Articles: pandemics.
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COVID-19 emerged in late 2019 and has rapidly spread through many countries globally. The causative SARS-CoV-2 virus was not known until recently, and there is little or no natural immunity in human populations. ⋯ In just a few months, huge efforts and resources by government, academia, and industry have been thrown into the race to develop a vaccine. This brief review summarizes and discusses the array of technologies being applied to vaccine development, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches.
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The Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) scourge has challenged the world's health systems and presented multiple socio-economic and public health challenges to the states it has affected. Zimbabwe has been affected by the pandemic, and in response, the government has set up an array of measures, including a national lockdown, to curb transmission. While it is critical to maintain such vigorous containment measures, socio-economic pressures in Zimbabwe will challenge the sustainability of the lockdown. Given the potential for lift of the lockdown before the Covid-19 pandemic ends, we discuss the Covid-19 pandemic situation in Zimbabwe and viewpoints on important considerations and strategies for lifting the lockdown.
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Frontiers in immunology · Jan 2020
ReviewQuercetin and Vitamin C: An Experimental, Synergistic Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Related Disease (COVID-19).
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) represents an emergent global threat which is straining worldwide healthcare capacity. As of May 27th, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) has resulted in more than 340,000 deaths worldwide, with 100,000 deaths in the US alone. It is imperative to study and develop pharmacological treatments suitable for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. ⋯ There is evidence that vitamin C and quercetin co-administration exerts a synergistic antiviral action due to overlapping antiviral and immunomodulatory properties and the capacity of ascorbate to recycle quercetin, increasing its efficacy. Safe, cheap interventions which have a sound biological rationale should be prioritized for experimental use in the current context of a global health pandemic. We present the current evidence for the use of vitamin C and quercetin both for prophylaxis in high-risk populations and for the treatment of COVID-19 patients as an adjunct to promising pharmacological agents such as Remdesivir or convalescent plasma.
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This study aimed to determine the concordance between CT and nucleic acid testing in diagnosing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outside its district of origin (Wuhan, China). ⋯ Patients with positive results on nucleic acid testing may or may not have the abnormal CT manifestations that are frequently found in symptomatic patients with a history of exposure to the district of COVID-19 origin.
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Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992) · Jan 2020
Ventilation mask adapted for endoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, endoscopy services must adopt preventive measures to maintain proper functioning due to a high risk of disease contagion. Triage protocols before and after the procedure, personal protective equipment, and environmental contamination control are some of the endoscopy society's recommendations. However, the risk of infection may remain high due to poor control over the source of contamination. Using a combination of standardized supplies and accessories in a hospital, a ventilation mask adapted to be used in endoscopic procedures is proposed to reduce COVID-19 contamination.