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Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the constant transformation of the SARS-COV-2 virus form, exposure to substantial psychosocial stress, environmental change, and isolation have led to the inference that the overall population's mental health could be affected, resulting in an increase in cases of psychosis. Objective(s): We initiated a systematic review to determine the impact of the SARS-COV-2 virus and its long-term effects-in both symptomatic and asymptomatic cases-on people with or without psychosis. We envisioned that this would give us an insight into effective clinical intervention methods for patients with psychosis during and after the pandemic. Method(s): We selected fifteen papers that met our inclusion criteria, i.e., those that considered participants with or without psychiatric illness and exposed to SARS-COV-2 infection, for this review and were retrieved via Google, Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PubMed, and PsychINFO Database. Key Gap: There is a dearth of research in understanding how COVID-19 affects people with or without a prior personal history of psychosis. Result(s): The systematic review summary provides insight into the state of knowledge. Insights from the systematic review have also been reviewed from the salutogenesis model's perspec-tive. There is moderate evidence of new-onset psychosis during the COVID-19 pandemic in which some antipsychotics treated the psychotic symptoms of patients while treating for COVID-19. Suggestions and recommendations are made for preventive and promotive public health strategies. Conclusion(s): The Salutogenesis model and Positive Psychology Interventions (PPI) provide another preventive and promotive public health management approach.Copyright © 2023 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Alphacoronaviruses (HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63) and betacoronaviruses (HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-HKU1) are common causes of upper respiratory tract infection in humans. SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV emerged in 2002 and 2012, respectively, with the potential of causing severe and lethal disease in humans, termed SARS and MERS, respectively. Bats appear to be the common natural source of SARS-like coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-1, but their role in MERS-CoV is less clear. Civet cats and dromedary camels are the intermediary animal sources for SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV, respectively. Nosocomial outbreaks are hallmarks of SARS and MERS. MERS patients with comorbidities or immunosuppression tend to progress more rapidly to respiratory failure and have a higher case fatality rate than SARS patients. SARS has disappeared since 2004, while there are still sporadic cases of MERS in the Middle East. Continued global surveillance is essential for SARS-like coronaviruses and MERS-CoV to monitor changing epidemiology due to viral variants.Copyright © ERS 2021.
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Seven human coronaviruses have been identified so far: four seasonal coronaviruses (HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-HKU1) and three novel coronaviruses (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2). While seasonal coronaviruses cause only mild symptoms, novel coronaviruses cause severe and potentially fatal infections. All known coronaviruses originated in animals. Bats are considered as an origin for the majority of coronaviruses capable of infecting humans;however, rodents are proposed as natural hosts for HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-HKU1. Different animal species could serve as intermediate hosts including alpacas (HCoV-229E), livestock (HCoV-OC43), civet cats (SARS-CoV), camels (MERS-CoV), and pangolins (SARS-CoV-2). In Croatia, SARS-CoV-2 was detected in humans, pet animals, wildlife, and the environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the role of the 'One Health' approach in the surveillance of zoonotic diseases.Copyright © 2022, University Hospital of Infectious Diseases. All rights reserved.
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Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel and highly pathogenic coronavirus and is the causative agent of COVID-19, an ongoing pandemic that has posed a serious threat to public health and global economy. Thus, there is a pressing need for therapeutic interventions that target essential viral proteins and regulate virus spread and replication. To invade the host cell, the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein binds to the host cell's ACE2 receptor, followed by cleavage events that allow the Spike protein to fuse with the host cell membrane. Thus, the essential role of Spike protein in ACE2 receptor binding and viral fusion makes it a prime target for therapeutic interventions. Method(s): We performed molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation-based virtual screening against SARS-CoV-2 RBD/ACE2 interface using a commercial library of 93,835 drug-like compounds. Compounds with promising docking poses and scores were selected for further MD simulation refinement, from which ten lead compounds were identified. Antiviral potencies of ten lead compounds were evaluated against lentiviral vectors pseudotyped with SARS-CoV-2 Spike to down select to a single lead compound, SAI4. ELISA-based assays were employed to determine the binding affinities of SAI4 to recombinant SARS-CoV-2 RBD. Antiviral potential of SAI4 was validated against genuine SARS-CoV-2 in a BSL3 setting. Result(s): We identified SAI4 as a candidate small molecule, which inhibited SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus entry with IC50 value of ~18 muM. We determined that SAI4 binds RDB with a Kd of ~20 muM. Using cells engineered to express ACE2 and cells that express physiological levels of ACE2, we found that SAI4 inhibited SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus entry at both engineered and physiological ACE2 levels. We validated the antiviral potential of SAI4 against genuine SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-NL63. Lastly, we demonstrated antiviral potential of SAI4 against four SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta). Conclusion(s): Using virtual screening, we identified SAI4 as the promising hit compound which displayed inhibitory activities against SARS-CoV-2 entry and its four variants of concern. Thus, our study will pave the way for further development of small molecules for therapeutic targeting of SARS-CoV-2 entry to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
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In a study of two Hospitals in Saxony (Chemnitz and Leipzig), we analyzed the antibody development towards SARS-CoV-2 and against a variety of endemic coronaviruses. Here we analyzed 760 sera from a Saxonian cohort for antibody reactivity against: Common cold coronaviruses, HCoV-229E, HCoV-HKU 1, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-OC43, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. For the SARS CoV-2 immune response we tested the following antigens: Spike, S1, S2, RBD and nucleocapsid. These 11 antigen determinants were tested in a commercial multiplex Luminex based assay. We tested sera from 544 individuals (347 females and 197 males;498 SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive and 262 SARS-CoV-2 PCR negative) between May 2020 and March 2022. We observed up to 10% reactivity against the MERS virus in both the PCR positive and negative group. Against the common cold corona viruses 80%-90 % of the individuals in both groups show detectable antibodies. Regarding the antibody response against SARS-CoV a significant difference was observe. Only 19% of COVID-19 infected individuals show antibodies against the virus, while 81% of the PCR-positive individuals produced antibodies. The presence of antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 is positively correlated with those against SARS-CoV (p = 0.001). No changes in endemic antibody responses were see in the two groups. The antibody status after first immunization event (infection/ vaccination) shows differences in nucleocapsiddirected antibody production, found in the natural infection group (about 60%). In the vaccination group, more individuals (up to 95%) show an immune response against Spike, S1 and RBD compare with natural infection. In summary, the examined cohort shows a general immunization up to 90% against most endemic corona viruses. Correlation analyses show cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV. Longitudinal antibody analyses are under way, as also correlations of humoral response with immunogenetic factors.
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Background: Respiratory viruses play important roles in respiratory tract infections;they are the major cause of diseases such as the common cold, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, etc., in humans that circulate more often in the cold seasons. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many strict public health measures, such as hand hygiene, the use of face masks, social distancing, and quarantines, were implemented worldwide to control the pandemic. Besides controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, these introduced measures might change the spread of other common respiratory viruses. Moreover, with COVID-19 vaccination and reducing public health protocols, the circulation of other respiratory viruses probably increases in the community. Objective(s): This study aims to explore changes in the circulation pattern of common respiratory viruses during the COVID-19 pan-demic. Method(s): In the present study, we evaluated the circulation of seven common respiratory viruses (influenza viruses A and B, rhi-novirus, and seasonal human Coronaviruses (229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1) and their co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 in suspected cases of COVID-19 in two time periods before and after COVID-19 vaccination. Clinical nasopharyngeal swabs of 400 suspected cases of COVID-19 were tested for SARS-CoV-2 and seven common respiratory viruses by reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction. Result(s): Our results showed common respiratory viruses were detected only in 10% and 8% of SARS-CoV-2-positive samples before and after vaccination, respectively, in which there were not any significant differences between them (P-value = 0.14). Moreover, common viral respiratory infections were found only in 12% and 32% of SARS-CoV-2-negative specimens before and after vaccination, respectively, in which there was a significant difference between them (P-value = 0.041). Conclusion(s): Our data showed a low rate of co-infection of other respiratory viruses with SARS-CoV-2 at both durations, before and after COVID-19 vaccination. Moreover, the circulation of common respiratory viruses before the COVID-19 vaccination was lower, probably due to non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI), while virus activity (especially influenza virus A) was significantly in-creased after COVID-19 vaccination with reducing strict public health measures.Copyright © 2023, Author(s).
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Coronaviruses (CoV), which are in the Coronaviridae family, cause different severity of gastrointestinal, respiratory and systemic diseases in wild and domestic animals, and can lead to different clinical manifestations, ranging from colds to pneumonia, depending on immunity. To date, seven types of coronavirus have been identified as infectious agents in humans;of these, HCoV 229E, HCoV NL63, HCoV HKU1 and HCoV OC43 typically cause cold symptoms in immunocompetent individuals, while SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus) and MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus) is zoonotic and cause severe respiratory diseases and deaths. SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, is the seventh coronavirus identified as an infection agent in humans, which started in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China and was identified as a pandemic in a short time. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) defines SARS-CoV-2-sourced COVID-19 as a pandemic, and because of the increasing number of cases and deaths worldwide, structure of the novel virus and viral diagnosis methods gained importance respectively for vaccine studies and for controlling the outbreak caused by the virus.Copyright © 2020 Ankara Pediatric Hematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital. All rights reserved.
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Objective: In January 2020, scientists deciphered the first genome of SARS-CoV-2 that has created a ravage in the world by infecting over 30 million people worldwide with above 0.95 million deaths as of mid-September 2020. With no potent therapeutics against COVID-19, research-ers around the world are relentlessly working for the development of a vaccine that can ease the pain the world is suffering today, both in terms of economic and psychological instability. Understanding the genome of SARS-CoV-2 is essential to decipher the keys that would help scientists to develop drugs or vaccines to prevent the disease. Method(s): Coronaviruses are not unknown to the human as other than SARS-CoV-2, at least six ad-ditional coronaviruses (SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, and HCoV-HKU1) are known that causes mild to severe diseases in human. We have compared the se-quences of these seven coronaviruses to identify the key regions which are responsible for pathoge-nesis. Result(s): The genomes of the seven coronaviruses that are known to infect humans differ signifi-cantly, especially in the regions of accessory genes. Conclusion(s): The analysis of these virus genomes is the key to find out targets for the development of a potent drug or vaccine against COVID-19.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.
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Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) is spread globally, causing upper and lower respiratory tract infections mainly in young children. HCoV-NL63 shares a host receptor (ACE2) with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2 but, unlike them, HCoV-NL63 primarily develops into self-limiting mild to moderate respiratory disease. Although with different efficiency, both HCoV-NL63 and SARS-like CoVs infect ciliated respiratory cells using ACE2 as receptor for binding and cell entry. Working with SARS-like CoVs require access to BSL-3 facilities, while HCoV-NL63 research can be performed at BSL-2 laboratories. Thus, HCoV-NL63 could be used as a safer surrogate for comparative studies on receptor dynamics, infectivity and virus replication, disease mechanism, and potential therapeutic interventions against SARS-like CoVs. This prompted us to review the current knowledge on the infection mechanism and replication of HCoV-NL63. Specifically, after a brief overview on the taxonomy, genomic organization and virus structure, this review compiles the current HCoV-NL63-related research in virus entry and replication mechanism, including virus attachment, endocytosis, genome translation, and replication and transcription. Furthermore, we reviewed cumulative knowledge on the susceptibility of different cells to HCoV-NL63 infection in vitro, which is essential for successful virus isolation and propagation, and contribute to address different scientific questions from basic science to the development and assessment of diagnostic tools, and antiviral therapies. Finally, we discussed different antiviral strategies that have been explored to suppress replication of HCoV-NL63, and other related human coronaviruses, by either targeting the virus or enhancing host antiviral mechanisms.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Coronavirus NL63, Human , Child , Humans , Child, Preschool , Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 , SARS-CoV-2 , Antiviral AgentsABSTRACT
Coronaviruses (CoV), which are in the Coronaviridae family, cause different severity of gastrointestinal, respiratory and systemic diseases in wild and domestic animals, and can lead to different clinical manifestations, ranging from colds to pneumonia, depending on immunity. To date, seven types of coronavirus have been identified as infectious agents in humans;of these, HCoV 229E, HCoV NL63, HCoV HKU1 and HCoV OC43 typically cause cold symptoms in immunocompetent individuals, while SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus) and MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus) is zoonotic and cause severe respiratory diseases and deaths. SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, is the seventh coronavirus identified as an infection agent in humans, which started in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China and was identified as a pandemic in a short time. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) defines SARS-CoV-2-sourced COVID-19 as a pandemic, and because of the increasing number of cases and deaths worldwide, structure of the novel virus and viral diagnosis methods gained importance respectively for vaccine studies and for controlling the outbreak caused by the virus.
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Bullous pemphigoid (BP) has been repeatedly reported to occur following exposure to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study analyzes the molecular mimicry between the 180 kDa bullous pemphigoid antigen 2 (BP180) and the SARS-CoV-2 proteome to further our understanding of the molecular link between the BP and the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results indicate a high degree of molecular mimicry between BP180, SARS-CoV-2, hCoV-229E and hCoV-NL63. Copyright © by BIOLIFE, s.a.s.
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Background. While influenza and SARS-CoV-2 virus can be severe, co-infection with these viruses has the potential for worsening the clinical outcome. The combined infection of influenza A virus (IAV) and SARS-CoV-2 in animal models has also shown elevated SARS-CoV-2 viral load and pneumonia. Co-vaccination may provide a useful option in prevention of combined infection. In this study, a composite peptide vaccine comprised of highly conserved influenza neuraminidase (NA) and matrix protein (M2e) epitopes, in combination with either conserved spike protein (SP) or RNA polymerase (POL) epitopes of SARS-CoV-2 generated robust immune responses to both coronavirus and influenza virus. Methods. Mice were immunized with 20mug of Coronavirus Pep02 (CorPep02, comprised of POL) or Coronavirus Pep05 (CorPep05, comprised of POL and NA +M2e) or Coronavirus Pep11 (CorPep11, comprised of SP and NA+M2e), formulated with AddaVaxTM. Serum antibody titers to both coronavirus and influenza peptides, and whole viruses were analyzed using ELISA. Antisera neutralizing activity against IAV was determined using microneutralization assay (MNA). Results. CorPep05 immunization generated enhanced IgG1 and IgG2b antisera responses to the immunogens compared to CorPep02, starting at Day-21. Immunization with CorPep05 or CorPep11 induced strong IgG1 and IgG2b immune responses to the composite coronavirus peptides, influenza NA and M2e peptides, coronavirus POL and SP peptides. Antisera from CorPep05 and CorPep11 groups bound to both viruses (IAV and human coronavirus NL-63 (HCoV NL-63)) and demonstrated neutralizing activity against IAV, with titers >5000. Conclusion. A composite peptide vaccine comprised of both influenza (NA +M2e) and coronavirus (POL) epitopes generated enhanced immune responses in comparison to peptide containing only POL. Th1 and Th2 immune responses to coronavirus POL and SP were observed. Serum neutralizing activity was demonstrated against IAV. Studies are underway to examine neutralizing antibodies against HCoV NL-63 and multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2. Highly conserved epitopes in these composite peptide vaccines may provide an important strategy to prevent infections with IAV or SARS-CoV-2 and mitigate the threat of co-infection.
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The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), especially the sweeping spread of the delta variant, and differing public health management strategies, have rendered global eradication of SARS-CoV-2 unlikely. The currently available COVID-19 vaccines, including the inactivated whole virus vaccines, mRNA vaccines, and adenovirus-vectored vaccines, are effective in protecting people from severe disease and death from COVID-19, but they may not confer good mucosal immunity to prevent the establishment of infection and subsequent viral shedding and transmission. Mucosal vaccines delivered via intranasal route may provide a promising direction, which, if given as a third dose after a two-dose series of intramuscular vaccination, likely promotes mucosal immunity in addition to boosting the systemic cell-mediated immunity and antibody response. However, immunity induced by vaccination, and natural infection as well, is likely to wane followed by re-infection as in the case of human coronaviruses OC43, 229E, NL63, and HKU1. It is a challenge to prevent and control COVID-19 worldwide with the increasing number of VOCs associated with increased transmissibility and changing antigenicity. Nevertheless, we may seek to end the current pandemic situation through mass vaccination and gradual relaxation of non-pharmaceutical measures, which would limit the incidence of severe COVID-19. Repeated doses of booster vaccine will likely be required, similar to influenza virus, especially for the elderly and the immunocompromised patients who are most vulnerable to infection.
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Objective: In this retrospective study, we aimed to identify viral agents in children hospitalized with ALRTI and to show the relationship between viral agents and clinical characteristics. Material and Methods: Two hundred and fifty five children (55.7% male) who were diagnosed with ALRTI and hospitalized between March 2016 and February 2017 were included in the study. Clinical characteristics of the patients who were examined to detect respiratory tract viruses with PCR analysis in nasopharyngeal swab samples were evaluated by using medical records. The patients were divided into three groups according to their age: under two years old, between 2-6 years old, and between 6-18 years old. Newborns were not included in the study.
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The recently identified 2019 novel coronaviruses (2019-nCoV) has caused extra-human infections. 2019-nCoV identified a global threat that is causing an outbreak of unusual viral pneumonia in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronaviruses 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Considering the relatively high identity of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) in 2019-nCoV and SARS-CoV, it is urgent to assess the cross-reactivity of anti-SARS-CoV antibodies with 2019-nCoV spike protein, which could have important implications for rapid development of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies against 2019-nCoV. The zinc metallopeptidase angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the only known human homolog of the key regulator of blood pressure ACE. ACE2 also serves as the cellular entry point for the SARS virus, therefore, a prime target for pharmacological intervention. SARS-CoV-2 uses the SARS-CoV receptor for entry and the serine protease transmembrane protease serine 2 for spike (S) protein priming. That it is still necessary to develop novel mAbs that could bind specifically to 2019-nCoV RBD. Cell entry of coronaviruses depends on the binding of the viral S proteins to cellular receptors and S protein priming by host cell proteases. A transmembrane protease serine 2 inhibitor approved for clinical use blocked entry and might constitute a treatment option. Our results reveal important commonalities between SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV infection and identify a potential target for antiviral intervention. This review will help understand the biology and potential risk of CoVs that exist in richness in wildlife such as bats. We provide a brief introduction to the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome-CoV and interaction between the RBD of coronavirus spike protein and ACE2.
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In this study, the genomic RNA of HCoV-NL63 from throat swab samples obtained from cases of respiratory tract infection was sequenced. The cases were collected from clustered or sporadic epidemics in the Nanshan district of Shenzhen City in 2020. Four whole genomes of HCoV-NL63 strains were obtained and analyzed with phylogenetic tree reconstruction and other bioinformatics analyses. The sequence similarity among the four strains was 99.80%~99.98% for nucleotides and 99.64%~99.93% for amino acids. The four strains of HCoV-NL63 belonged to the B genotype, B2 subgenotype, which were on the same branch of the phylogenetic tree and were genetically closest to MK334046.1. Analysis of the amino acid variation sites of the S protein indicated that L196F was present in the strains obtained from sporadic epidemic cases, and A946S was present in the strains acquired from clustered epidemic cases. The prediction of N-glycosylation sites indicated ten N-glycosylation sites in S protein and two N-glycosylation sites in M protein. Through whole genome sequencing and feature analysis, we determined that the HCoV-NL63 obtained in this study probably originated from the Guangzhou virus strain. Our current results provide some clues as to the basis for biological traceability, and might facilitate future epidemic prevention and control.
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Objective: To evaluate the detection consistency and power of a multiplex combined real-time PCR detection kits, and provide reference for the prevention and control of influenza plus SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics of an upper respiratory tract infection outbreak caused by human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) and improve the prevention measures against coronavirus infection.