Coronavirus Pandemic Research Articles

Hospital pharmacist challenges in evaluation of scientific evidence and its incorporation to pharmacotherapeutic protocols through therapeutic committees in COVID-19 times

Type 2 coronavirus pandemics that is plaguing almost all the world has caused qualitative and quantitative strains in health systems that have had to be responded to. The lack of known vaccines and effective treatments has generated the need to use drugs with very little evidence for their incorporation into pharmacotherapeutic protocols agreed by the clinical team. The hospital pharmacist, within the multidisciplinary team, has been responsible for critically evaluating the alternatives and positioning them in these protocols.Finally, some ethical and legal questions that should be considered in this scenario are analyzed in this article.

Do variations in anomalous mortality in Europe in fall and winter of 2019–2020 tell us anything on the timing of SARS‐CoV‐2 outbreak?

AbstractThe present study makes a part of the already ample discussion on the subject of identification of the beginnings of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) coronavirus pandemics in the world and considers the following question: do the anomalies in death rates in the earlier periods bring any new knowledge of the subject? With the ultimate purpose of answering this question, spatial differences are analysed of excess mortality for the first time at such a detailed spatial scale in Europe. As it is known, according to current knowledge, a strong increase in coronavirus disease‐2019 mortality occurred in Lombardy, Italy, from about mid‐March (Week 11–12 of 2020), followed by Spain and Belgium. It was decided, in the context of the present study, to see if similarly strong mortality anomalies, not assigned to this factor, were not present earlier. This could constitute circumstantial evidence that SARS‐CoV‐2 coronavirus was present in Europe on a much larger scale earlier than it is commonly believed. The study, therefore, looks at whether there were local outbreaks of elevated deaths between November 2019 and March 2020. The analysis used available Eurostat data for 34 European countries according to the NUTS1, NUTS2 and NUTS3 divisions based on 918 units with more than 100,000 inhabitants. The number of deaths was analysed over consecutive 24 weeks of autumn–winter (7 October 2019–22 March 2020, i.e., W41‐2019 to W12‐2020) and were compared with the respective data for the 3‐year reference period 2016–2018. The method used identifies geographically concentrated areas with excess deaths over short periods relative to the reference period. It was shown that 44 regions between W41‐2019 and W08‐2020 (i.e., before February 23) had elevated mortality (115% or more relative to the reference period). In the 44 NUTS3 regions mentioned, excess deaths during the autumn–winter period amounted to 96,000–126,000 when compared with the 2016–2018 baseline period (mainly in Spain, France, Italy, United Kingdom). It cannot be excluded that to some extent this could have been due to SARS‐CoV‐2 coronavirus infections. To confirm or deny this more clearly, detailed studies of the recorded causes of death in the indicated 44 regions are needed.

A deterministic compartmental model for investigating the impact of escapees on the transmission dynamics of COVID-19

The recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has devastated many parts of the globe. Non-pharmaceutical interventions are the widely available measures to combat and control the COVID-19 pandemic. There is great concern over the rampant unaccounted cases of individuals skipping the border during this critical period in time. We develop a deterministic compartmental model to investigate the impact of escapees (individuals who evade mandatory quarantine) on the transmission dynamics of COVID-19. A suitable Lyapunov function has shown that the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable, provided R0<1. We performed a global sensitivity analysis using the Latin-hyper cube sampling method and partial rank correlation coefficients to determine the most influential model parameters on the short and long-term dynamics of the pandemic to minimize uncertainties associated with our variables and parameters. Results confirm a positive correlation between the number of escapees and the reported COVID-19 cases. It is shown that escapees are primarily responsible for the rapid increase in local transmissions. Also, the results from sensitivity analysis show that an increase in governmental role actions and a reduction in the illegal immigration rate will help to control and contain the disease spread.

Covid-19 and Transitional Time Objects

Due to the pandemic of coronavirus and the necessity of quarantine, the process of analysis sessions inevitably has become remote. This change can be very noticeable, especially for those analysands who have participated in face-to-face meetings. In a way, that makes a difference in the analyst's usage as a transitional time object and in the analysis sessions as transitional time phenomena. Inspired by the concept of Winnicott's transitional object and phenomenon, Pajoohandeh has already defined the concepts of transitional time object and phenomenon in some papers. In this paper, the authors intend to explore the unconscious effect of coronavirus, by creating a physical distance between the analyst and analysand, on the sense of the passage of time in the analysis session. For this purpose, clinical examples have been pointed out and it has been found that the analysands understand the sense of the passage of time in remote sessions in various ways.

Formulation, Optimization and Evaluation of Nutraceutical Effervescent Granules Containing Curcumin and Ascorbic Acid by Fusion Technique Using Full Factorial Design

Recent studies suggest that curcumin has potent immunological activity in combination with ascorbic acid. Hence, research was carried out to formulate effervescent granules of curcumin and ascorbic acid as preventive measures for COVID-19. Thirteen formulas (F1 to F13) were prepared by applying 32 full factorial designs by applying the fusion method using Stat-Ease Design-Expert v7.0.0 software. Here, a complex of hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin and curcumin was prepared by lyophilization technique to improve the solubility of curcumin. Citric acid, tartaric acid, sodium bicarbonate, polyethylene glycol, and sorbitol were used in the formulation of effervescent granules. Evaluation studies were carried out for all 13 formulas, including compatibility study, flowability study and effervescence time. The results show that granules have excellent flow property with an appropriate bulk density and tapped density for the uniting dose. The FTIR study also indicates that there is no interaction between excipients. The effervescence time is less than 3 minutes for all the batches. Formula 4 shows the best effervescence. This research article covers the development of effervescent granules containing curcumin, which has antiviral properties (both through direct movement on viruses and through modulating the immune system). With the pandemic of coronavirus that we are facing, curcumin and ascorbic acid can provide us protection against COVID-19 by keeping our immunity up and protecting against the onslaught of infections.

Increase of catastrophic and impoverishing health expenditures in Mexico associated to policy changes and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2003, the Mexican Congress approved a major reform to provide health care services to the poor population through the public insurance scheme Seguro Popular. This program was dismantled in 2019 as part of a set of health system reforms and substituted with the Health Institute for Welfare (INSABI). These changes were implemented during the initial phases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We aimed to examine the impact of these reforms and the COVID-19 pandemic on financial risk protection in Mexico between 2018 and 2020. We performed a population-based analysis using cross-sectional data from the 2018 and 2020 rounds of the National Household Income and Expenditures Survey. We used a pooled fixed-effects multivariable two-stage probit model to determine the likelihood of catastrophic health expenditure (CHE), impoverishing health expenditure (IHE), and excessive health expenditure (EHE) among Mexican households. We also mapped the quintiles of changes in EHE in households without health insurance by state. The percentage of households without health insurance almost doubled from 8.8% (three million households) in 2018 to 16.5% (5.8 million households) in 2020. We also found large increases in the proportion of households incurring in CHE (18.4%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 6.1, 30.7) and EHE (18.7%; 95% CI = 7.9, 29.5). Significant increases in CHE, IHE, and EHE were only observed among households without health insurance (CHE: 90.7%; 95% CI = 31.6, 149.7, EHE: 73.5%; 95% CI = 25.3, 121.8). Virtually all Mexican states (n/N = 31/32) registered an increase in EHE among households without health insurance. This increase has a systematic territorial component affecting mostly central and southern states (range = -1.0% to 194.4%). The discontinuation of the Seguro Popular Program and its substitution with INSABI during the first stages of the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the levels of health care coverage in Mexico. This reduction and the pandemic increased out-of-pocket expenditure in health and the portion of CHE and EHE in the 2018-2020 period. The effect was higher in households without health insurance and households in central and southern states of the country. Further studies are needed to determine the specific effect both of recent policy changes and of the COVID-19 pandemic on the levels of financial protection in health in Mexico.

A Qualitative Exploration of the Impact of Mutual Aid on the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic Response

Abstract Background During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, responses of mutual aid took place at both the national and community levels. A study was conducted in the United Kingdom to investigate how grassroots community action helps people during pandemics and other types of emergency circumstances to meet their immediate health, care and social needs. In addition, the necessity for community self-organization, its success, and any challenges that developed are also evaluated. Methods An interpretative approach was utilised in order to gain an understanding of the points of view held by (N = 15) organisers, volunteers, and people who received support from mutual aid, who were a part of the first mutual aid group that was founded by a community in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A purposive sampling technique was used with semi-structured interviews conducted virtually. The results of the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results The results of the interviews yielded the following themes: 1) lack of trust in government during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2) people feeling forgotten by the national government and their local council, and 3) the need to support vulnerable populations and members of the community, including those who belong to marginalized groups. It has been demonstrated how grassroots community organizing may build community cohesiveness and attempts to reinforce local and national government activities, particularly in times of emergency, that can bring communities together to assist one another. Conclusions This approach could be used to co-produce sustainable public health services in collaboration with communities and government, building trust and meeting population health needs by co-creating equitable services while also developing community cohesiveness. Key messages • This study is innovative. The community identified their needs and developed a support system. • Working with a local council to develop a sustainable community service to meet the population health needs of the community.

Resilience in the Time of a Pandemic: Developing Public Policies for Ollas Comunes in Peru

The coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has created economic, social, and food security crises in many countries throughout the world. Faced with growing hunger in Peru, and the government’s delayed and inadequate reaction, the most important response came from the citizens themselves, particularly the women, in the form of thousands of social care initiatives known as ollas comunes (literally ‘communal pots’, similar to soup kitchens, whereby local communities pool their resources to supply food for everyone in the neighbourhood). This article tells the parallel stories of the resurgence of these ollas comunes and the state-funded support initiatives, alongside the process followed by GRADE (Group for the Analysis of Development – Grupo de Análisis para el Desarrollo; a non-profit research centre founded in Peru) that enabled it to contribute to those institutions looking to improve access to food for the most vulnerable people. Both stories are underpinned by a common ability to adapt quickly, which is crucial for achieving objectives in uncertain and ever‑changing situations.

THE PERFORMANCE OF HOSPITAL PSYCHOLOGY IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC: possibilities and limitations

Since the beginning of the current coronavirus outbreak (SARS-CoV-2), which caused Covid-19, there has been concern over a disease that has spread rapidly in several regions of the world. The hospital reality changed with the pandemic: visits were interrupted, or started to occur virtually. Information is transmitted by telephone or online meetings, and physical contact and even farewell rituals have been rendered unfeasible, which asks the psychologist for emergency assistance to family members. It is known that psychology is gaining more space in the hospital, however, it is clear that these professionals have been finding challenges to exercise their function. Faced with a situation like the pandemic of the new coronavirus, psychologists did not have time to be trained for such a situation, which led them to seek quick answers, precautions in handling care and assistance to suspected cases. The direct exposure to the possibility of contagion, the little evidence about the best behaviors to be adopted, brought the objective of this article to systematize the practice of hospital psychology in times of pandemic with its possibilities and limitations, since the constant contact with suffering, pain and death can cause these professionals constant suffering.

Discovery of Nanosota-2, -3, and -4 as super potent and broad-spectrum therapeutic nanobody candidates against COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed limitations of conventional antibodies as therapeutics, including high cost, limited potency, ineffectiveness against new viral variants, and primary reliance on injection-only delivery. Nanobodies are single-domain antibodies with therapeutic potentials. We discovered three anti-SARS-CoV-2 nanobodies, named Nanosota-2, -3, and -4, from an immunized alpaca. Nanosota-2 is super potent against prototypic SARS-CoV-2, Nanosota-3 is highly potent against the omicron variant, and Nanosota-4 is effective against both SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. In addition to their super potency and combined broad antiviral spectrum, these nanobodies are cost-effective, can be easily adapted to new viral variants through phage display, and can potentially be administered as inhalers. The Nanosota series are powerful therapeutic candidates to combat circulating SARS-CoV-2 and prepare for possible future coronavirus pandemics.

Online Counseling After Coronavirus Pandemic: a Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Iranian Counselors and Clients

Online Counseling After Coronavirus Pandemic: a Qualitative Study from the Perspective of Iranian Counselors and Clients

Support and Barrier of Online Occupational Therapy Education During Covid-19 in Bangladesh: A Cross Sectional Study

The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed significant challenges on medical education worldwide. During the pandemic in Bangladesh, Occupational Therapy students were participated in their class through online. The study aimed to identify support and barrier of online Occupational Therapy education during COVID-19 in Bangladesh.&#x0D; A cross-sectional online survey was performed to conduct the study through email. Self-developed structured questionnaire were used for data collection. Descriptive analyses were used to analyze survey results.&#x0D; Data were obtained from 112 responses where males were 34% and females were 66%. The study found that 75 (67%) participants had own devices and 37 (33%) participants responded that they were borrow the device from others during online study. Result revealed that students got support from the institution likes 80.4% (90) participants responded that they got regular online classes, 31.2% (35) said that teachers were supportive, 17.9% (20) participants responded that they got both review class and installment facilities. In family site 100.0% (112) Participant responded that they got internet support, 49.10% (55) quite space, 42.0% (47) care and 33.0% (37) got device support and encouragement. Online education barriers from the family found that 59.80% (67) participants responded that they had no family barrier, whereas 17.0% (19) faced financial barriers, 6.2% (7) internet connectivity, and a lack of parent’s knowledge about online education. On the other hand, 63.4% (71) of the participants responded that they had not faced any institutional barriers whereas 16.1% (18) participants have faced internet problems and 10.7% (12) practical class.&#x0D; Participants recommended that necessary steps should be taken to improve internet speed and provide free internet package and lecture method up-gradation for future online education program.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Emergency Department Encounters in a Major Metropolitan Area

BackgroundThe end of 2019 marked the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public avoidance of health care facilities, including the emergency department (ED), has been noted during prior pandemics. ObjectiveThis study described pandemic-related changes in adult and pediatric ED presentations, acuity, and hospitalization rates during the pandemic in a major metropolitan area. MethodsThe study was a cross-sectional analysis of ED visits occurring before and during the pandemic. Sites collected daily ED patient census; monthly ED patient acuity, as the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) score; and disposition. Prepandemic ED visits occurring from January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019 were compared with ED visits occurring during the pandemic from January 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021. The change in prepandemic and pandemic ED volume was found using 7-day moving average of proportions. ResultsThe study enrolled 83.8% of the total ED encounters. Pandemic adult and pediatric visit volume decreased to as low as 44.7% (95% CI 43.1–46.3%; p < 0.001) and 22.1% (95% CI 19.3–26.0%; p < 0.001), respectively, of prepandemic volumes. There was also a relative increase in adult and pediatric acuity (ESI level 1–3) and the admission percentage for adult (20.3% vs. 22.9%; p < 0.01) and pediatric (5.1% vs. 5.6%; p < 0.01) populations. ConclusionsTotal adult and pediatric encounters were reduced significantly across a major metropolitan area. Patient acuity and hospitalization rates were relatively increased. The development of strategies for predicting ED avoidance will be important in future pandemics.

A double-blinded randomised controlled trial of vitamin A drops to treat post-viral olfactory loss: study protocol for a proof-of-concept study for vitamin A nasal drops in post-viral olfactory loss (APOLLO)

BackgroundSmell loss is a common problem with an estimated 5% of the population having no functioning sense of smell. Viral causes of smell loss are the second most common cause and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is estimated to have caused 20,000 more people this year to have a lasting loss of smell. Isolation, depression, anxiety, and risk of danger from hazards such as toxic gas and spoiled food are all negative impacts. It also affects appetite with weight loss/gain in two-thirds of those affected. Phantosmia or smell distortion can also occur making most foods seem unpalatable. Smell training has been tried with good results in the immediate post-viral phase. Evidence behind treatment with steroids has not shown to have proven effectiveness. With this, a key problem for patients and their clinicians is the lack of proven effective therapeutic treatment options. Based on previous studies, there is some evidence supporting the regenerative potential of retinoic acid, the metabolically active form of vitamin A in the regeneration of olfactory receptor neurons. It is based on this concept that we have chosen vitamin A as our study comparator.AimTo undertake a two-arm randomised trial of intranasally delivered vitamin A vs no intervention to determine proof of concept.Methods/designThe study will compare 10,000 IU once daily Vitamin A self-administered intranasal drops versus peanut oil drops (placebo) delivered over 12 weeks in patients with post-viral olfactory loss. Potentially eligible patients will be recruited from the Smell & Taste Clinic and via the charity Fifth Sense. They will be invited to attend the Brain Imaging Centre at the University of East Anglia on two occasions, 3 months apart. If they meet the eligibility criteria, they will be consented to enter the study and randomised to receive vitamin A drops or no treatment in a 2:1 ratio. MRI scanning will enable volumetric measurement of the OB and ROS; fMRI will then be conducted using an olfactometer to deliver pulsed odours—phenethylalcohol (rose-like) and hydrogen sulphide (rotten eggs). Participants will also perform a standard smell test at both visits as well as complete a quality-of-life questionnaire. Change in OB volume will be the primary outcome measure.DiscussionWe expect the outputs of this study to enable a subsequent randomised controlled trial of Vitamin A versus placebo. With PPI input we will make the outputs publicly available using journals, conferences, and social media via Fifth Sense. We have already prepared a draft RCT proposal in partnership with the Norwich Clinical Trials Unit and plan to develop this further in light of the findings.Trial registrationISRCTN registry 39523. Date of registration in the primary registry: 23rd February 2021.

Yellow Perils: Pandemic imaginaries and the contest for global power

The precise origins of COVID-19 may never be established, but the weight of available evidence confirms that, together with the pandemics of 1890 and 1918 and the two most recent coronavirus viruses, SARS and MERS, it has followed a zoonotic path of transmission—from animals to humans. In which case the problem lies with the accelerating clearances of forests and woodlands for cattle ranching and palm oil and soya plantations to service a global food system increasingly organised around meat intensive fast and convenience foods. McDonald’s and KFC may have originated in America, but their brightly lit outlets are now a familiar sight in Chinese cities servicing a shared urban lifestyle that supports the unsustainable consumption that is driving the present climate and environmental emergencies. If this analysis is correct, responsibility for COVID-19 and the likelihood of future coronavirus pandemics lies primarily with the corporations promoting the intensified industrialisation of global agriculture. These companies form a complex agribusiness network connecting US and Chinese enterprises and driving deforestation and habitat destruction across the world. By escalating contacts between displaced species and humans these interventions significantly increase the likelihood of zoonotic transmission. Addressing this threat requires transformative changes to prevailing priorities for global production and consumption. Confronting the embedded cultures of distrust and antagonism generated by successive abrasive encounters between China and the West is an essential step towards recognising that the major perils now facing humanity are universal and in urgent need of a common and collaborative response.

Crowdfunding to Finance SMEs: New Model After Pandemic Disease

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; The purpose of this paper is to find out the success of crowdfunding in finance SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) and business startups during and after the Corona Virus Pandemic (Covid19) in Indonesia and Malaysia. Methodology - This research uses a quantitative approach. The questionnaire was distributed to SMEs owners or operators who already knew about crowdfunding domiciled in Indonesia and Malaysia, each country as many as 100 respondents. To find out the influence and significance of Crowdfunding perception, Social norms, Regulation, Entrepreneurship and Technology, and Capital Market on the success of Crowdfunding by using multiple linear regression analysis. Finding – in Indonesia, of the 5 variables studied all showed positive and significant influences with levels of influence varying from weak to medium correlations, except perception variables that showed weak and insignificant influences. In Malaysia, all variables have a positive and significant influence on the level of influence from weak to moderate correlation. Limitation – this study was conducted in Indonesia and Malaysia during the pandemic period with policies on social distancing, physical distancing, and work from home. Originality – This is the first paper to report research on the impact of Corona virus on crowdfunding in Indonesia and Malaysia.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Attitude of Higher Education Students towards the Effectiveness of Online Education with Special Reference to Coronavirus Pandemic

Attitude of Higher Education Students towards the Effectiveness of Online Education with Special Reference to Coronavirus Pandemic

Culpability and Nature-Nature Infractions in Select Poems in Tanure Ojaide’s Narrow Escapes: A Poetic Diary of the Coronavirus Pandemic

In literary imaginings, the infraction of the law by human and nonhuman agents manifests in different planes and character. With a pathology-inclined compass, this study argues that the representation of culpability for the infraction of natural law in Tanure Ojaide’s poetry emanates mainly from the intentionality of human agents and intersects with the unintentionality of nonhuman nature. In the instance of nature-nature infractions, a first-cause anthropocentric infraction by humans intersects with a second-cause infraction from the nonhuman agents, thereby creating the binary of intentional and unintentional culpability. Tanure Ojaide, in Narrow Escape: A Poetic Diary of the Coronavirus Pandemic (2021), chronicles the themes of agonies arising from anthropocentric recklessness and abuse of the ecosystem, which result in nature-nature infractions and the subsequent culpability. With poignant imagery and electrifying fluidity, Ojaide presents a litany of the havoc wreaked by human agents and the nonhuman coronavirus on the physical and biological environments. This litany is expressed through tones of lamentation and caution. The cautionary notes evince hope in the midst of the pathological miasma that assumed a threshold in 2019. Lawrence Buell’s eco-critical view is chosen because it locates anthropocentric negligence and ignorance as liable reasons for the breakdown of law and order in nature. Therefore, in causing the pandemic, sickness, and death, anthropocentrism as well as the coronavirus are shown to be culpable of homicide in the selected poems.

Evaluating the Relationship Between Global Stock Markets and Real Estate Markets Before and After the Coronavirus Pandemic

The relationship between the stock market and the real estate market has been the focus of several studies in the past. The nature of this relationship continues to remain ambiguous, with results varying according to a country’s economic condition and the level of co-integration between the two markets. This paper reviews the variables that influence the behavior of the stock market and the property market in the United States and the UAE. It examines whether these markets appear to be interlinked in these countries. To make the research more relevant, we have also reviewed the relationship between these two markets and how they have been influenced by the Coronavirus pandemic. As per our findings, the key variables impacting this relationship include the wealth effect, the percentage of real estate assets owned by publicly-traded companies, the news, the number of mortgage-backed securities available in the market, and the amount of risk associated with these securities. Besides this, initial public offerings (IPOs) and market liquidity also play a vital role. Regarding the Coronavirus pandemic, the primary impacts of this health crisis appear to be limited to the short-term. The most significant effects include a rise in stock market volatility, a decline in buying and selling activity, and delays in real estate construction projects in response to government restrictions and new Coronavirus-related deaths. Keywords: Real estate, stock market, coronavirus pandemic, the impact of the stock market, property market, real estate prices, share prices, COVID-19 pandemic

Repurposing Navitoclax to block SARS-CoV-2 fusion and entry by targeting heptapeptide repeat sequence 1 in S2 protein.

Along with the long pandemic of COVID-19caused bysevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)has come the dilemma of emerging viral variants of concern (VOC),particularly Omicron and its subvariants, able to deftly escape immune surveillance and the otherwise protective effect of current vaccines and antibody drugs. We previously identified a peptide-based pan-CoV fusion inhibitor, termed as EK1, able to bind the HR1 region in viral spike (S) protein S2 subunit. This effectively blocked formation of the six-helix bundle (6-HB)fusion core and, thus, showed efficacy against all human coronaviruses (HCoVs).EK1is now in phase 3 clinical trials. However, the peptide drug generally lacks oral availability. Therefore, we herein performed a structure-based virtual screening of the libraries of biologically active molecules and identified nine candidate compounds. One is Navitoclax, an orally active anticancer drug by inhibition of Bcl-2. Like EK1 peptide, it could bind HR1 and block 6-HBformation, efficiently inhibiting fusion and infection of all SARS-CoV-2variants tested, as well as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV,with IC50 values ranging from 0.5 to 3.7 μM. These findings suggest that Navitoclax is a promising repurposed drug candidate for development as a safe and orally available broad-spectrum antiviral drug to combat the current SARS-CoV-2and its variants, as well as other HCoVs.