ABSTRACT
A dual-functional anti-pathogenic coating with controllable repelling and capturing/inactivation of pathogens, which make it capable of eliminating a broad range of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, is reported. The reversible switch between repelling and capturing/inactivation is readily made via its CO2-responsive wettability. In its superhydrophobic state, the coating enables a SARS-CoV-2 repellent efficacy of 99.9997%. In its superhydrophilic state, the coating has a virucidal efficacy of up to 99.9897%, which is comparable to the inactivation rate of chemical disinfectants. The coating is highly flexible with anti-corrosive and anti-frosting properties, which works for repelling essentially all pathogens and potentially could be applied into various daily used products and materials. The coating has the potential to set a new prevention standard in fighting the current pandemic and preventing future ones via especially intercepting the transmission of pathogens through contaminated surfaces.
ABSTRACT
Blood clots are a central feature of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and can culminate in pulmonary embolism, stroke, and sudden death. However, it is not known how abnormal blood clots form in COVID-19 or why they occur even in asymptomatic and convalescent patients. Here we report that the Spike protein from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to the blood coagulation factor fibrinogen and induces structurally abnormal blood clots with heightened proinflammatory activity. SARS-CoV-2 Spike virions enhanced fibrin-mediated microglia activation and induced fibrinogen-dependent lung pathology. COVID-19 patients had fibrin autoantibodies that persisted long after acute infection. Monoclonal antibody 5B8, targeting the cryptic inflammatory fibrin epitope, inhibited thromboinflammation. Our results reveal a procoagulant role for the SARS-CoV-2 Spike and propose fibrin-targeting interventions as a treatment for thromboinflammation in COVID-19.
Subject(s)
Pulmonary Embolism , Coronavirus Infections , Blood Coagulation Disorders , Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome , Death, Sudden , COVID-19 , StrokeABSTRACT
The infectious disease COVID-19 has swept across the world in 2020, and it continues to cause massive losses of life and severe economic problems in all countries. Providing emergency supplies such as protective medical equipment and materials required to secure people's livelihood is thus currently prioritized by governments. Establishing a reliable emergency logistics system is critical in this regard. This paper used the Delphi method to design a formal decision structure to assess emergency logistics system reliability (ELSR) by obtaining a consensus from a panel of experts. Assessing ELSR is a typical multiple-attribute decision making (MADM) problem, and the related MADM methods are usually on the basis of symmetry principles. A hybrid MADM model, called the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL)-based Analytical Network Process (D-ANP), was developed to identify the critical factors influencing ELSR. An analysis of empirical evidence showed that the emergency logistics command and coordination system and the emergency material supply system play important roles in ELSR, while the emergency logistics transportation and distribution system and the emergency information system are not so important. This conclusion is different from previous research about traditional disaster emergency logistics. Moreover, the cause-effect relationships among the key factors indicated that the system of command and coordination for emergency logistics and the supply system for emergency materials should be improved. Accordingly, effective suggestions for emergency logistics services for epidemic prevention are provided in this paper. The main contributions of this paper are (1) establishing a comprehensive and systematic evaluating index of ELSR for epidemic prevention;(2) employing a kind of structured, namely D-ANP, to identify the critical factors with non-commensurable and conflicting (competing) characteristics;and (3) comparing the differences of reliable criteria between the emergency logistics of epidemic prevention and the traditional disaster emergency logistics.
ABSTRACT
Naming a contagious disease, such as COVID-19, by the geographic locality where the disease originates or starts, for example, Wuhan or China, may stigmatize specific ethnic groups related to that locality, and such stigmatizing behavior will further lead to legitimized discrimination, prejudice, and group conflicts. However, as the construction of social stigma relates closely to group identities, creating xenophobia through stigmatizing out-group members may increase in-group solidarity, which can be taken as a political strategy for the government to avoid the blame from citizens. In this study, we experimentally examine: (1) whether labeling COVID-19 as "Chinese Virus" will result in increased stigmatization and xenophobia against Chinese immigrants; (2) whether the "Chinese Virus" label will reduce people's perceived blameworthiness of the federal government. Our results (N = 1,200) show that about 16% of participants located in the U.S. indicated xenophobia against Chinese immigrants, and perceived blameworthiness of the federal government was polarized as expected. Further, although stigmatization was not significantly triggered by the "Chinese Virus" label in the full sample, we do find statistically significant treatment effects in multiple political and demographic subgroups (21.47% increase in Democrats, 16.73% in Liberals, and 19.93% in whites, no effect in conservatives and Republicans while the stigmatization remains at higher levels than other groups). Meanwhile, our list experiment strategy detected no social desirability bias when measuring xenophobia, suggesting that stigmatizing Chinese immigrants was not suppressed by current social norms. However, increased stigmatization did not lead to the reduce of blameworthiness of the federal government in handling the current pandemic.