Heparan sulfate promotes ACE2 super-cluster assembly to enhance SARS-CoV-2-associated syncytium formation.

The mechanism of syncytium formation, caused by spike-induced cell-cell fusion in severe COVID-19, is largely unclear. Here we combine chemical genetics with 4D confocal imaging to establish the cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) as a critical host factor exploited by SARS-CoV-2 to enhance spike’s fusogenic activity. HS binds spike to facilitate ACE2 clustering, generating synapse-like cell-cell contacts to promote fusion pore formation. ACE2 clustering, and thus, syncytium formation is significantly mitigated by chemical or genetic elimination of cell surface HS, while in a cell-free system consisting of purified HS, spike, and lipid-anchored ACE2, HS directly induces ACE2 clustering. Importantly, the interaction of HS with spike allosterically enables a conserved ACE2 linker in receptor clustering, which concentrates spike at the fusion site to overcome fusion-associated activity loss. This fusion-boosting mechanism can be effectively targeted by an investigational HS-binding drug, which reduces syncytium formation in vitro and viral infection in mice.

Clinical significance of liver function indexes of patients with COVID-19

Objective: To explore the value of liver function indexes on evaluation of the illness condition of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: 261 patients with confirmed COVID-19 which collected from Huangshi Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January to March 2020 were investigated and separated into:group of critical type, group of severe type and group of common type, and the data of the patients about age, gender, past medical history and the results of liver function test were collected. Chi-square test, analysis of variance, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were adopted to explore the relationship between liver function indexes and illness condition of COVID-19. Results: 50.2% of COVID-19 patients had abnormal liver function. Compared with the group of severe type, the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), P-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and total bilirubin (TBIL)in the group of critical type was significantly higher, while the level of albumin(ALB)was significantly lower, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05);compared with the group of common type, the levels of ALT, +AST, and GGT in the group of severe type were significantly higher, while the level of ALB was significantly lower, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The proportions of patients with abnormal liver function or liver damage in the group of critical type were significantly higher than those in the group of severe type (P < 0.05), and the proportions of patients with abnormal liver function or liver damage in the group of severe type was significantly higher than those in the group of common type (P < 0.05). The incidence ratio of abnormal liver function in patients with underlying disease was higher than that of without underlying disease (P < 0.05). ALT, AST, ALP, TBIL, and ALB were all risk factors for severe progress of COVID-19 disease (all P < 0.05);multivariate logistic regression analysis inidicating that TBIL (OR=10.862, P < 0.05) and ALB (OR=11.733, P < 0.05)were the independent risk factors. TBIL level was positively correlated with the severity of COVID-19 (r=0.367, P < 0.05), and ALB level was negatively correlated with the severity of COVID-19 (r=-0.613, P < 0.05). Conclusions: The abnormal liver function, especially the obvious abnormality of TBIL and ALB, could be used as the reference index of COVID-19 severity. The COVID-19 patients with underlying disease were easily suffered liver injury.

Rational development of multicomponent mRNA vaccine candidates against mpox.

The re-emerging mpox (formerly monkeypox) virus (MPXV), a member of Orthopoxvirus genus together with variola virus (VARV) and vaccinia virus (VACV), has led to public health emergency of international concern since July 2022. Inspired by the unprecedent success of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccines, the development of a safe and effective mRNA vaccine against MPXV is of high priority. Based on our established lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNA vaccine platform, we rationally constructed and prepared a panel of multicomponent MPXV vaccine candidates encoding different combinations of viral antigens including M1R, E8L, A29L, A35R, and B6R. In vitro and in vivo characterization demonstrated that two immunizations of all mRNA vaccine candidates elicit a robust antibody response as well as antigen-specific Th1-biased cellular response in mice. Importantly, the penta- and tetra-component vaccine candidates AR-MPXV5 and AR-MPXV4a showed superior capability of inducing neutralizing antibodies as well as of protecting from VACV challenge in mice. Our study provides critical insights to understand the protection mechanism of MPXV infection and direct evidence supporting further clinical development of these multicomponent mRNA vaccine candidates.

Immunogenicity of a spike protein subunit-based COVID-19 vaccine with broad protection against various SARS-CoV-2 variants in animal studies.

SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has profound impacts on human life and global economy since the outbreak in 2019. With the new variants continue to emerge with greater immune escaping capability, the protectivity of the available vaccines is compromised. Therefore, development a vaccine that is capable of inducing immunity against variants including omicron strains is in urgent need. In this study, we developed a protein-based vaccine BCVax that is consisted of antigen delta strain spike protein and QS21-based adjuvant AB801 in nanoparticle immune stimulation complex format (AB801-ISCOM). Results from animal studies showed that high level of anti-S protein IgG was induced after two doses of BCVax and the IgG was capable of neutralizing multiple variants of pseudovirus including omicron BA.1 or BA.2 strains. In addition, strong Th1 response was stimulated after BCVax immunization. Furthermore, BCvax with AB801-ISCOM as the adjuvant showed significant stronger immunity compared with the vaccine using aluminum hydroxide plus CpG 1018 as the adjuvant. BCVax was also evaluated as a booster after two prior vaccinations, the IgG titers and pseudovirus neutralization activities against BA.2 or BA.4/BA.5 were further enhanced suggesting BCVax is a promising candidate as booster. Taken together, the pre-clinical data warrant BCVax for further development in clinic.

SARS-CoV-2 N protein mediates intercellular nucleic acid dispersion, a feature reduced in Omicron.

The coronavirus nucleocapsid (N) protein is known to bind to nucleic acids and facilitate viral genome encapsulation. Here we report that the N protein can mediate RNA or DNA entering neighboring cells through ACE2-independent, receptor (STEAP2)-mediated endocytosis, and achieve gene expression. The effect is more pronounced for the N protein of wild-type SARS-CoV-2 than that of the Omicron variant and other human coronaviruses. This effect is enhanced by RANTES (CCL5), a chemokine induced by N protein, and lactate, a metabolite produced in hypoxia, to cause more damage. These findings might explain the clinical observations in SARS-CoV-2-infected cases. Moreover, the N protein-mediated function can be inhibited by N protein-specific monoclonal antibodies or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors. Since the N-protein-mediated nucleic acid endocytosis involves a receptor commonly expressed in many types of cells, our findings suggest that N protein may have an additional role in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.

Telerheumatology: A Narrative Review

Telemedicine (TM), the delivery of health care using telecommunication technologies, has been in use in rheumatology practice for over two decades to maximize access and optimize care. As a direct consequence of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in March 2020, rheumatology practice shifted from traditional in-person encounters to TM to ensure the safety of both healthcare professionals and patients. However, there is limited literature on the acceptance, feasibility, and effectiveness of TM in the management of rheumatic diseases. Additionally, there is limited guidance on the implementation of telerheumatology (TR) for both patient care and clinical trials. Here we reviewed the most recent publications related to the application of TR, in the management of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), assessed the perceptions of patients and physicians on TM in rheumatology, and identified several key barriers to TR.

Unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss in post-COVID-19 patients: Case report.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is an otologic emergency. Sensorineural hearing loss needs to be distinguished from conductive when patients present with sudden hearing loss at the primary care level. Prompt diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss with pure tone audiometry and immediate treatment by an otolaryngologist can improve the hearing outcome. To date, few case reports exist about SSNHL among post-COVID-19 patients, and none were reported in Malaysia. Here, we present two cases of SSNHL in patients after COVID-19 infection. We wish to highlight the association of SSNHL following COVID-19 infection for timely referral towards better audiology outcomes. Permanent hearing loss will lead to another negative impact on the long-term quality of life of COVID-19 patients.

Hamsters Protected from SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Challenge after Two Doses of Adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Spike Protein (S-2P) and One Dose of Beta S-2P.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern negatively impact the effectiveness of vaccines. In this study, we challenge hamsters with the delta variant after 2- or 3-dose inoculations with SARS-CoV-2 vaccines constructed from stabilized prefusion spike proteins (S-2P) of Wuhan (W) and beta (B) variants. Compared to 3 doses of W S-2P, 2 doses of W S-2P followed by a third dose of B S-2P induced the highest neutralizing antibody titer against live SARS-CoV-2 virus and enhanced neutralization of omicron variant pseudovirus. Reduced lung live virus titer and pathology suggested that all vaccination regimens protect hamsters from SARS-CoV-2 delta variant challenge.

Photocatalytic Chemical Crosslinking for Profiling RNA–Protein Interactions in Living Cells

The dynamic interactions between RNAs and proteins play crucial roles in regulating diverse cellular processes. Proteome‐wide characterization of these interactions in their native cellular context remains desirable but challenging. Herein, we developed a photocatalytic crosslinking (PhotoCAX) strategy coupled with mass spectrometry (PhotoCAX‐MS) and RNA sequencing (PhotoCAX‐seq) for the study of the composition and dynamics of protein‐RNA interactions. By integrating the blue light‐triggered photocatalyst with a dual‐functional RNA–protein crosslinker (RP‐linker) and the phase separation‐based enrichment strategy, PhotoCAX‐MS revealed a total of 2044 RBPs in human HEK293 cells. We further employed PhotoCAX to investigate the dynamic change of RBPome in macrophage cells upon LPS‐stimulation, as well as the identification of RBPs interacting directly with the 5′ untranslated regions of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Angewandte Chemie International Edition is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Exploration and Thinking in Mixed Flipping-Classroom Teaching Approach on Clinical Endocrinolgy during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Period

Background and Objectives: To explore the superiority of flipping-classroom lended learning in which the stay-home e-learning and traditional internship complements each other in resident training of endcorinology during coronavirus disease 2019 restriction period. Materials and Methods: A total of 44 residents were randomized as the study population. In the endocrine-rotation training, we reformed the clinical learning by unified online-teaching led by teachers' combination with individual guidance by residents. Moreover, the final implementation assessment was conducted by standard double-blind examinations. Results: After 4–8 weeks training, the 44 residents were assessed for clinical skills from six dimensions, including medical history collection, physical examination, history report and inpatient record writing, case analysis, and overviewing capability. Compared with the mean scores of 68 residents rotated in internal medicine in 2019, the mean scores on physical examination, inpatient record writing, and overviewing capability in 2020 group were higher with significance ([85.72 ± 8.33] vs.[79.22 ± 10.12], P = 0.0006), ([90.28 ± 10.70] vs. [81.82 ± 8.03], P < 0.0001), ([80.31 ± 8.70] vs. [73.04 ± 12.74], P = 0.0012), whereas scores on skills of medical history collection and history report were slightly lower ([82.11 ± 9.02] vs. [85.06 ± 7.23], P = 0.0586), ([79.30 ± 8.17] vs. [83.21 ± 5.01], P = 0.0022), while scores on case analysis did not show huge gap but with polarized performance in 2020 group ([74.38 ± 10.29] vs. [78.13 ± 8.53], P = 0.0386). Conclusions: Providing the novel pattern of unified online-teaching combined with individual-guidance at the bedside to the front-line residents can reduce the risk of cluster epidemics and effectively ensure the training effect on them but still with shortcomings. The future online teaching reform is better for focus more on how to make up for or reduce the actual problem of disconnection between theory and practice in the process of online clinical skills training for residents and teachers.

Increasing demand for point-of-care testing and the potential to incorporate the Internet of medical things in an integrated health management system.

As the number of people with COVID-19 increases daily around the world, point-of-care testing (POCT) is gaining attention as a tool that can provide immediate test results and greatly help to deter infection and determine what to do next. POCT has several drawbacks such as a low sensitivity and specificity, but according to studies POCT has increased sensitivity on par with that of polymerase chain reaction testing. The advantage of POCT is that the results can be obtained quickly, regardless of the location. To further enhance its benefits, POCT is being developed and researched in conjunction with the Internet of medical things (IoMT), which allows POCT results to be collected, recorded, and managed over a network. IoMT will be beneficial not only for the use of POCT simply as a testing tool but also for its integration into diagnostic and health management systems. IoMT will enable people to regularly receive their test results in their daily lives and to provide personalized diagnosis and treatment of individual conditions, which will be beneficial in terms of disease prevention and maintenance of health.

CoVac501, a self-adjuvanting peptide vaccine conjugated with TLR7 agonists, against SARS-CoV-2 induces protective immunity.

Safe, effective, and economical vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are needed to achieve adequate herd immunity and end the pandemic. We constructed a novel SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, CoVac501, which is a self-adjuvanting peptide vaccine conjugated with Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonists. The vaccine contains immunodominant peptides screened from the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and is fully chemically synthesized. It has been formulated in an optimized nanoemulsion formulation and is stable at 40 °C for 1 month. In non-human primates (NHPs), CoVac501 elicited high and persistent titers of protective neutralizing antibodies against multiple RBD mutations, SARS-CoV-2 original strain, and variants (B.1.1.7 and B.1.617.2). Specific peptides booster immunization against the B.1.351 variant has also been shown to be effective in improving protection against B.1.351. Meanwhile, CoVac501 elicited the increase of memory T cells, antigen-specific CD8+ T-cell responses, and Th1-biased CD4+ T-cell immune responses in NHPs. Notably, at an extremely high SARS-CoV-2 challenge dose of 1 × 107 TCID50, CoVac501 provided near-complete protection for the upper and lower respiratory tracts of cynomolgus macaques.

Developing a Screening Procedure During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Process and Challenges Faced by a Low-Incidence Area.

Purpose: To summarize the imaging results of COVID-19 pneumonia and develop a computerized tomography (CT) screening procedure for patients at our institution with malignant tumors. Methods: Following epidemiological investigation, 1,429 patients preparing to undergo anti-tumor-treatment underwent CT scans between February 17 and April 16, 2020. When CT findings showed suspected COVID-19 pneumonia after the supervisor radiologist and the thoracic experience radiologist had double-read the initial CT images, radiologists would report the result to our hospital infection control staff. Further necessary examinations, including the RT-PCR test, in the assigned hospital was strongly recommended for patients with positive CT results. The CT examination room would perform sterilization for 30 min to 1 h. If the negative results of any suspected COVID-19 pneumonia CT findings were identified, the radiologists would upload the results to our Hospital Information Systems and inform clinicians within 2 h. Results: Fifty (0.35%, 50/1,429) suspected pneumonia cases, including 29 males and 21 females (median age: 59.5 years old; age range 27-79 years), were identified. A total of 34.0% (17/50) of the patients had a history of lung cancer and 54.0 (27/50) underwent chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Forty-six patients (92.0%) had prior CT scans, and 35 patients (76.1%) with suspected pneumonia were newly seen (median interval time: 62 days). Sub-pleura small patchy or strip-like lesions most likely due to fibrosis or hypostatic pneumonia and cluster of nodular lesions were the two main signs of suspected cases on CT images (34, 68.0%). Twenty-seven patients (54.0%) had, at least once, follow-up CT scan (median interval time: 18.0 days). Only one patient had an increase in size (interval time: 8 days), the immediately RT-PCR test result was negative. Conclusion: CT may be useful as a screening tool for COVID-19 based on imaging features. But the differential diagnosis between COVID-19 and other pulmonary infection and/or non-infectious disease is very difficult due to its overlapping imaging features.The confirmed diagnosis of the COVID-19 infection should be based on the etiologic eventually. The cancer patients at a low-incidence area would continue treatment by screening carefully before admission.

The Use of COVID-19 Vaccines in Patients with SLE.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Three COVID-19 vaccines obtained emergency authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are widely used in the USA. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of evidence on the safety and efficacy of these vaccines in patients with autoimmune inflammatory rheumatic diseases (AIIRD), as these patients were excluded from all phases of vaccine development. Here we reviewed current data on COVID-19 vaccination in patients with AIIRD, with emphasis on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and provided a comprehensive update on the benefits and risks of vaccination. RECENT FINDINGS: Patients with SLE have worse immune responses following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination than healthy controls. The efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines seems to be further reduced by immunosuppressive medications, such as glucocorticoids (GC), methotrexate (MTX), mycophenolate/mycophenolic acid (MMF), and rituximab (RTX). However, these data do not substantiate that AIIRD patients are at greater risk of disease flares or have a higher incidence of side effects following vaccination. There is no significant safety concern for the use of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with AIIRD. The benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks in patients with AIIRD, including SLE. More data are needed to determine the necessity of a booster vaccine dose and appropriate adjustment of immunosuppressants around the administration of vaccine.

CRISPR Engineering of Bacteriophage T4 to Design Vaccines Against SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Pathogens.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought to the fore the urgent need for vaccine design and delivery platforms that can be rapidly deployed for manufacture and distribution. Though the mRNA and adenoviral vector platforms have been enormously successful to control SARS-CoV-2 viral infections, it is unclear if this could be replicated against more complex pathogens or the emerging variants. Recently, we described a "universal" platform that can incorporate multiple vaccine targets into the same nanoparticle scaffold by CRISPR engineering of bacteriophage T4. A T4-COVID vaccine designed with this technology elicited broad immunogenicity and complete protection against virus challenge in a mouse model. Here, we describe the detailed methodology to generate recombinant bacteriophage T4 backbones using CRISPR that can also be broadly applicable to other bacteriophages that abundantly pervade the Earth.

Telemedicine in rheumatology: a survey of patient and provider satisfaction with virtual care

1105 Table 1Telemedicine Seven-item QuestionnaireQuestionnaire Item Response N (%) How satisfied were you with your previous telemedicine visit? Highly satisfied 50 (50%) Satisfied 34 (34%) Neither satisfied nor unsatisfied 11 (11%) Not satisfied 5 (5%) Highly unsatisfied 0 (0%) Reasons for satisfaction? Avoid coming into the office 73 (73%) Call went smoothly 77 (77%) Decrease their concerns over condition, medications and risk of COVID-19 75 (75%) Reasons for unsatisfaction? Technical difficulties 4 (4%) Visit was too short 2 (2%) Visit was too basic for their needs 4 (4%) How comfortable were you with your previous telemedicine visits? Very comfortable 62 (62%) Comfortable 24 (24%) Neither comfortable nor uncomfortable 11 (11%) Uncomfortable 3 (3%) Highly uncomfortable 0 (0%) The physician was able to address what was bothering me through the telemedicine visit? Strongly agree 54 (54%) Agree 37 (37%) Don’t know 5 (5%) Disagree 4 (4%) Strongly disagree 0 (0%) Overall, compared to an in-person visit, the telemedicine visit was? Much better 10 (10%) Better 6 (6%) Same 57 (57%) Worse 25 (25%) Much worse 2 (2%) I would have a telemedicine appointment in the future, if given the option. Yes 77 (77%) Unsure 14 (14%) No 9 (9%) Abstract 1105 Table 2Demographic characteristics of study subjectsCharacteristics Categories N (%) Gender Male 9 (9%) Female 91 (91%) Age (years) 20-30 18 (18%) 30-40 22 (22%) 40-50 22 (22%) 50-60 21 (21%) 60-70 13 (13%) 70-80 4 (4%) Race White 41 (41%) Black or African American 25 (25%) Asian 7 (7%) Hispanic 26 (26%) Health insurance Insured 100 (100%) Uninsured 0 (0%) Diagnoses Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) 60 (60%) Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) 7 (7%) Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Diseases (UCTD) 7 (7%) Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) 5 (5%) Sjogren’s Syndrome (SS) 4 (4%) Spondylitis 3 (3%) Other (Sarcoidosis, Myositis, Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia, Uveitis, Vasculitis) 14 (14%) ConclusionsOur cohort showed high rate of patient satisfaction with telemedicine healthcare. However, the relatively low healthcare provider satisfaction rate raises concern as to whether elemedicine constitutes a satisfactory alternative to conventional in-person care. Additional researches are required to investigate the feasibility of telemedicine in long-term disease activity evaluation and patient outcome measurement.

Hydroxychloroquine in patients with mainly mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019: open label, randomised controlled trial

Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine plus standard of care compared with standard of care alone in adults with coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19). Design: Multicentre, open label, randomised controlled trial. Setting 16 government designated covid-19 treatment centres in China, 11 to 29 February 2020. Participants: 150 patients admitted to hospital with laboratory confirmed covid-19 were included in the intention to treat analysis (75 patients assigned to hydroxychloroquine plus standard of care, 75 to standard of care alone). Interventions Hydroxychloroquine administrated at a loading dose of 1200 mg daily for three days followed by a maintenance dose of 800 mg daily (total treatment duration: two or three weeks for patients with mild to moderate or severe disease, respectively). Main outcome measure: Negative conversion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 by 28 days, analysed according to the intention to treat principle. Adverse events were analysed in the safety population in which hydroxychloroquine recipients were participants who received at least one dose of hydroxychloroquine and hydroxychloroquine non-recipients were those managed with standard of care alone.

Supportive or Confining? The Impact of War Metaphors From the COVID-19 Pandemic on Persons With Disabilities in Mainland China.

Ensuring the well-being of persons with disabilities (PWDs) is a priority in the public sector during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To contain this unprecedented public crisis in China, a set of nationwide anti-epidemic discourse systems centered on war metaphors has guided the epidemic's prevention and control. While the public is immersed in the joy brought by the stage victory, most ignore the situation of the disadvantaged PWDs. Accordingly, this study adopts and presents a qualitative research method to explore the impact of war metaphors on PWDs. The results showed that while there was some formal and informal support for PWDs during this period, they were increasingly marginalized. Owing to the lack of a disability lens and institutional exclusion, PWDs were placed on the margins of the epidemic prevention and control system like outsiders. Affected by pragmatism under war metaphors, PWDs are regarded as non-contributory or inefficient persons; therefore, they are not prioritized and are thus placed into a state of being voiceless and invisible. This research can provide inspiration for improving public services for PWDs in the context of COVID-19.

Traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of novel infectious diseases: Current status and dilemma.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is a valuable form of medicine with a long history in China. It has played a significant role in the control and prevention of infectious diseases including SARS and H7N9 flu. After the outbreak of COVID-19, China's National Health Commission included TCM in the Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol for COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, three traditional Chinese medicines (Jinhua Qinggan granules, Lianhua Qingwen medicine, and a Xuebijing Injection) and three TCM preparations (a Qingfei Paidu decoction, a Huashi Baidu decoction, and a Xuanfei Baidu decoction) have been screened for their efficacy against COVID-19. More than 150 trials involving TCMs are registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), and those trials cover prevention, treatment, recovery, and illnesses diagnosed in accordance with TCM principles. TCM can effectively alleviate the symptoms of patients with COVID-19, delay the disease's progression from mild to severe or critical, and reduce severe and critical all-cause mortality. The underlying mechanisms of TCM mainly involve action against SARS-CoV-2, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory action, and organ protection. The current work provides a brief description of the current status of and issues with TCM to treat this novel infectious disease. The hope is that TCM can help considerably to control this global epidemic.