Physical distancing ≠ physical inactivity

Abstract During this time of global health crisis, physical distancing, along with mask wearing, has emerged as the sine qua non social practice to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19. But as physical distancing ensues and all eyes remain fixed on the novel coronavirus, another, albeit careworn, pandemic rages on. Physical inactivity, the world’s fourth leading cause of death, may indeed be exacerbated by physical distancing measures, such as sheltering at home and closing or limiting access to recreation and exercise facilities. The purpose of this paper is to urge public health and medical professionals not to forget the importance of physical activity to whole-person health, recognize the importance of physical activity as a potential COVID-19 mitigation strategy and to serve as advocates for promoting active lifestyles. It is imperative that the national call for physical distancing not be interpreted as a call for physical inactivity.

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Coronavirus: Towards controlling of the pandemic - Indian scenario

International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.26452/ijrps.v11ispl1.2813 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽

pp. 462-468

Author(s):

Latika kothari ◽

Sanskruti Wadatkar ◽

Roshni Taori ◽

Pavan Bajaj ◽

Diksha Agrawal

Keyword(s):

Control Measures ◽

The Novel ◽

Medical Treatments ◽

Health Crisis ◽

The Public ◽

Infection Control Measures ◽

The Social ◽

Asking Questions ◽

The Government ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a communicable infection caused by the novel coronavirus resulting in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV). It was recognized to be a health crisis for the general population of international concern on 30th January 2020 and conceded as a pandemic on 11th March 2020. India is taking various measures to fight this invisible enemy by adopting different strategies and policies. To stop the COVID-19 from spreading, the Home Affairs Ministry and the health ministry, of India, has issued the nCoV 19 guidelines on travel. Screening for COVID-19 by asking questions about any symptoms, recent travel history, and exposure. India has been trying to get testing kits available. The government of India has enforced various laws like the social distancing, Janata curfew, strict lockdowns, screening door to door to control the spread of novel coronavirus. In this pandemic, innovative medical treatments are being explored, and a proper vaccine is being hunted to deal with the situation. Infection control measures are necessary to prevent the virus from further spreading and to help control the current situation. Thus, this review illustrates and explains the criteria provided by the government of India to the awareness of the public to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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Persistent SARS-CoV-2-positive over 4 months in a COVID-19 patient with CHB

Open Medicine ◽

10.1515/med-2021-0283 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. 749-753

Author(s):

Wenyuan Li ◽

Beibei Huang ◽

Qiang Shen ◽

Shouwei Jiang ◽

Kun Jin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The Novel ◽

Chain Reaction ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Public Health Crisis ◽

Oxygen Inhalation ◽

New Strategy ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Specific Symptoms

Abstract In recent months, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a major public health crisis with takeover more than 1 million lives worldwide. The long-lasting existence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has not yet been reported. Herein, we report a case of SARS-CoV-2 infection with intermittent viral polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive for >4 months after clinical rehabilitation. A 35-year-old male was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia with fever but without other specific symptoms. The treatment with lopinavir-ritonavir, oxygen inhalation, and other symptomatic supportive treatment facilitated recovery, and the patient was discharged. However, his viral PCR test was continually positive in oropharyngeal swabs for >4 months after that. At the end of June 2020, he was still under quarantine and observation. The contribution of current antivirus therapy might be limited. The prognosis of COVID-19 patients might be irrelevant to the virus status. Thus, further investigation to evaluate the contagiousness of convalescent patients and the mechanism underlying the persistent existence of SARS-CoV-2 after recovery is essential. A new strategy of disease control, especially extending the follow-up period for recovered COVID-19 patients, is necessary to adapt to the current situation of pandemic.

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The active grandparent hypothesis: Physical activity and the evolution of extended human healthspans and lifespans

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.2107621118 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 118 (50) ◽

pp. e2107621118

Author(s):

Daniel E. Lieberman ◽

Timothy M. Kistner ◽

Daniel Richard ◽

I-Min Lee ◽

Aaron L. Baggish

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Physical Inactivity ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Energy Allocation ◽

Noncommunicable Diseases ◽

The Novel ◽

Physically Active ◽

Proximate Mechanisms ◽

Aging Populations ◽

Selection For

The proximate mechanisms by which physical activity (PA) slows senescence and decreases morbidity and mortality have been extensively documented. However, we lack an ultimate, evolutionary explanation for why lifelong PA, particularly during middle and older age, promotes health. As the growing worldwide epidemic of physical inactivity accelerates the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases among aging populations, integrating evolutionary and biomedical perspectives can foster new insights into how and why lifelong PA helps preserve health and extend lifespans. Building on previous life-history research, we assess the evidence that humans were selected not just to live several decades after they cease reproducing but also to be moderately physically active during those postreproductive years. We next review the longstanding hypothesis that PA promotes health by allocating energy away from potentially harmful overinvestments in fat storage and reproductive tissues and propose the novel hypothesis that PA also stimulates energy allocation toward repair and maintenance processes. We hypothesize that selection in humans for lifelong PA, including during postreproductive years to provision offspring, promoted selection for both energy allocation pathways which synergistically slow senescence and reduce vulnerability to many forms of chronic diseases. As a result, extended human healthspans and lifespans are both a cause and an effect of habitual PA, helping explain why lack of lifelong PA in humans can increase disease risk and reduce longevity.

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Volatility transmission across international markets amid COVID 19 pandemic

Studies in Economics and Finance ◽

10.1108/sef-11-2020-0449 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Hechem Ajmi ◽

Nadia Arfaoui ◽

Karima Saci

Keyword(s):

Crude Oil ◽

International Markets ◽

The Novel ◽

Data Set ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Content Type ◽

Volatility Transmission ◽

Oil Markets ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Death Cases

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the volatility transmission across stocks, gold and crude oil markets before and during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Design/methodology/approach A multivariate vector autoregression (VAR)-Baba, Engle, Kraft and Kroner generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity model (BEKK-GARCH) is used to assess volatility transmission across the examined markets. The sample is divided as follows. The first period ranging from 02/01/2019 to 10/03/2020 defines the pre-COVID-19 crisis. The second period is from 11/03/2020 to 05/10/2020, representing the COVID-19 crisis period. Then, a robustness test is used using exponential GARCH models after including an exogenous variable capturing the growth of COVID-19 confirmed death cases worldwide with the aim to test the accuracy of the VAR-BEKK-GARCH estimated results. Findings Results indicate that the interconnectedness among the examined market has been intensified during the COVID-19 crisis, proving the lack of hedging opportunities. It is also found that stocks and Gold markets lead the crude oil market especially during the COVID-19 crisis, which explains the freefall of the crude oil price during the health crisis. Similarly, results show that Gold is most likely to act as a diversifier rather than a hedging tool during the current health crisis. Originality/value Although the recent studies in the field focused on analyzing the relationships between different markets during the first quarter of 2020, this study considers a larger data set with the aim to assess the volatility transmission across the examined international markets Amid the COVID-19 crisis, while it shows the most significant impact on various financial markets compared to other diseases.

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Viability of Bacillus subtilis Cells in Airborne Bioaerosols on Face Masks

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12111496 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 1496

Author(s):

Eun-Hee Lee ◽

Yunsoo Chang ◽

Seung-Woo Lee

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Subtilis ◽

World Health ◽

The Novel ◽

Fine Dust ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Viable Cells ◽

Mask Material ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization ◽

Sand Dust

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a general health crisis and has irreversible impacts on human societies. Globally, all people are at risk of being exposed to the novel coronavirus through transmission of airborne bioaerosols. Public health actions, such as wearing a mask, are highly recommended to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases. The appropriate use of masks is necessary for effectively preventing the transmission of airborne bioaerosols. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests washing fabric masks or throwing away disposable masks after they are used. However, people often use masks more than once without washing or disposing them. The prolonged use of a single mask might—as a result of the user habitually touching the mask—promote the spread of pathogens from airborne bioaerosols that have accumulated on the mask. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate how long the living components of bioaerosols can be viable on the masks. Here, we evaluated the viability of airborne Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) in bioaerosols filtered on woven and anti-droplet (non-woven) face masks. As a simulation of being simultaneously exposed to sand dust and bioaerosols, the viability rates of bioaerosols that had accumulated on masks were also tested against fine dust and airborne droplets containing bacteria. The bioaerosols survived on the masks immediately after the masks were used to filter the bioaerosols, and the bacteria significantly proliferated after one day of storage. Thereafter, the number of viable cells in the filtered bioaerosols gradually decreased over time, and the viability of B. subtilis in bioaerosols on the masks varied, depending on the mask material used (woven or non-woven). Despite the reduction in viability, bioaerosols containing living components were still found in both woven and anti-droplet masks even after six days of storage and it took nine days not to have found them on masks. The number of viable cells in bioaerosols on masks significantly decreased upon exposure of the masks to fine dust. The results of this study should provide useful information on how to appropriately use masks to increase their duration of effectiveness against bioaerosols.

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Quinoline and Quinazoline Alkaloids against COVID-19: An In Silico Multitarget Approach

Journal of Chemistry ◽

10.1155/2021/3613268 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Esraa M. O. A. Ismail ◽

Shaza W. Shantier ◽

Mona S. Mohammed ◽

Hassan H. Musa ◽

Wadah Osman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimalarial Activity ◽

The Novel ◽

Socioeconomic Impacts ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Natural Sources ◽

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 ◽

Main Protease ◽

Recent Outbreak ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Potential Inhibitors

The recent outbreak of the highly contagious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has created a global health crisis with socioeconomic impacts. Although, recently, vaccines have been approved for the prevention of COVID-19, there is still an urgent need for the discovery of more efficacious and safer drugs especially from natural sources. In this study, a number of quinoline and quinazoline alkaloids with antiviral and/or antimalarial activity were virtually screened against three potential targets for the development of drugs against COVID-19. Among seventy-one tested compounds, twenty-three were selected for molecular docking based on their pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles. The results identified a number of potential inhibitors. Three of them, namely, norquinadoline A, deoxytryptoquivaline, and deoxynortryptoquivaline, showed strong binding to the three targets, SARS-CoV-2 main protease, spike glycoprotein, and human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. These alkaloids therefore have promise for being further investigated as possible multitarget drugs against COVID-19.

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Curating the Evidence About COVID-19 for Frontline Public Health and Clinical Care: The Novel Coronavirus Research Compendium

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/00333549211058732 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003335492110587

Author(s):

Andrew D. Redd ◽

Lauren S. Peetluk ◽

Brooke A. Jarrett ◽

Colleen Hanrahan ◽

Sheree Schwartz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Clinical Care ◽

The United States ◽

The Novel ◽

Health Crisis ◽

The Public ◽

Successful Model ◽

Medical Response ◽

Public Consumption ◽

Novel Coronavirus

The public health crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a deluge of scientific research aimed at informing the public health and medical response to the pandemic. However, early in the pandemic, those working in frontline public health and clinical care had insufficient time to parse the rapidly evolving evidence and use it for decision-making. Academics in public health and medicine were well-placed to translate the evidence for use by frontline clinicians and public health practitioners. The Novel Coronavirus Research Compendium (NCRC), a group of >60 faculty and trainees across the United States, formed in March 2020 with the goal to quickly triage and review the large volume of preprints and peer-reviewed publications on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 and summarize the most important, novel evidence to inform pandemic response. From April 6 through December 31, 2020, NCRC teams screened 54 192 peer-reviewed articles and preprints, of which 527 were selected for review and uploaded to the NCRC website for public consumption. Most articles were peer-reviewed publications (n = 395, 75.0%), published in 102 journals; 25.1% (n = 132) of articles reviewed were preprints. The NCRC is a successful model of how academics translate scientific knowledge for practitioners and help build capacity for this work among students. This approach could be used for health problems beyond COVID-19, but the effort is resource intensive and may not be sustainable in the long term.

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Targeted intracellular degradation of SARS-CoV-2 via computationally optimized peptide fusions

Communications Biology ◽

10.1038/s42003-020-01470-7 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pranam Chatterjee ◽

Manvitha Ponnapati ◽

Christian Kramme ◽

Alexandru M. Plesa ◽

George M. Church ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Computational Design ◽

The Novel ◽

Receptor Binding Domain ◽

Experimental Characterization ◽

Viral Production ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Intracellular Degradation ◽

Protein Receptor ◽

Therapeutic Development ◽

Novel Coronavirus

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has elicited a global health crisis of catastrophic proportions. With only a few vaccines approved for early or limited use, there is a critical need for effective antiviral strategies. In this study, we report a unique antiviral platform, through computational design of ACE2-derived peptides which both target the viral spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) and recruit E3 ubiquitin ligases for subsequent intracellular degradation of SARS-CoV-2 in the proteasome. Our engineered peptide fusions demonstrate robust RBD degradation capabilities in human cells and are capable of inhibiting infection-competent viral production, thus prompting their further experimental characterization and therapeutic development.

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Lessons earned and lessons learned: What should be done next to counter the COVID-19 infodemic?

European View ◽

10.1177/1781685820975878 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 154-163

Author(s):

Nad’a Kovalčíková ◽

Ariane Tabatabai

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

The Novel ◽

Health Crisis ◽

The Public ◽

Public Health Crisis ◽

Societal Challenges ◽

The World ◽

Information Manipulation ◽

Novel Coronavirus

As governments and citizens around the world have struggled with the novel coronavirus, the information space has turned into a battleground. Authoritarian countries, including Russia, China and Iran, have spread disinformation on the causes of and responses to the pandemic. The over-abundance of information, also referred to as an ‘infodemic’, including manipulated information, has been both a cause and a result of the exacerbation of the public health crisis. It is further undermining trust in democratic institutions, the independent press, and facts and data, and exacerbating the rising tensions driven by economic, political and societal challenges. This article discusses the challenges democracies have faced and the measures they have adopted to counter information manipulation that impedes public health efforts. It draws seven lessons learned from the information war and offers a set of recommendations on tackling future infodemics related to public health.

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Sedentary Behaviors and Physical Activity of Italian Undergraduate Students during Lockdown at the Time of CoViD−19 Pandemic

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17176171 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (17) ◽

pp. 6171 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Francesca Gallè ◽

Elita Anna Sabella ◽

Stefano Ferracuti ◽

Osvalda De Giglio ◽

Giuseppina Caggiano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Undergraduate Students ◽

Electronic Devices ◽

Physical Activities ◽

The Novel ◽

Sedentary Behaviors ◽

Active Lifestyle ◽

Social Contacts ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Active Lifestyles ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Background: From March to May 2020, lockdown measures were adopted in Italy to contain the epidemic of the novel Coronavirus. People were forced to restrict their movement and social contacts, therefore having a higher risk of inactivity. This study, carried out among Italian undergraduates, explored their sedentary and physical activities (PA) during the lockdown with respect to their previous habits. Methods: An electronic questionnaire was administered once to students attending three Italian universities after the end of lockdown. Results: A total of 1430 students (mean age 22.9 ± 3.5 years, 65.5% females) completed the questionnaire. All the sedentary behaviors increased significantly, and all the physical activities decreased significantly during the lockdown. Time spent using electronic devices showed the highest increase (+52.4 min/day), and walking the greatest decrease (−365.5 min/week). Being younger than 22 years old, female, and previously active, attending the universities of Naples and Rome and having at least one graduate parent were associated with the achievement of recommended levels of PA even during the lockdown. Conclusions: This study highlights the reduction of PA among Italian undergraduates in the course of home-confinement due to the CoViD-19 pandemic. The practice of adequate PA during the lockdown was mainly associated with the previous adoption of an active lifestyle. Promoting active lifestyles during the non-pandemic period may have had positive effects also in case of lockdown.

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