ABSTRACT
COVID-19 is the most impacting global pandemic of all time, with over 600 million infected and 6.5 million deaths worldwide, in addition to an unprecedented economic impact. Despite the many advances in scientific knowledge about the disease, much remains to be clarified about the molecular alterations induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this work, we present a hybrid proteomics and in silico interactomics strategy to establish a COVID-19 salivary protein profile. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD036571. The differential proteome was narrowed down by the Partial Least-Squares Discriminant Analysis and enrichment analysis was performed with FunRich. In parallel, OralInt was used to determine interspecies Protein-Protein Interactions between humans and SARS-CoV-2. Five dysregulated biological processes were identified in the COVID-19 proteome profile: Apoptosis, Energy Pathways, Immune Response, Protein Metabolism and Transport. We identified 10 proteins (KLK 11, IMPA2, ANXA7, PLP2, IGLV2-11, IGHV3-43D, IGKV2-24, TMEM165, VSIG10 and PHB2) that had never been associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, representing new evidence of the impact of COVID-19. Interactomics analysis showed viral influence on the host immune response, mainly through interaction with the degranulation of neutrophils. The virus alters the host's energy metabolism and interferes with apoptosis mechanisms.
ABSTRACT
The fast spreading of the SARS-CoV-2 virus led to a significant increase in the demand for personal protective equipment (PPE). Healthcare professionals, mainly dentists, work near the patients, increasing their risk of infection. This paper investigates the effectiveness of an air-curtain sealing effect in a newly designed visor developed to reduce the risk of contracting a respiratory infection. This PPE was developed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. CFD results show that the aerodynamic sealing in this PPE device effectively protects the user's face by 43% from a contaminated environment. The experiments considered two different tests: one using a tracer gas (CO2 ) to simulate a gaseous contaminant inside and outside the PPE face shield and a second test using smoke to simulate aerosol transport and evaluate the PPE efficiency. The particle concentration within the aerodynamically sealed PPE was evaluated and compared with the protection efficiency of other PPE. Results show similar protection levels for particles in the 1-5 µm range between the prototype and a KN95 respirator. The combined use of this novel PPE with aerodynamic sealing and a physical mask (KN95 or surgical) produced protection efficiency values within the range of 57%-70% for particles greater than 0.5 µm. This study reveals the potential of using an air curtain combined with a face shield to reduce the risks from contaminated environments.