scholarly journals History of Pandemics and COVID-19: What We are Learning from this Pandemic to Be Prepared for the Next One

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-27
Author(s):  
Luciana Knop ◽  
Roberto Badaró

Since the beginning of human history, the pathogens affect the humankind. The emerge of the new outbreak of coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) is not new in the history of plagues. However, this pandemic has a huge difference from the others due to its ability to affect worldwide at the same time, which brings new perspectives to our future. In this review, we listed some of the worst epidemics and pandemics of human civilization and the new outbreak, listing the pathogens, the spread, and the consequences for mankind. Our search included articles in the main database (PubMed/Medline, Elsevier Science Direct, Scopus, Isi Web of Science, Embase, Exerpta Medica, UptoDate, Lilacs, Novel Coronavirus Resource Directory from Elsevier), in the high-impact international scientific Journals (Scimago Journal and Country Rank - SJR - and Journal Citation Reports - JCR), such as The Lancet, Science, Nature, The New England Journal of Medicine, Physiological Reviews, Journal of the American Medical Association, Plos One, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and in the data from Center for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and World Health Organization (WHO). We prior selected meta-analysis, systematic reviews, article reviews, and original articles in this order. We reviewed 192 articles and used 94 from March to June 2020, using the terms coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, novel coronavirus, Wuhan coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome, 2019-nCoV, 2019 novel coronavirus, n-CoV-2, COVID, n-SARS-2, COVID-19, corona virus, coronaviruses, history of pandemics and epidemics, pathogens, plagues, with the tools MeSH (Medical Subject Headings), AND, OR, and the characters [,“,; /., to ensure the best review topics. We concluded that this pandemic will change the social and economic order, as well as it is the first that affects us quickly. So, the experience of COVID-19 could teach us how to be prepared for other outbreaks in the future.

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-266
Author(s):  
ISI-SENAI-CIMATEC Group ◽  
Development and Innovation Laboratory of Butantan Institute

Scientists, health organizations, and pharmaceutical companies are making a large global effort to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the virus of COVID-19 since the outbreak began. Until now, we have more than 150 candidates. However, 19 vaccine candidates have entered clinical trials in phase 2 and 3 trials (31 July 2020). In this article we aimed to present the platforms for COVID-19 vaccine, the types of vaccines (live, attenuated, inactivated, DNA/RNA, proteins subunits, viral vector), the antigen selection, adjuvants, and we focused on the phase 2/3 trial vaccines at this point (Sinopharm, Coronavac, Moderna, Oxford, Biontech). We searched the data in the main database (PubMed/Medline, Elsevier Science Direct, Scopus, Isi Web of Science, Embase, Excerpta Medica, UptoDate, Lilacs, Novel Coronavirus Resource Directory from Elsevier), in the high-impact international scientific Journals (Scimago Journal and Country Rank - SJR - and Journal Citation Reports - JCR), such as The Lancet, Science, Nature, The New England Journal of Medicine, Physiological Reviews, Journal of the American Medical Association, Plos One, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and in the data from Center for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and World Health Organization (WHO). We prior selected meta-analysis, systematic reviews, article reviews, and original articles in this order. We reviewed 216 articles and used 106 from March to June 2020, using the terms coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, novel coronavirus, Wuhan coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome, 2019-nCoV, 2019 novel coronavirus, n-CoV-2, covid, n-SARS-2, COVID-19, corona virus, coronaviruses, vaccine, platform, antigen, subunit, live and attenuated vaccine, RNA vaccine, live vaccine, inactivated vaccine, types of vaccines, adjuvants, replication, viral vector, phase 1-3, trial, with the tools MeSH (Medical Subject Headings), AND, OR, and the characters [,“,; /., to ensure the best review topics. We concluded that although vaccines have shown safety in phase 1 and efficacy in phase 2 and the beginning of phase 3 is starting, the most renowned scientists believe that a vaccine will be available only in the middle of next year.  


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-43
Author(s):  
Roberto Badaró ◽  
Bruna Aparecida Souza Machado ◽  
Milena Soares ◽  
Luciana Knop

The outbreak of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and associated COVID-19 disease in late December 2019 has led to a global pandemic, spreading very quickly and causing a more than 500,000 deaths in less than six monhs of the ourbreak. The incidence differs by country and depends on many agents, such as population density, demography, the amount of testing people and reporting, and actions of mitigation strategies, provisions of sanitary and education of the society. In this article, we presented the current studies about the epidemiology of COVID-19, including the transmission routes of the SARS-CoV-2, the incubation period, the reproduction number (R0), the case fatality risks (CFR), comorbidities and measures prevention against COVID-19. We searched the articles in the main database (PubMed/Medline, Elsevier Science Direct, Scopus, Isi Web of Science, Embase, Exerpta Medica, UptoDate, Lilacs, Novel Coronavirus Resource Directory from Elsevier), in the high-impact international scientific Journals (Scimago Journal and Country Rank - SJR - and Journal Citation Reports - JCR), such as The Lancet, Science, Nature, The New England Journal of Medicine, Physiological Reviews, Journal of the American Medical Association, Plos One, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and in the data from Center for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and World Health Organization (WHO). We prior selected meta-analysis, systematic reviews, article reviews and original articles in this order. We reviewed 235 articles and used 131 from March to June 2020, using the terms coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, novel coronavirus, Wuhan coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome, 2019-nCoV, 2019 novel coronavirus, n-CoV-2, covid, n-Sars-2, COVID-19, corona virus, coronaviruses, epodemiology of COVID-19, risk factors, viral spreading, transmissions, routes, animals incubation, period, RO, CFR, comorbidities, prevention, with the tools MeSH (Medical Subject Headings), AND, OR, and characters [,“,; /., to ensure the best review topics. We concluded that the epidemiological data is very important to know the transmission risks rate, purpose public political policies of mitigating the disease, protect the vulnerable population. Also, it is important reconsider the legislation about wild animals, the potential intermediate host(s) of various viruses, as well as the conditions of live for animals for human comsuption to prevent future outbreaks.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (04) ◽  
pp. 763-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leyin Zhang ◽  
Jieru Yu ◽  
Yiwen Zhou ◽  
Minhe Shen ◽  
Leitao Sun

The outbreak caused by COVID-19 is causing a major challenge to clinical management and a worldwide threat to public health. So far, there is no specific anti-coronavirus therapy approved for the treatment of COVID-19. Recently, as the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is widely acknowledged, it has been brought to a crucial status by the public, governments, and World Health Organization (WHO). For a better popularization of TCM, governments have made several advances in regulations and policies for treatment and measures of novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP). Therefore, on the basis of epidemiology and virology information, we reviewed relevant meta-analysis and clinical studies of anti-coronavirus therapeutics by TCM, in the aspect of mortality, symptom improvement, duration and dosage of corticosteroid, incidence of complications and the like. In addition, we also summarized preclinical rationale for anti-coronavirus activity by TCM in terms of virion assembly and release, as well as viral entry and replication, which could be a useful contribution for figuring out effective Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for coronavirus, including ingredients from single monomeric compounds, Chinese herbs, Chinese herb extracts and Chinese herb formulas, or potential targets for medicine. We would like to see these relevant studies, ranging from basic researches to clinical application, could provide some idea on effects of CHM to combat COVID-19 or other coronaviruses, and also offer new thinking for the exploration of therapeutic strategies under the guidance of TCM.


Author(s):  
Ugbomah Lucy Ohoreorovwori ◽  
Stanley Catherine Nonyelum ◽  
Stanley Princewill Chukwuemeka

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a highly infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus strain. The virus is believed to spread mainly by respiratory droplets where the infected people breathe, cough or sneeze and expel little droplets of moisture that contain the virus.Older people and people with pre-existing medical conditions are mostly affected. Method: Relevant literatures were reviewed from the internet, electronic and print media, World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control documentation. Results: The coronavirus has brought difficult situations for citizens across the world. Refugees and irregular migrants who find themselves in difficult situations are more vulnerable to the effect of the virus and the social difficulties associated with it. Conclusion: The spread of the virus can be slowed or suppressed through social distancing, natural immunity, and observance of optimal hygiene practice and near compulsory use of face masks, particularly while dealing with the public.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Styliani Geronikolou ◽  
George Chrousos

UNSTRUCTURED The World Health Organization named the phenomenon of misinformation spread through the social media “infodemics”, and recognized the need to curb it. Misinformation infodemics undermine not only population safety, but also compliance to the suggestions/prophylactic measures recommended in pandemics. The aim of this study was to review the impact of social media on general population fear in “infoveillance” studies during the COVID-19 pandemic. PRISMA protocol was followed and six out of twenty studies were retrieved, meta-analyzed, and had their findings presented in the form of a Forest plot. The summary random and significant event rate was 0.298, 95% CI respectively 0.213 and 0.400, suggesting that social media-circulated misinformation related to COVID-19 triggered public fear and other manifestations. These findings merit special attention by public health authorities. Thus, “infodemiology” and Infoveillance are valid tools in the hands of epidemiologists to help prevent dissemination of false information, with potentially damaging effects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-248
Author(s):  
ISI-SENAI-CIMATEC Group ◽  
Development and Innovation Laboratory of Butantan Institute

There is no specific drug or therapy against COVID-19. Since the beginning of the pandemic, scientists are running to discover a drug or therapy that can treat the disease. What we found until now are a combined drug and therapies that can mitigate the effects of the disease in the human body and how to manage the patient better. In this article, we tried to join the new discoveries and presented the drugs and therapies and their mechanisms to combat the SARS-CoV-2. We showed the immunomodulators, parasiticides, antiviral drugs (focused on Remdesivir), antimalarial drugs, anti-cytokine drugs focused on the role of IL-6, Reumathological drugs, inhibitors of cell-receptors, antiinflammatory drugs, especially the role of corticosteroids (dexamethasone), antibiotics (azithromycin), anti-thrombotic drugs, blood derivates therapies and alternative therapies currently used against COVID-19. Also, we listed the main results of clinical trials of new therapies presented by Recommended Panel Treatment Guidelines [NIAID-RML (USA)]. We searched the data in the main database (PubMed/Medline, Elsevier Science Direct, Scopus, Isi Web of Science, Embase, Excerpta Medica, UptoDate, Lilacs, Novel Coronavirus Resource Directory from Elsevier), in the high-impact international scientific Journals (Scimago Journal and Country Rank - SJR - and Journal Citation Reports - JCR), such as The Lancet, Science, Nature, The New England Journal of Medicine, Physiological Reviews, Journal of the American Medical Association, Plos One, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and in the data from Center for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and World Health Organization (WHO). We prior selected meta-analysis, systematic reviews, article reviews, and original articles in this order. We used 302 articles from March to June 2020, using the terms coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, novel coronavirus, Wuhan coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome, 2019-nCoV, 2019 novel coronavirus, n-CoV-2, covid, n-SARS-2, COVID-19, corona virus, coronaviruses, immunomodulators, parasiticides, antiviral, antimalarial, anti-thrombotic and anti-cytokine, antiinflammatory, Reumathological drugs, inhibitors of cell-receptors, antibiotics, blood derivates therapies and alternative therapies, with the tools MeSH (Medical Subject Headings), AND, OR, and the characters [,“,; /., to ensure the best review topics. We concluded that despite there is no treatment or drugs against the COVID-19, a combined therapy can help and mitigate the effects of the disease, helping the immune system to combat the virus.  


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
ARNAB SAHA ◽  
Komal Gupta ◽  
Manti Patil ◽  
Urvashi

COVID-19 has struck fear into populaces all through the world and shocked the worldwide restorative community, with the World Health Organization (WHO) pronouncing it a widespread as it were approximately three months after the flare-up of the infection. A new different virus (primarily called ‘Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV’) causing severe acute respiratory syndrome (coronavirus disease COVID-19) emerged in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019 and rapidly spread to other parts of China and other countries around the world. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has caused more than 850,000 people infected and approx. 40000 of deaths in more than 190 countries up to March 2020, extremely affecting economic and social development. Presently, the number of infections and deaths is still increasing rapidly. COVID-19 seriously threatens human health, production, life, social functioning and international relations. In the fight against COVID-19, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and big data technologies have played an important role in many aspects. This paper describes the usage of practical GIS and mapping dashboards and applications for monitoring the coronavirus epidemic and related activities as they spread around the world. At the facts level, in the generation of massive data, information no longer come on the whole from the authorities but are gathered from greater diverse enterprises. As of now and for a long time in the future, the improvement of GIS should be fortified to create a data-driven framework for fast information securing, which implies that GIS ought to be utilized to fortify the social operation parameterization of models and methods, particularly when giving back for social administration.


COVID-19 emerged in China in December. The World Health Organization declares this virus as Global Disaster in March. The coronavirus has affected the social, economic, political dimensions of the nations globally. In this study, the authors consider the impact of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on the different activities of primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors of the Indian Economy and various policies and reforms have been taken by the government. The secondary data is collected to put down this literature. Each sector of the economy faces chaos due to coronavirus. Migrant workers or laborers go to their state in the lockdown, a ban on materials, electronics imported from china, supply chain disruption, disturbance in the cash flow are some of the majors' reasons that lead to the uncertainty in different sectors. A fund issued by the Government can be utilized effectively to give benefits to employees, workers, farmers, organizations, and industries.


Diagnostics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1070
Author(s):  
Arthur-Atilla Keresztesi ◽  
Filip Perde ◽  
Andreea Ghita-Nanu ◽  
Carmen-Corina Radu ◽  
Mihai Negrea ◽  
...  

Towards the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus was identified as the culprit for a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China. Since then, it has rapidly spread worldwide, affecting more than 43 million people, and in March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a pandemic. The purpose of the study is to present the findings of 15 forensic autopsies performed in Romania, on SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) positive subjects, and to present the case of one SARS-CoV-2 infected patient who experienced a violent death, as established during their autopsy. A total of 11 male and 4 female patients were autopsied, and SARS-CoV-2 infection was diagnosed post-mortem in two cases. The most frequent symptoms before death were dry cough, dyspnoea, and fever. Hypertension, ischemic cardiac disease, and a history of stroke were the most frequent associated diseases. The mean duration from the symptoms’ debut to a RT-PCR positive SARS-CoV-2 test was 3.7 days, while the mean survival time from the RT-PCR positive test was 4.2 days. A histological examination was performed in seven cases and revealed, in most of them, hyaline membranes, and mixed inflammatory cell infiltration of the interstitium, alveoli, and perivascular areas. In addition, all of the examined cases developed small vessel thrombosis. A case of violent death was also reported, regarding a 87-year-old male subject who suffered a femur fracture (domestic fall) and was diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection the following day after surgery. After transfer to a COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-19) support hospital, during an episode of behavioral disorder, the patient jumped from the first floor window. Death occurred a few days later, and the cause was established as bronchopneumonia superimposed on SARS-CoV-2 infection. In conclusion, autopsies should be conducted while providing a safe environment for professionals to perform them, because they are crucial procedures that can help gain a better understanding of the role of SARS-CoV-2 infection in thanatogenesis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (S1) ◽  
pp. 13-15
Author(s):  
Lapina Elizaveta Yurievna ◽  
Puzyrev Viktor Gennadievich

are important, and used to be well known, human and animal pathogens.A novel coronavirus was identified at the end of 2019, as the cause of a number of pneumonia cases in city in the Hubei Province of China, Wuhan. Appeared to be a highly contagious anthroponotic infection. It rapidly caused an epidemic throughout China, hereafter an increasing number of cases in other countries throughout the world. All age groups, including children, are susceptible to the virus, but this age group is more likely to be asymptomatic. However, children may play a great epidemiological role in the spread of the virus with the absence of clinical signs of respiratory disease. Elderly people are the most severe carriers of the virus, as well as people with concomitant diseases. In February 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated the disease COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease 2019 [4]. The virus that causes COVID-19 is designated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); before, it was referred to as 2019-nCoV. We conducted meta-analysis of currently available data to summarize knowledge about the current epidemic in Russia, the dynamic of spread of the infection and management of the disease. Quarantine measures, which were carried out rather quickly, avoided the rapid spread of infection and thus contributed to a gradual increase in the load on medical facilities. As a result, most hospitals had time to prepare for an increased number of patients with coronavirus infection.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document