Magnetic biosensors for identification of SARS-CoV-2, Influenza, HIV, and Ebola viruses: a review.

Infectious diseases such as novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), Influenza, HIV, Ebola, etc kill many people around the world every year (SARS-CoV-2 in 2019, Ebola in 2013, HIV in 1980, Influenza in 1918). For example, SARS-CoV-2 has plagued higher than 317 000 000 people around the world from December 2019 to January 13, 2022. Some infectious diseases do not yet have not a proper vaccine, drug, therapeutic, and/or detection method, which makes rapid identification and definitive treatments the main challenges. Different device techniques have been used to detect infectious diseases. However, in recent years, magnetic materials have emerged as active sensors/biosensors for detecting viral, bacterial, and plasmids agents. In this review, the recent applications of magnetic materials in biosensors for infectious viruses detection have been discussed. Also, this work addresses the future trends and perspectives of magnetic biosensors.

COVID‐19 as an opportunity window for policy change, insights from electronic authentication case study in Iran

Public emergencies are focal events that present possibilities for policy changes. This study aims to explain policy insights on policy change in Iran through analyzing how the Iranian government's policy toward the long‐awaited e‐authentication finally changed in the wake of the outbreak of COVID‐19. Due to the policy context of Iran, it uses the Multiple Stream Model, in which three streams were identified: problem, policy, and political dynamics. The paper contends that while the second stream existed prior to the pandemic, the first one had not yet been appropriately recognized by the government. Furthermore, it identifies the political stream as the third missing link for policy change. With the spread of coronavirus, these three streams converged, thus opening a window of opportunity for enacting this policy change. Two main reasons behind the emergence of this opening are identified: first, arising a new complex problem (COVID‐19) that necessitated new initiatives, and second, growing public anxiety about the pandemic. Iran's desperate circumstances, which included an already severely depressed economy as the result of sanctions, were further exacerbated through the socio‐economic repercussions of the pandemic. Furthermore, the growing demand from prospective traders to register for the stock exchange during the lockdown prompted officials to make a realistic decision. As a result, barriers to e‐authentication were overcome and policy change happened. The paper highlights the security perspective as a necessary condition for policy change in Iran. Finally, it discusses the likelihood of permanency of the change. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19: A systematic review and update on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Since the rapid onset of the COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the world in 2019, extensive studies have been conducted to unveil the behavior and emission pattern of the virus in order to determine the best ways to diagnosis of virus and thereof formulate effective drugs or vaccines to combat the disease. The emergence of novel diagnostic and therapeutic techniques considering the multiplicity of reports from one side and contradictions in assessments from the other side necessitates instantaneous updates on the progress of clinical investigations. There is also growing public anxiety from time to time mutation of COVID-19, as reflected in considerable mortality and transmission, respectively, from delta and Omicron variants. We comprehensively review and summarize different aspects of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19. First, biological characteristics of COVID-19 were explained from diagnosis standpoint. Thereafter, the preclinical animal models of COVID-19 were discussed to frame the symptoms and clinical effects of COVID-19 from patient to patient with treatment strategies and in-silico/computational biology. Finally, the opportunities and challenges of nanoscience/nanotechnology in identification, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19 were discussed. This review covers almost all SARS-CoV-2-related topics extensively to deepen the understanding of the latest achievements (last updated on January 11, 2022).

The ins and outs of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs).

SARS-CoV-2, a newly emerging coronavirus that caused the COVID-19 epidemic, has been spreading quickly throughout the world. Despite immunization and some fairly effective therapeutic regimens, SARS-CoV-2 has been ravaging patients, health workers, and the economy. SARS-CoV-2 mutates and evolves to adapt to its host as a result of extreme selection pressure. As a consequence, new SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged, some of which are classified as variants of concern (VOC) because they exhibit greater transmissibility, cause more-severe disease, are better able to escape immunity, or cause higher mortality than the original Wuhan strain. Here, we introduce these VOCs and review their characteristics, such as transmissibility, immune escape, mortality risk, and diagnostics.

Corrigendum to 'How Iran responded to expanding need for laboratory services for COVID-19?'

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.hlpt.2021.100506.].

Iran and COVID-19: A Bottom-up, Faith-Driven, Citizen-Supported Response

The COVID-19 pandemic cast doubts on governments' traditional crisis responses and sparked a surge in citizen-led, participatory, bottom-up responses. Iran's experience is worth investigating because it relied significantly on citizen groups to manage the crisis despite long-term sanctions and extremely restricted resources. The authors undertook an exploratory case study using the grounded theory (GT) method and an online survey to explore Iran's confrontation. The central notion discovered was referred to as 'faith-driven civic engagement.’ The response was characterized by adaptability, promptness, and comprehensiveness. The causes and strategic orientations included intrinsic motives, capability building, and leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Public Organization Review is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

How Iran responded to expanding need for laboratory services for COVID-19?

After the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in early 2020 in Iran, the rapid response team of Pasteur Institute of Iran was the first lab starting detection and report of suspected human samples. This article is a short summery of all actions from the preparedness for detecting the first cases of COVID-19, expanding the nationwide laboratory service, choosing the suitable laboratory tests and other challenges in laboratory detection during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Iran.