Mutational hotspots and conserved domains of SARS-CoV-2 genome in African population

Abstract Background Since outbreak in December 2019, the highly infectious and pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused over a million deaths globally. With increasing burden, the novel coronavirus has posed a dire threat to public health, social interaction, and global economy. Mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome are moderately evolving which might have contributed to its genome variability, transmission, replication efficiency, and virulence in different regions of the world. Results The present study elucidated the mutational landscape in the SARS-CoV-2 genome among the African populace, which may have contributed to the virulence, spread, and pathogenicity observed in the region. A total of 3045 SARS-CoV-2 complete protein sequences with the reference viral sequence (EPI_ISL_402124) were mined and analyzed. SARS-CoV-2 ORF1ab, spike, ORF3, ORF8, and nucleocapsid proteins were observed as mutational hotspots in the African population and may be of keen interest in understanding the viral host relationship, while there is conservation in the ORF6, ORF7a, ORF7b, ORF10, envelope, and membrane proteins. Conclusions The accumulation of moderate mutations (though slowly), in the SARS-CoV-2 genome as seen in this present study, could be a promising strategy to develop antiviral drugs or vaccines. These antiviral interventions should target viral conserved domains and host cellular proteins and/or receptors involved in viral invasion and replication to avoid a new viral wave due to drug resistance and vaccine evasion.

Download Full-text

Mutational Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Genome in African Population

10.1101/2020.09.07.286088 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Olabode E. Omotoso ◽

Ayoade D. Babalola ◽

Amira Matareek

Keyword(s):

Global Economy ◽

Mutational Analysis ◽

Evolutionary Genetics ◽

Human Interaction ◽

African Population ◽

Multiple Sequence ◽

Genome Variability ◽

Pathogenic Virus ◽

Mutational Hotspots ◽

Protein Membrane

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a highly infectious and pathogenic virus has claimed lot of lives globally since its outbreak in December 2019 posing dire threat on public health, global economy, social and human interaction. At moderate rate, mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome are evolving which might have contributed to viral genome variability, transmission, replication efficiency and virulence in different regions of the world. The present study elucidated the mutational landscape in SARS-CoV-2 genome among the African population, which may have contributed to the virulence, pathogenicity and transmission observed in the region. Multiple sequence alignment of the SARS-CoV-2 genome (356 viral protein sequences) was performed using ClustalX version 2.1 and phylogenetic tree was built using Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) X software. ORF1ab polyprotein, spike glycoprotein, ORF3, ORF8 and nucleocapsid phosphoprotein were observed as mutational hotspots in the African population and may be of keen interest in the adaptability of SARS-CoV-2 to the human host. While, there is conservation in the envelope protein, membrane glycoprotein, ORF6, ORF7a, ORF7b and ORF10. The accumulation of moderate mutations (though slowly) in the SARS-CoV-2 genome as revealed in our study, could be a promising strategy to develop drugs or vaccines with respect to the viral conserved domains and host cellular proteins and/or receptors involved in viral invasion and replication to avoid a new viral wave due to drug resistance and vaccine evasion.

Download Full-text

Contributory role of SARS-CoV-2 genomic variations and life expectancy in COVID-19 transmission and low fatality rate in Africa

Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics ◽

10.1186/s43042-020-00116-x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Olabode E. Omotoso

Keyword(s):

Mutational Analysis ◽

Health Care Systems ◽

Selective Advantage ◽

African Population ◽

Young Generation ◽

Regulatory Policies ◽

Recurrent Mutations ◽

Mutational Hotspots ◽

Care Systems ◽

Novel Coronavirus

Abstract Background The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has claimed lots of lives, posing a dire threat to global health. It was predicted that the coronavirus outbreak in the African population would be very lethal and result to economic devastation owing to the prevalence of immune-compromised population, poverty, low lifespan, fragile health care systems, poor economy, and lifestyle factors. Accumulation of mutations gives virus selective advantage for host invasion and adaptation, higher transmissibility of more virulent strains, and drug resistance. The present study determined the severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomic variability and the contributory factors to the low COVID-19 fatality in Africa. To assess the SARS-CoV-2 mutational landscape, 924 viral sequences from the Africa region with their sociobiological characteristics mined from the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) database were analyzed. Results Mutational analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 sequences revealed highly recurrent mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein D614G (97.2%), concurrent R203K, and G204R (65.2%) in the nucleocapsid phosphoprotein, and P4715L (97.2%) in the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase flagging these regions as SARS-CoV-2 mutational hotspots in the African population. COVID-19 is more severe in older people (> 65 years); Africa has a low percentage of people within this age group (4.36%). The average age of the infected patients observed in this study is 46 years with only 47 infected patients (5.1%) above 65 years in Africa in comparison to 13.12% in countries in other continents with the highest prevalence of COVID-19. Conclusions Africa’s young generation, the late incidence of the disease, and adherence to public health guidelines are important indicators that may have contributed to the observed low COVID-19 deaths in Africa. However, with the easing of lockdown and regulatory policies, daily increasing incidence in most countries, and low testing and sequencing rate, the epidemiology and the true impact of the pandemic in Africa remain to be unraveled.

Download Full-text

COVID 19: concerns and preparedness among healthcare workers

International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery ◽

10.18203/issn.2454-5929.ijohns20202088 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (6) ◽

pp. 1044

Author(s):

Gurkiran Kaur ◽

Ankur Mohan ◽

Mamta Mohan ◽

Aprajita .

Keyword(s):

Global Economy ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Management Strategies ◽

The Novel ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Item Questionnaire ◽

The Family ◽

Study Population ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Skilled Staff

Background: Coronavirus is emerging as a major threat to the global economy and psychology. The survey aims to know the concerns and preparedness of healthcare workers in the region of Punjab.Methods: An online anonymous survey of 22 item questionnaire was conducted over 124 frontline medical professionals in the region. Linear snowball sampling was done. Results: The major bulk of the study population were doctors and psychological unpreparedness and fear of increased exposure and contracting infection to the family came out to be the main concerns. While lack of enough skilled staff, essential protective equipment, and adequate support from authorities came out to be major loopholes in management strategies of the novel coronavirus.Conclusions: The authorities should provide enough encouragement and assistance mentally as well as in the form of diagnostic, protective, and remedial pieces of equipment. On the other hand, the up-gradation of preparedness plans cannot be ignored either.

Download Full-text

COVID-19; Plague of the 21st Century; Situation Update

Asian Journal of Research in Infectious Diseases ◽

10.9734/ajrid/2020/v3i430132 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 11-21

Author(s):

Mirza Zain Baig ◽

Zaitoon Zafar ◽

Abeer Aziz ◽

Umme Hani Abdullah

Keyword(s):

Global Economy ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Social Stigma ◽

World Health ◽

The Novel ◽

Comprehensive Review ◽

The World ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization ◽

Medical Infrastructure

The first known case of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus now known as SARS-CoV-2 occurred in Wuhan, China in late December 2019. In a matter of a few months, it has spread globally to infect more than 500, 000 people and has caused more than 20,000 deaths. It was officially declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, by the World Health Organization (WHO). To date, it has strained medical infrastructure, stagnated global economy and given rise to social stigma, fear, and racism. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of our current knowledge and understanding of this new disease.

Download Full-text

Modeling on Wastewater Treatment Process in Saudi Arabia: a perspective of Covid-19

10.1101/2021.11.22.21266599 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zico Meetei Mutum ◽

Abdullah A Ahmadini ◽

Ahmed Msmali Hussein ◽

Yaspal Raghav Singh

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Global Economy ◽

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

Gaussian Model ◽

The Novel ◽

Wastewater Treatment Process ◽

Virus Removal ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Log Normal

The novel coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) has resulted in an ongoing pandemic affecting the health system and devastating impact on global economy. The virus has been found in human feces, in sewage and in wastewater treatment plants. We highlight the transmission behavior, occurrence, and persistence of coronavirus in sewage and wastewater treatment plants. Our approach is to follow in the process of identifying a coronavirus hotspot through existing wastewater plants in major cities of Saudi Arabia. The mathematical distributions including log-normal distribution, Gaussian model and susceptible- exposed-infection-recovered- (SEIR) model are adopted to predict the coronavirus load in wastewater plants. This paper highlights not only the potential virus removal techniques from wastewater treatment plants but also to facilitate tracing of SARS-CoV-2 virus in human through wastewater treatment plants.

Download Full-text

Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Financial Reporting in the Light of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) (An Empirical Study)

Research in Economics and Management ◽

10.22158/rem.v5n2p21 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. p21

Author(s):

Hasan El-Mousawi ◽

Hasan Kanso

Keyword(s):

Financial Reporting ◽

Global Economy ◽

Certified Public Accountants ◽

The Novel ◽

Financial Reporting Standards ◽

The World ◽

Public Accountants ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Almost All ◽

The Impact

The outbreak of a novel type of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the majority of countries around the world has had many negative implications on almost all aspects of life. Currently, about a quarter of the population of Earth is quarantined at their homes, social distancing is effective everywhere, almost all industries have ceased their activities, and various businesses are either closed down or working from home. Procedures taken by governments or local authorities to improve their ability to contain the outbreak have impacted the global economy, which in turn will have many consequences on financial reporting of organizations. This study examines the impact of the novel Coronavirus outbreak on financial reporting of organizations from the viewpoint of Certified Public Accountants in Lebanon. The researchers have used a descriptive-analytical approach and have constructed a well-structured five-point Likert style questionnaire as the study tool. The questionnaire was distributed to a sample chosen from the population of certified public accountants in Lebanon. The random sample consisted of 300 practitioners of the profession, and 221 of them responded; all of which were valid for testing and analysis. The study reached some important findings mainly that the COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on the financial reporting of businesses according to the opinions of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in Lebanon, and the researchers had some recommendations as a result.

Download Full-text

Unusual Features of the SARS-CoV-2 Genome Suggesting Sophisticated Laboratory Modification as a Biological Robot

10.4018/978-1-7998-4679-6.ch005 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 73-113

Author(s):

Li-Meng Yan ◽

Adrian David Cheok

Keyword(s):

Global Economy ◽

Research Laboratory ◽

Alternative Theory ◽

The Novel ◽

Scientific Journals ◽

Zoonotic Virus ◽

Natural Origin ◽

Literature Evidence ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Tremendous Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has led to deaths worldwide and decimation of the global economy. Despite its tremendous impact, the origin of SARS-CoV-2 has remained mysterious and controversial. The natural origin theory, although widely accepted, lacks substantial support. The alternative theory that the virus may have come from a research laboratory is, however, censored on peer-reviewed scientific journals. Nonetheless, SARS-CoV-2 shows biological characteristics that are inconsistent with a naturally occurring, zoonotic virus. In this report, the authors describe the genomic, structural, medical, and literature evidence, which, when considered together, strongly contradicts the natural origin theory. The evidence shows that SARS-CoV2 should be a laboratory product created by using bat coronaviruses ZC45 and/or ZXC21 as a template and/or backbone. Building upon the evidence, the authors further postulate a synthetic route for SARS-CoV-2, demonstrating that the lab-creation of this coronavirus is convenient and can be accomplished in approximately six months.

Download Full-text

Knowledge and Adherence to COVID-19 Preventive Measures: A Continental Review

Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.18502/sjms.v16i3.9698 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Olabode E. Omotoso ◽

Elizabeth F. Omotoso ◽

Kehinde O. Paimo ◽

John O. Teibo ◽

Abolaji O. Olagunju

Keyword(s):

Global Economy ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Health Workers ◽

Educational Background ◽

Good Knowledge ◽

The Novel ◽

Professional Qualification ◽

Highly Educated ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Rural Dwellers

Background: The burden of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been on the rise since it was first reported in December 2019. COVID-19 has devastated global economy, public health, social interaction, and has claimed millions of lives globally within a few months. Due to the severe effect of some of the instituted guidelines on citizens and the economy, some of the policies in place to curtail the spread were receded. Hence, the present review aims to assess existing literature on the knowledge and adherence of Africans toward the COVID-19 preventive measures. Methods: Studies focused on Africans’ knowledge and adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures were selected using Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed databases. Preprints that have not been peer-reviewed, reviews, and non-COVID-19 studies were excluded. Results: All selected studies showed a satisfactory knowledge of respondents about COVID-19 but poor level of adherence to the preventive measures. Good knowledge and satisfactory level of adherence was common mostly among the clinical health workers, highly educated, and those with higher professional qualification, while poor knowledge and poor practice was observed mostly among rural dwellers, people of poor educational background, and those unable to read and write. Conclusion: This review identified a relatively good knowledge about COVID-19 from all the studies, however, the level of adherence to preventive measures was poor. We recommend that the populace adhere to the laid guidelines to ensure the spread of the virus is curbed while also enhancing the eradication of the pandemic. Keywords: COVID-19, adherence, knowledge, preventive measures, Africa

Download Full-text

Cyberattacks and threats during COVID-19: A systematic literature review

SA Journal of Information Management ◽

10.4102/sajim.v23i1.1277 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Joel Chigada ◽

Rujeko Madzinga

Keyword(s):

Information Systems ◽

Literature Review ◽

Systematic Literature Review ◽

Global Economy ◽

Service Providers ◽

Mixed Method Research ◽

The Novel ◽

Excessive Pressure ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

The Impact

Background: The novel Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a deadly contagious disease has left the global village in disarray, driving people and firms, especially healthcare service providers to rely heavily on information communication technologies (ICTs) for administering telemedicine through digital tools. This study contributes to knowledge and information sharing and debates on cybersecurity.Objective: The objective was to analyse the impact of cybercrimes on the global economy at a time when the whole world is focused on fighting and minimising the spread of COVID-19. The study also analysed common cybersecurity threats, attacks and information systems security vulnerabilities during the period of the pandemic.Method: The study adopted a systematic literature review from December 2019 to June 2020. There are global research studies on cybersecurity issues brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, and therefore, literature survey was not limited to any geographic area. A mixed method research was adopted in this study.Results: The study revealed that there is an exponential growth of cyberattacks and threats because the global economy has been paying much attention to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, large corporations, healthcare industry and government agencies have been targets for cyberattacks and threats.Conclusion: It has been demonstrated that cyberattacks and threats during the COVID-19 pandemic are rising exponentially, creating another wave of challenges for the global economy, which is already reeling under the novel coronavirus. Thus, exerting excessive pressure on financial and human resources that have to contend with the novel coronavirus, with the expectation that resources have to be mobilised to deal with cybercrimes. The study recommends that firms and individuals should devise cybersecurity interventions to protect their data and information systems infrastructure.

Download Full-text

Assessing the Risks of SARS-CoV-2 in Wildlife

10.20944/preprints202012.0283.v3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Richard Delahay ◽

Jose de la Fuente ◽

Graham Smith ◽

Khan Sharun ◽

Emma Snary ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Global Economy ◽

Conservation Status ◽

The Novel ◽

Wild Mammals ◽

Zoo Animals ◽

Health Initiatives ◽

Dynamic Risk Assessment ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Selection Of

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 likely emerged from a wildlife source with transmission to humans followed by rapid geographic spread throughout the globe and severe impacts on both human health and the global economy. Since the onset of the pandemic, there have been many instances of human-to-animal transmission involving companion, farmed and zoo animals, and limited evidence for spread into free-living wildlife. The establishment of reservoirs of infection in wild animals would create significant challenges to infection control in humans and could pose a threat to the welfare and conservation status of wildlife. We discuss the potential for exposure, onward transmission and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in an initial selection of wild mammals (bats, canids, felids, mustelids, great apes, rodents and cervids). Dynamic risk assessment and targeted surveillance are important tools for the early detection of infection in wildlife, and here we describe a framework for collating and synthesising emerging information to inform targeted surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife. Surveillance efforts should be integrated with information from public and veterinary health initiatives to provide insights into the potential role of wild mammals in the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2.

Download Full-text