An outbreak of school influenza complicated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection

Objective: To describe the clinical features, causal agent and transmission mode of a fever outbreak in a school in Shanghai. Methods: Field epidemiological approaches including case definition development, searching for contacts, distribution of diseases description, environmental sampling and laboratory testing. Results: A total of 16 influenza-like cases were included, all concentrated in the one class of grade two, including 15 students and 1 teacher. Among student cases, the incidence rate was 36.59%(15/41), the average age was 7.4 years, the incidence rate was 36.84%(7/19) for boys, 36.36%(8/22) for girls. The clinical course was 5-15 days, with the median of 9 days, and 18.75%(3/16) of the cases stayed studying while sick. The nasopharyngeal swab specimens in 16 cases all tested positive for influenza B, of which 11 tested positive for mycoplasma pneumoniae and 1 case also tested positive for coronavirus OC43. Body temperature, number of mononuclear cells, and treatment time of patients infected with Influenza B and mycoplasma pneumoniae were higher than those of patients infected with influenza B alone(P < 0.05). The outbreak lasted for 12 days, all sick students were treated and discharged from hospital, with no severe cases or death, and the outbreak was effectively controlled. Conclusion: This campus cluster outbreak caused by influenza B and mycoplasma pneumoniae. Patients with influenza B with mycoplasma pneumoniae have severe symptoms and a long course of illness, suggesting the importance of early management of the epidemic.

A resource of human coronavirus protein-coding sequences in a flexible, multipurpose Gateway Entry clone collection.

The COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed unprecedented scientific data and reagent sharing and collaboration, which enabled understanding the virology of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and vaccine development at record speed. The pandemic, however, has also raised awareness of the danger posed by the family of coronaviruses, of which 7 are known to infect humans and dozens have been identified in reservoir species, such as bats, rodents, or livestock. To facilitate understanding the commonalities and specifics of coronavirus infections and aspects of viral biology that determine their level of lethality to the human host, we have generated a collection of freely available clones encoding nearly all human coronavirus proteins known to date. We hope that this flexible, Gateway-compatible vector collection will encourage further research into the interactions of coronaviruses with their human host, to increase preparedness for future zoonotic viral outbreaks.

The unfolded protein response components IRE1α and XBP1 promote human coronavirus infection.

The cellular processes that support human coronavirus replication and contribute to the pathogenesis of severe disease remain incompletely understood. Many viruses, including coronaviruses, cause endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress during infection. IRE1α is a component of the cellular response to ER stress that initiates non-conventional splicing of XBP1 mRNA. Spliced XBP1 encodes a transcription factor that induces the expression of ER-related targets. Activation of the IRE1α-XBP1 pathway occurs in association with risk factors for severe human coronavirus infection. In this study, we found that the human coronaviruses HCoV-OC43 (human coronavirus OC43) and SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2) both robustly activate the IRE1α-XBP1 branch of the unfolded protein response in cultured cells. Using IRE1α nuclease inhibitors and genetic knockdown of IRE1α and XBP1, we found that these host factors are required for optimal replication of both viruses. Our data suggest that IRE1α supports infection downstream of initial viral attachment and entry. In addition, we found that ER stress-inducing conditions are sufficient to enhance human coronavirus replication. Furthermore, we found markedly increased XBP1 in circulation in human patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Together, these results demonstrate the importance of IRE1α and XBP1 for human coronavirus infection.IMPORTANCEThere is a critical need to understand the cellular processes co-opted during human coronavirus replication, with an emphasis on identifying mechanisms underlying severe disease and potential therapeutic targets. Here, we demonstrate that the host proteins IRE1α and XBP1 are required for robust infection by the human coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43. IRE1α and XBP1 participate in the cellular response to ER stress and are activated during conditions that predispose to severe COVID-19. We found enhanced viral replication with exogenous IRE1α activation, and evidence that this pathway is activated in humans during severe COVID-19. Together, these results demonstrate the importance of IRE1α and XBP1 for human coronavirus infection.

Targets and cross-reactivity of human T cell recognition of common cold coronaviruses.

The coronavirus (CoV) family includes several viruses infecting humans, highlighting the importance of exploring pan-CoV vaccine strategies to provide broad adaptive immune protection. We analyze T cell reactivity against representative Alpha (NL63) and Beta (OC43) common cold CoVs (CCCs) in pre-pandemic samples. S, N, M, and nsp3 antigens are immunodominant, as shown for severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS2), while nsp2 and nsp12 are Alpha or Beta specific. We further identify 78 OC43- and 87 NL63-specific epitopes, and, for a subset of those, we assess the T cell capability to cross-recognize sequences from representative viruses belonging to AlphaCoV, sarbecoCoV, and Beta-non-sarbecoCoV groups. We find T cell cross-reactivity within the Alpha and Beta groups, in 89% of the instances associated with sequence conservation >67%. However, despite conservation, limited cross-reactivity is observed for sarbecoCoV, indicating that previous CoV exposure is a contributing factor in determining cross-reactivity. Overall, these results provide critical insights in developing future pan-CoV vaccines.

Historical perspective: other human coronavirus infectious diseases, SARS and MERS

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.

Human coronaviruses in the 'One Health' context

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.

Interferon regulatory factor 3 mediates effective antiviral responses to human coronavirus 229E and OC43 infection.

Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) are key elements of antiviral innate responses that regulate the transcription of interferons (IFNs) and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). While the sensitivity of human coronaviruses to IFNs has been characterized, antiviral roles of IRFs during human coronavirus infection are not fully understood. Type I or II IFN treatment protected MRC5 cells from human coronavirus 229E infection, but not OC43. Cells infected with 229E or OC43 upregulated ISGs, indicating that antiviral transcription is not suppressed. Antiviral IRFs, IRF1, IRF3 and IRF7, were activated in cells infected with 229E, OC43 or severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). RNAi knockdown and overexpression of IRFs demonstrated that IRF1 and IRF3 have antiviral properties against OC43, while IRF3 and IRF7 are effective in restricting 229E infection. IRF3 activation effectively promotes transcription of antiviral genes during OC43 or 229E infection. Our study suggests that IRFs may be effective antiviral regulators against human coronavirus infection.

Geraniin as a potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro.

Geraniin is a polyphenolic compound first isolated from Geranium thunbergii. The major protease (Mpro), namely 3 C-like protease (3CLpro), of coronaviruses is considered an attractive drug target as it is essential for the processing and maturation of viral polyproteins. Thus, our primary goal is to explore the efficiency of geraniin on 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2 using the computational biology strategy. In this work, we studied the anti-coronavirus effect of geraniin in vitro and its potential inhibitory mode against the 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2. We found that geraniin inhibited HCoV-OC43 coronavirus-infected cells during the attachment and penetration phases. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations exhibited that geraniin had a strong binding affinity and high stable binding to 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2. Geraniin showed a strong inhibitory activity on coronavirus and may be a potential inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro.

Epidemiology of Non-SARS-CoV2 Human Coronaviruses (HCoVs) in People Presenting with Influenza-like Illness (ILI) or Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) in Senegal from 2012 to 2020.

In addition to emerging coronaviruses (SARS-CoV, MERS, SARS-CoV-2), there are seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoVs): HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU1. With a wide distribution around the world, HCoVs are usually associated with mild respiratory disease. In the elderly, young children and immunocompromised patients, more severe or even fatal respiratory infections may be observed. In Africa, data on seasonal HCoV are scarce. This retrospective study investigated the epidemiology and genetic diversity of seasonal HCoVs during nine consecutive years of influenza-like illness surveillance in Senegal. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from ILI outpatients or from SARI hospitalized patients. HCoVs were diagnosed by qRT-PCR and the positive samples were selected for molecular characterization. Among 9337 samples tested for HCoV, 406 (4.3%) were positive: 235 (57.9%) OC43, 102 (25.1%) NL63, 58 (14.3%) 229E and 17 (4.2%) HKU1. The four types circulated during the study period and a peak was noted between November and January. Children under five were the most affected. Co-infections were observed between HCoV types (1.2%) or with other viruses (76.1%). Genetically, HCoVs types showed diversity. The results highlighted that the impact of HCoVs must be taken into account in public health; monitoring them is therefore particularly necessary both in the most sensitive populations and in animals.

Proteome2virus: Shotgun mass spectrometry data analysis pipeline for virus identification

Objectives: Shotgun proteomics is a generic method enabling detection of multiple viral species in one assay. The reliable and accurate identification of these viral species by analyzing peptides from MS-spectra is a challenging task. The aim of this study was to develop an easy accessible proteome analysis approach for the identification of viruses that cause respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Method(s): For this purpose, a shotgun proteomics based method and a web application, 'proteome2virus', were developed. Identified peptides were searched in a database comprising proteomic data of 46 viruses known to be infectious to humans. Result(s): The method was successfully tested for cultured viruses and eight fecal samples consisting of ten different viral species from seven different virus families, including SARS-CoV-2. The samples were prepared with two different sample preparation methods and were measured with two different mass spectrometers. Conclusion(s): The results demonstrate that the developed web application is applicable to different MS data sets, generated from two different instruments, and that with this approach a high variety of clinically relevant viral species can be identified. This emphasizes the potential and feasibility for the diagnosis of a wide range of viruses in clinical samples with a single shotgun proteomics analysis.Copyright © 2023

Coronaviruses

The coronaviruses belong to the family Coronaviridae in the order Nidovirales. CoVs are found globally and infect a variety of animals, causing illnesses that range from gastrointestinal tract infections, encephalitis and demyelination;and can be fatal. Humans coronaviruses (hCoVs) have traditionally been associated with self-limiting upper respiratory tract infections and gastrointestinal tract infections. In recent years, however, it has become increasingly evident that the hCoVs can cause more severe lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia and even acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and can lead to death. Seven CoVs are known to infect humans, with the four "common cold” CoVs circulating globally on a yearly basis. The remaining three are more pathogenic and have resulted in outbreaks with high mortality rates. This review focussed on the three pathogenic CoVs. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Humoral response against SARS-CoV-2 and other endemic corona viruses

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.

Household transmission of seasonal coronavirus infections: Results from the Flu Watch cohort study.

Background: In the context of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, understanding household transmission of seasonal coronaviruses may inform pandemic control. We aimed to investigate what proportion of seasonal coronavirus transmission occurred within households, measure the risk of transmission in households, and describe the impact of household-related factors of risk of transmission. Methods: Using data from three winter seasons of the UK Flu Watch cohort study, we measured the proportion of symptomatic infections acquired outside and within the home, the household transmission risk and the household secondary attack risk for PCR-confirmed seasonal coronaviruses. We present transmission risk stratified by demographic features of households. Results: We estimated that the proportion of cases acquired outside the home, weighted by age and region, was 90.7% (95% CI 84.6- 94.5, n=173/195) and within the home was 9.3% (5.5-15.4, 22/195). Following a symptomatic coronavirus index case, 14.9% (9.8 - 22.1, 20/134) of households experienced symptomatic transmission to at least one other household member. Onward transmission risk ranged from 11.90% (4.84-26.36, 5/42) to 19.44% (9.21-36.49, 7/36) by strain. The overall household secondary attack risk for symptomatic cases was 8.00% (5.31-11.88, 22/275), ranging across strains from 5.10 (2.11-11.84, 5/98) to 10.14 (4.82- 20.11, 7/69). Median clinical onset serial interval was 7 days (IQR= 6-9.5). Households including older adults, 3+ children, current smokers, contacts with chronic health conditions, and those in relatively deprived areas had the highest transmission risks. Child index cases and male index cases demonstrated the highest transmission risks. Conclusion: Most seasonal coronaviruses appear to be acquired outside the household, with relatively modest risk of onward transmission within households. Transmission risk following an index case appears to vary by demographic household features, with potential overlap between those demonstrating the highest point estimates for seasonal coronavirus transmission risk and COVID-19 susceptibility and poor illness outcomes.

Development of a Novel in-Vitro Hcov-Oc43 Screening Method

Aim: To develop a simple, inexpensive antiviral screening assay, applicable to SARS-CoV-2, using a plate-based bioassay approach to assess the in-vitro activity of compounds against HCoV-OC43. Background(s): Despite the successful deployment of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 there remains a need for effective antivirals for acute infection treatment. A distinct problem facing the search for new anti-coronavirus compounds is the cost of antiviral screening, compounded by the biosecurity concerns of live SARSCoV- 2 culture. In concert with low pathogenic surrogate virus use, the resazurin reduction assay, which is often employed for compound cytotoxicity assessments can be employed for safe, rapid and inexpensive antiviral screening. Method(s): In-vitro cell based resazurin reduction assays were optimised using remdesivir as a control compound for the assessment of anti-HCoV-OC43 activity. Following optimisation, 246 purified natural compounds from the University of Western Australia's compound collection,were screened using the resazurin bioassay as a primary screen, under pre-treatment and cotreatment conditions. Five compounds, which demonstrated anti- HCoV-OC43 activity, were chosen for secondary screening with dose responses determined using qRT-PCR. Result(s): Primary screens of the 246 compounds using the resazurin bioassay identified five compounds with a relative viral inhibition >60% and a relative cell viability >70% (Table 1). The Z factor of the pre-treatment and co-treatment assays was >0.5 (average +/- SD;0.85 +/- 0.07, 0.91 +/- 0.03 respectively). Further dose response analysis of the top five compounds identified one compound with an IC50 value <10 muM. Conclusion(s): The method developed is an appropriate primary screening tool for the identification of novel compounds with anti-HCoV-OC43 activity.Copyright © 2023 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation.

Cellular Immune Responses to SARS-CoV-2 in Exposed Seronegative Individuals.

Some SARS-CoV-2-exposed individuals develop immunity without overt infection. We identified 11 individuals who were negative by nucleic acid testing during prolonged close contact and with no serological diagnosis of infection. As this could reflect natural immunity, cross-reactive immunity from previous coronavirus exposure, abortive infection due to de novo immune responses, or other factors, our objective was to characterize immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in these individuals. Blood was processed into plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and screened for IgG, IgA, and IgM antibodies (Ab) against SARS-CoV-2 and common ß-coronaviruses OC43 and HKU1. Receptor blocking activity and interferon-alpha (IFN-α) in plasma were also measured. Circulating T cells against SARS-CoV-2 were enumerated and CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses discriminated after in vitro stimulation. Exposed uninfected individuals were seronegative against SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and selectively reactive against OC43 nucleocapsid protein (N), suggesting common ß-coronavirus exposure induced Ab cross-reactive against SARS-CoV-2 N. There was no evidence of protection from circulating angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE2) or IFN-α. Six individuals had T cell responses against SARS-CoV-2, with four involving CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. We found no evidence of protection from SARS-CoV-2 through innate immunity or immunity induced by common ß-coronaviruses. Cellular immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 were associated with time since exposure, suggesting that rapid cellular responses may contain SARS-CoV-2 infection below the thresholds required for a humoral response.

RSV circulation during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic era: what happened in Italy

Background: In the northern hemisphere, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is more frequently detected from December to February. In Italy, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presented a peak in incidence from the end of December 2021 to February 2022. Aim(s): To evaluate how SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has influenced RSV circulation. Method(s): We evaluated 389 children, aged 0-18 years, admitted for respiratory tract infections from September 2021 to January 2022 throughout Italy, from the north to the south. Children underwent nasal washing from 1 to 3 days after hospitalization. A (RT)-PCR was developed for detecting 15 respiratory viruses, including RSV, influenza virus A and B, human coronavirus OC43, 229E, NL-63 and HUK1, adenovirus, rhinovirus, parainfluenza virus 1-3, human bocavirus and human metapneumovirus. Result(s): We detected a virus in 338 children (86.9%): RSV was found in 267 (68.7%), other viruses in 71 (18.3%). 51 children (13.1%) resulted negative. Dividing our observational period in two-week timeframes, we found that RSV showed an early peak from October to the first half of December 2021 compared to its usual seasonality. In a previous study, we have demonstrated that RSV circulation was incredibly low from September 2020 to January 2021, in contrast with what we found in the same period in 2021-2022. Comparing RSV and SARS-CoV-2 incidences, we found that these two viruses spread in opposite ways: when SARS-CoV-2 present an incidence peak, RSV circulation reduced and viceversa. Conclusion(s): The relationship between RSV and SARS-CoV-2 showed that viral interference plays a crucial role in their epidemiology.

Multiple detection of 13 kinds of viruses in 500 children with acute respiratory tract infection in Hami of Xinjiang province

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and analyze multiple detection of 13 kinds of viruses in 500 children with acute respiratory tract infection in Hami of Xinjiang. METHODS: A total of 500 children with acute respiratory tract infection treated in the hospital between Jan 2018 and Jan 2021 were enrolled. Thirteen kinds of respiratory infection viruses including human respiratory syncytial virus(RSV), human rhinovirus(hRV), respiratory adenovirus(AdV), influenza A and B viruses(Inf A, Inf B), parainfluenza virus(PIV 1/2/3), human enterovirus(hEV), human metapneumovirus(hMPV), human coronavirus(hCoV 229E/OC43) and human Boca virus(hBoV) were detected by multiple reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) amplification and capillary electrophoresis. And the results were compared with those by direct sequencing method. RESULTS: Of the 500 samples, 379 samples were positive(75.80%), and the top three detection rates were RSV(19.40%), hRV(16.00%) and Inf B(12.60%). The differences in positive rates of the respiratory virus among <1 year group, 1-3 years group and >3 years group were significant(84.97%, 77.47%, 65.45%)(P<0.05). The detection rate of RSV was the highest in <1 year group, and the detection rates of Inf A and Inf B were the highest in >3 years group. The differences in positive rates of respiratory viruses among the spring group, summer group, autumn group and winter group were significant(74.05%, 63.73%, 77.24%, 84.03%)(P<0.05). The detection rates of RSV, PIV 3, and hMPV were the highest in the winter group, and detection rate of AdV was the highest in spring group. CONCLUSION: RSV is the main infection virus in children with acute respiratory infection in Hami of Xinjiang. The distribution of respiratory viruses is related to age and onset season in children.

The Circulation of Common Respiratory Viruses and Their Co-infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Before and After Coronavirus Disease of 2019 Vaccination

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).

Aseptic meningitis caused by Coronavirus OC43 in a child: A case report

Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) is one of the coronaviruses that cause the mild cold. On the other hand, extra-respiratory manifestations such as central nervous system infections with HCoV-OC43 are very rarely reported. We present a case of a previously healthy immunocompetent child with acute aseptic meningitis, as a result of HCoV-OC43 who admitted to the emergency department with a complaint of unconsciousness.. Respiratory tract and cerebrospinal fluid culture showed HCoV-OC43 in viral screening. During the follow-up period, the patient was completely asymptomatic, with normalized consciousness. The clinicians should keep in mind that HCoV-OC43 can be the etiological agent in the differential diagnosis of aseptic meningitis in immunocompetent individuals with reversible neurological symptoms.Copyright © 2022, Derman Medical Publishing. All rights reserved.

SARS-CoV-2 in Terms of Medical Microbiology Laboratory.

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.