p38-MAPK is prerequisite for the synthesis of SARS-CoV-2 protein (preprint)

The inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK) by small molecule chemical inhibitors was previously shown to impair severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication, however, mechanisms underlying antiviral activity remains unexplored. In this study, reduced growth of SARS-CoV-2 in p38- knockout Vero cells, together with enhanced viral yield in cells transfected with construct expressing p38, suggested that p38-MAPK is essential for the propagation of SARS-CoV-2. The SARS-CoV-2 was also shown to induce phosphorylation (activation) of p38, at time when transcription/translational activities are considered to be at the peak levels. Further, we demonstrated that p38 supports viral RNA/protein synthesis without affecting viral attachment, entry, and budding in the target cells. In addition, we demonstrated that long-term culture of SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of p38 inhibitor SB203580 does not easily select resistant viral mutants. In conclusion, we provide mechanistic insights on the regulation of SARS-CoV-2 replication by p38 MAPK.

Superior possibilities and upcoming horizons for nanoscience in COVID-19: noteworthy approach for effective diagnostics and management of SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused great havoc and affected many parts of the world. It has imposed a great challenge to the medical and health fraternity with its ability to continue mutating and increasing the transmission rate. Some challenges include the availability of current knowledge of active drugs against the virus, mode of delivery of the medicaments, its diagnosis, which are relatively limited and do not suffice for further prognosis. One recently developed drug delivery system called nanoparticles is currently being utilized in combating COVID-19. This article highlights the existing methods for diagnosis of COVID-19 such as computed tomography scan, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, nucleic acid sequencing, immunoassay, point-of-care test, detection from breath, nanotechnology-based bio-sensors, viral antigen detection, microfluidic device, magnetic nanosensor, magnetic resonance platform and internet-of-things biosensors. The latest detection strategy based on nanotechnology, biosensor, is said to produce satisfactory results in recognizing SARS-CoV-2 virus. It also highlights the successes in the research and development of COVID-19 treatments and vaccines that are already in use. In addition, there are a number of nanovaccines and nanomedicines currently in clinical trials that have the potential to target COVID-19.

Nitrogen dioxide as proxy indicator of air pollution from fossil fuel burning in New Delhi during lockdown phases of COVID-19 pandemic period: impact on weather as revealed by Sentinel-5 precursor (5p) spectrometer sensor.

There has been a long-lasting impact of the lockdown imposed due to COVID-19 on several fronts. One such front is climate which has seen several implications. The consequences of climate change owing to this lockdown need to be explored taking into consideration various climatic indicators. Further impact on a local and global level would help the policymakers in drafting effective rules for handling challenges of climate change. For in-depth understanding, a temporal study is being conducted in a phased manner in the New Delhi region taking NO2 concentration and utilizing statistical methods to elaborate the quality of air during the lockdown and compared with a pre-lockdown period. In situ mean values of the NO2 concentration were taken for four different dates, viz. 4th February, 4th March, 4th April, and 25th April 2020. These concentrations were then compared with the Sentinel (5p) data across 36 locations in New Delhi which are found to be promising. The results indicated that the air quality has been improved maximum in Eastern Delhi and the NO2 concentrations were reduced by one-fourth than the pre-lockdown period, and thus, reduced activities due to lockdown have had a significant impact. The result also indicates the preciseness of Sentinel (5p) for NO2 concentrations.

Test of a Homeopathic Algorithm for COVID-19: the Importance of a Broad Perspective.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Most of the symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are covered by large repertory rubrics and hence many remedies have been proposed as "genus epidemicus". The aim of this study was to combine the information from various data collections to prepare a COVID-19 Bayesian mini-repertory/an algorithm-based application (app) and test it. METHODS: In July 2021, 1,161 COVID-19 cases from 100 practitioners globally were combined. These data were used to calculate "condition-confined" likelihood ratios (LRs) for 59 symptoms of COVID-19. Out of these, 35 symptoms of the 11 medicines that had at least 20 cases each were considered. The information was entered in a spreadsheet (algorithm) to calculate combined LRs of specific combinations of symptoms. The algorithm contained the medicines Arsenicum album, Belladonna, Bryonia alba, Camphora, Gelsemium sempervirens, Hepar sulphuris, Mercurius solubilis, Nux vomica, Phosphorus, Pulsatilla and Rhus toxicodendron. To test concordance, the doctors were then invited to re-enter the symptoms of their cases into this algorithm. RESULTS: The algorithm was re-tested on 358 cases, and concordance was seen in 288 cases. On analysis of the data, bias was noticed in the Merc group, which was therefore excluded from the algorithm. The remaining 10 medicines, representing 81.8% of all cases, were included in the preparation of the next version of the homeopathic mini-repertory and app. CONCLUSION: The Bayesian mini-repertory and app is based on qualitative clinical experiences of various doctors in COVID-19 and gives indications for specific medicines for common COVID-19 symptoms. It is freely available [English: https://hpra.co.uk/; Spanish: https://hpra.co.uk/es ] for further testing and utilization by the profession.

Homeopathic Medicines in Second Wave of COVID-19: Prognostic Factor Research.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The clinical profile and course of COVID-19 evolved perilously in a second wave, leading to the use of various treatment modalities that included homeopathy. This prognostic factor research (PFR) study aimed to identify clinically useful homeopathic medicines in this second wave. METHODS: This was a retrospective, multi-centred observational study performed from March 2021 to May 2021 on confirmed COVID-19 cases who were either in home isolation or at COVID Care Centres in Delhi, India. The data were collected from integrated COVID Care Centres where homeopathic medicines were prescribed along with conventional treatment. Only those cases that met a set of selection criteria were considered for analysis. The likelihood ratio (LR) was calculated for the frequently occurring symptoms of the prescribed medicines. An LR of 1.3 or greater was considered meaningful. RESULTS: Out of 769 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported, 514 cases were selected for analysis, including 467 in home isolation. The most common complaints were cough, fever, myalgia, sore throat, loss of taste and/or smell, and anxiety. Most cases improved and there was no adverse reaction. Certain new symptoms, e.g., headache, dryness of mouth and conjunctivitis, were also seen. Thirty-nine medicines were prescribed, the most frequent being Bryonia alba followed by Arsenicum album, Pulsatilla nigricans, Belladonna, Gelsemium sempervirens, Hepar sulphuris, Phosphorus, Rhus toxicodendron and Mercurius solubilis. By calculating LR, the prescribing indications of these nine medicines were ascertained. CONCLUSION: Add-on use of homeopathic medicines has shown encouraging results in the second wave of COVID-19 in integrated care facilities. Further COVID-related research is required to be undertaken on the most commonly prescribed medicines.

Incidence of Moxifloxacin serious adverse drug reactions in Pneumococcal infections virus infected patients detected by a Pharmacovigilance program by laboratory signals in a Tertiary hospital in Chhattisgarh (India)

The direct reporting of adverse drug reactions by patients is becoming an increasingly important topic for discussion in the hospital of Pharmacovigilance. Voluntary adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting is fundamental to medical drug safety surveillance;however, substantial under-reporting exists and is the main limitation of the system. At this time, hospital accepts consumer reports. The World Health Organization estimates that in 2005 and as well as 2019-2021 pneumococcal infections were responsible for the death of 1.6 million human worldwide. Pneumonia, the lungs become filled with fluid and inflamed, leading to breathing difficulties. For some people, breathing problems can become severe enough to require treatment at the hospital with oxygen or even a ventilator. The pneumonia that COVID-19 causes tends to take hold in both lungs. Moxifloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is used for the treatment of respiratory tract, pelvic inflammatory disease, skin, and intra-abdominal infections. Its safety profile is considered favorable in most reviews but has been challenged with respect to rare but potentially fatal toxicities. The most common adverse drug reaction (ADR) constipation is nausea, vomiting, fatigue, alopecia, drowsiness, myelosuppression, skin reactions, anorexia, mucositis, diarrhoea and Medicines that have been particularly implicated in adverse drug reaction-related hospital admissions include anti-platelets, anticoagulants, cytotoxics, immunosuppressant's, diuretics, anti-diabetics and antibiotics.

Customer Buying Behavior Towards Cars During the Pandemic

Automobiles have now become a necessity for most families. Both ends (Company and Customers) were expressing a shared interest in it. The growth of automobiles has been huge, and as a result, numerous new models have emerged. The study also seeks to determine whether COVID-19 influenced their decision to purchase an automobile. The study was carried out via an online survey. The study also reveals the criteria that buyers evaluate when purchasing a vehicle. Also, to determine customer knowledge of electric and CNG vehicles.

Association Between Stress and Information Security Policy Non-Compliance Behavior: A Meta-analysis

Stress plays a critical role in information security policy (ISP) compliance behavior. Since there are multiple sources of stress, the current literature does not provide a consistent view of the association between stress and ISP compliance behavior. Understanding the significance of the association between stress and ISP compliance behavior is valuable for managers, especially in managing the tradeoff between stress and ISP compliance behavior among individuals. It is also important to understand why there has been so much inconsistency in past studies. Thus, we attempted a meta-analysis to provide a generalized interpretation of the association between stress and ISP non-compliance behavior. A systematic literature review and a meta-analysis are conducted to examine the underlying contradiction and aggregate the findings of relevant studies. The results of this meta-analysis confirmed a weak positive correlation between stress and ISP non-compliance behavior. Demographic characteristics like age, country, and the category of the respondents (employee vs non-employee) are significant predictors of the association between stress and ISP non-compliance behavior. The meta-analysis presented here is also pertinent to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which forced organizations to engage with their employees in new working conditions, putting employees under more stress and strain.

Handmade Paper as a Paper Analytical Device for Determining the Quality of an Antidiabetic Drug.

Paper analytical devices (PADs) are a class of low-cost, portable, and easy-to-use platform for several analytical tests in clinical diagnostics, environmental pollution monitoring, and food and drug safety screening. These devices are primarily made from cellulosic paper. Considering the importance of eco-friendly and local or distributed manufacturing of devices realized during the COVID-19 pandemic, we systematically studied the potential of handmade Nepali paper to be used in fabricating PADs in this work. We characterized five different handmade papers made from locally available plant fibers using an eco-friendly method and used them to fabricate PADs for determining the drug quality. The thickness, grammage, and apparent density of the paper samples ranged from 198.6 to 314.8 µm, 49.1 to 117.8 g/m2, and 0.23 to 0.43 g/cm3, respectively. The moisture content, water filtration, and wicking speed ranged from 5.8 to 7.1%, 35.7 to 156.7, and 0.062 to 0.124 mms-1, respectively. Furthermore, the water contact angle and porosity ranged from 76.6 to 112.1° and 79 to 83%, respectively. The best paper sample (P5) was chosen to fabricate PADs for the determination of metformin, an antidiabetic drug. The metformin assay on PADs followed a linear range from 0.0625 to 0.5 mg/mL. The assay had a limit of detection and limit of quantitation of 0.05 and 0.18 mg/mL, respectively. The average amount of metformin concentration in samples collected from local pharmacies (n = 20) was 465.6 ± 15.1 mg/tablet. When compared with the spectrophotometric method, PAD assay correctly predicted the concentration of 90% samples. The PAD assay on handmade paper may provide a low-cost and easy-to-use system for screening the quality of drugs and other point-of-need applications.

Clinical course, diagnosis, and management of bilateral COVID-19 associated conjunctivitis: A case study.

We present a rare case of COVID-19 associated conjunctivitis where patient presented with redness, foreign body sensation, watering, and pain. Symptoms started while patient was COVID-19 positive. On examination, severe conjunctival congestion was present along with follicles. Visual acuity was 6/6 in both eyes. The patient was started on topical antibiotics and showed improvement but again presented with aggravated symptoms. Conjunctival swab was sent for culture and sensitivity, which was negative for any organisms. The patient was then started on oral and topical steroid, which showed improvement. Even though COVID-19 associated conjunctivitis is self-limiting, here it showed a progressive course and resolved only after steroid.

Preclinical evaluation of [11C]GW457427 as a tracer for neutrophil elastase.

INTRODUCTION: Neutrophils are part of the innate immune system and function as a first line of defense against invading microorganisms. Overactivity of the immune system may result in a devastating immuno-inflammation with extensive damage to tissue leading to organ damage and/or failure. The literature suggests several human diseases in which neutrophil elastase (NE) is postulated to be important in the pathophysiology including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), breast and lung cancer, and recently also in Sars-cov-2 virus infection (Covid-19). In particular, the lungs are affected by the destructive power of the protease neutrophil elastase (NE). In this paper, we report the pre-clinical development of a selective and specific positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, [11C]GW457427, as an in vivo biomarker for the study of NE, now available for human studies. METHODS: [11C]GW457427 was produced by methylation of GW447631 using [11C]methyl triflate and GMP validated production and quality control methods were developed. Chemical purity was high with no traces of the precursor GW611437 or other uv-absorbing compounds. A method for the determination of intact [11C]GW457427 in plasma was developed and the binding characteristics were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. An animal model for lung inflammation was used to investigate the specificity and sensitivity of the [11C]GW457427 tracer for neutrophil elastase (NE) in pulmonary inflammation, verified by blockade using two structurally different elastase inhibitors. RESULTS: [11C]GW457427 was obtained in approximately 45% radiochemical yield and with a radiochemical purity higher than 98%. Molar activity was in the range 130-360 GBq/µmol. Binding to NE was shown to be highly specific both in vitro and in vivo and a significantly higher uptake of tracer was found in a lipopolysaccharide mouse model of pulmonary inflammation compared with control animals. The uptake in lung tissue measured as standardized uptake value (SUV) strongly correlated with tissue NE content as measured by ELISA. In vitro studies also showed specific tracer binding in aortic tissue of patients with abdominal aorta aneurysm (AAA). The rate of metabolism in rats was appropriate considering the critical balance between available tracer for binding and requirement for blood clearance with about 40% and 20% intact [11C]GW457427 in plasma at 5 and 40 min, respectively. Radioactivity was cleared from blood and organs in control animals with mainly hepatobiliary excretion with distribution in the intestines and the urinary bladder; but without retention of the tracer in healthy organs of interests such as the lung, liver, kidneys or in the cardiovascular system. A dosimetry study in rat indicated that the whole-body effective dose was 2.2 µSv/MBq with bone marrow as the limiting organ. It is estimated that up to five PET-CT investigations could be performed in humans without exceeding a total dose of 10 mSv. CONCLUSION: [11C]GW457427 is a promising in vivo PET-biomarker for NE with high specific binding demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. A GMP validated production method including quality control has been developed and a microdosing toxicity study performed with no adverse signs. [11C]GW457427 is currently being evaluated in a First-In-Man PET study.

Short-Term Statistical Forecasts of COVID-19 Infections in India.

COVID-19 cases in India have been steadily increasing since January 30, 2020 and have led to a government-imposed lockdown across the country to curtail community transmission with significant impacts on societal systems. Forecasts using mathematical-epidemiological models have played and continue to play an important role in assessing the probability of COVID-19 infection under specific conditions and are urgently needed to prepare health systems for coping with this pandemic. In many instances, however, access to dedicated and updated information, in particular at regional administrative levels, is surprisingly scarce considering its evident importance and provides a hindrance for the implementation of sustainable coping strategies. Here we demonstrate the performance of an easily transferable statistical model based on the classic Holt-Winters method as means of providing COVID-19 forecasts for India at different administrative levels. Based on daily time series of accumulated infections, active infections and deaths, we use our statistical model to provide 48-days forecasts (28 September to 15 November 2020) of these quantities in India, assuming little or no change in national coping strategies. Using these results alongside a complementary SIR model, we find that one-third of the Indian population could eventually be infected by COVID-19, and that a complete recovery from COVID-19 will happen only after an estimated 450 days from January 2020. Further, our SIR model suggests that the pandemic is likely to peak in India during the first week of November 2020.

Curating, collecting, and cataloguing global COVID-19 datasets for the aim of predicting personalized risk (preprint)

The COVID-19 data catalogue is a repository that provides a landscape view of COVID-19 studies and datasets as a putative source to enable researchers to develop personalized COVID-19 predictive risk models. The COVID-19 data catalogue currently contains over 400 studies and their relevant information collected from a wide range of global sources such as global initiatives, clinical trial repositories, publications and data repositories. Further, the curated content stored in this data catalogue is complemented by a web application, providing visualizations of these studies, including their references, relevant information such as measured variables, and the geographical locations of where these studies were performed. This resource is one of the first to capture, organize and store studies, datasets and metadata in the area of COVID-19 in a comprehensive repository. We are convinced that our work will facilitate future research and development of personalized predictive risk models of COVID-19.

Identifying Mucormycosis Severity in Indian COVID-19 Patients: A Nano-Based Diagnosis and the Necessity for Critical Therapeutic Intervention.

The COVID-19 infection caused by the new SARS-CoV-2 virus has been linked to a broad spectrum of symptoms, from a mild cough to life-threatening pneumonia. As we learn more about this unusual COVID-19 epidemic, new issues are emerging and being reported daily. Mucormycosis, also known as zygomycosis or phycomycosis, causes severe fungal illness to individuals with a weakened immune system. It is a devastating fungal infection, and the most frequent kind is the rhino cerebral type. As a devastating second wave of COVID-19 sweeps India, doctors report several instances involving a strange illness-sometimes known as the "black fungus"-among returning and recovered COVID-19 patients. This paper analyzes the existing statistical data to address the severity of prevalence and further notes the nano-based diagnostic parameters, clinical presentations, its connection with other conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and GI disorders, and the importance of anti-fungal therapy in treating the same. Anti-fungal therapies, as well as surgical interventions, are currently used for the treatment of the disease. Proper and timely diagnosis is necessary, along with the reduction in the spread of COVID-19. From the review, it was found that timely pharmacologic interventions and early diagnosis by using a nano-based diagnostic kit can help control the disease. Additionally, this paper provides novel information about the nanotechnology approaches such as fungal detection biosensors, nucleic acids-based testing, point-of-care tests, and galactomannans detection, in the diagnosis of mucormycosis, and thereby reinforces the need for further research on the topic.

Model-based ensembles: Lessons learned from retrospective analysis of COVID-19 infection forecasts across 10 countries.

Mathematical models of different types and data intensities are highly used by researchers, epidemiologists, and national authorities to explore the inherently unpredictable progression of COVID-19, including the effects of different non-pharmaceutical interventions. Regardless of model complexity, forecasts of future COVID-19 infections, deaths and hospitalization are associated with large uncertainties, and critically depend on the quality of the training data, and in particular how well the recorded national or regional numbers of infections, deaths and recoveries reflect the the actual situation. In turn, this depends on, e.g., local test and abatement strategies, treatment capacities and available technologies. Other influencing factors including temperature and humidity, which are suggested by several authors to affect the spread of COVID-19 in some countries, are generally only considered by the most complex models and further serve to inflate the uncertainty. Here we use comparative and retrospective analyses to illuminate the aggregated effect of these systematic biases on ensemble-based model forecasts. We compare the actual progression of active infections across ten of the most affected countries in the world until late November 2020 with "re-forecasts" produced by two of the most commonly used model types: (i) a compartment-type, susceptible-infected-removed (SIR) model; and (ii) a statistical (Holt-Winters) time series model. We specifically examine the sensitivity of the model parameters, estimated systematically from different subsets of the data and thereby different time windows, to illustrate the associated implications for short- to medium-term forecasting and for probabilistic projections based on (single) model ensembles as inspired by, e.g., weather forecasting and climate research. Our findings portray considerable variations in forecasting skill in between the ten countries and demonstrate that individual model predictions are highly sensitive to parameter assumptions. Significant skill is generally only confirmed for short-term forecasts (up to a few weeks) with some variation across locations and periods.

B.1.617.3 SARS CoV-2 spike E156G/Δ157-158 mutations contribute to reduced neutralization sensitivity and increased infectivity (preprint)

SARS CoV-2 variants raise significant concerns due to their ability to cause vaccine breakthrough infections. Here, we sequence-characterized the spike gene, isolated from a breakthrough infection, that corresponded to B.1.617.3 lineage. Delineating the functional impact of spike mutations using reporter pseudoviruses (PV) revealed that N-terminal domain (NTD)-specific E156G/{Delta}157-158 contributed to increased infectivity and reduced sensitivity to ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (CovishieldTM)-elicited neutralizing antibodies. A six-nucleotide deletion (467-472) in the spike coding region introduced this change in the NTD. We confirmed the presence of E156G/{Delta}157-158 in the RT-PCR-positive cases concurrently screened, in addition to other circulating spike (S1) mutations like T19R, T95I, L452R, E484Q, and D614G. Notably, E156G/{Delta}157-158 was present in more than 85% of the sequences reported from the USA, UK, and India in August 2021. The spike PV bearing combination of E156G/{Delta}157-158 and L452R further promoted infectivity and conferred immune evasion. Additionally, increased cell-to-cell fusion was observed when spike harbored E156G/{Delta}157-158, L452R, and E484Q, suggesting a combinatorial effect of these mutations. Notwithstanding, the plasma from a recovered individual robustly inhibited mutant spike PV, indicating the increased breadth of neutralization post-recovery. Our data highlights the importance of spike NTD-specific changes in determining infectivity and immune escape of variants.

Mucormycosis in Indian COVID-19 Patients: Insight into Its Patho-Genesis, Clinical Manifestation, and Management Strategies.

Mucormycosis in patients who have COVID-19 or who are otherwise immunocompromised has become a global problem, causing significant morbidity and mortality. Infection is debilitating and fatal, leading to loss of organs and emotional trauma. Radiographic manifestations are not specific, but diagnosis can be made through microscopic examination of materials collected from necrotic lesions. Treatment requires multidisciplinary expertise, as the fungus enters through the eyes and nose and may even reach the brain. Use of the many antifungal drugs available is limited by considerations of resistance and toxicity, but nanoparticles can overcome such limitations by reducing toxicity and increasing bioavailability. The lipid formulation of amphotericin-B (liposomal Am-B) is the first-line treatment for mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients, but its high cost and low availability have prompted a shift toward surgery, so that surgical debridement to remove all necrotic lesions remains the hallmark of effective treatment of mucormycosis in COVID-19. This review highlights the pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, and management of mucormycosis in patients who have COVID-19.

Nanotechnology Integration for SARS-CoV-2 Diagnosis and Treatment: An Approach to Preventing Pandemic.

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak is the COVID-19 disease, which has caused massive health devastation, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a worldwide health emergency. The corona virus infected millions of people worldwide, and many died as a result of a lack of particular medications. The current emergency necessitates extensive therapy in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. There are various vaccinations available, but no validated COVID-19 treatments. Since its outbreak, many therapeutics have been tested, including the use of repurposed medications, nucleoside inhibitors, protease inhibitors, broad spectrum antivirals, convalescence plasma therapies, immune-modulators, and monoclonal antibodies. However, these approaches have not yielded any outcomes and are mostly used to alleviate symptoms associated with potentially fatal adverse drug reactions. Nanoparticles, on the other hand, may prove to be an effective treatment for COVID-19. They can be designed to boost the efficacy of currently available antiviral medications or to trigger a rapid immune response against COVID-19. In the last decade, there has been significant progress in nanotechnology. This review focuses on the virus's basic structure, pathogenesis, and current treatment options for COVID-19. This study addresses nanotechnology and its applications in diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and targeted vaccine delivery, laying the groundwork for a successful pandemic fight.

Risk assessment approaches during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has rapidly spread all over the world affecting more than 20 million people. Early planning and preparedness are vital in mitigation of the impact of the ongoing pandemic. The lessons from previous public health emergencies of the 21st century such as Influenza A (H1N1), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and Ebola elucidate that the risks assessment associated with disease outbreaks remains integral for the successful response curbing health disasters. Every pandemic or public health emergency poses new challenges. Alike, the SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19 will continue to challenge public health systems and their ability to effectively communicate with the public. Till date, no vaccines and specific antiviral drugs are available moreover there is little evidence on the effectiveness of potential therapeutic agents. Many countries have practiced 'stay-at-home', social distancing, avoided mass gathering, closure of education in institutions, strict public health measures like compulsory wearing of masks, entertainment and public spaces. For effective prevention and control of any infectious diseases the risk assessment and communication are of prime importance. Hence, there is an urgent need to commence SARS-CoV-2 risk assessment for assisting decision-making bodies working on SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This paper discusses in brief about the rapid risk assessment and diagnostic approaches for COVID-19 pandemic.