scholarly journals Psychosocial Vulnerabilities to Upper Respiratory Infectious Illness: Implications for Susceptibility to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

2020 ◽  
pp. 174569162094251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheldon Cohen
Keyword(s):  
Psychosocial Factors ◽  
Alcohol Intake ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Respiratory Viruses ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Respiratory Illnesses ◽  
Virus Exposure ◽  
Upper Respiratory ◽  
Infectious Illness ◽  
Moderate Alcohol Intake

For 35 years, our laboratory has been involved in identifying psychosocial factors that predict who becomes ill when they are exposed to a virus affecting the upper respiratory tract. To pursue this question, we used a unique viral-challenge design in which we assessed behavioral, social, and psychological factors in healthy adults. We subsequently exposed these adults to a cold or influenza virus and then monitored them in quarantine for 5 to 6 days for onset of respiratory illness. Factors we found to be associated with greater risk of respiratory illnesses after virus exposure included smoking, ingesting an inadequate level of vitamin C, and chronic psychological stress. Those associated with decreased risk included social integration, social support, physical activity, adequate and efficient sleep, and moderate alcohol intake. We cautiously suggest that our findings could have implications for identifying who becomes ill when exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This argument is based on evidence that the associations we report are replicable across multiple respiratory viruses and that the pathways found to link psychosocial factors to colds and influenza may play similar roles in COVID-19.

scholarly journals Temperature Dependent Viral Tropism (TDVT): Understanding Viral Seasonality and Pathogenicity as Applied to the Avoidance and Treatment of Endemic Viral Respiratory Illnesses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick D. Shaw Stewart ◽  
Julia Bach
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Sensitivity ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Respiratory Viruses ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Viral Tropism ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Respiratory Illnesses ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Viral Respiratory

This review seeks to explain four features of viral respiratory illnesses that have perplexed generations of virologists: (1) the seasonal timing of respiratory illness; (2) the common viruses causing respiratory illness worldwide, including year-round disease in the Tropics; (3) the rapid response of outbreaks to weather, specifically temperature; (4) the rapid arrival and termination of epidemics caused by influenza and other viruses. The inadequacy of the popular explanations of seasonality is discussed, and a simple hypothesis is proposed, called Temperature Dependent Viral Tropism (TDVT), that is compatible with the above features of respiratory illness. TDVT notes that viruses can transmit themselves more effectively if they moderate their pathogenicity (thereby maintaining host mobility) and suggests that endemic respiratory viruses accomplish this by developing thermal sensitivity within a range that supports organ-specific viral tropism within the human body, whereby they replicate most rapidly at temperatures below body temperature. This allows them to confine themselves to the upper respiratory tract and to avoid infecting the lungs, heart, gut etc. Biochemical and tissue-culture studies show that “wild” respiratory viruses show such natural thermal sensitivity. The typical early autumn surge of colds and the existence of respiratory illness in the Tropics year-round at intermediate levels are explained by the tendency for strains to adapt their thermal sensitivity to their local climate and season. The TDVT hypothesis has important practical implications for preventing and treating respiratory illness including Covid-19. TVDT is testable with many options for experiments to increase our understanding of viral seasonality and pathogenicity.

scholarly journals Temperature Dependent Viral Tropism: An Explanation of the Seasonality and Pathogenicity of the Endemic Respiratory Viruses

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Shaw Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Sensitivity ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Respiratory Viruses ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Temperature Dependent ◽  
Viral Tropism ◽  
Local Climate ◽  
Respiratory Illnesses ◽  
Organ Specific ◽  
Viral Respiratory

This review seeks to explain four features of viral respiratory illnesses that have perplexed many generations of microbiologists: (1) the seasonal occurrence of viral respiratory illness; (2) the occurrence of respiratory illness year-round in the Tropics; (3) the rapid response of illness to temperature drops in temperate regions; (4) the explosive arrival and rapid termination of epidemics caused by influenza and other respiratory viruses. I discuss the inadequacy of the popular explanations of seasonality, and propose a simple hypothesis, called Temperature Dependent Viral Tropism (TD-VT), that is compatible with the above and other features of respiratory illness. TD-VT notes that viruses can often transmit themselves more effectively if they moderate their pathogenicity (thereby maintaining the mobility of their hosts) and suggests that most endemic respiratory viruses accomplish this by developing thermal sensitivity, in the sense that they normally replicate rapidly only at temperatures below normal body temperature. This allows them to confine themselves to the upper respiratory tract and to avoid infecting the lungs, heart, gut etc. I review biochemical and tissue-culture studies that found that “wild” respiratory viruses often show natural thermal sensitivity within a range that supports organ-specific tropism within the human body, and I discuss the evident tendency for viral strains to adapt their thermal sensitivity to their local climate and season. I also explore the possible misinterpretation of early experiments where volunteers were inoculated nasally with viral samples and then chilled. Next, I discuss the practical implications of the TD-VT hypothesis for preventing and treating respiratory illness. Finally, I note that the hypothesis is very testable and make suggestions for the most important experiments to increase our understanding of the seasonality and pathogenicity of viral respiratory illness.

Respiratory viruses

2011 ◽  
pp. 208-211
Author(s):  
Dr Mark Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Syncytial Virus ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Common Cold ◽  
Respiratory Viruses ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract Infections ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
The Common ◽  
Upper Respiratory ◽  
Syncytial Virus ◽  
Tract Infections

15.1 Rhinovirus, 209 15.2 Influenza, 210 15.3 Parainfluenza, 211 15.4 Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), 211 • There are more than 100 different serotypes of rhinovirus. • Rhinovirus is chiefly limited to upper respiratory tract infections and is the major cause of the common cold....

scholarly journals ‘Stay home when sick’ advice: implications for sport and exercise

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. e001227
Author(s):  
John W Orchard ◽  
Jessica J Orchard ◽  
Rajesh Puranik
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Respiratory Viruses ◽  
Respiratory Illnesses ◽  
Individual Strategy ◽  
Sport And Exercise ◽  
The Right ◽  
Key Events

The coronavirus pandemic has given everyone in society an education on the harms of spread of respiratory illness. Young healthy athletes are far less likely to suffer severe adverse consequences of viral illnesses than the elderly and frail, but they are not completely immune. Chronic fatigue (overtraining) is an uncommon outcome and myocarditis a rare one, but they both warrant due consideration. It is, therefore, a sensible individual strategy to ‘stay home when sick’ if only for these risks. Traditionally though, athletes have tended to push through (train and play when ill) because of competing concerns, such as key events/matches and ‘not wanting to let teammates down’. Data from both low COVID-19 and high COVID-19 countries show that the number of cardiovascular deaths in a society correlates with the number of respiratory deaths at the same time, further linking respiratory viruses to cardiovascular deaths. We are now more aware of public health obligations to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses, in particular to protect the more vulnerable members the community. This hopefully will correspond with a change in the culture of sport to one where it is considered ‘the right thing to do’, to ‘stay home when sick’.

Ascorbic Acid, Dietary Restriction, and Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 1191-1192
Author(s):  
P. L. Holborow
Keyword(s):  
Ascorbic Acid ◽  
Tract Infection ◽  
Vitamin C ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Respiratory Tract Infection ◽  
Dietary Restriction ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Respiratory Illnesses ◽  
Hyperactive Behavior ◽  
Upper Respiratory

The manipulation of diet to control hyperactive behavior in children has become popular, although not adequately proven.1-3 The use of vitamin C to control infections is in a similar state. A survey of children taking both a "low-salicylate" diet and vitamin C supplements has shown seemingly paradoxical changes in the incidence of sore throats and other upper respiratory illnesses. Questionnaires were mailed to parents of children who had been maintained on a "low-salicylate" diet for at least six months, because of perceived hyperactivity.

A Pilot Study of Qigong Practice and Upper Respiratory Illness in Elite Swimmers

2011 ◽  
Vol 39 (03) ◽  
pp. 461-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy A. Wright ◽  
Kim E. Innes ◽  
John Alton ◽  
Viktor E. Bovbjerg ◽  
Justine E. Owens
Keyword(s):  
Medication Use ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
University Of Virginia ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Elite Swimmers ◽  
Upper Respiratory ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
The University

Upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) are a common complaint in competitive swimmers and can adversely affect performance. No intervention has yet been shown to reduce URI incidence in intensively trained athletes. The University of Virginia varsity swim team received three weeks of training in qigong for the purpose of reducing stress and improving health. Our primary objective was to assess the relationship between qigong practice and symptoms of URI during a time when swimmers would be at high URI risk. Secondary objectives were to assess degree of compliance with a qigong practice regimen, to evaluate differences between qigong practitioners and non-practitioners, and to determine the response-rate and reliability of a newly developed internet-based, self-report survey. The design was observational, cross-sectional, and prospective. Weekly data on cold and flu symptoms, concurrent health problems and medication use, and qigong practice were gathered for seven weeks. Retrospective information on health and qigong training response was also collected. Participants were 27 of the 55 members of the University of Virginia Swim Team in the Virginia Athletic Department. Main outcomes were measures of aggregated cold/flu symptoms and Qigong practice. Survey completion was 100%, with no missing data, and reliability of the instrument was acceptable. Cold and flu symptoms showed a significant non-linear association with frequency of qigong practice (R2 = 0.33, p < 0.01), with a strong, inverse relationship between practice frequency and symptom scores in swimmers who practised qigong at least once per week (R2 = 0.70, p < 0.01). Qigong practitioners did not differ from non-practitioners in demographic or lifestyle characteristics, medical history, supplement or medication use, or belief in qigong. These preliminary findings suggest that qigong practice may be protective against URIs among elite swimmers who practice at least once per week.

scholarly journals An aetiological study of respiratory infection in children, Edinburgh City Hospital, 1961–1963

1965 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. D. Urquhart ◽  
Margaret A. J. Moffat ◽  
Margaret A. Calder ◽  
Gillian M. Cruickshank
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Infection ◽  
Whooping Cough ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Serological Response ◽  
City Hospital ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Respiratory Illnesses ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Homologous Virus ◽  
Upper Respiratory

The findings are described of a combined clinical, bacteriological and virological study which included all children admitted to the City Hospital, Edinburgh, with acute respiratory infection and whooping cough during the winters 1961–62 and 1962–63. During the first winter 131 cases aged 0–12 years and in the second winter 133 aged 0–6 years were examined. The respiratory illnesses were divisible into upper respiratory tract infection, bronchitis, pneumonia, and whooping cough; many of the cases of whooping cough had respiratory complications with bronchitis or pneumonia.Paired sera, a throat swab and a faecal specimen were taken from each child and investigated vircdogically. Over both winters the highest total virus isolation rate was found in the group suffering from upper respiratory disease. Approximately two-thirds of the total number of patients from whom virus was isolated and from whom both acute and convalescent sera were available gave a serological response to the homologous virus; the highest proportion of these patients occurred in the pneumonia and URTI groups. The groups of viruses associated with a fourfold or greater rise in antibodies occurred in the following proportions of the cases: myxovirus 9 %; adeno virus 7 %; entero virus 4 %; herpes simplex 3 %.Bacterial pathogens were isolated from 37 % of patients in 1961–62 and from 49 % in 1962–63,Staph. pyogenesbeing the most common pathogen. Isolation of pneumococci was facilitated during the second year by the examination of a nasal swab. Pre-admission chemotherapy did not significantly alter the bacterial isolation rates. Agglutination studies were carried out on forty clinical cases of whooping cough admitted during the two winters and thirty-two showed significant stable titres toBordetella pertussis; only 9 (18 %) of these cases gave a history of prophylactic immunization.A third of the patients had neither bacterial nor viral pathogens.The findings in this survey illustrate the need for further intensive virological and bacteriological studies of acute respiratory infections in early childhood.

scholarly journals Role of respiratory viruses in infants less than six months of age with upper respiratory tract infections

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 564-569
Author(s):  
Eda Karadağ Öncel ◽  
Demet Başer ◽  
Ayça Kömürlüoğlu ◽  
Meral Ciblak ◽  
Yasemin Özsürekçi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Respiratory Tract Infections ◽  
Respiratory Viruses ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract Infections ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Upper Respiratory ◽  
Tract Infections

scholarly journals Migliorare la comunicazione in ambulatorio riduce la prescrizione degli antibiotici per le infezioni respiratorie: i risultati di un RCT

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Gruppo di lettura di Parma
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Respiratory Tract Infections ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Baseline Period ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Distance Training ◽  
Post Surgery ◽  
Upper Respiratory ◽  
Tract Infections

Improving communication in the office reduces the prescription of antibiotics for respiratory infections: the results of an RCT Effective communication with parents in the clinic can reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions in primary care for upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). In this American RCT with a gradual wedge of good methodological quality, the distance training program 'DIALOGUE AROUND RESPIRATORY ILLNESS TREATMENT' (DART QI), allows an overall reduction of 7% in the probability of prescribing antibiotics for URTI between the baseline period and post-surgery.

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