Transmission Of SARS-CoV2 Research Articles

Surge in Mycoplasma Pneumoniae infection and Respiratory Viruses Co-infection in Children With Community-Acquired Pneumonia in the Post-Pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, multifaceted non-pharmaceutical interventions have not only reduced the transmission of SARS-CoV2 but also affected the prevalence of other respiratory pathogens. With the lifting of many restrictions, a surge in cases of pneumonia in children has been reported in many hospitals in China. The study assessed the changes in pathogen and symptoms of children with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) before and after the adjustments of prevention and control measures of epidemic and provided recommendations for CAP in children. Children diagnosed with CAP were enrolled in the study from 2022 to 2023. A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted in a general hospital. We analyzed the data about demographic data, clinical symptoms, pathogens, and medical treatments. The Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to assess the statistical significance of groups. We studied 1103 children, 339 in 2022 and 764 in 2023. Compared with children in 2022, more children were diagnosed with CAP in 2023 and these children had a higher body temperature and levels of CRP and PCT, which indicated these children got severe inflammation. The positive rate of the pathogen was also higher in 2023, especially the detective rate of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The number of children infected with more than two pathogens was higher in 2023, especially those co-infected with the virus and M. Pneumoniae. Concerning the medicine therapy, the usage of β-lactam antibiotics, Macrolide antibiotics, and antiviral drugs kept rapid growth. After the adjustment of epidemic prevention and control policies in 2023, more children got CAP with severe clinical symptoms, and more antibiotics and antiviral drugs were used. Further study is needed to explore the reasons for the increase in children with CAP and to explore the rationality of treatment.

Awareness, perceptions and challenges among public transport operators during the implementation of COVID-19 preventive measures in eastern Uganda: a qualitative study

BackgroundPublic transportation plays a major role in the transmission of SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, due to the confined spaces in vehicles. It is therefore very crucial to apply COVID-19 prevention measures in public transportation to reduce risk of COVID-19 transmission. The implementation of these measures depends largely on the public transportation users. We explored the awareness, perceptions and challenges among public transport operators during the implementation of COVID-19 preventive measures in Eastern Uganda.MethodsThis qualitative study was done in Eastern Uganda in January and February 2021. We conducted four focus group discussions, six in-depth interviews and three key informant interviews to document the awareness, perceptions and challenges faced by public transport operators including 10 boda boda riders, 19 taxi operators and 11 truck (cargo) transporters. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed with the help of NVIVO software version 12 plus using a thematic framework approach.ResultsWe relied on the health belief model to report on four broad themes including: Perceived threat, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and cues to action.Perceived threatParticipants were aware of the gravity / seriousness of COVID-19. They were aware that it is an unusual flu whose symptoms are severe and clearly distinguishable from the common flu. They also knew that COVID-19 is easily and quickly transmitted. However they were not aware of the cause of COVID-19. Perceived benefits: the participants perceived a number covid 19 preventive measures as beneficial in preventing COVID-19. These included: COVID 19 vaccination, observing hand hygiene, avoiding touching the ‘soft parts’ (eyes, nose and mouth), quarantining in a hospital setting, wearing a face mask, social distancing,. Perceived barriers: participants reported barriers to implementing COVID 19 preventive measures included Misconceptions about COVID 19, scepticism about COVID-19 vaccination, not breathing well or respiratory problems hinders use of face masks, fear of covid 19 transmission during home isolation, design of the vehicles do not favour social distancing, passengers unwilling to pay the fare, natural reflexes come in the way of not touching soft parts, financial constraints, hostility from passengers due to increased transport fares, law enforcement officials prioritizing the driving permit over implementation of the measures, hostility from law enforcement officials, religious beliefs against the use of alcohol, competing for passengers among public transporters.Cues to action includedMass sensitization by the Ugandan government through the ministry of health with the help of media platforms like television.Conclusions and recommendationOur study brings to light the likely barriers that impede the use of preventive measures in public transportation use during an epidemic / pandemic like COVID-19 which could potentially escalate transmission. During cues to action like sensitization through media, focus should be put to the demystification of myths on COVID-19, highlighting on benefits of using preventive measures and risk of disease. Public transport passengers should be sensitized on risk of COVID-19 transmission during public transportation use and on the importance of complying with COVID-19 preventive measures. We recommend further exploration on the challenges faced by the public transportation passengers in implementing preventive measures in the event of an epidemic like COVID-19. Future research is required to establish a more robust transport model in crisis situations such as a pandemic. In addition, there is need for integration between the public health and public transportation sectors to foster epidemic preparedness for future crises in the context of public transportation.

Diagnostic Utility of Different Respiratory Clinical Specimens in the COVID-19 Era and Risk of Nosocomial Transmission of SARS-CoV2 with Fibrobronchoscopy and Sputum Induction Procedures

Diagnostic Utility of Different Respiratory Clinical Specimens in the COVID-19 Era and Risk of Nosocomial Transmission of SARS-CoV2 with Fibrobronchoscopy and Sputum Induction Procedures

Routes of SARS-Cov2 transmission in the intensive care unit: A multicentric prospective study

BackgroundThe risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to health care workers in intensive care units (ICU) and the contribution of airborne and fomites to SARS-CoV-2 transmission remain unclear. To assess the rate of air and surface contamination and identify risk factors associated with this contamination in patients admitted to the ICU for acute respiratory failure due to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. MethodsProspective multicentric non-interventional study conducted from June 2020 to November 2020 in 3 French ICUs. For each enrolled patient, 3 predefined surfaces were swabbed, 2 air samples at 1 m and 3 m from the patient’s mouth and face masks of 3 health care workers (HCW) were collected within the first 48 h of SARS-CoV-2 positive PCR in a respiratory sample. Droplet digital PCR and quantitative PCR were performed on different samples, respectively. ResultsAmong 150 included patients, 5 (3.6%, 95%CI: 1.2% to 8.2%) had positive ddPCR on air samples at 1 m or 3 m. Seventy-one patients (53.3%, CI95%: 44.5% to 62.0%) had at least one surface positive. Face masks worn by HCW were positive in 6 patients (4.4%, CI: 1.6% to 9.4%). The threshold of RT-qPCR of the respiratory sample performed at inclusion (odds ratio, OR= 0.88, 95%CI: 0.83 to 0.93, p < 0.0001) and the presence of diarrhea (OR= 3.28, 95%CI: 1.09 to 9.88, p = 0.037) were significantly associated with the number of contaminated surfaces. ConclusionIn this study, including patients admitted to the ICU for acute respiratory failure " contact route " of transmission, i.e. through fomites, seems dominant. While presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the air is rare in this specific population, the presence of diarrhea is associated to surface contamination around Covid patients.

COVID-19 AND THE RELATIONSHIP WITH ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: A SCOPE REVIEW

Objective: Conduct a scoping review to map the scientific evidence on the existing relationship between the transmission and spread of COVID-19 with environmental, climatic and seasonality factors. Methodology: Review studies published in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, SCOPUS and Virtual Health Library Portal (VHL). 33 studies were included in the review, most from China, followed by Brazil and the United States of America. Results: The most studied factors were temperature, climate and humidity, wind, air quality, precipitation with the transmission of the SARS-Cov-2 virus in the year 2020. The attribution of the positive relationship or not, obtained in the studies regarding influence of climatic environmental factors and seasonality on the transmission or dissemination of SARS-CoV2 are controversial both for the increase or reduction of cases, due to the divergence of results regarding the studied variables, design and location. Conclusion: This study did not find enough evidence to support the hypothesis that higher temperatures will reduce COVID-19 transmission. The significant and valid impact of air pollution and climate change on the transmission of COVID-19 must be considered, with strong implications for preventive strategies for new pandemics.

Correlation of public mobility and Covid-19 incidence in Indonesia during six phases of restriction policy implementation

Public mobility is considered one of the factors thought to impact the transmission of SARS-CoV2. The Indonesian government has imposed six mobility restriction policies since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to cope this situation, however there has been no comprehensive evaluation of this program. This study aimed to examine the correlation between mobility and the incidence of COVID-19 during the implementation of this policy in Indonesia. Secondary data on public mobility, acquired through the Google Community Mobility Reports, and data on COVID-19 new cases, recorded on the COVID Task Force website, were utilized from 2 March 2020 to 20 July 2021.The analysis in this study was carried out using the Pearson correlation test with an alternative Spearman correlation test. The result reported a positive correlation between COVID-19 cases and mobility in certain places, such as in Grocery Store and Transit Station (r = 0.75; p-value &lt;0.001; r = 0.62 p-value &lt;0.001) while there was negative correlation in residential area (r= - 0.276 p-value &lt; 0.001). Public mobility is found to be correlated with an increase in COVID-19 cases during the six phases of restriction policy implementation. In conclusion, regulating public mobility is important to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Comparison of respiratory pathogens in children with community-acquired pneumonia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundMultifaceted non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic have not only reduced the transmission of SARS-CoV2, but have had an effect on the prevalence of other pathogens. This retrospective study aimed to compare and analyze the changes of respiratory pathogens in hospitalized children with community-acquired pneumonia.MethodsFrom January 2019 to December 2020, children with community-acquired pneumonia were selected from the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. On the first day of hospitalization, sputum, throat swabs, venous blood samples from them were collected for detection of pathogens.ResultsA total of 2596 children with community-acquired pneumonia were enrolled, including 1871 patients in 2019 and 725 in 2020. The detection rate in 2020 was lower than in 2019, whether single or multiple pathogens. Compared with 2019, the detection rate of virus, especially parainfluenza virus, influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus, all decreased in 2020. On the contrary, the prevalence of human rhinovirus was much higher than that in 2019. In addition, the positivity rate for bacteria did not change much over the two years, which seemed to be less affected by COVID-19. And Mycoplasma pneumoniae which broke out in 2019 has been in low prevalence since March 2020 even following the reopening of school.ConclusionsStrict public health interventions for COVID-19 in China have effectively suppressed the spread of not only SARS-CoV2 but parainfluenza virus, influenza virus and Mycoplasma pneumonia as well. However, it had a much more limited effect on bacteria and rhinovirus. Therefore, more epidemiological surveillance of respiratory pathogens will help improve early preventive measures.

Riding the Wave: Unveiling the Conformational Waves from RBD of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein to ACE2.

The binding affinity between angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and the receptor-binding domain (RBD) plays a crucial role in the transmission and reinfection of SARS-CoV2. Here, microsecond molecular dynamics simulations revealed that point mutations in the RBD domain induced conformational transitions that determined the binding affinity between ACE2 and RBD. These structural changes propagated through the RBD domain, altering the orientation of both ACE2 and RBD residues at the binding site. ACE2 receptor shows significant structural heterogeneity, whereas its binding to the RBD domain indicates a much greater degree of structural homogeneity. The receptor was more flexible in its unbound state with the binding of RBD domains inducing structural transitions. The structural heterogeneity observed in the ACE2 unbound form plays a role in the promiscuity of viral entry, as it may allow the receptor to interact with various related and unrelated ligands. Furthermore, rigidity may be important for stabilizing the complex and ensuring the proper orientation of the RBD-binding interface with ACE2. The greater structural homogeneity observed in the ACE2-RBD complex revealed the effectiveness of neutralizing antibodies and vaccines that are primarily directed toward the RBD-binding interface. The binding of the B38 monoclonal antibody revealed restricted conformational transitions in the RBD and ACE2 receptors, attributed to its potent binding interaction.

Maternal and neonatal COVID-19 – the pandemic experience in a tertiary maternity unit in Romania – unicentric, prospective study

Background and objectives. Multiple reports, available while the pandemic progressed, raised concerns that COVID-19 poses higher risks to pregnant women and their newborns. Still, limited evidence exists on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during pregnancy and perinatal period. This study aimed to evaluate the rate of early-onset neonatal COVID and the outcomes of newborns born by mothers diagnosed with COVID-19 at delivery and concerning the presence of maternal symptoms and dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant. Materials and methods. The prospective study of maternal and neonatal data of mothers with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection at admission for delivery and their newborns was developed in a tertiary maternity hospital between February 1, 2020, and December 1, 2023. All pregnant women admitted for delivery were screened for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and, if positive, the newborn was also screened. Data of all pregnant women with positive RT-PCT test and of their newborns were extracted from the maternal and neonatal medical charts and the electronic data system of the hospital: data on pregnancy, delivery, COVID-19 symptoms, demographics, gestational age, birth weight, Apgar score, neonatal pathology, and routine laboratory tests, results of maternal and neonatal RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 virus, feedings, and death were extracted from the neonatal charts. The primary outcomes were neonatal: COVID-19 rates, prematurity, birth weight, symptoms, and neonatal conditions. IBM SPSS 23 was used for data analysis and comparisons. Results. A total number of 218 mothers with COVID-19 infection (92.7% asymptomatic) and their 218 neonates were included in the study. COVID-19 infection occurred in 1.91% of the deliveries registered in the unit during the study period. Neonatal COVID-19 was diagnosed in 3/218 infants, none symptomatic, with a rate of transmission of 1.37%. Most of the newborns delivered by COVID-19-positive mothers were born at term, only 14 were born prematurely, and 16 had birth weight &lt;2500 g; 15% of the newborns delivered by COVID-19-infected mothers had a neonatal condition that needed significant interventions or therapies. The mean gestational age and Apgar score at 1 minute were significantly lower in infants delivered by symptomatic mothers and during the Delta/Omicron/other new variants period as compared to those born by asymptomatic mothers or during the pre-Delta period, respectively. Also, major and minor neonatal conditions were found more often in infants delivered by symptomatic mothers (p&lt;0.050) and in those born during the Delta/Omicron/other new variants period (p&lt;0.050). Conclusions. Our study found low rates of maternal COVID-19 at admission for delivery, and symptomatic maternal COVID-19. Also, we have found low rates of prematurity and LBW, in hospital maternal-neonatal transmission of SARSCoV-2, and excellent neonatal outcomes among the infants delivered by SARS-CoV-2 mothers, although gestational age and perinatal complications were more frequent in infants born by symptomatic mothers and during Delta/Omicron/ other new SARS-CoV-2 variants period. More studies are needed to completely reveal the impact of the virus on fetal, neonatal, infant, and child growth, health, and development.

A promising strategies for reducing the danger of SARS-CoV2 transmission during dentistry and medical procedures

The leaves of Stevia The COVID-19 epidemic has presented serious difficulties for healthcare professionals, especially those working in dentistry and medical facilities. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, is a high-risk infection in hospital settings since it is known to spread via respiratory droplets and aerosols. The purpose of this review paper is to determine whether preprocedural mouthwashes significantly lower the risk of SARS-CoV2 transmission during dental and medical procedures. in addition, antiseptics including Povidone-iodine, CPC, Benzalkonium Chloride, and Aromatic oils may indeed be capable of eliminating SARS-CoV2 by focusing on the virus's lipid envelope, that according in vitro study, as well as clinical experiments indicate that preprocedural mouthwashes potentially help to reduce intraoral viral load and infectivity in COVID-19 patients, but more research is required to verify this. Other infection control methods, such as PPE, high-volume evacuation (HVE), and air filtration, can also assist in minimizing SARS-CoV2 transmission during operations. The RT-qPCR alone is insufficient to determine the effectiveness of preprocedural mouthwashes against SARS-CoV2 transmission. Future research should also take into account employing supplementary techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of preprocedural mouthwashes, such as determining the virus's survival in cell cultures or using animal models to research the virus' transmission. Further research is needed to determine the best combination of infection control measures to reduce SARS-CoV2 transmission in healthcare settings, but preprocedural mouthwashes may be a simple, low-cost strategy to reduce transmission risk during dental and medical procedures, especially in high-risk patients.

Implemented indoor airborne transmission mitigation strategies during COVID-19: a systematic review.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40201-023-00847-0.

A REVIEW OF CURRENT KNOWLEDGE ON AIRBORNE TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH ENVIRONMENT

Background: SARS-CoV-2 is considered the critical health pandemic of 21st century. Due to their extremely high rate of transmission people are more susceptible to viral infection. The airborne transmission considered to be the dominant over other route of transmissions. Viral RNA affiliated with droplets smaller than 5 micro meters has been detected in air and the virus has been shown to preserve infectivity in droplets of this size. Mechanism: The modes of transmissions of virus is through direct contact and through inhaling aerosols. Transmission of SARS-CoV 2 could be directed not only by temperature and humidity but also by water and sewage, among other perspective factors. Airborne or aerosol transmission occurs by the direct spray of large droplets onto conjunctiva or mucous membranes. The optimum temperature and humidity for the survival of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro were 4 degree Celsius and 20-80% resp. 1-10 um aerosol particles are sufficiently large to carry a viable viral particle load. Under optimal conditions of humidity &amp; temperature, the aerosol droplets of all sizes can travel up to 7-8 m. As the size of aerosol decrease, their ability to disperse in air increase. Discussion: . The effect of transmission or spreadness of this virus is in a very sudden manner. The review of few studies shows that the behavior or mode of action of SARS-CoV-2 virus has been remarkable or unique with more survival rate and viable rates in the air and believed to remain in the air for extended period. This study is exploratory in nature and aims to carry out the nature of transmission of virus as a airborne transmission and their relationship with the environment.

An algorithm to estimate the real time secondary infections in sub-urban bus travel: COVID-19 epidemic experience at Chennai Metropolitan city India.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-022-00804-9.

Airborne transmission of SARS-Cov2: What consequences for digestive endoscopy?

The SARS-Cov-2 disease disrupted essential hospital procedures, such as gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, due to concerns about air transmission and the risk of exposing health care workers. With the spread of the pandemic, air transmission was considered as the main source of SARS-Cov2 transmission. This raised the problem of transmission by aerosolization of viral particles in operating rooms as well as endoscopy units. This is in line with the known airborne transmission of many other respiratory viruses. The risk of SARS-Cov-2 transmission during GI endoscopy was initially reduced by controlled measures, involving personal protections (mask…), restricted access to endoscopy rooms, and detection of infected patients. Gastrointestinal endoscopy generates aerosols, which may carry viruses. In addition, the endoscopy system may facilitate the diffusion of virus particles or fomites considering the forced-air cooling system used to maintain a stable temperature inside the box (25°C). The volume of air that goes through the light source box is high (240-300m3 for a 1-h period). Moreover, the light system contains an air pump to inflate air inside the gut lumen. In order to isolate people from hazard, different levels of protection and solutions to avoid airborne transmission of microorganisms should be proposed, such as the reinforcement of personal protective equipment, the change in the way people work and engineering control of the risk.

Decline in reported measles cases in Italy in the COVID-19 era, January 2020 – July 2022: The need to prevent a resurgence upon lifting non-pharmaceutical pandemic measures

From January 2020 to July 2022, 120 measles cases were reported to the Italian national surveillance system, of which 105 had symptom onset in 2020, nine in 2021 and six in the first seven months of 2022. This represents a sharp decline compared to the time period immediately preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, most likely due to the non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented to prevent SARS-CoV2 transmission. Of 105 cases reported in 2020, 103 acquired the infection before a national lockdown was instituted on 9 March 2020. Overall, one quarter of cases reported at least one complication. As non-pharmaceutical pandemic measures are being eased worldwide, and considering measles seasonality, infectiousness, and its potential severity, it is important that countries ensure high vaccination coverage and close immunity gaps, to avoid risk of future outbreaks.

Occurrence and transport of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater streams and its detection and remediation by chemical-biological methods

This paper explains the transmission of SARS-CoV and influences of several environmental factors in the transmission process. The article highlighted several methods of collection, sampling and monitoring/estimation as well as surveillance tool for detecting SARS-CoV in wastewater streams. In this context, WBE (Wastewater based epidemiology) is found to be the most effective surveillance tool. Several methods of genomic sequencing are discussed in the paper, which are applied in WBE, like qPCR-based wastewater testing, metagenomics-based analysis, next generation sequencing etc. Additionally, several types of biosensors (colorimetric biosensor, mobile phone-based biosensors, and nanomaterials-based biosensors) showed promising results in sensing SARS-CoV in wastewater. Further, this review paper outlined the gaps in assessing the factors responsible for transmission and challenges in detection and monitoring along with the remediation and disinfection methods of this virus in wastewater. Various methods of disinfection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater are discussed (primary, secondary, and tertiary phases) and it is found that a suite of disinfection methods can be used for complete disinfection/removal of the virus. Application of ultraviolet light, ozone and chlorine-based disinfectants are also discussed in the context of treatment methods. This study calls for continuous efforts to gather more information about the virus through continuous monitoring and analyses and to address the existing gaps and identification of the most effective tool/ strategy to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Wastewater surveillance can be very useful in effective surveillance of future pandemics and epidemics caused by viruses, especially after development of new technologies in detecting and disinfecting viral pathogens more effectively.

Combined effect of traditional Chinese herbal-based formulations Jing Si herbal tea and Jing Si nasal drop inhibits adhesion and transmission of SARS-CoV2 in diabetic SKH-1 mice.

Multiple studies show increased severity of SARS-CoV2-infection in patients with comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes. In this study, we have prepared two herbal-based formulations, a pleiotropic herbal drink (Jin Si Herbal Tea, JHT) and a nasal drop (Jin Si nasal drop, JND), to provide preventive care against SARS-CoV2 infection. The effect of JHT and JND was determined in SARS-CoV2-S-pseudotyped lentivirus-infected bronchial and colorectal cell lines and in SKH-1 mouse models. For preliminary studies, ACE2 receptor abundant bronchial (Calu-3) and colorectal cells (Caco-2) were used to determine the effect of JHT and JND on the host entry of various variants of SARS-CoV2-S-pseudotyped lentivirus. A series of experiments were performed to understand the infection rate in SKH-1 mice (6 weeks old, n = 9), find the effective dosage of JHT and JND, and determine the combination effect of JHT and JND on the entry and adhesion of various variant SARS-CoV2-S-pseudotyped lentiviruses, which included highly transmissible delta and gamma mutants. Furthermore, the effect of combined JHT and JND was determined on diabetes-induced SKH-1 mice against the comorbidity-associated intense viral entry and accumulation. In addition, the effect of combined JHT and JND administration on viral transmission from infected SKH-1 mice to uninfected cage mate mice was determined. The results showed that both JHT and JND were effective in alleviating the viral entry and accumulation in the thorax and the abdominal area. While JHT showed a dose-dependent decrease in the viral load, JND showed early inhibition of viral entry from day 1 of the infection. Combined administration of 48.66mg of JHT and 20µL of JND showed rapid reduction in the viral entry and reduced the viral load (97-99%) in the infected mice within 3 days of treatment. Moreover, 16.22mg of JHT and 20µL JND reduced the viral infection in STZ-induced diabetic SKH-1 mice. Interestingly, combined JHT and JND also inhibited viral transmission among cage mates. The results, therefore, showed that combined administration of JHT and JND is a novel and an efficient strategy to potentially prevent SARS-CoV2 infection.

In silico strategies to identify protein-protein interaction modulator in cell-to-cell transmission of SARS CoV2.

RNA sequence data from SARS CoV2 patients helps to construct a gene network related to this disease. A detailed analysis of the human host response to SARS CoV2 with expression profiling by high-throughput sequencing has been accomplished with primary human lung epithelial cell lines. Using this data, the clustered gene annotation and gene network construction are performed with the help of the String database. Among the four clusters identified, only 1 with 44 genes could be annotated. Interestingly, this corresponded to basal cells with p=1.37e-05, which is relevant for respiratory tract infection. Functional enrichment analysis of genes present in the gene network has been completed using the String database and the Network Analyst tool. Among three types of cell-cell communication, only the anchoring junction between the basal cell membrane and the basal lamina in the host cell is involved in the virus transmission. In this junction point, a hemidesmosome structure plays a vital role in virus spread from one cell to basal lamina in the respiratory tract. In this protein complex structure, different integrin protein molecules of the host cell are used to promote the spread of virus infection into the extracellular matrix. So, small molecular blockers of different anchoring junction proteins, such as integrin alpha 3, integrin beta 1, can provide efficient protection against this deadly viral disease. ORF8 from SARS CoV2 virus can interact with both integrin proteins of human host. By using molecular docking technique, a ternary complex of these three proteins is modelled. Several oligopeptides are predicted as modulators for this ternary complex. In silico analysis of these modulators is very important to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of SARS CoV2.

Proposed Pharmacological Treatments for COVID-19: Previously Confirmed Drugs

Background: The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, also called ‘coronavirus disease 2019’ (COVID-19), first appeared in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. COVID-19 is caused by an enveloped single-stranded RNA virus, which has affected more than 14 million people around the world and caused a high rate of mortality. It is notable that discovering new drugs and vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is time-consuming. Therefore, reviewing drugs, which have been previously designed for other purposes can be helpful and effective.&#x0D; Objectives: Studying the effects of previously approved drugs is important; thus, in this article, we reviewed studies on proposed drugs against COVID-19.&#x0D; Methods: The articles and information were collected from Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases. We did our research based on keywords, like “therapeutics”, “pharmacology”, “Coronavirus”, “COVID-19”, “SARS”, and “MERS-CoV”. We also applied some filters, such as title/abstract, and ignored factors that could lead to bias and selective selection.&#x0D; Results: There is currently no cure for coronavirus, and most treatments have been effective to relieve symptoms. The treatment methods and drugs addressed in this article are chosen either from previous drugs against MERS and SARS, drugs that disrupt the life cycle of the coronavirus, or drugs that have been reviewed in retrospective studies and clinical trials.&#x0D; Conclusion: Prevention and treatment of COVID-19 remain a challenge, in particular for coronavirus and the treatments based on boosting the immune system and preventing virus replication. Epidemiological studies have shown that COVID-19 and SARS-COV transmission are relatively similar. This can help to select the appropriate drug. Thus, anti-inflammatory and antiviral drugs, such as remdesivir are used. Antimalarial drugs, such as hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and chloroquine (CQ) along with estrogen receptor inhibitors, such as toremifene citrate, which has shown effective results against SARS and MERS, can influence the treatment process. However, more clinical trials are needed to determine the efficacy and side effects of drugs.

SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk screening for safer social events: a non-randomised controlled study

There is an ongoing debate on the implementation of the COVID-19 passport throughout Europe. We sought to build and test a feasible prevention strategy to ensure low SARS-CoV transmission risk in public events. We conducted a non-randomised controlled study. The intervention group obtained a confidential digital certificate of very low capacity for transmitting SARS-CoV-2 and attended socio-cultural events in Girona (Spain) between 1 April and 21 May 2021. The primary care services and a network of pharmacies cooperated in providing the certification. A group of non-attendees was randomly selected from pseudonymised health records as controls. We estimated the incidences of SARS-CoV-2 infection and recorded the challenges in the process. Follow-up was complete for 1351 participants, who were matched with 4050 controls. Mean age of the study population was 31.1 years, and 53% of participants were women. Incidence rates of SARS-CoV infection at 14 days in the group of attendees and non-attendees were 15.9 and 17.7 per 100,000 person-days, respectively; the difference between incidences was − 1.8 (95% CI − 22.8, 19.3). Implementation problems were minor, and 89.2% of respondents to a survey were satisfied with the process. The incidence rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection was not different in the intervention and control groups. These results are in favour of establishing a COVID-19 certificate to attend public events, and connote feasibility of implementation at a population level.