A recent review on 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak

SARS-CoV2, a single-stranded RNA virus that can cause a wide array of clinical manifestations ranging from mild to severe (respiratory failure). The spread of SARS-CoV2 has now become uncontrollable leading to a pandemic. The infection is usually transmitting through cough droplets and sneeze. The main clinical manifestations of the disease are similar to common respiratory tract infections and may become fatal after the development of symptoms such as severe dyspnea, low PaO2/FiO2 (fraction of inspired oxygen) ratio, and severe decline in blood oxygen saturation. Current diagnostic tools employed at the moment include time-consuming NAAT (nucleic acid amplification test). Recent investigations and researches are aimed at rapid serological testing. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rRT- PCR) is the standard method of testing, using respiratory samples obtained by the nasopharyngeal swab. Medications such as darunavir, ribavirin, remdesivir, interferon, and lopinavir/ritonavir combination therapy were used for the management of the infection. Social distancing, use of protective masks, isolation of the infected persons and maintaining personal hygiene helps in the prevention of the disease.

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Clinical and Laboratory Profiles of 75 Hospitalized Patients with Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Hefei, China

10.1101/2020.03.01.20029785 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Zonghao Zhao ◽

Jiajia Xie ◽

Ming Yin ◽

Yun Yang ◽

Hongliang He ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

Treatment Effectiveness ◽

Antiviral Treatment ◽

Laboratory Data ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽

The Novel ◽

Reactive Protein ◽

Cell Counts ◽

Novel Coronavirus

AbstractThe outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection began in December 2019 in Wuhan, and rapidly spread to many provinces in China. The number of cases has increased markedly in Anhui, but information on the clinical characteristics of patients is limited. We reported 75 patients with COVID-19 in the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC from Jan 21 to Feb 16, 2020, Hefei, Anhui Province, China. COVID-19 infection was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR of respiratory nasopharyngeal swab samples. Epidemiological, clinical and laboratory data were collected and analyzed. Of the 75 patients with COVID-19, 61 (81.33%) had a direct or indirect exposure history to Wuhan. Common symptoms at onset included fever (66 [88.0%] of 75 patients) and dry cough (62 [82.67%]). Of the patients without fever, cough could be the only or primary symptom. The most prominent laboratory abnormalities were lymphopenia, decreased percentage of lymphocytes (LYM%), decreased CD4+ and CD8+ T cell counts, elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Patients with elevated interleukin 6 (IL-6) showed significant decreases in the LYM%, CD4+ and CD8+ T cell counts. Besides, the percentage of neutrophils, CRP, LDH and Procalcitonin levels increased significantly. We concluded that COVID-19 could cause different degrees of hematological abnormalities and damage of internal organs. Hematological profiles including LYM, LDH, CRP and IL-6 could be indicators of diseases severity and evaluation of treatment effectiveness. Antiviral treatment requires a comprehensive and supportive approach. Further targeted therapy should be determined based on individual clinical manifestations and laboratory indicators.

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Diagnostic SARS-CoV-2 Cycle Threshold Value Predicts Disease Severity, Survival, and Six-Month Sequelae in COVID-19 Symptomatic Patients

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v13020281 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 281

Author(s):

Mattia Trunfio ◽

Francesco Venuti ◽

Francesca Alladio ◽

Bianca Maria Longo ◽

Elisa Burdino ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Disease Severity ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Signs And Symptoms ◽

Predictive Marker ◽

Threshold Value ◽

Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽

Cycle Threshold ◽

Composite Scale ◽

Group B ◽

Novel Coronavirus

To date, there is no severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2-(SARS-CoV-2)-specific prognostic biomarker available. We assessed whether SARS-CoV-2 cycle threshold (Ct) value at diagnosis could predict novel CoronaVirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity, clinical manifestations, and six-month sequelae. Hospitalized and outpatient cases were randomly sampled from the diagnoses of March 2020 and data collected at 6 months by interview and from the regional database for COVID-19 emergency. Patients were stratified according to their RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase Ct in the nasopharyngeal swab at diagnosis as follows: Group A ≤ 20.0, 20.0 < group B ≤ 28.0, and Group C > 28.0. Disease severity was classified according to a composite scale evaluating hospital admission, worst oxygen support required, and survival. Two hundred patients were included, 27.5% in Groups A and B both, 45.0% in Group C; 90% of patients were symptomatic and 63.7% were hospitalized. The median time from COVID-19 onset to swab collection was five days. Lethality, disease severity, type, and number of signs and symptoms, as well as six-month sequelae distributed inversely among the groups with respect to SARS-CoV-2 Ct. After controlling for confounding, SARS-CoV-2 Ct at diagnosis was still associated with COVID-19-related death (p = 0.023), disease severity (p = 0.023), number of signs and symptoms (p < 0.01), and presence of six-month sequelae (p < 0.01). Early quantification of SARS-CoV-2 may be a useful predictive marker to inform differential strategies of clinical management and resource allocation.

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Tackling the COVID-19 Pandemic- A Review

Journal of Bio-Science ◽

10.3329/jbs.v29i2.54964 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 175-186

Author(s):

CC Nganwuchu ◽

K Habas ◽

N Mohammed ◽

M Osei Wusuansa ◽

D Makanjuola ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Repurposing ◽

Health Impact ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

World Health ◽

Personal Hygiene ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Wide Range ◽

The World ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Health Organization

Since December 2019, a new type of coronavirus called novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV, or COVID-19) was identified in Wuhan, China and on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic. With more than 101,797,158 confirmed cases, resulting in 3,451,354 deaths as of May 21, 2021, the world faces an unprecedented economic, social, and health impact. The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 has a wide range of manifestations, ranging from an asymptomatic state or mild respiratory symptoms to severe viral pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Several diagnostic methods are currently available for detecting the coronavirus in clinical, research, and public health laboratories. Some tests detect the infection directly by detecting the viral RNA using real time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and other tests detect the infection indirectly by detecting the host antibodies. Additional techniques are using medical imaging diagnostic tools such as X-ray and computed tomography (CT). Various approaches have been employed in the development of COVID-19 therapies. Some of these approaches use drug repurposing (e.g. Remdesivir and Dexamethasone) and combinational therapy (e.g. Lopinavir/Ritonavir), whilst others aim to develop anti-viral vaccines (e.g. mRNA and antibody). Additionally, health experts integrate data sharing, provide with guidelines and advice to minimize the effects of the pandemic. These guidelines include wearing masks, avoiding direct contact with infectious people, respiratory and personal hygiene. Taken together, an extensive knowledge on transmission mechanisms, clinical spectrums, specific diagnostics methods, host-virus interactions are required to tackle this pandemic. J. Bio-Sci. 29(2): 175-186, 2021 (December)

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REASON FOR USING IVERMECTIN IN COVID-19-A REVIEW

10.36106/ijar/5006184 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 77-78

Author(s):

J. Jayasheela ◽

G. Somasundaram ◽

DS. Disha Sheoran

Keyword(s):

Rna Virus ◽

Polymerase Chain Reaction Test ◽

Parasitic Infections ◽

Nasopharyngeal Swab ◽

Polymerase Chain ◽

Approved Drugs ◽

Tract Infections ◽

Chain Reaction Test ◽

Fda Approved Drugs

COVID-19 is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation worldwide. It is a contagious respiratory disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS CoV-2) which spreads through air (droplet infection) when an infected person sneezes or coughs. The SARS CoV-2 is a 50 nm, positive sense single stranded RNA virus and it is diagnosed from a nasopharyngeal swab by real-time Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction test (RT-PCR). It produces symptoms like fever, fatigue, dry cough, breathing difficulties and loss of smell and taste. It can cause both Upper and Lower Respiratory tract infections. Although there are many clinical trials going on worldwide to test possible therapies there are a few older, FDA approved drugs that can fight COVID-19. One of these drugs is Ivermectin, used to treat parasitic infections. It has in vitro antiviral effects and has shown to inhibit replication in SARS CoV-2. Ivermectin is a safe, FDA approved drug which has high efficacy. Therefore, it could serve as potential treatment for mild to moderate SARS CoV-2 infections.

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SARS-CoV-2 infection: Understanding the immune system abnormalities to get an adequate diagnosis

Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences ◽

10.17305/bjbms.2020.5400 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Karen Medina-Quero ◽

Omar Barreto-Rodriguez ◽

Voltaire Mendez-Rodriguez ◽

Anahí Sanchez-Moncivais ◽

Ivette Buendia-Roldan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Clinical Laboratory ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

The Novel ◽

Virus Structure ◽

Immune System Function ◽

Incidence And Mortality ◽

Close Relationship ◽

Novel Coronavirus

COVID-19 is the current pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, that emerged from China at the end of December 2019. The scientific community is making extraordinary efforts to understand the virus structure and the pathophysiology and immunological processes activated in the host, in order to identify biomarkers, diagnostic tools, treatments, and vaccines to decrease COVID-19 incidence and mortality. Various abnormalities have been noted during SARS-CoV-2 infection both in lymphoid and myeloid cells. Such abnormalities may disturb the immune system function and cause a massive inflammatory response that impairs tissue function. This review discusses the close relationship between the immune system abnormalities and the broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, including fibrosis, in the context of COVID-19 disease. Moreover, we described the current strategies for COVID-19 diagnosis, and we provide a summary of the most useful clinical laboratory parameters to identify severe COVID-19 patients.

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Combining Blood Glucose and SpO 2 /FiO 2 Ratio Facilitates Prediction of Imminent Ventilatory Needs in Emergency Room COVID-19 patients

10.21203/rs.3.rs-801989/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kazuya Sakai ◽

Kai Okoda ◽

Mototsugu Nishii ◽

Ryo Saji ◽

Fumihiro Ogawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Glucose ◽

Emergency Room ◽

Laboratory Data ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Model ◽

The Novel ◽

Blood Oxygen Saturation ◽

New Strategy ◽

Fraction Of Inspired Oxygen ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Global Threat

Abstract The increasing requirement of mechanical ventilation (MV) due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is still a global threat. The aim of this study is to identify markers that can easily stratify the impending use of MV in the emergency room (ER). A total of 106 patients with COVID-19 requiring oxygen support were enrolled. Fifty-nine patients were provided MV 0.5 hours (interquartile range: 0.3 to 1.4) post-admission. Clinical and laboratory data before intubation were collected. Using a multivariate logistic regression model, we identified four markers associated with the impending use of MV, including the ratio of peripheral blood oxygen saturation to fraction of inspired oxygen (SpO2/FiO2 ratio), alanine aminotransferase, blood glucose (BG), and lymphocyte counts. Among these markers, the combination of SpO2/FiO2 ratio and BG, which can be measured easily and immediately, showed higher accuracy in its prediction (AUC: 0.88) compared to SpO2/FiO2 ratio alone (AUC: 0.84). Moreover, even in patients without severe respiratory failure (SpO2/FiO2 ratio > 300), BG (> 138 mg/dL) was predictive of MV use. Measuring BG and SpO2/FiO2 ratio may be a simple and versatile new strategy to accurately identify ER patients with COVID-19 at high risk for the imminent need of MV.

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Inclusion of Cephalexin in COVID-19 Treatment Combinations May Prevent Lung Involvement in Mild Infections: A Case Report with Pharmacological Genomics Perspective

Global Medical Genetics ◽

10.1055/s-0041-1726461 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Amir Khodavirdipour

Keyword(s):

Rna Virus ◽

Case Reports ◽

Bed Rest ◽

Vital Role ◽

Lung Involvement ◽

Treatment Combination ◽

Gene Pathway ◽

The Family ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Tract Infections

AbstractNovel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a nonsegmented positive sense RNA, enveloped RNA virus that belongs to the family of β-coronaviridae. This virus shall cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) which consequently leads to breathing difficulty and need to admit to intensive care units (ICUs). The current conventional treatment combination in most of the hospitals in Iran includes azithromycin 500 + naproxen 500 + vitamin C 1,000 + Zinc + vitamin D3 1,000. In this case reports (n = 4), we would like to report significant findings in course of COVID-19 treatment reported to our clinic on August 8 and 9, 2020; patients presented as walk in and were advised house isolation and complete bed rest as there were no signs of lung involvement and their overall condition was stable. By the inclusion of cephalexin 500 in treatment combination, patients who received cephalexin 500 for 5 days along with other medicines did not develop any lung involvement and breathing complications. Cephalexin is the gold standard in upper and lower respiratory tract infections and here also shall play a vital role besides other conventional therapies. Azithromycin is a macrodial antibiotic working via the ABCB1 gene pathway. As of date, there is no clear evidence of pharmacogenomics data in COVID-19 patients. More research needs to be performed in COVID-19 before any sort of pharmacogenomics tests could be advised.

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COVID-19: A Global Challenge with Old History, Epidemiology and Progress So Far

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26010039 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 39

Author(s):

Mujeeb Khan ◽

Syed F. Adil ◽

Hamad Z. Alkhathlan ◽

Muhammad N. Tahir ◽

Sadia Saif ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Management Strategies ◽

First Century ◽

Manuscript Preparation ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Global Challenge ◽

Different Types ◽

Acute Respiratory Diseases ◽

Technical Issues ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Tract Infections

Humans have witnessed three deadly pandemics so far in the twenty-first century which are associated with novel coronaviruses: SARS, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and COVID-19. All of these viruses, which are responsible for causing acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs), are highly contagious in nature and/or have caused high mortalities. The recently emerged COVID-19 disease is a highly transmittable viral infection caused by another zoonotic novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Similar to the other two coronaviruses such as SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 is also likely to have originated from bats, which have been serving as established reservoirs for various pathogenic coronaviruses. Although, it is still unknown how SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted from bats to humans, the rapid human-to-human transmission has been confirmed widely. The disease first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and quickly spread across the globe, infected 48,539,872 people, and caused 1,232,791 deaths in 215 countries, and the infection is still spreading at the time of manuscript preparation. So far, there is no definite line of treatment which has been approved or vaccine which is available. However, different types of potential vaccines and therapeutics have been evaluated and/or are under clinical trials against COVID-19. In this review, we summarize different types of acute respiratory diseases and briefly discuss earlier outbreaks of coronaviruses and compare their occurrence and pathogenicity with the current COVID-19 pandemic. Various epidemiological aspects of COVID-19 such as mode of spread, death rate, doubling time, etc., have been discussed in detail. Apart from this, different technical issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic including use of masks and other socio-economic problems associated with the pandemic have also been summarized. Additionally, we have reviewed various aspects of patient management strategies including mechanism of action, available diagnostic tools, etc., and also discussed different strategies for the development of effective vaccines and therapeutic combinations to deal with this viral outbreak. Overall, by the inclusion of various references, this review covers, in detail, the most important aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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SARS-CoV-2: An insight into detection tools

Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871526520666210104151849 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 ◽

Author(s):

Shaghayegh Khanmohammadi ◽

Mohammadreza Tabary ◽

Farnaz Araghi ◽

Seyed Mohammad Tavangar

Keyword(s):

Nucleic Acid ◽

Genome Sequencing ◽

Nucleic Acid Amplification ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Serological Tests ◽

Diagnostic Laboratory ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Pros And Cons ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Diagnostic Laboratory Tests

: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), was announced as a pandemic in March 2020. Different diagnostic laboratory tests have been used to detect the infection. Each diagnostic tool, such as Chest Computed tomography (CT) imaging, genome sequencing, nucleic acid amplification methods, whole genome sequencing, microarray, and serology testing have several advantages and disadvantages. Nucleic acid amplification methods are better diagnostic tools for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in early stages of the infection, while serological tests are more appropriate for the recognition of previously infected patients. In this review, we will briefly consider each diagnostic method, and discuss its pros and cons.

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Evolution, Ayurveda, immunity, and preventive aspects for emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19

International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.26452/ijrps.v11ispl1.2227 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽

pp. 86-93

Author(s):

Dhirajsingh Sumersingh Rajput

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Continuous Process ◽

Physiological Mechanism ◽

Emerging Infectious Diseases ◽

Personal Hygiene ◽

Breathing Exercise ◽

Theory Of Evolution ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

Better Than ◽

Living Being

Evolution is continuous process of changes in structural and physiological mechanism in living being. Microbes/pathogens can evolve naturally or artificially and become resistant to various medicines. Novel coronavirus is such evolved pathogen of coronavirus group. Enough strong immunity is needed to prevent or survive from COVID-19 pandemic. Ayurveda provides ways for evolving physiological responses to built immunity. Present work is brief attempt to increase insight in this filed.Present review was done based on simple theory of evolution, recent updates regarding prevention of COVID-19, Ayurveda aspect toward infectious diseases and Ayurveda ways towards prevention of infectious diseases with special reference to COVID-19. Person with impaired immunity is more susceptible for COVID-19 and thus immunity is an important preventing factor. Ayurveda Rasayana (rejuvanation) herbs, Yoga exercises, Pranayama (special breathing exercise), daily regimens and personal hygiene guidelines can be helpful strategies in controlling the spread of COVID-19.The preventive aspects of pandemic situations are narrated in Ayurveda with enough details. These ways need to be scientifically explored and refined for precision. As prevention is always better than cure hence Ayurveda ways can be considered for future strategies to avoid pandemics such as COVID-19. There is great need of research on Ayurveda medicines on COVID-19 like diseases.

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