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Reddy ASK, Rao KNB, Soora NR, Shailaja K, Kumar NCS, Sridharan A, Uthayakumar J. Multi-modal fusion of deep transfer learning based COVID-19 diagnosis and classification using chest x-ray images. MULTIMEDIA TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS 2022; 82:12653-12677. [PMID: 36157355 PMCID: PMC9483263 DOI: 10.1007/s11042-022-13739-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on the global health and daily lives of people living over the globe. Several initial tests are based on the detecting of the genetic material of the coronavirus, and they have a minimum detection rate with a time-consuming process. To overcome this issue, radiological images are recommended where chest X-rays (CXRs) are employed in the diagnostic process. This article introduces a new Multi-modal fusion of deep transfer learning (MMF-DTL) technique to classify COVID-19. The proposed MMF-DTL model involves three main processes, namely pre-processing, feature extraction, and classification. The MMF-DTL model uses three DL models namely VGG16, Inception v3, and ResNet 50 for feature extraction. Since a single modality would not be adequate to attain an effective detection rate, the integration of three approaches by the use of decision-based multimodal fusion increases the detection rate. So, a fusion of three DL models takes place to further improve the detection rate. Finally, a softmax classifier is employed for test images to a set of six different. A wide range of experimental result analyses is carried out on the Chest-X-Ray dataset. The proposed fusion model is found to be an effective tool for COVID-19 diagnosis using radiological images with the average sens y of 92.96%, spec y of 98.54%, prec n of 93.60%, accu y of 98.80%, F score of 93.26% and kappa of 91.86%.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Siva Krishna Reddy
- School of CS and AI, Department of CS and AI, SR University, Warangal, Telangana India
| | | | | | - Kotte Shailaja
- Department of EIE, Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Science, Warangal-15, Telangana India
| | - N. C. Santosh Kumar
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Kakatiya Institute of Technology and Science, Warangal-15, Telangana India
| | - Abel Sridharan
- Senior Manager Department of Computer Science, University of Madras, Madras, India
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2
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Das SK, Paul M, Behera BC, Thatoi H. Current status of COVID-19 vaccination: safety and liability concern for children, pregnant and lactating women. Expert Rev Vaccines 2022; 21:825-842. [PMID: 35313785 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2056025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION : Since its inception, Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has claimed a significant number of lives around the world. AREA COVERED : COVID-19 vaccine development involves several vaccine platforms, including traditional live-attenuated or killed viral particles, viral vectors or DNA, and mRNA-based vaccines. The efficacy and effectiveness (EV) of these vaccines must be assessed in order to determine the extent to which they can protect us against infection. Despite the fact that some affluent countries attempted to vaccinate the majority of their inhabitants, children and pregnant women were first excluded. EXPERT OPINION : While the severity of COVID-19 is less severe in children, the COVID-19-related complications are more severe.SARS-CoV-2 infection is also dangerous for pregnant women. The key to limiting disease spread is early discovery, isolation, and the development of safe and efficient vaccinations. As a result, the purpose of this study is to highlight the current development of various COVID-19 vaccine platforms for different groups of people at higher risk of COVID-19, with a special focus on children, pregnant and lactating women, as well as structural and pathogenicity elements of SARS CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swagat Kumar Das
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Engineering and Technology, Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India-751001
| | - Manish Paul
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Sri Ram Chandra Vihar, Baripada, Odisha, India-757003
| | - Bikash Chandra Behera
- School of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar-752050
| | - Hrudayanath Thatoi
- Department of Biotechnology, Maharaja Sriram Chandra Bhanja Deo University, Sri Ram Chandra Vihar, Baripada, Odisha, India-757003
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Kumari S, Bhatia M. A cognitive framework based on deep neural network for classification of coronavirus disease. JOURNAL OF AMBIENT INTELLIGENCE AND HUMANIZED COMPUTING 2022; 14:1-15. [PMID: 35194472 PMCID: PMC8853181 DOI: 10.1007/s12652-022-03756-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Since December 2019, the pandemic of coronavirus (CorV) is spreading all over the world. CorV is a viral disease that results in ill effects on humans and is recognized as public health concern globally. The objective of the paper is to diagnose and prevent the spread of CorV. Spatio-temporal based fine-tuned deep learning model is used for detecting Corv disease so that the prevention measures could be taken on time. Deep learning is an emerging technique that has an extensive approach to prediction. The proposed system presents a hybrid model using chest X-ray images to early identify the CorV suspected people so that necessary action can be taken timely. The proposed work consists of various deep learning neural network algorithms for the identification of CorV patients. A decision model with enhanced accuracy has been presented for early identification of the suspected CorV patients and time-sensitive decision-making. A SQueezeNet model is used for the classification of the CorV patient. An experiment has been conducted for validation purposes to register an average accuracy of 97.8%. Moreover, the outcomes of statistical parameters are compared with numerous state-of-the-art decision-making models in the current domain for performance assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sapna Kumari
- Research Scholar, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
| | - Munish Bhatia
- Assistant Professor Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, India
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Brim A, Ashktorab Y, Russo T, Pizuorno A, Oskrochi G, Brim H. Pediatric COVID-19 and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Africa. Gastroenterology 2021; 161:2047-2050.e3. [PMID: 34418440 PMCID: PMC8373585 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2021.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
One year into the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the African continent still seems to be spared from the devastating effects the disease had in other continents. Africa's COVID-19 seems to be of a milder nature both in adults and children. However, lack of data from Africa is significant, and more studies are needed to validate the disease status, clinical manifestations, and future implications for Africa. In this study, we report pediatric COVID-19 features in Africa represented by 8 countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anas Brim
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center, Howard University, Washington, DC
| | - Yusuf Ashktorab
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center, Howard University, Washington, DC
| | - Tiziano Russo
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center, Howard University, Washington, DC
| | - Antonio Pizuorno
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Medicine, La Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo, Zulia state, Venezuela
| | - Gholamreza Oskrochi
- College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, Kuwait
| | - Hassan Brim
- Department of Pathology, Cancer Center, Howard University, Washington, DC.
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Majhi MM, Borle AL, Lal P, Meena M, Ramani KV. Vaccination With Routine Childhood Vaccines and Severity of COVID-19 Among Children in Delhi. Indian Pediatr 2021. [PMID: 34845990 PMCID: PMC8913201 DOI: 10.1007/s13312-022-2445-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Objective Methods Results Conclusions Electronic Supplementary Material
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Affiliation(s)
- Madan Mohan Majhi
- Department of Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi. Correspondence to: Dr Madan Mohan Majhi, Department of Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi.
| | | | - Panna Lal
- Department of Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi
| | - Meenu Meena
- Immunization Department, Central District, Delhi
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Akyol K, Şen B. Automatic Detection of Covid-19 with Bidirectional LSTM Network Using Deep Features Extracted from Chest X-ray Images. Interdiscip Sci 2021; 14:89-100. [PMID: 34313974 PMCID: PMC8313418 DOI: 10.1007/s12539-021-00463-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease, which comes up in China at the end of 2019 and showed different symptoms in people infected, affected millions of people. Computer-aided expert systems are needed due to the inadequacy of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction kit, which is widely used in the diagnosis of this disease. Undoubtedly, expert systems that provide effective solutions to many problems will be very useful in the detection of Covid-19 disease, especially when unskilled personnel and financial deficiencies in underdeveloped countries are taken into consideration. In the literature, there are numerous machine learning approaches built with different classifiers in the detection of this disease. This paper proposes an approach based on deep learning which detects Covid-19 and no-finding cases using chest X-ray images. Here, the classification performance of the Bi-LSTM network on the deep features was compared with the Deep Neural Network within the frame of the fivefold cross-validation technique. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and precision metrics were used to evaluate the classification performance of the trained models. Bi-LSTM network presented better performance compare to DNN with 97.6% value of high accuracy despite the few numbers of Covid-19 images in the dataset. In addition, it is understood that concatenated deep features more meaningful than deep features obtained with pre-trained networks by one by, as well. Consequently, it is thought that the proposed study based on the Bi-LSTM network and concatenated deep features will be noteworthy in the design of highly sensitive automated Covid-19 monitoring systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kemal Akyol
- Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Turkey.
| | - Baha Şen
- Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey
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Taheri Soodejani M, Basti M, Tabatabaei SM, Rajabkhah K. Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and COVID-19: a systematic review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GENETICS 2021; 12:35-39. [PMID: 34336136 PMCID: PMC8310886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This study was performed to investigate published literature about the association between measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and COVID-19. This is a systematic review in which the databases of Chocrane, Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science as well as reliable journals including Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Jama and also Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publications were searched.Out of 169 documents discovered during the literature review, 56 ones were somehow related to the association between MMR vaccine and COVID-19, of which 11 ones mentioned the association between these two, and 8 of them contained a hypothesis about this relationship. A quasi-trial study reported the positive effect of the MMR vaccine on reducing the severity of COVID-19 symptoms among those who received it. Also, a cross-sectional study showed an association between the level of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) mumps and COVID-19. Moreover, a genomic data analysis study also reported the effect of Rubella Immunoglobulin G (IgG) level on COVID-19. It seems that due to the similarity of respiratory diseases including measles, rubella, and mumps to COVID-19, MMR vaccine should be investigated more deeply to see if it is effective in order to deal with this novel disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moslem Taheri Soodejani
- Center for Healthcare Data Modeling, Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical SciencesYazd, Iran
| | - Moslem Basti
- Center for Healthcare Data Modeling, Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical SciencesYazd, Iran
| | | | - Kourosh Rajabkhah
- Office for Health Technology Assessment, Health Standards and Tarrifs, Department of Curative Affairs, Ministry of Health and Medical EducationTehran, Iran
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Nachega JB, Maeurer M, Sam-Agudu NA, Chakaya J, Katoto PDM, Zumla A. Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and potential cross-protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection - Assumptions, knowns, unknowns and need for developing an accurate scientific evidence base. Int J Infect Dis 2021; 113 Suppl 1:S78-S81. [PMID: 33794380 PMCID: PMC8006492 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2021.03.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
After a century of controversies on its usefulness in protection against TB, underlying mechanisms of action, and benefits in various groups and geographical areas, the BCG vaccine is yet again a focus of global attention- this time due to the global COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Recent studies have shown that human CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells primed with a BCG-derived peptide developed high reactivity to its corresponding SARS-CoV-2-derived peptide. Furthermore, BCG vaccine has been shown to substantially increase interferon-gamma (IFN-g) production and its effects on CD4+ T-cells and these non-specific immune responses through adjuvant effect could be harnessed as cross protection against severe forms of COVID-19.The completion of ongoing BGG trials is important as they may shed light on the mechanisms underlying BCG-mediated immunity and could lead to improved efficacy, increased tolerance of treatment, and identification of other ways of combining BCG with other immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean B Nachega
- Department of Medicine and Center for Infectious Diseases, Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, and Center for Global Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals, London, UK.
| | - Markus Maeurer
- ImmunoSurgery Unit, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal; Medizinische Klinik, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals, London, UK.
| | - Nadia A Sam-Agudu
- International Research Center of Excellence, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria; Institute of Human Virology and Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA; Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals, London, UK.
| | - Jeremiah Chakaya
- Department of Medicine, Therapeutics, Dermatology and Psychiatry, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals, London, UK.
| | - Patrick D M Katoto
- Department of Medicine and Center for Infectious Diseases, Stellenbosch University Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals, London, UK.
| | - Alimuddin Zumla
- Department of Medicine, Therapeutics, Dermatology and Psychiatry, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London Hospitals, London, UK.
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Sumbul B, Sumbul HE, Okyay RA, Gülümsek E, Şahin AR, Boral B, Koçyiğit BF, Alfishawy M, Gold J, Tasdogan AM. Is there a link between pre-existing antibodies acquired due to childhood vaccinations or past infections and COVID-19? A case control study. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10910. [PMID: 33614298 PMCID: PMC7879941 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is growing evidence indicating that children are less affected from COVID-19. Some authors speculate that childhood vaccinations may provide some cross-protection against COVID-19. In this study, our aim was to compare the circulating antibody titers for multiple childhood vaccine antigens, as an indicator of the state of immune memory between patients with COVID-19 and healthy controls, with a specific aim to identify the association between disease severity and antibody titrations which may indicate a protective function related to vaccine or disease induced memory. Methods This study is a case-control study including 53 patients with COVID-19 and 40 healthy volunteers. COVID-19 severity was divided into three groups: asymptomatic, mild and severe. We measured the same set of antibody titers for vaccine antigens, and a set of biochemical and infection markers, in both the case and control groups. Results Rubella (p = 0.003), pneumococcus (p = 0.002), and Bordetella pertussis (p < 0.0001) titers were found to be significantly lower in the case group than the control group. There was a significant decline in pneumococcus titers with severity of disease (p = 0.021) and a significant association with disease severity for Bordetella pertussis titers (p = 0.014) among COVID patients. Levels of AST, procalcitonin, ferritin and D-dimer significantly increased with the disease severity. Discussion Our study supports the hypothesis that pre-existing immune memory, as monitored using circulating antibodies, acquired from childhood vaccinations, or past infections confer some protection against COVID-19. Randomized controlled studies are needed to support a definitive conclusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilge Sumbul
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Bezmialem Vakıf University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hilmi Erdem Sumbul
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Ramazan Azim Okyay
- Department of Public Health, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
| | - Erdinç Gülümsek
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Ahmet Rıza Şahin
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
| | - Baris Boral
- Department of Microbiology, University of Health Sciences, Adana Health Practice and Research Center, Adana, Turkey
| | - Burhan Fatih Koçyiğit
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Faculty of Medicine, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
| | - Mostafa Alfishawy
- Infectious Diseases Consultants and Academic Researchers of Egypt (IDCARE), Cairo, Egypt
| | | | - Alİ Muhittin Tasdogan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Hasan Kalyoncu University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gaziantep, Turkey
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Current limitations to identify COVID-19 using artificial intelligence with chest X-ray imaging. HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGY 2021; 11:411-424. [PMID: 33585153 PMCID: PMC7864619 DOI: 10.1007/s12553-021-00520-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The scientific community has joined forces to mitigate the scope of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The early identification of the disease, as well as the evaluation of its evolution is a primary task for the timely application of medical protocols. The use of medical images of the chest provides valuable information to specialists. Specifically, chest X-ray images have been the focus of many investigations that apply artificial intelligence techniques for the automatic classification of this disease. The results achieved to date on the subject are promising. However, some results of these investigations contain errors that must be corrected to obtain appropriate models for clinical use. This research discusses some of the problems found in the current scientific literature on the application of artificial intelligence techniques in the automatic classification of COVID-19. It is evident that in most of the reviewed works an incorrect evaluation protocol is applied, which leads to overestimating the results.
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Chekhlabi N, Arrab R, Ettair S, Dini N. [Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on childhood immunization in Morocco: electronic survey of 103 pediatricians]. Pan Afr Med J 2021; 38:134. [PMID: 33912304 PMCID: PMC8052612 DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2021.38.134.24104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction no one can deny that vaccination against several serious diseases in the world, and particularly in Morocco, has given very satisfactory protective results. The extension of the COVID-19 pandemic in our country has led to a significant decline in childhood immunization, which could have severe repercussions increasing the risk of future outbreaks. Hence, the measures of the Ministry of Health to correct the situation. The purpose of this study was to highlight the extent of vaccine release during COVID-19 pandemic and to make recommendations to restore vaccination programmes. Methods we conducted a cross-sectional study of the effect of containment measures during this pandemic on the monitoring of children´s vaccinations. We conducted a national survey of pediatricians using an electronic questionnaire administered via Google Forms. We collected, analyzed and interpreted the results. Results one hundred and three Moroccan pediatricians answered the questionnaire. More than 2-thirds (78.6%) of pediatricians practiced in the private sector and delivered vaccines in the immunization schedule. The majority of pediatricians (95%) were asked about parental vaccine concerns. We noted that 82.5% of parents were reluctant to go to the local health department and 5.8% refused to take vaccination during COVID-19 pandemic. About 22% of pediatricians completely stopped immunization services and 72.8% delayed immunizations from 3 to 4 weeks. Vaccination stoppage involved older children in two thirds of cases. Conclusion it is essential to maintain public confidence in vaccination. Ongoing and timely assessment of vaccine coverage as well as clear recommendations and broad public awareness are essential to respond to vaccine changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabila Chekhlabi
- Service de Pédiatrie, Hôpital International Universitaire Cheikh Khalifa Ibn Zayed, BP 82403 Oum Rabii, Hay Hassani Boulevard Mohamed Taieb Naciri, Casablanca, Maroc.,Université Mohammed VI des Sciences de la Santé UM6SS, Anfa City, Boulevard Mohammed Taïeb Naciri, Hay Hassani 82 403 Casablanca, Maroc
| | - Raja Arrab
- Service de Pédiatrie, Hôpital International Universitaire Cheikh Khalifa Ibn Zayed, BP 82403 Oum Rabii, Hay Hassani Boulevard Mohamed Taieb Naciri, Casablanca, Maroc.,Université Mohammed VI des Sciences de la Santé UM6SS, Anfa City, Boulevard Mohammed Taïeb Naciri, Hay Hassani 82 403 Casablanca, Maroc
| | - Said Ettair
- Service de Pédiatrie, Hôpital International Universitaire Cheikh Khalifa Ibn Zayed, BP 82403 Oum Rabii, Hay Hassani Boulevard Mohamed Taieb Naciri, Casablanca, Maroc.,Faculté de Médecine de Rabat, Université Mohammed V, Rabat, Maroc
| | - Nouzha Dini
- Service de Pédiatrie, Hôpital International Universitaire Cheikh Khalifa Ibn Zayed, BP 82403 Oum Rabii, Hay Hassani Boulevard Mohamed Taieb Naciri, Casablanca, Maroc.,Faculté de Médecine de Rabat, Université Mohammed V, Rabat, Maroc
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Abdel Baki A, Zaky S, Hosny H, Elassal G, Abdelbary A, Said A, Kamal E, Asem N, Ibrahim H, Eid A, Amin W, El Badry M, Mossa A, El-Raey F, Baghdady S, Tahoon M, Hassany M, Zaid H. COVID-19 in Egyptian Children: A Multicenter Study. J PEDIAT INF DIS-GER 2021. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1722284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Objective The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has made its worldwide spread since its outbreak in December 2019. Limited information is available about the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of COVID-19, especially in Africa and Egypt.
Methods We aimed to study the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in Egyptian children. This is an observational retrospective cohort study performed at two specialized COVID-19 isolation hospitals in Egypt. All admitted COVID-19 pediatric patients between March 20, 2020, and May 1, 2020, were included in the study.
Discussion This study included 40 COVID-19 confirmed cases (mean age, 9.4 years), 67.5% were male, 85% were asymptomatic, and 15% had mild symptoms. There were no confirmed severe or critically ill cases among the patients.
Conclusion COVID-19 runs in a benign course in Egyptian children with no mortality and no significant morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Abdel Baki
- Department of Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Samy Zaky
- Department of Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Hossam Hosny
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Gehan Elassal
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Akram Abdelbary
- Department of Critical Care, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ahmad Said
- Department of Critical Care, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ehab Kamal
- Division of Tropical Medicine Medical Research, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
| | - Noha Asem
- Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
- Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt
| | - Hamdy Ibrahim
- Department of Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Alaa Eid
- Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt
| | - Wagdy Amin
- Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt
| | - Mohamed El Badry
- Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology Department, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt
| | - Abdelmajeed Mossa
- Tropical Medicine and Gastroenterology Department, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt
| | - Fathiya El-Raey
- Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases Department, Al-Azhar University, Damietta, Egypt
| | - Shazly Baghdady
- Department of Chest, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt
| | - Marwa Tahoon
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Menofia Governorate, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Hassany
- Department of Hepatogastroenterology and Infectious Diseases, National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt
- Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt
| | - Hala Zaid
- Ministry of Health and Population, Egypt
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Rasker JJ, Linn-Rasker SP. VACCINATION WITH MMR MAY REDUCE DISEASE SEVERITY IN COVID-19 PATIENTS. CENTRAL ASIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL HYPOTHESES AND ETHICS 2021. [DOI: 10.47316/cajmhe.2020.1.2.04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
We hypothesise that MMR vaccination is possibly a safe, cheap, effective and readily available method to reduce the severity of COVID-19 disease course in health care workers, elderly patients and other people at risk. The evidence is based on relevant literature. Suggestions for further studies are given.
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14
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Malik YS, Ansari MI, Ganesh B, Sircar S, Bhat S, Pande T, Vinodhkumar OR, Kumar P, Iqbal Yatoo M, Tiwari R, Touil N, Patel SK, Pathak M, Sharun K, Dhama K. BCG vaccine: a hope to control COVID-19 pandemic amid crisis. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020; 16:2954-2962. [PMID: 32991235 PMCID: PMC7544963 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1818522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2 has gripped essentially all countries in the world, and has infected millions and killed hundreds of thousands of people. Several innovative approaches are in development to restrain the spread of SARS-CoV-2. In particular, BCG, a vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), is being considered as an alternative therapeutic modality. BCG vaccine is known to induce both humoral and adaptive immunities, thereby activating both nonspecific and cross-reactive immune responses in the host, which combined could effectively resist other pathogens including SARS-CoV-2. Notably, some studies have revealed that SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, case positivity, and mortality rate have been higher in countries that have not adopted BCG vaccination than in countries that have done so. This review presents an overview of the concepts underlying BCG vaccination and its nonspecific immuological effects and protection, resulting in 'trained immunity' and potential utility for resisting COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yashpal Singh Malik
- Division of Biological Standardization, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mohd Ikram Ansari
- Division of Biological Standardization, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Balasubramanian Ganesh
- Department of Health Research (DHR), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, Laboratory Division, ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology, (Indian Council of Medical Research), Ayapakkam, Chennai-Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Shubhankar Sircar
- Division of Biological Standardization, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sudipta Bhat
- Division of Biological Standardization, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Tripti Pande
- Division of Biological Standardization, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - OR Vinodhkumar
- Division of Epidemiology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Amity Institute of Virology and Immunology, J-3 Block, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mohd Iqbal Yatoo
- Division of Veterinary Clinical Complex, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Sher-E-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| | - Ruchi Tiwari
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Sciences, UP Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhayay Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalay Evum Go-Anusandhan Sansthan (DUVASU), Mathura, India
| | - Nadia Touil
- Laboratoire De Recherche Et De Biosécurité, Hôpital Militaire D’instruction Med V De, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Shailesh Kumar Patel
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Mamta Pathak
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Khan Sharun
- Division of Surgery, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Kuldeep Dhama
- Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
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15
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Ismail MB, Omari SA, Rafei R, Dabboussi F, Hamze M. COVID-19 in children: Could pertussis vaccine play the protective role? Med Hypotheses 2020; 145:110305. [PMID: 33032174 PMCID: PMC7521348 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
While COVID-19 continues to spread across the globe, diligent efforts are made to understand its attributes and dynamics to help develop treatment and prevention measures. The paradox pertaining to children being the least affected by severe illness poses exciting opportunities to investigate potential protective factors. In this paper, we propose that childhood vaccination against pertussis (whooping cough) might play a non-specific protective role against COVID-19 through heterologous adaptive responses in this young population. Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable infectious disease of the respiratory tract and it shares many similarities with COVID-19 including transmission and clinical features. Although pertussis is caused by a bacterium (Bordetella pertussis) while COVID-19 is a viral infection (SARS-CoV-2), previous data showed that cross-reactivity and heterologous adaptive responses can be seen with unrelated agents of highly divergent groups, such as between bacteria and viruses. While we build the arguments of this hypothesis on theoretical and previous empirical evidence, we also outline suggested lines of research from different fields to test its credibility. Besides, we highlight some concerns that may arise when attempting to consider such an approach as a potential public health preventive intervention against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad Bachar Ismail
- Laboratoire Microbiologie, Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon; Faculty of Sciences, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Sarah Al Omari
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rayane Rafei
- Laboratoire Microbiologie, Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Fouad Dabboussi
- Laboratoire Microbiologie, Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon
| | - Monzer Hamze
- Laboratoire Microbiologie, Santé et Environnement (LMSE), Doctoral School of Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanese University, Tripoli, Lebanon.
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16
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Ilic I, Zdravkovic M, Timcic S, Stojanovic DU, Bojic M, Loncar G. Pneumonia in medical professionals during COVID-19 outbreak in cardiovascular hospital. Int J Infect Dis 2020; 103:188-193. [PMID: 33220441 PMCID: PMC7674984 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.11.156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives The pandemic of coronavirus associated disease (COVID-19) placed the health care workers at high risk. We investigated clinical and treatment characteristics of infected medical professionals in a cardiovascular hospital. Methods The study was retrospective, conducted in tertiary cardiovascular hospital and included employees with confirmed coronavirus infection. They filled out a questionnaire about health status, symptoms, admission to hospital and treatment. The vaccination status against tuberculosis, hepatitis B and seasonal influenza was assessed. Pneumonia was defined as CT finding of ground glass opacifications (GGO) with consolidations typical for COVID-19. Results The study included 107 confirmed cases of COVID - 19 out of 726 employees (15%). Most of the infected were from cardiac surgery department (74/107, 69%). Substantial number of employees did not have any symptoms [31 (28.9%)] and 38 patients (35.5%) were admitted to hospital. The average hospital length of stay was 8.1 ± 5.6 days. Seventy-five of 107 (70.1%) received seasonal influenza vaccine. Pneumonia with CT features of GGO and consolidation occurred in 25/107 (23.4%) patients of which 14/107 (13.1%) had bilateral involvement. In multivariate logistic regression analysis including recognized characteristics associated with worse outcomes in COVID-19 (obesity, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, current smoking, heart failure, influenza immunization), only influenza immunization remained an independent predictor of occurrence of bilateral pneumonia (OR 0.207; 95%CI[0.050 – 0.847]; p = 0.029). Conclusions The association of influenza immunization and less aggressive form of pneumonia might provide a finding that supports the institution of preventive measures that can be beneficial in reduction of global coronavirus burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Ilic
- Department of cardiology, Institute for cardiovascular diseases Dedinje, Belgrade, Serbia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
| | - Marina Zdravkovic
- Department of cardiology, Institute for cardiovascular diseases Dedinje, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Stefan Timcic
- Department of cardiology, Institute for cardiovascular diseases Dedinje, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragana Unic Stojanovic
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia; Department of anaesthesia and intensive care medicine, Institute for cardiovascular diseases Dedinje, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Milovan Bojic
- Department of cardiology, Institute for cardiovascular diseases Dedinje, Belgrade, Serbia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Goran Loncar
- Department of cardiology, Institute for cardiovascular diseases Dedinje, Belgrade, Serbia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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17
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Beric-Stojsic B, Kalabalik-Hoganson J, Rizzolo D, Roy S. Childhood Immunization and COVID-19: An Early Narrative Review. Front Public Health 2020; 8:587007. [PMID: 33194993 PMCID: PMC7655788 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.587007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has evolved into arguably the largest global public health crisis in recent history—especially in the absence of a safe and effective vaccine or an effective anti-viral treatment. As reported, the virus seems to less commonly infect children and causing less severe symptoms among infected children. This narrative review provides an inclusive view of scientific hypotheses, logical derivation, and early analyses that substantiate or refute such conjectures. At the completion of a relatively less restrictive search of this evolving topic, 13 articles—all published in 2020, were included in this early narrative review. Directional themes arising from the identified literature imply the potential relationship between childhood vaccination and COVID-19—either based on the potential genomic and immunological protective effects of heterologous immunity, or based on observational associations of cross-immunity among vaccines and other prior endemic diseases. Our review suggests that immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus in children is different than in adults, resulting in differences in the levels of severity of symptoms and outcomes of the disease in different age groups. Further clinical investigations are warranted of at least three childhood vaccines: BCG, MMR, and HEP-A for their potential protective role against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bojana Beric-Stojsic
- MPH Program, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ, United States
| | - Julie Kalabalik-Hoganson
- MPH Program, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ, United States
| | - Denise Rizzolo
- MPH Program, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ, United States
| | - Sanjoy Roy
- MPH Program, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ, United States
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18
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Ovali F. Coronavirus-2019 Disease (COVID-19) in Children. Medeni Med J 2020; 35:242-252. [PMID: 33110677 PMCID: PMC7584265 DOI: 10.5222/mmj.2020.77675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 disease affects all ages, but severe cases of the disease and mortality are very rarely seen among children. In most cases, they acquire the virus from their parents or from an another infected person. The exact reasons why the disease has a milder course in children is unknown but high numbers of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptors, underdeveloped immune responses, cross-reaction with other viruses, protective effect of fetal hemoglobin and fewer outdoor activities as well as journeys, and nonexposure to air pollution, and smoking. Although many cases are asymptomatic, they can still shed the virus. Materno-fetal vertical transmission has not been shown so far. In symptomatic cases, clinical findings include fever and respiratory symptoms, followed by diarrhea and vomiting. There are signs indicating a possible association between Kawasaki disease and COVID-19. Clinical findings and diagnostic procedures in newborns, and older children are similar. Supportive therapy is essential and antiviral agents are not required in most cases. During cytokine storm, anti-inflammatory treatments may be tried. There is no evidence for transmission through breastmilk; therefore infected mothers should breastfeed their infants by taking all precautions. Routine immunizations of children should not be deferred during COVID-19 outbreak period. Psychological support for children who need to stay at home and for healthcare personnel should be provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahri Ovali
- Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Istanbul, Turkey
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19
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Soleimanian S, Yaghobi R. Harnessing Memory NK Cell to Protect Against COVID-19. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:1309. [PMID: 32973527 PMCID: PMC7468462 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.01309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The worldwide struggle against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a public health crisis continues to sweep across the globe. Up to now, effective antiviral treatment against COVID-19 is not available. Therefore, throughout virus infections, a thorough clarification of the virus-host immune system interactions will be most probably helpful to encounter these challenges. Emerging evidence suggests that just like SARS and MERS, COVID-19 primarily suppresses the innate immune system, enabling its stable propagation during the early stage of infection. Consequently, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines have been increasing during infection progression associated with severe lung pathology. It is imperative to consider hyper inflammation in vaccine designing, as vaccine-induced immune responses must have a protective role against infection without leading to immunopathology. Among the front-line responders to viral infections, Natural Killer (NK) cells have immense therapeutic potential, forming a bridge between innate and adaptive responses. A subset of NK cells exhibits putatively increased effector functions against viruses following pathogen-specific and immunization. Memory NK cells have higher cytotoxicity and effector activity, compared with the conventional NK cells. As a pioneering strategy, prompt accumulation and long-term maintenance of these memory NK cells could be an efficacious viral treatment. According to the high prevalence of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in the world, it remains to be determined whether HCMV adaptive NK cells could play a protective role against this new emerging virus. In addition, the new adaptive-like KIR+NKG2C+ NK cell subset (the adaptive-like lung tissue residue [tr]NK cell) in the context of the respiratory infection at this site could specifically exhibit the expansion upon COVID-19. Another aspect of NK cells we should note, utilizing modified NK cells such as allogeneic off-the-shelf CAR-NK cells as a state-of-the-art strategy for the treatment of COVID-19. In this line, we speculate introducing NKG2C into chimeric antigen receptors in NK cells might be a potential approach in future viral immunotherapy for emerging viruses. In this contribution, we will briefly discuss the current status and future perspective of NK cells, which provide to successfully exploit NK cell-mediated antiviral activity that may offer important new tools in COVID-19 treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ramin Yaghobi
- Shiraz Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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20
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Nofal A, Fawzy MM, Abdelmaksoud A, El-Hawary EE. Intralesional antigen immunotherapy for warts in the era of COVID-19. J DERMATOL TREAT 2020; 33:1774. [PMID: 32772744 DOI: 10.1080/09546634.2020.1808152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Nofal
- Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.,Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Mohamed M Fawzy
- Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.,Member of Interactive Dermatology Research Group, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Ayman Abdelmaksoud
- Dermatology, Venereology and Andrology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.,Mansoura Dermatology and Leprology Hospital, Mansoura, Egypt
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21
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Abuo-Rahma GEDA, Mohamed MFA, Ibrahim TS, Shoman ME, Samir E, Abd El-Baky RM. Potential repurposed SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection drugs. RSC Adv 2020; 10:26895-26916. [PMID: 35515773 PMCID: PMC9055522 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra05821a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The global outbreak of COVID-19 viral infection is associated with the absence of specific drug(s) for fighting this viral infection. About 10 million people are already infected, about 500 000 deaths all over the world to date. Great efforts have been made to find solutions for this viral infection, either vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, or small molecule drugs; this can stop the spread of infection to avoid the expected human, economic and social catastrophe associated with this infection. In the literature and during clinical trials in hospitals, several FDA approved drugs for different diseases have the potential to treat or reduce the severity of COVID-19. Repurposing of these drugs as potential agents to treat COVID-19 reduces the time and cost to find effective COVID-19 agents. This review article summarizes the present situation of transmission, pathogenesis and statistics of COVID-19 in the world. Moreover, it includes chemistry, mechanism of action at the molecular level of the possible drug molecules which are liable for redirection as potential COVID-19 therapeutic agents. This includes polymerase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, malaria drugs, lipid lowering statins, rheumatoid arthritis drugs and some miscellaneous agents. We offer research data and knowledge about the chemistry and biology of potential COVID-19 drugs for the research community in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gamal El-Din A Abuo-Rahma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University 61519 Minia Egypt +20 1003069431
| | - Mamdouh F A Mohamed
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sohag University 82524 Sohag Egypt
| | - Tarek S Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, King Abdulaziz University Jeddah 21589 Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University Zagazig 44519 Egypt
| | - Mai E Shoman
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University 61519 Minia Egypt +20 1003069431
| | - Ebtihal Samir
- Physical Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Deraya University Minia 11566 Egypt
| | - Rehab M Abd El-Baky
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University 61519 Minia Egypt
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Deraya University Minia 11566 Egypt
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22
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Significantly Improved COVID-19 Outcomes in Countries with Higher BCG Vaccination Coverage: A Multivariable Analysis. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8030378. [PMID: 32664505 PMCID: PMC7563451 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8030378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic that started in China has spread within 3 months to the entire globe. We tested the hypothesis that the vaccination against tuberculosis by Bacille Calmette–Guérin vaccine (BCG) correlates with a better outcome for COVID-19 patients. Our analysis covers 55 countries complying with predetermined thresholds on the population size and number of deaths per million (DPM). We found a strong negative correlation between the years of BCG administration and the DPM along with the progress of the pandemic, corroborated by permutation tests. The results from multivariable regression tests with 23 economic, demographic, health-related, and pandemic restriction-related quantitative properties, substantiate the dominant contribution of BCG years to the COVID-19 outcomes. The analysis of countries according to an age-group partition reveals that the strongest correlation is attributed to the coverage in BCG vaccination of the young population (0–24 years). Furthermore, a strong correlation and statistical significance are associated with the degree of BCG coverage for the most recent 15 years, but no association was observed in these years for other broadly used vaccination protocols for measles and rubella. We propose that BCG immunization coverage, especially among the most recently vaccinated population, contribute to attenuation of the spread and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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23
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Lund Håheim L. Epithelial cilia is the first line of defence against Coronavirus; addressing the observed age-gradient in the COVID-19 infection. Med Hypotheses 2020; 143:110064. [PMID: 32645659 PMCID: PMC7329669 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.110064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lise Lund Håheim
- Institute for Oral Biology, Dental Faculty, University of Oslo, Norway.
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24
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Ucar F, Korkmaz D. COVIDiagnosis-Net: Deep Bayes-SqueezeNet based diagnosis of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from X-ray images. Med Hypotheses 2020; 140:109761. [PMID: 32344309 PMCID: PMC7179515 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 400] [Impact Index Per Article: 100.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has a tremendous impact on global health and the daily life of people still living in more than two hundred countries. The crucial action to gain the force in the fight of COVID-19 is to have powerful monitoring of the site forming infected patients. Most of the initial tests rely on detecting the genetic material of the coronavirus, and they have a poor detection rate with the time-consuming operation. In the ongoing process, radiological imaging is also preferred where chest X-rays are highlighted in the diagnosis. Early studies express the patients with an abnormality in chest X-rays pointing to the presence of the COVID-19. On this motivation, there are several studies cover the deep learning-based solutions to detect the COVID-19 using chest X-rays. A part of the existing studies use non-public datasets, others perform on complicated Artificial Intelligent (AI) structures. In our study, we demonstrate an AI-based structure to outperform the existing studies. The SqueezeNet that comes forward with its light network design is tuned for the COVID-19 diagnosis with Bayesian optimization additive. Fine-tuned hyperparameters and augmented dataset make the proposed network perform much better than existing network designs and to obtain a higher COVID-19 diagnosis accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferhat Ucar
- Firat University, Faculty of Technology, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Elazig 23119, Turkey
| | - Deniz Korkmaz
- Malatya Turgut Ozal University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Electrical Engineering, Malatya 44210, Turkey
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25
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Fahmy DH, El-Amawy HS, El-Samongy MA, Fouda AA, Soliman SH, El-Kady A, Farnetani F, Conti A, Zoeir A, Eissa A, Eissa R, Puliatti S, Sighinolfi MC, Rocco B, Pellacani G. COVID-19 and dermatology: a comprehensive guide for dermatologists. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2020; 34:1388-1394. [PMID: 32428303 PMCID: PMC7276795 DOI: 10.1111/jdv.16545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Linked articles: COVID‐19 SPECIAL FORUM. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2020; 34: e291–e310.
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Affiliation(s)
- D H Fahmy
- Dermatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - H S El-Amawy
- Dermatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - M A El-Samongy
- Dermatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - A A Fouda
- Dermatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - S H Soliman
- Dermatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - A El-Kady
- Dermatology Department, El-Menshawy Hospital, Ministry of Health & Population, Tanta, Egypt
| | - F Farnetani
- Dermatology Department, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - A Conti
- Dermatology Department, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria of Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - A Zoeir
- Urology Department, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Urology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - A Eissa
- Urology Department, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,Urology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - R Eissa
- Microbiology & Virology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - S Puliatti
- Urology Department, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.,ORSI Academy, Melle, Belgium
| | - M C Sighinolfi
- Urology Department, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - B Rocco
- Urology Department, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - G Pellacani
- Dermatology Department, University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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26
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Gasparyan AY, Misra DP, Yessirkepov M, Zimba O. Perspectives of Immune Therapy in Coronavirus Disease 2019. J Korean Med Sci 2020; 35:e176. [PMID: 32383371 PMCID: PMC7211516 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2020.35.e176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The global fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is largely based on strategies to boost immune responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and prevent its severe course and complications. The human defence may include antibodies which interact with SARS-CoV-2 and neutralize its aggressive actions on multiple organ systems. Protective cross-reactivity of antibodies against measles and other known viral infections has been postulated, primarily as a result of the initial observations of asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 in children. Uncontrolled case series have demonstrated virus-neutralizing effect of convalescent plasma, supporting its efficiency at early stages of contracting SARS-CoV-2. Given the variability of the virus structure, the utility of convalescent plasma is limited to the geographic area of its preparation, and for a short period of time. Intravenous immunoglobulin may also be protective in view of its nonspecific antiviral and immunomodulatory effects. Finally, human monoclonal antibodies may interact with some SARS-CoV-2 proteins, inhibiting the virus-receptor interaction and prevent tissue injury. The improved understanding of the host antiviral responses may help develop safe and effective immunotherapeutic strategies against COVID-19 in the foreseeable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armen Yuri Gasparyan
- Departments of Rheumatology and Research and Development, Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust (Teaching Trust of the University of Birmingham, UK), Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, West Midlands, UK.
| | - Durga Prasanna Misra
- Department of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow, India
| | - Marlen Yessirkepov
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, Shymkent, Kazakhstan
| | - Olena Zimba
- Department of Internal Medicine No. 2, Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University, Lviv, Ukraine
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Salem ML, El-Hennawy D. The possible beneficial adjuvant effect of influenza vaccine to minimize the severity of COVID-19. Med Hypotheses 2020; 140:109752. [PMID: 32361099 PMCID: PMC7194943 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Labib Salem
- Immunology and Biotechnology Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt; Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, Tanta University Teaching Hospital, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.
| | - Dina El-Hennawy
- Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, Tanta University Teaching Hospital, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt; First Health Office, Basyun Central Hospital, Basyun, AlGharbiya, Egypt.
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