Coronavirus (COVID-19) Collection
Emergence and geographic dominance of Omicron subvariants XBB/XBB.1.5 and BF.7 – the public health challenges
Since the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in November 2021 [1], it has rapidly replaced former strains as the key driver of the pandemic. As of 27 October 2022, the Omicron variant was considered the only circulating variant of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) [2]. Omicron has spawned subvariants due to its propensity of engendering novel mutations. In January 2022, the original Omicron strain BA.1 was replaced by BA.2; and other subvariants – BA.3, BA.4, BA.5 and XE – have subsequently emerged.Alterations in smell or taste in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 during periods of Omicron variant dominance
The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19, was first identified in late November 2021 and has since spread rapidly worldwide. To date, this variant remains the dominant variant in the global pandemic [1]. Since the pandemic outbreak, anosmia and dysgeusia have been shown to be key symptoms of the SARS-CoV-2 infection [2]. Some patients still have not recovered these senses almost a year later, and for a proportion of those who have, the sense of smell has been distorted [3].Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of other communicable diseases in Japan
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected >600 million patients, with over 6.4 million deaths reported worldwide as of September 1, 2022 [1,2]. Mortality rates for COVID-19 differ between Western countries (1.1% in the United States, 0.8% in the United Kingdom) and Asian countries (0.5% in China, 0.2% in Japan) [1,2]; although, the reasons remain uncertain. National governments have been faced with various challenges in balancing attempts to control the COVID-19 pandemic with the stabilization of economic activity.Differential clinical characteristics and performance of home antigen tests between parents and children after household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during the Omicron variant pandemic
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) BA.2 pandemic struck in 2022. Children seemed to have a lower rate of infection than adults at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the clinical scenario changed, especially after the Omicron variant outbreak [1]. The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 may vary according to different viral variants, settings, and individuals, and understanding the transmission rate and factors associated with transmission may help further control COVID-19. To this end, the difference in clinical symptoms and overall household transmission rate between children and adults needs further investigation.Regdanvimab for patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study and subgroup analysis of patients with the Delta variant
Since SARS-CoV-2 was identified in 2019 [1], the evolution of the virus has resulted in the emergence of variants with increased transmissibility and virulence.Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection in primary and secondary school students and staff in England in the 2020/2021 school year: a longitudinal study
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns that schools might contribute to sustaining or amplifying community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 led to widespread school closures [1]. This impacted education, well-being, and societal health [2,3]. Evidence now indicates that SARS-CoV-2 transmission does occur among and from children but can be reduced by preventive interventions in schools [4–6]. The overall role of schools in community spread is thought to be low-to-moderate, especially with mitigations in place; although, this may vary with virus variants [7–9].Multicenter, single-blind, randomized controlled study of the efficacy and safety of favipiravir and nafamostat mesilate in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia
The outbreak of COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 first occurred in late 2019, and the struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. Although an entry mechanism of SARS-CoV-2, such as binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 at the first step and process cell fusion by transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), was known [1], no established treatment exists before this study was conducted. To date, four antiviral drugs, remidesivir, molnupiravir, ensitrelvir, and nirumatrelvir/ritonavir, have been approved for COVID-19 therapy in Japan; however, only remdesivir has shown clinical benefits for hospitalized patients [2].Relapsing COVID-19 infection as a manifestation of Good syndrome: a case report and literature review
Good syndrome (GS) is a rare acquired immunodeficiency characterized by the presence of thymoma with combined B and T cell immunodeficiency. Recurrent bacterial infections remain the most common infective presentation of GS [1,2]. However, relapsing viral infections have also been reported in patients with GS, likely due to delayed viral clearance arising from impaired T cell-mediated immunity [2]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, although chronic/relapsing COVID-19 has been reported in patients who are immunocompromised [3,4], relapsing COVID-19 infection has not been previously reported as a manifestation of GS [5–8].Safety and immunogenicity of the bi-cistronic GLS-5310 COVID-19 DNA vaccine delivered with the GeneDerm suction device
The SARS-CoV-2 is the third highly pathogenic coronavirus to emerge this century. Whereas the emergent SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) caused fewer than 10,000 cases each, there have been greater than 500 million documented cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection globally and greater than 6 million deaths ( https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html ).Risk factors, health outcomes, healthcare services utilization, and direct medical costs of patients with long COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 [1], has taken severe health, economic and societal toll worldwide. The manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infection ranges from asymptomatic infection to disease with various degrees of severity and death, particularly among the older adults and persons with chronic diseases [2]. An increasing number of patients with COVID-19 experience multi-organ symptoms or health complications lasting months after the acute phase of the disease (thought to be around 4 weeks [3]).SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell and humoral immunity in individuals with and without HIV in an African population: a prospective cohort study
The SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded, encapsulated RNA virus that causes COVID-19 [1]. SARS-CoV-2 has so far caused millions of infections and deaths since its identification in 2019 [2]. There have been several waves of infections, with some countries experiencing up to four waves and increased transmissibility of the mutated virus with each successive wave [3,4].Serum immunoglobulin G and mucosal immunoglobulin A antibodies from prepandemic samples collected in Kilifi, Kenya, neutralize SARS-CoV-2 in vitro
SARS-CoV-2 emerged in 2019 and has caused morbidity, mortality, and disruptions in the global economy [1]. SARS-CoV-2 is a single-stranded RNA betacoronavirus in the Coronaviridae family that includes four human endemic coronaviruses (HCoVs): two betacoronaviruses, HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-HKU1, and two alphacoronaviruses, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-229E, which are all associated with mild forms of respiratory infections; although, they can lead to severe disease in individuals with compromised immunity [2,3].Effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in people living with HIV in British Columbia and comparisons with a matched HIV-negative cohort: a test-negative design
People living with HIV (PLWH) appear to be at a higher risk for severe COVID-19 [1–5]. Several studies have now shown that those with low clusters of differentiation (CD4) count (<200 cells/mm3) or CD4 nadir, even with virologic suppression, are at a higher risk for worse outcomes, including severe COVID-19 and death [6–8]. Yet, the evidence regarding the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in this high-risk group remains sparse because PLWH have been largely under-represented in vaccine trials [9].Safety and immunogenicity of a third dose of COVID-19 protein subunit vaccine (CovovaxTM) after homologous and heterologous two-dose regimens
The Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) of SARS-CoV-2 was first identified in November 2021 (Viana et al., 2022) and has dramatically increased the transmission of COVID-19 worldwide. The COVID-19 vaccine protects against serious disease, hospitalization, and death. However, vaccination does not entirely prevent infection and transmission to others. Massive two-dose vaccination campaigns cannot prevent breakthrough infections caused by the variants (Cele et al., 2022; Kuhlmann et al., 2022). A third dose is recommended to obtain high immunity against the Omicron variant and its subvariants.Open-label phase I/II clinical trial of SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (FINLAY-FR-2) in combination with receptor binding domain-protein vaccine (FINLAY-FR-1A) in children
Protecting children against COVID-19 is pivotal for controlling virus dissemination and reducing disease incidence. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations among children and adolescents, firstly driven by the Delta variant and recently by Omicron, have risen sharply, even in countries with high adult vaccination coverage (Delahoy et al., 2021; Elliott et al., 2022). This context has accelerated the clinical trials of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for children (Ali et al., 2021; Frenck et al., 2021; Han et al., 2021; Wallace et al., 2021; Walter et al., 2021; Xia et al., 2022).COVID-19 and diarrhea: putative mechanisms and management
Since December 2019, COVID-19 has become a global threat to public health and the economy. The main causative agent of this disease, SARS-CoV-2, first appeared in Wuhan city of China and the World Health Organization declared it a global pandemic on March 2020 (Huang et al., 2020). Along with a great toll on economic growth and interruption of the general lifestyle of people, COVID-19 has become one of the major public health crises infecting around 533 million people till June 12, 2022, taking more than 6.3 million lives reported from 226 countries (World Health Organization, 2022).Post-acute symptoms 3-15 months after COVID-19 among unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals with a breakthrough infection
Vaccination represents the most important strategy to prevent infection, severe complications, and death caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Feikin et al., 2022). SARS-CoV-2 vaccination may also reduce the risk of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) (Antonelli et al., 2022; Azzolini et al., 2022; Kuodi et al., 2022), but conflicting results have been presented (Taquet et al., 2022). We aimed to describe self-reported PASC symptoms, including memory and concentration problems, changes in smell and taste, fatigue, and dyspnea, persisting 3-15 months after a positive test in SARS-CoV-2 unvaccinated and vaccinated participants with a breakthrough infection.Reduction in severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients owing to heterologous third and fourth-dose vaccines during the periods of delta and omicron predominance in Thailand
As of July 30, 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has led to more than 582 million confirmed cases globally with more than 170 million in Asia and almost 5 million in Thailand alone (Mathieu et al., 2022). This has unfortunately resulted in almost 6.4 million deaths worldwide, 1.5 million deaths across Asia, and over 31,000 deaths in Thailand (Mathieu et al., 2022). While public health measures like wearing masks, social distancing, and appropriate hygiene measures were able to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the rapid development and deployment of vaccines were responsible for reducing the clinical impact of COVID-19 substantially (Doroshenko, 2021; Moore et al.A large series of molecular and serological specimens to evaluate mother-to-child SARS-CoV-2 transmission: a prospective study from the Italian Obstetric Surveillance System
The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is characterized by multiple epidemic waves associated with different viral strains with diverse transmissibility and lethality. The previous highly pathogenic SARS-CoV-1 and middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus were associated with poor obstetric outcomes (Schwartz and Graham, 2020). Given the importance of understanding COVID-19’s impact on pregnant women, fetuses, and newborns, the Italian Obstetric Surveillance System (ItOSS), coordinated by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health-ISS), launched a nationwide population-based, prospective cohort study aimed at analyzing cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women with the purpose to provide useful indications to guide decision makers and support clinical practice (Donati et al.Viable SARS-CoV-2 detected in the air of hospital rooms of patients with COVID-19 with an early infection
COVID-19 is caused by the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2. Understanding the role of surface and air contamination near patients with COVID-19 in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is essential to ensure the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. SARS-CoV-2 RNA has been detected on surfaces and in the air in hospitals (Dinoi et al., 2022; Gonçalves et al., 2021). However, only a few studies have recovered viable SARS-CoV-2 from the air collected near the patients with COVID-19 (Lednicky et al., 2020, 2021; Vass et al.SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance in Malaysia: displacement of B.1.617.2 with AY lineages as the dominant Delta variants and the introduction of Omicron during the fourth epidemic wave
Since the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020, COVID-19 continues to be an important health problem worldwide (Gao et al., 2021). The index case of COVID-19 was detected on December 1, 2019, in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China (Helmy et al., 2020; Valencia, 2020). As of January 2022, there were 380 million COVID-19 cases, with a mortality rate of 1.5% (Worldometer, 2022). COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2, an enveloped, nonsegmented, positive-sense RNA β-coronavirus (Zhou et al.Clinical outcomes associated with Mu variant infection during the third epidemic peak of COVID-19 in Colombia
By July 2022, four COVID-19 epidemic peaks and 210 lineages have been registered in Colombia, including several variants of interest and concern (INS, 2022). However, a higher number of cases and deaths occurred during the third epidemic peak, when the B.1.621 (Mu) variant was associated with 50% of the cases in the country (Álvarez-Díaz et al., 2022a). Although several factors in the clinical history of patients with COVID-19 have been associated with a severe or fatal outcome, including comorbidities, age, and smoking history (Zhang et al.Booster dose of SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNA vaccines strengthens the specific immune response of patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A prospective multicenter longitudinal study
Since the COVID-19 pandemic appearance, a global effort has been made to develop effective vaccines to stem SARS-CoV-2 infection through the induction of a coordinated B and T cell immune response (Agrati et al., 2021; Aiello et al., 2022a; Sette and Crotty, 2021, 2022). Humoral immunity consists of antibodies binding the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein that neutralizes the virus, whereas cellular immunity includes virus-specific B and T cells, which provide long-term memory and promptly expand following re-exposure to antigens (Sette and Crotty, 2021, 2022).Baricitinib vs tocilizumab treatment for hospitalized adult patients with severe COVID-19 and associated cytokine storm: a prospective, investigational, real-world study
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has devastated countries. The race to find adequate therapies is ongoing, but significant progress has been made since 2019. Our understanding of COVID-19 pathogenesis revealed the need for targeting the dysregulated immune response. The term cytokine storm first appeared 30 years ago, describing a potentially life-threatening condition triggered by various pathogens, hematologic and immunological disorders, and is characterized by peripheral hyperactivation of T-lymphocytes, resulting in elevated cytokines levels, systemic inflammation, and end-organ damage (Chatenoud et al.Transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infections in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, January-February 2022
From the end of 2020, multiple variants of concern have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, the Omicron variant has become dominant worldwide over other strains, with the potential for the emergence of other new variants or subvariants in the future. The Omicron variants have demonstrated increasing transmissibility and therefore are more challenging to control (Kraemer et al., 2021; World Health Organization, 2022). In general, increased transmissibility for a variant indicates an increased transmission strength, a higher transmission speed, or both.
