infected tens of thousands and killed more than 2,100 people since the end of 2019 The outbreak's hot spot is in the central province of Hubei, in particular, its capital city Wuhan, where there have been more than 62,000 infections and 2,029 deaths as of last week, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) There, doctors and scientists are desperately struggling to find reliable ways to diagnose infected patients to help treat them and control the spread of the virus The struggle has involved two diagnostic options—computed tomography (CT) scans of patients' lungs and a nucleic acid lab test—each with advantages and disadvantages With "a suddenly rampant new virus, it is normal to have multiple test approaches," says a virologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention |
26 | e5frjae8 | what are the initial symptoms of Covid-19? | Respiratory Viruses Respiratory viruses are the most frequent causative agents of disease in humans, with significant impact on morbidity and mortality worldwide. Common respiratory agents from several virus families are well adapted to efficient person-to-person transmission and circulate in a global scale, and community-based studies conducted over the past five decades or so confirm that these viruses are the predominant etiological agents of acute respiratory infections (ARIs). The respiratory viruses that most commonly circulate in all continents as endemic or epidemic agents are influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza viruses, metapneumovirus, rhinovirus, coronaviruses, adenoviruses, and bocaviruses. Although vaccines and effective antiviral drugs are not yet available for most of these viruses, much progress has been made in the understanding of their biology and fundamental issues of host–parasite relationship. This article is a summary of the current knowledge about these viruses. |
43 | vpy8m04v | How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted violence in society, including violent crimes? | The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Pathology of the Economic and Political Architecture in Cameroon This article examines the factors restricting an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon. It argues that structural adjustment policies in the 1980s and 1990s as well as corruption and limited investment in recent times have severely weakened the country's health system. This article also emphasises the interconnection between poverty, slums, and COVID-19. This interconnection brings to the fore inequality in Cameroon. Arguably, this inequality could facilitate the spread of COVID-19 in the country. This article draws attention to the political forces shaping the response to the pandemic and contends that in some regions in the country, the lack of an effective response to the pandemic may not necessarily be due to a lack of resources. In so doing, it critiques the COVID-19 orthodoxy that focuses exclusively on the pathology of the disease and advocates "technical" solutions to the pandemic, while ignoring the political and socio-economic forces that shape the fight against the pandemic. At times, medical supplies and other forms of assistance may be available, but structural violence impairs access to these resources. Politics must be brought into the COVID-19 discourse, as it shapes the response to the pandemic. |
4 | 769aw2iv | what causes death from Covid-19? | The COVID-19 pandemic from an ophthalmologist's perspective Abstract The current COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly spreading around the world. The first doctor to report this new disease was an ophthalmologist: this exemplifies the role of ophthalmologists in an infectious disease pandemic. Here we review how SARS-Cov2 affects the eye and discuss implications for ophthalmologists. |
7 | krscvtaw | are there serological tests that detect antibodies to coronavirus? | Serological diagnostic kit of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using CHO-expressed full-length SARS-CoV-2 S1 proteins WHO has declared COVID-19 a pandemic with more than 300,000 confirmed cases and more than 14,000 deaths. There is urgent need for accurate and rapid diagnostic kits. Here we report the development and validation of a COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2 S1 serology ELISA kit for the detection of total anti-virus antibody (IgG+IgM) titers in sera from either the general population or patients suspected to be infected. For indirect ELISA, CHO-expressed recombinant full length SARS-CoV-2-S1 protein with 6*His tag was used as the coating antigen to capture the SARS-CoV-2-S1 antibodies specifically. The specificity of the ELISA kit was determined to be 97.5%, as examined against total 412 normal human sera including 257 samples collected prior to the outbreak and 155 collected during the outbreak. The sensitivity of the ELISA kit was determined to be 97.5% by testing against 69 samples from hospitalized and/or recovered COVID-19 patients. The overall accuracy rate reached 97.3%. Most importantly, in one case study, the ELISA test kit was able to identify an infected person who had previously been quarantined for 14 days after coming into contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient, and discharged after testing negative twice by nucleic acid test. With the assays developed here, we can screen millions of medical staffs in the hospitals and people in residential complex, schools, public transportations, and business parks in the epidemic centers of the outbreaks to fish out the "innocent viral spreaders", and help to stop the further spreading of the virus. |
6 | hywf0f49 | what types of rapid testing for Covid-19 have been developed? | Exit strategies: optimising feasible surveillance for detection, elimination and ongoing prevention of COVID-19 community transmission Background Following successful implementation of strong containment measures by the community, Australia is now close to the point of eliminating detectable community transmission of COVID-19. We aimed to develop an efficient, rapid and scalable surveillance strategy for detecting all remaining COVID-19 community transmission through exhaustive identification of every active transmission chain. We also identified measures to enable early detection and effective management of any reintroduction of transmission once containment measures are lifted to ensure strong containment measures do not need to be reinstated. Methods We compared efficiency and sensitivity to detect community transmission chains through testing of: hospital cases; primary care fever and cough patients; or asymptomatic community members, using surveillance evaluation methods and mathematical modelling, varying testing capacities and prevalence of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 fever and cough, and the reproduction number. System requirements for increasing testing to allow exhaustive identification of all transmission chains, and then enable complete follow-up of all cases and contacts within each chain, were assessed per million population. Findings Assuming 20% of cases are asymptomatic and all symptomatic COVID-19 cases present to primary care, with high transmission (R=2.2) there are a median of 13 unrecognised community cases (5 infectious) when a transmission chain is identified through hospital surveillance versus 3 unrecognised cases (1 infectious) through primary care surveillance. 3 unrecognised community upstream community cases themselves are estimated to generate a further 22-33 contacts requiring follow-up. The unrecognised community cases rise to 5 if only 50% of symptomatic cases present to primary care. Screening for asymptomatic disease in the community cannot exhaustively identify all transmission under any of the scenarios assessed. The additional capacity required to screen all fever and cough primary care patients would be approximately 2,000 tests/million population per week using 1/16 pooling of samples. Interpretation Screening all syndromic fever and cough primary care presentations, in combination with exhaustive and meticulous case and contact identification and management, enables appropriate early detection and elimination of community transmission of COVID-19. If testing capacity is limited, interventions such as pooling allow increased case detection, even given reduced test sensitivity. Wider identification and testing of all upstream contacts, (i.e. potential sources of infection for identified cases, and their related transmission chains) is critical, and to be done exhaustively requires more resources than downstream contact tracing. The most important factor in determining the performance of such a surveillance system is community participation in screening and follow up, and as such, appropriate community engagement, messaging and support to encourage presentation and compliance is essential. We provide operational guidance on implementing such a system. |
31 | p119i282 | How does the coronavirus differ from seasonal flu? | A Two-Tube Multiplex Reverse Transcription PCR Assay for Simultaneous Detection of Sixteen Human Respiratory Virus Types/Subtypes There is a need for the development of a rapid and sensitive diagnosis of respiratory viral pathogens. With an intended application in provincial Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, in this study, we present a two-tube multiplex RT-PCR assay (two-tube assay) using automatic electrophoresis to simultaneously detect sixteen common respiratory viruses. The specificity and the sensitivity of the assay were tested. The assay could detect 20–200 copies per reaction when each viral type was assayed individually, 2000 copies with 9 premixed viral targets in the multiplexed assay in tube 1, and 200 copies with 8 premixed templates in tube 2. A total of 247 specimens were used to evaluate the two-tube assay, and the results were compared with those obtained from the Luminex xTAG RVP Fast assay. The discordant results were confirmed by sequencing or by the Seeplex RV15 ACE detection kit. There were no false positives, but six false negatives occurred with the two-tube assay. In conclusion, the two-tube assay is demonstrated to have great potential for routine surveillance of respiratory virus infection in China. |
19 | xuczplaf | what type of hand sanitizer is needed to destroy Covid-19? | The epidemiology and pathogenesis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak Abstract Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-COV2 and represents the causative agent of a potentially fatal disease that is of great global public health concern. Based on the large number of infected people that were exposed to the wet animal market in Wuhan City, China, it is suggested that this is likely the zoonotic origin of COVID-19. Person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 infection led to the isolation of patients that were subsequently administered a variety of treatments. Extensive measures to reduce person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 have been implemented to control the current outbreak. Special attention and efforts to protect or reduce transmission should be applied in susceptible populations including children, health care providers, and elderly people. In this review, we highlights the symptoms, epidemiology, transmission, pathogenesis, phylogenetic analysis and future directions to control the spread of this fatal disease. |
13 | tsm6zoe3 | what are the transmission routes of coronavirus? | A framework for capturing the interactions between laypersons' understanding of disease, information gathering behaviors, and actions taken during an epidemic Abstract This paper provides a description of a methodological framework designed to capture the inter-relationships between the lay publics' understanding of health-related processes, information gathering behaviors, and actions taken during an outbreak. We developed and refined our methods during a study involving eight participants living in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-affected areas (Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Toronto). The framework is an adaptation of narrative analysis, a qualitative method that is used to investigate a phenomenon through interpretation of the stories people tell about their experiences. From our work, several hypotheses emerged that will contribute to future research. For example, our findings showed that many decisions in an epidemic are carefully considered and involve use of significant information gathering. Having a good model of lay actions based on information received and beliefs held will contribute to the development of more effective information support systems in the event of a future epidemic. |
28 | 6qgz273i | what evidence is there for the value of hydroxychloroquine in treating Covid-19? | Ethical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic |
2 | bu1bc2bi | how does the coronavirus respond to changes in the weather | Emergence of multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2 with signature structural changes This study explores the divergence pattern of SARS-CoV-2 using whole genome sequences of the isolates from various COVID-19 affected countries. The phylogenomic analysis indicates the presence of at least four distinct groups of the SARS-CoV-2 genomes. The emergent groups have been found to be associated with signature structural changes in specific proteins. Also, this study reveals the differential levels of divergence patterns for the protein coding regions. Moreover, we have predicted the impact of structural changes on a couple of important viral proteins via structural modelling techniques. This study further advocates for more viral genetic studies with associated clinical outcomes and hosts' response for better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis enabling better mitigation of this pandemic situation. |
26 | g0v0xc21 | what are the initial symptoms of Covid-19? | The role of imaging in 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) Almost the entire world, not only China, is currently experiencing the outbreak of a novel coronavirus that causes respiratory disease, severe pneumonia, and even death. The outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December of 2019 and is currently still ongoing. This novel coronavirus is highly contagious and has resulted in a continuously increasing number of infections and deaths that have already surpassed the SARS-CoV outbreak that occurred in China between 2002 and 2003. It is now officially a pandemic, announced by WHO on the 11th of March. Currently, the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) can be identified by virus isolation or viral nucleic acid detection; however, false negatives associated with the nucleic acid detection provide a clinical challenge and thus make the imaging examination crucial. Imaging exams have been a main clinical diagnostic criteria for the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China. Imaging features of multiple patchy areas of ground glass opacity and consolidation predominately in the periphery of the lungs are characteristic manifestations on chest CT and extremely helpful in the early detection and diagnosis of this disease, which aids prompt diagnosis and the eventual control of this emerging global health emergency. Key Points • In December 2019, China, an outbreak of pneumonia caused by a novel, highly contagious coronavirus raised grave concerns and posed a huge threat to global public health. • Among the infected patients, characteristic findings on CT imaging include multiple, patchy, ground-glass opacity, crazy-paving pattern, and consolidation shadows, mainly distributed in the peripheral and subpleural areas of both lungs, which are very helpful for the frontline clinicians. • Imaging examination has become the indispensable means not only in the early detection and diagnosis but also in monitoring the clinical course, evaluating the disease severity, and may be presented as an important warning signal preceding the negative RT-PCR test results. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00330-020-06827-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. |
31 | s5ceba6m | How does the coronavirus differ from seasonal flu? | Pandemic Influenza: Potential Contribution to Disease Burden Records of disease outbreaks resembling influenza date to the writings of Hippocrates (fifth century BPE). Since then, influenza has afflicted humans around the globe. The most severe ("Spanish Flu" 10.1007/978-0-387-78665-0_6287) of three major outbreaks of the twentieth century killed approximately 20–50 million people worldwide. More recently, the global spread of highly pathogenic bird-adapted strain H5N1 is considered a significant pandemic threat. Since 2003, a total of 379 cases and 239 deaths have been reported. This chapter provides an overview of the genetic characteristics of the virus that elucidate its ability to continuously evade a host's immune system; it describes some of the approaches used to quantify the burden of influenza and discusses their implications for the prevention and containment of future pandemics. The preliminary findings of the studies discussed here suggest that influenza-related burden is highly underestimated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This implicates that proper assessment of influenza-related morbidity and mortality worldwide is essential in planning and allocating resources to protect against what could be one of mankind's most devastating challenges. A summary of learned lessons from past influenza pandemics are described and new intervention strategies aim at curtailing a future pandemic are discussed. More importantly, however, is the discussion of today's challenges such as antiviral resistance, limited resources in a world that is globally connected and the imminent gap between the capacity (resources available) of developed and developing parts of the world to respond to a pandemic. |
22 | yf5g53a9 | are cardiac complications likely in patients with COVID-19? | Teicoplanin: an alternative drug for the treatment of coronavirus COVID-19? In December 2019, a new coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2, has emerged from China causing pneumonia outbreaks first in the Wuhan region and have now spread worldwide because of its probable high transmission efficiency. Due to the lack of efficient and specific treatments and the need to contain the epidemic, drug repurposing appears to be the best tool to find therapeutic solution. Chloroquine, remdesivir, lopinavir, ribavirin or ritonavir have shown efficacy to inhibit coronavirus in vitro. Teicoplanin, an antibiotic used to treat staphylococci infection, previously showed efficacy to inhibit the first stage of MERS-coronarivus viral cycle in human cells. This activity is conserved on the SARS-Cov-2, thus placing teicoplanin as a potential treatment for patients with this virus. |
33 | hibzy1oh | What vaccine candidates are being tested for Covid-19? | Bats and Viruses: Emergence of Novel Lyssaviruses and Association of Bats with Viral Zoonoses in the EU Bats in the EU have been associated with several zoonotic viral pathogens of significance to both human and animal health. Virus discovery continues to expand the existing understating of virus classification, and the increased interest in bats globally as reservoirs or carriers of zoonotic agents has fuelled the continued detection and characterisation of new lyssaviruses and other viral zoonoses. Although the transmission of lyssaviruses from bat species to humans or terrestrial species appears rare, interest in these viruses remains, through their ability to cause the invariably fatal encephalitis—rabies. The association of bats with other viral zoonoses is also of great interest. Much of the EU is free of terrestrial rabies, but several bat species harbor lyssaviruses that remain a risk to human and animal health. Whilst the rabies virus is the main cause of rabies globally, novel related viruses continue to be discovered, predominantly in bat populations, that are of interest purely through their classification within the lyssavirus genus alongside the rabies virus. Although the rabies virus is principally transmitted from the bite of infected dogs, these related lyssaviruses are primarily transmitted to humans and terrestrial carnivores by bats. Even though reports of zoonotic viruses from bats within the EU are rare, to protect human and animal health, it is important characterise novel bat viruses for several reasons, namely: (i) to investigate the mechanisms for the maintenance, potential routes of transmission, and resulting clinical signs, if any, in their natural hosts; (ii) to investigate the ability of existing vaccines, where available, to protect against these viruses; (iii) to evaluate the potential for spill over and onward transmission of viral pathogens in novel terrestrial hosts. This review is an update on the current situation regarding zoonotic virus discovery within bats in the EU, and provides details of potential future mechanisms to control the threat from these deadly pathogens. |
37 | facjsy92 | What is the result of phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence? | Virus Pathogen Database and Analysis Resource (ViPR): A Comprehensive Bioinformatics Database and Analysis Resource for the Coronavirus Research Community Several viruses within the Coronaviridae family have been categorized as either emerging or re-emerging human pathogens, with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) being the most well known. The NIAID-sponsored Virus Pathogen Database and Analysis Resource (ViPR, www.viprbrc.org) supports bioinformatics workflows for a broad range of human virus pathogens and other related viruses, including the entire Coronaviridae family. ViPR provides access to sequence records, gene and protein annotations, immune epitopes, 3D structures, host factor data, and other data types through an intuitive web-based search interface. Records returned from these queries can then be subjected to web-based analyses including: multiple sequence alignment, phylogenetic inference, sequence variation determination, BLAST comparison, and metadata-driven comparative genomics statistical analysis. Additional tools exist to display multiple sequence alignments, view phylogenetic trees, visualize 3D protein structures, transfer existing reference genome annotations to new genomes, and store or share results from any search or analysis within personal private 'Workbench' spaces for future access. All of the data and integrated analysis and visualization tools in ViPR are made available without charge as a service to the Coronaviridae research community to facilitate the research and development of diagnostics, prophylactics, vaccines and therapeutics against these human pathogens. |
39 | 41fzp72v | What is the mechanism of cytokine storm syndrome on the COVID-19? | Potential role for tissue factor in the pathogenesis of hypercoagulability associated with in COVID-19 In December 2019, a new and highly contagious infectious disease emerged in Wuhan, China. The etiologic agent was identified as a novel coronavirus, now known as Severe Acute Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Recent research has revealed that virus entry takes place upon the union of the virus S surface protein with the type I transmembrane metallo-carboxypeptidase, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) identified on epithelial cells of the host respiratory tract. Virus triggers the synthesis and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6 and TNF-α and also promotes downregulation of ACE-2, which promotes a concomitant increase in levels of angiotensin II (AT-II). Both TNF-α and AT-II have been implicated in promoting overexpression of tissue factor (TF) in platelets and macrophages. Additionally, the generation of antiphospholipid antibodies associated with COVID-19 may also promote an increase in TF. TF may be a critical mediator associated with the development of thrombotic phenomena in COVID-19, and should be a target for future study. |
25 | fybbnn46 | which biomarkers predict the severe clinical course of 2019-nCOV infection? | Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist anakinra in association with remdesivir in severe Coronavirus disease 2019: A case report Abstract We report the first successful treatment with the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra, in association with the most promising and available antiviral therapy, of a severe case of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We describe the diagnosis, clinical course, and management of the case, including the respiratory failure at presentation, the progression to a scenario characterized by profound inflammatory dysregulation similar to that observed during macrophage activation syndrome, and the clinical improvement after treatment with the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra. This case highlights the high tolerability and the interesting immunomodulatory profile of the IL-1 receptor antagonist anakinra in the setting of severe COVID-19 associated with remdesivir therapy. Further studies are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of this combination strategy in the treatment of this emerging infection. |
24 | yf5g53a9 | what kinds of complications related to COVID-19 are associated with diabetes | Teicoplanin: an alternative drug for the treatment of coronavirus COVID-19? In December 2019, a new coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2, has emerged from China causing pneumonia outbreaks first in the Wuhan region and have now spread worldwide because of its probable high transmission efficiency. Due to the lack of efficient and specific treatments and the need to contain the epidemic, drug repurposing appears to be the best tool to find therapeutic solution. Chloroquine, remdesivir, lopinavir, ribavirin or ritonavir have shown efficacy to inhibit coronavirus in vitro. Teicoplanin, an antibiotic used to treat staphylococci infection, previously showed efficacy to inhibit the first stage of MERS-coronarivus viral cycle in human cells. This activity is conserved on the SARS-Cov-2, thus placing teicoplanin as a potential treatment for patients with this virus. |
16 | 30duqivi | how long does coronavirus remain stable on surfaces? | Molecular Diagnosis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome : The State of the Art Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) first appeared in Guangdong Province, China, in November 2002. Although virus isolation and serology were useful early in the SARS outbreak for diagnosing new cases, these tests are not generally useful because virus culture requires a BSL-3 laboratory and seroconversion is often delayed until 2 to 3 weeks after infection. The first qualitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction tests for SARS-coronavirus (CoV) were sensitive and capable of detecting 1 to 10 genome equivalents. These assays were quickly supplemented with quantitative real-time assays that helped elucidate the natural history of SARS, particularly the initial presence of low viral loads in the upper respiratory tract and high viral loads in the lower respiratory tract. The unique natural history of SARS-CoV infection dictates the testing of both respiratory and nonrespiratory specimens, the testing of multiple specimens from the same patient, and sending out positives to be confirmed by a reference laboratory. Commercially available reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction tests for SARS have recently appeared; however, meaningful evaluations of these assays have not yet been performed and their true performance has not been determined. These and other issues related to diagnosis of SARS-CoV infection are discussed in this review. |
24 | x9h81ij0 | what kinds of complications related to COVID-19 are associated with diabetes | Diabetes, infection risk and COVID-19 BACKGROUND: Individuals with diabetes are at a greater risk of hospitalization and mortality resulting from viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread quickly to more than 213 countries and claimed 395,779 lives as of June 7, 2020. Notably, in several studies, diabetes is one of the most reported comorbidities in patients with severe COVID-19. SCOPE OF REVIEW: In this review, I summarize the clinical data on the risk for infectious diseases in individuals with diabetes while highlighting the mechanisms for altered immune regulation. The focus is on coronaviruses. Based on the new clinical data obtained from COVID-19 patients, a discussion of mechanisms, such as cytokine storm, pulmonary and endothelial dysfunction, and hypercoagulation, that may render individuals with diabetes more vulnerable to COVID-19 is provided. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: Epidemiological studies show that poorly controlled diabetes is a risk factor for various infectious diseases. Given the global burden of diabetes and the pandemic nature of coronaviruses, understanding how diabetes affects COVID-19 severity is critical to designing tailored treatments and clinical management of individuals affected by diabetes. |
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