Direct Cryo-ET observation of platelet deformation induced by SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Its high pathogenicity is due to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S protein) contacting host-cell receptors. A critical hallmark of COVID-19 is the occurrence of coagulopathies. Here, we report the direct observation of the interactions between S protein and platelets. Live imaging shows that the S protein triggers platelets to deform dynamically, in some cases, leading to their irreversible activation. Cellular cryo-electron tomography reveals dense decorations of S protein on the platelet surface, inducing filopodia formation. Hypothesizing that S protein binds to filopodia-inducing integrin receptors, we tested the binding to RGD motif-recognizing platelet integrins and find that S protein recognizes integrin αvß3. Our results infer that the stochastic activation of platelets is due to weak interactions of S protein with integrin, which can attribute to the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and the occurrence of rare but severe coagulopathies.

[In the beginning it was zoonosis: One Health to combat this and future pandemics. SESPAS Report 2022]. / En el principio fue la zoonosis: One Health para combatir esta y futuras pandemias. Informe SESPAS 2022.

The new pandemic, COVID-19, highlighted the importance of the animal-human-environment interface in the emergence of zoonoses. The jump of the species barrier is considered a rare event although the number of emerging infectious diseases increased significantly in the second half of the 20th century. Most of them transmitted from wildlife to humans. Several elements can contribute to the emergence of zoonoses: human interaction on ecosystems, biodiversity loss, changes in land use, climate change, trade in or consumption of wildlife. There are different stages in the adaptation of an animal pathogen into a specialized human pathogen, varying from its presence in animals without human infection to a pathogen exclusive to humans. The history of zoonoses allows the identification of critical points for their control, as well as the identification of probable virus or bacteria involved in future pandemics. Concerning COVID-19, the knowledge of the possible reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 contributed to decision-making during the pandemic. Therefore, and given the variety of scenarios that allow the jump of species barrier or the evolution of pathogens in a new host, One Health strategies for zoonosis emergence surveillance should be implemented.

Turismo y covid-19. Análisis de la productividad científica en Scopus

El presente artículo analiza la producción científica sobre turismo y covid-19 en la base de datos Scopus. Estudio exploratoriodescriptivo con diseño retrospectivo, cuyo marco temporal es el periodo 2019-2021. El procedimiento incluyó, en un primer momento, la definición de palabras clave para realizar una búsqueda genérica, seguido por la normalización a través del gestor bibliográfico EndNote X9 y, por último, el análisis de la información a través de Bibexcel versión 2016-02-20, Excel 2013, PAJEK y VOS viewer. Se identificaron 483 trabajos publicados de los cuales la mayoría (72,26%) son artículos académicos. Las revistas que más trabajos han publicado son Tourism Geographies, Sustainability Switzerland y Current Issues in Tourism. Por países, instituciones de Estados Unidos, Reino Unido y China lideran la producción científica en este tema. Las temáticas en las investigaciones estudiadas evidencian una evolución similar a las fases de la pandemia a nivel internacional.Alternate :This paper analyzes the scientific production about tourism and Covid-19 on the Scopus database. The methodology is based on an exploratory-descriptive study with a hindsight design. The time frame studied was from 2019 to 2021. In a first instance, the methodological procedure included the definition of keywords for a generic search, followed by the standardization using the software EndNote X9 and last, the data analysis through Bibexcel, Microsoft Excel 2013, PAJEX , and Vosviewer. Four hundred eighty three papers were identified and most of them (72.26%) were academic articles The scientific journals with the highest production are Tourism Geographies, Sustainability Switzerland y Current Issues in Tourism. By countries, institutions from USA , UK and China lead the scientific production on this issue. The topics studied on the publications that were analysed show a similar evolution to the pandemic phases worldwide.

Products released from surgical face masks can provoke cytotoxicity in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum.

Surgical face masks are more present than ever as personal protective equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this work, we show that the contents of regular surgical masks: i) polypropylene microfibres and ii) some added metals such as: Al, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn and Ba, may be toxic to some marine life. This work has got two objectives: i) to study the release rate of the products from face masks in marine water and ii) to assess the toxicity in Phaeodactylum tricornutum of these by-products. To achieve these two objectives, we performed release kinetic experiments by adding masks in different stages of fragmentation to marine water (i.e. whole face masks and fragments of them 1.52 ± 0.86 mm). Released microfibres were found after one month in shaking marine water; 0.33 ± 0.24 and 21.13 ± 13.19 fibres·mL-1 were collected from the whole and fragmented face masks, respectively. Significant amounts of dissolved metals such as Mn, Zn and Ni, as well as functional groups only in the water containing the face mask fragments were detected. Water from both treatments was employed to study its toxicity on the marine diatom. Only the water from the face mask fragments showed a significant, dose-dependent, decrease in cell density in P. tricornutum; 53.09 % lower than in the controls. Although the water from the face mask fragments showed greater effects on the microalgae population than the water from the whole face mask, the latter treatment did show significant changes in the photosynthetic apparatus and intrinsic properties of the cells. These results indicate that during fragmentation and degradation face masks a significant chemical print can be observed in the marine environment.

Comparison of next generation diagnostic systems (NGDS) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2.

INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic in March 2020. Initially, supply chain disruptions and increased demand for testing led to shortages of critical laboratory reagents and inadequate testing capacity. Thus, alternative means of biosample collection and testing were essential to overcome these obstacles and reduce viral transmission. This study aimed to 1) compare the sensitivity and specificity of Cepheid GeneXpert® IV and BioFire® FilmArray® 2.0 next generation detection systems to detect SARS-CoV-2, 2) evaluate the performance of both platforms using different biospecimen types, and 3) assess saline as an alternative to viral transport media (VTM) for sample collection. METHODS: A total of 1,080 specimens consisting of nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs in VTM, NP swabs in saline, nasal swabs, oropharyngeal (OP) swabs, and saliva were collected from 216 enrollees. Limit of detection (LoD) assays, NP VTM and NP saline concordance, and saliva testing were performed on the BioFire® FilmArray® 2.0 Respiratory Panel 2.1 and Cepheid GeneXpert® Xpress SARS-CoV-2/Flu/RSV assays. RESULTS: LoD and comparative testing demonstrated increased sensitivity with the Cepheid compared with the BioFire® in detecting SARS-CoV-2 in NP VTM and saline, nasal, and OP swabs. Conversely, saliva testing on the Cepheid showed statistically significant lower sensitivity compared to the BioFire® . Finally, NP swabs in saline showed no significant difference compared with NP swabs in VTM on both platforms. CONCLUSION: The Cepheid and BioFire® NGDS are viable options to address a variety of public health needs providing rapid and reliable, point-of-care testing using a variety of clinical matrices.

Resilient Built Environment: Critical Review of the Strategies Released by the Sustainability Rating Systems in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, buildings have been viewed as a facilitator of disease spread, where the three main transmission routes (contact, droplets, aerosols) are more likely to happen. However, with proper policies and measures, buildings can be better prepared for re-occupancy and beyond. This study reviews the strategies developed by several Sustainability Rating Systems (SRS, namely WELL, Fitwel and LEED) to respond to any infectious disease and ensure that building occupants protect and maintain their health. The best practices, that are similar between each SRS, highlight that the overall sustainability of the spaces increases if they are resilient. Results indicate that SRS promote a weak sustainability approach since they accept that economic development can reduce natural capitals. SRS are also characterized by an aggregated level of assessment of different criteria that does not allow to map different choices. However, the decomposition of the concept of sustainability in its three bottom lines (i.e., environmental, social and economic) shows that preventive strategies are likely to be systematically adopted as the state-of-the-art. Finally, even if the latest research points out the airborne transmission as the major infection route, the SRS lack analytical measures to address issues such as social distancing.

Use of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Serum Peptidome to Classify and Predict Coronavirus Disease 2019 Severity.

BACKGROUND: Classification and early detection of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients is required to establish an effective treatment. We tested the utility of matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to classify and predict the severity of COVID-19. METHODS: We used MALDI-TOF MS to analyze the serum peptidome from 72 patients with COVID-19 (training cohort), clinically classified as mild (28), severe (23), and critical (21), and 20 healthy controls. The resulting matrix of peak intensities was used for Machine Learning (ML) approaches to classify and predict COVID-19 severity of 22 independent patients (validation cohort). Finally, we analyzed all sera by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify the most relevant proteins associated with disease severity. RESULTS: We found a clear variability of the serum peptidome profile depending on COVID-19 severity. Forty-two peaks exhibited a log fold change ≥1 and 17 were significantly different and at least 4-fold more intense in the set of critical patients than in the mild ones. The ML approach classified clinical stable patients according to their severity with 100% accuracy and correctly predicted the evolution of the nonstable patients in all cases. The LC-MS/MS identified 5 proteins that were significantly upregulated in the critical patients. They included the serum amyloid protein A2, which probably yielded the most intense peak detected by MALDI-TOF MS. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate the potential of the MALDI-TOF MS as a bench to bedside technology to aid clinicians in their decision making regarding patients with COVID-19.

COVID-19 y comunidad gitana: Enfoques en la prensa española

Durante el Estado de Alarma en España, el Consejo para la Eliminación de la Discriminación Racial o Étnica expresó su preocupación ante los numerosos casos de discriminación, rechazo y odio que se han producido contra la comunidad gitana. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo principal conocer el tratamiento mediático utilizado para dar cobertura a las noticias de prensa que vinculan el COVID-19 con la comunidad gitana en España. La metodología desarrollada es de carácter mixto, utilizando el análisis del discurso y el de contenido como técnicas de investigación. El análisis de datos se realiza con el software ATLAS.ti. Los resultados principales reflejan que las atribuciones estereotipadas de la comunidad gitana, como un exogrupo con bajo estatus social, precario, conflictivo, delincuencial y peligroso, se han intensificado en el contexto del COVID-19. Por otra parte, se han evidenciado nuevas atribuciones que representan a la comunidad gitana como "transmisores del COVID-19", reforzando una imagen como población que atenta contra la salud pública del país. Se concluye alertando que las representaciones sociales de la comunidad gitana en la prensa española favorecen la (re)producción de escenarios de conflictividad, estigmatización y rechazo.Alternate abstract:During the State of Alarm in Spain, the Council for the Elimination of Racial or Ethnic Discrimination expressed its concern about the numerous cases of discrimination, rejection and hatred that have occurred against the Gypsy Community. This work has as main objective to know the media treatment used to give coverage to the press news that link the COVID-19 with the Gypsy Community in Spain. The methodology developed is of a mixed nature, using discourse analysis and content analysis as research techniques. The data analysis is carried out with the software ATLAS.ti. The main results reflect that the stereotyped attributes of the Gypsy Community, as an exogroup with low social status, precarious, conflictive, criminal and dangerous, have been intensified in the context of the COVID-19. On the other hand, new attributions have become evident that represent the Gypsy Community as "transmitters of the COVID-19", reinforcing an image as a population that threatens the public health of the country. It concludes by warning that the social representations of the Gypsy Community in the Spanish press favour the (re)production of scenarios of conflict, stigmatization and rejection.

A new approach for the determination of sunscreen levels in seawater by ultraviolet absorption spectrophotometry.

Sunscreen is released into the marine environment and is considered toxic for marine life. The current analytical methods for the quantification of sunscreen are mostly specific to individual chemical ingredients and based on complex analytical and instrumental techniques. A simple, selective, rapid, reproducible and low-cost spectrophotometric procedure for the quantification of commercial sunscreen in seawater is described here. The method is based on the inherent properties of these cosmetics to absorb in the wavelength of 300-400 nm. The absorption at 303 nm wavelength correlates with the concentration of most commercial sunscreens. This method allows the determination of sunscreens in the range of 2.5-1500 mg L-1, it requires no sample pretreatment and offers a precision of up to 0.2%. The spectrophotometric method was applied to quantify sunscreen concentrations at an Atlantic Beach with values ranging from 10 to 96.7 mg L-1 in the unfiltered fraction and from the undetectable value to 75.7 mg L-1 in the dissolved fraction. This method is suggested as a tool for sunscreen quantifications in environmental investigations and monitoring programs.

Calculating a Drop in Carbon Emissions in the Strait of Gibraltar (Spain) from Domestic Shipping Traffic Caused by the COVID-19 Crisis

As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spanish government declared a State of Emergency, and domestic passenger ship traffic was restricted in Spanish ports. This manuscript presents scenarios of emissions from domestic shipping traffic in the seas of the Strait of Gibraltar (Spain) over three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Emissions were estimated for only 90 days of the pandemic, and two scenarios were studied: emissions while vessels were berthed at the Algeciras Port and emissions as a consequence of the interruption of passenger ship transportation in the Strait of Gibraltar. To this end, the authors’own model was used, which has near zero uncertainties. This model was used for the first time in this study and takes into account both meteorological and sea condition parameters, as well as the efficiency of the propulsion system. The manuscript concentrates on the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), carbon dioxide (CO2), and particulate matter (PM) from six Ro-Pax ships that ceased to operate. The main finding is that as a consequence of the pandemic, reductions of up to 12% were found in the Strait of Gibraltar in all the pollutants and GHGs when taking into account all international traffic, while the decrease in emissions from domestic traffic only reached 51%.

[Emergency Surgery and Trauma Care During COVID-19 Pandemic. Recommendations of the Spanish Association of Surgeons]. / Atención de la urgencia quirúrgica durante la pandemia COVID-19. Recomendaciones de la Asociación Española de Cirujanos.

New coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) has determined the necessity of reorganization in many centers all over the world. Spain, as an epicenter of the disease, has been forced to assume health policy changes in all the territory. However, and from the beginning of the pandemic, every center attending surgical urgencies had to guarantee the continuous coverage adopting correct measures to maintain the excellence of quality of care. This document resumes general guidelines for emergency surgery and trauma care, obtained from the available bibliography and evaluated by a subgroup of professionals designated from the general group of investigators Cirugía-AEC-COVID-19 from the Spanish Association of Surgeons, directed to minimize professional exposure, to contemplate pandemic implications over different urgent perioperative scenarios and to adjust decision making to the occupational pressure caused by COVID-19 patients.

Asthma prevalence in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection detected by RT-PCR not requiring hospitalization.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of asthma in patients hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2 has been studied and varies widely in the different series. However, the prevalence in SARS-infected patients not requiring hospitalization is not known. The objective of this study was to analyze the presence of asthma in a consecutive series of patients who tested positive in the RT-PCR assay for SARS-CoV-2 and did not require hospital admission. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 218 patients (58% of those who tested positive) did not require hospitalization; they had a median age of 45 years (IQR 34-57) and 57% were female. Six patients (2.8%) had a previous diagnosis of asthma. Only one patient developed a mild aggravation of asthma symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONCLUSIONS: Few patients with asthma were infected by SARS-CoV-2, and this infection was not a significant cause of asthma exacerbation.