2021-08-02

University of Tennessee, Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, TN, USA; Erciyes University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Virology, Kayseri, Turkey. Electronic address: eberber@utk.edu.; University of Tennessee, Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Knoxville, TN, USA; Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, College of Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India.; Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Milas Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Virology, Muğla, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Zoonotic coronaviruses have caused several endemic and pandemic situations around the world. SARS caused the first epidemic alert at the beginning of this century, followed by MERS. COVID-19 appeared to be highly contagious, with human-to-human transmission by aerosol droplets, and reached nearly all countries around the world. A plethora of studies were performed, with reports being published within a short period of time by scientists and medical physicians. It has been difficult to find the relevant data to create an overview of the situation according to studies from accumulated findings and reports. In the present study we aimed to perform a comprehensive study in the context of the case fatality ratios (CFRs) of three major human Coronavirus outbreaks which occurred during the first twenty years of 21st century. METHODS: In this study, we performed meta-analyses on SARS, MERS and COVID-19 outbreak events from publicly available records. Study analyses were performed

2021-04-19

The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is causing an unprecedented crisis around the world, with South Korea being no exception. South Korea experienced a surge of COVID-19 cases on February 19, 2020, but was able to flatten the COVID-19 curve in only 20 days without enforcing lockdown measures that restrict the freedom and movement of people. The actual field experience of the Korean government's COVID-19 response team, who participated in drafting the document "Tackling COVID-19: Health, Quarantine, and Economic Measures: Korean experience," was examined and an in-depth analysis was conducted of the South Korean government's experience dealing with the Middle East respiratory syndrome of 2015. Three prominent factors were identified behind Korea's responses against COVID-19. First, it was crucial that the government responded as 1 team efficiently to cooperate and respond to COVID-19. Second, a novel approach was needed to combat COVID-19 spread. Information and

2021-01-11

Department of IT, BIT Sindri, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 828123, India. Electronic address: poojasharma0303@gmail.com.; Department of EE, BIT Sindri, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 828123, India.; Department of CSE,Tezpur University, Assam, 784028, India.

Genes act in groups known as gene modules, which accomplish different cellular functions in the body. The modular nature of gene networks was used in this study to detect functionally enriched modules in samples obtained from COPD patients. We analyzed modules extracted from COPD samples and identified crucial genes associated with the disease COVID-19. We also extracted modules from a COVID-19 dataset and analyzed a suspected set of genes that may be associated with this deadly disease. We used information available for two other viruses that cause SARS and MERS because their physiology is similar to that of the COVID-19 virus. We report several crucial genes associated with COVID-19: RPA2, POLD4, MAPK8, IRF7, JUN, NFKB1, NFKBIA, CD40LG, FASLG, ICAM1, LIFR, STAT2 and CCR1. Most of these genes are related to the immune system and respiratory organs, which emphasizes the fact that COPD weakens this system and makes patients more susceptible to developing severe COVID-19.CI - Copyright

Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, UK.; Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, UK.; Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, UK. zal17@ic.ac.uk.

OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the novel betacoronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared a pandemic in March 2020. Due to the continuing surge in incidence and mortality globally, determining whether protective, long-term immunity develops after initial infection or vaccination has become critical. METHODS/RESULTS: In this narrative review, we evaluate the latest understanding of antibody-mediated immunity to SARS-CoV-2 and to other coronaviruses (SARS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus and the four endemic human coronaviruses) in order to predict the consequences of antibody waning on long-term immunity against SARS-CoV-2. We summarise their antibody dynamics, including the potential effects of cross-reactivity and antibody waning on vaccination and other public health strategies. At present, based on our comparison with other coronaviruses we estimate that natural antibody-mediated protection for SARS-CoV-

Centre de coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, UMR 17, Intertryp, Montpellier, France.; Institut d'Électronique et des Systèmes, UMR 5214, Université de Montpellier-CNRS, Montpellier, France.; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Biodiversity Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.; Aix Marseille University, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.; Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Biodiversity Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain.; Aix Marseille University, IRD, APHM, MEPHI, IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Marseille, France.

The current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, with more than 111 million reported cases and 2,500,000 deaths worldwide (mortality rate currently estimated at 2.2%), is a stark reminder that coronaviruses (CoV)-induced diseases remain a major threat to humanity. COVID-19 is only the latest case of betacoronavirus (β-CoV) epidemics/pandemics. In the last 20 years, two deadly CoV epidemics, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS; fatality rate 9.6%) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS; fatality rate 34.7%), plus the emergence of HCoV-HKU1 which causes the winter common cold (fatality rate 0.5%), were already a source of public health concern. Betacoronaviruses can also be a threat for livestock, as evidenced by the Swine Acute Diarrhea Syndrome (SADS) epizootic in pigs. These repeated outbreaks of β-CoV-induced diseases raise the question of the dynamic of propagation of this group of viruses in wildlife and human ecosystems. SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and HCoV-HKU1

JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.; School of Public Health, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.; JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.; JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.; Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.; Mianyang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Mianyang, China.; Department of Biostatistics, University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA, USA.; JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.; CUHK Institute of Health Equity, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.; Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.; JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.; Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.; JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.; Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.; JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.; Shenzhen Research Institute, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China.; JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.; CUHK Institute of Health Equity, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.; Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have caused substantial public health burdens and global health threats. Understanding the superspreading potentials of these viruses are important for characterizing transmission patterns and informing strategic decision-making in disease control. This systematic review aimed to summarize the existing evidence on superspreading features and to compare the heterogeneity in transmission within and among various betacoronavirus epidemics of SARS, MERS and COVID-19. METHODS: PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase databases were extensively searched for original studies on the transmission heterogeneity of SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 published in English between January 1, 2003, and February 10, 2021. After screening the articles, we extracted data pertaining to the estimated dispersion parameter (k) which has been a commonly-used measurement for superspreading

2021-11-24

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University/Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.; Bandung Fertility Center, Limijati Mother and Child Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.; Research Center for Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.; Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University / Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.; Research Center for Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.; Department of Basic Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Padjadjaran University/Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.; Bandung Fertility Center, Limijati Mother and Child Hospital, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia.

Convalescent plasma therapy (CPT) has been investigated as a treatment for COVID-19. This review evaluates CPT in COVID-19 and other viral respiratory diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and influenza. PubMed and Google scholar databases were used to collect eligible publications until 8 December 2020. Meta-analysis used Mantel-Haenszel risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and pooled analysis for individual patient data with inverse variance weighted average. The study is registered at PROSPERO with the number of CRD4200270579. Forty-four studies with 36,716 participants were included in the pooled analysis and 20 studies in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed reduction of mortality (RR 0.57, 95% CI [0.43, 0.76], z = 3.86 [p < 0.001], I(2)  = 44% [p = 0.03]) and higher number of discharged patients (RR 2.53, 95% CI [1.72, 3.72], z = 4.70 [p < 0.001], I(2)  = 3% [p = 0.39]) in patients receiving CPT

2021-06-23

Health, Nutrition, and Population, World Bank Group, Washington, DC, United States; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States. Electronic address: kyoo@worldbank.org.; School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: kwons@snu.ac.kr.; iSquared, Severna Park, MD, United States.; Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.

South Korea's COVID-19 control strategy has been widely emulated. Korea's ability to rapidly achieve disease control in early 2020 without a "Great Lockdown" despite its proximity to China and high population density make its achievement particularly intriguing. This paper helps explain Korea's pre-existing capabilities which enabled the rapid and effective implementation of its COVID-19 control strategies. A systematic assessment across multiple domains demonstrates that South Korea's advantages in controlling its epidemic are owed tremendously to legal and organizational reforms enacted after the MERS outbreak in 2015. Successful implementation of the Korean strategy required more than just a set of actions, measures and policies. It relied on a pre-existing legal framework, financing arrangements, governance and a workforce experienced in outbreak management.CI - Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

2021-06-13

Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, GBPUAT, Pantnagar, India.; ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute, Bareilly, India.; ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute, Bareilly, India.; Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science, Porompat, India.; Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology-Kashmir, Srinagar, India.; ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute, Bareilly, India.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic has shaken the global health system and economy by their roots. This epidemic is still spreading and showing no signs of decreasing trend. Vaccination could be the only effective and economical means to control this pandemic. A number of research institutions and pharmaceutical companies have plunged into the race of vaccine development against COVID-19 which are in various stages of development. An intriguing fact of coronavirus infections is that in every decade of the 21st century there is a new major coronavirus epidemic, namely, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012, and now COVID-19; and such epidemics are expected in future too. Since most of the biological characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are still obscure, the scientists are relying on the information available on SARS-CoV and to some extent on MERS-CoV

2021-06-07

Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549, Singapore.; Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore.; Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549, Singapore.; Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore.; Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore 117549, Singapore.; Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Research, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore.

BACKGROUND: Micronutrients play roles in strengthening and maintaining immune function, but their supplementation and/or deficiency effects on respiratory tract infections are inconclusive. This review aims to systematically assess the associations between micronutrient supplementation or deficiency, with novel coronavirus incidence and disease severity. METHODS: Systematic literature searches conducted in five electronic databases identified 751 unique studies, of which 33 studies (five supplementation studies, one supplementation and deficiency study, and 27 deficiency studies) were eventually included in this review. Proportions of incidence and severity outcomes in each group, and adjusted summary statistics with their relevant 95% confidence intervaIs (CI) were extracted. Data from 19 studies were pooled in meta-analysis using the generic inverse variance method. FINDINGS: A total of 360,346 patients across 16 countries, with a mean age between 32 and 87.7 years, were involved