Variants of SARS Coronavirus-2 and Their Potential Impact on the Future of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), especially the sweeping spread of the delta variant, and differing public health management strategies, have rendered global eradication of SARS-CoV-2 unlikely. The currently available COVID-19 vaccines, including the inactivated whole virus vaccines, mRNA vaccines, and adenovirus-vectored vaccines, are effective in protecting people from severe disease and death from COVID-19, but they may not confer good mucosal immunity to prevent the establishment of infection and subsequent viral shedding and transmission. Mucosal vaccines delivered via intranasal route may provide a promising direction, which, if given as a third dose after a two-dose series of intramuscular vaccination, likely promotes mucosal immunity in addition to boosting the systemic cell-mediated immunity and antibody response. However, immunity induced by vaccination, and natural infection as well, is likely to wane followed by re-infection as in the case of human coronaviruses OC43, 229E, NL63, and HKU1. It is a challenge to prevent and control COVID-19 worldwide with the increasing number of VOCs associated with increased transmissibility and changing antigenicity. Nevertheless, we may seek to end the current pandemic situation through mass vaccination and gradual relaxation of non-pharmaceutical measures, which would limit the incidence of severe COVID-19. Repeated doses of booster vaccine will likely be required, similar to influenza virus, especially for the elderly and the immunocompromised patients who are most vulnerable to infection.

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Human Coronaviruses: Counteracting the Damage by Storm

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v13081457 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 1457

Author(s):

Dewald Schoeman ◽

Burtram C. Fielding

Keyword(s):

Immune Response ◽

Severe Disease ◽

Antiviral Agents ◽

The Elderly ◽

Highly Pathogenic ◽

Vaccine Responses ◽

Cell Mediated Immune Response ◽

Inhibition Antibody ◽

A Cell ◽

Human Coronaviruses

Over the past 18 years, three highly pathogenic human (h) coronaviruses (CoVs) have caused severe outbreaks, the most recent causative agent, SARS-CoV-2, being the first to cause a pandemic. Although much progress has been made since the COVID-19 pandemic started, much about SARS-CoV-2 and its disease, COVID-19, is still poorly understood. The highly pathogenic hCoVs differ in some respects, but also share some similarities in clinical presentation, the risk factors associated with severe disease, and the characteristic immunopathology associated with the progression to severe disease. This review aims to highlight these overlapping aspects of the highly pathogenic hCoVs—SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2—briefly discussing the importance of an appropriately regulated immune response; how the immune response to these highly pathogenic hCoVs might be dysregulated through interferon (IFN) inhibition, antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA); and how these could link to the ensuing cytokine storm. The treatment approaches to highly pathogenic hCoV infections are discussed and it is suggested that a greater focus be placed on T-cell vaccines that elicit a cell-mediated immune response, using rapamycin as a potential agent to improve vaccine responses in the elderly and obese, and the potential of stapled peptides as antiviral agents.

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Older adults lack SARS CoV-2 cross-reactive T lymphocytes directed to human coronaviruses OC43 and NL63

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-78506-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Giulietta Saletti ◽

Thomas Gerlach ◽

Janina M. Jansen ◽

Antonia Molle ◽

Husni Elbahesh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

T Cells ◽

Severe Disease ◽

Differential Mortality ◽

Cell Mediated Immunity ◽

Age Group ◽

Partial Explanation ◽

Mortality And Morbidity ◽

Cell Immunity ◽

Human Coronaviruses

AbstractCurrently, infections with SARS-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, are responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. Older adults subjects > 60 years of age account for > 95% of the over one million fatal cases reported to date. It is unclear why in this age group SARS-CoV-2 infection causes more severe disease than in young adults. We hypothesized that differences in SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive cellular immunity induced after infection with human coronaviruses (HCoVs), like OC43 and NL63, were at the basis of the differential mortality (and morbidity) observed after SARS-CoV-2 infection, because a small proportion of HCoV-specific T cells cross-react with SARS-CoV-2. Our data demonstrate that pre-existing T cell immunity induced by circulating human alpha- and beta-HCoVs is present in young adult individuals, but virtually absent in older adult subjects. Consequently, the frequency of cross-reactive T cells directed to the novel pandemic SARS-CoV-2 was minimal in most older adults. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the presence of cross-reactive T cells to SARS-CoV-2 is compared in young and older adults. Our findings provide at least a partial explanation for the more severe clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection observed in the elderly. Moreover, this information could help to design efficacious vaccines for this age group, aiming at the induction of cell-mediated immunity.

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Acquired haemophilia in the elderly is a severe disease: report of five new cases

Haemophilia ◽

10.1046/j.1365-2516.2001.00531.x ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 428-432 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

S. Godreuil ◽

R. Navarro ◽

P. Quittet ◽

L. Landreau ◽

J-F. Schved ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Severe Disease ◽

The Elderly ◽

Acquired Haemophilia

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Körperliche Beschwerden bei älteren Migranten in Deutschland 1Erstellt unter Mitwirkung der Arbeitsgruppe «Abuse of the Elderly in the European Region» (ABUEL): Joaquim F. J. Soares, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; Francisco Torres-González, Departmental Section of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University of Granada, Spain; Elisabeth Ioannidi-Kapolou, National School of Public Health, Department of Sociology, Athens, Greece; Giovanni Lamura, Italian National Research Centre on Ageing Department of Gerontological Research, Unit of Health Economics, Ancona, Italy; Mindaugas Stankunas, Kaunas University of Medicine, Department of Health Management, A. Mickeviciaus, Kaunas, Lithuania; Henrique Barros, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal.

Zeitschrift für Psychiatrie Psychologie und Psychotherapie ◽

10.1024/1661-4747.a000028 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 58 (3) ◽

pp. 199-206 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Rosina-Martha Csöff ◽

Gloria Macassa ◽

Jutta Lindert

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Management ◽

The Elderly ◽

Health Department ◽

Research Unit ◽

Research Centre ◽

Public Health Department ◽

Karolinska Institute ◽

Psychological Medicine ◽

Körperliche Beschwerden

Körperliche Beschwerden sind bei Älteren weit verbreitet; diese sind bei Migranten bislang in Deutschland und international noch wenig untersucht. Unsere multizentrische Querschnittstudie erfasste körperliche Beschwerden bei Menschen im Alter zwischen 60 und 84 Jahren mit Wohnsitz in Stuttgart anhand der Kurzversion des Gießener Beschwerdebogens (GBB-24). In Deutschland wurden 648 Personen untersucht, davon 13.4 % (n = 87) nicht in Deutschland geborene. Die Geschlechterverteilung war bei Migranten und Nichtmigranten gleich; der sozioökonomische Status lag bei den Migranten etwas niedriger: 8.0 % (n = 7) der Migranten und 2.5 % (n = 14) der Nichtmigranten verfügten über höchstens vier Jahre Schulbildung; 12.6 % (n = 11) der Migranten und 8.2 % (n = 46) der Nichtmigranten hatten ein monatliches Haushaltsnettoeinkommen von unter 1000€; 26.4 % der Migranten und 38.1 % (n = 214) der Nichtmigranten verfügten über mehr als 2000€ monatlich. Somatische Beschwerden lagen bei den Migranten bei 65.5 % (n = 57) und bei den Nichtmigranten bei 55.8 % (n = 313). Frauen wiesen häufiger somatische Beschwerden auf (61.8 %) als Männer (51.8 %). Mit steigendem Alter nahmen somatische Beschwerden zu. Mit Ausnahme der Altersgruppe der 70–74-Jährigen konnte kein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen Migranten und Nichtmigranten hinsichtlich der Häufigkeit körperlicher Beschwerden gezeigt werden. Ausblick: Es werden dringend bevölkerungsrepräsentative Studien zu körperlichen Beschwerden bei Migranten benötigt.

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Application of Nematode Community Analyses-Based Models towards Identifying Sustainable Soil Health Management Outcomes: A Review of the Concepts

Soil Systems ◽

10.3390/soilsystems5020032 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 32

Author(s):

Haddish Melakeberhan ◽

Gregory Bonito ◽

Alexandra N. Kravchenko

Keyword(s):

Nutrient Cycling ◽

Health Management ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Soil Health ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Nematode Community ◽

Parasitic Nematodes ◽

Worst Case ◽

Pests And Diseases ◽

Water Holding

Soil health connotes the balance of biological, physicochemical, nutritional, structural, and water-holding components necessary to sustain plant productivity. Despite a substantial knowledge base, achieving sustainable soil health remains a goal because it is difficult to simultaneously: (i) improve soil structure, physicochemistry, water-holding capacity, and nutrient cycling; (ii) suppress pests and diseases while increasing beneficial organisms; and (iii) improve biological functioning leading to improved biomass/crop yield. The objectives of this review are (a) to identify agricultural practices (APs) driving soil health degradations and barriers to developing sustainable soil health, and (b) to describe how the nematode community analyses-based soil food web (SFW) and fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) data visualization models can be used towards developing sustainable soil health. The SFW model considers changes in beneficial nematode population dynamics relative to food and reproduction (enrichment index, EI; y-axis) and resistance to disturbance (structure index, SI; x-axis) in order to identify best-to-worst case scenarios for nutrient cycling and agroecosystem suitability of AP-driven outcomes. The FUE model visualizes associations between beneficial and plant-parasitic nematodes (x-axis) and ecosystem services (e.g., yield or nutrients, y-axis). The x-y relationship identifies best-to-worst case scenarios of the outcomes for sustainability. Both models can serve as platforms towards developing integrated and sustainable soil health management strategies on a location-specific or a one-size-fits-all basis. Future improvements for increased implementation of these models are discussed.

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How to Intervene in the Health Management of the Oncological Patient and of Their Caregiver? A Narrative Review in the Psycho-Oncology Field

Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.3390/bs11070099 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 99

Author(s):

Gian Piero Turchi ◽

Marta Silvia Dalla Riva ◽

Luisa Orrù ◽

Eleonora Pinto

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Health Management ◽

Psychological Treatment ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Well Being ◽

Narrative Review ◽

Treatment Modalities ◽

Oncological Patient ◽

Post Surgery

Starting from statistical data derived from the oncological field, some articles have highlighted the importance of communication in the patient–caregiver dyad and have considered the various roles involved in a cancer diagnosis situation. Thus, the question of how to intervene in terms of “quality of life” from the time of diagnosis to the recovery or death of a cancer patient, beyond the sanitary and physical dimensions, has become relevant. Therefore, the present narrative review aims to offer an overview of the state of the art in terms of the psychological treatment modalities of cancer patients, from the diagnosis to the post-surgery period. A total of 67 articles were collected and analyzed, in relation to (1) psychological constructs employed in the oncological field, (2) intervention models and (3) quality of life and well-being measurement and evaluation tools. We described these articles, differentiating between those focusing on the role of (1) the patient, (2) the caregiver, (3) the patient–caregiver dyad and (4) healthcare professional roles. The oncological diagnosis and its repercussions in the lives of the patient and caregiver were explored and critical aspects that emerged from the literature were highlighted. In conclusion, the analysis allowed some considerations about the need to define research protocols and useful management strategies for increasing the overall health of patients with cancer diagnoses and the people who surround them.

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Nematode Community-Based Soil Food Web Analysis of Ferralsol, Lithosol and Nitosol Soil Groups in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi Reveals Distinct Soil Health Degradations

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13030101 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 101

Author(s):

Haddish Melakeberhan ◽

ZinThuZar Maung ◽

Isaac Lartey ◽

Senol Yildiz ◽

Jenni Gronseth ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Web ◽

Health Management ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Soil Health ◽

Principal Component ◽

Trophic Group ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Soil Food Web ◽

Soil Group ◽

Soil Groups

Determining if the vast soil health degradations across the seven major soil groups (orders) of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) can be managed on the basis of a one-size-fits-all or location-specific approach is limited by a lack of soil group-based understanding of soil health degradations. We used the relationship between changes in nematode population dynamics relative to food and reproduction (enrichment, EI) and resistance to disturbance (structure, SI) indices to characterize the soil food web (SFW) and soil health conditions of Ferralsol, Lithosol and Nitosol soil groups in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. We applied bivariate correlations of EI, SI, soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), and texture (sand, silt and clay) to identify integrated indicator parameters, and principal component analysis (PCA) to determine how all measured parameters, soil groups, and countries align. A total of 512 georeferenced soil samples from disturbed (agricultural) and undisturbed (natural vegetation) landscapes were analyzed. Nematode trophic group abundance was low and varied by soil group, landscape and country. The resource-limited and degraded SFW conditions separated by soil groups and by country. EI and SI correlation with SOC varied by landscape, soil group or country. PCA alignment showed separation of soil groups within and across countries. The study developed the first biophysicochemical proof-of-concept that the soil groups need to be treated separately when formulating scalable soil health management strategies in SSA.

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Neutrophils in respiratory viral infections

Mucosal Immunology ◽

10.1038/s41385-021-00397-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Cecilia Johansson ◽

Freja C. M. Kirsebom

Keyword(s):

Viral Infections ◽

Immune Cell ◽

Respiratory Infections ◽

Fungal Infections ◽

Severe Disease ◽

The Elderly ◽

Viral Control ◽

Immunological Mechanisms ◽

Respiratory Viral Infections ◽

Viral Respiratory Infections

AbstractViral respiratory infections are a common cause of severe disease, especially in infants, people who are immunocompromised, and in the elderly. Neutrophils, an important innate immune cell, infiltrate the lungs rapidly after an inflammatory insult. The most well-characterized effector mechanisms by which neutrophils contribute to host defense are largely extracellular and the involvement of neutrophils in protection from numerous bacterial and fungal infections is well established. However, the role of neutrophils in responses to viruses, which replicate intracellularly, has been less studied. It remains unclear whether and, by which underlying immunological mechanisms, neutrophils contribute to viral control or confer protection against an intracellular pathogen. Furthermore, neutrophils need to be tightly regulated to avoid bystander damage to host tissues. This is especially relevant in the lung where damage to delicate alveolar structures can compromise gas exchange with life-threatening consequences. It is inherently less clear how neutrophils can contribute to host immunity to viruses without causing immunopathology and/or exacerbating disease severity. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current understanding of how neutrophils in the lung direct immune responses to viruses, control viral replication and spread, and cause pathology during respiratory viral infections.

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