scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 and Coronavirus Disease 2019: What We Know So Far

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Firas A. Rabi ◽  
Mazhar S. Al Zoubi ◽  
Ghena A. Kasasbeh ◽  
Dunia M. Salameh ◽  
Amjad D. Al-Nasser
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Clinical Criteria ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Molecular Information ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

In December 2019, a cluster of fatal pneumonia cases presented in Wuhan, China. They were caused by a previously unknown coronavirus. All patients had been associated with the Wuhan Wholefood market, where seafood and live animals are sold. The virus spread rapidly and public health authorities in China initiated a containment effort. However, by that time, travelers had carried the virus to many countries, sparking memories of the previous coronavirus epidemics, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and causing widespread media attention and panic. Based on clinical criteria and available serological and molecular information, the new disease was called coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), and the novel coronavirus was called SARS Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), emphasizing its close relationship to the 2002 SARS virus (SARS-CoV). The scientific community raced to uncover the origin of the virus, understand the pathogenesis of the disease, develop treatment options, define the risk factors, and work on vaccine development. Here we present a summary of current knowledge regarding the novel coronavirus and the disease it causes.

scholarly journals Microbes, Clinical trials, Drug Discovery, and Vaccine Development: The Current Perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-323
Author(s):  
Venkataramana Kandi ◽  
Tarun Kumar Suvvari ◽  
Sabitha Vadakedath ◽  
Vikram Godishala
Keyword(s):  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Genetic Variants ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Multi Drug Resistance ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Normal Human ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Because of the frequent emergence of novel microbial species and the re-emergence of genetic variants of hitherto known microbes, the global healthcare system, and human health has been thrown into jeopardy. Also, certain microbes that possess the ability to develop multi-drug resistance (MDR) have limited the treatment options in cases of serious infections, and increased hospital and treatment costs, and associated morbidity and mortality. The recent discovery of the novel Coronavirus (n-CoV), the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that is causing the CoV Disease-19 (COVID-19) has resulted in severe morbidity and mortality throughout the world affecting normal human lives. The major concern with the current pandemic is the non-availability of specific drugs and an incomplete understanding of the pathobiology of the virus. It is therefore important for pharmaceutical establishments to envisage the discovery of therapeutic interventions and potential vaccines against the novel and MDR microbes. Therefore, this review is attempted to update and explore the current perspectives in microbes, clinical research, drug discovery, and vaccine development to effectively combat the emerging novel and re-emerging genetic variants of microbes.

scholarly journals The scientific community in COVID-19 global pandemic: A systematic update on recent progress and challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-234
Author(s):  
Zeba Firdaus ◽  
Sushil Kumar Singh ◽  
Tryambak Deo Singh ◽  
Meenakshi Singh
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Host Cells ◽  
World Health ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

The novel coronavirus, which emerged in China in late December 2019, is officially named as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The rapid spread of the virus across the continent has disrupted human life in every aspect leading to health and economic crises. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus outbreak as a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. In spite of complete lockdown and quarantine efforts in many countries, the occurrence of infections continues to rise, with more than 88 million laboratory-confirmed cases and over 1.9 million deaths worldwide as on January 10, 2021. Since the beginning of the outbreak, lot of intriguing studies about the phylogenetic evolution, epidemiology, pathogenesis, transmission, clinical characteristics, and possible treatment of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been published. This review aims to provide an insight into the progress in this regard and provides a reference for future studies including general awareness. We have discussed the origin, transmission, and infection mechanism of coronaviruses in host cells as well as available treatment options with relevant case studies. Furthermore, the stages of vaccine development, types of vaccines, and candidate vaccines with their phases of clinical trial are also incorporated. In a nutshell, the article is an attempt to retrieve the latest information available on virus behavior, efficacy of the available drugs, and development of candidate vaccines on SARS-CoV-2.

scholarly journals Indoor Environmental Quality in Dwellings and Lifestyle Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Russian Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5975
Author(s):  
Vladimir Reshetnikov ◽  
Oleg Mitrokhin ◽  
Elena Belova ◽  
Victor Mikhailovsky ◽  
Maria Mikerova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Environmental Quality ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Lifestyle Behaviors ◽  
Contagious Diseases ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Isolation Index ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern, and as a response, public health authorities started enforcing preventive measures like self-isolation and social distancing. The enforcement of isolation has consequences that may affect the lifestyle-related behavior of the general population. Quarantine encompasses a range of strategies that can be used to detain, isolate, or conditionally release individuals or populations infected or exposed to contagious diseases and should be tailored to circumstances. Interestingly, medical students may represent an example of how the COVID-19 pandemic can form new habits and change lifestyle behaviors. We conducted a web-based survey to assess changes in lifestyle-related behavior of self-isolated medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then we analyzed the sanitary-hygienic regulations of the Russian Federation to determine the requirements for healthy buildings. Results showed that during the pandemic, the enforcement of isolation affects medical students’ lifestyle-related behavior and accompanies an increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and healthy buildings are cutting-edge factors in preventing COVID-19 and NCDs. The Russian sanitary-hygienic regulations support improving this factor with suitable requirements for ventilation, sewage, waste management, and disinfection. Herein, assessing isolation is possible through the hygienic self-isolation index.

scholarly journals The Impact of Covid-19 Public Health Policies on Persons with Disability and their Caregivers in Malta

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-37
Author(s):  
Andrew Camilleri ◽  
Samantha Pace Gasan ◽  
Andrew Azzopardi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Restrictive Measures ◽  
The Impact

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global health pandemic, due to the spread of a novel coronavirus, later named “Covid-19”. The spread of Covid-19 led to social isolation, distancing and a number of restrictive measures in Malta.  The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact of Covid-19 and the subsequent restrictive measures on persons with disability and their caregivers and families in Malta. Using thematic analysis, the study found that a variety of impacts ranging from a sense of isolation, lack of essential services being provided, additional difficulties encountered at the place of work and education and measures that were not sufficiently tailored for persons with disability issued by public health authorities. Underlying the additional difficulties brought about by Covid-19, structural difficulties to access essential services as well as ignorance from policy makers and politicians and the added “vulnerable-ization” of persons with disabilities were found to be highly impacting factors that pervade the experience of persons with disabilities and their caregivers.

scholarly journals Multiple Sclerosis and SARS-CoV-2: Has the Interplay Started?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianmarco Bellucci ◽  
Virginia Rinaldi ◽  
Maria Chiara Buscarinu ◽  
Roberta Reniè ◽  
Rachele Bigi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Endogenous Retroviruses ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Barr Virus ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Epstein Barr ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Current knowledge on Multiple Sclerosis (MS) etiopathogenesis encompasses complex interactions between the host’s genetic background and several environmental factors that result in dysimmunity against the central nervous system. An old-aged association exists between MS and viral infections, capable of triggering and sustaining neuroinflammation through direct and indirect mechanisms. The novel Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has a remarkable, and still not fully understood, impact on the immune system: the occurrence and severity of both acute COVID-19 and post-infectious chronic illness (long COVID-19) largely depends on the host’s response to the infection, that echoes several aspects of MS pathobiology. Furthermore, other MS-associated viruses, such as the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs), may enhance a mechanistic interplay with the novel Coronavirus, with the potential to interfere in MS natural history. Studies on COVID-19 in people with MS have helped clinicians in adjusting therapeutic strategies during the pandemic; similar efforts are being made for SARS-CoV-2 vaccination campaigns. In this Review, we look over 18 months of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic from the perspective of MS: we dissect neuroinflammatory and demyelinating mechanisms associated with COVID-19, summarize pathophysiological crossroads between MS and SARS-CoV-2 infection, and discuss present evidence on COVID-19 and its vaccination in people with MS.

scholarly journals A Review of Updates on Vaccines and Treatment Options for Covid-19

2021 ◽  
Vol VI (I) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Naiha Tahir ◽  
Ayema Rehman ◽  
Muhammad Zain ◽  
Mubashir Rehman
Keyword(s):  
Focal Point ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Wholesale Market ◽  
Current Management ◽  
Enveloped Virus ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
The City

The novel Coronavirus knew as Covid 19 or SARS-CoV-2, is a newly discovered virus responsible for the huge global pandemic infecting the human race at a deadly pace. This is an RNA enveloped virus that targets the human respiratory system severely while damaging other major systems. Covid 19 pandemic is similar to the severe acute respiratory syndrome related coronavirus (SARS-CoV) endemic and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), but this one is spreading at a fire-speed. The outbreak was known as pneumonia in the beginning; however, it became a threat later on, owing to its high contagion rate. The origin of this virus was sought to be from the seafood wholesale market, very popular in the city of Wuhan. This review has been put together to overview the disease, its etiology, clinical features and treatment methods. The focal point of this review is to highlight the current management of this disease.

scholarly journals An overview of treatment options for COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1770
Author(s):  
Madhusmita Mohanty Mohapatra ◽  
Manju Rajaram ◽  
Dharm Prakash Dwivedi ◽  
Vishnukant Govindraj ◽  
Pratap Upadhya
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Unknown Origin ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Clinical Trial Registry ◽  
Repurposed Drugs ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Effective Drugs

Severe acute respiratory syndrome- coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) which emerged in Wuhan initially as pneumonia of unknown origin in December 2019, later spread to whole world and became pandemic on 11th March, 2020. Many drugs have been proposed but are backed without clinical evidence. Scientific bodies are in the row to discover a reliable vaccine and effective drugs against the novel coronavirus. Many antiviral and anti-parasitic drugs which were thought to have some effect on Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been tried during the crisis but none have shown concrete evidence of action. Randomized clinical trials on the repurposed drugs are now registered under clinical trial registry to look at the safety profile and efficacy of the drugs to be used against SARS-CoV-2. Many meta-analyses are being conducted worldwide to frame evidence for the fight against this novel coronavirus. We are providing below a review of various drugs that have been tried for treatment of COVID-19 as well as different clinical trials which are underway.

scholarly journals An interim review of the epidemiological characteristics of 2019 novel coronavirus

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. e2020006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukhyun Ryu ◽  
Byung Chul Chun
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

OBJECTIVES: The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from Wuhan, China is currently recognized as a public health emergency of global concern.METHODS: We reviewed the currently available literature to provide up-to-date guidance on control measures to be implemented by public health authorities.RESULTS: Some of the epidemiological characteristics of 2019-nCoV have been identified. However, there remain considerable uncertainties, which should be considered when providing guidance to public health authorities on control measures.CONCLUSIONS: Additional studies incorporating more detailed information from confirmed cases would be valuable.

scholarly journals A data-driven assessment of early travel restrictions related to the spreading of the novel COVID-19 within mainland China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Aleta ◽  
Qitong Hu ◽  
Jiachen Ye ◽  
Peng Ji ◽  
Yamir Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Mainland China ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Metapopulation Model ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Mobility Data ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Two months after it was firstly reported, the novel coronavirus disease COVID-19 has already spread worldwide. However, the vast majority of reported infections have occurred in China. To assess the effect of early travel restrictions adopted by the health authorities in China, we have implemented an epidemic metapopulation model that is fed with mobility data corresponding to 2019 and 2020. This allows to compare two radically different scenarios, one with no travel restrictions and another in which mobility is reduced by a travel ban. Our findings indicate that i) travel restrictions are an effective measure in the short term, however, ii) they are ineffective when it comes to completely eliminate the disease. The latter is due to the impossibility of removing the risk of seeding the disease to other regions. Our study also highlights the importance of developing more realistic models of behavioral changes when a disease outbreak is unfolding.

scholarly journals Transportation, Germs, Culture: A Dynamic Graph Model of 2019-nCoV Spread

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaofei Yang ◽  
Tun Xu ◽  
Peng Jia ◽  
Han Xia ◽  
Li Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Graph Model ◽  
Emergency Situation ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Dynamic Graph ◽  
Model And Simulation ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Authorities ◽  
Precise Prediction ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Major Factors

Since the outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) at the hardest-hit city of Wuhan, the fast-moving spread has killed over three hundred people and infected more than ten thousands in China1. There are more than one hundred cases outside of China, affecting a dozen of countries globally2. The genome sequence of 2019-nCoV has been reported and fast diagnostic kits, effective treatment as well as preventive vaccines are rapidly being developed3. Initial fast-growing confirmed cases triggered lock-down of Wuhan as well as nearby cities in Hubei Province. Mathematical models have been proposed by scientists around the world to project the numbers of infected cases in the coming days 4,5. However, major factors such as transportation and cultural customs have not been weighed enough. Our model is not set out for precise prediction of the number of infected cases, rather, it is meant for a glance of the dynamics under a public epidemic emergency situation and of different contributing factors. We hope that our model and simulation would provide more insights and perspective information to public health authorities around the globe for better informed prevention and containment solution.

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