Relevant Factors and Intervention Measures of Psychological Stress-Induced Hyperthermia among Medical Staff in Temporary COVID-19 Negative Pressure Wards.

Background: Medical staff working in COVID-19 wards must be isolated and observed for 14 days upon the occurrence of psychological stress-induced hyperthermia (PSH). Such measures could result in great psychological pressure and incur considerable losses in anti-disease resources. Methods: In this study, the psychological conditions of medical staff were assessed over a period of 7 days in COVID-19 isolation wards of the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China and 7 days after leaving the wards by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C). The relevant factors of PSH were analyzed by t- and rank sum tests. Results: A total of 10 females with an average body temperature of 37.36 ± 0.07 °C were included in the PSH group. Another 103 females and 53 males with an average body temperature of 36.66 ± 0.21 °C were included in the control group. The PSQI, GAD-7, PHQ-9, IES-R, and PCL-C scores of the PSH group were higher than those of the control group. Binary regression analysis indicated that the odds ratios of the PSQI and GAD-7 scores were 12.98 and 3.81, respectively (P < 0.05). After positive intervention, the body temperature and psychological scale scores of both groups returned to normal ranges. Conclusion: Working in COVID-19 wards could cause susceptible medical staff to suffer from PSH. Female sex, somnipathy, and GAD are independent risk factors of PSH.

Ultra-fast and recyclable DNA biosensor for point-of-care detection of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Rapid diagnosis and case isolation are pivotal to controlling the current pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this study, a label-free DNA capacitive biosensor for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 that demonstrates real-time, low-cost, and high-throughput screening of nucleic acid samples is presented. Our novel biosensor composed of the interdigitated platinum/titanium electrodes on the glass substrate can detect the hybridization of analyte DNA with probe DNA. The hybridization signals of specific DNA sequences were verified through exhaustive physicochemical analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, contact-angle analysis, and capacitance-frequency measurements. For a single-step hybridized reaction, the fabricated kit exhibited significant sensitivity (capacitance change, ΔC = ~2 nF) in detecting the conserved region of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene with high sensitivity of 0.843 nF/nM. In addition to capacitive measurements, this selective detection was confirmed by the fluorescence image and intensity from a SARS-CoV-2 gene labeled with a fluorescent dye. We also demonstrated that the kits are recyclable by surface ozone treatment using UV irradiation. Thus, these kits could potentially be applied to various types of label-free DNA, thereby acting as rapid, cost-effective biosensors for several diseases.

Thymic Aging May Be Associated with COVID-19 Pathophysiology in the Elderly.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and particularly exhibits severe symptoms and mortality in elderly individuals. Mounting evidence shows that the characteristics of the age-related clinical severity of COVID-19 are attributed to insufficient antiviral immune function and excessive self-damaging immune reaction, involving T cell immunity and associated with pre-existing basal inflammation in the elderly. Age-related changes to T cell immunosenescence is characterized by not only restricted T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity, accumulation of exhausted and/or senescent memory T cells, but also by increased self-reactive T cell- and innate immune cell-induced chronic inflammation, and accumulated and functionally enhanced polyclonal regulatory T (Treg) cells. Many of these changes can be traced back to age-related thymic involution/degeneration. How these changes contribute to differences in COVID-19 disease severity between young and aged patients is an urgent area of investigation. Therefore, we attempt to connect various clues in this field by reviewing and discussing recent research on the role of the thymus and T cells in COVID-19 immunity during aging (a synergistic effect of diminished responses to pathogens and enhanced responses to self) impacting age-related clinical severity of COVID-19. We also address potential combinational strategies to rejuvenate multiple aging-impacted immune system checkpoints by revival of aged thymic function, boosting peripheral T cell responses, and alleviating chronic, basal inflammation to improve the efficiency of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity and vaccination in the elderly.