An epidemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) began in December 2019 in China leading to a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Clinical, laboratory, and imaging features ...have been partially characterized in some observational studies. No systematic reviews on COVID-19 have been published to date.
We performed a systematic literature review with meta-analysis, using three databases to assess clinical, laboratory, imaging features, and outcomes of COVID-19 confirmed cases. Observational studies and also case reports, were included, and analyzed separately. We performed a random-effects model meta-analysis to calculate pooled prevalences and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).
660 articles were retrieved for the time frame (1/1/2020-2/23/2020). After screening, 27 articles were selected for full-text assessment, 19 being finally included for qualitative and quantitative analyses. Additionally, 39 case report articles were included and analyzed separately. For 656 patients, fever (88.7%, 95%CI 84.5–92.9%), cough (57.6%, 95%CI 40.8–74.4%) and dyspnea (45.6%, 95%CI 10.9–80.4%) were the most prevalent manifestations. Among the patients, 20.3% (95%CI 10.0–30.6%) required intensive care unit (ICU), 32.8% presented with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (95%CI 13.7–51.8), 6.2% (95%CI 3.1–9.3) with shock. Some 13.9% (95%CI 6.2–21.5%) of hospitalized patients had fatal outcomes (case fatality rate, CFR).
COVID-19 brings a huge burden to healthcare facilities, especially in patients with comorbidities. ICU was required for approximately 20% of polymorbid, COVID-19 infected patients and hospitalization was associated with a CFR of >13%. As this virus spreads globally, countries need to urgently prepare human resources, infrastructure and facilities to treat severe COVID-19.
Despite their remarkable biosynthetic potential,
have been widely overlooked. However, their capability to withstand harsh conditions (extreme temperature, Ultraviolet (UV) and γ-radiation, and ...dehydration) and the promiscuous metabolites they synthesize have created increased commercial interest in them as a therapeutic agent, a food preservative, and a plant-pathogen control agent. Nevertheless, the commercial-scale availability of these metabolites is constrained due to challenges in their accessibility via synthesis and low fermentation yields. In the context of this rising in interest, we comprehensively visualized the antimicrobial peptides produced by
and highlighted their prospective applications in various industries. Moreover, we proposed and classified these metabolites produced by the
group based on their biosynthetic pathways and chemical structures. The biosynthetic pathway, bioactivity, and chemical structure are discussed in detail for each class. We believe that this review will spark a renewed interest in the often disregarded
and its remarkable biosynthetic capabilities.
The ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination drive aims to achieve global vaccination coverage that will help to control the pandemic. Therefore, the individuals who are reluctant to be ...vaccinated or forego COVID-19 vaccination can delay the progress of overall vaccination coverage, leading to slower vaccination rates and may create obstacles in global efforts to control the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 as unvaccinated individuals can act as reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 and could drive further outbreaks. Vaccine hesitancy is one of the major threats that directly impact global health as it challenges our ability to eradicate infectious diseases and achieve significant herd immunity through vaccination. One of the strategies to counter vaccine hesitancy is to follow a multisectoral approach that involves the collaboration between various stakeholders, such as government, private companies, religious groups, and other agencies, to leverage the knowledge, expertise, and resources, thereby enabling the creation of longstanding public trust of vaccines.
Several nations have recently begun to relax their public health protocols, particularly regarding the use of face masks when engaging in outdoor activities. This is because there has been a general ...trend towards fewer cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). However, new Omicron sub‐variants (designated BA.4 and BA.5) have recently emerged. These two subvariants are thought to be the cause of an increase in COVID‐19 cases in South Africa, the United States, and Europe. They have also begun to spread throughout Asia. They evolved from the Omicron lineage with characteristics that make them even more contagious and which allow them to circumvent immunity from a previous infection or vaccination. This article reviews a number of scientific considerations about these new variants, including their apparently reduced clinical severity.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 may inflict a post‐viral condition known as post‐COVID‐19 syndrome (PCS) or long‐COVID. Studies measuring levels of inflammatory and vascular ...biomarkers in blood, serum, or plasma of COVID‐19 survivors with PCS versus non‐PCS controls have produced mixed findings. Our review sought to meta‐analyse those studies. A systematic literature search was performed across five databases until 25 June 2022, with an updated search on 1 November 2022. Data analyses were performed with Review Manager and R Studio statistical software. Twenty‐four biomarkers from 23 studies were meta‐analysed. Higher levels of C‐reactive protein (Standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.02–0.39), D‐dimer (SMD = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.09–0.46), lactate dehydrogenase (SMD = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.05–0.54), and leukocytes (SMD = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.02–0.66) were found in COVID‐19 survivors with PCS than in those without PCS. After sensitivity analyses, lymphocytes (SMD = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.12–0.48) and interleukin‐6 (SMD = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.12–0.49) were also significantly higher in PCS than non‐PCS cases. No significant differences were noted in the remaining biomarkers investigated (e.g., ferritin, platelets, troponin, and fibrinogen). Subgroup analyses suggested the biomarker changes were mainly driven by PCS cases diagnosed via manifestation of organ abnormalities rather than symptomatic persistence, as well as PCS cases with duration of <6 than ≥6 months. In conclusion, our review pinpointed certain inflammatory and vascular biomarkers associated with PCS, which may shed light on potential new approaches to understanding, diagnosing, and treating PCS.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a severe pandemic of the current century. The vicious tentacles of the disease have ...been disseminated worldwide with unknown complications and repercussions. Advanced COVID-19 syndrome is characterized by the uncontrolled and elevated release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and suppressed immunity, leading to the cytokine storm. The uncontrolled and dysregulated secretion of inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines is positively associated with the severity of the viral infection and mortality rate. The secretion of various pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 leads to a hyperinflammatory response by recruiting macrophages, T and B cells in the lung alveolar cells. Moreover, it has been hypothesized that immune cells such as macrophages recruit inflammatory monocytes in the alveolar cells and allow the production of large amounts of cytokines in the alveoli, leading to a hyperinflammatory response in severely ill patients with COVID-19. This cascade of events may lead to multiple organ failure, acute respiratory distress, or pneumonia. Although the disease has a higher survival rate than other chronic diseases, the incidence of complications in the geriatric population are considerably high, with more systemic complications. This review sheds light on the pivotal roles played by various inflammatory markers in COVID-19-related complications. Different molecular pathways, such as the activation of JAK and JAK/STAT signaling are crucial in the progression of cytokine storm; hence, various mechanisms, immunological pathways, and functions of cytokines and other inflammatory markers have been discussed. A thorough understanding of cytokines' molecular pathways and their activation procedures will add more insight into understanding immunopathology and designing appropriate drugs, therapies, and control measures to counter COVID-19. Recently, anti-inflammatory drugs and several antiviral drugs have been reported as effective therapeutic drug candidates to control hypercytokinemia or cytokine storm. Hence, the present review also discussed prospective anti-inflammatory and relevant immunomodulatory drugs currently in various trial phases and their possible implications.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than 100 million cases and caused immense burdens on governments and healthcare systems worldwide. Since its emergence in December 2019, research has been ...focused on treating the infected, identifying those at risk and preventing spread. There is currently no known biological biomarker that predicts the risk of infection. Several studies emerged suggesting an association between ABO blood group and the risk of COVID-19 infection. In this study, we used retrospective observational data in Bahrain to investigate the association between ABO blood group and risk of infection, as well as susceptibility to severe ICU-requiring infection. We found a higher risk associated with blood group B, and a lower risk with blood group AB. No association was observed between blood group and the risk of a severe ICU-requiring infection. We extended the analysis to study the association by antibodies; anti-a (blood groups B and O) and anti-b (blood groups A and O). No association between antibodies and both risk of infection or susceptibility to severe infection was found. The current study, along with the variation in blood group association results, indicates that blood group may not be an ideal biomarker to predict risk of COVID-19 infection.
Epidemiological features characterization of COVID-19 is highly important for developing and implementing effective control measures. In Saudi Arabia mortality rate varies between 0.6% to 1.26%. The ...purpose of the study was to investigate whether demographic characteristics (age and gender) and non-communicable diseases (Hypertension and Diabetes mellitus) have a significant association with mortality in COVID-19 patients.
Prior to data collection, an expedite approval was obtained from Institutional Review Board (IRB Log No: RC. RC20.09.10) in Al Habib Research Center at Dr. Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This is a retrospective design where we used descriptive and inferential analysis to analyse the data. Binary logistic regression was done to study the association between comorbidities and mortality of COVID-19.
43 (86%) of the male patients were non-survivors while 7 (14%) of the female patients were survivors. The odds of non-survivors among hypertensive patients are 3.56 times higher than those who are not having a history of Hypertension (HTN). The odds of non-survivors among diabetic patients are 5.17 times higher than those who are not having a history of Diabetes mellitus (DM). The odds of non-survivors are 2.77 times higher among those who have a history of HTN and DM as compared to those who did not have a history of HTN and DM.
Those patients that had a history of Hypertension and Diabetes had a higher probability of non-survival in contrast to those who did not have a history of Diabetes and hypertension. Further studies are required to study the association of comorbidities with COVID-19 and mortality.
Antibiotics are among the most important discoveries of the 20th century, having saved millions of lives from infectious diseases. Microbes have developed acquired antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to ...many drugs due to high selection pressure from increasing use and misuse of antibiotics over the years. The transmission and acquisition of AMR occur primarily via a human-human interface both within and outside of healthcare facilities. A huge number of interdependent factors related to healthcare and agriculture govern the development of AMR through various drug-resistance mechanisms. The emergence and spread of AMR from the unrestricted use of antimicrobials in livestock feed has been a major contributing factor. The prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria has attained an incongruous level worldwide and threatens global public health as a silent pandemic, necessitating urgent intervention. Therapeutic options of infections caused by antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are limited, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality with high financial impact. The paucity in discovery and supply of new novel antimicrobials to treat life-threatening infections by resistant pathogens stands in sharp contrast to demand. Immediate interventions to contain AMR include surveillance and monitoring, minimizing over-the-counter antibiotics and antibiotics in food animals, access to quality and affordable medicines, vaccines and diagnostics, and enforcement of legislation. An orchestrated collaborative action within and between multiple national and international organizations is required urgently, otherwise, a postantibiotic era can be a more real possibility than an apocalyptic fantasy for the 21st century. This narrative review highlights on this basis, mechanisms and factors in microbial resistance, and key strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance.
The ongoing novel COVID-19 has remained the center of attention, since its declaration as a pandemic in March 2020, due to its rapid and uncontrollable worldwide spread. Diagnostic tests are the ...first line of defense against the transmission of this infectious disease among individuals, with reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) being the approved gold standard for showing high sensitivity and specificity in detecting SARS-CoV-2. However, alternative tests are being invested due to the global demand for facilities, reagents, and healthcare workers needed for rapid population-based testing. Also, the rapid evolution of the viral genome and the emergence of new variants necessitates updating the existing methods. Scientists are aiming to improve tests to be affordable, simple, fast, and at the same time accurate, and efficient, as well as friendly user testing. The current diagnostic methods are either molecular-based that detect nucleic acids abundance, like RT-qPCR and reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP); or immunologically based that detect the presence of antigens or antibodies in patients’ specimens, like enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), lateral flow assay (LFA), chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA), and neutralization assay. In addition to these strategies, sensor-based or CRISPR applications are promising tools for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. This review summarizes the most recent updates on the SARS-CoV-2 detection methods with their limitations. It will guide researchers, epidemiologists, and clinicians in identifying a more rapid, reliable, and sensitive method of diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 including the most recent variant of concern Omicron.
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