ABSTRACT
COVID-19 continues to cause significant fatality worldwide. Glucocorticoids prove to play essential roles in COVID-19 management; however, the extensive use of steroids together with the virus immune dysregulation may increase the danger of secondary infections with mucormycosis, an angioinvasive fungal infection. Unfortunately, a definite correlation between COVID-19 and elevated mucormycosis infection cases is now clear worldwide. In this review, we discuss the historical record and epidemiology of mucormycosis as well as pathogenesis and associated host immune response, risk factors, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment. Special emphasis is given to its association with the current COVID-19 pandemic, including latest updates on COVID-19-associated mucormycosis cases globally, with recommendations for efficacious management.
ABSTRACT
Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, several bioinformatic analyses have been conducted on SARS-CoV-2 virus genome. Numerous studies rushed to fill the gap about this novel virus. Comparison with other related sequences, structural predictions of the produced proteins, determination of variations in amino acid residues and depiction of possible drug and vaccine targets have been the focus of scientific research from the beginning of this year. In addition to discussing the viral taxonomy, clinical features, life cycle, and genome organization, this review will focus on the recent updates in genome and viral proteins characterization and potential therapeutic and vaccine candidates developed so far. Comparative studies with related genomes and proteins provide understanding for the viral molecular mechanisms and suggest targets for therapeutics and vaccinology trials to stop the escalation of this new virus. This pandemic, with its resulting social and economic afflictions, will definitely have significant marks on our lives in the following years.