by Milhan Chaze, Laurent Mériade, Corinne Rochette, Mélina Bailly, Rea Bingula, Christelle Blavignac, Martine Duclos, Bertrand Evrard, Anne Cécile Fournier, Lena Pelissier, David Thivel, on behalf of CAUVIM-19 Group Background Work on long COVID-19 has mainly focused on clinical care in hospitals. Thermal spa therapies represent a therapeutic offer outside of health care institutions that are nationally or even internationally attractive. Unlike local care (hospital care, general medicine, para-medical care), their integration in the care pathways of long COVID-19 patients seems little studied. The aim of this article is to determine what place french thermal spa therapies can take in the care pathway of long COVID-19 patients. Methods Based on the case of France, we carry out a geographic mapping analysis of the potential care pathways for long COVID-19 patients by cross-referencing, over the period 2020–2022, the available official data on COVID-19 contamination, hospitalisations in intensive care units and the national offer of spa treatments. This first analysis allows us, by using the method for evaluating the attractiveness of an area defined by David Huff, to evaluate the accessibility of each French department to thermal spas. Results Using dynamic geographical mapping, this study describes two essential criteria for the integration of the thermal spa therapies offer in the care pathways of long COVID-19 patients (attractiveness of spa areas and accessibility to thermal spas) and three fundamental elements for the success of these pathways (continuity of the care pathways; clinical collaborations; adaptation of the financing modalities to each patient). Using a spatial attractiveness method, we make this type of geographical analysis more dynamic by showing the extent to which a thermal spa is accessible to long COVID-19 patients. Conclusion Based on the example of the French spa offer, this study makes it possible to place the care pathways of long COVID-19 patients in a wider area (at least national), rather than limiting them to clinical and local management in a hospital setting. The identification and operationalization of two geographical criteria for integrating a type of treatment such as a spa cure into a care pathway contributes to a finer conceptualization of the construction of healthcare pathways. …

by Luiza Mesesan-Schmitz, Claudiu Coman, Carmen Stanciu, Venera Bucur, Laurentiu Gabriel Tiru, Maria Cristina Bularca This study was designed to explore mothers’ perceptions about changes in parenting behavior in the middle of the pandemic COVID 19 period. Based on the convergent mixed-method design and Parental Stress model, we illustrated these changes by taking into account the impact of the pandemic perceived by mothers and the resources they had available. Research on parenting changes was important in the Romanian context because, in that challenging period, there were no regulations to safeguard parents, especially single parents as mothers. Mothers experienced increased levels of stress, some of them having to leave their jobs to stay at home with their children. Other mothers needed to work from home and in the meantime to take care of their children. In this context we wanted to illustrate the possible changes that occurred in their parenting behavior during the pandemic period. Results from the quantitative survey showed that there is a moderate correlation between the negative impact felt by mothers and the negative changes in their parenting behavior, and this correlation was diminished by a series of resources such as: social support, parenting alliance, or high income. Qualitative data provided better understanding of mothers’ parenting behavior by showing that mothers shared both positive and negative experiences during the pandemic, regardless of the general trend mentioned. As shown by the quantitative data, the qualitative data also showed that mothers who felt more strongly the impact of the pandemic reported more negative changes in their parenting behavior. The positive changes most frequently stated involved expressing affection and communicating more often on various topics, carrying out leisure activities or activities meant to help with the personal development of the child, and involving children in domestic activities. Mothers mostly described negative aspects such as too much involvement in school life, increased control and surveillance of children, especially when it comes to school related activities and to the time children were allowed to spend on their digital devices. These changes led to conflicts and sometimes, mothers resorted to discipline practices. In addition to the resources identified in quantitative research, mothers with higher education and medium–high income also turned to specialized resources (psychologists, online courses, support groups) in order to manage conflicts, them being able to see the challenges of the pandemic as an opportunity to develop and improve the relationship with their children.

by Mohammad M. Hamasha, Areen Jihad Alomari, Ala H. Bani-Irshid This study investigates the impact of COVID-19 pandemic-induced E-learning in Jordanian higher education. Through a quantitative survey, the study analyzes the independent variables of system use and user satisfaction, finding that information quality and service quality significantly affect these variables and that user satisfaction notably impacts E-learning. System usage moderates these effects. This research comprehensively analyzes the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic on Jordanian higher education, focusing on E-learning. It shows how information, system, and service quality affect system use and user satisfaction. The study also emphasizes these aspects’ importance in E-learning platform effectiveness. The study offers actionable insights and recommendations to help Jordan establish more resilient and effective educational policies and practices that can adjust to higher education shocks. The study recommends establishing a specialized department to modify student intention to use E-learning systems, not only during the pandemic crisis but also after-ward, to improve familiarity with E-learning tools. This study provides insights into the pandemic’s impact on Jordan’s higher education system and suggests future approaches to enhance E-learning platforms. It contributes to the development of effective E-learning systems that can improve higher education standards by pinpointing the key effects of the pandemic on the independent variables and offering workable solutions. The study emphasizes the importance of information and service quality in improving user satisfaction and system usage in E-learning.

Objectives: Understanding the long-term effects of severe COVID-19 illness on survivors is essential for effective pandemic recovery planning. Therefore, we investigated impairments among hospitalized adults discharged to long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) for prolonged severe COVID-19 illness who survived 1 year. Design: The Recovery After Transfer to an LTACH for COVID-19 (RAFT COVID) study was a national, multicenter, prospective longitudinal cohort study. Setting and Patients: We included hospitalized English-speaking adults transferred to one of nine LTACHs in the United States between March 2020 and February 2021 and completed a survey. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Validated instruments for impairments and free response questions about recovering. Among 282 potentially eligible participants who provided permission to be contacted, 156 (55.3%) participated (median age, 65; 38.5% female; 61.3% in good prior health; median length of stay of 57 d; 77% mechanically ventilated for a median of 26 d; 42% had a tracheostomy). Approximately two-thirds (64%) had a persistent impairment, including physical (57%), respiratory (49%; 19% on supplemental oxygen), psychiatric (24%), and cognitive impairments (15%). Nearly half (47%) had two or more impairment types. Participants also experienced persistent debility from hospital-acquired complications, including mononeuropathies and pressure ulcers. Participants described protracted recovery, attributing improvements to exercise/rehabilitation, support, and time. While considered life-altering with 78.7% not returning to their usual health, participants expressed gratitude for recovering; 99% returned home and 60% of previously employed individuals returned to work. Conclusions: Nearly two-thirds of survivors of among the most prolonged severe COVID-19 illness had persistent impairments at 1 year that resembled post-intensive care syndrome after critical illness plus debility from hospital-acquired complications.

Journal of Medical Virology, Volume 96, Issue 4, April 2024.

Abstract Background and purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented public health challenges worldwide. Understanding the factors contributing to COVID-19 mortality is critical for effective management and intervention strategies. This study aims to unlock the predictive power of data collected from personal, clinical, preclinical, and laboratory variables through machine learning (ML) analyses. Methods A retrospective study was conducted in 2022 in a large hospital in Abadan, Iran. Data were collected and categorized into demographic, clinical, comorbid, treatment, initial vital signs, symptoms, and laboratory test groups. The collected data were subjected to ML analysis to identify predictive factors associated with COVID-19 mortality. Five algorithms were used to analyze the data set and derive the latent predictive power of the variables by the shapely additive explanation values. Results Results highlight key factors associated with COVID-19 mortality, including age, comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes), specific treatments (antibiotics, remdesivir, favipiravir, vitamin zinc), and clinical indicators (heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature). Notably, specific symptoms (productive cough, dyspnea, delirium) and laboratory values (D-dimer, ESR) also play a critical role in predicting outcomes. This study highlights the importance of feature selection and the impact of data quantity and quality on model performance. Conclusion This study highlights the potential of ML analysis to improve the accuracy of COVID-19 mortality prediction and emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach that considers multiple feature categories. It highlights the critical role of data quality and quantity in improving model performance and contributes to our understanding of the multifaceted factors that influence COVID-19 outcomes. …

Publication date: Available online 3 April 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Yuta Okada, Hiroshi Nishiura …

Publication date: Available online 16 March 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Sonu Lamba, Tanuja Das, Prashant K. Srivastava …

Publication date: Available online 14 March 2024 Source: Immunity Author(s): M. Alejandra Tortorici, Amin Addetia, Albert J. Seo, Jack Brown, Kaiti Sprouse, Jenni Logue, Erica Clark, Nicholas Franko, Helen Chu, David Veesler …

Publication date: Available online 12 March 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Farhad Waseel, George Streftaris, Bhuvendhraa Rudrusamy, Sarat C. Dass …

Publication date: Available online 6 March 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Daihai He, Yael Artzy-Randrup, Salihu S. Musa, Tiago Gräf, Felipe Naveca, Lewi Stone …

Publication date: Available online 10 February 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Jiahui Meng, Justina Liu, Lin Yang, Man Sing Wong, Hilda Tsang, Boyu Yu, Jincheng Yu, Freddy Man-Hin Lam, Daihai He, Lei Yang, Yan Li, Gilman Kit-Hang Siu, Stefanos Tyrovolas, Grace Yaojie Xie, David Man, David H.K. Shum …

Publication date: Available online 8 February 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Lili Liu, Xi Wang, Ou Liu, Yazhi Li, Zhen Jin, Sanyi Tang, Xia Wang …

Publication date: Available online 8 February 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Fong Ying Foo, Nuzlinda Abdul Rahman, Fauhatuz Zahroh Shaik Abdullah, Nurul Syafiah Abd Naeeim …

Publication date: Available online 2 February 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Mohamed Ladib, Aziz Ouhinou, Abdul-Aziz Yakubu …

Publication date: Available online 30 January 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Adriane S. Reis, Laurita dos Santos, Américo Cunha Jr, Thaís C.R.O. Konstantyner, Elbert E.N. Macau …

Publication date: Available online 30 January 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Ruth McCabe, Gabriel Danelian, Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths, Christl A. Donnelly …

Publication date: Available online 12 January 2024 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Ashley N. Micuda, Mark R. Anderson, Irina Babayan, Erin Bolger, Logan Cantin, Gillian Groth, Ry Pressman-Cyna, Charlotte Z. Reed, Noah J. Rowe, Mehdi Shafiee, Benjamin Tam, Marie C. Vidal, Tianai Ye, Ryan D. Martin …

Publication date: Available online 9 December 2023 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Alexandra Smirnova, Mona Barooniany …

Publication date: Available online 18 November 2023 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Jia-Lin Wang, Xin-Long Xiao, Fen-Fen Zhang, Xin Pei, Ming-Tao Li, Ju-Ping Zhang, Juan Zhang, Gui-Quan Sun …

Publication date: Available online 17 November 2023 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Pierre-Yves Boëlle, Eugenio Valdano …

Publication date: Available online 15 November 2023 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Suparinthon Anupong, Tanakorn Chantanasaro, Chaiwat Wilasang, Natcha C. Jitsuk, Chayanin Sararat, Kan Sornbundit, Busara Pattanasiri, Dhammika Leshan Wannigama, Mohan Amarasiri, Sudarat Chadsuthi, Charin Modchang …

A number of different neurological complications have been reported following vaccination against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Electroencephalogram (EEG) is one of the modalities used to evaluate the neurological complications of diseases. The aim of the present study was to identify the EEG changes in participants vaccinated against COVID‐19. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, medRxiv, and Google Scholar were searched up to 1 September 2022, with terms related to COVID‐19 vaccines, EEG, neurological signs/symptoms, or neurological disorders. All case reports and case series were included if the participants had received at least one dose of a COVID‐19 vaccine and a post vaccination EEG report was also reported. We used the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for case reports and case series to appraise the methodological quality of the included studies. Thirty‐one studies were included, which were comprised of 24 case reports and seven case series and a total of 36 participants. Generalised slowing and non‐convulsive focal status epilepticus were the most common EEG findings post‐COVID‐19 vaccination. The most frequent symptoms were headache, fatigue, generalised weakness, and vomiting. In addition, the most common signs were encephalopathy, post‐ictal phases, and confusion. Encephalitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, and post‐vaccinal encephalopathy were the most commonly diagnosed adverse events. Furthermore, most of the imaging studies appeared normal. The EEG reports mainly showed background slowing and epileptiform discharges, encephalitis, encephalopathies, and demyelinating disorders. Future studies with larger samples and more vaccine types may help to further unravel the potential neurological effects of COVID‐19 vaccinations on recipients.

Patients who undergo hematopoietic stem‐cell transplantation (HSCT) are more susceptible to developing severe forms of COVID‐19 with an increased risk of mortality. The aim of this study was to analyze, by performing a systematic review and meta‐analysis, all studies that evaluated COVID‐19 in HSCT adult recipients and present clinical characteristics and outcomes. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they: (I) described the clinical characteristics of COVID‐19 in adult (aged 18 years old or above) HSCT recipients; (II) described outcomes of COVID‐19 in this population, mainly lethality; (III) were full‐text articles. We searched MedLine, Embase, SCOPUS, LILACS and Web of Science for full‐text studies that evaluated COVID‐19 in adult HSCT patients until 26 Apr 2023. Two independent reviewers screened the articles and extracted the data. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence Data was used to assess quality of the included studies. Meta‐analysis was performed and the pooled prevalence of severe/critical disease and of death with a 95% CI was calculated with the random‐effects model. Sixteen studies were included; seven (43.7%) were multicenter. Most of the studies were from Europe (37.5%). All of them had a low risk of bias using the JBI Checklist. A total of 1186 patients were included. Allogeneic HSCT patients were the majority in most studies, with a total of 861 patients (72.5%). The symptomatic rate was 79.4%. The pooled prevalence of severe/critical COVID‐19 was 24.0% (95% CI 0.13–0.36;  = 94%;  = 334/990). The pooled prevalence of death for the entire population was 17% (95% CI 0.13–0.22;  = 76%;  = 221/1117), 17% (95% CI 0.12–0.23;  = 67%;  = 152/822) for allogeneic‐HSCT and 14% (95% CI 0.08–0.22;  = 65%;  = 48/293) for autologous‐HSCT. In conclusion, frequently the infection of SARS‐CoV‐2 in HSCT was symptomatic and lethality is higher than in general population. Thus, it is essential to focus on the implementation of measures to mitigate the risk of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in this population, as well as to carefully assess HSCT recipients who develop COVID‐19.

This study aimed to clarify the beneficial effect and the clinical application value of Paxlovid in the treatment of coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19) through a systematic review. Databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, and were systematically searched for interventional or observational studies on the efficacy and safety of Paxlovid in the treatment of SARS‐COV‐2. The relative and absolute effect sizes for the outcomes were calculated based on the data reported in the original intervention literature. The external applicability of the evidence was analysed in terms of clinical application scenarios, patient willingness, and cost utility. One interventional and three observational studies were conducted. Four studies published in 2022, had participation sample sizes ranging 1780–109,254. Based on the randomised controlled trial data, the risk of all‐cause mortality, all‐cause death, and hospitalisation was significantly reduced in the Paxlovid group. Serious adverse events were reduced during the study. Based on observational studies, Paxlovid can significantly reduce the risk of death and hospitalisation in older patients with COVID‐19 (moderate certainty) and improve in‐hospital disease progression, composite disease progression, and viral load (low certainty). Paxlovid did not improve the outcomes of death and hospitalisation (low certainty) in patients aged…

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV2) emerged in December 2019, causing a range of respiratory infections from mild to severe. This resulted in the ongoing global COVID‐19 pandemic, which has had a significant impact on public health. The World Health Organization declared COVID‐19 as a global pandemic in March 2020. Viruses are intracellular pathogens that rely on the host\'s machinery to establish a successful infection. They exploit the gene expression machinery of host cells to facilitate their own replication. Gaining a better understanding of gene expression modulation in SARS‐CoV2 is crucial for designing and developing effective antiviral strategies. Efforts are currently underway to understand the molecular‐level interaction between the host and the pathogen. In this review, we describe how SARS‐CoV2 infection modulates gene expression by interfering with cellular processes, including transcription, post‐transcription, translation, post‐translation, epigenetic modifications as well as processing and degradation pathways. Additionally, we emphasise the therapeutic implications of these findings in the development of new therapies to treat SARS‐CoV2 infection.

There\'s critical need for risk predictors in long COVID. This meta‐analysis evaluates the evidence for an association between plasma lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and long COVID and explores the contribution of LDH to symptoms persistent across the distinct post‐acute sequelae of COVID‐19 (PASC) domains. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for articles published up to 20 March 2023 for studies that reported data on LDH levels in COVID‐19 survivors with and without PASC. Random‐effect meta‐analysis was employed to estimate the standardized mean difference (SMD) with corresponding 95% confidence interval of each outcome. There were a total of 8289 study participants (3338 PASC vs. 4951 controls) from 46 studies. Our meta‐analysis compared to the controls showed a significant association between LDH elevation and Resp‐PASC [SMD = 1.07, 95%CI = 0.72, 1.41,  = 0.01] but not Cardio‐PASC [SMD = 1.79, 95%CI = −0.02, 3.61,  = 0.05], Neuro‐PASC [SMD = 0.19, 95%CI = −0.24, 0.61,  = 0.40], and Gastrointestinal‐PASC [SMD = 0.45, 95%CI = −1.08, 1.98,  = 0.56]. This meta‐analysis suggests elevated LDH can be used for predicting Resp‐PASC, but not Cardio‐PASC, Neuro‐PASC or gastrointestinal‐PASC. Thus, elevated plasma LDH following COVID infection may be considered as a disease biomarker.

Publication date: Available online 10 November 2023 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Zhaobin Xu, Jian Song, Weidong Liu, Dongqing Wei …

Publication date: Available online 31 October 2023 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Dustin T. Hill, Mohammed A. Alazawi, E. Joe Moran, Lydia J. Bennett, Ian Bradley, Mary B. Collins, Christopher J. Gobler, Hyatt Green, Tabassum Z. Insaf, Brittany Kmush, Dana Neigel, Shailla Raymond, Mian Wang, Yinyin Ye, David A. Larsen …

Our study is aimed to access the efficacy and safety outcomes for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients treated with Paxlovid. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, databases were used to retrieve articles from 1 January 2020 to 1 January 2023. Article screening, quality evaluation and data extraction were completed and cross‐checked. The meta‐analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) were conducted using RevMan, StataMP, and TSA software. A total of 42 original articles were included. Overall meta‐analysis results showed that for death, hospitalisation, death or hospitalisation, emergency department (ED) visit, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and extra oxygen requirement outcomes, every odds ratio (OR) was  0.05. For adverse events (AEs) outcome, the OR was >1 and  …

The COVID‐19 pandemic linked to the virus SARS‐CoV‐2, which began in China, affected ∼765 million people as of 30 April 2023. The widespread use of corticosteroids for the symptomatic treatment of COVID‐19 could lead to the reactivation of infections of opportunistic pathogens, including . We sought to determine the clinical symptoms and demographic characteristics of SARS‐CoV‐2– co‐infection, particularly in patients with severe disease and being treated with immunosuppressive drugs. To do this, we undertook a systematic review of the literature, and searched public accessible scientific databases—the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline and Embase –for eligible studies (1 December 2019 to 30 August 2022). The review protocol is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022377062). Descriptive statistical analyses were used to present the clinical and laboratory parameters of the co‐infection; for this, we calculated prevalence using the following formula: positive cases/total number of cases × 100. Of a total of 593 studies identified, 17 studies reporting 26 co‐infected patients met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The median age of these patients was 55.14 years. Most of cases (53.8%) were treated with dexamethasone, followed by methylprednisolone (26.9%). Eighteen of 26 patients were immigrants living in European countries or the USA; most of these immigrants originated from Latin America (58%) and South‐East Asia (11%). The commonest symptoms of co‐infection were abdominal pain (50%), fever (46.1%), dyspnoea (30.7%) and cough (30.7%), and frequently reported laboratory findings were high absolute eosinophil count (38.4%), high white blood cell count (30.7%), high C‐reactive protein (23.0%) and high neutrophil count (19.2%). Two of the 26 patients (7.7%) had fatal outcomes. Most of the SARS‐CoV‐2– coinfected cases were immigrants living in developed countries, emphasising the need for clinicians in these countries to be aware of clinical and laboratory parameters associated with such co‐infections, as well as the key importance of rapid and accurate diagnostic tests for timely and effective diagnosis and patient management.

Studies related to clinical diagnosis and research of SARS‐CoV‐2 are important in the current pandemic era. Although molecular biology has emphasised the importance of qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis with nucleic acids in relation to SARS‐CoV‐2 needs to be clearly emphasised, which can provide perspective for viral dynamic studies of SARS‐CoV‐2. In this regard, the requirement and utilization of digital PCR in COVID‐19 research has substantially increased during the pandemic, necessitating the aggregation of its cardinal applications and future scopes. Hence, this meta‐review comprehensively addresses and emphasises the importance of nucleic acid quantification of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA with digital PCR (dPCR). Various quantitative techniques of clinical significance like immunological, proteomic and nucleic acid‐based diagnosis and quantification, have been comparatively discussed. Furthermore, the core part of the article focusses on the working principle and advantages of digital PCR, along with its applications in COVID‐19 research. Several important applications like viral load quantitation, environmental surveillance and assay validation have been extensively investigated and discussed. Certain key future scopes of clinical importance, like mortality prediction, viral/variant‐symbiosis, and antiviral studies were also identified, suggesting several possible digital PCR applications in COVID‐19 research.

Genome‐wide association studies (GWASs) have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with susceptibility and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). However, identified SNPs are inconsistent across studies, and there is no compelling consensus that COVID‐19 status is determined by genetic factors. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to determine the effect of genetic factors on COVID‐19. A random‐effect meta‐analysis was performed to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) of SNP effects, and SNP‐based heritability (SNP‐h) of COVID‐19. The analyses were performed using meta‐R package, and Stata version 17. The meta‐analysis included a total of 96,817 COVID‐19 cases and 6,414,916 negative controls. The meta‐analysis showed that a cluster of highly correlated 9 SNPs (  > 0.9) at 3p21.31 gene locus covering and genes was significantly associated with COVID‐19 severity, with a pooled OR of 1.8 [1.5–2.0]. Meanwhile, another 3 SNPs (rs2531743‐G, rs2271616‐T, and rs73062389‐A) within the locus was associated with COVID‐19 susceptibility, with pooled estimates of 0.95 [0.93–0.96], 1.23 [1.19–1.27] and 1.15 [1.13–1.17], respectively. Interestingly, SNPs associated with susceptibility and SNPs associated with severity in this locus are in linkage equilibrium (  …

The COVID‐19 pandemic represents an unparalleled global public health crisis. Despite concerted research endeavours, the repertoire of effective treatment options remains limited. However, neutralising‐antibody‐based therapies hold promise across an array of practices, encompassing the prophylaxis and management of acute infectious diseases. Presently, numerous investigations into COVID‐19‐neutralising antibodies are underway around the world, with some studies reaching clinical application stages. The advent of COVID‐19‐neutralising antibodies signifies the dawn of an innovative and promising strategy for treatment against SARS‐CoV‐2 variants. Comprehensively, our objective is to amalgamate contemporary understanding concerning antibodies targeting various regions, including receptor‐binding domain (RBD), non‐RBD, host cell targets, and cross‐neutralising antibodies. Furthermore, we critically examine the prevailing scientific literature supporting neutralising antibody‐based interventions, and also delve into the functional evaluation of antibodies, with a particular focus on in vitro (vivo) assays. Lastly, we identify and consider several pertinent challenges inherent to the realm of COVID‐19‐neutralising antibody‐based treatments, offering insights into potential future directions for research and development.

Publication date: Available online 18 August 2023 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Fengying Wei, Ruiyang Zhou, Zhen Jin, Senzhong Huang, Zhihang Peng, Jinjie Wang, Ximing Xu, Xinyan Zhang, Jun Xu, Yao Bai, Xiaoli Wang, Bulai Lu, Zhaojun Wang, Jianguo Xu …

Publication date: Available online 9 August 2023 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Rui Luo …

Publication date: Available online 12 July 2023 Source: Immunity Author(s): Yuichi Mitsui, Tatsuya Suzuki, Kanako Kuniyoshi, Jun Inamo, Kensuke Yamaguchi, Mariko Komuro, Junya Watanabe, Mio Edamoto, Songling Li, Tsukasa Kouno, Seiya Oba, Tadashi Hosoya, Kentaro Masuhiro, Yujiro Naito, Shohei Koyama, Nobuo Sakaguchi, Daron M. Standley, Jay W. Shin, Shizuo Akira, Shinsuke Yasuda …

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is responsible for coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID‐19) that infected more than 760 million people worldwide with over 6.8 million deaths to date. COVID‐19 is one of the most challenging diseases of our times due to the nature of its spread, its effect on multiple organs, and an inability to predict disease prognosis, ranging from being completely asymptomatic to death. Upon infection, SARS‐CoV‐2 alters the host immune response by changing host‐transcriptional machinery. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regarded as post‐transcriptional regulators of gene expression that can be perturbed by invading viruses. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have reported such dysregulation of host miRNA expression upon SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Some of this could occur as an anti‐viral response of the host to the viral infection. Viruses themselves can counteract that response by mounting their own pro‐viral response that facilitates virus infection, an aspect which may cause pathogenesis. Thus, miRNAs could serve as possible disease biomarkers in infected people. In the current review, we have summarised and analysed the existing data about miRNA dysregulation in patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 to determine their concordance between studies, and identified those that could serve as potential biomarkers during infection, disease progression, and death, even in people with other co‐morbidities. Having such biomarkers can be vital in not only predicting COVID‐19 prognosis, but also the development of novel miRNA‐based anti‐virals and therapeutics which can become invaluable in case of the emergence of new viral variants with pandemic potential in the future.

Until now, the treatment protocols for COVID‐19 have been revised multiple times. The use and approval of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for COVID‐19 treatment represent exceptional achievements in modern science, technology and medicine. SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron evasion of pre‐existing immunity represents a serious public health problem nowadays. This systematic review with meta‐analysis provided comprehensive and up‐to‐date evidence of the clinical efficacy of therapeutic anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 mAbs against Omicron subvariants in COVID‐19 patients and included 10 articles. The prevalence of hospitalisation among Omicron‐positive patients treated with anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 mAbs was 2.8% (89/3169) while it controls (Omicron‐positive patients treated with other therapies) 11% (154/1371). There was a statistically significantly different number of hospitalisations between the two studied groups in favour of the anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 mAbs treated group. (OR = 0.56, 95% CI OR = 0.41–0.77,  …

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has become a global pandemic in 2020 with high patient mortality due to acute respiratory distress syndrome which is possibly induced by a Cytokine release syndrome and more specifically through an interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) booster. Currently, IL‐6/IL‐6R inhibitors indicated an effective function in reducing the inflammatory markers in severe COVID‐19 patients. In this comprehensively narrative review, we searched online academic databases including (Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Pub Med), the relevant literature was extracted from the databases by using search terms of COVID‐19, IL‐6, and IL6 inhibitor as free‐text words and also with the combination with OR/AND to summarise the latest discoveries on the inhibitors of IL‐6 and its receptor\'s especially focussing on the role of natural product, Naringin (NAR) as a flavonoid found in citrus fruits, with considerable anti‐inflammatory and antiviral properties in COVID‐19 treatments. Our data Therefore in comparison with other synthetic monoclonal antibodies NAR may provide a good qualification for the development of novel anti‐inflammatory agents, especially against Covid 19 based on recent studies.

Numerous studies have linked coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) with endothelial dysfunction and reported elevated levels of endothelial biomarkers in this disease. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of the published evidence in this respect. A systematic literature search of PubMed and Scopus databases was performed to find studies investigating biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction in COVID‐19 patients. Pooled standardized mean differences and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each biomarker using random effect model. 74 studies with 7668 patients were included. In comparison to patients with good outcome, those with poor outcome had higher levels of von Willebrand factor (vWF) (SMD: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.59–1.07,  …

The genetic variability of each individual may lead to the identification of completely different genetic polymorphisms which are associated with a different sensitivity to infectious diseases in humans. Such genetic variability allows the immune system to respond differently to viral agents, therefore only a fraction of humans develop severe symptoms, as happened with SARS‐CoV‐2. Such knowledge is critical to enable the development of appropriate pharmacological solutions to prevent the consequences of insufficient immunity in dealing with serious viral diseases such as SARS‐CoV‐2. For instance, global epidemiological data show that male sex is a risk factor for the severe evolution of SARS‐CoV‐2 disease. Men, due to higher production of Testosterone (TLT), are more vulnerable than females. Women, due to greater expression of the TLR7 gene found on the X chromosome, a key innate immunity gene that encodes Toll‐like proteins, are able to synthesise more antiviral proteins and interferons in dendritic cells, resulting in a more robust immune system capable of preventing severe SARS‐CoV‐2 viral disease. This manuscript highlights how human genetic variability can lead to severe infectious symptoms in some individuals who must take appropriate prophylactic actions, such as vaccination, to prevent this.

People living with HIV (PLWH) are susceptible to severe COVID‐19 infection and hence this fragile population has prioritised vaccination. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to assess the humoral immune response after receiving two doses schedule of COVID‐19 mRNA vaccinations in this high‐risk population. A systematic electronic search on the PubMed database and manual searches were performed for relevant articles until 30 Sep 2022. Two outcomes of interest were seroconversion rates and anti‐spike receptor binding domain (anti‐S‐RBD) antibody titres at the median time of 14–35 days following two‐dose vaccination among PLWH. Nineteen cohorts and one cross‐sectional study were eligible for inclusion in this study. The pooled estimate of seroconversion rate after receiving two doses of mRNA vaccination schedule were 98.4% and 75.2% among PLWH with CD4>500 cells/mm and CD4500 cells/mm had a 51% likelihood of having positive anti‐Spike‐RBD immunoglobulin G (IgG) (OR: 0.509, 95% CI: 0.228, 1.133,  = 0.098) post‐vaccination and this value was only 1.4% (OR: 0.014, 95% CI: 0.002, 0.078,  = 0.000) for PLWH with CD4500 cells/mm and healthy controls ( = 0.06). The pooled median of anti‐S‐RBD IgG values were 1461.93 binding antibody units (BAU)/ml and 457.41 BAU/ml in PLWH with CD4>500 cells/mm and CD4…

Publication date: Available online 22 June 2023 Source: Infectious Disease Modelling Author(s): Jorge M. Mendes, Pedro S. Coelho …

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