Infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV2)virus,responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,induces symptoms including increased inflammatory response,severe ...Infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV2)virus,responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,induces symptoms including increased inflammatory response,severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS),cognitive dysfunction like brain fog,and cardiovascular defects.Long-term effects of SARS-CoV2 COVID-19 syndrome referred to as post-COVID-19 syndrome on age-related progressive neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease remain understudied.Using the targeted misexpression of individual SARS-CoV2 proteins in the retinal neurons of the Drosophila melanogaster eye,we found that misexpression of nonstructural protein 3(Nsp3),a papain-like protease,ablates the eye and generates dark necrotic spots.Targeted misexpression of Nsp3 in the eye triggers reactive oxygen species production and leads to apoptosis as shown by cell death reporters,terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase(TdT)dUTP Nick-end labeling(TUNEL)assay,and dihydroethidium staining.Furthermore,Nsp3 misexpression activates both apoptosis and autophagy mechanism(s)to regulate tissue homeostasis.Transient expression of SARS-CoV2 Nsp3 in murine neuroblastoma,Neuro-2a cells,significantly reduced the metabolic activity of these cells and triggers cell death.Misexpression of SARS-CoV2 Nsp3 in an Alzheimer's disease transgenic fly eye model(glass multiple repeats[GMR]>amyloidβ42)further enhances the neurodegenerative rough eye phenotype due to increased cell death.These findings suggest that SARS-CoV2 utilizes Nsp3 protein to potentiate cell death response in a neurodegenerative disease background that has high pre-existing levels of neuroinflammation and cell death.展开更多
Context: COVID-19 can spread rapidly in haemodialysis centres, leading to fatal outcomes. Implementing physical measures is crucial in limiting the spread of infection. Aims: To assess adherence to physical measures a...Context: COVID-19 can spread rapidly in haemodialysis centres, leading to fatal outcomes. Implementing physical measures is crucial in limiting the spread of infection. Aims: To assess adherence to physical measures against SARS-Cov2 in haemodialysis patients. Methods and Material: From 13 to 19 July 2021, we administered the questionnaire to haemodialysis patients during or immediately after the dialysis session. The dependent variables were adherence to wearing masks, hand washing outside the dialysis centre, social distancing of at least 1.5 meters, and cough and sneeze hygiene. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using Epi info software;descriptive statistics were presented as mean, headcount, and percentage;related factors were determined by multi-logistic regression. The significance level was 5%. The Health Research Ethics Committee approved the research protocol. Results: 142 patients were included (mean age: 42.5 ± 14 years). Wearing masks, hand-washing, social distancing, and coughing and sneezing hygiene were observed by 88%, 75%, 47%, and 60% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: Wearing masks was the most respected physical measure, while social distancing was the least respected.展开更多
Some manufactures made UVC LED Strip as disinfection tool against SARS-CoV2. Therefore, three types of commercially UVC lights were used to evaluate their efficiency to warp bacteria and viruses. We tested three comme...Some manufactures made UVC LED Strip as disinfection tool against SARS-CoV2. Therefore, three types of commercially UVC lights were used to evaluate their efficiency to warp bacteria and viruses. We tested three commercially available UV lights devices. They were put at 4 to 5 cm to spiked sterile Petri dishes (samples) for 10, 20, 30, and 60 seconds and compared it to control (without UV light exposure). Also, the same three UV LED devices were used on Positive SARS-CoV2 swab samples (used for the Petri dishes). Serial dilutions of the cultured microbes were used for the experiment as follows: 1/10 (high concertation), 1/100, 1/1000, 1/10,000, 1/100,000 (low concertation). All three UV LED devices (DA, DB, DC) were found to have no effects on the pathogens (Bacteria or SARS-CoV2), even to the lowest Bacteria Concentration (1/100,000), when pathogens were exposed to UV radiation for 10, 20, 30, and 60 sec at distance a 4 to 5 cm. One of the manufacturers of these UVC lights (DB) claims that the device is very effective in killing Bacteria and Virus immediately at a 99.93% killing rate (in 20 sec.). This observation was not noticed. False claims may lead to severe spread of SARS-CoV2 as customers may think that the DB was disinfecting, after short exposure, while truly having no effect.展开更多
There has been some extensive research investigating the effect of Far Ultraviolet Radiation (UVC) on SARS and MARS. However, to the best of our knowledge, there have not been any detailed experiments looking at the e...There has been some extensive research investigating the effect of Far Ultraviolet Radiation (UVC) on SARS and MARS. However, to the best of our knowledge, there have not been any detailed experiments looking at the effect of UVC on COVID-19 (now is called SARS-CoV2). Many researchers in this field believe that UVC destroys SARS-CoV2 because it warps the genetic material of the virus hurdling the viral particles from reproduction. In this paper, we report the result of our novel experiments on the effect of UVC on SARS-CoV2 using a commercially available UVC source, <em>i.e.</em> Krypton Disinfection lighting CM15W12V Series (wavelength of 222 nm), which is sold and marketed for the disinfection of pathogens. The experiments were extended to study the effect of UVC exposure to Bacteria and Fungus. Our experiments show that UVC has no effects on SARS-CoV2 when it is close to the SARS-CoV2 culture plate (4 - 5 cm) or at a distance (2.0 to 2.9 m),<em> i.e.</em> when fixed at the ceiling. This observation is important as the public seems to have the impression that commercial UVC ceiling light can kill SARS-CoV2 while this study has proven the opposite. Moreover, it shows no effect even when the UVC ceiling light is radiating on SARS-CoV2 for overnight. This proves that the intensity of the UVC from these devices is relatively low. However, the UVC light is found to be effective in destroying Bacteria and Fungus (part of pathogens), substantially, in 30 sec, and completely kills them when it’s at 2.9 m (or less) away from them and exposure for one day. This indicates that the UVC light is effective for bacteria disinfection.展开更多
<strong>Introduction:</strong> COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 increasingly involves people worldwide. Probiotics can improve immune system functions via different mechanisms. ...<strong>Introduction:</strong> COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 increasingly involves people worldwide. Probiotics can improve immune system functions via different mechanisms. We proposed that Synbiotic Lactocare<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">?</span></span></sup></span> may also reduce SARS-Cov2 infection in high-risk medical staff working in COVID-19 hospital wards. <strong>Method:</strong> In a randomized, controlled trial, 60 hospital staff without any history of clinical or laboratory evidence of SARS-Cov2 infection were received either once-daily oral synbiotic capsule (Lactocare<span style="font-size:10px;"><sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">?</span></span></sup></span>) that contains 1 billion CFU/Cap of L. (Lactobacillus) casei, <em>L. rhamnosus</em>, <em>Streptococcus thermophilus</em>, <em>Bifidobacterium breve</em>, <em>L. acidophilus</em>, <em>Bifidobacterium infantis</em>, <em>L. bulgaricus</em>, and Fructooligosacharide (Zist Takhmir, Tehran, Iran) or placebo with the same appearance for 30 days. They were followed for two months. <strong>Result:</strong> During the two-month period of this study, SARS-COV-2 RT-PCR test results were positive in three participants (9.67%) in placebo group compared to zero positive tests in synbiotic group. The differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.238). During the study, two persons (7 %) of placebo group had respiratory complaints such as cough, rhinorrhea and/or dyspnea, compared with one in synbiotic group (p = 0.492). <strong>Conclusion:</strong> This study showed that overall frequency of SARS-COV2 infection in participants receiving synbiotic and those receiving placebo did not differ significantly. However, 3 hospital staff in placebo group compared to no one in synbiotic group had SARS-COV2 infection. Further studies with greater power and alternative probiotic strains and mixture are warranted to determine whether Synbiotic can prevent COVID-19 in at-risk hospital staff.展开更多
Differentiation syndrome is a complication commonly encountered in acute promyelocytic leukemia patients when treated with Al-Trans retinoic acid.This Differentiation syndrome has veryclose similarities clinically and...Differentiation syndrome is a complication commonly encountered in acute promyelocytic leukemia patients when treated with Al-Trans retinoic acid.This Differentiation syndrome has veryclose similarities clinically and radiologically to SARS-CoV2 pneumonitis which makes diagnosis of differentiation syndrome challenging specially during this COVID-19 pandemic.We hereby report a case of a 68-year-old male with acute promyelocytic leukemia who on initiation of Al-Trans retinoic acid developed acute respiratory distress with radiological findings of multiple ground glass opacities in bilateral lungs suggestive of SARS-CoV2 pneumonitis.Considering the radiological similarities to differentiation syndrome and on high clinical suspicion,this patient was immediately started on steroids with which he recovered rapidly.During this pandemic of SARS-CoV2,distinguishing differentiation syndrome from SARS-CoV2 pneumonitis clinically and radiologically is extremely challenging.展开更多
Introduction: Following the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination has been proposed in several countries as the main preventive measure despite very limited data, particularly in dialysis patients. We conducted this study to...Introduction: Following the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination has been proposed in several countries as the main preventive measure despite very limited data, particularly in dialysis patients. We conducted this study to assess the immunological response to vaccination in Senegalese hemodialysis patients. Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective study, in two dialysis centers in Dakar from March 30<sup>th</sup> to August 30<sup>th</sup>, 2021 including patients on hemodialysis for >6 months, vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 according to the vaccination schedule recommended by WHO. A vaccine response was considered positive when seroconversion was observed after one dose of vaccine. The clinical efficacy of immunization was defined as the absence of new COVID-19 infection in patients who received a complete vaccination. Results: Among the 81 patients included in the study, 7.4% had anti-Spike IgM antibodies before their first vaccination. Seroprevalence of IgM antibodies was 38.3% one month after the first vaccine dose (at M1) and 8.6% one month after the second dose (at M4). Anti-Spike IgG antibodies were present in 40.3% of patients before vaccination, in 90.1% at M1, and in 59.7% at M4. Among patients previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, 10.2% had IgM antibodies at M0, 31.6% at M1, and 10.5% at M4 post-vaccination. Similarly, seroprevalences of IgG antibodies in this subgroup were 31.5%, 61.3%, and 50.0% respectively at M0, M1, and M4 post-vaccination. A comparison of seroconversion rates between M0 and M4 showed significant differences only for IgG in COVID-19 naive patients. Mean duration in dialysis and the existence of previous COVID-19 infection were associated with patients’ vaccinal response after the two doses. Age, gender and the use of immunosuppressive treatment did not influence post-vaccinal antibody production. Conclusion: Vaccination against COVID-19 in Senegalese hemodialysis patients induced a low seroconversion rate but it was well tolerated. Moreover, the induced protection was neither strong nor durable, particularly in patients with longer duration in dialysis.展开更多
From late December 2019 a new human-adapted coronavirus,SARS-CoV-2,was observed and isolated in clustered patients in Wuhan,China.It has been proved to be able to transmit human-to-human and cause pneumonia,leading to...From late December 2019 a new human-adapted coronavirus,SARS-CoV-2,was observed and isolated in clustered patients in Wuhan,China.It has been proved to be able to transmit human-to-human and cause pneumonia,leading to about 2%fatality.Its genome characteristics,immune responses and related potential treatments,such as chemical drugs,serum transfusion and vaccines including DNA vaccines,are discussed in this review for a brief summary.展开更多
Obesity and type 2 diabetes are among the most important risk factors for severe coronavirus disease-19. Some studies have suggested that the use of insulin as a therapeutic agent to treat hyperglycemia and the metabo...Obesity and type 2 diabetes are among the most important risk factors for severe coronavirus disease-19. Some studies have suggested that the use of insulin as a therapeutic agent to treat hyperglycemia and the metabolic abnormalities associated with type 2 diabetes during the acute phase of severe coronavirus disease-19 could have a negative impact on the disease’s progression;however, there is no consensus on this issue. Here, we performed a systematic review in an attempt to answer this important question. We included 29 articles published from December 2019 to August 2023, which reported the outcomes of 3,070,657 patients with severe coronavirus disease-19 that had the diagnosis of diabetes and were treated with either insulin or other glucose-reducing agents. The results show that using insulin as a pharmacological intervention to treat type 2 diabetes in patients with severe coronavirus disease-19 increases the likelihood of mortality by 193%.展开更多
This study reports two observations of heart failure diagnosed in the context of SARS-CoV 2 infection in children at the University Hospital Center of Libreville, Gabon. Long considered exempted from serious forms of ...This study reports two observations of heart failure diagnosed in the context of SARS-CoV 2 infection in children at the University Hospital Center of Libreville, Gabon. Long considered exempted from serious forms of Covid-19 infection, the fatal evolution of one of the two cases proves that there is an interest for a more rigorous approach in their management in a pandemic context. The multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with this virus in children can be responsible for cardiac manifestations that can be life-threatening. Early diagnosis and treatment are necessary to reduce mortality. However, this approach is made difficult in our regions by the limited biomedical equipment and the absence of essential therapies as noted in these two observations.展开更多
Context: Compared to adults, there are relatively few studies on pediatric COVID-19 due to the high rate of asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic forms. The aim of this study is to determine the epidemiological, clinical, ...Context: Compared to adults, there are relatively few studies on pediatric COVID-19 due to the high rate of asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic forms. The aim of this study is to determine the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic, evolutionary and prognostic aspects of COVID-19 infection in children. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective analytical study carried out from February 27, 2021 to January 27, 2022 at the COVID-19 Care Center of the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department of the Bouaké University Teaching Hospital. The study population consisted of all children under the age of 16, seen in consultation and/or hospitalized with a positive COVID-19 RT-PCR. Data analysis was performed with Epi Info 7 software. The statistical tests used were the chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test depending on the conditions of validity with a significance threshold of p Results: Out of 955 patients received at the COVID-19 Care Center in Bouaké, there were 56 children (26 boys/30 girls), or, a prevalence of 5.86%. The mean age was 9.18 years ± 4.48 [extremes 3 months and 15 years]. Children over the age of 11 accounted for 48.21% of cases. They were contact cases in 35.71% and the contact person was the mother in 75% of cases. The main reasons for screening were cough (67.86%), fever (25%) and sneezing (21.43%). The pathological histories were asthma (83.33%), heart disease (33.33%) and sickle cell disease (16.67%). The medical examination revealed 6 cases of children in vital distress. The care consisted of home confinement for simple cases (89.29%) and hospitalization for cases presenting with vital distress (10.71%). The duration of confinement or hospitalization was between 10 and 15 days in 83.93% of cases. No cases of death were noted. The factors associated with the occurrence of symptomatic forms were age (p = 0.028), pathological history (p Conclusion: The proportion of pediatric cases of COVID-19 is low with a predominance during the season of harmattan. Pediatric infection with COVID-19 is benign and has a favorable evolution, with an almost intra-family transmission wich symptomatology is different from that of adults. Age and pathological history were the factors associated with the occurrence of symptomatic forms.展开更多
Introduction: The clinical manifestations of many diseases vary with age, and older people often do not show typical symptoms of the disease. The present study aims to compare the epidemiological, clinical, therapeuti...Introduction: The clinical manifestations of many diseases vary with age, and older people often do not show typical symptoms of the disease. The present study aims to compare the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary aspects of elderly patients with COVID-19 compared to young adult patients and to identify risk factors for mortality. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective single-center analytical study conducted from January 27, 2021 to January 27, 2022 at the COVID-19 Care Center of the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department of the Bouaké University Teaching Hospital. The study population consisted of all patients aged at least 18 years seen in consultation and/or hospitalized with a positive COVID-19 RT-PCR. The patients were divided into two groups: younger patients (Results: Of a total of 779 patients, 644 (82.7%) were young. The median age of all patients was 41 years (IQR 32 - 54, extreme 18 and 96). Of all the patients 38.5% had a comorbidity. Compared to younger patients, chronic heart disease (61.7% vs 21.5%;p Conclusion: Elderly people with COVID-19 have a different clinical presentation from younger, characterized by more atypical symptoms. Mortality risk factors are age, dyspnoea, impaired consciousness and fever. It is therefore necessary to act on its various factors to improve the prognosis of COVID-19 in this age group.展开更多
The virus SARS-CoV2,which causes the Coronavirus disease COVID-19 has become a pandemic and has spread to every inhabited continent.Given the increasing caseload,there is an urgent need to augment clinical skills in o...The virus SARS-CoV2,which causes the Coronavirus disease COVID-19 has become a pandemic and has spread to every inhabited continent.Given the increasing caseload,there is an urgent need to augment clinical skills in order to identify from among the many mild cases the few that will progress to critical illness.We present a first step towards building an artificial intelligence(AI)framework,with predictive analytics(PA)capabilities applied to real patient data,to provide rapid clinical decision-making support.COVID-19 has presented a pressing need as a)clinicians are still developing clinical acumen given the disease’s novelty,and b)resource limitations in a rapidly expanding pandemic require difficult decisions relating to resource allocation.The objectives of this research are:(1)to algorithmically identify the combinations of clinical characteristics of COVID-19 that predict outcomes,and(2)to develop a tool with AI capabilities that will predict patients at risk for more severe illness on initial presentation.The predictive models learn from historical data to help predict specifically who will develop acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS),a severe outcome in COVID-19.Our experimental results based on two hospitals in Wenzhou,Zhejang,China identify features most predictive of ARDS in COVID-19 initial presentation which would not have stood out to clinicians.A mild increase in elevated alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(a liver enzyme)),a presence of myalgias(body aches),and an increase in hemoglobin,in this order,are the clinical features,on presentation,that are the most predictive.Those two centers’COVID-19 case series symptoms on initial presentation can help predict severe outcomes.Predictive models that learned from historical data of patients from two Chinese hospitals achieved 70%to 80%accuracy in predicting severe cases.展开更多
Coronaviruses are among the largest group of known positive-sense RNA viruses with a wide range of animal hosts as reservoir. In the last two decades,newly evolved coronaviruses such as the severe acute respiratory sy...Coronaviruses are among the largest group of known positive-sense RNA viruses with a wide range of animal hosts as reservoir. In the last two decades,newly evolved coronaviruses such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARS-CoV) which caused the infamous 2002 outbreak, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV) which caused an outbreak in 2012, and now the SARS-CoV-2 [responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)] have all posed notable threats to global public health.But, how does the current COVID-19 outbreak compare with previous coronaviruses diseases? In this review, we look at the key differences between SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, and examine challenges in determining accurate estimates of the severity of COVID-19. We discuss coronavirus outbreaks in light of key outbreak severity indicators including,disease fatality, pathogen novelty, ease of transmission, geographical range, and outbreak preparedness. Finally, we review clinical trials of emerging treatment modalities and provide recommendations on the control of COVID-19 based on the mode of transmission of the coronaviruses. We also recommend the development and use of a standardized predictive epidemic severity models to inform future epidemic response.展开更多
<strong>Background:</strong> The prevalence of SARS-COV2 in Libya is unclear;PCR is still under-performed. Although lockdown measures have been in place for weeks, there is no prevalence data to support th...<strong>Background:</strong> The prevalence of SARS-COV2 in Libya is unclear;PCR is still under-performed. Although lockdown measures have been in place for weeks, there is no prevalence data to support the gradual lifting of such lockdowns. SARS-COV2 IgM/IgG is emerging as potential alternatives to PCR testing, and many counties and towns have undertaken such seroprevalence studies. <strong>Objective:</strong> Prevalence of SARS-COV2 in Misrata, Libya amongst the population as a whole. <strong>Materials and Methods:</strong> The study was prospective, cross-sectional, population-based, and age-stratified, to assess SARS-COV2 IgM/IgG in the population of Misrata. It was carried out between the 18th and 21st of April, 2020. <strong>Results: </strong>A representative sample of 897 participants was tested for SARS-COV2 IgM/IgG antibodies. 30 participants were positive for IgM or IgG indicating a prevalence of 3.4% (95% CI, 2.8% - 5.2%), with eight (0.9%) IgM positive and 22 (2.4%) IgG positive. Accordingly, 9075 (95% CI, 6586 - 14,170) people are estimated to have had a current or recent COVID-19 infection, symptomatic or asymptomatic. <strong>Conclusion and Recommendations:</strong> Serological testing as a diagnostic or surveillance tool may uncover a large proportion of asymptomatic individuals in the community, far outnumbering PCR. The authors highly recommend further precautionary public measures, as well as an ongoing surveillance programme to monitor the epidemiological trends of the disease in the city of Misrata and Libya in general.展开更多
Early detection of the Covid-19 disease is essential due to its higher rate of infection affecting tens of millions of people,and its high number of deaths also by 7%.For that purpose,a proposed model of several stage...Early detection of the Covid-19 disease is essential due to its higher rate of infection affecting tens of millions of people,and its high number of deaths also by 7%.For that purpose,a proposed model of several stages was developed.The first stage is optimizing the images using dynamic adaptive histogram equalization,performing a semantic segmentation using DeepLabv3Plus,then augmenting the data by flipping it horizontally,rotating it,then flipping it vertically.The second stage builds a custom convolutional neural network model using several pre-trained ImageNet.Finally,the model compares the pre-trained data to the new output,while repeatedly trimming the best-performing models to reduce complexity and improve memory efficiency.Several experiments were done using different techniques and parameters.Accordingly,the proposed model achieved an average accuracy of 99.6%and an area under the curve of 0.996 in the Covid-19 detection.This paper will discuss how to train a customized intelligent convolutional neural network using various parameters on a set of chest X-rays with an accuracy of 99.6%.展开更多
基金supported by 1RO1EY032959-01 from NIHSchuellein Chair Endowment FundSTEM Catalyst Grant from the University of Dayton(all to AS)。
文摘Infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV2)virus,responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,induces symptoms including increased inflammatory response,severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS),cognitive dysfunction like brain fog,and cardiovascular defects.Long-term effects of SARS-CoV2 COVID-19 syndrome referred to as post-COVID-19 syndrome on age-related progressive neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease remain understudied.Using the targeted misexpression of individual SARS-CoV2 proteins in the retinal neurons of the Drosophila melanogaster eye,we found that misexpression of nonstructural protein 3(Nsp3),a papain-like protease,ablates the eye and generates dark necrotic spots.Targeted misexpression of Nsp3 in the eye triggers reactive oxygen species production and leads to apoptosis as shown by cell death reporters,terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase(TdT)dUTP Nick-end labeling(TUNEL)assay,and dihydroethidium staining.Furthermore,Nsp3 misexpression activates both apoptosis and autophagy mechanism(s)to regulate tissue homeostasis.Transient expression of SARS-CoV2 Nsp3 in murine neuroblastoma,Neuro-2a cells,significantly reduced the metabolic activity of these cells and triggers cell death.Misexpression of SARS-CoV2 Nsp3 in an Alzheimer's disease transgenic fly eye model(glass multiple repeats[GMR]>amyloidβ42)further enhances the neurodegenerative rough eye phenotype due to increased cell death.These findings suggest that SARS-CoV2 utilizes Nsp3 protein to potentiate cell death response in a neurodegenerative disease background that has high pre-existing levels of neuroinflammation and cell death.
文摘Context: COVID-19 can spread rapidly in haemodialysis centres, leading to fatal outcomes. Implementing physical measures is crucial in limiting the spread of infection. Aims: To assess adherence to physical measures against SARS-Cov2 in haemodialysis patients. Methods and Material: From 13 to 19 July 2021, we administered the questionnaire to haemodialysis patients during or immediately after the dialysis session. The dependent variables were adherence to wearing masks, hand washing outside the dialysis centre, social distancing of at least 1.5 meters, and cough and sneeze hygiene. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using Epi info software;descriptive statistics were presented as mean, headcount, and percentage;related factors were determined by multi-logistic regression. The significance level was 5%. The Health Research Ethics Committee approved the research protocol. Results: 142 patients were included (mean age: 42.5 ± 14 years). Wearing masks, hand-washing, social distancing, and coughing and sneezing hygiene were observed by 88%, 75%, 47%, and 60% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: Wearing masks was the most respected physical measure, while social distancing was the least respected.
文摘Some manufactures made UVC LED Strip as disinfection tool against SARS-CoV2. Therefore, three types of commercially UVC lights were used to evaluate their efficiency to warp bacteria and viruses. We tested three commercially available UV lights devices. They were put at 4 to 5 cm to spiked sterile Petri dishes (samples) for 10, 20, 30, and 60 seconds and compared it to control (without UV light exposure). Also, the same three UV LED devices were used on Positive SARS-CoV2 swab samples (used for the Petri dishes). Serial dilutions of the cultured microbes were used for the experiment as follows: 1/10 (high concertation), 1/100, 1/1000, 1/10,000, 1/100,000 (low concertation). All three UV LED devices (DA, DB, DC) were found to have no effects on the pathogens (Bacteria or SARS-CoV2), even to the lowest Bacteria Concentration (1/100,000), when pathogens were exposed to UV radiation for 10, 20, 30, and 60 sec at distance a 4 to 5 cm. One of the manufacturers of these UVC lights (DB) claims that the device is very effective in killing Bacteria and Virus immediately at a 99.93% killing rate (in 20 sec.). This observation was not noticed. False claims may lead to severe spread of SARS-CoV2 as customers may think that the DB was disinfecting, after short exposure, while truly having no effect.
文摘There has been some extensive research investigating the effect of Far Ultraviolet Radiation (UVC) on SARS and MARS. However, to the best of our knowledge, there have not been any detailed experiments looking at the effect of UVC on COVID-19 (now is called SARS-CoV2). Many researchers in this field believe that UVC destroys SARS-CoV2 because it warps the genetic material of the virus hurdling the viral particles from reproduction. In this paper, we report the result of our novel experiments on the effect of UVC on SARS-CoV2 using a commercially available UVC source, <em>i.e.</em> Krypton Disinfection lighting CM15W12V Series (wavelength of 222 nm), which is sold and marketed for the disinfection of pathogens. The experiments were extended to study the effect of UVC exposure to Bacteria and Fungus. Our experiments show that UVC has no effects on SARS-CoV2 when it is close to the SARS-CoV2 culture plate (4 - 5 cm) or at a distance (2.0 to 2.9 m),<em> i.e.</em> when fixed at the ceiling. This observation is important as the public seems to have the impression that commercial UVC ceiling light can kill SARS-CoV2 while this study has proven the opposite. Moreover, it shows no effect even when the UVC ceiling light is radiating on SARS-CoV2 for overnight. This proves that the intensity of the UVC from these devices is relatively low. However, the UVC light is found to be effective in destroying Bacteria and Fungus (part of pathogens), substantially, in 30 sec, and completely kills them when it’s at 2.9 m (or less) away from them and exposure for one day. This indicates that the UVC light is effective for bacteria disinfection.
文摘<strong>Introduction:</strong> COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 increasingly involves people worldwide. Probiotics can improve immune system functions via different mechanisms. We proposed that Synbiotic Lactocare<span style="white-space:nowrap;"><sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">?</span></span></sup></span> may also reduce SARS-Cov2 infection in high-risk medical staff working in COVID-19 hospital wards. <strong>Method:</strong> In a randomized, controlled trial, 60 hospital staff without any history of clinical or laboratory evidence of SARS-Cov2 infection were received either once-daily oral synbiotic capsule (Lactocare<span style="font-size:10px;"><sup><span style="white-space:nowrap;"><span style="white-space:nowrap;">?</span></span></sup></span>) that contains 1 billion CFU/Cap of L. (Lactobacillus) casei, <em>L. rhamnosus</em>, <em>Streptococcus thermophilus</em>, <em>Bifidobacterium breve</em>, <em>L. acidophilus</em>, <em>Bifidobacterium infantis</em>, <em>L. bulgaricus</em>, and Fructooligosacharide (Zist Takhmir, Tehran, Iran) or placebo with the same appearance for 30 days. They were followed for two months. <strong>Result:</strong> During the two-month period of this study, SARS-COV-2 RT-PCR test results were positive in three participants (9.67%) in placebo group compared to zero positive tests in synbiotic group. The differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.238). During the study, two persons (7 %) of placebo group had respiratory complaints such as cough, rhinorrhea and/or dyspnea, compared with one in synbiotic group (p = 0.492). <strong>Conclusion:</strong> This study showed that overall frequency of SARS-COV2 infection in participants receiving synbiotic and those receiving placebo did not differ significantly. However, 3 hospital staff in placebo group compared to no one in synbiotic group had SARS-COV2 infection. Further studies with greater power and alternative probiotic strains and mixture are warranted to determine whether Synbiotic can prevent COVID-19 in at-risk hospital staff.
文摘Differentiation syndrome is a complication commonly encountered in acute promyelocytic leukemia patients when treated with Al-Trans retinoic acid.This Differentiation syndrome has veryclose similarities clinically and radiologically to SARS-CoV2 pneumonitis which makes diagnosis of differentiation syndrome challenging specially during this COVID-19 pandemic.We hereby report a case of a 68-year-old male with acute promyelocytic leukemia who on initiation of Al-Trans retinoic acid developed acute respiratory distress with radiological findings of multiple ground glass opacities in bilateral lungs suggestive of SARS-CoV2 pneumonitis.Considering the radiological similarities to differentiation syndrome and on high clinical suspicion,this patient was immediately started on steroids with which he recovered rapidly.During this pandemic of SARS-CoV2,distinguishing differentiation syndrome from SARS-CoV2 pneumonitis clinically and radiologically is extremely challenging.
文摘Introduction: Following the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination has been proposed in several countries as the main preventive measure despite very limited data, particularly in dialysis patients. We conducted this study to assess the immunological response to vaccination in Senegalese hemodialysis patients. Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective study, in two dialysis centers in Dakar from March 30<sup>th</sup> to August 30<sup>th</sup>, 2021 including patients on hemodialysis for >6 months, vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 according to the vaccination schedule recommended by WHO. A vaccine response was considered positive when seroconversion was observed after one dose of vaccine. The clinical efficacy of immunization was defined as the absence of new COVID-19 infection in patients who received a complete vaccination. Results: Among the 81 patients included in the study, 7.4% had anti-Spike IgM antibodies before their first vaccination. Seroprevalence of IgM antibodies was 38.3% one month after the first vaccine dose (at M1) and 8.6% one month after the second dose (at M4). Anti-Spike IgG antibodies were present in 40.3% of patients before vaccination, in 90.1% at M1, and in 59.7% at M4. Among patients previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, 10.2% had IgM antibodies at M0, 31.6% at M1, and 10.5% at M4 post-vaccination. Similarly, seroprevalences of IgG antibodies in this subgroup were 31.5%, 61.3%, and 50.0% respectively at M0, M1, and M4 post-vaccination. A comparison of seroconversion rates between M0 and M4 showed significant differences only for IgG in COVID-19 naive patients. Mean duration in dialysis and the existence of previous COVID-19 infection were associated with patients’ vaccinal response after the two doses. Age, gender and the use of immunosuppressive treatment did not influence post-vaccinal antibody production. Conclusion: Vaccination against COVID-19 in Senegalese hemodialysis patients induced a low seroconversion rate but it was well tolerated. Moreover, the induced protection was neither strong nor durable, particularly in patients with longer duration in dialysis.
文摘From late December 2019 a new human-adapted coronavirus,SARS-CoV-2,was observed and isolated in clustered patients in Wuhan,China.It has been proved to be able to transmit human-to-human and cause pneumonia,leading to about 2%fatality.Its genome characteristics,immune responses and related potential treatments,such as chemical drugs,serum transfusion and vaccines including DNA vaccines,are discussed in this review for a brief summary.
文摘Obesity and type 2 diabetes are among the most important risk factors for severe coronavirus disease-19. Some studies have suggested that the use of insulin as a therapeutic agent to treat hyperglycemia and the metabolic abnormalities associated with type 2 diabetes during the acute phase of severe coronavirus disease-19 could have a negative impact on the disease’s progression;however, there is no consensus on this issue. Here, we performed a systematic review in an attempt to answer this important question. We included 29 articles published from December 2019 to August 2023, which reported the outcomes of 3,070,657 patients with severe coronavirus disease-19 that had the diagnosis of diabetes and were treated with either insulin or other glucose-reducing agents. The results show that using insulin as a pharmacological intervention to treat type 2 diabetes in patients with severe coronavirus disease-19 increases the likelihood of mortality by 193%.
文摘This study reports two observations of heart failure diagnosed in the context of SARS-CoV 2 infection in children at the University Hospital Center of Libreville, Gabon. Long considered exempted from serious forms of Covid-19 infection, the fatal evolution of one of the two cases proves that there is an interest for a more rigorous approach in their management in a pandemic context. The multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with this virus in children can be responsible for cardiac manifestations that can be life-threatening. Early diagnosis and treatment are necessary to reduce mortality. However, this approach is made difficult in our regions by the limited biomedical equipment and the absence of essential therapies as noted in these two observations.
文摘Context: Compared to adults, there are relatively few studies on pediatric COVID-19 due to the high rate of asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic forms. The aim of this study is to determine the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic, evolutionary and prognostic aspects of COVID-19 infection in children. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective analytical study carried out from February 27, 2021 to January 27, 2022 at the COVID-19 Care Center of the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department of the Bouaké University Teaching Hospital. The study population consisted of all children under the age of 16, seen in consultation and/or hospitalized with a positive COVID-19 RT-PCR. Data analysis was performed with Epi Info 7 software. The statistical tests used were the chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test depending on the conditions of validity with a significance threshold of p Results: Out of 955 patients received at the COVID-19 Care Center in Bouaké, there were 56 children (26 boys/30 girls), or, a prevalence of 5.86%. The mean age was 9.18 years ± 4.48 [extremes 3 months and 15 years]. Children over the age of 11 accounted for 48.21% of cases. They were contact cases in 35.71% and the contact person was the mother in 75% of cases. The main reasons for screening were cough (67.86%), fever (25%) and sneezing (21.43%). The pathological histories were asthma (83.33%), heart disease (33.33%) and sickle cell disease (16.67%). The medical examination revealed 6 cases of children in vital distress. The care consisted of home confinement for simple cases (89.29%) and hospitalization for cases presenting with vital distress (10.71%). The duration of confinement or hospitalization was between 10 and 15 days in 83.93% of cases. No cases of death were noted. The factors associated with the occurrence of symptomatic forms were age (p = 0.028), pathological history (p Conclusion: The proportion of pediatric cases of COVID-19 is low with a predominance during the season of harmattan. Pediatric infection with COVID-19 is benign and has a favorable evolution, with an almost intra-family transmission wich symptomatology is different from that of adults. Age and pathological history were the factors associated with the occurrence of symptomatic forms.
文摘Introduction: The clinical manifestations of many diseases vary with age, and older people often do not show typical symptoms of the disease. The present study aims to compare the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic and evolutionary aspects of elderly patients with COVID-19 compared to young adult patients and to identify risk factors for mortality. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective single-center analytical study conducted from January 27, 2021 to January 27, 2022 at the COVID-19 Care Center of the Infectious and Tropical Diseases Department of the Bouaké University Teaching Hospital. The study population consisted of all patients aged at least 18 years seen in consultation and/or hospitalized with a positive COVID-19 RT-PCR. The patients were divided into two groups: younger patients (Results: Of a total of 779 patients, 644 (82.7%) were young. The median age of all patients was 41 years (IQR 32 - 54, extreme 18 and 96). Of all the patients 38.5% had a comorbidity. Compared to younger patients, chronic heart disease (61.7% vs 21.5%;p Conclusion: Elderly people with COVID-19 have a different clinical presentation from younger, characterized by more atypical symptoms. Mortality risk factors are age, dyspnoea, impaired consciousness and fever. It is therefore necessary to act on its various factors to improve the prognosis of COVID-19 in this age group.
文摘The virus SARS-CoV2,which causes the Coronavirus disease COVID-19 has become a pandemic and has spread to every inhabited continent.Given the increasing caseload,there is an urgent need to augment clinical skills in order to identify from among the many mild cases the few that will progress to critical illness.We present a first step towards building an artificial intelligence(AI)framework,with predictive analytics(PA)capabilities applied to real patient data,to provide rapid clinical decision-making support.COVID-19 has presented a pressing need as a)clinicians are still developing clinical acumen given the disease’s novelty,and b)resource limitations in a rapidly expanding pandemic require difficult decisions relating to resource allocation.The objectives of this research are:(1)to algorithmically identify the combinations of clinical characteristics of COVID-19 that predict outcomes,and(2)to develop a tool with AI capabilities that will predict patients at risk for more severe illness on initial presentation.The predictive models learn from historical data to help predict specifically who will develop acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS),a severe outcome in COVID-19.Our experimental results based on two hospitals in Wenzhou,Zhejang,China identify features most predictive of ARDS in COVID-19 initial presentation which would not have stood out to clinicians.A mild increase in elevated alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(a liver enzyme)),a presence of myalgias(body aches),and an increase in hemoglobin,in this order,are the clinical features,on presentation,that are the most predictive.Those two centers’COVID-19 case series symptoms on initial presentation can help predict severe outcomes.Predictive models that learned from historical data of patients from two Chinese hospitals achieved 70%to 80%accuracy in predicting severe cases.
文摘Coronaviruses are among the largest group of known positive-sense RNA viruses with a wide range of animal hosts as reservoir. In the last two decades,newly evolved coronaviruses such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus(SARS-CoV) which caused the infamous 2002 outbreak, the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus(MERS-CoV) which caused an outbreak in 2012, and now the SARS-CoV-2 [responsible for the current coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)] have all posed notable threats to global public health.But, how does the current COVID-19 outbreak compare with previous coronaviruses diseases? In this review, we look at the key differences between SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, and examine challenges in determining accurate estimates of the severity of COVID-19. We discuss coronavirus outbreaks in light of key outbreak severity indicators including,disease fatality, pathogen novelty, ease of transmission, geographical range, and outbreak preparedness. Finally, we review clinical trials of emerging treatment modalities and provide recommendations on the control of COVID-19 based on the mode of transmission of the coronaviruses. We also recommend the development and use of a standardized predictive epidemic severity models to inform future epidemic response.
文摘<strong>Background:</strong> The prevalence of SARS-COV2 in Libya is unclear;PCR is still under-performed. Although lockdown measures have been in place for weeks, there is no prevalence data to support the gradual lifting of such lockdowns. SARS-COV2 IgM/IgG is emerging as potential alternatives to PCR testing, and many counties and towns have undertaken such seroprevalence studies. <strong>Objective:</strong> Prevalence of SARS-COV2 in Misrata, Libya amongst the population as a whole. <strong>Materials and Methods:</strong> The study was prospective, cross-sectional, population-based, and age-stratified, to assess SARS-COV2 IgM/IgG in the population of Misrata. It was carried out between the 18th and 21st of April, 2020. <strong>Results: </strong>A representative sample of 897 participants was tested for SARS-COV2 IgM/IgG antibodies. 30 participants were positive for IgM or IgG indicating a prevalence of 3.4% (95% CI, 2.8% - 5.2%), with eight (0.9%) IgM positive and 22 (2.4%) IgG positive. Accordingly, 9075 (95% CI, 6586 - 14,170) people are estimated to have had a current or recent COVID-19 infection, symptomatic or asymptomatic. <strong>Conclusion and Recommendations:</strong> Serological testing as a diagnostic or surveillance tool may uncover a large proportion of asymptomatic individuals in the community, far outnumbering PCR. The authors highly recommend further precautionary public measures, as well as an ongoing surveillance programme to monitor the epidemiological trends of the disease in the city of Misrata and Libya in general.
基金This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea-Grant funded by the Korean Government(Ministry of Science and ICT)-NRF-2020R1A2B5B02002478).There was no additional external funding received for this study.
文摘Early detection of the Covid-19 disease is essential due to its higher rate of infection affecting tens of millions of people,and its high number of deaths also by 7%.For that purpose,a proposed model of several stages was developed.The first stage is optimizing the images using dynamic adaptive histogram equalization,performing a semantic segmentation using DeepLabv3Plus,then augmenting the data by flipping it horizontally,rotating it,then flipping it vertically.The second stage builds a custom convolutional neural network model using several pre-trained ImageNet.Finally,the model compares the pre-trained data to the new output,while repeatedly trimming the best-performing models to reduce complexity and improve memory efficiency.Several experiments were done using different techniques and parameters.Accordingly,the proposed model achieved an average accuracy of 99.6%and an area under the curve of 0.996 in the Covid-19 detection.This paper will discuss how to train a customized intelligent convolutional neural network using various parameters on a set of chest X-rays with an accuracy of 99.6%.