Future Pandemics Research Articles

Comprehensive proteomic analysis of HCoV-OC43 virions and virus-modulated extracellular vesicles.

In recent years, coronaviruses have dominated global attention, making it crucial to develop methods to control them and prevent future pandemics. Besides viral proteins, host proteins play a significant role in viral propagation and offer potential therapeutic targets. Targeting host proteins is advantageous because they are less likely to mutate and develop resistance compared to viral proteins, a common issue with many antiviral treatments. In this study, we examined the protein content of the less virulent biosafety level 2 HCoV-OC43 virus as a stand-in for the more virulent SARS-CoV-2. Our findings reveal that several cellular proteins incorporated into the virion regulate viral spread. In addition, we report that the virus extensively modulates the content of extracellular vesicles, enhancing viral dissemination. This underscores the critical interplay between the virus, host proteins, and extracellular vesicles.

Challenges Faced by Cancer Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic, a Vision for the Future: A Qualitative Study.

Cancer is a disease that affects various aspects of patients' lives. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges and difficulties for cancer patients, exacerbating their already vulnerable conditions. Identifying the challenges these patients face can be a practical step toward improving their quality of care in future pandemics. This qualitative study aims to identify the challenges cancer patients encounter during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a qualitative study with a content analysis approach. Participants included 16 cancer patients hospitalized at Tabriz Shahid Ghazi Hospital in 2020. Sampling was conducted purposefully, and interviews were continued until data saturation was achieved. All interviews were recorded and transcribed at the earliest opportunity. The data were analyzed using content analysis based on the Lundman and Graneheim method. Data analysis led to the identification of four categories of challenges faced by cancer patients during the pandemic: Mental derangement and fear (fear of premature death, fear of contracting COVID-19, fear of disease recurrence), ineffective nurse-patient communication (personal protective equipment and distant care from nursing stations), economic instability (difficulties in providing for the family's livelihood and increased medical expenses), and reduced access to services (Contracting of infection among doctors and nurses and redirection of resources and services to COVID-19 patients). Participants expressed that these challenges were additional to their pre-existing difficulties and were intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. Team support and interdisciplinary collaboration can be beneficial in addressing mental derangement and severe fears and solving problems comprehensively. Using various methods to facilitate safe and continuous communication between nurses and patients aside from their beds can give patients a greater sense of calmness. Financial facilitations can alleviate pressure on patients, and planning and communication strategies for accessing care and treatment services during a pandemic should be organized in advance.

A Systematic Mapping Review of COVID 19 Data Feature for Infection Detection

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become widespread. It has caused outbreaks in more than 213 nations leading to many fatalities. It is still going around in all its forms. The diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of disease include a variety of novel approaches, including machine learning, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Numerous studies on the detection of COVID-19 using various techniques have been conducted. Numerous strategies are used and suggested in the literature. This study aims to pinpoint the data features of COVID-19 that have been employed for disease detection by IoT devices using machine learning techniques. This research project offers a comprehensive mapping and evaluation of current studies on COVID-19. The focus is on IoT gadgets employing machine learning for detection. The study is conducted using a systematic mapping review. For the mapping study review, five electronic databases were searched. Studies published until April 2022 were considered. There are 50 studies selected that address COVID-19, IoT devices, and machine-learning approaches. This research concludes the investigation of data features that are usually used for effective, and efficient detection. This research will be useful for a future COVID-19 variant pandemic, as it provides a comprehensive review of the best data features for disease detection. Also, the data features identified in this research can aid in the early and precise exposure of COVID-19 in existing circumstances.

COVID‐19 vaccine: recent advancements and future prospects

Nowadays, although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic has been handled with long-term management globally, the virus strains keep continuous evolution in an uncertain direction. The newly emerged JN.1 dominated the globally circulating variants in a short time and resulted in increasing hospitalizations. Up to 2024, variant vaccines with the composition of XBB sub-lineage were available due to the coordinated efforts of developers and regulatory agencies. The development of updated vaccines is still needed and the regular availability of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines should be timely guaranteed. The current landscape of COVID-19 vaccines and the strategies for accelerating vaccine development and approval are reviewed. Proposals to enhance variants monitoring and the establishment of the strain recommendation mechanism are made. This review provides suggestions about platform technology designation and application, real-world data leveraging and modification to regulatory pathways both for the post-pandemic era of SARS-CoV-2 and for the future unknown pathogen pandemic.

Identification of methodological issues regarding direct impact indicators of COVID-19: a rapid scoping review on morbidity, severity and mortality.

During the first epidemic wave, COVID-19 surveillance focused on quantifying the magnitude and the escalation of a growing global health crisis. The scientific community first assessed risk through basic indicators, such as the number of cases or rates of new cases and deaths, and later began using other direct impact indicators to conduct more detailed analyses. We aimed at synthesizing the scientific community's contribution to assessing the direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on population health through indicators reported in research papers. We conducted a rapid scoping review to identify and describe health indicators included in articles published between January 2020 and June 2021, using one strategy to search PubMed, EMBASE and WHO COVID-19 databases. Sixteen experts from European public health institutions screened papers and retrieved indicator characteristics. We also asked in an online survey how the health indicators were added to and used in policy documents in Europe. After reviewing 3891 records, we selected a final sample of 67 articles and 233 indicators. We identified 52 (22.3%) morbidity indicators from 33 articles, 105 severity indicators (45.1%, 27 articles) and 68 mortality indicators (29.2%, 51). Respondents from 22 countries completed 31 questionnaires, and the majority reported morbidity indicators (29, 93.5%), followed by mortality indicators (26, 83.9%). The indicators collated here might be useful to assess the impact of future pandemics. Therefore, their measurement should be standardized to allow for comparisons between settings, countries and different populations.

Challenges for Conducting Research during Pandemics. A Narrative Review

Background: Research during pandemics presents unique challenges and opportunities that are crucial for advancing scientific knowledge and improving public health responses. This study's topic is significant due to the unprecedented disruptions caused by pandemics like COVID-19, which have impacted all stages of the research process. This study aims to identify and analyze research challenges during pandemics and propose strategies to overcome these obstacles.Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted, focusing on the challenges of conducting research during pandemics. A comprehensive search strategy was implemented, using databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, with keywords including "pandemic," "research challenges," "COVID-19 research," "SARS research," "clinical trials during pandemics," "best practices," and "research strategies." The review covered studies published from 2004 to 2023, including previous pandemics like SARS, H1N1, and COVID-19. Relevant articles were identified through database searches and manual reference list reviews.Discussion: The review revealed multidimensional challenges affecting various stages of the research process. Political, economic, administrative, regulatory, logistical, ethical, and social challenges were identified. Logistical difficulties were prevalent, such as limited access to laboratories and supply chain disruptions. Ethical challenges, including informed consent and data privacy, were magnified during health crises. The mental health impacts on researchers and participants were also significant, with increased anxiety and depression affecting engagement and well-being.Conclusion: The study concludes that while pandemics introduce considerable challenges for conducting research, there are also valuable lessons and best practices that can be applied in future crises. Effective strategies include investing in digital infrastructure, developing flexible ethical frameworks, implementing adaptive clinical trial designs, and supporting mental health for researchers and participants. By learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, the research community can better prepare for and navigate future pandemics, ensuring the continuity and effectiveness of scientific investigations.

The impact of economic instability on credit concessions: the case of the Covid-19 pandemic

Purpose: This research aims to analyze the impacts of the economic instability caused by Covid-19 on the volume of credit issuance in Brazil. Methodology: The research methodology employed time series regression models in the Brazilian market and was based on historical values of macroeconomic variables. The study period spans from February 2013 to April 2023, divided into pre-pandemic (02/2013-02/2020) and pandemic (03/2020-04/2023) periods. Results: It was observed that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on credit issuance volume was minor when controlling for other macroeconomic characteristics. There are indications that only the year 2020 exhibited more significant variations, with the average during the 2020 to 2023 period being not so different from the pre-pandemic period. Contributions of the Study: This study suggests that the crisis had only a temporary effect and that the economic measures taken during this period may have contributed to the recovery, indicating preparation for future pandemics that experts expect to occur.

Motivation for Risk Information Seeking among Hospital Employees in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic: An Organisational Perspective

The outbreak of novel infectious diseases like COVID-19 elicits widespread uncertainty and fear, prompting individuals to seek information from various media channels to protect themselves and their loved ones. However, the factors that motivate hospital employees, who serve as the frontliners in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, to seek COVID-19-related information are still far from understood. Guided by the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model, this study aimed to examine the motivational factors that drive hospital employees' risk information-seeking behaviour within the Malaysian context. Through analysis of a proportionate stratified sample size of hospital employees (N=407), this study revealed that information needs, current knowledge, and organisational norms significantly influence hospital employees' intention to seek risk information. These findings contribute to the theoretical development of the RISP model by highlighting the importance of information needs as a prominent factor and underscoring the valuable role of organisational norms in shaping hospital employees' risk information-seeking behaviour within hospital settings. From a practical standpoint, our findings offer valuable insights that can inform communication strategies and enhance organisational support in healthcare environments, particularly in risk management. By considering our results, healthcare institutions can improve their preparedness for future pandemics and strengthen risk communication within Malaysia's healthcare system. Furthermore, this study extends the application of the RISP model and related work within the COVID-19 pandemic, providing pertinent knowledge on risk communication within the healthcare sector. Keywords: COVID-19, hospital employees, Risk Information Seeking and Processing Model, risk information seeking, pandemic preparedness.

Families Coping Socio-economic Challenges Post-covid 19 and Building Resilience for Future Pandemic

Families Coping Socio-economic Challenges Post-covid 19 and Building Resilience for Future Pandemic

UnCoVar: a reproducible and scalable workflow for transparent and robust virus variant calling and lineage assignment using SARS-CoV-2 as an example

BackgroundAt a global scale, the SARS-CoV-2 virus did not remain in its initial genotype for a long period of time, with the first global reports of variants of concern (VOCs) in late 2020. Subsequently, genome sequencing has become an indispensable tool for characterizing the ongoing pandemic, particularly for typing SARS-CoV-2 samples obtained from patients or environmental surveillance. For such SARS-CoV-2 typing, various in vitro and in silico workflows exist, yet to date, no systematic cross-platform validation has been reported.ResultsIn this work, we present the first comprehensive cross-platform evaluation and validation of in silico SARS-CoV-2 typing workflows. The evaluation relies on a dataset of 54 patient-derived samples sequenced with several different in vitro approaches on all relevant state-of-the-art sequencing platforms. Moreover, we present UnCoVar, a robust, production-grade reproducible SARS-CoV-2 typing workflow that outperforms all other tested approaches in terms of precision and recall.ConclusionsIn many ways, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has accelerated the development of techniques and analytical approaches. We believe that this can serve as a blueprint for dealing with future pandemics. Accordingly, UnCoVar is easily generalizable towards other viral pathogens and future pandemics. The fully automated workflow assembles virus genomes from patient samples, identifies existing lineages, and provides high-resolution insights into individual mutations. UnCoVar includes extensive quality control and automatically generates interactive visual reports. UnCoVar is implemented as a Snakemake workflow. The open-source code is available under a BSD 2-clause license at github.com/IKIM-Essen/uncovar.

What Chinese Women Seek in Mental Health Apps: Insights from Analyzing Xiaohongshu User Posts during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Gender disparity poses a prominent obstacle to achieving effective mental health outcomes in digital healthcare. Despite women being more inclined to use mental health apps and seeking designs tailored to their specific needs, there is limited research on the factors influencing female users' engagement with these apps. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated its disproportionate impact on women's mental health. This study investigates female users' posts (n = 5538) about mental health apps during the pandemic, using data collected via a Python web crawler from Xiaohongshu, a popular female-centric social media platform in China. A mixed-methods approach used qualitative thematic analysis and quantitative descriptive statistics. Among these posts, therapeutic functionality emerged as the highest priority, followed by credibility and user experience, with specific design elements highlighted as particularly significant. These findings provide valuable insights for mental health researchers and developers, including you, aiming to create gender-tailored mobile solutions to address the mental health challenges faced by women, especially during future pandemics.

Towards a new architecture for progressive international capital taxation

The application and operation of the Global Anti-Base Erosion (GloBE) Rules agreed at the OECD and released in December 2021 have both strengths and weaknesses for developing countries. Now is the time to address directly the multilateral institutional "architecture" in relation to international tax negotiations. Despite the current geopolitical tensions, the nature of climate change and increased possibility of future health pandemics have made the need for global public goods provision – and thus global tax coordination – even more necessary. Moreover, the GloBe rules reflect the underrepresentation of non-OECD members in the process of the "Inclusive Framework," as evidenced by their absence in key committee leadership, paucity of specialised delegates and lack of explicit voting rights. Therefore, it is correct to welcome the recent UN resolution to work towards a worldwide Tax Convention.

The Post-Pandemic World and the Foreign Policy Imperatives

Considering the destructive and disruptive potential of pathogens, this research identifies new lessons and policy imperatives in the governance of future scenarios of pandemics. Although foreign policy players and other critical stakeholders are beginning to recognise the values of global health in foreign policy thinking and decision-making, there are still major gaps in pandemic response, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed. To plug the observed gaps, this paper calls attention to three political / foreign policy priorities. First, critical actors must enhance their preparedness for future pandemics by building massive health infrastructure, supersizing the health corps, and investing in programmes that will aid their capacity to predict a health emergency before it occurs. Second, foreign policy professionals must prioritize humanity over high politics in global pandemic response. Third, foreign policy actors must place adequate focus on migration health going into the future.

Antimicrobial and Ecological Potential of Chlorellaceae and Scenedesmaceae with a Focus on Wastewater Treatment and Industry

A complex evaluation of antimicrobial activities of microalgae, including those relevant to wastewater treatment (WWT), in light of the integrated biorefinery concept, is performed. An example of this concept is linking a commercial microalgal system to plants, factories, or farms that emit polluted wastewater (WW). The microalgae would not only metabolize the pollutants—such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)—from the WW, thus fueling their biomass, but they would exert an antibacterial effect against the pathogenic bacteria there. The biomass then could be harvested and used for biofertilizers, biofuels, and bioplastics and might possibly be utilized as animal feed, antimicrobial and other pharmaceutical agents. A large amount of the research on the antimicrobial activity and WWT potential focuses on the families Chlorellaceae and Scenedesmaceae, which are also some of the most commercially used strains of microalgae. For that reason, they are the species chosen for the current review. Furthermore, the increasing antimicrobial resistance necessitates the search for antibiotic alternatives, and the antibacterial and antifungal activity of Chlorellaceae and Scenedesmaceae is very promising. Microalgae are rich in antibacterial compounds like polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), polysaccharides, carotenoids, proteins, etc., and for that reason, their extracts possess antimicrobial effects. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of Chlorellaceae and Scenedesmaceae families has varied in a broad range from low to strong activity or no effect. Several strains have fulfilled the criteria for outstanding and high activity, especially C. vulgaris and other Chlorellaceae spp., with an effect equal to or better than the control antibiotics. There were several strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) below 80 µg/mL and even 10 and 1.5 µg/mL; some species also had inhibition zones (IZ) over 30 mm, even as high as 48 mm. In vivo results are also promising but scarce, and all this warrants further in vivo and in situ studies—from animal models to clinical and environmental trials. Altogether, important data in the light of the circle economy, the urgent necessity to decrease CO2 emissions to fight climate change, and to curb the harmful influence of future pandemics are presented. This review paves the way for further utilizing the total potential of a microalgal system.

Trends in Second‐Trimester Safe Abortion Service Utilization During the Two Phases of COVID‐19 Pandemic in an Ethiopian Setting: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACTBackgroundProviding abortion services during pandemics without interruption is essential. The objective of the study was to compare the utilization of second‐trimester safe abortion care services between early pandemic and peak pandemic months.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective comparative study of second‐trimester safe abortion service provision during the peak of COVID‐19 pandemic in Ethiopia (April 2021) versus during that of early pandemic (April 2020). Data were collected using data extraction form from MICHU clinic HMIS registry. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Chi‐squared test and simple descriptive statistics were applied as appropriate. A p‐value of less than 0.05 was used to describe the significance of the results.ResultsThere were significantly more second‐trimester abortions performed during the peak pandemic month as compared to early pandemic month (32.6% vs. 67.4%, respectively). Nearly half of the abortions were done for maternal health problems (47.8%, 44/92), and of which over 80% of them used medical methods for abortion (83.7%, 77/92). There was only one case of dilation and evacuation (D&E) during the early pandemic, compared to 14 D&E procedures during the pandemic peak.ConclusionWe found a significant increment in the second‐trimester abortion service coverage during the peak of COVID‐19 pandemic. The measures we took during the early pandemic: increasing public awareness about continuation of abortion care services during the pandemic, change in the attitude of care‐providers, and early sticking to national guidelines on essential care during COVID‐19 should be passed on as important lessons for future pandemics.

A Nanoparticle Vaccine Displaying Conserved Epitopes of the Preexisting Neutralizing Antibody Confers Broad Protection against SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

The rapid development of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine has been used to prevent the spread of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). However, the ongoing and future pandemics caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants and mutations underscore the need for effective vaccines that provide broad-spectrum protection. Here, we developed a nanoparticle vaccine with broad protection against divergent SARS-CoV-2 variants. The corresponding conserved epitopes of the preexisting neutralizing (CePn) antibody were presented on a self-assembling Helicobacter pylori ferritin to generate the CePnF nanoparticle. Intranasal immunization of mice with CePnF nanoparticles induced robust humoral, cellular, and mucosal immune responses and a long-lasting immunity. The CePnF-induced antibodies exhibited cross-reactivity and neutralizing activity against different coronaviruses (CoVs). CePnF vaccination significantly inhibited the replication and pathology of SARS-CoV-2 Delta, WIV04, and Omicron strains in hACE2 transgenic mice and, thus, conferred broad protection against these SARS-CoV-2 variants. Our constructed nanovaccine targeting the conserved epitopes of the preexisting neutralizing antibodies can serve as a promising candidate for a universal SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

Mortality in Amputees with Peripheral Artery Disease during the Post-COVID Era: A Three-Year Analysis.

Patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) have 40-70% higher three-year mortality after lower limb amputation compared to non-amputees. In this study, we examined the consequences of delayed treatment for patients with PAD during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study employed a retrospective single-centre cohort design at a large tertiary care hospital. We compared amputees with PAD during the initial COVID-19 outbreak period in 2020 with a control group of amputees from 2019 after a three-year follow-up. In total, 134 amputees with PAD were included due to unsuccessful revascularization (n = 84 in 2020 vs. n = 50 in 2019). Patients in 2020 were significantly younger than those in 2019 (p = 0.01) and mostly admitted with advanced stages of PAD (p < 0.03). The proportion of major limb amputations increased significantly in 2020 (p = 0.03). Non-COVID-19-related deaths among patients in 2020 were more than twice as many as those in 2019, and long-term mortality in 2020 was 49% compared to 39% in 2019 (p = 0.04). Diabetes and renal insufficiency had a significantly negative impact on the survival of amputees with PAD (p < 0.01). Delayed treatment in patients with PAD leads to high long-term mortality risk after amputation, especially in PAD patients with diabetes and renal insufficiency. Therefore, in future pandemics, continuously monitoring patients with PAD will be crucial to prevent delayed treatment and severe short-term and long-term consequences.

CMAPLE: efficient phylogenetic inference in the pandemic era.

We have recently introduced MAPLE (MAximum Parsimonious Likelihood Estimation), a new pandemic-scale phylogenetic inference method exclusively designed for genomic epidemiology. In response to the need for enhancing MAPLE's performance and scalability, here we present two key components: (1) CMAPLE software, a highly optimized C++ reimplementation of MAPLE with many new features and advancements; and (2) CMAPLE library, a suite of Application Programming Interfaces to facilitate the integration of the CMAPLE algorithm into existing phylogenetic inference packages. Notably, we have successfully integrated CMAPLE into the widely used IQ-TREE 2 software, enabling its rapid adoption in the scientific community. These advancements serve as a vital step towards better preparedness for future pandemics, offering researchers powerful tools for large-scale pathogen genomic analysis.

A T-Cell-Derived 3-Gene Signature Distinguishes SARS-CoV-2 from Common Respiratory Viruses.

Research on the host responses to respiratory viruses could help develop effective interventions and therapies against the current and future pandemics from the host perspective. To explore the pathogenesis that distinguishes SARS-CoV-2 infections from other respiratory viruses, we performed a multi-cohort analysis with integrated bioinformatics and machine learning. We collected 3730 blood samples from both asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2, seasonal human coronavirus (sHCoVs), influenza virus (IFV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or human rhinovirus (HRV) across 15 cohorts. First, we identified an enhanced cellular immune response but limited interferon activities in SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially in asymptomatic cases. Second, we identified a SARS-CoV-2-specific 3-gene signature (CLSPN, RBBP6, CCDC91) that was predominantly expressed by T cells, could distinguish SARS-CoV-2 infection, including Omicron, from other common respiratory viruses regardless of symptoms, and was predictive of SARS-CoV-2 infection before detectable viral RNA on RT-PCR testing in a longitude follow-up study. Thereafter, a user-friendly online tool, based on datasets collected here, was developed for querying a gene of interest across multiple viral infections. Our results not only identify a unique host response to the viral pathogenesis in SARS-CoV-2 but also provide insights into developing effective tools against viral pandemics from the host perspective.

School-based physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic

School closures and restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic changed opportunities for youth physical activity (PA). We sought to identify school and other contextual conditions associated with youth PA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 500 parents of children ages 6-10 years old and 500 parent-child dyads with children and adolescents ages 11-17 years old who completed a web-based questionnaire. Quotas and demographic matching were used to generate a sample that was representative of United States adults on key demographic characteristics. Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the association between days per week of at least 60 minutes of PA with school, family, and neighborhood characteristics, controlling for child age and gender. Youth engaged in more days per week of PA when they attended school in person (B=0.75, SE=0.22, p&lt;0.001), participated in school physical education (PE) (B=0.83, SE=0.23, p&lt;0.001), school sports (B=0.98, SE=0.25, p&lt;0.001), and community sports (B=0.68, SE=0.23, p=0.003), and had parents that engaged in high versus low levels of PA, (B=1.22, SE=0.21, p&lt;0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted youth PA, in part, due to restriction of school-based PA opportunities. During future pandemics or conditions that necessitate remote learning, attention to opportunities for PA outside of PE class may be important for equitable PA promotion.