CoV Outbreak Research Articles

Emerging coronavirus diseases and future perspectives.

Coronavirus related infectious diseases seems to be biggest challenge of 21 century that have been constantly emerging and threating public health around the globe. Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) that was detected as cause of respiratory tract infection in China by end the December 2019 impelled World Health Organization to declare in January 2020 public health emergency of international concern and consequently pandemic in March 2020. Over a past six months COVID-19 pandemic has wrapped up all continents except Antarctica. Scientists around the globe are finding way to tackle and reduce the ultimate risk and size of pandemic with lower morbidity and mortality rates. In this context, technologies such as sequencing, Crispr and artificial intelligence are playing vital role in diagnosis and management of infectious disease in contrast to conventional methods. Despite of this, there is a need to have rapid and early diagnostic tools and systems that recognize infectious disease in asymptotic condition. Here we provide an overview on the recent CoV outbreak and contribution of technologies with the emphasis on the future management for detection of such infectious diseases.

The CoV-2 outbreak: how hematologists could help to fight Covid-19

COVID-19 is a medical emergency, with 20 % of patients presenting with severe clinical manifestations. From the pathogenetic point of view, COVID-19 mimics two other well-known diseases characterized by cytokine storm and hyper-activation of the immune response, with consequent organ damage: acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) and macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). Hematologists are confident with these situations requiring a prompt therapeutic approach for switching off the uncontrolled cytokine release; here, we discuss pros and cons of drugs that are already employed in hematology in the light of their possible application in COVID-19. The most promising drugs might be: Ruxolitinib, a JAK1/2 inhibitor, with a rapid and powerful anti-cytokine effect, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), with their good anti-inflammatory properties, and perhaps the anti-Cd26 antibody Begelomab. We also present immunological data from gene expression experiments where TKIs resulted effective anti-inflammatory and pro-immune drugs. A possible combined treatment algorithm for COVID-19 is here proposed.

Crushing the curve, the role of national and international institutions and policy makers in COVID-19 pandemic

Nobody can be fully prepared to a pandemic. Of course there are signs of it, the scientists can predict, alarming speeches can be made. But there are always alarmist people around, maybe that is why sometimes even the most serious warnings may be not considered by the authorities on time. The first patients may be lost without a proper diagnosis. When everybody realizes that there may be a big problem in the horizon, sometimes it is too late. That is why it is very important to monitor contagious diseases and follow the warnings and releases of national and international disease control centers and other related organizations. China celebrated Lunar New Year with more than 40 thousand families on the 18 of January 2020. Nobody seem to be expecting this emerging new viral pneumonia outbreak appeared in Wuhan, in the last days of 2019, will break the chains and turn out to be a pandemic! But maybe this time it was not too late. There were four important pandemics within the last century: Spanish Flu, Hong Kong Flu, Asian Flu and Swine Flu. Each left different story behind. Millions of people had infected, hundreds, thousands of people died. This time, the Modern World had different tools to limit the SARS CoV2 outbreak. The national and international institutions of our globe were all communicating and taking precautions in a very fast manner than ever. However, this time, unexpectedly, the SARS-CoV-2 contagion was also faster. Besides the international organizations like WHO, UNESCO and UNICEF, the roles of local authorities, health ministries, disease control centers, health protection agencies, research centers and universities are all very important in different operational levels to control and survive from the pandemic. This paper will review the immediate response of different national and international institutions and authorities to COVID-19 pandemic.

Innate immunity in coronavirus infection

Coronaviruses (CoVs) comprise a polymorphic group of respiratory viruses causing acute inflammatory diseases in domestic and agricultural animals (chicken, pig, buffalo, cat, dog). Until recently, this infection in humans was mainly observed during the autumn-winter period and characterized by a mild, often asymptomatic, course. The situation changed dramatically in 2003, when SARS outbreak caused by pathogenic CoV (SARS-CoV) was recorded in China. A decade later, a new CoV outbreak occurred in the form of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV), whereas in December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) cases were recorded, which transformed within the first months of 2020 into the pandemic. In all three cases, CoV disease led to severe bronchopulmonary lesions, varying from dry, debilitating cough to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). At the same time, multiple changes in innate immunity were noted most often manifested as a pronounced inflammatory reaction in the lower respiratory tract, featured by damaged type II pneumocytes, apoptosis, hyalinization of alveolar membranes, focal or generalized pulmonary edema. Destructive processes in the respiratory tract were accompanied by migration of monocytes/macrophages and granulocyte neutrophils to the inflammatory focus. Such events were accompanied by production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which magnitude could ascend up to a cytokine storm. SARS-CoV is characterized by symptoms of secondary immunosuppression, manifested by the late onset of interferon production and activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes – the key inflammatory factor. The reason for such reaction may be accounted for by CoV arsenal containing extensive set of structural and non-structural proteins exerting pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties. Delayed IFN production allowed CoV to replicate actively and freely, and when type I IFN synthesis was eventually triggered, its activity was detrimental and accompanied by an aggravated infection course. Thus, SARS can surely be referred to immune-dependent infections with a marked immunopathological component. The purpose of this review was to describe some mechanisms underlying formation of innate immune response to infection caused by pathogenic coronaviruses SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Examination of Hospital Workers' Emotional Responses to an Infectious Disease Outbreak: Lessons From the 2015 MERS Co-V Outbreak in South Korea.

ABSTRACTHospital workers are critical for a successful response to an infectious disease outbreak and for preventing disease transmission to the community. Therefore, hospital crisis management should implement efforts to improve hospital workers' preparedness in responding to public health emergencies caused by infectious diseases. Traditionally, preparedness and skill of hospital workers have been emphasized, but awareness of the importance of the emotional mindset of hospital workers in dealing with disease outbreaks has only recently increased; therefore, empirical approaches to examining emotional responses of hospital workers has been limited. This study analyzed qualitative data of the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in South Korea. In particular, negative emotions and stress experienced by hospital workers who treated patients were characterized, as were the events that triggered such experiences. These events were categorized into four themes (eg, Mistake, Missing, Delay Due to Communication Failure). Identifying events that trigger negative emotions in hospital workers has important implications for hospitals' management guidance in relation to an infectious disease outbreak. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:504-510).