Environmental impact of COVID-19 Vaccine waste: A perspective on potential role of natural and biodegradable materials.

The mass immunization is the prioritised post-pandemic phase offering preventive countermeasure for COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is crucial to tackle the environmental impact of COVID-19 vaccine waste for sustainable vaccination management because a prolonged immunisation campaign is expected. As the pace of vaccine production, distribution and mass vaccination has been expedited, there is a simultaneous rise in plastic derived vaccine waste including syringes, needles, used/unused vaccine vials, vaccine packaging, and protective gear (surgical facemasks, gloves, face shields, etc). Henceforth, in view of the repercussions of heaping plastic waste in the environment, this article provides a perspective on the usage of synthetic and natural materials as potential substituents for vaccination tools. The biodegradable polymeric gums such as cellulose, gellan, pectin, etc. have been successfully applied for the fabrication of surgical facemasks. The highly suggestive practice is replacement of conventional polypropylene based plastics with bioplastics or paper for vaccine packaging. The usage of biodegradable bio-plastics as packaging material along with environmentally friendly face masks can help to achieve the zero waste approach. The discussion in the article significantly highlights the necessity of opting sustainable solutions of disinfecting and substituting vaccination tools for an environment friendly ongoing vaccination campaign.

Natural Products as Potential Therapeutic Agents for SARS-CoV-2: A Medicinal Chemistry Perspective.

Coronavirus is a single-stranded RNA virus discovered by virologist David Tyrrell in 1960. Till now seven human corona viruses have been identified including HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-HKU1, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. In the present scenario, the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak causing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, became the most serious public health emergency of the century worldwide. Natural products have long history and advantages for the drug discovery process. Almost 80% of drugs present in market are evolved from the natural resources. With the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, natural product chemists have made significant efforts for the identification of natural molecules which can be effective against the SARS-CoV-2. In current compilation we have discussed in vitro and in vivo anti-viral potential of natural product-based leads for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2. We have classified these leads in different classes of natural products such as alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, quinones, cannabinoids, steroids, glucosinolates, diarylheptanoids, etc. and discussed the efficacy and mode of action of these natural molecules. The present review will surely opens new direction in future for the development of promising drug candidates particularly from the natural origin against coronaviruses and other viral diseases.

Green aspects of photocatalysts during corona pandemic: a promising role for the deactivation of COVID-19 virus.

The selection of a facile, eco-friendly, and effective methodology is the need of the hour for efficient curing of the COVID-19 virus in air, water, and many food products. Recently, semiconductor-based photocatalytic methodologies have provided promising, green, and sustainable approaches to battle against viral activation via the oxidative capabilities of various photocatalysts with excellent performance under moderate conditions and negligible by-products generation as well. Considering this, recent advances in photocatalysis for combating the spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are inclusively highlighted. Starting from the origin to the introduction of the coronavirus, the significant potential of photocatalysis against viral prevention and -disinfection is discussed thoroughly. Various photocatalytic material-based systems including metal-oxides, metal-free and advanced 2D materials (MXenes, MOFs and COFs) are systematically examined to understand the mechanistic insights of virus-disinfection in the human body to fight against COVID-19 disease. Also, a roadmap toward sustainable solutions for ongoing COVID-19 contagion is also presented. Finally, the challenges in this field and future perspectives are comprehensively discussed involving the bottlenecks of current photocatalytic systems along with potential recommendations to deal with upcoming pandemic situations in the future.

Surveillance of omicron variants through wastewater epidemiology: Latest developments in environmental monitoring of pandemic.

WBE has been a monitoring system that can give purposeful and inclusive real-time assessments of civic society as well as environmental health. This concept review introduces WBE as a surveillance scheme and initial warning outbreaks of contagious diseases caused by harmful SARS-CoV-2 with pandemic potential. Examining biomarkers of contagious diseases as evidence in polluted water taken from wastewater treatment plants suggests that these systems can be examined to get epidemiological data for checking the transmission of infectious B.1.1.529 to different areas. Thereafter, various benefits of surveillance are provided to analyse health information and pinpoint different problems that may be occurring in the workstation. Surveillance is followed by intervention steps that improved the work environment and prevent further progression of the disease. This information will help to improve early detection strategies, designing a prevention strategy to reduce their spread, infection control and therapies, thus, strengthening our global preparedness to fight future epidemics. In the end, a comprehensive discussion on the remaining challenges and opportunities for epidemiology has been given for future research perspectives.

Potential of graphene based photocatalyst for antiviral activity with emphasis on COVID-19: A review.

Coronavirus disease-2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been one of the most challenging worldwide epidemics of recent times. Semiconducting materials (photocatalysts) could prove effectual solar-light-driven technology on account of variant reactive oxidative species (ROS), including superoxide (•O2 - ) and hydroxyl (•OH) radicals either by degradation of proteins, DNA, RNA, or preventing cell development by terminating cellular membrane. Graphene-based materials have been exquisitely explored for antiviral applications due to their extraordinary physicochemical features including large specific surface area, robust mechanical strength, tunable structural features, and high electrical conductivity. Considering that, the present study highlights a perspective on the potentials of graphene based materials for photocatalytic antiviral activity. The interaction of virus with the surface of graphene based nanomaterials and the consequent physical, as well as ROS induced inactivation process, has been highlighted and discussed. It is highly anticipated that the present review article emphasizing mechanistic antiviral insights could accelerate further research in this field.

The environmental impact of mass coronavirus vaccinations: A point of view on huge COVID-19 vaccine waste across the globe during ongoing vaccine campaigns.

The vaccine innovation is a ubiquitous preventive measure to the transmission of highly infectious SARS-COV-2. The ongoing mass coronavirus vaccination programmes have inadvertently become the bulk producers of biomedical and plastic waste triggering severe impact on the environment. The sustainable management of bio hazardous vaccine waste in particular; syringes, needles, used/un-used vials and single-use plastic equipment is of utmost importance. This perspective presents a critical point of view in terms of the generated vaccine waste and the subsequent knock-on effect on all aspects of ecosystem. The discussion includes dire consequences due to the release of huge amount of plastic-based personal protective equipment into marine environment. The pivotal crisis of CO2 emission during the manufacture and storage of different vaccines has contributed to global warming. The unavoidable generation of microfibers upon incineration, autoclaving, pyrolysis and open dumping of vaccine waste has further jeopardized the environment. In this vein, exploration of biodegradable materials for vaccine inoculation and development of green technologies for sound waste management is suggested to mitigate the environment pollution.

Current perspective in metal oxide based photocatalysts for virus disinfection: A review.

Nanotechnology holds huge potential for the prevention of various viral outbreaks that have increased at a disquieting rate over the past decades. Metal oxide nanomaterials with oxidative capability are the effective materials that provide platforms as well as tools for the well understanding of the mechanism, its detection, and treatment of various viral diseases like measles, influenza, herpes, ebola, current COVID-19 etc. In this inclusive review, we survey various previous research articles on different notable photoactive transition metal oxides that possess enough potential to act as antiviral agents for the deactivation of harmful viruses. We investigated and highlighted the plausible photocatalytic oxidative mechanism of photoactive transition metal oxides in degrading viral coatings, genomic RNA using suitable free radical generation. The key finding of the present review article including the discovery of a vision on the suitable photocatalytic transition metal oxides that have been proven to be excellent against harmful viruses and consequently combatting deadly CoV-2 in the environment. This review intends to provide conclusive remarks and a realistic outlook on other advanced photocatalytic metal oxides as a potential solution in battling other similar upcoming pandemics.

The practicality and prospects for disinfection control by photocatalysis during and post-pandemic: A critical review.

The prevalence of global health implications from the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates the innovation and large-scale application of disinfection technologies for contaminated surfaces, air, and wastewater as the significant transmission media of disease. To date, primarily recommended disinfection practices are energy exhausting, chemical driven, and cause severe impact on the environment. The research on advanced oxidation processes has been recognized as promising strategies for disinfection purposes. In particular, semiconductor-based photocatalysis is an effective renewable solar-driven technology that relies on the reactive oxidative species, mainly hydroxyl (•OH) and superoxide (•O2-) radicals, for rupturing the capsid shell of the virus and loss of pathogenicity. However, the limited understanding of critical aspects such as viral photo-inactivation mechanism, rapid virus mutagenicity, and virus viability for a prolonged time restricts the large-scale application of photocatalytic disinfection technology. In this work, fundamentals of photocatalysis disinfection phenomena are addressed with a reviewed remark on the reported literature of semiconductor photocatalysts efficacies against SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, to validate the photocatalysis process on an industrial scale, we provide updated data on available commercial modalities for an effective virus photo-inactivation process. An elaborative discussion on the long-term challenges and sustainable solutions is suggested to fill in the existing knowledge gaps. We anticipate this review will ignite interest among researchers to pave the way to the photocatalysis process for disinfecting virus-contaminated environments and surfaces for current and future pandemics.

Impact of COVID-19 on greenhouse gases emissions: A critical review.

The global outburst of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has posed severe challenges to human health, environment, energy and economy all over the world. The stringent measures to control the spread of COVID-19 results a significant slowdown in economic activities which in turn affected the environment by reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, specifically lower atmospheric CO2 levels. Considering that, the present study intends to highlight the substantial impact of COVID-19 pandemic on GHG emissions, by systematically reviewing the available scientific literatures. The study further outlined the variation in GHG emissions by comparing the data focused on pre-pandemic, during pandemic, and post-pandemic (predictions) scenarios. Further, the assessment on elevating CO2 levels, global economic, and energy impacts of COVID-19 has also been reviewed. Also, the possible recovery plan for the framework of sustainable environmental and energy development is presented. Finally, the review concludes with an insightful summary involving the challenges and future outlook towards sustainable development goals in a hope that the present study can help the researchers to assess the global environmental and energy related consequences.