Transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 via fecal-oral: Current knowledge.

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in more than 93 million cases and 2 million deaths in the world. SARS-CoV-2 respiratory tract infection and its main clinical manifestations such as cough and shortness of breath are well known to the scientific community. However, a growing number of studies have reported SARS-CoV-2-related gastrointestinal involvement based on clinical manifestations, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain as well as on the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with coronavirus disease 2019. Furthermore, current evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 transmission via the fecal-oral route and aerosol dissemination. Moreover, studies have shown a high risk of contamination through hospital surfaces and personal fomites. Indeed, viable SARS-CoV-2 specimens can be obtained from aerosols, which raises the possibility of transmission through aerosolized viral particles from feces. Therefore, the infection by SARS-CoV-2 via fecal-oral route or aerosolized particles should be considered. In addition, a possible viral spread to sources of drinking water, sewage, and rivers as well as the possible risk of viral transmission in shared toilets become a major public health concern, especially in the least developed countries. Since authors have emphasized the presence of viral RNA and even viable SARS-CoV-2 in human feces, studies on the possible fecal-oral coronavirus disease 2019 transmission become essential to understand better the dynamics of its transmission and, then, to reinforce preventive measures against this infection, leading to a more satisfactory control of the incidence of the infection.

Development of low-cost serological immunoassay to detect antiviral antibodies to Sars-Cov-2 Spike protein (preprint)

Seroconversion to Sars-cov-2 has been widely studied to evaluate infection spreading for epidemiological purpose, or even in studies of protective immunity in convalescent or vaccinated individuals. The viral particle has an envelope harboring the SPIKE glycoprotein, which can be used as an antigen for assay development, to detect antiviral antibodies to Sars-CoV-2. Since several vaccines encode a SPIKE subunit, the full length spike-based immunoassay should be a universal tool to evaluate seroconversion. In this manuscript, we propose a low-cost assay that can be used to detect antiviral IgG to Sars-Cov-2 in human serum.

Misinformation, Believability, and Vaccine Acceptance Over 40 Countries: Takeaways From the Initial Phase of The COVID-19 Infodemic (preprint)

The COVID-19 pandemic has been damaging to the lives of people all around the world. Accompanied by the pandemic is an infodemic, an abundant and uncontrolled spreading of potentially harmful misinformation. The infodemic may severely change the pandemic's course by interfering with public health interventions such as wearing masks, social distancing, and vaccination. In particular, the impact of the infodemic on vaccination is critical because it holds the key to reverting to pre-pandemic normalcy. This paper presents findings from a global survey on the extent of worldwide exposure to the COVID-19 infodemic, assesses different populations' susceptibility to false claims, and analyzes its association with vaccine acceptance. Based on responses gathered from over 18,400 individuals from 40 countries, we find a strong association between perceived believability of misinformation and vaccination hesitancy. Additionally, our study shows that only half of the online users exposed to rumors might have seen the fact-checked information. Moreover, depending on the country, between 6% and 37% of individuals considered these rumors believable. Our survey also shows that poorer regions are more susceptible to encountering and believing COVID-19 misinformation. We discuss implications of our findings on public campaigns that proactively spread accurate information to countries that are more susceptible to the infodemic. We also highlight fact-checking platforms' role in better identifying and prioritizing claims that are perceived to be believable and have wide exposure. Our findings give insights into better handling of risk communication during the initial phase of a future pandemic.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in the US and UK in the Early Phase of the Pandemic: AI-Generated Vaccines Hesitancy for Minors, and the Role of Governments (preprint)

This study presents survey results of the public's willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 during an early phase of the pandemic and examines factors that could influence vaccine acceptance based on a between-subjects design. A representative quota sample of 572 adults in the US and UK participated in an online survey. First, the participants' medical use tendencies and initial vaccine acceptance were assessed; then, short vignettes were provided to evaluate their changes in attitude towards COVID-19 vaccines. For data analysis, ANOVA and post hoc pairwise comparisons were used. The participants were more reluctant to vaccinate their children than themselves and the elderly. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in vaccine development did not influence vaccine acceptance. Vignettes that explicitly stated the high effectiveness of vaccines led to an increase in vaccine acceptance. Our study suggests public policies emphasizing the vaccine effectiveness against the virus could lead to higher vaccination rates. We also discuss the public's expectations of governments concerning vaccine safety and present a series of implications based on our findings.

Contribution to the Improvement of an Oral Formulation of Niclosamide, an Antihelmintic Drug Candidate for Repurposing in SARS-CoV-2 and Other Viruses (preprint)

Niclosamide (NCL) is an effective anthelmintic agent that has been shown to possess broad-spectrum antiviral activity, including against SARS-CoV-2. Due to its poor solubility in aqueous medium, however, the commercially available NCL formulations can act only locally in gastrointestinal worms and are not suitable to achieve plasmatic levels to treat systemic diseases. Consequently, the repurposing of this drug represents a challenge for formulation development with serious risks to the biological availability and can compromise preclinical and clinical outcomes. Herein, we report possible formulation, through the research and development, of stable amorphous solid dispersions to improve its solubility. The results of exploratory screening of NCL-polymer dispersions (performed through X-ray powder diffraction and kinetic solubility studies) indicate that soluplus-niclosamide dispersions can increase its aqueous solubility and, consequently, have the potential to enhance NCL bioavailability. This outcome can be used for the development of oral dosage forms for clinical trials in SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses.