ABSTRACT
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has caused well over 750 million infections and 6.8 million deaths. Rapid diagnosis and isolation of infected patients are the primary aims of the concerned authorities to minimize the casualties. The endeavor to mitigate the pandemic has been impeded by the emergence of newly identified genomic variants of SARS-CoV-2. Some of these variants are considered as serious threats because of their higher transmissibility and potential immune evasion, leading to reduced vaccine efficiency. Nanotechnology can play an important role in advancing both diagnosis and therapy of COVID-19. In this review, nanotechnology-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants are introduced. The biological features and functions of the virus, the mechanism of infection, and currently used approaches for diagnosis, vaccination, and therapy are discussed. Then, nanomaterial-based nucleic acid- and antigen-targeting diagnostic methods and viral activity suppression approaches that have a strong potential to advance both diagnostics and therapeutics toward control and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic are focused upon.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Nanostructures , Humans , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , COVID-19/diagnosis , COVID-19/therapy , Pandemics/prevention & control , Nanotechnology , COVID-19 TestingABSTRACT
The role that children play in the transmission of the omicron variant is unclear. Here we report an outbreak that started in young children attending various pediatric facilities, leading to extensive household transmission that affected 75 families with 88 confirmed case-patients in 3 weeks. Tailored social and public health measures directed towards children and pediatric facilities are warranted with the emergence of highly transmissible omicron variant to mitigate the impact of coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19).
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , Child , Child, Preschool , Disease Outbreaks , Republic of Korea/epidemiologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on oral and maxillofacial fracture in Daegu by comparing the demographic data in 2019 and 2020, retrospectively. We collected data from all patients having trauma who visited the emergency room for oral and maxillofacial fractures. METHODS: This retrospective study was based on chart review of patients who visited the emergency department of Kyungpook National University Hospital in Daegu, South Korea from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2020. We conducted a comparative study for patients who presented with maxillofacial fractures with occlusal instability during pre-COVID-19 era (2019) and COVID-19 era (2000) with demographics and pattern of injuries. RESULTS: After the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of monthly oral and maxillofacial fractures, especially sports-related oral and maxillofacial fractures, decreased significantly. Also, the number of alcohol-related fractures increased significantly. In addition, as the number of monthly confirmed cases of COVID-19 increases, the incidence of fracture among these cases tends to decrease. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the daily life in Korea. Identifying the characteristics of patients having trauma can provide a good lead to understand this long-lasting infectious disease and prepare for future outbreaks.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The potential risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission from asymptomatic COVID-19 patients is a concern in dental practice. However, the impact of this risk is not well documented to date. This report describes our dental clinical experience with patients who did not exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 but were later confirmed as positive for COVID-19. CASE PRESENTATION: Of the 149,149 patients who visited the outpatient clinic of KNUDH and the 3291 patients who visited the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic of KNUH, 3 were later confirmed as having COVID-1 between 1 February 2020 and 28 February 2021. Owing to close contact with these patients during their treatments, 46 dental and medical staff had to undergo quarantine from the date of the patients' confirmation of COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSION: The presented cases showed the potential existence of asymptomatic COVID-19 patients after dental treatment with aerosol-generating procedures. Clinicians should be aware of the infection prevention measures and try to protect healthcare personnel from secondary infection of COVID-19 during dental treatments.