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Pushpakumara PD, Jeewandara C, Bary F, Madushanka D, Perera L, Aberathna IS, Nimasha T, Jayamali J, Ranasinghe T, Kuruppu H, Danasekara S, Wijewickrama A, Ogg GS, Malavige GN. Identification of differences in the magnitude and specificity of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody responses in naturally infected and vaccinated individuals. Clin Exp Immunol 2024; 215:268-278. [PMID: 37313783 PMCID: PMC10876109 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxad066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
As there are limited data on B-cell epitopes for the nucleocapsid protein in SARS-CoV-2, we sought to identify the immunodominant regions within the N protein, recognized by patients with varying severity of natural infection with the Wuhan strain (WT), delta, omicron, and in those who received the Sinopharm vaccines, which is an inactivated, whole virus vaccine. Using overlapping peptides representing the N protein, with an in-house ELISA, we mapped the immunodominant regions within the N protein, in seronegative (n = 30), WT infected (n = 30), delta infected (n = 30), omicron infected + vaccinated (n = 20) and Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV) vaccinees (n = 30). We then investigated the sensitivity and specificity of these immunodominant regions and analyzed their conservation with other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, seasonal human coronaviruses, and bat Sarbecoviruses. We identified four immunodominant regions aa 29-52, aa 155-178, aa 274-297, and aa 365-388, which were highly conserved within SARS-CoV-2 and the bat coronaviruses. The magnitude of responses to these regions varied based on the infecting SARS-CoV-2 variants, >80% of individuals gave responses above the positive cut-off threshold to many of the four regions, with some differences with individuals who were infected with different VoCs. These regions were found to be 100% specific, as none of the seronegative individuals gave any responses. As these regions were highly specific with high sensitivity, they have a potential to be used to develop diagnostic assays and to be used in development of vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Darshana Pushpakumara
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Chandima Jeewandara
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Farha Bary
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Deshan Madushanka
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Lahiru Perera
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Inoka Sepali Aberathna
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Thashmi Nimasha
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Jeewantha Jayamali
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Thushali Ranasinghe
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Heshan Kuruppu
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Saubhagya Danasekara
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | | | - Graham S Ogg
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gathsaurie Neelika Malavige
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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2
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Quinn GA, Connolly M, Fenton NE, Hatfill SJ, Hynds P, ÓhAiseadha C, Sikora K, Soon W, Connolly R. Influence of Seasonality and Public-Health Interventions on the COVID-19 Pandemic in Northern Europe. J Clin Med 2024; 13:334. [PMID: 38256468 PMCID: PMC10816378 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13020334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most government efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic revolved around non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and vaccination. However, many respiratory diseases show distinctive seasonal trends. In this manuscript, we examined the contribution of these three factors to the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Pearson correlation coefficients and time-lagged analysis were used to examine the relationship between NPIs, vaccinations and seasonality (using the average incidence of endemic human beta-coronaviruses in Sweden over a 10-year period as a proxy) and the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic as tracked by deaths; cases; hospitalisations; intensive care unit occupancy and testing positivity rates in six Northern European countries (population 99.12 million) using a population-based, observational, ecological study method. FINDINGS The waves of the pandemic correlated well with the seasonality of human beta-coronaviruses (HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-HKU1). In contrast, we could not find clear or consistent evidence that the stringency of NPIs or vaccination reduced the progression of the pandemic. However, these results are correlations and not causations. IMPLICATIONS We hypothesise that the apparent influence of NPIs and vaccines might instead be an effect of coronavirus seasonality. We suggest that policymakers consider these results when assessing policy options for future pandemics. LIMITATIONS The study is limited to six temperate Northern European countries with spatial and temporal variations in metrics used to track the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caution should be exercised when extrapolating these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerry A. Quinn
- Centre for Molecular Biosciences, Ulster University, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK
| | | | - Norman E. Fenton
- School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | | | - Paul Hynds
- Spatiotemporal Environmental Epidemiology Research (STEER) Group, Environmental Sustainability & Health Institute, Technological University Dublin, D07 H6K8 Dublin, Ireland
- Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geoscience, University College Dublin, D04 F438 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Coilín ÓhAiseadha
- Spatiotemporal Environmental Epidemiology Research (STEER) Group, Environmental Sustainability & Health Institute, Technological University Dublin, D07 H6K8 Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Public Health, Health Service Executive, Dr Steevens’ Hospital, D08 W2A8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Karol Sikora
- Department of Medicine, University of Buckingham Medical School, Buckingham MK18 1EG, UK
| | - Willie Soon
- Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science (ELKH EPSS), H-9400 Sopron, Hungary
- Center for Environmental Research and Earth Sciences (CERES), Salem, MA 01970, USA
| | - Ronan Connolly
- Independent Researcher, D08 Dublin, Ireland
- Center for Environmental Research and Earth Sciences (CERES), Salem, MA 01970, USA
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3
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Mohammadpour A, Rezaei Z, Parvari A, Alami A, Taghavi M, Hajighasemkhan A, Khosravan S, Kalankesh LR. Covid-19 outbreak associated with demographic-meteorological factors in the arid and semi-arid region Iran: case study Gonabad city, 2020-2021. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH 2024; 34:30-39. [PMID: 36175180 DOI: 10.1080/09603123.2022.2125161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Since the (Covid-19) pandemic outbreak, questioning regarding climate and incident of Covid-19 infection rates has been debated, while there is no clear research evidence until now in Iran. This study has focused on investigating the association between Covid-19 cases and demographic -meteorological factors in arid and semi-arid zones of Iran (from March 1, 2020, to January 31, 2022) by analyzing with Via Poisson and negative binomial regression. As a result, the incidence rate of both Covid-19 hospitalization and mortality cases reached peaks in the summer followed by the autumn. Interestingly, Covid-19 hospitalization cases are associated with humidity, temperature, and wind factors seasonally and monthly, but mortality cases are just associated with wind. In conclusion, the result demonstrated that demographicand meteorological factorsare positively and negatively associated with Covid-19 cases. Therefore, identifying the environmental factors contributing to the excess Covid-19 can help to prevent future pandemic waves in Iranian arid and semi-arid zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Mohammadpour
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical sciences, Gonabad, Iran
| | - Zahed Rezaei
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical sciences, Gonabad, Iran
| | - Arash Parvari
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics school of public Health, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Alami
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical sciences, Gonabad, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Taghavi
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical sciences, Gonabad, Iran
| | - AliReza Hajighasemkhan
- School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahla Khosravan
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical sciences, Gonabad, Iran
| | - Laleh R Kalankesh
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical sciences, Gonabad, Iran
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4
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Atchison CJ, Davies B, Cooper E, Lound A, Whitaker M, Hampshire A, Azor A, Donnelly CA, Chadeau-Hyam M, Cooke GS, Ward H, Elliott P. Long-term health impacts of COVID-19 among 242,712 adults in England. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6588. [PMID: 37875536 PMCID: PMC10598213 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41879-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a lasting impact on health and well-being. We compare current self-reported health, quality of life and symptom profiles for people with ongoing symptoms following COVID-19 to those who have never tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection and those who have recovered from COVID-19. Overall, 276,840/800,000 (34·6%) of invited participants took part. Mental health and health-related quality of life were worse among participants with ongoing persistent symptoms post-COVID compared with those who had never had COVID-19 or had recovered. In this study, median duration of COVID-related symptoms (N = 130,251) was 1·3 weeks (inter-quartile range 6 days to 2 weeks), with 7·5% and 5·2% reporting ongoing symptoms ≥12 weeks and ≥52 weeks respectively. Female sex, ≥1 comorbidity and being infected when Wild-type variant was dominant were associated with higher probability of symptoms lasting ≥12 weeks and longer recovery time in those with persistent symptoms. Although COVID-19 is usually of short duration, some adults experience persistent and burdensome illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Atchison
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Bethan Davies
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Emily Cooper
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Adam Lound
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew Whitaker
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Adam Hampshire
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Adriana Azor
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Christl A Donnelly
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- MRC Centre for Global infectious Disease Analysis and Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Health Data Research (HDR) UK London at Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Graham S Cooke
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Helen Ward
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Global infectious Disease Analysis and Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics, Imperial College London, London, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
| | - Paul Elliott
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
- Health Data Research (HDR) UK London at Imperial College, London, UK.
- National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College, London, UK.
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Eales O, Haw D, Wang H, Atchison C, Ashby D, Cooke GS, Barclay W, Ward H, Darzi A, Donnelly CA, Chadeau-Hyam M, Elliott P, Riley S. Dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalisation and infection fatality ratios over 23 months in England. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002118. [PMID: 37228015 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The relationship between prevalence of infection and severe outcomes such as hospitalisation and death changed over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reliable estimates of the infection fatality ratio (IFR) and infection hospitalisation ratio (IHR) along with the time-delay between infection and hospitalisation/death can inform forecasts of the numbers/timing of severe outcomes and allow healthcare services to better prepare for periods of increased demand. The REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission-1 (REACT-1) study estimated swab positivity for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in England approximately monthly from May 2020 to March 2022. Here, we analyse the changing relationship between prevalence of swab positivity and the IFR and IHR over this period in England, using publicly available data for the daily number of deaths and hospitalisations, REACT-1 swab positivity data, time-delay models, and Bayesian P-spline models. We analyse data for all age groups together, as well as in 2 subgroups: those aged 65 and over and those aged 64 and under. Additionally, we analysed the relationship between swab positivity and daily case numbers to estimate the case ascertainment rate of England's mass testing programme. During 2020, we estimated the IFR to be 0.67% and the IHR to be 2.6%. By late 2021/early 2022, the IFR and IHR had both decreased to 0.097% and 0.76%, respectively. The average case ascertainment rate over the entire duration of the study was estimated to be 36.1%, but there was some significant variation in continuous estimates of the case ascertainment rate. Continuous estimates of the IFR and IHR of the virus were observed to increase during the periods of Alpha and Delta's emergence. During periods of vaccination rollout, and the emergence of the Omicron variant, the IFR and IHR decreased. During 2020, we estimated a time-lag of 19 days between hospitalisation and swab positivity, and 26 days between deaths and swab positivity. By late 2021/early 2022, these time-lags had decreased to 7 days for hospitalisations and 18 days for deaths. Even though many populations have high levels of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 from vaccination and natural infection, waning of immunity and variant emergence will continue to be an upwards pressure on the IHR and IFR. As investments in community surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 infection are scaled back, alternative methods are required to accurately track the ever-changing relationship between infection, hospitalisation, and death and hence provide vital information for healthcare provision and utilisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Eales
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Global infectious Disease Analysis and Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Haw
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Global infectious Disease Analysis and Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Haowei Wang
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Global infectious Disease Analysis and Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christina Atchison
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Deborah Ashby
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Graham S Cooke
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Wendy Barclay
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Ward
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ara Darzi
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christl A Donnelly
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Global infectious Disease Analysis and Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Chadeau-Hyam
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Elliott
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Health Data Research (HDR) UK London at Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Riley
- School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Global infectious Disease Analysis and Abdul Latif Jameel Institute for Disease and Emergency Analytics, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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Weigert M, Beyerlein A, Katz K, Schulte R, Hartl W, Küchenhoff H. Vaccine-induced or hybrid immunity and COVID-19-associated mortality during the Omicron wave. DEUTSCHES ÄRZTEBLATT INTERNATIONAL 2023:arztebl.m2023.0051. [PMID: 37013438 DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2023.0051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is not yet entirely clear to what extent vaccine-induced or hybrid immunity protects individuals in Germany from death during the omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS In this retrospective study, we evaluated 470 159 cases over age 59 in the German federal state of Bavaria who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between 1 January and 30 June 2022. Cox models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for dying within 60 days of the infection, depending on sex, age, time point of infection, and a range of immunity levels. RESULTS Over the period of observation, 3836 COVID-19-associated deaths were registered (case fatality rate 0.82 %). Risk of death was significantly lower in cases with a higher immunity level than in unvaccinated cases (aHR for a full primary immunity level, if reached less than six months before the time of the infection: 0.30, 95 %-confidence interval [0.23; 0.39]; if reached more than six months before: aHR 0.46 [0.35; 0.60]). A boosted immunity level lowered risk of death even further (if reached less than three months before the infection: aHR 0.17 [0.15; 0.20]; if reached more than three months before: aHR 0.25 [0.21; 0.29]). CONCLUSION Among elderly persons in Bavaria, a higher immunity level was associated with a substantial degree of protection against death during the Omicron wave; the strength of protection may have diminished somewhat over time.
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7
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Vojdani A, Vojdani E, Saidara E, Maes M. Persistent SARS-CoV-2 Infection, EBV, HHV-6 and Other Factors May Contribute to Inflammation and Autoimmunity in Long COVID. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020400. [PMID: 36851614 PMCID: PMC9967513 DOI: 10.3390/v15020400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel syndrome called long-haul COVID or long COVID is increasingly recognized in a significant percentage of individuals within a few months after infection with SARS-CoV-2. This disorder is characterized by a wide range of persisting, returning or even new but related symptoms that involve different tissues and organs, including respiratory, cardiac, vascular, gastrointestinal, musculo-skeletal, neurological, endocrine and systemic. Some overlapping symptomatologies exist between long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Very much like with long ME/CFS, infections with herpes family viruses, immune dysregulation, and the persistence of inflammation have been reported as the most common pattern for the development of long COVID. This review describes several factors and determinants of long COVID that have been proposed, elaborating mainly on viral persistence, reactivation of latent viruses such as Epstein-Barr virus and human herpesvirus 6 which are also associated with the pathology of ME/CFS, viral superantigen activation of the immune system, disturbance in the gut microbiome, and multiple tissue damage and autoimmunity. Based on these factors, we propose diagnostic strategies such as the measurement of IgG and IgM antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, EBV, HHV-6, viral superantigens, gut microbiota, and biomarkers of autoimmunity to better understand and manage this multi-factorial disorder that continues to affect millions of people in the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aristo Vojdani
- Immunosciences Lab, Inc., Los Angeles, CA 90035, USA
- Cyrex Laboratories, LLC, Phoenix, AZ 85034, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-310-657-1077
| | | | - Evan Saidara
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Michael Maes
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, 1873 Rama 4 Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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8
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Jerrett M, Nau CL, Young DR, Butler RK, Batteate CM, Su J, Burnett RT, Kleeman MJ. Air pollution and meteorology as risk factors for COVID-19 death in a cohort from Southern California. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 171:107675. [PMID: 36565571 PMCID: PMC9715495 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent evidence links ambient air pollution to COVID-19 incidence, severity, and death, but few studies have analyzed individual-level mortality data with high quality exposure models. METHODS We sought to assess whether higher air pollution exposures led to greater risk of death during or after hospitalization in confirmed COVID-19 cases among patients who were members of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC) healthcare system (N=21,415 between 06-01-2020 and 01-31-2022 of whom 99.85 % were unvaccinated during the study period). We used 1 km resolution chemical transport models to estimate ambient concentrations of several common air pollutants, including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particle matter (PM2.5). We also derived estimates of pollutant exposures from ultra-fine particulate matter (PM0.1), PM chemical species, and PM sources. We employed Cox proportional hazards models to assess associations between air pollution exposures and death from COVID-19 among hospitalized patients. FINDINGS We found significant associations between COVID-19 death and several air pollution exposures, including: PM2.5 mass, PM0.1 mass, PM2.5 nitrates, PM2.5 elemental carbon, PM2.5 on-road diesel, and PM2.5 on-road gasoline. Based on the interquartile (IQR) exposure increment, effect sizes ranged from hazard ratios (HR) = 1.12 for PM2.5 mass and PM2.5 nitrate to HR ∼ 1.06-1.07 for other species or source markers. Humidity and temperature in the month of diagnosis were also significant negative predictors of COVID-19 death and negative modifiers of the air pollution effects. INTERPRETATION Air pollution exposures and meteorology were associated the risk of COVID-19 death in a cohort of patients from Southern California. These findings have implications for prevention of death from COVID-19 and for future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Jerrett
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles 650 Charles Young Dr. S., 56-070 CHS Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States.
| | - Claudia L Nau
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California 100 S. Los Robles Ave., 5th Floor, Pasadena, CA 91101, United States
| | - Deborah R Young
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California 100 S. Los Robles Ave., 5th Floor, Pasadena, CA 91101, United States
| | - Rebecca K Butler
- Department of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California 100 S. Los Robles Ave., 5th Floor, Pasadena, CA 91101, United States
| | - Christina M Batteate
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles 650 Charles Young Dr. S., 56-070 CHS Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
| | - Jason Su
- Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley 2121 Berkeley Way, Room 5302, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
| | - Richard T Burnett
- Population Studies Division, Environmental Health Directorate, Health Canada 251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Michael J Kleeman
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Davis 1 Sheilds Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, United States
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9
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Asghar A, Imran HM, Bano N, Maalik S, Mushtaq S, Hussain A, Varjani S, Aleya L, Iqbal HMN, Bilal M. SARS-COV-2/COVID-19: scenario, epidemiology, adaptive mutations, and environmental factors. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:69117-69136. [PMID: 35947257 PMCID: PMC9363873 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-22333-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus pandemic of 2019 has already exerted an enormous impact. For over a year, the worldwide pandemic has ravaged the whole globe, with approximately 250 million verified human infection cases and a mortality rate surpassing 4 million. While the genetic makeup of the related pathogen (SARS-CoV-2) was identified, many unknown facets remain a mystery, comprising the virus's origin and evolutionary trend. There were many rumors that SARS-CoV-2 was human-borne and its evolution was predicted many years ago, but scientific investigation proved them wrong and concluded that bats might be the origin of SARS-CoV-2 and pangolins act as intermediary species to transmit the virus from bats to humans. Airborne droplets were found to be the leading cause of human-to-human transmission of this virus, but later studies showed that contaminated surfaces and other environmental factors are also involved in its transmission. The evolution of different SARS-CoV-2 variants worsens the condition and has become a challenge to overcome this pandemic. The emergence of COVID-19 is still a mystery, and scientists are unable to explain the exact origin of SARS-CoV-2. This review sheds light on the possible origin of SARS-CoV-2, its transmission, and the key factors that worsen the situation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Asghar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Muhammad Imran
- Department of Biochemistry, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Naheed Bano
- Department of Fisheries & Aquaculture, MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
| | - Sadia Maalik
- Department of Zoology, Government College Women University, Sialkot, Pakistan
| | - Sajida Mushtaq
- Department of Zoology, Government College Women University, Sialkot, Pakistan
| | - Asim Hussain
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
| | - Sunita Varjani
- Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gandhinagar, 382 010, Gujarat, India
| | - Lotfi Aleya
- Chrono-Environment Laboratory, UMR CNRS 6249, Bourgogne Franche-Comté University, Besançon, France
| | - Hafiz M N Iqbal
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, 64849, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Muhammad Bilal
- School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huai'an, 223003, China.
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10
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Shrestha LB, Foster C, Rawlinson W, Tedla N, Bull RA. Evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants BA.1 to BA.5: Implications for immune escape and transmission. Rev Med Virol 2022; 32:e2381. [PMID: 35856385 PMCID: PMC9349777 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 254] [Impact Index Per Article: 127.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The first dominant SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant BA.1 harbours 35 mutations in its Spike protein from the original SARS-CoV-2 variant that emerged late 2019. Soon after its discovery, BA.1 rapidly emerged to become the dominant variant worldwide and has since evolved into several variants. Omicron is of major public health concern owing to its high infectivity and antibody evasion. This review article examines the theories that have been proposed on the evolution of Omicron including zoonotic spillage, infection in immunocompromised individuals and cryptic spread in the community without being diagnosed. Added to the complexity of Omicron's evolution are the multiple reports of recombination events occurring between co-circulating variants of Omicron with Delta and other variants such as XE. Current literature suggests that the combination of the novel mutations in Omicron has resulted in the variant having higher infectivity than the original Wuhan-Hu-1 and Delta variant. However, severity is believed to be less owing to the reduced syncytia formation and lower multiplication in the human lung tissue. Perhaps most challenging is that several studies indicate that the efficacy of the available vaccines have been reduced against Omicron variant (8-127 times reduction) as compared to the Wuhan-Hu-1 variant. The administration of booster vaccine, however, compensates with the reduction and improves the efficacy by 12-35 fold. Concerningly though, the broadly neutralising monoclonal antibodies, including those approved by FDA for therapeutic use against previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, are mostly ineffective against Omicron with the exception of Sotrovimab and recent reports suggest that the Omicron BA.2 is also resistant to Sotrovimab. Currently two new Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 are emerging and are reported to be more transmissible and resistant to immunity generated by previous variants including Omicron BA.1 and most monoclonal antibodies. As new variants of SARS-CoV-2 will likely continue to emerge it is important that the evolution, and biological consequences of new mutations, in existing variants be well understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lok Bahadur Shrestha
- School of Medical SciencesFaculty of MedicineUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- The Kirby InstituteUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Charles Foster
- School of Medical SciencesFaculty of MedicineUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Serology and Virology DivisionDepartment of MicrobiologyNew South Wales Health PathologySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - William Rawlinson
- School of Medical SciencesFaculty of MedicineUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Serology and Virology DivisionDepartment of MicrobiologyNew South Wales Health PathologySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Nicodemus Tedla
- School of Medical SciencesFaculty of MedicineUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Rowena A. Bull
- School of Medical SciencesFaculty of MedicineUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- The Kirby InstituteUNSWSydneyNew South WalesAustralia
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11
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Chan JFW, Poon VKM, Chan CCS, Chik KKH, Tsang JOL, Zou Z, Chan CCY, Lee ACY, Li C, Liang R, Cao J, Tang K, Yuen TTT, Hu B, Huang X, Chai Y, Shuai H, Luo C, Cai JP, Chan KH, Sridhar S, Yin F, Kok KH, Chu H, Zhang AJ, Yuan S, Yuen KY. Low Environmental Temperature Exacerbates Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection in Golden Syrian Hamsters. Clin Infect Dis 2022; 75:e1101-e1111. [PMID: 34536277 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effect of low environmental temperature on viral shedding and disease severity of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is uncertain. METHODS We investigated the virological, clinical, pathological, and immunological changes in hamsters housed at room (21°C), low (12-15°C), and high (30-33°C) temperature after challenge by 105 plaque-forming units of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). RESULTS The nasal turbinate, trachea, and lung viral load and live virus titer were significantly higher (~0.5-log10 gene copies/β-actin, P < .05) in the low-temperature group at 7 days postinfection (dpi). The low-temperature group also demonstrated significantly higher level of tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-1β, and C-C motif chemokine ligand 3, and lower level of the antiviral IFN-α in lung tissues at 4 dpi than the other 2 groups. Their lungs were grossly and diffusely hemorrhagic, with more severe and diffuse alveolar and peribronchiolar inflammatory infiltration, bronchial epithelial cell death, and significantly higher mean total lung histology scores. By 7 dpi, the low-temperature group still showed persistent and severe alveolar inflammation and hemorrhage, and little alveolar cell proliferative changes of recovery. The viral loads in the oral swabs of the low-temperature group were significantly higher than those of the other two groups from 10 to 17 dpi by about 0.5-1.0 log10 gene copies/β-actin. The mean neutralizing antibody titer of the low-temperature group was significantly (P < .05) lower than that of the room temperature group at 7 dpi and 30 dpi. CONCLUSIONS This study provided in vivo evidence that low environmental temperature exacerbated the degree of virus shedding, disease severity, and tissue proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines expression, and suppressed the neutralizing antibody response of SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters. Keeping warm in winter may reduce the severity of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper Fuk Woo Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Vincent Kwok Man Poon
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Chris Chung Sing Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Kenn Ka Heng Chik
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Jessica Oi Ling Tsang
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Zijiao Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Chris Chun Yiu Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Andrew Chak Yiu Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Can Li
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Ronghui Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Jianli Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Kaiming Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Terrence Tsz Tai Yuen
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Bingjie Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Xiner Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Yue Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Huiping Shuai
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Cuiting Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Jian Piao Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Kwok Hung Chan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Siddharth Sridhar
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Feifei Yin
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China.,Academician Workstation of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China
| | - Kin Hang Kok
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Hin Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Anna Jinxia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Shuofeng Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Kwok Yung Yuen
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.,Academician Workstation of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, Hainan, China.,Department of Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China.,Hainan Medical University-The University of Hong Kong Joint Laboratory of Tropical Infectious Diseases, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
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12
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Khan ZS, Van Bussel F, Hussain F. Modeling the change in European and US COVID-19 death rates. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268332. [PMID: 35976910 PMCID: PMC9385065 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Motivated by several possible differences in Covid-19 virus strains, age demographics, and face mask wearing between continents and countries, we focussed on changes in Covid death rates in 2020. We have extended our Covid-19 multicompartment model (Khan et al., 2020) to fit cumulative case and death data for 49 European countries and 52 US states and territories during the recent pandemic, and found that the case mortality rate had decreased by at least 80% in most of the US and at least 90% in most of Europe. We found that death rate decreases do not have strong correlations to other model parameters (such as contact rate) or other standard state/national metrics such as population density, GDP, and median age. Almost all the decreases occurred between mid-April and mid-June 2020, which corresponds to the time when many state and national lockdowns were relaxed resulting in surges of new cases. We examine here several plausible causes for this drop—improvements in treatment, face mask wearing, new virus strains, testing, potentially changing demographics of infected patients, and changes in data collection and reporting—but none of their effects are as significant as the death rate changes suggest. In conclusion, this work shows that a two death rate model is effective in quantifying the reported drop in death rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeina S. Khan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Frank Van Bussel
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
| | - Fazle Hussain
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
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13
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Yadav SK, Kumar V, Akhter Y. Modeling Global COVID-19 Dissemination Data After the Emergence of Omicron Variant Using Multipronged Approaches. Curr Microbiol 2022; 79:286. [PMID: 35947199 PMCID: PMC9363856 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-022-02985-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has followed a wave pattern, with an increase in new cases followed by a drop. Several factors influence this pattern, including vaccination efficacy over time, human behavior, infection management measures used, emergence of novel variants of SARS-CoV-2, and the size of the vulnerable population, among others. In this study, we used three statistical approaches to analyze COVID-19 dissemination data collected from 15 November 2021 to 09 January 2022 for the prediction of further spread and to determine the behavior of the pandemic in the top 12 countries by infection incidence at that time, namely Distribution Fitting, Time Series Modeling, and Epidemiological Modeling. We fitted various theoretical distributions to data sets from different countries, yielding the best-fit distribution for the most accurate interpretation and prediction of the disease spread. Several time series models were fitted to the data of the studied countries using the expert modeler to obtain the best fitting models. Finally, we estimated the infection rates (β), recovery rates (γ), and Basic Reproduction Numbers ([Formula: see text]) for the countries using the compartmental model SIR (Susceptible-Infectious-Recovered). Following more research on this, our findings may be validated and interpreted. Therefore, the most refined information may be used to develop the best policies for breaking the disease's chain of transmission by implementing suppressive measures such as vaccination, which will also aid in the prevention of future waves of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subhash Kumar Yadav
- Department of Statistics, School of Physical & Decision Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, 226025, India.
| | - Vinit Kumar
- Department of Library & Information Science, School of Information Science & Technology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, 226025, India
| | - Yusuf Akhter
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, 226025, India.
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14
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Darmarajan T, Paudel KR, Candasamy M, Chellian J, Madheswaran T, Sakthivel LP, Goh BH, Gupta PK, Jha NK, Devkota HP, Gupta G, Gulati M, Singh SK, Hansbro PM, Oliver BGG, Dua K, Chellappan DK. Autoantibodies and autoimmune disorders in SARS-CoV-2 infection: pathogenicity and immune regulation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:54072-54087. [PMID: 35657545 PMCID: PMC9163295 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20984-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease associated with the respiratory system caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The aim of this review article is to establish an understanding about the relationship between autoimmune conditions and COVID-19 infections. Although majority of the population have been protected with vaccines against this virus, there is yet a successful curative medication for this disease. The use of autoimmune medications has been widely considered to control the infection, thus postulating possible relationships between COVID-19 and autoimmune diseases. Several studies have suggested the correlation between autoantibodies detected in patients and the severity of the COVID-19 disease. Studies have indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can disrupt the self-tolerance mechanism of the immune system, thus triggering autoimmune conditions. This review discusses the current scenario and future prospects of promising therapeutic strategies that may be employed to regulate such autoimmune conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiviya Darmarajan
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500 Subang Jaya, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Keshav Raj Paudel
- Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Mayuren Candasamy
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jestin Chellian
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Thiagarajan Madheswaran
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Lakshmana Prabu Sakthivel
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, University College of Engineering (BIT Campus), Anna University, Tiruchirappalli, 620024, India
| | - Bey Hing Goh
- Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, 47500, Malaysia
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Piyush Kumar Gupta
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Basic Sciences and Research, Sharda University, Knowledge Park III, Greater Noida, 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering & Technology, Sharda University, Knowledge Park III, Greater Noida, 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Department of Biotechnology Engineering and Food Technology, Chandigarh University, Mohali, 140413, India
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied & Life Sciences (SALS), Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, 248007, India
| | - Hari Prasad Devkota
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
- Program for Leading Graduate Schools, Health Life Science: Interdisciplinary and Glocal Oriented (HIGO) Program, 5-1 Oe-honmachi, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0973, Japan
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- School of Pharmacy, Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jagatpura, Jaipur, India
- Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
- Uttaranchal Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
| | - Monica Gulati
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T Road, Phagwara, Punjab, India
- Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Sachin Kumar Singh
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar-Delhi G.T Road, Phagwara, Punjab, India
- Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Philip Michael Hansbro
- Centre for Inflammation, Centenary Institute and University of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Science, School of Life Sciences, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Brian Gregory George Oliver
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kamal Dua
- Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Dinesh Kumar Chellappan
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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15
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Sato R. COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Trust in Government in Nigeria. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1008. [PMID: 35891171 PMCID: PMC9317906 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10071008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION COVID-19 has been impacting our lives globally, including in Nigeria. While the COVID-19 vaccine is available free of charge, vaccination coverage remains low. This study evaluates the relationship between trust in government and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. METHODS We used an Afrobarometer survey for data on trust in government and the COVID-19 National Longitudinal Phone Survey (NLPS) for data on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, merged by strata (states and urban/rural). The simple correlation was evaluated using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression. RESULTS Distrust in government was strongly associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy as well as with perceptions that the vaccine was not safe, and concerns about side effects were given as reasons for vaccine refusal. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION Distrust of government is an important predictor of vaccine hesitancy in Nigeria. This result is consistent with findings in the literature, especially in developed countries. Vaccine refusers, who distrust the government, refuse vaccines because they think that vaccines do them harm. Policy makers should be cautious when it comes to strategizing for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, especially in places where trust in government is weak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryoko Sato
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Center for Health Decision Science, Department of Global Health and Population, 90 Smith Street, Boston, MA 02120, USA
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16
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Aron J, Muellbauer J. Excess Mortality Versus COVID-19 Death Rates: A Spatial Analysis of Socioeconomic Disparities and Political Allegiance Across U.S. States. THE REVIEW OF INCOME AND WEALTH 2022; 68:348-392. [PMID: 35602915 PMCID: PMC9115509 DOI: 10.1111/roiw.12570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Excess mortality is a more robust measure than the counts of COVID-19 deaths typically used in epidemiological and spatial studies. Measurement issues around excess mortality, considering data quality and comparability both internationally and within the U.S., are surveyed. This paper is the first state-level spatial analysis of cumulative excess mortality for the U.S. in the first full year of the pandemic. There is strong evidence that, given appropriate controls, states with higher Democrat vote shares experienced lower excess mortality (consistent with county-level studies of COVID-19 deaths). Important demographic and socio-economic controls from a broad set tested were racial composition, age structure, population density, poverty, income, temperature, and timing of arrival of the pandemic. Interaction effects suggest the Democrat vote share effect of reducing mortality was even greater in states where the pandemic arrived early. Omitting political allegiance leads to a significant underestimation of the mortality disparities for minority populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Aron
- Department of Economics, University of Oxford, Institute for New Economic Thinking, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford and the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, Nuffield College
| | - John Muellbauer
- Nuffield College/Institute for New Economic Thinking, Oxford Martin School/Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, University of Oxford
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17
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Laza R, Dragomir C, Musta VF, Lazureanu VE, Nicolescu ND, Marinescu AR, Paczeyka R, Porosnicu TM, Bica-Porfir V, Laitin SMD, Dragomir I, Ilie C, Baditoiu LM. Analysis of Deaths and Favorable Developments of Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Hospitalized in the Largest Hospital for Infectious Diseases and Pneumo-Phthisiology in the West of the Country. Int J Gen Med 2022; 15:3417-3431. [PMID: 35378919 PMCID: PMC8976499 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s359483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Romania is one of the European countries that has been hit the hardest by the severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, with over 1.91 million reported cases and over 59,257 deaths. The aim of this study was to identify the main predictors of death in hospitalized patients. Patients and Methods In the period from 1 March 2020 to 30 June 2021, an observational, retrospective, randomized, case-control study was conducted, which included a sample of 139 patients who died in hospital and another sample of 275 patients who had been discharged in an improved or healed condition. Confirmation of COVID-19 cases was performed by RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal exudates. Statistical data were analyzed by logistic regression, Cox regression and a comparison of survival curves by the log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test. Results The most powerful logistic regression model identified the following independent predictors of death: history of coagulopathy HR = 30.73 [1.94–487.09], p = 0.015; high percentage of neutrophils HR = 1.09 [1.01–1.19], p = 0.027; and decreased blood-oxygenation HR = 53881.97 [1762.24–1647489.44], p < 0.001. Cox regression identified the following factors that influenced the evolution of cases: history of coagulopathy HR = 2.44 [1.38–4.35], p = 0.000; O2 saturation HR = 0.98 [0.96–0.99], p = 0.043; serum creatinine HR = 1.23 [1.08–1.39], p = 0.001; dyspnea on admission HR = 2.99 [1.42–6.30], p = 0.004; hospitalization directly in the ICU HR = 3.803 [1.97–7.33], p < 0.001; heart damage HR = 16.76 [1.49–188.56], p = 0.022; and decreased blood-oxygenation HR = 35.12 [5.92–208.19], p < 0.001. Conclusion Knowledge of the predictors of death in hospitalized patients allows for the future optimization of triage and therapeutic case management for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruxandra Laza
- Department XIII, Discipline of Infectious Diseases, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, Romania
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophtisiology “Doctor Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300310, Romania
| | - Cristina Dragomir
- Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300041, Romania
| | - Virgil Filaret Musta
- Department XIII, Discipline of Infectious Diseases, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, Romania
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophtisiology “Doctor Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300310, Romania
| | - Voichita Elena Lazureanu
- Department XIII, Discipline of Infectious Diseases, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, Romania
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophtisiology “Doctor Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300310, Romania
| | - Narcisa Daniela Nicolescu
- Department XIII, Discipline of Infectious Diseases, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, Romania
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophtisiology “Doctor Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300310, Romania
| | - Adelina Raluca Marinescu
- Department XIII, Discipline of Infectious Diseases, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, Romania
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophtisiology “Doctor Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300310, Romania
- Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300041, Romania
| | - Roxana Paczeyka
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophtisiology “Doctor Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300310, Romania
| | - Tamara Mirela Porosnicu
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophtisiology “Doctor Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300310, Romania
- Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300041, Romania
| | - Valerica Bica-Porfir
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophtisiology “Doctor Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300310, Romania
| | - Sorina Maria Denisa Laitin
- Clinical Hospital of Infectious Diseases and Pneumophtisiology “Doctor Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300310, Romania
- Department XIII, Discipline of Epidemiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300041, Romania
| | - Ion Dragomir
- Individual Family Medical Office, Ostroveni, Dolj, Romania
| | - Constantin Ilie
- Department XII, Discipline of Neonatology and Childcare, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Luminita Mirela Baditoiu
- Department XIII, Discipline of Epidemiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, 300041, Romania
- Multidisciplinary Research Centre on Antimicrobial Resistance, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, Timisoara, Romania
- Correspondence: Luminita Mirela Baditoiu, Cristina Dragomir Department XIII, Discipline of Epidemiology, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy; Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Eftimie Murgu Square, No. 2, Timisoara, 300041, Romania, Tel +40727746440; +40753036306, Email ;
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Emahi I, Watts MCNC, Azibere S, Morrison JF, Sarpong KAN. COVID-19 in Africa: rethinking the tools to manage future pandemics. Afr Health Sci 2021; 21:1509-1517. [PMID: 35283940 PMCID: PMC8889828 DOI: 10.4314/ahs.v21i4.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains an incurable, progressive pneumonia-like illness characterized by fever, dry cough, fatigue, and headache during its early stages. COVID-19 has ultimately resulted in mortality in at least 2 million people worldwide. Millions of people globally have already been affected by this disease, and the numbers are expected to increase, perhaps until an effective cure or vaccine is identified. Although Africa was initially purported by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be severely hit by the pandemic, Africa recorded the least number of cases during the first wave, with lowest rates of infections, compared to Asia, Europe, and the Americas. This statistic might be attributed to the low testing capacity, existing public health awareness and lessons learnt during Ebola epidemic. Nonetheless, the relatively low rate of infection should be an opportunity for Africa to be better prepared to overcome this and future epidemics. In this paper, the authors provide insights into the dynamics and transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) during the first wave of the pandemic; possible explanations into the relatively low rates of infection recorded in Africa; with recommendations for Africa to continue to fight Covid-19; and position itself to effectively manage future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismaila Emahi
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana
- Regional Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability (RCEES), Sunyani, Ghana
| | | | - Samuel Azibere
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, Ghana
| | | | - Kwabena AN Sarpong
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
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19
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Murray B, Kerfoot E, Chen L, Deng J, Graham MS, Sudre CH, Molteni E, Canas LS, Antonelli M, Klaser K, Visconti A, Hammers A, Chan AT, Franks PW, Davies R, Wolf J, Spector TD, Steves CJ, Modat M, Ourselin S. Accessible data curation and analytics for international-scale citizen science datasets. Sci Data 2021; 8:297. [PMID: 34811392 PMCID: PMC8608807 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-021-01071-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Covid Symptom Study, a smartphone-based surveillance study on COVID-19 symptoms in the population, is an exemplar of big data citizen science. As of May 23rd, 2021, over 5 million participants have collectively logged over 360 million self-assessment reports since its introduction in March 2020. The success of the Covid Symptom Study creates significant technical challenges around effective data curation. The primary issue is scale. The size of the dataset means that it can no longer be readily processed using standard Python-based data analytics software such as Pandas on commodity hardware. Alternative technologies exist but carry a higher technical complexity and are less accessible to many researchers. We present ExeTera, a Python-based open source software package designed to provide Pandas-like data analytics on datasets that approach terabyte scales. We present its design and capabilities, and show how it is a critical component of a data curation pipeline that enables reproducible research across an international research group for the Covid Symptom Study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Murray
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom.
| | - Eric Kerfoot
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
| | - Liyuan Chen
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
| | - Jie Deng
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
| | - Mark S Graham
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
| | - Carole H Sudre
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
- University College London, MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Department of Population Health Sciences, London, WC1E 7HB, United Kingdom
- University College London, Centre for Medical Image Computing, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Erika Molteni
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
| | - Liane S Canas
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
| | - Michela Antonelli
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
| | - Kerstin Klaser
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
| | - Alessia Visconti
- King's College London, Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Hammers
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew T Chan
- Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, GRJ 825C, Boston, MA, 02116, United States
| | - Paul W Franks
- Lund University, Diabetes Centre, CRC, SUS Malmö, Jan Waldenströms gata 35, House 91:12, SE-214 28, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Richard Davies
- Zoe Limited, 164 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7RW, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Wolf
- Zoe Limited, 164 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7RW, United Kingdom
| | - Tim D Spector
- King's College London, Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Claire J Steves
- King's College London, Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Modat
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastien Ourselin
- King's College London, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, London, SE1 7EU, United Kingdom
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20
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Cumpstey AF, Clark AD, Santolini J, Jackson AA, Feelisch M. COVID-19: A Redox Disease-What a Stress Pandemic Can Teach Us About Resilience and What We May Learn from the Reactive Species Interactome About Its Treatment. Antioxid Redox Signal 2021; 35:1226-1268. [PMID: 33985343 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2021.0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Significance: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), affects every aspect of human life by challenging bodily, socioeconomic, and political systems at unprecedented levels. As vaccines become available, their distribution, safety, and efficacy against emerging variants remain uncertain, and specific treatments are lacking. Recent Advances: Initially affecting the lungs, COVID-19 is a complex multisystems disease that disturbs the whole-body redox balance and can be long-lasting (Long-COVID). Numerous risk factors have been identified, but the reasons for variations in susceptibility to infection, disease severity, and outcome are poorly understood. The reactive species interactome (RSI) was recently introduced as a framework to conceptualize how cells and whole organisms sense, integrate, and accommodate stress. Critical Issues: We here consider COVID-19 as a redox disease, offering a holistic perspective of its effects on the human body, considering the vulnerability of complex interconnected systems with multiorgan/multilevel interdependencies. Host/viral glycan interactions underpin SARS-CoV-2's extraordinary efficiency in gaining cellular access, crossing the epithelial/endothelial barrier to spread along the vascular/lymphatic endothelium, and evading antiviral/antioxidant defences. An inflammation-driven "oxidative storm" alters the redox landscape, eliciting epithelial, endothelial, mitochondrial, metabolic, and immune dysfunction, and coagulopathy. Concomitantly reduced nitric oxide availability renders the sulfur-based redox circuitry vulnerable to oxidation, with eventual catastrophic failure in redox communication/regulation. Host nutrient limitations are crucial determinants of resilience at the individual and population level. Future Directions: While inflicting considerable damage to health and well-being, COVID-19 may provide the ultimate testing ground to improve the diagnosis and treatment of redox-related stress diseases. "Redox phenotyping" of patients to characterize whole-body RSI status as the disease progresses may inform new therapeutic approaches to regain redox balance, reduce mortality in COVID-19 and other redox diseases, and provide opportunities to tackle Long-COVID. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 35, 1226-1268.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F Cumpstey
- Respiratory and Critical Care Research Group, Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom.,Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Anna D Clark
- Respiratory and Critical Care Research Group, Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom.,Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Jérôme Santolini
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Universite Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Alan A Jackson
- Human Nutrition, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Martin Feelisch
- Respiratory and Critical Care Research Group, Southampton NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom.,Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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21
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Moftakhar L, Piraee E, Mohammadi Abnavi M, Moftakhar P, Azarbakhsh H, Valipour A. Epidemiological Features and Predictors of Mortality in Patients with COVID-19 with and without Underlying Hypertension. Int J Hypertens 2021; 2021:7427500. [PMID: 34676114 PMCID: PMC8526257 DOI: 10.1155/2021/7427500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Individuals with hypertension are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection and related mortality. This study was carried out to assess the epidemiological features and predictors of mortality in patients with COVID-19 with hypertension. METHODS In this retrospective study, the epidemiological characteristics of two groups of patients with COVID-19 with hypertension (1927) and without hypertension (39030) were compared. Chi-square test was applied to evaluate the differences between qualitative variables in two study groups. Logistic regression was also used to determine predictors of mortality in patients with COVID-19 and in patients with COVID-19 with hypertension. RESULTS The prevalence of hypertension in patients with COVID-19 was 4.7%, and 24.37% of COVID-19 related deaths occurred in these individuals. The average age of hypertension and nonhypertension patients was 61 and 37 years, respectively. Fever, cough, headache, anorexia, fatigue, and comorbid diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, chronic lung and kidney disease, diabetes, immunodeficiency disease, and thyroid disease, were significantly more frequent in people with hypertension than those without hypertension. The chances of mortality in patient with COVID-19 were 1.8 times higher in individuals with dyspnea, 1.25 in individuals with fever, 1.33 in individuals with cough, 3.6 in patients with hypertension, 2.21 in diabetics, and 2.2 in individuals with cardiovascular disease. Also, individuals with COVID-19 with hypertension that had dyspnea, immunodeficiency, and cardiovascular disease were at higher risk of mortality. CONCLUSION Hypertension is a serious threat to patients with COVID-19. Therefore, in order to control these patients more precisely and reduce mortality in them, it is extremely important to develop prevention and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Moftakhar
- Abadan University of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Elahe Piraee
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Parisa Moftakhar
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | | | - Aliasghar Valipour
- Department of Public Health, Abadan Faculty of Medical Sciences, Abadan, Iran
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22
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van Wyngaard A, Whiteside A. AIDS and COVID-19 in southern Africa. AJAR-AFRICAN JOURNAL OF AIDS RESEARCH 2021; 20:117-124. [PMID: 34264162 DOI: 10.2989/16085906.2021.1948877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
By the end of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, in February 2021, the numbers of cases and deaths in southern Africa were low in absolute and relative numbers. The BBC ran a story (which was later retracted) headlined "Coronavirus in Africa: Could poverty explain mystery of low death rate?". A heading in the New York Post said: "Scientists can't explain puzzling lack of coronavirus outbreaks in Africa". Journalist Karen Attiah concluded: "It's almost as if they are disappointed that Africans aren't dying en masse and countries are not collapsing". We wondered if the knowledge that southern African countries have acquired in their struggle against AIDS has contributed to a more effective approach against COVID-19. The viral origins of the diseases through zoonotic events are similar; neither has a cure, yet. In both diseases, behaviour change is an important prevention tool, and there are specific groups that are more vulnerable to infection. Equally, there are important differences: most people with COVID-19 will recover relatively quickly, while people living with HIV will need lifelong treatment. COVID-19 is extremely infectious, while HIV is less easily transmitted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnau van Wyngaard
- Shiselweni Home-Based Care, Department of Science of Religion and Missiology, University of Pretoria, Piet Retief, South Africa
| | - Alan Whiteside
- Balsillie School of International Affairs, Waterloo, Canada
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23
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Covid and Cardiovascular Diseases: Direct and Indirect Damages and Future Perspective. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev 2021; 28:439-445. [PMID: 34173942 PMCID: PMC8233573 DOI: 10.1007/s40292-021-00464-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection determines a disease that predominantly affects lungs. However the cytokines storms, determined by the huge immune response to the infection, could affect also other organs and apparatus such as heart and vessels. Beyond the acute inflammation itself also hypercoagulative status has been linked to SARSCoV-2 infection and this surely relates to the increase seen in prevalence of pulmonary embolism and myocardial infarction. A number of cardiac abnormalities and pathologies have been observed, with special attention to cardiac arrhythmias and myocardial involvement. Furthermore, indirect damages determined by the reduction in acute and chronic cardiovascular care, results in a strong mortality and morbidity outcomes in cardiological patients. In this review we will summarise current knowledge on both direct and indirect cardiovascular damages determined by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemia.
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24
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Maino A, Di Stasio E, Grimaldi MC, Cappannoli L, Rocco E, Vergallo R, Biscetti F, Baroni S, Urbani A, Landolfi R, Biasucci LM. Prevalence and characteristics of myocardial injury during COVID-19 pandemic: A new role for high-sensitive troponin. Int J Cardiol 2021; 338:278-285. [PMID: 34157355 PMCID: PMC8214325 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2021.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic disease that is causing a public health emergency. Characteristics and clinical significance of myocardial injury remain unclear. METHODS This retrospective single-center study analyzed 189 patients who received a COVID-19 diagnosis out of all 758 subjects with a high sensitive troponin I (Hs-TnI) measurement within the first 24 h of admission at the Policlinico A.Gemelli (Rome, Italy) between February 20th 2020 to April 09th 2020. RESULTS The prevalence of myocardial injury in our COVID-19 population is of 16%. The patients with cardiac injury were older, had a greater number of cardiovascular comorbidities and higher values of acute phase and inflammatory markers and leucocytes. They required more frequently hospitalization in Intensive Care Unit (10 [32.3%] vs 18 [11.4%]; p = .003) and the mortality rate was significantly higher (17 [54.8%] vs. 15 [9.5%], p < .001). Among patients in ICU, the subjects with myocardial injury showed an increase need of endotracheal intubation (8 out of 9 [88%] vs 7 out of 19[37%], p = .042). Multivariate analyses showed that hs-TnI can significantly predict the degree of COVID-19 disease, the intubation need and in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS In this study we demonstrate that hs-Tn can significantly predict disease severity, intubation need and in-hospital death. Therefore, it may be reasonable to use Hs-Tn as a clinical tool in COVID-19 patients in order to triage them into different risk groups and can play a pivotal role in the detection of subjects at high risk of cardiac impairment during both the early and recovery stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Maino
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - Enrico Di Stasio
- Dipartimento di Scienze biotecnologiche di base, cliniche intensivologiche e perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy; Dipartimento di scienze laboratoristiche ed infettivologiche, UOC Chimica, Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare Clinica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Grimaldi
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Cappannoli
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Erica Rocco
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Rocco Vergallo
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Biscetti
- U.O.C. Clinica Medica e Malattie Vascolari, Catholic University School of Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Laboratory of Vascular Biology and Genetics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Baroni
- Dipartimento di Scienze biotecnologiche di base, cliniche intensivologiche e perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy; Dipartimento di scienze laboratoristiche ed infettivologiche, UOC Chimica, Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare Clinica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Andrea Urbani
- Dipartimento di Scienze biotecnologiche di base, cliniche intensivologiche e perioperatorie, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy; Dipartimento di scienze laboratoristiche ed infettivologiche, UOC Chimica, Biochimica e Biologia Molecolare Clinica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Raffaele Landolfi
- U.O.C. Clinica Medica e Malattie Vascolari, Catholic University School of Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Division of Internal Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Marzio Biasucci
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Department of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Sciences, Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
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25
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Social Distancing Associations with COVID-19 Infection and Mortality Are Modified by Crowding and Socioeconomic Status. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18094680. [PMID: 33924821 PMCID: PMC8124372 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18094680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a public health emergency. Social distancing is a key approach to slowing disease transmission. However, more evidence is needed on its efficacy, and little is known on the types of areas where it is more or less effective. We obtained county-level data on COVID-19 incidence and mortality during the first wave, smartphone-based average social distancing (0–5, where higher numbers indicate more social distancing), and census data on demographics and socioeconomic status. Using generalized linear mixed models with a Poisson distribution, we modeled associations between social distancing and COVID-19 incidence and mortality, and multiplicative interaction terms to assess effect modification. In multivariable models, each unit increase in social distancing was associated with a 26% decrease (p < 0.0001) in COVID-19 incidence and a 31% decrease (p < 0.0001) in COVID-19 mortality. Percent crowding, minority population, and median household income were all statistically significant effect modifiers. County-level increases in social distancing led to reductions in COVID-19 incidence and mortality but were most effective in counties with lower percentages of black residents, higher median household incomes, and with lower levels of household crowding.
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26
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AC2: An Efficient Protein Sequence Compression Tool Using Artificial Neural Networks and Cache-Hash Models. ENTROPY 2021; 23:e23050530. [PMID: 33925812 PMCID: PMC8146440 DOI: 10.3390/e23050530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Recently, the scientific community has witnessed a substantial increase in the generation of protein sequence data, triggering emergent challenges of increasing importance, namely efficient storage and improved data analysis. For both applications, data compression is a straightforward solution. However, in the literature, the number of specific protein sequence compressors is relatively low. Moreover, these specialized compressors marginally improve the compression ratio over the best general-purpose compressors. In this paper, we present AC2, a new lossless data compressor for protein (or amino acid) sequences. AC2 uses a neural network to mix experts with a stacked generalization approach and individual cache-hash memory models to the highest-context orders. Compared to the previous compressor (AC), we show gains of 2–9% and 6–7% in reference-free and reference-based modes, respectively. These gains come at the cost of three times slower computations. AC2 also improves memory usage against AC, with requirements about seven times lower, without being affected by the sequences’ input size. As an analysis application, we use AC2 to measure the similarity between each SARS-CoV-2 protein sequence with each viral protein sequence from the whole UniProt database. The results consistently show higher similarity to the pangolin coronavirus, followed by the bat and human coronaviruses, contributing with critical results to a current controversial subject. AC2 is available for free download under GPLv3 license.
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27
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Capozzi L, Bianco A, Del Sambro L, Simone D, Lippolis A, Notarnicola M, Pesole G, Pace L, Galante D, Parisi A. Genomic Surveillance of Circulating SARS-CoV-2 in South East Italy: A One-Year Retrospective Genetic Study. Viruses 2021; 13:731. [PMID: 33922257 PMCID: PMC8147059 DOI: 10.3390/v13050731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to provide insights into the evolutionary and epidemiological viral dynamics during the current COVID-19 pandemic in South Eastern Italy, a total of 298 genomes of SARS-CoV-2 strains collected in the Apulia and Basilicata regions, between March 2020 and January 2021, were sequenced. The genomic analysis performed on the draft genomes allowed us to assign the genetic clades and lineages of belonging to each sample and provide an overview of the main circulating viral variants. Our data showed the spread in Apulia and Basilicata of SARS-CoV-2 variants which have emerged during the second wave of infections and are being currently monitored worldwide for their increased transmission rate and their possible impact on vaccines and therapies. These results emphasize the importance of genome sequencing for the epidemiological surveillance of the new SARS-CoV-2 variants' spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Capozzi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia, 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (L.C.); (A.B.); (L.D.S.); (D.S.); (L.P.); (D.G.)
| | - Angelica Bianco
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia, 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (L.C.); (A.B.); (L.D.S.); (D.S.); (L.P.); (D.G.)
| | - Laura Del Sambro
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia, 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (L.C.); (A.B.); (L.D.S.); (D.S.); (L.P.); (D.G.)
| | - Domenico Simone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia, 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (L.C.); (A.B.); (L.D.S.); (D.S.); (L.P.); (D.G.)
| | - Antonio Lippolis
- National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. de Bellis”, Institute of Research, Via Turi, 27, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.L.); (M.N.)
| | - Maria Notarnicola
- National Institute of Gastroenterology “S. de Bellis”, Institute of Research, Via Turi, 27, 70013 Castellana Grotte, Italy; (A.L.); (M.N.)
| | - Graziano Pesole
- Institute of Biomembranes, Bioenergetics and Molecular Biotechnologies, CNR, Via Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy;
| | - Lorenzo Pace
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia, 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (L.C.); (A.B.); (L.D.S.); (D.S.); (L.P.); (D.G.)
| | - Domenico Galante
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia, 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (L.C.); (A.B.); (L.D.S.); (D.S.); (L.P.); (D.G.)
| | - Antonio Parisi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Puglia e della Basilicata, Via Manfredonia, 20, 71121 Foggia, Italy; (L.C.); (A.B.); (L.D.S.); (D.S.); (L.P.); (D.G.)
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Zhao S, Lou J, Chong MKC, Cao L, Zheng H, Chen Z, Chan RWY, Zee BCY, Chan PKS, Wang MH. Inferring the Association between the Risk of COVID-19 Case Fatality and N501Y Substitution in SARS-CoV-2. Viruses 2021; 13:638. [PMID: 33918060 PMCID: PMC8070306 DOI: 10.3390/v13040638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
As COVID-19 is posing a serious threat to global health, the emerging mutation in SARS-CoV-2 genomes, for example, N501Y substitution, is one of the major challenges against control of the pandemic. Characterizing the relationship between mutation activities and the risk of severe clinical outcomes is of public health importance for informing the healthcare decision-making process. Using a likelihood-based approach, we developed a statistical framework to reconstruct a time-varying and variant-specific case fatality ratio (CFR), and to estimate changes in CFR associated with a single mutation empirically. For illustration, the statistical framework is implemented to the COVID-19 surveillance data in the United Kingdom (UK). The reconstructed instantaneous CFR gradually increased from 1.0% in September to 2.2% in November 2020 and stabilized at this level thereafter, which monitors the mortality risk of COVID-19 on a real-time basis. We identified a link between the SARS-CoV-2 mutation activity at molecular scale and COVID-19 mortality risk at population scale, and found that the 501Y variants may slightly but not significantly increase 18% of fatality risk than the preceding 501N variants. We found no statistically significant evidence of change in COVID-19 mortality risk associated with 501Y variants, and highlighted the real-time estimating potentials of the modelling framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Zhao
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.L.); (M.K.C.C.); (L.C.); (H.Z.); (B.C.Y.Z.)
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Jingzhi Lou
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.L.); (M.K.C.C.); (L.C.); (H.Z.); (B.C.Y.Z.)
| | - Marc K. C. Chong
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.L.); (M.K.C.C.); (L.C.); (H.Z.); (B.C.Y.Z.)
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Lirong Cao
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.L.); (M.K.C.C.); (L.C.); (H.Z.); (B.C.Y.Z.)
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Hong Zheng
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.L.); (M.K.C.C.); (L.C.); (H.Z.); (B.C.Y.Z.)
| | - Zigui Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Z.C.); (P.K.S.C.)
| | - Renee W. Y. Chan
- Department of Pediatrics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
- Hong Kong Hub of Pediatric Excellence, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China
- CUHK-UMCU Joint Research Laboratory of Respiratory Virus & Immunobiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China
| | - Benny C. Y. Zee
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.L.); (M.K.C.C.); (L.C.); (H.Z.); (B.C.Y.Z.)
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Paul K. S. Chan
- Department of Microbiology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (Z.C.); (P.K.S.C.)
| | - Maggie H. Wang
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (J.L.); (M.K.C.C.); (L.C.); (H.Z.); (B.C.Y.Z.)
- CUHK Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China
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Hachim MY, Hachim IY, Naeem K, Hannawi H, Al Salmi I, Hannawi S. Higher Temperatures, Higher Solar Radiation, and Less Humidity Is Associated With Poor Clinical and Laboratory Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients. Front Public Health 2021; 9:618828. [PMID: 33816417 PMCID: PMC8017282 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.618828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic varies between countries, with suggestions that weather might contribute to the transmission mode, disease presentation, severity, and clinical outcomes. Yet the exact link between climate and COVID-19 is still not well-explored. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of hot geographical region weather [like United Arab Emirates (UAE)] on COVID-19 clinical profile and outcomes. Temperature, wind speed, cloud cover, precipitation, and other weather-related variables were studied concerning COVID-19 patients outcomes and laboratory results. Methodology: A total of 434 COVID-19 positive patients admitted between January and June 2020, were recruited from Al Kuwait Hospital, Dubai, UAE. Temperature, wind speed, cloud cover, and precipitation rate were retrieved from history+ for the day when COVID-19 patients presented to the hospital. These weather parameters were correlated with COVID-19 clinical and laboratory parameters. Results: Our results showed that patients needed admission in days with higher temperatures, higher solar radiation, and less humidity were associated with higher deaths. This association can be linked to the association of these weather parameters with age at diagnosis; higher C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil count, white cell count (WCC), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP); and lower lymphocyte count, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), hemoglobin (Hb), Na, and albumin, all of which are considered poor prognostic factors for COVID-19. Conclusion: Our study highlighted the importance of weather-related variables on the dynamics of mortality and clinical outcomes of COVID-19. The hot weather might makes some people, especially those with comorbidities or older ages, develop aggressive inflammation that ends up with complications and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahmood Yaseen Hachim
- Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- *Correspondence: Mahmood Yaseen Hachim
| | - Ibrahim Y. Hachim
- College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Kashif Naeem
- Ministry of Health and Prevention (United Arab Emirates), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Haifa Hannawi
- Ministry of Health and Prevention (United Arab Emirates), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Suad Hannawi
- Ministry of Health and Prevention (United Arab Emirates), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Suad Hannawi
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Petrović T, Lauc G, Trbojević-Akmačić I. The Importance of Glycosylation in COVID-19 Infection. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1325:239-264. [PMID: 34495539 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-70115-4_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is currently one of the major health problems worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 survival and virulence are shown to be impacted by glycans, covalently attached to proteins in a process of glycosylation, making glycans an area of interest in SARS-CoV-2 biology and COVID-19 infection. The SARS-CoV-2 uses its highly glycosylated spike (S) glycoproteins to bind to the cell surface receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) glycoprotein and facilitate host cell entry. Viral glycosylation has wide-ranging roles in viral pathobiology, including mediating protein folding and stability, immune evasion, host receptor attachment, and cell entry. Modification of SARS-CoV-2 envelope membrane with glycans is important in host immune recognition and interaction between S and ACE2 glycoproteins. On the other hand, immunoglobulin G, a key molecule in immune response, shows a distinct glycosylation profile in COVID-19 infection and with increased disease severity. Hence, further studies on the role of glycosylation in SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and COVID-19 infection are needed for its successful prevention and treatment. This chapter focuses on recent findings on the importance of glycosylation in COVID-19 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tea Petrović
- Genos Glycoscience Research Laboratory, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Gordan Lauc
- Genos Glycoscience Research Laboratory, Zagreb, Croatia.,Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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