scholarly journals Male fertility concerns during COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 55-58
Author(s):  
Sutapa Mukherjee

Since its incidence in December 2019, the novel coronavirus, named “Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2” (SARS-CoV-2), has undergone excessively rapid human-to-human transmission throughout the globe and remains still unabated. The worldwide uncontrolled expansion of the disease coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pursued the World Health Organization to declare it a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The untiring efforts of scientists, clinicians, and researchers have increased our awareness about the pathophysiology of COVID-19 although much of it is shrouded with ambiguity. The wide spectrum of the disease in terms of severity, mortality, age and gender biases, physiological manifestations, and responses adds up to the complications. Of particular concern is the impact of COVID-19 on male reproductive health and fertility outcomes. The present article discusses some of the emerging multiple facets rendering the male reproductive system vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or associated pathological mechanisms.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (39) ◽  
pp. 3508-3510
Author(s):  
Saramma Mini Jacob ◽  
Kanagasabai Sivasangeetha ◽  
Durairaj Anitha ◽  
Singaram Kaplana

In early January 2020, China had started raising concerns of a new contagious disease caused by new strains of coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory SyndromeCoronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, had declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic. COVID-19 was transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathing or through contact with a surface that has been contaminated 1 and through aerosols-airborne microdroplets.2 The clinical manifestations of COVID-19 represents a wide spectrum of disease ranging from mild to severe respiratory syndrome influenza-like illness with mainly lower respiratory tract symptoms, complicated by pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), high fever, and headache. In many cases, loss of taste and smell and severe gastrointestinal symptoms were reported, as are cardiac problems, with the latter being perhaps secondary to a cytokine storm such as is seen in the more severely affected patients. 3 WHO COVID-19 dashboard on June 25th 2021 showed 179, 686, 071 confirmed cases worldwide.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (4s) ◽  
pp. 3-4
Author(s):  
George Amofah

The year 2020 has looked like a fairy tale as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world with devastating socio-economic and health consequences. The impact of the pandemic has depended, largely, on preparedness and response of countries, and their ability to adjust to the fast-evolving pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on 30th January 2020, and Ghana reported its first two confirmed cases on 12th March 2020.


Author(s):  
Utshav Chapagain ◽  
Gajendra Prasad Raunair ◽  
Kumud Chapagain ◽  
Rakesh Verma

Currently, novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a big threat to global health which has revived the potential beneficial effect of ancient convalescent plasma therapy (CPT). This review was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and adverse drug reactions associated with convalescent plasma therapy in COVID-19 patients, based on articles available to date. PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane library, and Hinari databases were searched until 15th September 2020. Every country across the globe today is encountered with a virus that has impacted millions of lives today and for generations to come. Nonetheless recommended antiviral drugs and vaccines are not evident and specified for novel coronavirus disease. This is now very well known that scientists and medical experts across the world are vigilant about recommending the use of CPT and call it an investigational treatment that may help in assisting recovery. The World health organization has perpetuated that there is not enough proof that plasma therapy works in treating those fighting the novel coronavirus. Therefore, convalescent plasma therapy is a feasible and immediate option for alleviating the impact of the disease. Comparing the effectiveness of convalescent plasma therapy with SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and COVID-19 would help in deriving proper outcomes for COVID-19 infected cases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (12) ◽  
pp. 1458-1464
Author(s):  
Sweta Kamboj ◽  
Rohit Kamboj ◽  
Shikha Kamboj ◽  
Kumar Guarve ◽  
Rohit Dutt

Background: In the 1960s, the human coronavirus was designated, which is responsible for the upper respiratory tract disease in children. Back in 2003, mainly 5 new coronaviruses were recognized. This study directly pursues to govern knowledge, attitude and practice of viral and droplet infection isolation safeguard among the researchers during the outbreak of the COVID-19. Introduction: Coronavirus is a proteinaceous and infectious pathogen. It is an etiological agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Coronavirus, appeared in China from the seafood and poultry market last year, which has spread in various countries, and has caused several deaths. Methods: The literature data has been taken from different search platforms like PubMed, Science Direct, Embase, Web of Science, who.int portal and complied. Results: Corona virology study will be more advanced and outstanding in recent years. COVID-19 epidemic is a threatening reminder not solely for one country but all over the universe. Conclusion: In this review article, we encapsulated the pathogenesis, geographical spread of coronavirus worldwide, also discussed the perspective of diagnosis, effective treatment, and primary recommendations by the World Health Organization, and guidelines of the government to slow down the impact of the virus are also optimistic, efficacious and obliging for the public health. However, it will take a prolonged time in the future to overcome this epidemic.


Author(s):  
Amir Khodavirdipour ◽  
Motahareh Piri ◽  
Sarvin Jabbari ◽  
Mohammad Khalaj-kondori

AbstractThe novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) belongs to coronaviridae families, like sarbecovirus (SARS), and causes pyrexia, pertussis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in major. Started from Wuhan, China now forced the World Health Organization (WHO) to call it a pandemic. These dreadful figures elevate the need for rapid action for a rapid diagnostic tool, an efficacious therapy, or vaccine for such widespread disease. Here we reviewed all the latest research and trials including conventional antiviral medicines that have a narrow and finite effect on COVID-19. Recently, some advances have been made by a nucleotide/nucleoside analogues (NUC) inhibitor (remdesivir), ivermectin (antiparasitic drug), and convalescent plasma, the later one has more recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition, a clinical-grade soluble human angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2), named hrsACE2, was able to inhibit the infection of human blood vessel organoids, as well as the human kidney organoids, by the virus. As of now, innovative therapeutics based on the CRISPR/Cas13d might overcome the challenge of COVID-19 either as a treatment option or precise and rapid diagnostic tool due to its rapid and precise nature. In this updated comprehensive rapid review, we try to cover all recent findings in terms of genomics, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1496
Author(s):  
Eun-Hee Lee ◽  
Yunsoo Chang ◽  
Seung-Woo Lee

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a general health crisis and has irreversible impacts on human societies. Globally, all people are at risk of being exposed to the novel coronavirus through transmission of airborne bioaerosols. Public health actions, such as wearing a mask, are highly recommended to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases. The appropriate use of masks is necessary for effectively preventing the transmission of airborne bioaerosols. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests washing fabric masks or throwing away disposable masks after they are used. However, people often use masks more than once without washing or disposing them. The prolonged use of a single mask might—as a result of the user habitually touching the mask—promote the spread of pathogens from airborne bioaerosols that have accumulated on the mask. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate how long the living components of bioaerosols can be viable on the masks. Here, we evaluated the viability of airborne Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) in bioaerosols filtered on woven and anti-droplet (non-woven) face masks. As a simulation of being simultaneously exposed to sand dust and bioaerosols, the viability rates of bioaerosols that had accumulated on masks were also tested against fine dust and airborne droplets containing bacteria. The bioaerosols survived on the masks immediately after the masks were used to filter the bioaerosols, and the bacteria significantly proliferated after one day of storage. Thereafter, the number of viable cells in the filtered bioaerosols gradually decreased over time, and the viability of B. subtilis in bioaerosols on the masks varied, depending on the mask material used (woven or non-woven). Despite the reduction in viability, bioaerosols containing living components were still found in both woven and anti-droplet masks even after six days of storage and it took nine days not to have found them on masks. The number of viable cells in bioaerosols on masks significantly decreased upon exposure of the masks to fine dust. The results of this study should provide useful information on how to appropriately use masks to increase their duration of effectiveness against bioaerosols.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-135
Author(s):  
Anita Y. N. Lim

Abstract I wrote this journal in March 2020 prior to the World Health Organization declaring the COVID-19 infection as a worldwide pandemic on March 11. The situation in Singapore was unfolding even as public healthcare institutions were tasked to lead the charge to contain the novel coronavirus as it was then called. This journal describes my experiences and impressions during my work in an isolation ward at the National University Hospital during this early period. I was to be catapulted into Pandemic Team 3 in the second and third weeks of February 2020. The urgency of hospital measures to respond to the novel coronavirus meant that the general medicine consultant roster which I was on was hijacked to support the pandemic wards. I thought wryly to myself that it was a stroke of genius to commandeer the ready-made roster of senior physicians; it would have been difficult for the roster monster to solicit senior physicians to volunteer when there were still so many unknowns about this virus. Graphic images of the dire situation in Wuhan, China, were circulating widely on social media. It was heart-wrenching to read of Dr. Li Wen Liang’s death. He had highlighted the mysterious pneumonia-causing virus. The video clip of him singing at a karaoke session that went viral underscored the tragedy of a young life cut short. Questions raced in my mind. “Are we helpless to prevent the spread of this virus?” “Is the situation in China to be replicated here in Singapore?” This seemed incredulous, yet, might it be possible? The immediate responses that jumped up within me was “yes, it’s possible, but let’s pray not. Whatever has to be done, must be done.”


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 01-02
Author(s):  
Khadiga Ismail

COVID-19 has high transmissibility and infectivity among human. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) in an effort to slow down the global spread of the virus declared the outbreak, “A global public health emergency of international concern". The skin manifestations of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 were not recognized at the early stages of the pandemic but have received much recent attention in scientific journals. Reported manifestations range from pseudo-chilblains to a morbilliform (measles-like) exanthem, urticaria, vesicular eruptions, a dengue-like petechial rash and ovate scaling macules, and plaques mimicking pityriasis rosea.


Author(s):  
Reid Mimmack ◽  
Elijah Germo ◽  
Garrett Augustine ◽  
Kumar Belani

Abstract In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a worldwide pandemic. The pandemic led to concerns of shortages regarding healthcare-related resources, including personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators, and more. The uniquely designed COVEX respirator with face shield was engineered and manufactured by Augustine Surgical, Inc. to combat the PPE shortage. The novel COVEX mask is an “all-in-one” face shield and filter with a Viral Filtration Efficiency (VFE) greater than 99%. A standard respirator qualitative fit test was completed on the COVEX respirator as well as the current medical standard 3M N95 respirator. Fit test studies comparing the two masks yielded similar outcomes. The COVEX respirator had a qualitative fit test pass rate of 96.6% and the 3M N95 respirator had a pass rate of 93.3% (n=30). Participants also reported other variables comparing the comfort and fit of each mask, which is described further in the discussion. The COVEX respirator with face shield passed a standardized qualitative fit test at a rate similar to the current medical standard N95 respirator. Our results suggest that the COVEX mask may be a viable PPE option in the future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ciaran E. Redmond ◽  
Savvas Nicolaou ◽  
Ferco H. Berger ◽  
Adnan M. Sheikh ◽  
Michael N. Patlas

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus officially named the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented challenge to emergency radiology practice. The continuity of an effective emergency imaging service for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients is essential, while adhering to best infection control practices. Under the direction of the Board of the Canadian Association of Radiologists, this general guidance document has been synthesized by collaborative consensus of a group of emergency radiologists. These recommendations aim to assist radiologists involved in emergency diagnostic imaging to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and continue to add value to patient care in the emergency setting.


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