scholarly journals On the novel coronavirus (COVID-19): a global pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Louis-Jean ◽  
Magdonald Aime

Coronaviruses (COVS) are viruses transmitted through droplets of sputum from an infected person. Analyses identify COVS as zoonotic pathogens, possibly resulting from human-animal contact at animal markets. They share overlapping genetic characteristics with the avian influenza viruses from China. COVS released from humans through droplets of sputum and may land on various surfaces, which poses exposure risks; as studies have shown the virus can exist intact for a relatively long period of time (several days). The recent highly pathogenic COVS outbreak (COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, China in 2019, include Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-COVS). This highly transmittable disease causes pneumonia and severe respiratory illnesses similar to SARS and MERS; it has a global mortality rate of about 6.13%. The virus has rapidly become a global pandemic, causing major global issues, including health, economic, and age-preference, among other issues. This text summarizes the nature of the emerging COVID-19 global pandemic while analyzing several factors concerning the etiology of the virus. This is done in an urgent effort to educate and provide relevant information about the virus.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler Seckar ◽  
Xiang Lin ◽  
Dipayan Bose ◽  
Zhi Wei ◽  
Joseph Rohrbaugh ◽  
...  

The novel coronavirus outbreak started in December 2019 and rapidly spread around the globe, leading to a global pandemic. Here we reported the association of microbial agents identified in oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal samples from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, using a Pan-microarray based technology referred to as PathoChIP. To validate the efficiency of PathoChIP, reference viral genomes obtained from BEI resource and 25 SARS-CoV-2 positive clinical samples were tested. This technology successfully detected femtogram levels of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA, which demonstrated greater sensitivity and specificity than conventional diagnostic techniques. Simultaneously, a broad range of other microorganisms, including other viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites can be detected in those samples. We identified 7 viral, 12 bacterial and 6 fungal agents common across all clinical samples suggesting an associated microbial signature in individuals who are infected with SARS-CoV-2. This technology is robust and has a flexible detection methodology that can be employed to detect the presence of all human respiratory pathogens in different sample preparations with precision. It will be important for differentiating the causative agents of respiratory illnesses, including SARS-CoV-2.


Author(s):  
Ekta Shirbhate ◽  
Preeti Patel ◽  
Vijay K Patel ◽  
Ravichandran Veerasamy ◽  
Prabodh C Sharma ◽  
...  

: The novel coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), a global pandemic that emerged from Wuhan, China has today travelled all around the world, so far 216 countries or territories with 21,732,472 people infected and 770,866 deaths globally (as per WHO COVID-19 update dated August 18, 2020). Continuous efforts are being made to repurpose the existing drugs and develop vaccines for combating this infection. Despite, to date, no certified antiviral treatment or vaccine prevails. Although, few candidates have displayed their efficacy in in vitro studies and are being repurposed for COVID-19 treatment. This article summarizes synthetic and semi-synthetic compounds displaying potent activity in their clinical experiences or studies against COVID-19 and also focuses on mode of action of drugs being repositioned against COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 74-79
Author(s):  
I.M. Kagantsov ◽  
◽  
V.V. Sizonov ◽  
V.G. Svarich ◽  
K.P. Piskunov ◽  
...  

The novel coronavirus infection (SARS-CoV-2), which first appeared in Wuhan, China in December 2019, has been declared a global pandemic by WHO. COVID-19 affects people of all age groups. The disease in children is usually asymptomatic or mild compared to adults, and with a significantly lower death rates. Data on kidney damage in children with COVID-19, as well as the effect of coronavirus infection on the course of diseases of the genitourinary system, are limited, the risks of contracting a new coronavirus infection in children with significant health problems, including those with chronic kidney disease, remain uncertain. The pandemic has affected the activities of surgeons treating diseases of the urinary system in children. Since the prospects for the end of the pandemic are vague, it is necessary to formulate criteria for selecting patients who can and should be provided with routine care in the pandemic. The purpose of this review is to highlight the features of the clinical manifestations and treatment of children with COVID-19, occurring against the background of previous renal pathology or complicating its course.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (27) ◽  
pp. eabb9153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaojun Li ◽  
Elena E. Giorgi ◽  
Manukumar Honnayakanahalli Marichannegowda ◽  
Brian Foley ◽  
Chuan Xiao ◽  
...  

COVID-19 has become a global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Understanding the origins of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for deterring future zoonosis, discovering new drugs, and developing a vaccine. We show evidence of strong purifying selection around the receptor binding motif (RBM) in the spike and other genes among bat, pangolin, and human coronaviruses, suggesting similar evolutionary constraints in different host species. We also demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2’s entire RBM was introduced through recombination with coronaviruses from pangolins, possibly a critical step in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2’s ability to infect humans. Similar purifying selection in different host species, together with frequent recombination among coronaviruses, suggests a common evolutionary mechanism that could lead to new emerging human coronaviruses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 01-05
Author(s):  
Augustine Owusu-Addo ◽  
Atianashie Miracle A ◽  
Chukwuma Chinaza Adaobi ◽  
Larissa Agbemelo-Tsomafo

COVID-19, also known as the ‘novel coronavirus disease 2019’, is a respiratory illness and the causative pathogen is officially named as ‘SARS-CoV-2’. Infections with SARS-CoV-2 have now been amplified to a global pandemic – as of April 3, 2020, nearly 1,018,000 cases have been confirmed in more than 195 countries, including more than 300,000 cases within the United States. Public safety guidelines are followed worldwide to stop the spread of COVID-19 and stay healthy. Despite COVID-19 is a respiratory illness with mode of invasion through the respiratory tract, not the gastrointestinal tract, an average food consumer is anxious and concerned about the food safety. Could an individual catch the deadly contagious COVID-19 from groceries brought home from the supermarket – or from the next restaurant takeout order? This brief review elucidates the epidemiology and pathobiological mechanism(s) of SARS-CoV-2 and its implications in food-borne infections, transmission via food surfaces, food processing and food handling.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed A. Daw

Background: Since the Arab uprising in 2011, Libya, Syria and Yemen have gone through major internal armed conflicts. This resulted in large numbers of deaths, injuries, and population displacements, with collapse of the healthcare systems. Furthermore, the situation was complicated by the emergence of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, which made the populations of these countries struggle under unusual conditions to deal with both the pandemic and the ongoing wars. This study aimed to determine the impact of the armed conflicts on the epidemiology of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) within these war-torn countries and highlight the strategies needed to combat the spread of the pandemic and its consequences.Methods: Official and public data concerning the dynamics of the armed conflicts and the spread of SARS-COV-2 in Libya, Syria and Yemen were collected from all available sources, starting from the emergence of COVID-19 in each country until the end of December 2020. Datasets were analyzed by a set of statistical techniques and the weekly resolved data were used to probe the link between the intensity levels of the conflict and the prevalence of COVID-19.Results: The data indicated that there was an increase in the intensity of the violence at an early stage from March to August 2020, when it approximately doubled in the three countries, particularly in Libya. During that period, few cases of COVID-19 were reported, ranging from 5 to 53 cases/day. From September to December 2020, a significant decline in the intensity of the armed conflicts was accompanied by steep upsurges in the rate of COVID-19 cases, which reached up to 500 cases/day. The accumulative cases vary from one country to another during the armed conflict. The highest cumulative number of cases were reported in Libya, Syria and Yemen.Conclusions: Our analysis demonstrates that the armed conflict provided an opportunity for SARS-CoV-2 to spread. The early weeks of the pandemic coincided with the most intense period of the armed conflicts, and few cases were officially reported. This indicates undercounting and hidden spread during the early stage of the pandemic. The pandemic then spread dramatically as the armed conflict declined, reaching its greatest spread by December 2020. Full-blown transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic in these countries is expected. Therefore, urgent national and international strategies should be implemented to combat the pandemic and its consequences.


2021 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-53
Author(s):  
Jae Hyun Park ◽  
Leah Rogowski ◽  
Janet H Kim ◽  
Sumayah Al Shami ◽  
Scott E I Howell

Technology has transformed almost every aspect of our lives. Smartphones enable patients to request, receive, and transmit information irrespective of the time and place. The global pandemic has forced healthcare providers to employ technology to aid in ‘flattening the curve. The Novel Coronavirus, which is responsible for COVID-19, is transmitted primarily through person-to-person contact but may also be spread through aerosol generating procedures, so many clinics have severely limited interpersonal interactions. The purpose of this article is to provide helpful information for those orthodontists considering some form of remote practice. Various HIPAA-compliant telecommunication or teledentistry systems that can be used for orthodontic treatment are introduced and discussed. Detailed information about each platform that can potentially be used for orthodontics is provided in Figure 1. The authors do not endorse any of the products listed and the included software is not all inclusive but instead is a glimpse into the options available.


Coronaviruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashutosh Chauhan ◽  
Ankit Kumar ◽  
Sandeep Goyal ◽  
Sunil Kumar Joshi ◽  
Deepak Kumar Semwal

ABSTRACT: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2) might have originated from the recombination of a Pangolin-CoV-like virus with a Bat-CoV-RaTG13-like virus and then transmitted to the human at Wuhan city of China. On February 11, 2020, the WHO announced a name for the new coronavirus disease as COVID-19. Finally, the WHO declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Within a few months, SARS-CoV-2 had spread across the world in 220 Countries, areas or territories. The main objective of this work is to review the existing knowledge about COVID-19, its updated status, available treatment procedures and future challenges. The available literature based on the COVID-19 was thoroughly reviewed and concise evidence-based information was explored for the public interest. Various authentic databases like PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar together with the official sites of some Govt. Organizations were carefully searched for all relevant information about the current status of COVID-19 including the published research on coronavirus. More than 68 million people are already infected including around 20% severely ill with almost 1.5 million casualties due to this virus and expected to infect approximate 70% population worldwide. Currently, maximum confirmed cases and death are reported in the USA. The epicentre of the pandemic was initially shifted from China to Europe then to the USA, Brazil and now India. In between, understanding of pathogenesis and mode of transmission has been developed; repurposing drugs are being validated and development of a new vaccine is underway. The study concludes that there is no established treatment available for COVID-19, although 26 clinical and 139 preclinical trials are underway to develop vaccines globally. Although three vaccines are in advance stage of development, their efficacy and adverse effect yet to be validated and recorded. Recently, Pfizer vaccine has been started vaccination for emergency uses in England and Bahrain, and the United State of America will start it soon. Meanwhile, prevention, rigorous global containment and quarantine efforts are practiced worldwide to control its spread.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (10) ◽  
pp. 639-641
Author(s):  
Qiao Zhou ◽  
He Yu ◽  
Zong-An Liang ◽  
Rong Yao ◽  
Feng-Ming Luo ◽  
...  

The novel coronavirus infection broke out in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and progressed to a global pandemic. We describe the measures taken by West China Hospital of Sichuan University to address the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the infection.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan-Chien Lin ◽  
Wan-Ju Chi ◽  
Yu-Ting Lin ◽  
Chun-Yeh Lai

AbstractAn ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19) started in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Currently, the spatiotemporal epidemic transmission, prediction, and risk are insufficient for COVID-19 but we urgently need relevant information globally. We have developed a novel two-stage simulation model to simulate the spatiotemporal changes in the number of cases and estimate the future worldwide risk. Simulation results show that if there is no specific medicine for it, it will form a global pandemic. Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, and the United States are the most vulnerable. The relationship between each country's vulnerability and days before the first imported case occurred shows an exponential decrease. We successfully predicted the outbreak of South Korea, Japan, and Italy in the early stages of the global pandemic based on the information before February 12, 2020. The development of the epidemic is now earlier than we expected. However, the trend of spread is similar to our estimation.


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