Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children living in shelters and children in the community (Review)

In the first 2 years of the pandemic, from late 2019 to late 2021, several studies were conducted to determine the experience of children during the continuous lockdowns, school closures and isolation from their friends, teachers or relatives. The studies conducted included children being raised in childcare facilities and children being raised in their own homes, in various parts of the world. Numerous children worldwide, in addition to the stress and difficulties experienced by adults and minors during these years of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic, have experienced physical, psychological and sexual abuse. The available data indicate that the number of children presenting to hospitals with injuries from abuse has increased, despite the fact that there was a decrease in the number of reports of child abuse during the lockdowns. The financial difficulties that a number of families have faced, and continue to face, comprise the most prominent risk factor for child neglect. Additionally, a marked decrease has also been noted in the provision of care to children in care homes as regards quality. This has been mainly due to a reduction in the number of employees, either as they themselves or someone they cared for became infected with COVID-19, or as the employees and care givers suffered from exhaustion brought on by the very difficult working conditions and very strict measures taken during this period of the pandemic. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis and computational biology (Review).

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune neurodegenerative disease whose prevalence has increased worldwide. The resultant symptoms may be debilitating and can substantially reduce the of patients. Computational biology, which involves the use of computational tools to answer biomedical questions, may provide the basis for novel healthcare approaches in the context of MS. The rapid accumulation of health data, and the ever-increasing computational power and evolving technology have helped to modernize and refine MS research. From the discovery of novel biomarkers to the optimization of treatment and a number of quality-of-life enhancements for patients, computational biology methods and tools are shaping the field of MS diagnosis, management and treatment. The final goal in such a complex disease would be personalized medicine, i.e., providing healthcare services that are tailored to the individual patient, in accordance to the particular biology of their disease and the environmental factors to which they are subjected. The present review article summarizes the current knowledge on MS, modern computational biology and the impact of modern computational approaches of MS.

Novel computational pipelines in antiviral structure­based drug design (Review).

Viral infections constitute a fundamental and continuous challenge for the global scientific and medical community, as highlighted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In combination with prophylactic vaccines, the development of safe and effective antiviral drugs remains a pressing need for the effective management of rare and common pathogenic viruses. The design of potent antivirals can be informed by the study of the three-dimensional structure of viral protein targets. Structure-based design of antivirals in silico provides a solution to the arduous and costly process of conventional drug development pipelines. Furthermore, rapid advances in high-throughput computing, along with the growth of available biomolecular and biochemical data, enable the development of novel computational pipelines in the hunt of antivirals. The incorporation of modern methods, such as deep-learning and artificial intelligence, has the potential to revolutionize the structure-based design and repurposing of antiviral compounds, with minimal side effects and high efficacy. The present review aims to provide an outline of both traditional computational drug design and emerging, high-level computing strategies.

The prognostic role of micronutrient status and supplements in COVID-19 outcomes: A systematic review.

Micronutrients constitute an adjuvant treatment for respiratory viral infections. Since there is no effective antiviral therapy for COVID-19 yet, adjuvant intervention for the survival of critically ill patients may be significant. Search of the PubMed, CINAHL and Cochrane databases was carried out to find human studies investigating the prognostic role of micronutrient status and the effects of micronutrient supplementation intervention in COVID-19 outcomes of adult patients. Patients with certain comorbidities (diabetes mellitus type 2, obesity, renal failure, liver dysfunction etc.) or pregnant women were excluded. 31 studies (27 observational studies and 4 clinical trials) spanning the years 2020-2021, pertaining to 8624 COVID-19 patients (mean age±SD, 61 ± 9 years) were included in this systematic review. Few studies provided direct evidence on the association of serum levels of vitamin D, calcium, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus and selenium to patients' survival or death. Vitamin D and calcium were the most studied micronutrients and those with a probable promising favorable impact on patients. This review highlights the importance of a balanced nutritional status for a favorable outcome in COVID-19. Micronutrients' deficiency on admission to hospital seems to be related to a high risk for ICU admission, intubation and even death. Nevertheless, evidence for intervention remains unclear.

Haematological malignancies implications during the times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated current healthcare services for cancer patients. Patients with haematological malignancies specifically seem vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection due to their immunosuppressed status. The COVID-19 pandemic influences every step of the assessment and treatment of a haematological malignancy. Clinicians must adhere to strict policies to not spread the virus to their patients while they must also adjust their workflow for maximum productivity. These difficulties accentuate the ever-present need to improve the healthcare services for cancer patients. This improvement is needed not only to combat the problems that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic but also to establish a framework for the management of patients with haematological malignancies in potential future pandemics.

Genetic and structural analyses of ssRNA viruses pave the way for the discovery of novel antiviral pharmacological targets.

In the era of big data and artificial intelligence, a lot of new discoveries have influenced the fields of antiviral drug design and pharmacophore identification. Viruses have always been a threat to society in terms of public health and economic stability. Viruses not only affect humans but also livestock and agriculture with a direct impact on food safety, economy and environmental imprint. Most recently, with the pandemic of COVID-19, it was made clear that a single virus can have a devastating impact on global well-being and economy. In this direction, there is an emerging need for the identification of promising pharmacological targets in viruses. Herein, an effort has been made to discuss the current knowledge, state-of-the-art applications and future implications for the main pharmacological targets of single-stranded RNA viruses.

Molecular mechanisms of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and potential anti-COVID19 pharmacological targets since the outbreak of the pandemic.

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has emerged as a severe threat against public health and global economies. COVID-19, the disease caused by this virus, is highly contagious and has led to an ongoing pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 affects, mainly, the respiratory system, with most severe cases primarily showcasing acute respiratory distress syndrome. Currently, no targeted therapy exists, and since the number of infections and death toll keeps rising, it has become a necessity to study possible therapeutic targets. Antiviral drugs can target various stages of the viral infection, and in the case of SARS-CoV-2, both structural and non-structural proteins have been proposed as potential drug targets. This review focuses on the most researched SARS-CoV-2 proteins, their structure, function, and possible therapeutic approaches.