ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decrease in tourism activity. This has caused huge losses to the tourism industry, so different approaches have been devised for economic reactivation. This article aims to provide a novel strategy for mass molecular monitoring of clinically healthy individuals, and also including potentially asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2, who traveled to a tourist resort The monitoring consisted of collecting individual saliva samples (n=120) and conforming groups of 10 samples, thus setting 12 individual pools, which were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Obtained data showed that all the samples analyzed were negative, thus confirming that no individuals were infected with SARS-CoV-2 before and during the travel. The proposed molecular protocol allowed the analysis of massive saliva samples and detect individual infected persons (negative or positive). protocol for evaluate massive event, thus promoting the economic activation of the tourism industry.
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 is a worldwide health emergency, therapy for this disease is based on antiviral drugs and immunomodulators, however, there is no treatment to effectively reduce the COVID-19 mortality rate. Fucoidan is a polysaccharide obtained from marine brown algae, with anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and immune-enhancing properties, thus, fucoidan may be used as an alternative treatment (complementary to prescribed medical therapy) for the recovery of COVID-19. This work aimed to determine the effects of ex-vivo treatment with fucoidan on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, necrosis, and senescence, besides functional parameters of calcium flux and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from SARS-CoV-2 infected, recovered and healthy subjects. Data suggest that fucoidan does not exert cytotoxicity or senescence, however, it induces the increment of intracellular calcium flux. Additionally, fucoidan promotes recovery of ΔΨm in PBMCs from COVID-19 recovered females. Data suggest that fucoidan could ameliorate the immune response in COVID-19 patients.