scholarly journals Insights into COVID-19 Delta variant (B.1.617.2)

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel Yun-Kuan Thye ◽  
Ke-Yan Loo ◽  
Kyle Bond Chene Tan ◽  
Jenny May-Sim Lau ◽  
Vengadesh Letchumanan

Since beginning of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), different variants of concern (VOC) have been discovered. One of the variants that stood out was the Delta variant (B.1.617.2), first found in India. It caught worldwide attention due to its greater transmissibility than the progenitor strain and the first variant of concern (VOC)- Alpha variant (B.1.1.7). B.1.617.2 spread rapidly across the globe and became a VOC due to its high transmissibility, clinical implications, and impact on vaccine efficacy. This review discusses the background and prevalence of B.1.617.2 and its sensitivity to convalescent sera and vaccinated individuals. We will provide an insight into the impact B.1.617.2 has on vaccine efficacy and discuss the level and type of protection an individual could get by being vaccinated. We will also discuss briefly on the COVID-19 vaccine booster doses and whether it is needed.

Chemotherapy ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Domenico Benvenuto ◽  
Francesca Benedetti ◽  
Ayse Banu Demir ◽  
Massimo Ciccozzi ◽  
Davide Zella

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enveloped virus initially detected in Wuhan in December 2019, responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a respiratory syndrome currently affecting >220 countries around the world, with >80 million cases registered and >1.8 million deaths. Objective: As several vaccines are still being developed and 2 have been approved, it is particularly important to perform evolutionary surveillance to identify mutations potentially affecting vaccine efficacy. Methods: DynaMut server has been used to evaluate the impact of the mutation found on SARS-CoV-2 isolates available on GISAID. Results: In this article, we analyze whole genomes sequenced from Italian patients, and we report the characterization of 3 mutations, one of which presents in the spike protein. Conclusion: The mutations analyzed in this article can be useful to evaluate the evolution of SARS-CoV-2.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Forde ◽  
Stanca Ciupe

Vaccination is considered the best strategy for limiting and eliminating the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of this strategy relies on the rate of vaccine deployment and acceptance across the globe. As these efforts are being conducted, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus is continuously mutating, which leads to the emergence of variants with increased transmissibility, virulence, and lower response the vaccines. One important question is whether surveillance testing is still needed in order to limit SARS-CoV-2 transmission in an increasingly vaccinated population. In this study, we developed a multi-scale mathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a vaccinated population and used it to predict the role of testing in an outbreak with alpha and delta variants. We found that, when the alpha variant is dominant, testing is effective when vaccination levels are low to moderate and its impact is diminished when vaccination levels are high. When the delta variant is dominant, widespread vaccination is necessary in order to prevent significant outbreaks. When only moderate vaccination can be achieved, frequent testing can significantly reduce the cumulative size of delta variant outbreak, with the impact of testing having maximum effects when focused on the non-vaccinated population.


2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (08) ◽  
pp. 301-304
Author(s):  
Gavin Reid ◽  
Mark Hughson

Aims and Method We conducted a postal questionnaire survey of the practice of rapid tranquillisation among 215 consultant psychiatrists in the West of Scotland, before and after the withdrawal of droperidol by the manufacturer. Results One hundred and eighty questionnaires (84% of those sent) were returned. Droperidol had been used extensively, often combined with lorazepam, for rapid tranquillisation. The main replacement suggested for droperidol was haloperidol. About half of the respondents to our survey chose to comment on the withdrawal of droperidol. More than half of the comments were unfavourable, including lack of an adequate replacement and lack of consultation with the psychiatric profession. Clinical Implications The abrupt withdrawal of droperidol, partly for commercial reasons, was regrettable. There was no time for an adequate evaluation of possible replacement medications and a lack of consultation with the profession regarding the impact on clinical care.


Author(s):  
Biyan Nathanael Harapan ◽  
Hyeon Joo Yoo

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel coronavirus, is responsible for the outbreak of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) and was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. It is evident that the COVID-19 pandemic has become a challenging world issue. Although most COVID-19 patients primarily develop respiratory symptoms, an increasing number of neurological symptoms and manifestations associated with COVID-19 have been observed. In this narrative review, we elaborate on proposed neurotropic mechanisms and various neurological symptoms, manifestations, and complications of COVID-19 reported in the present literature. For this purpose, a review of all current published literature (studies, case reports, case series, reviews, editorials, and other articles) was conducted and neurological sequelae of COVID-19 were summarized. Essential and common neurological symptoms including gustatory and olfactory dysfunctions, myalgia, headache, altered mental status, confusion, delirium, and dizziness are presented separately in sections. Moreover, neurological manifestations and complications that are of great concern such as stroke, cerebral (sinus) venous thrombosis, seizures, meningoencephalitis, Guillain–Barré syndrome, Miller Fisher syndrome, acute myelitis, and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) are also addressed systematically. Future studies that examine the impact of neurological symptoms and manifestations on the course of the disease are needed to further clarify and assess the link between neurological complications and the clinical outcome of patients with COVID-19. To limit long-term consequences, it is crucial that healthcare professionals can early detect possible neurological symptoms and are well versed in the increasingly common neurological manifestations and complications of COVID-19.


Sexualities ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 136346072098169
Author(s):  
Aidan McKearney

This article focuses on the experiences of gay men in the rural west and northwest region of Ireland, during a period of transformational social and political change in Irish society. These changes have helped facilitate new forms of LGBTQI visibility, and local radicalism in the region. Same-sex weddings, establishment of rural LGBT groups and marching under an LGBT banner at St Patricks Day parades would have been unthinkable in the recent past; but they are now becoming a reality. The men report continuing challenges in their lives as gay men in the nonmetropolitan space, but the emergence of new visibility, voice and cultural acceptance of LGBT people is helping change their lived experiences. The study demonstrates the impact of local activist LGBT citizens. Through their testimonies we can gain an insight into the many, varied and interwoven factors that have interplayed to create the conditions necessary for the men to: increasingly define themselves as gay to greater numbers of people in their localities; to embrace greater visibility and eschew strategies of silence; and aspire to a host of legal, political, cultural and social rights including same-sex marriage. Organic forms of visibility and local radicalism have emerged in the region and through an analysis of their testimonies we can see how the men continue to be transformed by an ever-changing landscape.


2021 ◽  
pp. 174569162198924
Author(s):  
Annelise A. Madison ◽  
M. Rosie Shrout ◽  
Megan E. Renna ◽  
Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine candidates are being evaluated, with the goal of conferring immunity on the highest percentage of people who receive the vaccine as possible. It is noteworthy that vaccine efficacy depends not only on the vaccine but also on characteristics of the vaccinated. Over the past 30 years, a series of studies has documented the impact of psychological factors on the immune system’s vaccine response. Robust evidence has demonstrated that stress, depression, loneliness, and poor health behaviors can impair the immune system’s response to vaccines, and this effect may be greatest in vulnerable groups such as the elderly. Psychological factors are also implicated in the prevalence and severity of vaccine-related side effects. These findings have generalized across many vaccine types and therefore may be relevant to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. In this review, we discuss these psychological and behavioral risk factors for poor vaccine responses, their relevance to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as targeted psychological and behavioral interventions to boost vaccine efficacy and reduce side effects. Recent data suggest these psychological and behavioral risk factors are highly prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, but intervention research suggests that psychological and behavioral interventions can increase vaccine efficacy.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026975802110106
Author(s):  
Raoul Notté ◽  
E.R. Leukfeldt ◽  
Marijke Malsch

This article explores the impact of online crime victimisation. A literature review and 41 interviews – 19 with victims and 22 with experts – were carried out to gain insight into this. The interviews show that most impacts of online offences correspond to the impacts of traditional offline offences. There are also differences with offline crime victimisation. Several forms of impact seem to be specific to victims of online crime: the substantial scale and visibility of victimhood, victimisation that does not stop in time, the interwovenness of online and offline, and victim blaming. Victims suffer from double, triple or even quadruple hits; it is the accumulation of different types of impact, enforced by the limitlessness in time and space, which makes online crime victimisation so extremely invasive. Furthermore, the characteristics of online crime victimisation greatly complicate the fight against and prevention of online crime. Finally, the high prevalence of cybercrime victimisation combined with the severe impact of these crimes seems contradictory with public opinion – and associated moral judgments – on victims. Further research into the dominant public discourse on victimisation and how this affects the functioning of the police and victim support would be valuable.


BMC Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bimandra A. Djaafara ◽  
Charles Whittaker ◽  
Oliver J. Watson ◽  
Robert Verity ◽  
Nicholas F. Brazeau ◽  
...  

Abstract Background As in many countries, quantifying COVID-19 spread in Indonesia remains challenging due to testing limitations. In Java, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) were implemented throughout 2020. However, as a vaccination campaign launches, cases and deaths are rising across the island. Methods We used modelling to explore the extent to which data on burials in Jakarta using strict COVID-19 protocols (C19P) provide additional insight into the transmissibility of the disease, epidemic trajectory, and the impact of NPIs. We assess how implementation of NPIs in early 2021 will shape the epidemic during the period of likely vaccine rollout. Results C19P burial data in Jakarta suggest a death toll approximately 3.3 times higher than reported. Transmission estimates using these data suggest earlier, larger, and more sustained impact of NPIs. Measures to reduce sub-national spread, particularly during Ramadan, substantially mitigated spread to more vulnerable rural areas. Given current trajectory, daily cases and deaths are likely to increase in most regions as the vaccine is rolled out. Transmission may peak in early 2021 in Jakarta if current levels of control are maintained. However, relaxation of control measures is likely to lead to a subsequent resurgence in the absence of an effective vaccination campaign. Conclusions Syndromic measures of mortality provide a more complete picture of COVID-19 severity upon which to base decision-making. The high potential impact of the vaccine in Java is attributable to reductions in transmission to date and dependent on these being maintained. Increases in control in the relatively short-term will likely yield large, synergistic increases in vaccine impact.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 4756-4765
Author(s):  
Daoxing Chen ◽  
Liting Zhang ◽  
Yanan Liu ◽  
Jiali Song ◽  
Jingwen Guo ◽  
...  

EGFR L792Y/F/H mutation makes it difficult for Osimertinib to recognize ATP pockets.


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