Coronavirus (COVID-19) Collection
Emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern Omicron (B.1.1.529) - highlights Africa's research capabilities, but exposes major knowledge gaps, inequities of vaccine distribution, inadequacies in global COVID-19 response and control efforts
Nearly two years since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, which has caused over 5 million deaths, the world continues to be on high COVID-19 alert. The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with national authorities, public health institutions and scientists have been closely monitoring and assessing the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 since January 2020 (WHO 2021a; WHO 2021b). The emergence of specific SARS-CoV-2 variants were characterised as Variant of Interest (VOI) and Variant of Concern (VOC), to prioritise global monitoring and research, and to inform the ongoing global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The WHO and its international sequencing networks continuously monitor SARS-CoV-2 mutations and inform countries about any changes that may be needed to respond to the variant, and prevent its spread where feasible.Post-COVID syndrome: the aftershock of SARS-CoV-2
Significant time has passed since the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak, which led to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection in hundreds of millions of individuals all around the globe. An accumulation of evidence during the pandemic raised awareness of an association between the SARS-CoV-2 and autoimmunity (Dotan et al., 2021 Apr). SARS-CoV-2 infected patients have a high presence of various autoantibodies (Dotan et al., 2021 Apr). Moreover, numerous cases of new-onset of autoimmune-related disorders have been documented following infection, including both organ-specific and systemic autoimmune diseases (Dotan et al., 2021 Apr).COVID-19 chemoprevention
Despite the enormity of COVID-19 pandemic and the many hundreds of clinical trials evaluating putative therapeutics, there have been very few randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of COVID-19 pre-exposure prophylaxis. RCTs provide the strongest evidence in this setting (Collins et al., 2020). This is particularly important in the politicised and febrile arena of COVID-19 medicines where claims and counter claims abound, and good clinical science has suffered. In this edition of IJID Seet et al. report a detailed and well conducted open cluster randomised trial of five different pre-exposure interventions in male migrant workers quarantined in isolated dormitories in Singapore (Seet et al., 2021).COVID-19: A PCR-defined pandemic
The numbers of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases are increasing steadily in many parts of the world, and the global and devastating impact of the current pandemic on all aspects of our life is evident. The number of positive molecular diagnostic tests, which are largely based on real-time (RT) PCR assays that detect genetic material of the causative agent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), still forms the basis for reporting both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases worldwide.Integrated control of COVID-19 in resource-poor countries
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face many challenges in controlling COVID-19. Healthcare resources are limited and so are ICU beds. RT-PCR testing is conducted on a limited scale and treatment options are few. There is no vaccine. Therefore, what low-cost solutions remain for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of SARS-CoV-2? How should these essential health services be delivered in order to reach the most vulnerable in our societies? In this editorial we discuss several important strategies for controlling COVID-19 including: vaccination, molecular and serological diagnostics, hygiene and WaSH interventions, and low-cost therapeutics.From ACE2 to COVID-19: A multiorgan endothelial disease
To date, three coronaviruses have caused major human outbreaks in the 21st century. In 2002–2003, SARS-CoV (the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus) caused 8447 reported SARS cases and 813 deaths, with a case fatality rate of ∼10% (Park, 2020; Cleri et al., 2010; Lin et al., 2006; Satija and Lal, 2007). MERS-CoV (the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) was first reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia, caused several outbreaks in Middle Eastern countries and South Korea (Cui et al., 2019; da Costa et al., 2020; Majumder et al., 2017; Kim et al., 2017; Ramadan and Shaib, 2019; Killerby et al., 2020), and had a case fatality rate of 25–40% (Majumder et al., 2014; Al Awaidy and Khamis, 2019; Mobaraki and Ahmadzadeh, 2019).Advancing COVID-19 vaccines – avoiding different regulatory standards for different vaccines and need for open and transparent data sharing
The erratic ways by which the global scientific R&D, pharma and technology community conducted themselves during epidemics such as SARS-CoV-1, Ebola virus, MERS-CoV and others, the lack of co-operation and missed opportunities for filling important knowledge gaps and having an enhancing and multiplier effect, led to the establishment of the WHO R&D Blueprint and global strategy and preparedness plan (WHO, 2020a). The Blueprint leverages the successes and addresses the gaps in order for the world to be prepared for the next pandemic(s).COVID-19 and the scaled-down 2020 Hajj Pilgrimage—Decisive, logical and prudent decision making by Saudi authorities overcomes pre-Hajj public health concerns
The abrupt appearance of SARS-CoV-2 as a novel lethal zoonotic pathogen causing COVID-19 disease in humans in late December 2019 (WHO, 2020), and its explosive global spread (Hui et al., 2020) caught health authorities worldwide by surprise and exposed the ill-preparedness of global public health systems to deal with the appearance of a new pathogen. Apart from generic prevention and control issues of public health and lockdown measures to limit epidemic spread, specific issues of Mass Gathering sporting and religious events came under specific spotlight (Alzahrani et al., 2020; Memish et al., 2020; Baloch et al., 2020; McCloskey et al., 2020; Petersen et al., 2020b).An observational cohort study of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin for COVID-19: (Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
It is clear that SARS-CoV-2 caught the world by surprise. In large part due to globalization, the virus quickly evolved from a serious regional concern to a worldwide pandemic, the likes of which are unprecedented in the last century. In a matter of weeks, COVID-19 became a leading cause of death in 2020, with a staggering potential death toll. Due to a heavy burden of illness, and in the absence of proven therapies, several experimental treatments have been, and continue to be, prescribed outside of clinical trial settings.Herd immunity and vaccination of children for COVID-19
Recognized individual risk factors for a more severe clinical outcome of COVID-19 are age above 65 years and underlying comorbidities, such as obesity, chronic obstructive lung disease, and diabetes (Velavan and Meyer, 2020a; Velavan and Meyer, 2020b). While the frequency of severe cases and mortality among children are reported to be extremely low when compared with adults (Dong et al., 2020), transmission from children could be a significant contributor to the spread of SARS-CoV-2, as with other respiratory viruses.Reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA: Will we be better prepared next time?
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” ― Benjamin FranklinReducing mortality and morbidity in patients with severe COVID-19 disease by advancing ongoing trials of Mesenchymal Stromal (stem) Cell (MSC) therapy — Achieving global consensus and visibility for cellular host-directed therapies
As of May 17th 2020, the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused 307,395 deaths worldwide, out of 3,917,366 cases reported to the World Health Organization. No specific treatments for reducing mortality or morbidity are yet available. Deaths from COVID-19 will continue to rise globally until effective and appropriate treatments and/or vaccines are found. In search of effective treatments, the global medical, scientific, pharma and funding communities have rapidly initiated over 500 COVID-19 clinical trials on a range of antiviral drug regimens and repurposed drugs in various combinations.Mitigating lockdown challenges in response to COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which was first reported in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019 (Luo et al., 2020) has spread across the world with remarkable speed, with the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declaring a pandemic in March, 2020. Most countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are now reporting an increasing number of cases, both imported and acquired locally. As of April 14th, 2020, a cumulative total of approximately, 10,757 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 520 deaths have been reported within the WHO African Region, with South Africa, Algeria and Cameroon recording the highest number of cases (WHO, 2020a).COVID-19 and malaria: A symptom screening challenge for malaria endemic countries
The unprecedented global coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly spread to all continents (WHO, 2020a). Whilst spread to Africa has been slow, there are now increasing numbers of COVID-19 being reported from African countries who are preparing themselves (Kapata et al., 2020) for an exponential rise in numbers of cases. As of 26th April 2020, there have been 2,804,796 confirmed COVIDD-19 cases reported to the WHO with 193,710 deaths. In Africa there have been 20,316 cases with 839 deaths reported from 49 countries (WHO, 2020b).Hypertension prevalence in human coronavirus disease: the role of ACE system in infection spread and severity
The prevalence of hypertension is high in patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) and it appears to be related to an increased risk of mortality, as shown in many epidemiological studies. The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) system is not uniformly expressed in all of the human races, and current differences could explain some of the geographical discrepancies in infection around the world. Furthermore, animal studies have shown that the ACE2 receptor is a potential pathway for host infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19.COVID-19 travel restrictions and the International Health Regulations – Call for an open debate on easing of travel restrictions
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has made national governments worldwide to mandate several generic infection control measures such as physical distancing, self-isolation, and closure of non-essential shops, restaurants schools, among others. Some models suggest physical distancing would have to persist for 3 months to mitigate the peak effects on health systems and could be required on an intermittent basis for 12 to 18 months (Flaxman et al., 2020).Could enhanced influenza and pneumococcal vaccination programs help limit the potential damage from SARS-CoV-2 to fragile health systems of southern hemisphere countries this winter?
Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) of the southern hemisphere are bracing themselves for the potential impact of a SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, in which Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) cases could overwhelm fragile health systems. One of the great hopes for northern hemisphere countries such as China, Italy, Iran, Japan, and South Korea, where community spread is ongoing, is that the arrival of spring and summer will reduce transmission of this respiratory virus. Intuitively, one hemisphere’s fortune is likely to be the other's misfortune.Li Wenliang, a face to the frontline healthcare worker. The first doctor to notify the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2, (COVID-19), outbreak
Dr Li Wenliang, who lost his life to the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, became the face of the threat of SARS-CoV-2 to frontline workers, the clinicians taking care of patients. Li, 34, was an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital. On 30th December, 2019, when the Wuhan municipal health service sent out an alert, he reportedly warned a closed group of ex-medical school classmates on the WeChat social media site of “Seven cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) like illness with links with the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market” at his hospital.Is Africa prepared for tackling the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic. Lessons from past outbreaks, ongoing pan-African public health efforts, and implications for the future
Soon after the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV), was first identified in a cluster of patients with pneumonia (Li et al., 2020), in the Chinese city of Wuhan on 31 December 2019, rapid human to human transmission was anticipated (Hui et al., 2020). The fast pace of transmission is wreaking havoc and stirring media hype and public health concern (Ippolito et al., 2020) globally. When the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease, (now officially named COVID-19) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 31st January 2020 (WHO, 2020a), the Director General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus justified the decision by stating that WHOs greatest concern was the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems.The continuing 2019-nCoV epidemic threat of novel coronaviruses to global health — The latest 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China
The city of Wuhan in China is the focus of global attention due to an outbreak of a febrile respiratory illness due to a coronavirus 2019-nCoV. In December 2019, there was an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan, Hubei province in China, with an epidemiological link to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market where there was also sale of live animals. Notification of the WHO on 31 Dec 2019 by the Chinese Health Authorities has prompted health authorities in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan to step up border surveillance, and generated concern and fears that it could mark the emergence of a novel and serious threat to public health (WHO, 2020a; Parr, 2020).
