scholarly journals The role of antiviral treatment in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic: a modeling study.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Matrajt ◽  
Elizabeth R Brown ◽  
Dobromir Dimitrov ◽  
Holly Janes
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
Treatment Efficacy ◽  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
Antiviral Effect ◽  
Vaccination Rate ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Population Impact ◽  
Late Treatment ◽  
Potential Population

Despite the development of safe and effective vaccines, effective treatments for COVID-19 disease are still desperately needed. Recently, two antiviral drugs have shown to be effective in reducing hospitalizations in clinical trials. In the present work, we use an agent-based mathematical model to assess the potential population impact of the use of antiviral treatments in four countries, corresponding to four current levels of vaccination coverage: Kenya, Mexico, United States (US) and Belgium, with 1.5, 38, 57 and 74% of their populations vaccinated. For each location, we varied antiviral coverage and antiviral effect in reducing viral load (25, 50, 75 or 100% reduction). Irrespective of location, widespread antiviral treatment of symptomatic infections (≥50% coverage) is expected to prevent the majority of COVID-19 deaths. Furthermore, even treating 20% of adult symptomatic infections, is expected to reduce mortality by a third in all countries, irrespective of the assumed treatment efficacy in reducing viral load. Our results suggest that early antiviral treatment is needed to mitigate transmission, with early treatment (within two days of symptoms) preventing 50% more infections compared to late treatment (started on days 3 to 5 after developing symptoms). Our results highlight the synergistic effect of vaccination and antiviral treatment: as vaccination rate increased, antiviral treatment had a bigger impact on overall transmission. These results suggest that antiviral treatments can become a strategic tool that, in combination with vaccination, can significantly control SASRS-CoV-2 transmission and reduce COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths.

scholarly journals Lactoferrin as Antiviral Treatment in COVID-19 Management: Preliminary Evidence

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (20) ◽  
pp. 10985
Author(s):  
Elena Campione ◽  
Caterina Lanna ◽  
Terenzio Cosio ◽  
Luigi Rosa ◽  
Maria Pia Conte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
Standard Of Care ◽  
Antiviral Effect ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Negative Conversion

Lactoferrin (Lf), a multifunctional cationic glycoprotein synthesized by exocrine glands and neutrophils, possesses an in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. Thus, we conducted an in vivo preliminary study to investigate the antiviral effect of oral and intranasal liposomal bovine Lf (bLf) in asymptomatic and mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients. From April 2020 to June 2020, a total of 92 mild-to-moderate (67/92) and asymptomatic (25/92) COVID-19 patients were recruited and divided into three groups. Thirty-two patients (14 hospitalized and 18 in home-based isolation) received only oral and intranasal liposomal bLf; 32 hospitalized patients were treated only with standard of care (SOC) treatment; and 28, in home-based isolation, did not take any medication. Furthermore, 32 COVID-19 negative, untreated, healthy subjects were added for ancillary analysis. Liposomal bLf-treated COVID-19 patients obtained an earlier and significant (p < 0.0001) SARS-CoV-2 RNA negative conversion compared to the SOC-treated and untreated COVID-19 patients (14.25 vs. 27.13 vs. 32.61 days, respectively). Liposomal bLf-treated COVID-19 patients showed fast clinical symptoms recovery compared to the SOC-treated COVID-19 patients. In bLf-treated patients, a significant decrease in serum ferritin, IL-6, and D-dimers levels was observed. No adverse events were reported. These observations led us to speculate a potential role of bLf in the management of mild-to-moderate and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.

The Role of Antiviral Treatment in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-Related Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: An Update of a Multicenter Study.

Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (11) ◽  
pp. 1509-1509
Author(s):  
Daniele Vallisa ◽  
Patrizia Bernuzzi ◽  
Luca Arcaini ◽  
Antonio Lazzaro ◽  
Elena Trabacchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
B Cell ◽  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Viral Genotype ◽  
Non Hodgkin Lymphoma ◽  
Hematological Response ◽  
Genotype 2

Abstract HCV is largely, although not homogenously, diffuse in North-western Europe and U.S.A. It has been shown to play a role both in hepatocellular carcinoma and in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). Up to now the exact biological mechanisms that could explain the lymphomagenic role of the virus are unknown. We have previously published a series of 13 patients, affected by low grade B-cell NHL and characterized by an indolent course (i.e. doubling time less than 1 year, no bulky disease), who underwent antiviral treatment only with peghilated interferon and ribavirin (peghilated interferon 50–70 microgram weekly, ribavirin 1000–1200 mg daily). Now we report an update of this study. Up to now we were able to evaluate 16 patients with a mean follow up of 15,1± 7,6 months (range 2–28 months). Eight patients experienced complete or good partial haematological response that has lasted up to now with a mean follow up of 16,5 months, among them 3 splenic marginal lymphomas, 2 nodal marginal, 1 follicular lymphoma, 1 plasmocytoid and 1 marginal extranodal lymphoma. Three other patients achieved a long lasting partial response. The only one relapse (marginal nodal lymphoma) occurred about one year after the end of treatment, hematological relapse happened together with viral relapse, the lymphoma reappeared as highly chemo resistant high grade lymphoma, and two months later the patient died. Interestingly complete and good partial responses were more likely to be seen in viral genotype 2 (p=0.035) and were strictly related to the decrease of viral load under treatment (p=&lt;0.001). Toxicity causes the stop of the treatment in 3 patients; however one of them was able to achieve complete hematological response. Time to achieve hematological response was quite long (mean 8± 4,5 months). This kind of experience strongly provides a role for antiviral treatment in patients affected by HCV related low grade B-cell NHL. Especially viral genotype 2 infection may be considered a good prognostic marker for hematological response as well as decrease of viral load under treatment. Toxicity in our hands was however significant and further experiences are warranted in order to better modulate antiviral therapy doses.

The role of non-viral load surrogate markers in HIV-positive patient monitoring during antiviral treatment

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 538-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Florence ◽  
C Dreezen ◽  
W Schrooten ◽  
M Van Esbroeck ◽  
L Kestens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
Patient Monitoring ◽  
Antiviral Treatment ◽  
Positive Patient ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Surrogate Markers

scholarly journals Histopathological Features of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Honeybees Naturally Infected by Deformed Wing Virus

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 874
Author(s):  
Karen Power ◽  
Manuela Martano ◽  
Gennaro Altamura ◽  
Nadia Piscopo ◽  
Paola Maiolino
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
Asymptomatic Group ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Pathogenic Action ◽  
Degenerative Alterations ◽  
Flight Muscles ◽  
Asymptomatic Individuals ◽  
Histopathological Results

Deformed wing virus (DWV) is capable of infecting honeybees at every stage of development causing symptomatic and asymptomatic infections. To date, very little is known about the histopathological lesions caused by the virus. Therefore, 40 honeybee samples were randomly collected from a naturally DWV infected hive and subjected to anatomopathological examination to discriminate between symptomatic (29) and asymptomatic (11) honeybees. Subsequently, 15 honeybee samples were frozen at −80° and analyzed by PCR and RTqPCR to determinate the presence/absence of the virus and the relative viral load, while 25 honeybee samples were analyzed by histopathological techniques. Biomolecular results showed a fragment of the expected size (69bp) of DWV in all samples and the viral load was higher in symptomatic honeybees compared to the asymptomatic group. Histopathological results showed degenerative alterations of the hypopharyngeal glands (19/25) and flight muscles (6/25) in symptomatic samples while 4/25 asymptomatic samples showed an inflammatory response in the midgut and the hemocele. Results suggest a possible pathogenic action of DWV in both symptomatic and asymptomatic honeybees, and a role of the immune response in keeping under control the virus in asymptomatic individuals.

Lipopolysaccharide induces platelet activation in HIV patients: the role of different viral load patterns

HIV Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Nocella ◽  
Ivano Mezzaroma ◽  
Vittoria Cammisotto ◽  
Valentina Castellani ◽  
Cinzia Milito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
Platelet Activation ◽  
Hiv Patients

scholarly journals Temporal dynamics of viral load and false negative rate influence the levels of testing necessary to combat COVID-19 spread

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine F. Jarvis ◽  
Joshua B. Kelley
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Reproduction Number ◽  
False Negative ◽  
False Negative Rate ◽  
Agent Based Model ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Negative Rate

AbstractColleges and other organizations are considering testing plans to return to operation as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Pre-symptomatic spread and high false negative rates for testing may make it difficult to stop viral spread. Here, we develop a stochastic agent-based model of COVID-19 in a university sized population, considering the dynamics of both viral load and false negative rate of tests on the ability of testing to combat viral spread. Reported dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 can lead to an apparent false negative rate from ~ 17 to ~ 48%. Nonuniform distributions of viral load and false negative rate lead to higher requirements for frequency and fraction of population tested in order to bring the apparent Reproduction number (Rt) below 1. Thus, it is important to consider non-uniform dynamics of viral spread and false negative rate in order to model effective testing plans.

scholarly journals Adapting the role of handheld echocardiography during the COVID-19 pandemic: A practical guide

Perfusion ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 026765912098653
Author(s):  
Hafiz Naderi ◽  
Shaun Robinson ◽  
Martin J Swaans ◽  
Nina Bual ◽  
Wing-See Cheung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
High Viral Load ◽  
First Line ◽  
Scanning Time ◽  
Contagious Disease ◽  
Core Dataset ◽  
Clinical Questions

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered our approach to inpatient echocardiography delivery. There is now a greater focus to address key clinical questions likely to make an immediate impact in management, particularly during the period of widespread infection. Handheld echocardiography (HHE) can be used as a first-line assessment tool, limiting scanning time and exposure to high viral load. This article describes a potential role for HHE during a pandemic. We propose a protocol with a reporting template for a focused core dataset necessary in delivering an acute echocardiography service in the setting of a highly contagious disease, minimising risk to the operator. We cover the scenarios typically encountered in the acute cardiology setting and how an expert trained echocardiography team can identify such pathologies using a limited imaging format and include cardiac presentations encountered in those patients acutely unwell with COVID-19.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document