Novel human coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2): A lesson from animal coronaviruses

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19): Are they similar?

SARS‐CoV‐2 has radically changed our lives causing hundreds of thousands of victims worldwide and influencing our lifestyle and habits. Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a disease of felids caused by the feline coronaviruses (FCoV). FIP has been considered irremediably deadly until the last few years. Being one of the numerous coronaviruses that are well known in veterinary medicine, information on FCoV could be of interest and might give suggestions on pathogenic aspects of SARS‐CoV‐2 that are still unclear. The authors of this paper describe the most important aspects of FIP and COVID‐19 and the similarities and differences between these important diseases. SARS‐CoV‐2 and FCoV are taxonomically distant viruses, and recombination events with other coronaviruses have been reported for FCoV and have been suggested for SARS‐CoV‐2. SARS‐CoV‐2 and FCoV differ in terms of some pathogenic, clinical and pathological features. However, some of the pathogenic and immunopathogenic events that are well known in cats FIP seem to be present also in people with COVID‐19. Moreover, preventive measures currently recommended to prevent SARS‐CoV‐2 spreading have been shown to allow eradication of FIP in feline households. Finally, one of the most promising therapeutic compounds against FIP, GS‐441524, is the active form of Remdesivir, which is being used as one therapeutic option for COVID‐19.

Utilizing drug repurposing against COVID-19 - Efficacy, limitations, and challenges

The recent outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), first in Eastern Asia and then essentially across the world has been declared a pandemic by the WHO. COVID-19 is caused by a novel virus SARS-CoV2 (2019-nCoV), against which there is currently no vaccine available; and current antiviral therapies have failed, causing a very high mortality rate. Drug repurposing i.e. utilizing an approved drug for different indication, offers a time- and cost-efficient alternative for making new therapies available to patients. Although there are several reports presenting novel approaches to treat COVID-19, still an attentive review of previous scientific literature is essential to overcome their failure to exhibit efficacy. There is an urgent need to provide a comprehensive outlook toward utilizing drug repurposing as a tool for discovery of new therapies against COVID-19. In this article, we aim to provide a to-the-point review of current literature regarding efficacy of repurposed drugs against COVID-19 and other respiratory infections caused by coronaviruses. We have briefly discussed COVID-19 epidemiology, and then have discussed drug repurposing approaches and examples, specific to respiratory viruses. Limitations of utilization of repurposed drug molecules such as dosage regimen and associated challenges such as localized delivery in respiratory tract have also been discussed in detail.

Animal Welfare and Livestock Supply Chain Sustainability Under the COVID-19 Outbreak: An Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the emergence of a new strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) around the end of December 2019, has caused a worldwide public health emergency and a socioeconomic crisis during 2020. The lockdown imposed to cope with the health issues caused by the outbreak of the disease has dramatically challenged and negatively affected all the economic sectors of the modern global economy. Specifically, the livestock sector and its related industries are among the most impacted sectors. This is mainly ascribed to the limitations of animal movement and the decrease of production inputs' availability. Other factors negatively affecting the sustainability of the livestock sector have been the shortage of workers due to the lockdown/curfew, the strong decrease in the purchasing power of the consumer, and the intensification of health care tasks. Such an impact is not only highly relevant because of their economic consequences, but also because of the effects of the lockdown and sanitary rules on animal care and welfare. The current review aims to offer: (a) a comprehensive overview of the impact of COVID-19 on the welfare of farm animals and on the performance of livestock farming systems, on food chain sustainability, and finally, on the global economy and food security; and (b) a prospective outline of alleviation actions.

The effects of regional climatic condition on the spread of COVID-19 at global scale

The pandemic outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic disease (COVID-19) is spreading like a diffusion-reaction in the world and almost 208 countries and territories are being affected around the globe. It became a sever health and socio-economic problem, while the world has no vaccine to combat this virus. This research aims to analyze the connection between the fast spread of COVID-19 and regional climate parameters over a global scale. In this research, we collected the data of COVID-19 cases from the time of 1st reported case to the 5th June 2020 in different affected countries and regional climatic parameters data from January 2020 to 5th June 2020. It was found that most of the countries located in the relatively lower temperature region show a rapid increase in the COVID-19 cases than the countries locating in the warmer climatic regions despite their better socio-economic conditions. A correlation between metrological parameters and COVID-19 cases was observed. Average daylight hours are correlated to total the COVID-19 cases with a coefficient of determination of 0.42, while average high-temperature shows a correlation of 0.59 and 0.42 with total COVID-19 cases and death cases respectively. The finding of the study will help international health organizations and local administrations to combat and well manage the spread of COVID-19.

The Inflammasome in Times of COVID-19

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are members of the genus Betacoronavirus and the Coronaviridiae family responsible for infections such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and more recently, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). CoV infections present mainly as respiratory infections that lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, CoVs, such as COVID-19, also present as a hyperactivation of the inflammatory response that results in increased production of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β and its downstream molecule IL-6. The inflammasome is a multiprotein complex involved in the activation of caspase-1 that leads to the activation of IL-1β in a variety of diseases and infections such as CoV infection and in different tissues such as lungs, brain, intestines and kidneys, all of which have been shown to be affected in COVID-19 patients. Here we review the literature regarding the mechanism of inflammasome activation by CoV infection, the role of the inflammasome in ARDS, ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) as well as the potential mechanism by which the inflammasome may contribute to the damaging effects of inflammation in the cardiac, renal, digestive, and nervous systems in COVID-19 patients.

SARS-CoV-2 and Oral Manifestation: An Observational, Human Study

The correlation between SARS-CoV-2 and oral manifestations is still controversial. The aim of this observational study was to determine the oral manifestation of the hospitalized patients for COVID-19. A total of 20 patients met the inclusion criteria and gave their signed informed consent. A questionnaire of 32 questions regarding the oral and systemic health condition was administrated to these patients during the convalescence. A descriptive statistic was performed. Data were analysed through the use of χ² test, to assess the statistical significance. A statistically significant increase of about 30% of reporting xerostomia during hospitalization was observed (p = 0.02). Meanwhile, a decrease of oral hygiene was observed during the hospitalization, even if a non-statistically significant difference was shown between the two study time points (before and after hospitalization). During the hospitalization period, 25% of patients reported impaired taste, 15% burning sensation, and 20% difficulty in swallowing. An interesting result was that among the systemic conditions, hypertension was observed in 39% of patients and mostly in female patients (62.5%). Further studies are necessary to better understand the symptoms of this new virus in order to faster detect its presence in humans. Probably, a multidisciplinary team following the COVID-19 patients could be of key importance in treating this disease.

Host Receptors of Influenza Viruses and Coronaviruses-Molecular Mechanisms of Recognition

Among the four genera of influenza viruses (IVs) and the four genera of coronaviruses (CoVs), zoonotic αIV and βCoV have occasionally caused airborne epidemic outbreaks in humans, who are immunologically naïve, and the outbreaks have resulted in high fatality rates as well as social and economic disruption and losses. The most devasting influenza A virus (IAV) in αIV, pandemic H1N1 in 1918, which caused at least 40 million deaths from about 500 million cases of infection, was the first recorded emergence of IAVs in humans. Usually, a novel human-adapted virus replaces the preexisting human-adapted virus. Interestingly, two IAV subtypes, A/H3N2/1968 and A/H1N1/2009 variants, and two lineages of influenza B viruses (IBV) in βIV, B/Yamagata and B/Victoria lineage-like viruses, remain seasonally detectable in humans. Both influenza C viruses (ICVs) in γIV and four human CoVs, HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63 in αCoV and HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-HKU1 in βCoV, usually cause mild respiratory infections. Much attention has been given to CoVs since the global epidemic outbreaks of βSARS-CoV in 2002-2004 and βMERS-CoV from 2012 to present. βSARS-CoV-2, which is causing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has resulted in 890,392 deaths from about 27 million cases of infection as of 8 September 2020, has provoked worldwide investigations of CoVs. With the aim of developing efficient strategies for controlling virus outbreaks and recurrences of seasonal virus variants, here we overview the structures, diversities, host ranges and host receptors of all IVs and CoVs and critically review current knowledge of receptor binding specificity of spike glycoproteins, which mediates infection, of IVs and of zoonotic, pandemic and seasonal CoVs.

Animal coronaviruses and coronavirus disease 2019: Lesson for One Health approach

Coronaviruses are a group of enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses that are broadly classified into alpha, beta, gamma, and delta coronavirus genera based on the viral genome. Coronavirus was not thought to be a significant problem in humans until the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2002, but infections in animals, including pigs, cats, dogs, and poultry, have been problematic for a long time. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, drew special attention towards this virus once again. The intermediate host of this novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is yet to be determined, but it has a very close genomic relationship with the bat coronavirus (Bat-CoV), RaTG13 strain, and the pangolin coronaviruses. As veterinary medicine has a long-term experience dealing with coronaviruses, this could be helpful in better understanding and detecting the origin of SARS-CoV-2 and drive human medicine towards the development of vaccines and antiviral drugs through the collaborative and transdisciplinary approaches of One Health.

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Development: Current Status

In the midst of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic and its attendant morbidity and mortality, safe and efficacious vaccines are needed that induce protective and long-lived immune responses. More than 120 vaccine candidates worldwide are in various preclinical and phase 1 to 3 clinical trials that include inactivated, live-attenuated, viral-vectored replicating and nonreplicating, protein- and peptide-based, and nucleic acid approaches. Vaccines will be necessary both for individual protection and for the safe development of population-level herd immunity. Public-private partnership collaborative efforts, such as the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines mechanism, are key to rapidly identifying safe and effective vaccine candidates as quickly and efficiently as possible. In this article, we review the major vaccine approaches being taken and issues that must be resolved in the quest for vaccines to prevent coronavirus disease 2019. For this study, we scanned the PubMed database from 1963 to 2020 for all publications using the following search terms in various combinations: SARS, MERS, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, vaccine, clinical trial, coronavirus, pandemic, and vaccine development. We also did a Web search for these same terms. In addition, we examined the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other public health authority websites. We excluded abstracts and all articles that were not written in English.

Assessing the SARS-CoV-2 threat to wildlife: Potential risk to a broad range of mammals

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can infect animals, however, the whole range of potential hosts is still unknown. This work makes an assessment of wildlife susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 by analyzing the similarities of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) and Transmembrane Protease, Serine 2 (TMPRSS2)-both recognized as receptors and protease for coronavirus spike protein-and the genetic variation of the viral protein spike in the recognition sites. The sequences from different mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, and the sequence from SARS-CoV-2 S protein were obtained from the GenBank. Comparisons of aligned sequences were made by selecting amino acids residues of ACE2, TMPRSS2 and S protein; phylogenetic trees were reconstructed using the same sequences. The species susceptibility was ranked by substituting the values of amino acid residues for both proteins. Our results ranked primates at the top, but surprisingly, just below are carnivores, cetaceans and wild rodents, showing a relatively high potential risk, as opposed to lab rodents that are typically mammals at lower risk. Most of the sequences from birds, reptiles and amphibians occupied the lowest ranges in the analyses. Models and phylogenetic trees outputs showed the species that are more prone to getting infected with SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, during this short pandemic period, a high haplotypic variation was observed in the RBD of the viral S protein, suggesting new risks for other hosts. Our findings are consistent with other published results reporting laboratory and natural infections in different species. Finally, urgent measures of wildlife monitoring are needed regarding SARS-CoV-2, as well as measures for avoiding or limiting human contact with wildlife, and precautionary measures to protect wildlife workers and researchers; monitoring disposal of waste and sewage than can potentially affect the environment, and designing protocols for dealing with the outbreak.

Safety alert for hospital environments and health professional: chlorhexidine is ineffective for coronavirus

An alarming fact was revealed by recent publications concerning disinfectants: chlorhexidine digluconate is ineffective for disinfecting surfaces contaminated by the new coronavirus. This is a finding that requires immediate disclosure since this substance is widely used for the disinfection of hands and forearms of surgeons and auxiliaries and in the antisepsis of patients in minimally invasive procedures commonly performed in hospital environments. The objective of this study is to compare the different disinfectants used for disinfection on several surfaces, in a review of worldwide works. Scientific studies were researched in the BVS (Virtual Health Library), PubMed, Medline, and ANVISA (National Health Surveillance Agency) databases. The following agents were studied: alcohol 62-71%, hydrogen peroxide 0.5%, sodium hypochlorite 0.1%, benzalkonium chloride 0.05-0.2%, povidone-iodine 10%, and chlorhexidine digluconate 0.02%, on metal, aluminum, wood, paper, glass, plastic, PVC, silicone, latex (gloves), disposable gowns, ceramic, and Teflon surfaces. Studies have shown that chlorhexidine digluconate is ineffective for inactivating some coronavirus subtypes, suggesting that it is also ineffective to the new coronavirus.

Transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to animals: an updated review

COVID-19 caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originated in Wuhan (Hubei province, China) during late 2019. It has spread across the globe affecting nearly 21 million people with a toll of 0.75 million deaths and restricting the movement of most of the world population during the past 6 months. COVID-19 became the leading health, economic, and humanitarian challenge of the twenty-first century. In addition to the considerable COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in humans, several cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections in animal hosts (dog, cat, tiger, lion, and mink) have been reported. Thus, the concern of pet owners is increasing. Moreover, the dynamics of the disease requires further explanation, mainly concerning the transmission of the virus from humans to animals and vice versa. Therefore, this study aimed to gather information about the reported cases of COVID-19 transmission in animals through a literary review of works published in scientific journals and perform genomic and phylogenetic analyses of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from animal hosts. Although many instances of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 have been reported, caution and further studies are necessary to avoid the occurrence of maltreatment in animals, and to achieve a better understanding of the dynamics of the disease in the environment, humans, and animals. Future research in the animal–human interface can help formulate and implement preventive measures to combat the further transmission of COVID-19.

Coronavirus Infections in Companion Animals: Virology, Epidemiology, Clinical and Pathologic Features

Coronaviruses are enveloped RNA viruses capable of causing respiratory, enteric, or systemic diseases in a variety of mammalian hosts that vary in clinical severity from subclinical to fatal. The host range and tissue tropism are largely determined by the coronaviral spike protein, which initiates cellular infection by promoting fusion of the viral and host cell membranes. Companion animal coronaviruses responsible for causing enteric infection include feline enteric coronavirus, ferret enteric coronavirus, canine enteric coronavirus, equine coronavirus, and alpaca enteric coronavirus, while canine respiratory coronavirus and alpaca respiratory coronavirus result in respiratory infection. Ferret systemic coronavirus and feline infectious peritonitis virus, a mutated feline enteric coronavirus, can lead to lethal immuno-inflammatory systemic disease. Recent human viral pandemics, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and most recently, COVID-19, all thought to originate from bat coronaviruses, demonstrate the zoonotic potential of coronaviruses and their potential to have devastating impacts. A better understanding of the coronaviruses of companion animals, their capacity for cross-species transmission, and the sharing of genetic information may facilitate improved prevention and control strategies for future emerging zoonotic coronaviruses. This article reviews the clinical, epidemiologic, virologic, and pathologic characteristics of nine important coronaviruses of companion animals.

An Ayurvedic personalized prophylactic protocol in COVID-19

The current COVID-19 pandemic brought about by the SARS-CoV-2, a novel β coronavirus is creating intense health havoc globally. Researchers suspect the situation to stay for long in the community, considering this virus’s pathogenesis, high rate transmission and tendency to provoke uncontrolled immune response activation. Immune mechanisms are highly individualistic. We put forward a hypothetical model of prakruti (Ayurvedic body phenotyping character) based personalized prophylactic-therapeutic strategies aiming at a better immunomodulation and quicker resolution of host immune mechanisms. We propose this model in symptomatic, mild to moderate, COVID-19 diagnosed cases and in cases quarantined for high to low risk primary contact with a positive case. We also suggest a community level personalized Ayurvedic prophylactic-therapeutic strategy based on the DOTS model.

Person-centered body purificatory measures (panchakarma procedures) like therapeutic purgation (virechana) and medicated enema (basti) are suggested in this hypothetical protocol with justification on evidence-based links between immune responses and prakruti along with specific jwara (fevers of varied origin as per Ayurvedic sciences) and COVID-19 symptomatology. The paper also appraises the importance of pitta dosha/ama dosha in the manifestation of inflammation driven destructive phase of immune responses along with its stage-wise intervention. This hypothetical model intends to open up discussions on significance of prakruti assessment as a predictive marker to screen people who are at risk of succumbing into deteriorating states if infected with COVID-19. It also intends to discuss the predictive personalized medicine measures based on prakruti in yielding individual host immune homeostasis which may positively reduce the chances of untoward events of an aggravated immune responsiveness and subsequent inflammation driven tissue destruction – the candidate causes for COVID-19 related casualties. Testing this model may give insight towards emphasizing personalized host immune coping mechanisms that may prove crucial in any infectious outbreaks in near future too.

Dendritic Cells and SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Still an Unclarified Connection

The ongoing pandemic due to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has so far infected about 2.42 × 107 (as at 27 August 2020) subjects with more than 820,000 deaths. It is the third zoonotic coronavirus-dependent outbreak in the last twenty years and represents a major infective threat for public health worldwide. A main aspect of the infection, in analogy to other viral infections, is the so-called "cytokine storm", an inappropriate molecular response to virus spread which plays major roles in tissue and organ damage. Immunological therapies, including vaccines and humanized monoclonal antibodies, have been proposed as major strategies for prevention and treatment of the disease. Accordingly, a detailed mechanistic knowledge of the molecular events with which the virus infects cells and induces an immunological response appears necessary. In this review, we will report details of the initial process of SARS-CoV-2 cellular entry with major emphasis on the maturation of the spike protein. Then, a particular focus will be devoted to describe the possible mechanisms by which dendritic cells, a major cellular component of innate and adaptive immune responses, may play a role in the spread of the virus in the human body and in the clinical evolution of the disease.

Simple, Low-Cost and Long-Lasting Film for Virus Inactivation Using Avian Coronavirus Model as Challenge

The COVID-19 infection, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is inequitably distributed and more lethal among populations with lower socioeconomic status. Direct contact with contaminated surfaces has been among the virus sources, as it remains infective up to days. Several disinfectants have been shown to inactivate SARS-CoV-2, but they rapidly evaporate, are flammable or toxic and may be scarce or inexistent for vulnerable populations. Therefore, we are proposing simple, easy to prepare, low-cost and efficient antiviral films, made with a widely available dishwashing detergent, which can be spread on hands and inanimate surfaces and is expected to maintain virucidal activity for longer periods than the current sanitizers. Avian coronavirus (ACoV) was used as model of the challenge to test the antivirus efficacy of the proposed films. Polystyrene petri dishes were covered with a thin layer of detergent formula. After drying, the films were exposed to different virus doses for 10 min and virus infectivity was determined using embryonated chicken eggs, and RNA virus quantification in allantoic fluids by RT-qPCR. The films inactivated the ACoV (ranging from 103.7 to 106.7 EID50), which is chemically and morphologically similar to SARS-CoV-2, and may constitute an excellent alternative to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Natural Flavonoids as Potential Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Inhibitors for Anti-SARS-CoV-2

Over the years, coronaviruses (CoV) have posed a severe public health threat, causing an increase in mortality and morbidity rates throughout the world. The recent outbreak of a novel coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that affected more than 215 countries with over 23 million cases and 800,000 deaths as of today. The situation is critical, especially with the absence of specific medicines or vaccines; hence, efforts toward the development of anti-COVID-19 medicines are being intensively undertaken. One of the potential therapeutic targets of anti-COVID-19 drugs is the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 was identified as a key functional receptor for CoV associated with COVID-19. ACE2, which is located on the surface of the host cells, binds effectively to the spike protein of CoV, thus enabling the virus to infect the epithelial cells of the host. Previous studies showed that certain flavonoids exhibit angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition activity, which plays a crucial role in the regulation of arterial blood pressure. Thus, it is being postulated that these flavonoids might also interact with ACE2. This postulation might be of interest because these compounds also show antiviral activity in vitro. This article summarizes the natural flavonoids with potential efficacy against COVID-19 through ACE2 receptor inhibition.

Animal Coronaviruses in the Light of COVID-19

Coronaviruses are extremely susceptible to genetic changes due to the characteristic features of the genome structure, life cycle and environmental pressure. Their remarkable variability means that they can infect many different species of animals and cause different disease symptoms. Moreover, in some situations, coronaviruses might be transmitted across species. Although they are commonly found in farm, companion and wild animals, causing clinical and sometimes serious signs resulting in significant economic losses, not all of them have been classified by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as hazardous and included on the list of notifiable diseases. Currently, only three diseases caused by coronaviruses are on the OIE list of notifiable terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases. However, none of these three entails any administrative measures. The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 infections that have caused the COVID-19 pandemic in humans has proved that the occurrence and variability of coronaviruses is highly underestimated in the animal reservoir and reminded us of the critical importance of the One Health approach. Therefore, domestic and wild animals should be intensively monitored, both to broaden our knowledge of the viruses circulating among them and to understand the mechanisms of the emergence of viruses of relevance to animal and human health.

Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (AI-LAMP) for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2

Until vaccines and effective therapeutics become available, the practical solution to transit safely out of the current coronavirus disease 19 (CoVID-19) lockdown may include the implementation of an effective testing, tracing and tracking system. However, this requires a reliable and clinically validated diagnostic platform for the sensitive and specific identification of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we report on the development of a de novo, high-resolution and comparative genomics guided reverse-transcribed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay. To further enhance the assay performance and to remove any subjectivity associated with operator interpretation of results, we engineered a novel hand-held smart diagnostic device. The robust diagnostic device was further furnished with automated image acquisition and processing algorithms and the collated data was processed through artificial intelligence (AI) pipelines to further reduce the assay run time and the subjectivity of the colorimetric LAMP detection. This advanced AI algorithm-implemented LAMP (ai-LAMP) assay, targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene, showed high analytical sensitivity and specificity for SARS-CoV-2. A total of ~200 coronavirus disease (CoVID-19)-suspected NHS patient samples were tested using the platform and it was shown to be reliable, highly specific and significantly more sensitive than the current gold standard qRT-PCR. Therefore, this system could provide an efficient and cost-effective platform to detect SARS-CoV-2 in resource-limited laboratories.

ACE2 Expression in the Cat and the Tiger Gastrointestinal Tracts

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as the functional receptor for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome—Coronavirus−2 (SARS-CoV-2). It has been identified in the human gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and SARS-CoV-2 has been isolated in human and animal fecal samples. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of ACE2 in the gastrointestinal tract of domestic (cat) and wild (tiger) felines. Samples of the pylorus, duodenum, and distal colon were collected from six cats and one tiger. The tissues were processed for immunofluorescence assay with an anti-human ACE2 antibody. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 was widely expressed in the gastrointestinal mucosa of the cats and the tiger. In both the species, ACE2-immunoreactivity (ACE2-IR) was expressed by the mucosal epithelial cells of the GIT and by the enteric neurons. In the cats, ACE2-IR was also expressed by the smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels and the tunica muscularis. The expression of the ACE2 receptor in enteric neurons may support the potential neurotropic properties of SARS-CoV-2. Although the evidence of ACE2-IR in the feline GIT does not necessarily indicate the possibility of viral replication and SARS-CoV-2 spread with stool, the findings in the present study could serve as an anatomical basis for additional studies considering the risk of the SARS-CoV-2 fecal-oral transmission between cats/felids, and between cats/felids and humans.

Animal Models to Study Emerging Technologies Against SARS-CoV-2

New technologies are being developed toward the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 to understand its pathogenesis and transmission, to develop therapeutics and vaccines, and to formulate preventive strategies. Animal models are indispensable to understand these processes and develop and test emerging technologies; however, the mechanism of infection for SARS-CoV-2 requires certain similarities to humans that do not exist in common laboratory rodents. Here, we review important elements of viral infection, transmission, and clinical presentation reflected by various animal models readily available or being developed and studied for SARS-CoV-2 to help bioengineers evaluate appropriate preclinical models for their emerging technologies. Importantly, applications of traditional mice and rat models are limited for studying SARS-CoV-2 and development of COVID-19. Non-human primates, Syrian hamsters, ferrets, cats, and engineered chimeras mimic the human infection more closely and hold strong potential as animal models of SARS-CoV-2 infection and progression of resulting human disease.

Investigating an Emerging Virus During a Sudden Pandemic Outbreak

At the time of writing, in July 2020, the recently emerging SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has attracted major attention to viral diseases, in particular coronaviruses. In spite of alarming molecular evidence, documentation of interspecies transmission in livestock, and the emergence of two new and relatively virulent human coronaviruses within a 10-year period, many gaps remain in the study and understanding of this family of viruses. This paper provides an overview of our knowledge regarding the coronavirus family, while highlighting their key biological properties in the context of our overall understanding of viral diseases.

SARS-CoV-2 RNA Persistence in Naso-Pharyngeal Swabs

Since February 2020, Italy has been seriously affected by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. To support the National Health Care system, naso-pharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs collected from suspected cases of Teramo province, Abruzzo region, are tested at Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise G. Caporale, for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Out of 12,446 tested individuals, 605 returned positive results at least once, with prevalence significantly higher in men. A reduction of the level of viral RNA in the first swab per each positive patient collected over time was also observed. Moreover, 81 patients had at least one positive sample and two final negative tests: positivity in swabs lasted from 14 to 63 days, with a median value of 30 days. This shows the potential for the virus to coexist with patients for a long time, although we highlighted intermittent positivity in several cases. The evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemiological situation and knowledge on viral shedding should be closely monitored, to interpret the findings correctly and adjust accordingly the surveillance activities.

Comparative Pathogenesis of Bovine and Porcine Respiratory Coronaviruses in the Animal Host Species and SARS-CoV-2 in Humans

Discovery of bats with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-related coronaviruses (CoVs) raised the specter of potential future outbreaks of zoonotic SARS-CoV-like disease in humans, which largely went unheeded. Nevertheless, the novel SARS-CoV-2 of bat ancestral origin emerged to infect humans in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and then became a global pandemic. Less than 5 months after its emergence, millions of people worldwide have been infected asymptomatically or symptomatically and at least 360,000 have died. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in severely affected patients includes atypical pneumonia characterized by a dry cough, persistent fever, and progressive dyspnea and hypoxia, sometimes accompanied by diarrhea and often followed by multiple organ failure, especially of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. In this minireview, we focus on two endemic respiratory CoV infections of livestock: bovine coronavirus (BCoV) and porcine respiratory coronavirus (PRCV). Both animal respiratory CoVs share some common features with SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. BCoV has a broad host range including wild ruminants and a zoonotic potential. BCoV also has a dual tropism for the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. These aspects, their interspecies transmission, and certain factors that impact disease severity in cattle parallel related facets of SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 in humans. PRCV has a tissue tropism for the upper and lower respiratory tracts and a cellular tropism for type 1 and 2 pneumocytes in lung but is generally a mild infection unless complicated by other exacerbating factors, such as bacterial or viral coinfections and immunosuppression (corticosteroids).

Evidence of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in cats and dogs from households in Italy

SARS-CoV-2 originated in animals and is now easily transmitted between people. Sporadic detection of natural cases in animals alongside successful experimental infections of pets, such as cats, ferrets and dogs, raises questions about the susceptibility of animals under natural conditions of pet ownership. Here we report a large-scale study to assess SARS-CoV-2 infection in 817 companion animals living in northern Italy, sampled at a time of frequent human infection. No animals tested PCR positive. However, 3.4% of dogs and 3.9% of cats had measurable SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titers, with dogs from COVID-19 positive households being significantly more likely to test positive than those from COVID-19 negative households. Understanding risk factors associated with this and their potential to infect other species requires urgent investigation.

One Sentence Summary

SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in pets from Italy.

Tick-borne rickettsioses in Brazil: what lessons can be learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

In this commentary, the authors highlight the importance of basic research in the field of public health regarding the recent pandemic Covid-19, using tick-borne rickettsioses as an example. In addition, they alert politicians, government officials and managers of research funding agencies to increase the allocated financial resources to enhance basic research on public health in Brazil.

Potential impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the thymus

Understanding the pathogenesis of certain viral agents is essential for developing new treatments and obtaining a clinical cure. With the onset of the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in the beginning of 2020, a rush to conduct studies and develop drugs has led to the publication of articles that seek to address knowledge gaps and contribute to the global scientific research community. There are still no reports on the infectivity or repercussions of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the central lymphoid organ, the thymus, nor on thymocytes or thymic epithelial cells. In this brief review, we present a hypothesis about lymphopenia observed in SARS patients and the probable pathological changes that the thymus may undergo due to this new virus.

Animal-based food systems are unsafe: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) fosters the debate on meat consumption

Objective:

The current pandemic restarts a debate on permanently banning wildlife consumption in an effort to prevent further public health threats. In this commentary, we offer two ideas to enhance the discussion on foodborne zoonotic diseases in food systems.

Design:

First, we focus on the probable consequences that the loss of access to wildlife could cause to the status of food and nutrition security of many people in developing countries that rely on bushmeat to subsist. Second, we argue that all animal-based food systems, especially the ones based on intensive husbandry, present food safety threats.

Conclusion:

To ban the access to bushmeat without a rational analysis of all human meat production and consumption in the global animal-based food system will not help us to prevent future outbreaks.

Staying updated on COVID-19: Social media to amplify science in thrombosis and hemostasis

Coronavirus disease 2019 is the most serious pandemic of the Internet era. The number of scientific manuscripts published on the subject daily has been overwhelming. The use of Twitter enables interested health professionals and the public to stay informed.

What We Need to Consider During and After the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic

Even though extreme containment and mitigation strategies were implemented by numerous governments around the world to slow down the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the number of critically ill patients and fatalities keeps rising. This crisis has highlighted the socioeconomic disparities of health care systems within and among countries. As new CoVID policies and responses are implemented to lessen the impact of the virus, it is imperative (1) to consider additional mitigation strategies critical for the development of effective countermeasures, (2) to promote long-term policies and strict regulations of the trade of wildlife and live animal markets, and (3) to advocate for necessary funding and investments in global health, specifically for the prevention of and response to natural and manmade pandemics. This document considers some of these challenges.

Lessons from SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Evolution, Disease Dynamics and Future

The COVID-19 pandemic is rising at an unprecedented rate. The surging number of deaths every day, global lockdown and travel restrictions have resulted in huge losses to society. The impact is massive and will leave a historical footprint. The Spanish Flu of 1918, which was the last pandemic that had a similar impact, was shadowed under the consequences of World War I. All the brilliance, strength and economies of countries worldwide are aimed at fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. The knowledge about coronavirus dynamics, its nature and epidemiology are expanding every day. The present review aims to summarize the structure, epidemiology, symptoms, statistical status of the disease status, intervention strategies and deliberates the lessons learnt during the pandemic. The intervention approaches, antiviral drug repurposing and vaccine trials are intensified now. Statistical interpretations of disease dynamics and their projections may help the decision-makers.

Psoriasis, biological drugs and Coronavirus Disease 2019: Real life experience of two Italian provinces

On January 30, 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) stated that a new coronavirus disease outbreak [COronaVIrus Disease - 19 (COVID-19)] was an international public health emergency.

Many news, often fake ones, about the derived pandemic rapidly spread along the media, thus leading many dermatological patients to identify as “risk category” and sometimes discontinue treatments by themselves. The Dermatology Units in Grosseto and Pordenone simultaneously carried out a data collection by remote-conducted visits, evaluating the incidence of COVID-19 in psoriatic patients. Only 1 patient (close contact of a case) as part of the psoriasis analyzed group was tested and turned out to be positive for SARS-CoV-2, developing no symptoms during the observation period. The collected information may suggest that psoriasis, biotechnologically treated or not, cannot promote or aggravate the clinical trend of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, hence stopping systemic therapy in negative or clinically free SARS-CoV-2 patients is not recommended in general.

Optimization of the CDC Protocol of Molecular Diagnosis of COVID-19 for Timely Diagnosis

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the current uncontrolled outbreak of infectious disease, has caused significant challenges throughout the world. A reliable rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19 is demanded worldwide. The real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain was one of the most quickly established methods in the novel viral pandemic and was considered as the gold standard for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this report, we illustrate our experience of applying a protocol from the Taiwan CDC and achieving assay optimization in the immediate circumstances to meet the urgent medical and public health needs.

COVID-19 and animals: What do we know?

Coronaviruses, which were generally considered harmless to humans before 2003, have appeared again with a pandemic threatening the world since December 2019 after the epidemics of SARS and MERS. It is known that transmission from person to person is the most important way to spread. However, due to the widespread host diversity, a detailed examination of the role of animals in this pandemic is essential to effectively fight against the outbreak. Although coronavirus infections in pets are known to be predominantly related to the gastrointestinal tract, it has been observed that there are human-to-animal transmissions in this outbreak and some animals have similar symptoms to humans. Although animal-to-animal transmission has been shown to be possible, there is no evidence of animal-to-human transmission.

Questionnaire on Perception of Threat from COVID-19

The ravages caused by the disease known as COVID-19 has led to a worldwide healthcare and social emergency requiring an effective combined effort from everyone to reduce contagion. Under these circumstances, the perception of the disease is going to have a relevant role in the individual’s psychological adjustment. However, at the present time there is no validated instrument for evaluating adult perception of threat from COVID-19. Considering the importance of perception or representation of the disease in a state of social alert, our study intended to validate an instrument measuring the psychological process of the disease caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19). In view of the above, this study evaluated the factor structure and reliability of the version of the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ) for COVID-19 in a sample of adults. The sample consisted of 1014 Spanish adults (67.2% women and 32.8% men). The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a unidimensional model of the scale, which was the one that showed the best fit and explained 43.87% of the variance. This brief version has adequate psychometric properties and may be used to evaluate the perception of threat from COVID-19 in an adult Spanish population. The validation of this instrument contributes to progress in representation of COVID-19 in our culture.