Journal of infection and public health
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J Infect Public Health · Sep 2020
In silico prediction of potential inhibitors for the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 using molecular docking and dynamics simulation based drug-repurposing.
The rapidly enlarging COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel SARS-corona virus-2 is a global public health emergency of an unprecedented level. Unfortunately no treatment therapy or vaccine is yet available to counter the SARS-CoV-2 infection, which substantiates the need to expand research efforts in this direction. The indispensable function of the main protease in virus replication makes this enzyme a promising target for inhibitors screening and drug discovery to treat novel coronavirus infection. The recently concluded α-ketoamide ligand-bound X-ray crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro (PDB ID: 6Y2F) from Zhang et al. has revealed the potential inhibitor binding mechanism and the molecular determinants responsible for substrate binding. ⋯ In the present study among the library of FDA approved antiviral drugs, the top three inhibitors Lopinavir-Ritonavir, Tipranavir, and Raltegravir show the best molecular interaction with the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. However, the in-vitro efficacy of the drug molecules screened in this study further needs to be corroborated by carrying out a biochemical and structural investigation.
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J Infect Public Health · Jul 2020
Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: A national retrospective study.
The global battle to contain the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic rages on. Previous studies described the clinical characteristics of COVID-19, but knowledge gaps remain in the Middle East region. Identifying these features will help in mapping the disease and guiding pandemic management. A multi-center, retrospective cross-sectional study was initiated to describe the demographic data, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of COVID-19 cases across all the regions of Saudi Arabia. ⋯ In this multi-center retrospective study, fever and cough were common symptoms. Special attention should be addressed toward asymptomatic carriers and workers in health care facilities as they play a key role in disease transmission.
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J Infect Public Health · Jul 2020
Forecasting the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia using ARIMA prediction model under current public health interventions.
The substantial increase in the number of daily new cases infected with coronavirus around the world is alarming, and several researchers are currently using various mathematical and machine learning-based prediction models to estimate the future trend of this pandemic. In this work, we employed the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model to forecast the expected daily number of COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia in the next four weeks. ⋯ This indicates that the Umrah and Hajj Pilgrimages to the two holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia that are supposedly scheduled to be performed by nearly 2 million Muslims in mid-July may be suspended. A set of extreme preventive and control measures are proposed in an effort to avoid such a situation.
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J Infect Public Health · Jul 2020
Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA in feces: A case series of children.
To determine how long SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA persists in fecal specimens in children with COVID-19. ⋯ SARS-CoV-2 virus RNA persists much longer in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract than that in respiratory tract.
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J Infect Public Health · Jul 2020
Pattern of colistin resistance in Klebsiella isolates in an Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary care hospital in India.
Carbapenem resistance among multidrug resistant organism is a growing global concern with high rates being reported from South Asia and Mediterranean countries. It is associated not only with high morbidity and mortality, but also pose a grave health hazard. Among various studies, it has been found that among the gram-negative bacteria Klebsiella species is found to have a high resistance. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence and pattern of colistin resistance in Klebsiella species (spp.) in a tertiary care hospital in India. ⋯ The prevalence of Colistin resistant Klebsiella spp. was estimated to be 5.6% in our ICU. Colistin resistant Klebsiella is becoming an emerging threat in ICU settings limiting further treatment options. Stringent surveillance and robust antibiotic stewardship program to tide over this crisis is need of the hour.