Low Concentration Ozone for Surface Disinfection against Sars-Cov-2 and Feline Coronavirus

Intro: Surface and environment disinfection is an important part of infection control strategies, especially in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Ozone, a highly reactive oxidant, is a widely used disinfectant in many industries including food, healthcare and water treatment. It has a broad-spectrum activity and leaves no harmful residues. However, most demonstrated efficacy has been at high ozone levels (>1ppm) which can be harmful to humans in case of exposure. Here, we undertook a study to evaluate if exposure to ozone is effective in inactivating SARS-CoV-2 and feline coronavirus (FCoV) even at low concentrations. Method(s): Ozone at 0.07, 0.1 and 1.2 ppm were evaluated for its virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2 and FCoV. An ozone gas generator (Medklinn Air + Surface Sterilizer (CerafusionTM Technology), Medklinn, Malaysia) supplied controlled levels of ozone to a custom-built chamber of 1.5 ft3 (1.5ft x 1ft x 1ft) where dry virus films containing 1 x 104 PFU of test virus were exposed to ozone gas for 0.5h, 1h, 3h, 5h, and 8h. The experiment was performed at ambient temperature (23-24oC) and relative humidity (RH) of 55% (FCoV only) and 85% (SARS-CoV-2 and FCoV). Finding(s): At low level of ozone of 0.1ppm, >90% reduction of both viruses was achieved after 3h exposure at 85% and 55% humidity. At 1.2ppm, >90% reduction of both viruses was achieved after 0.5h exposure at 85% humidity. Ozone at 0.07ppm, however, did not show good efficacy as reduction not exceeding 90% was achieved only after 8h exposure at 85% and 55% humidity. Conclusion(s): The study demonstrated that low concentration of ozone of at least 0.1 ppm reduced SARS-CoV-2 and FCoV by >90% when used at 85% humidity. The use of low level ozone presents a safer alternative for disinfecting enclosed spaces and greatly reduces any potential harmful health effects in case of accidental exposure.Copyright © 2023

Factors associated with having COVID-19 among unvaccinated pregnant and non-pregnant women in Metro Manila, Philippines: a multicentre longitudinal cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the potential risk factors associated with having COVID-19 among unvaccinated pregnant and non-pregnant women. DESIGN: A multicentre prospective cohort study among eligible women in Metro Manila, Philippines, from 2020 to 2022. SETTING: Five national and local hospital research sites altogether recruited and screened 500 consenting eligible individuals. PARTICIPANTS: Pregnant and non-pregnant participants meeting the eligibility criteria were admitted for a reverse-transcription PCR determination of SARS-CoV-2, pregnancy testing and ultrasound, and an interview with an administered questionnaire. EXPOSURES: Primary exposure was pregnancy; secondary exposures involve sociodemographic, lifestyle and obstetric-gynaecologic factors. OUTCOME MEASURE: Outcome being measured was COVID-19 status. RESULTS: The significant COVID-19 risk factors were: pregnancy (PR=1.184, 95% CI 1.096, 1.279), having a white-collar job (PR=1.123, 95% CI 1.02, 1.235), travelling abroad (PR=1.369, 95% CI 1.083, 1.173) and being infected by at least one vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) (PR=1.208, 95% CI 1.113, 1.310). Protective factors included having graduate-level education (PR=0.787, 95% CI 0.649, 0.954), immunisation against a VPD (PR=0.795, 95% CI 0.733, 0.862) and practising contraception (PR=0.889, 95% CI 0.824, 0.960). CONCLUSION: This study is the first in the country to determine the risks influencing COVID-19 infection among unvaccinated pregnant and non-pregnant women. Pregnancy is a significant risk for COVID-19 among women in Metro Manila. Educational attainment and positive health behaviours seem to confer protection. Occupations and activities that increase the frequency of interactions, as well as history of communicable diseases may predispose women to COVID-19. Further studies are needed to elucidate the development of the disease in pregnant women, including the maternal and neonatal effects of COVID-19 via potential vertical mechanisms of transmission.

Epidemiology and Timing of Infectious Complications from Battlefield-Related Burn Injuries

Background: Thermal injury alters the host response, making burn patients more susceptible to infections. In fact, infections represent the most frequent complication and cause of mortality in burn patients. We describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, timing, and outcomes of infections among wounded military personnel with burns. Methods: Data were collected through the Trauma Infectious Disease Outcomes Study, an observational study of US service members injured in Iraq and Afghanistan (6/09-12/14). Patients who sustained ≥1 burn injury and were admitted to the Burn Center at Brooke Army Medical Center were included in the analysis. Infections were defined using standardized criteria. For patients with multiple infections, only the initial infection was assessed. Results: Among 144 burn patients, 99% were males and 62% had combat-related burns with a median total body surface area (TBSA) of 6% (IQR 3-14%) thermally injured. Infections were diagnosed in 26 (18%) patients with pneumonia being the predominant initial syndrome (N=16, 62%), followed by skin and soft-tissue infections (N=6, 23%), bloodstream infections (N=3, 12%), and intra-abdominal infections (N=1, 4%). Median number of days to each of these initial infecting syndromes were 4 (IQR 3-5), 7 (IQR 4-12), 7 (IQR 6-7), and 17 (IQR 17-17) days, respectively. Patients with infections were more severely injured with greater TBSA (median 31 vs 5) and Baux scores (median 59 vs 29), and were more likely to have combat trauma, inhalation injury, require mechanical ventilation, and have longer time to definitive grafting (Table 1). Microbiology of initial infections varied with 35% of patients having polymicrobial infections (Table 2). Gram-negative organisms were recovered from 20 (77%) patients, of whom 20% had a multidrug-resistant Gram-negative. Gram-positive organisms and fungi were identified in 42% and 8% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: Improved understanding of risk factors and the timing of infections in this unique population is critical for effective management. Patients with infections were more severely injured, had higher rates of inhalational injury, and longer days to definitive grafting. Initial infections were more commonly pneumonia. Disclosures: David R. Tribble, DrPH, AstraZeneca: The HJF, in support of the USU IDCRP, was funded to conduct or augment unrelated Phase III Mab and vaccine trials as part of US Govt. COVID19 response.

A dynamic key node learning algorithm in evolving financial network: case study during the period of coronavirus

Finding an influential set of nodes in the interconnected network, whose activities would maximally influence the development of overall network, is a fundamental topic in finance, biology, social science, epidemic control and other scenarios with respect to network science. In recent years, some works are proposed to find key nodes via network connectivity measures, these studies assume a static environment, and besides, key nodes are calculated through pairwise connectivity, the number of connected components and other measures from the perspective of graph theory. However, these studies leave out of consideration on the dynamic evolving environment and causal relationships in the network. In this paper, we introduce a key node learning algorithm in an evolving financial network. The intuition of the algorithm is to model the causality of financial entities over the time, and the metrics for cascading networks are proposed to grade the entities in the network. In the experiment, the worldwide financial activities before and during the period of coronavirus are analyzed. The proposed metrics can effectively capture the influential entities and quantitatively describe these influences on the whole financial system. © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An Empirical Study on Digital Feedback Behavior of Young People in COVID-19 with Health Belief Model and UTAUT Model

During COVID-19 prevention and control, many middle-aged and elderly people lack the skills and knowledge of healthy online transmission, resulting in inadequate prevention and control measures. So as young people who are familiar with the rules of the internet transmit health information, they also reverse educate their parents on novel coronavirus prevention and control, helping them to bridge the digital information gap between generations. In this paper, the health belief model (HBM) and the integrated technology acceptance and use model (UTAUT) were combined to establish a model to explore the factors influencing the digital feedback behavior of young groups in the context of COVID-19. The results show that the willingness of digital feedback has a certain influence on digital feedback behavior. Perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefit, perceived obstacle, self-efficacy, performance expectation, community influence, and convenience also affect the intention of feedback. © 2022 Dan Lu and Huhuang Lin.

The distribution and ecological risks of antibiotics in surface water in key cities along the lower reaches of the Yellow River: A case study of Kaifeng City, China

A large number of antibiotics have been discharged into rivers by human activities, posing a threat to aquatic ecosystems. The surface water of the Yellow River Basin also suffers antibiotic pollution, which hinders the improvement in the aquatic ecological environment. This study investigated and analyzed the characteristics and assessed the ecological risks of antibiotic pollution in surface water bodies such as canals, rivers and fish ponds in Kaifeng, Henan Province, which is a key city along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. The test results are as follows. A total of 15 types of antibiotics were detected in the surface water. They had a total antibiotic concentration of 12.2–249.9 μg/L, of which tetracyclines (TCs) and quinolones accounted for the highest percentages. Six types of quinolones had detection rates of up to 100%, and doxycycline (DC) and oxytetracycline (OTC) had average concentrations of 29.52 μg/L1 and 13.71 μg/L, respectively. The major canals with water diverted from the Yellow River had total concentrations of quinolones and TCs of 22. 0 μg/L and 14.9 μg/L, respectively, which were higher than those in previous studies. This phenomenon may be related to the decrease in the water flow of the Yellow River during the dry season and the increase in the antibiotic consumption of residents in the context of the Covid-19 outbreak. The upper reaches of the Huiji River in the Xiangfu District had higher antibiotic content than other districts in Kaifeng. Specifically, TCs accounted for 72.38%–91.84% of all antibiotics, and the DC and OTC concentrations were significantly higher than other antibiotics in the upper reaches. As indicated by the ecological risk assessment results, TCs had the highest ecological risks to green algae. Among them, DC had medium-high risks;TC, OTC, and chlortetracycline (CTC) had medium-high risks;trimethoprim (TMP) and lomefloxacin (LOM) had low risks;other TC antibiotics had no risk. Compared with green algae, most antibiotics showed higher ecological risks to daphnia and lower ecological risks to fish. DC and OTC dominate antibiotic pollutants in the surface water in Kaifeng City, and especially in Xiangfu District, where DC and OTC have medium-high risks. The TCs in the major Yellow River showed medium risks to both green algae and daphnia. It can be speculated that the antibiotic pollution in the Yellow River might pose a certain threat to the ecological security of water in Kaifeng City. ©2022 China Geology Editorial Office. © 2022 Editorial Office of China Geology. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co. Ltd

Convalescent Plasma for Preventing Critical Illness in COVID-19: a Phase 2 Trial and Immune Profile

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an unprecedented event requiring frequent adaptation to changing clinical circumstances. Convalescent immune plasma (CIP) is a promising treatment that can be mobilized rapidly in a pandemic setting. We tested whether administration of SARS-CoV-2 CIP at hospital admission could reduce the rate of ICU transfer or 28-day mortality or alter levels of specific antibody responses before and after CIP infusion. In a single-arm phase II study, patients >18 years-old with respiratory symptoms with confirmed COVID-19 infection who were admitted to a non-ICU bed were administered two units of CIP within 72 h of admission. Levels of SARS-CoV-2 detected by PCR in the respiratory tract and circulating anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody titers were sequentially measured before and after CIP transfusion. Twenty-nine patients were transfused high titer CIP and 48 contemporaneous comparable controls were identified. All classes of antibodies to the three SARS-CoV-2 target proteins were significantly increased at days 7 and 14 post-transfusion compared with baseline (P < 0.01). Anti-nucleocapsid IgA levels were reduced at day 28, suggesting that the initial rise may have been due to the contribution of CIP. The groups were well-balanced, without statistically significant differences in demographics or co-morbidities or use of remdesivir or dexamethasone. In participants transfused with CIP, the rate of ICU transfer was 13.8% compared to 27.1% for controls with a hazard ratio 0.506 (95% CI 0.165-1354), and 28-day mortality was 6.9% compared to 10.4% for controls, hazard ratio 0.640 (95% CI 0.124-3.298). IMPORTANCE Transfusion of high-titer CIP to non-critically ill patients early after admission with COVID-19 respiratory disease was associated with significantly increased anti-SARSCoV-2 specific antibodies (compared to baseline) and a non-significant reduction in Ku transfer and death (compared to controls). This prospective phase II trial provides a suggestion that the antiviral effects of CIP from early in the COVID-19 pandemic may delay progression to critical illness and death in specific patient populations. This study informs the optimal timing and potential population of use for CIP in COVID-19, particularly in settings without access to other interventions, or in planning for future coronavirus pandemics.

OUTCOMES OF HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS WITH COVID-19 AND ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY REQUIRING RENAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY

The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in COVID-19 patients has been reported as high as 47%, with mortality ranging from 3580% in this population. AKI patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) likely have a greater mortality risk. Our aim was to describe outcomes of AKI patients who required RRT among hospitalized COVID-19 patients from a large diverse population in Southern California. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of COVID-19 patients with AKI requiring RRT defined as conventional hemodialysis, continuous renal replacement therapy, or both, within Kaiser Permanente Southern California in the period of 3/14/2020 through 9/30/2020. We collected information on patient characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory values, RRT modality, mortality, and post hospitalization RRT requirements. A total of 167 COVID-19 patients, median age 62 years (range 2592), had AKI requiring RRT. Overall, 114 (68%) patients died during the hospitalization, with a median of 8 days on RRT (range 1-83). Fifty-six (49.1%) patients expired within 7 days of initiating RRT, 87 (76.3%) within 14 days, and 106 (93.0%) within 30 days. Highest mortality rates were observed among AKI RRT patients with baseline eGFR >60 (75.2%), compared to 64% and 39% among patients with eGFR 30-59 and <30 ml/min respectively. Among patients who survived and no longer required dialysis, the mean number of inpatient RRT days was 21 (SD 16). Upon discharge from the hospital 29/53 (54.7%) patients continued to require RRT on an outpatient basis. Among COVID-19 patients hospitalized with AKI requiring RRT, patient survival was low (32%). For patients who survived, more than half continued to be dialysis dependent. Given our findings and as COVID treatment continues to evolve, we hope to elucidate additional factors that may impact AKI and survival in COVID-19 patients.

Spatiotemporal patterns and influencing factors of human migration networks in China during COVID-19

The social lockdowns and strict control measures initiated to combat the COVID-19 pandemic have had an impact on human migration. In this study, big data was used to analyze spatial patterns of population migration in 369 Chinese cities during the COVID-19 outbreak and to identify determinants of population migration. We found that the overall migration intensity decreased by 39.87% compared to the same period in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. COVID-19 severely affected human migration. The public holidays and weekends have impacted human migration from the perspective of time scale. The spatial pattern of China's population distribution presents a diamond structure that is dense in the east and sparse in the west, which is bounded by the Hu line and the cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu as nodes to connect. There is a strong consistency between the population distribution center and the level of urban development. The urban human migration network is centered on provincial capitals or municipalities at the regional scale, showing a prominent "center-periphery" structure. COVID-19 dispersed the forces of human migration in time and changed the direction of human migration in space. But it did not change the pattern of national migration. The most critical factors influencing mass migration are income levels and traditional culture. This study reveals the impacts of major public health emergencies on conventional migration patterns and provides a scientific theoretical reference for COVID-19 prevention and control. © 2021

Analysis of follow-up for subjects of anti-cancer clinical trials under COVID-19

Objective: To analyze the follow-up changes of subjects of anti-cancer clinical trials in our department under the COVID-19 epidemic situation. Methods: The clinical trials were classified. The follow-up status of subjects in our department from February 3 to April 30 and May 6 to 29, 2020 was collected, and the data were input and analyzed by Excel and SPSS 22.0. Results: There were 32 anti-cancer clinical trials in our department. From February 3 to April 30, 2020, 1 049 person times were planned to be followed up, and 658 person times were actually followed up, accounting for 62.73%. The follow-up rate of oral drugs was 93.33%, that of oral drugs combined with non-oral drugs was 87.73%, and that of non-oral drugs was 70.71%. In May 2020, the actual follow-up rate of subjects on site rose to 88.97%, while the number of delayed drug users, the number of external hospital inspectors and the number of non-drug users decreased. Conclusion: The epidemic situation had a great impact on the follow-up of anti-cancer clinical trials in a short time, but did not cause a sustained impact. The establishment of relevant follow-up measures improved the follow-up rate of subjects to some extent. For the affected subject population, further analysis is needed to better guide the follow-up work of subjects under emergency.

History of epidemics in China some reflections on the role of animals

The global pandemic of COVID-19 as a zoonotic disease invites new reflections on the human-animal relationship in the history of epidemics. Historians have explored medical concepts, social impacts, and other aspects of epidemics in China at different geographical and temporal scales. Relevant research significantly enriches historical understanding, yet animals seldom occupy the center of attention despite the fact that a variety of human infectious diseases such as plague are zoonotic in origin. This article suggests the need for a reappraisal of epidemics in Chinese history, with particular consideration of historical information on the multifold involvement of animals in human infections and anticontagious measures. Rethinking historically the interactions between humans and animals within the epidemic context helps to raise our awareness that Chinese medical thinkers were sensitive to the possibility of zoonotic infection, and prompt new analyses of how they understood the human-animal boundary and beyond. © Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2021.

The role of T2E mediated CBF-1/RBP-Jκ signaling in metastatic thyroid cancer

Objective: Cancer has been shown to be an independent risk factor for 2019-nCoV. Expression of transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) is abnormal in many cancers. Nevertheless, system analysis of TMPRSS2-ERG (T2E) abnormalities in metastatic thyroid cancer remains to be elucidated. Method: Using genomic and chromatin data, we demonstrate a unique cis-regulatory landscape between non-T2E and T2E-positive metastatic thyroid cancers, including clusters of regulatory elements (COREs). We attempt to describe the effect of T2E silencing on the cis-regulatory structure in metastatic thyroid cancers and its phase with the obvious phenotype characteristics of T2E-positive metastatic thyroid cancers. Results: These differences were linked by the ERG (erythroblast transformation-specific related gene) co-opts of FoxA1 and HOXB13, which realized T2E specific transcription profile. The study also demonstrated the T2E-specific CORE in an ERG site of structural rearrangement, which is due to the expansion of the T2E locus and contributes to its up-expression. Ultimately, we demonstrate that T2E-specific transcription profile is the basis of vulnerability of CBF-1/RBP-Jκ pathway. In fact, CBF-1/RBP-Jκ pathway inhibits the invasion and growth of T2E-positive thyroid tumors. Conclusion: This study indicates that the overexpression of ERG co-option has a unique cis-regulatory structure in T2E positive thyroid tumors, which induces drug dependence on CBF-1/RBP-Jκ signal. Our study solved the genetic and epigenetic variation of T2E in metastatic thyroid cancer for the first time. It is worth noting that further functional and clinical validation is needed as our study is a bioinformatics analysis.

Fulminant Myocarditis in Fontan Patient Treated with Mechanical Circulatory Support and Heartmate 3

Cardiogenic shock is a rapidly progressive condition associated with high mortality, often necessitating the use of mechanical circulatory support. Single ventricle physiology with Fontan presents many unique anatomical and hemodynamic challenges, and there is limited published experience with left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) in this population. A 30 year old female with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum and lateral tunneled Fontan presented with chest pressure followed by sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT). Her echo demonstrated severely reduced left ventricular (LV) function with ejection fraction of 15-20%. Endomyocardial biopsy showed lymphocytic myocarditis, and she was treated with pulse steroids and IVIG. Given worsening shock and multiorgan failure with rapid vasopressor escalation, she was placed on femoral VA ECMO with Impella CP for venting. She eventually had LV apical cannulation and aortic graft via an upper hemisternotomy and left thoracotomy as a left ventricular assist device (KVAD). Her course was notable for persistent VT, shock liver, and renal failure requiring dialysis. After 3 weeks of mechanical support, she demonstrated recovery in end organ function and normalization of mental status, allowing for extubation and physical therapy. Given her high BMI and inability to list for a heart transplant, she underwent successful implant of a Heartmate 3 LVAD (via the original left thoracotomy using the previously placed aortic graft). Despite repeatedly negative surveillance and preoperative COVID19 tests following her initial recovery, postoperatively she developed de novo COVID19 infection complicated by respiratory failure, vasodilatory shock, renal failure, complement deposition, inflammatory storm, and concern for Fontan thrombosis. Despite aggressive treatment, she passed away from her COVID19 complications. We present a case of fulminant cardiogenic shock due to lymphocytic myocarditis in a patient with Fontan physiology that was bridged with VA ECMO and KVAD and eventually received a Heartmate 3. Unfortunately, she passed away from de novo COVID19 infection. This case highlights several unique aspects such as the management of profound cardiogenic shock in complex congenital heart disease and the use of mechanical support in single ventricle Fontan physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Heart & Lung Transplantation is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Flight hormones as therapeutic target for novel Coronavirus infectious disease.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has made more awful effect on wellbeing and economy worldwide on an extraordinary scale. Angiotensin I Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), the principal receptor of SARS-CoV2, has been found to be communicated with Dopa decarboxylase in unwinding the connection of catecholamines with COVID-19 infection. Cardiovascular (CV) sickness, diabetes, hypertension, and related conditions cause significant risks during the current situation and the affected people are under basic observation around the world. The hypertension and diabetes are related with alterations in the degrees of catecholamines associated with renal gland. The naive form of renal dopaminergic framework is related with the expanded reabsorption of sodium resulting in downregulation of the ACE2 expression. Catecholamine biosynthesis is managed by counter-controlling angiotensin type 1R (AT1R) and angiotensin type 2R (AT2R), incitement of AT2 lessens catecholamine biosynthesis by means of a diminishing in cGMP levels likewise incitement of AT1 initiate catecholamine biosynthesis. This audit sums up the conceivable contribution of catecholamines in intense COVID-19 contamination and furthermore featured possible restorative adequacy of catecholamine flagging pathways against the incessant SARS-CoV-2.

Active Crowd Analysis for Pandemic Risk Mitigation for Blind or Visually Impaired Persons

During pandemics like COVID-19, social distancing is essential to combat the rise of infections. However, it is challenging for the visually impaired to practice social distancing as their low vision hinders them from maintaining a safe physical distance from other humans. In this paper, we propose a smartphone-based computationally-efficient deep neural network to detect crowds and relay the associated risks to the Blind or Visually Impaired (BVI) user through directional audio alerts. The system first detects humans and estimates their distances from the smartphone’s monocular camera feed. Then, the system clusters humans into crowds to generate density and distance maps from the crowd centers. Finally, the system tracks detections in previous frames creating motion maps predicting the motion of crowds to generate an appropriate audio alert. Active Crowd Analysis is designed for real-time smartphone use, utilizing the phone’s native hardware to ensure the BVI can safely maintain social distancing. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.