An overview of severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2): Pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management tactics

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international public health concern on January 30, 2020, in response to the idiopathic Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the disease being identified as the third human Coronavirus, was discovered in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Coronavirus belongs to the Coronaviridae family, Coronavirinae subfamily which according to their genetic structures, are grouped into alphaCoronavirus (aCoV), betaCoronavirus (bCoV), gamma Corona¬virus (yCoV) and deltaCoronavirus (dCoV) of order Nidovirales. Coronaviruses are enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses invading a wide variety of host species. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to extensively. Angiotensin¬converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is imperative for Novel SARS-CoV-2 to enter host cells as a substrate receptor. With a high mortality rate in the elderly, immune-compromised, diabetic, and patients with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease. Patients who are afflicted experience fever, a nonproductive cough, lethargy, dyspnea, and occasionally diarrhoea as well as radiographic signs of pneumonia. A cytokine storm is a result of the immune system's aggressive response to a virus that has propagated inside the body. Genetic recombination and mutation are the main drivers of the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants. Variants of concern (VOCs) are used to describe some variants having significant virulence and transmission rates, such as the Omicron variants now. RT-LAMP, RT- qPCR, and High-Resolution Computed Tomography, among other new cutting-edge techniques, are effective at diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. Standard treatments involving compounds like Lopinavir/Ritonavir, paxlovid, and molnupiravir have shown to be efficacious to some extent against even the newly emerging strains when it comes to treatment approaches. Additionally, immunization is a crucial strategy for preventing the disease or lessening its impact. Live attenuated vaccines, DNA- and RNA-based vaccines, protein subunit vaccines, and amplifying viral vector vaccines are among the molecular frameworks used in the production of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Comirnaty by Pfizer-BioNTech, SpikeVax by Moderna, and Vaxzevria by Oxford- AstraZeneca are three extensively incorporated and validated COVID-19 vaccines. In a similar vein, a variety of vaccinations have been created with varying degrees of potency against VOCs. Nanotechnology and artificial intelligence (AI) advancements may help in the provision of an effective and dependable remedy for the eradication of SARS-CoV-2. Definitive diagnosis, community engagements, and united scientific approaches have effectively addressed public health issues amid the pandemic. Although COVID-19 has presented a significant challenge to the healthcare system, it has also provided a chance for the development of novel and creative roles that could have significant effects on the healthcare system. This pandemic has highlighted the value of prompt diagnosis, the value of universal healthcare as well as the need for cutting-edge methods to contain pandemics around the world. © 2023 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

Perceived risk and vaccine hesitancy: Quasi-experimental evidence from Italy.

In March 2021, Italian health authorities suspended the Vaxzevria vaccine (VA) for 4 days over reports of very rare blood disorders among recipients. We exploit the quasi-experimental setting arising from this break to study the drivers of vaccine hesitancy. Before the suspension, the VA vaccination trend followed the same pattern as Pfizer-Biontech (PB). After the suspension, VA and PB injections started to diverge, with VA daily decreasing by almost 60 doses per 100,000 inhabitants for the following 3 weeks. The resulting vaccination rate was 60 percent lower than the value that would have stemmed from the VA pre-suspension pattern. We show that the slowdown was weaker and less persistent in regions with higher COVID penetration and steadier and more pronounced in regions displaying greater attention to vaccine side effects as detected through Google searches. The public's interest in vaccine adverse events negatively correlates with COVID cases and deaths across regions.

Gender and AB0 Blood Type Differences in a Unicentric Group of University Professors in Southern Italy Who Received the Vaxzevria COVID-19 Vaccine: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Vaccine Side Effects, Attitudes, and Hesitation.

Vaccination has been a key protective behavior for COVID-19. This study investigated the clinical status of university professors administered the Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine, to monitor for any adverse reaction, and to understand attitude and hesitancy to vaccination. Data were collected through an online survey. The study received approval from the relevant ethics committee "Comitato Etico Campania Sud". Multivariate logistic regressions were used to calculate significant predictors of the outcomes of interest. A gender and AB0 blood type difference in adverse vaccine reactions was found. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that female gender, city residence, blood type A+ and B-, and chronic underlying medical conditions or comorbidities were more strongly implicated in the occurrence of adverse reactions, whereas blood type 0 Rh+ or blood type A Rh- were protective factors of adverse reactions to the Vaxzevria vaccine. Both genders did not show serious adverse reactions to the Vaxzevria vaccine. Based on our results, we are able to support the hypothesis that AB0 blood type and gender difference appear as predictors of Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccine reactogenicity. Furthermore, in the study population, the degree of concern and hesitation to undergo vaccination was minimal.

Leukocytoclastic vasculitis (cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis) after COVID-19 vaccination.

Vaccinations may induce cutaneous adverse events, due to nonspecific inflammation or immuno-mediated reactions. Several types of vasculitis have been observed. We report on a 71-year-old woman who developed cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis after the second dose of Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccination, showing leukocytoclastic vasculitis on histopathological examination of a skin biopsy. Cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis is a rare condition which can be idiopathic or secondary to underlying infections, connective tissue disorders, malignancy, and medications. The pathogenesis involves immune complex deposition in small blood vessels, leading to activation of the complement system and recruitment of leukocytes. Exacerbation of small-vessel vasculitis has been reported following the administration of various vaccines, particularly influenza vaccine. It is expected that SARS-CoV-2 vaccine results in the activation of B- and T-cells and antibody formation. We hypothesize that leukocytoclastic vasculitis caused by immune complex deposition within cutaneous small vessels could be a rare side effect of Vaxzevria COVID-19 vaccination.