Journal of microbiology, immunology, and infection = Wei mian yu gan ran za zhi
-
J Microbiol Immunol Infect · Jun 2020
Case ReportsCoronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19): A case series of early suspected cases reported and the implications towards the response to the pandemic in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe is among the countries that have been identified to be at risk of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of the 15th of March 2020, there was no confirmed case of the virus. Official reports of suspected cases were used to appraise the general screening, case management, and the emergency preparedness and response of the country towards the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ More COVID-19 diagnostic tests should be procured to increase the testing capacity. Training and awareness on mental, social, and psychological consequences of COVID-19 should be offered to the health care workers and the general public. More financial resources should be sourced to enable the country control the pandemic.
-
J Microbiol Immunol Infect · Jun 2020
ReviewACE2 receptor polymorphism: Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, hypertension, multi-organ failure, and COVID-19 disease outcome.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has emerged in Chinese people in December 2019 and has currently spread worldwide causing the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 150,000 deaths. In order for a SARS-CoV like virus circulating in wild life for a very long time to infect the index case-patient, a number of conditions must be met, foremost among which is the encounter with humans and the presence in homo sapiens of a cellular receptor allowing the virus to bind. Recently it was shown that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, binds to the human angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ⋯ Moreover, ACE2 polymorphisms were recently described in human populations. Here we review the most recent evidence that ACE2 expression and/or polymorphism could influence both the susceptibility of people to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the outcome of the COVID-19 disease. Further exploration of the relationship between the virus, the peptidase function of ACE2 and the levels of angiotensin II in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients should help to better understand the pathophysiology of the disease and the multi-organ failures observed in severe COVID-19 cases, particularly heart failure.
-
J Microbiol Immunol Infect · Jun 2020
Case ReportsLopinavir/ritonavir did not shorten the duration of SARS CoV-2 shedding in patients with mild pneumonia in Taiwan.
An increase of Ct values was 0.9 per day in 2 cases of COVID-19 treated with lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r), an increase was 1.0 per day in 3 cases without LPV/r through illness day 1-10, indicating that LPV/r did not shorten the duration of SARS CoV-2 shedding.
-
J Microbiol Immunol Infect · Jun 2020
ReviewAsymptomatic carrier state, acute respiratory disease, and pneumonia due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): Facts and myths.
Since the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (formerly known as the 2019 novel coronavirus [2019-nCoV]) in Wuhan, China in December 2019, which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), more than 75,000 cases have been reported in 32 countries/regions, resulting in more than 2000 deaths worldwide. Despite the fact that most COVID-19 cases and mortalities were reported in China, the WHO has declared this outbreak as the sixth public health emergency of international concern. The COVID-19 can present as an asymptomatic carrier state, acute respiratory disease, and pneumonia. ⋯ Indeed, age and disease severity may be correlated with the outcomes of COVID-19. To date, effective treatment is lacking; however, clinical trials investigating the efficacy of several agents, including remdesivir and chloroquine, are underway in China. Currently, effective infection control intervention is the only way to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
-
J Microbiol Immunol Infect · Jun 2020
ReviewRecommendations for protecting against and mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic in long-term care facilities.
The COVID-19 outbreak has drawn heightened attention from public health scholars researching ways to limit its spread. Much of the research has been focused on minimizing transmission in hospitals and in the general community. ⋯ Enhanced TCB has been widely applied in hospital settings and has proven effective at limiting droplet and fomite transmissions both within hospitals and between hospitals and the general community. By effectively adapting eTCB to LTCF conditions, particularly by incorporating compartmentalization within zones plus active surveillance, COVID-19 transmission into and throughout LTCFs can be minimized, thereby saving numerous lives among an especially vulnerable population.