Articles: coronavirus.
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Frontiers in immunology · Jan 2021
The Case for S2: The Potential Benefits of the S2 Subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein as an Immunogen in Fighting the COVID-19 Pandemic.
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, it is imperative to learn more about antibodies and T-cells produced against the causative virus, SARS-CoV-2, in order to guide the rapid development of therapies and vaccines. While much of the current antibody and vaccine research focuses on the receptor-binding domain of S1, a less-recognized opportunity is to harness the potential benefits of the more conserved S2 subunit. ⋯ More research is necessary on the effect of glycans on the accessibility and stability of S2, SARS-CoV-2 mutants that may affect infectivity, the neutralization potential of antibodies produced by memory B-cells, cross-reactive T-cell responses, antibody-dependent enhancement, and antigen competition. This perspective aims to highlight the evidence for the potential advantages of using S2 as a target of therapy or vaccine design.
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J Coll Physicians Surg Pak · Jan 2021
ReviewOnline Medical Education and Examinations during COVID-19: Perspectives of a Teaching Associate.
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has not only challenged global health systems but also social, economic, and educational systems. In this short communication, our focus is on its impact on medical education in Pakistan. We discuss the structure of undergraduate medical education in Pakistan; and how it has evolved in the wake of COVID-19. We describe our role as teaching associates (TAs) at the Aga Khan University (AKU); and how it has enabled us to be a part of the transition to online medical education, with a specific focus on online examinations in medical schools. Key Words: Medical education, Online examinations, COVID-19, Pandemic.
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Microbial pathogenesis · Jan 2021
ReviewStructural and functional insights into non-structural proteins of coronaviruses.
Coronaviruses (CoVs) are causing a number of human and animal diseases because of their zoonotic nature such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These viruses can infect respiratory, gastrointestinal, hepatic and central nervous systems of human, livestock, birds, bat, mouse, and many wild animals. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a newly emerging respiratory virus and is causing CoVID-19 with high morbidity and considerable mortality. ⋯ Coronavirus replicase has more or less universal activities, such as RNA polymerase (nsp 12) and helicase (nsp 13), as well as a variety of unusual or even special mRNA capping (nsp 14, nsp 16) and fidelity regulation (nsp 14) domains. Besides that, several smaller subunits (nsp 7- nsp 10) serve as essential cofactors for these enzymes and contribute to the emerging "nsp interactome." In spite of the significant progress in studying coronaviruses structural and functional properties, there is an urgent need to understand the coronaviruses evolutionary success that will be helpful to develop enhanced control strategies. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the structure, function, and interactions of coronaviruses RNA synthesizing machinery and their replication strategies.
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The Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet) can indicate the presence of novel, widespread community pathogens. Comparing week-to-week reported influenza-like illness percentages may identify the time of year a novel pathogen is introduced. However, changes in health-seeking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic call in to question the reliability of 2019-2020 ILINet data as a comparison to prior years, potentially rendering this system less reliable as a novel pathogen surveillance tool. Corroboration of trends seen in the 2019-2020 ILINet data lends confidence to the validity of those trends. This study compares predicted versus reported influenza and influenza-like illnesses in vaccinated adults as a surrogate measure of novel pathogen surveillance. ⋯ Flu and flu-like illness in this sample of flu-vaccinated U.S. adults is significantly higher than predicted, consistent with substantially higher ILI's in 2019-20 compared to ILI's from 2018-19, suggesting that the ILI values reported during the COVID-19 pandemic may be appropriate for comparison to prior years.
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Risk Manag Healthc Policy · Jan 2021
Monitoring COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Kuwait During the Pandemic: Results from a National Serial Study.
With COVD-19 cases on the rise globally and two approved vaccines, determining vaccine acceptance is imperative to avoid low inoculation rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes and determinants of vaccine acceptance among citizens and non-citizens, over time during the pandemic in Kuwait. ⋯ Vaccine acceptance was multifactorial, heterogenous among citizens and non-citizens, and changed over time. While acceptance was relatively high, it decreased throughout the pandemic and as restrictions in the country loosened. This increase in vaccine hesitancy reveals a challenge in achieving high inoculation levels, and the need for effective vaccine-promotion campaigns and increased health education in the country.