Associations of Psychological Capital, Coping Style and Emotional Intelligence with Self-Rated Health Status of College Students in China During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: COVID-19 lockdown can lead to mental health problem, and the problem is heterogeneous across individuals. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between the self-reported health status, emotional coping style, emotional intelligence and positive psychological state of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Methods: The questionnaires of Self-rated Health Measurement Scale (SRHMS), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ) were used for online survey. The study included 367 undergraduates. Results: Undergraduate sex, sibling and birth of place were associated with either psychological capital scores or emotional intelligence. Online time per day had significantly negative associations with self-rated health and psychological capital scores. Multivariate analysis showed that the interaction between emotional intelligence, psychological capital and coping styles was statistically significant (ß = -0.112, p = 0.045) in health status with psychological capital ranking the top (ß = 0.428). Mediation analysis showed that psychological capital and coping style modified the effect of emotional intelligence on health status. Conclusion: Psychological capital and coping style modified the effect of emotional intelligence on health status in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this pandemic emergency, a comprehensive intervention, such as positive coping styles with optimistic emotional perception and understanding as well as social support, is an important measure against the pandemic-induced mental health problem in college students in China.

Molecular dynamic simulation analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spike mutations and evaluation of ACE2 from pets and wild animals for infection risk.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing global health emergency that has caused tremendous stress and loss of life worldwide. The viral spike glycoprotein is a critical molecule mediating transmission of SARS-CoV-2 by interacting with human ACE2. However, through the course of the pandemics, there has not been a thorough analysis of the spike protein mutations, and on how these mutants influence the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Besides, cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection among pets and wild animals have been reported, so the susceptibility of these animals requires great attention to investigate, as they may also link to the renewed question of a possible intermediate host for SARS-CoV-2 before it was transmitted to humans. With over 226,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences obtained, we found 1573 missense mutations in the spike gene, and 226 of them were within the receptor-binding domain (RBD) region that directly interacts with human ACE2. Modeling the interactions between SARS-CoV-2 spike mutants and ACE2 molecules showed that most of the 74 missense mutations in the RBD region of the interaction interface had little impact on spike binding to ACE2, whereas several within the spike RBD increased the binding affinity toward human ACE2 thus making the virus likely more contagious. On the other hand, modeling the interactions between animal ACE2 molecules and SARS-CoV-2 spike revealed that many pets and wild animals' ACE2 had a variable binding ability. Particularly, ACE2 of bamboo rat had stronger binding to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, whereas that of mole, vole, Mus pahari, palm civet, and pangolin had a weaker binding compared to human ACE2. Our results provide structural insights into the impact on interactions of the SARS-CoV-2 spike mutants to human ACE2, and shed light on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in pets and wild animals, and possible clues to the intermediate host(s) for SARS-CoV-2.

Metabolomics reveals sex-specific metabolic shifts and predicts the duration from positive to negative in non-severe COVID-19 patients during recovery process.

Metabolic profiling in COVID-19 patients has been associated with disease severity, but there is no report on sex-specific metabolic changes in discharged survivors. Herein we used an integrated approach of LC-MS-and GC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics to analyze plasma metabolic characteristics in men and women with non-severe COVID-19 at both acute period and 30 days after discharge. The results demonstrate that metabolic alterations in plasma of COVID-19 patients during the recovery and rehabilitation process were presented in a sex specific manner. Overall, the levels of most metabolites were increased in COVID-19 patients after the cure relative to acute period. The major plasma metabolic changes were identified including fatty acids in men and glycerophosphocholines and carbohydrates in women. In addition, we found that women had shorter length of hospitalization than men and metabolic characteristics may contribute to predict the duration from positive to negative in non-severe COVID-19 patients. Collectively, this study shed light on sex-specific metabolic shifts in non-severe COVID-19 patients during the recovery process, suggesting a sex bias in prognostic and therapeutic evaluations based on metabolic profiling.

Thalidomide combined with short-term low-dose glucocorticoid therapy for the treatment of severe COVID-19: A case-series study.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of thalidomide, an immunomodulatory agent, in combination with glucocorticoid, for the treatment of COVID-19 patients with life-threatening symptoms. METHODS: A nonrandomized comparative case series study was performed. Six patients received thalidomide 100 mg per day (with therapy lasting for ≥7 days) plus low-dose short-term dexamethasone, and 6 control patients matched with patients in the thalidomide group, received low-dose short-term treatment with dexamethasone alone. The main outcomes were: the duration of SARS-CoV-2 negative conversion from admission; length of hospital stay; and changes in inflammatory cytokine concentrations and lymphocyte subsets. RESULTS: The median thalidomide treatment time was 12.0 days. The median duration of SARS-CoV-2 negative conversion from admission and hospital stay length were briefer in the thalidomide group compared to the control group (respectively, 11.0 vs 23.0 days, P = 0.043; 18.5 vs 30.0 days, P = 0.043). The mean reduction rates at 7-10 days after treatment for serum interleukin-6 and interferon-γ concentrations were greater in the thalidomide group compared to the control group. Alterations in lymphocyte numbers in the subsets between the 2 groups were similar. CONCLUSIONS: Thalidomide plus short-term glucocorticoid therapy is an effective and safe regimen for the treatment of severely ill COVID-19 patients. The mechanism of action is most likely inhibition of inflammatory cytokine production.

Incidence of cerebrovascular disease as a comorbidity in patients with COVID-19: A meta-analysis.

It is essential to know whether COVID-19 patients have a history of cerebrovascular disease, as it may be predictive of prognosis and useful for allocation of limited medical resources. This meta-analysis was performed to assess the incidence of cerebrovascular disease as a comorbidity in COVID-19 patients. The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, WFSD, and VIP databases were systematically searched. The pooled analysis of relevant data was conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. The primary outcome was incidence of cerebrovascular disease as a comorbidity. Forty-seven studies involving 16,143 COVID-19 patients were included in this analysis. The incidences of a history of cerebrovascular disease and hypertension in COVID-19 patients were estimated to be 3.0% (95% CI, 2.0%-4.0%; P<0.00001) and 23.0% (95% CI, 16.0%-29.0%; P<0.00001), respectively. The incidence of dizziness/headache as the first symptom in COVID-19 patients was estimated to be 14.0% (95% CI, 8.0%-20.0%; P<0.00001). Subgroup analyses indicated that country, sex ratio, and sample size are potential influencing factors affecting the incidences of cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, and dizziness/headache. These findings suggest that cerebrovascular disease is an underlying comorbidity among patients with COVID-19. In addition, patients experiencing dizziness/headache as the first symptom of COVID-19 should receive a neurological examination.

Challenges of Iranian Clinicians in Dealing with COVID-19: Taking Advantages of The Experiences in Wenzhou.

The novel coronavirus has been spreading since December 2019. It was initially reported in Wuhan, Hubei province of China. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has currently become a pandemic affecting over seven million people worldwide, and the number is still rising. Wenzhou, as the first hit city out of Hubei Province, achieved a remarkable success in effectively containing the disease. A great record was also observed in Wenzhou for the clinical management of COVID-19 patients, leading to one of the lowest death rates in China. Researchers and clinical specialists proposed and formulated combined approaches such as computerized tomography (CT)- scans and molecular assays, as well as using both allopathic and traditional medications to mitigate its effects. Iranian and Chinese specialists and scientists had a communication in clinical, molecular and pharmaceutical aspects of COVID-19. A proper guideline was prepared according to the experiences of Chinese clinicians in managing the full spectrum of COVID-19 patients, from relatively mild to highly complex cases. The purpose of this guideline is to serve a reference in the hospital for specialists so that they may better diagnose cases and provide effective therapies and proposed antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs for patients.