Association between ABO blood groups and the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 in Iraq.

OBJECTIVE: The primary goals of this research were to analyze the relationship between ABO blood types and the severity of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and investigate the effect of vaccination in Iraq. METHODS: Data and outcomes were gathered from the medical records of 200 patients. Patients were categorized by blood group and vaccination status in the analysis. RESULTS: In total, 200 hospitalized patients (125 men and 75 women) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and blood group (ABO) and clinical data were enrolled. Of the 200 patients, 155 (77.5%) were vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. The results illustrated that 25 patients died, which might have been attributable to a lack of vaccination or older age. Our analysis revealed that blood group O individuals were much less likely to be infected by SARS-CoV-2 than non-O subjects, whereas blood group A individuals carried a higher risk of infection. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings illustrated that immunization significantly reduces COVID-19 risk across all age groups, but there has been an increase in the number of cases because of decreased vaccine efficacy in older patients and persons with comorbidities. However, 45% vaccination coverage lowered the outbreak's peak.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Is Detected in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Asymptomatic Endoscopy Patients but Is Unlikely to Pose a Significant Risk to Healthcare Personnel.

Background and Aims: Recent evidence suggests that the gut is an additional target for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, whether SARS-CoV-2 spreads via gastrointestinal secretions remains unclear. To determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal SARS-CoV-2 infection in asymptomatic subjects, we analyzed gastrointestinal biopsy and liquid samples from endoscopy patients for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: We enrolled 100 endoscopic patients without known SARS-CoV-2 infection (cohort A) and 12 patients with a previous COVID-19 diagnosis (cohort B) in a cohort study performed at a regional hospital. Gastrointestinal biopsies and fluids were screened for SARS-CoV-2 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunohistochemistry, and virus isolation assay, and the stability of SARS-CoV-2 in gastrointestinal liquids in vitro was analyzed. Results: SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid was detected by PCR in the colonic tissue of 1/100 patients in cohort A. In cohort B, 3 colonic liquid samples tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR and viral nucleocapsid protein was detected in the epithelium of the respective biopsy samples. However, no infectious virions were recovered from any samples. In vitro exposure of SARS-CoV-2 to colonic liquid led to a 4-log-fold reduction of infectious SARS-CoV-2 within 1 hour (P ≤ .05). Conclusion: Overall, the persistent detection of SARS-CoV-2 in endoscopy samples after resolution of COVID-19 points to the gut as a long-term reservoir for SARS-CoV-2. Since no infectious virions were recovered and SARS-CoV-2 was rapidly inactivated in the presence of colon liquids, it is unlikely that performing endoscopic procedures is associated with a significant infection risk due to undiagnosed asymptomatic or persistent gastrointestinal SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Mystery Of Shedding Corona Virus In Tears Of Patients Affected With Covid-19

The severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARSCoV-2)caused 2019 new corona virus illness (COVID-19) has spread globally, causing a pandemic. The WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic on January 31, 2020.2020 has been marged as covid pandaminc year. SARSCoV2 caused a global outbreak of this infectious disease. number of cases has continued to rise since then. Corona virus is a highly infectious disease spread mostly by respiratory droplets and direct contact with affected individuals. Viral isolation and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis confirm the diagnosi While the pathways of virus transmission are still debated, several investigations have been conducted to identify tear film and conjunctiva as the mode of virus transmission. Multiple case reports have surfaced in which ophthalmic doctors were found to be infected during routine managment. From January 26 to February 9,2020, 30 confirmed novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) patients were recruited for a prospective interventional case series investigation at zhejiang university's first affiliated hospital. Tear and conjunctival secretions were collected twice with disposable sample swabs at a 2-to-3 day interval for the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay. Twenty-one individuals with NCP of the common type and nine patients with NCP of the severe kind were included in the study. The lone patient with conjunctivitis had two samples of tear and conjunctival secretions, both of which generated positive RTPCR results. A total of 58 samples from different patients were found to be negative. © The Electrochemical Society

FEATURES OF COVID-19 PNEUMONIA DIAGNOSIS.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the clinical and laboratory features of COVID-19 pneumonia course, the diagnostic significance of laboratory methods for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus based on a retrospective analysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: We studied the case histories of 96 patients who were treated at the Municipal Non-Profit Enterprise "Lviv Clinical Emergency Care Hospital" for the period from 01/07/2020 to 31/07/2020 with a diagnosis of pneumonia, which corresponded to 5 points on the CO -RADS scale. We analyzed the clinical and laboratory signs of COVID-19 pneumonia depending on the results of the Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) tests to the SARS-CoV-2 infection (positive result of RT-qPCR was observed in the first group and negative - in the second group). RESULTS: Results: In both groups, no clinical differences in the course of the disease were found. The most common symptoms of coronavirus pneumonia were found with the same frequency in both patients with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis and without it. A positive PCR test in nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs was more often detected during testing up to 10 days, in patients over 60 years of age and in severe COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The COVID-19 pneumonia diagnosis should be based on a combination of clinical, laboratory, and radiological signs of this disease. A negative PCR test result does not exclude the diagnosis of coronavirus disease. The test results are influenced by the timing of the sampling, the severity of the disease and the age of the patients.

Negative Results of Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for SARS-CoV-2 in Clinical Practice May Vary among Six Molecular Assays in Patients with COVID-19.

Several commercial nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been developed. We used 6 kits available in Japan in 13 NAAT-positive specimens with crossing point values >36 and 7 NAAT-negative specimens from patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and their results were compared. Specimens positive in ≥2 assays were considered true-positive and examined for concordance with the specimen results. The SARS-CoV-2 Detection Kit -Multi- (Toyobo M; Toyobo, Osaka, Japan) using extracted RNA had the highest concordance (κ = 1.00). This was followed by Cobas® SARS-CoV-2 (Roche, Basel, Switzerland) (κ = 0.79). There was a weak correlation between the number of negative results for each kit and the number of days between onset and testing (Spearman rank correlation: ρ = 0.44; P < 0.05). We believe that the variations in results among kits for specimens with low viral loads should not be problematic when these kits are used for screening infectious patients because these variations are more likely to be observed in specimens tested many days after onset (i.e., those that have lost their infectivity). However, it may be better to use a test for suspected late-stage COVID-19 with a low viral load, such as Toyobo M or Cobas.

Systematic assessment of SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater, rivers and drinking water - A catchment-wide appraisal.

Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) attracted attention in 2002 with the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, caused by the SARS-CoV virus (mortality rate 9.6%), and gained further notoriety in 2012 with the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) (mortality rate 34.3%). Currently, the world is experiencing an unprecedented crisis due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2019. The virus can pass to the faeces of some patients, as was the case of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV viruses. This suggests that apart from the airborne (droplets and aerosols) and person-to-person (including fomites) transmission, the faecal-oral route of transmission could also be possible for HCoVs. In this eventuality, natural water bodies could act as a virus reservoir of infection. Here, the temporospatial migration and attenuation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in municipal wastewater, the receiving environment, and drinking water is evaluated, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in the South African setting. SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA was identified in raw wastewater influent but was below the detection limit in the latter treatment stages. This suggests that the virus decays from as early as primary treatment and this could be attributed to wastewater's hydraulic retention time (2-4 h), composition, and more importantly temperature (>25 °C). Therefore, the probability of SARS-CoV-2 virus transportation in water catchments, in the eventuality that the virus remains infective in wastewater, appears to be low in the South African setting. Finally, catchment-wide monitoring offers a snapshot of the status of the catchment in relation to contagious viruses and can play a pivotal role in informing the custodians and downstream water users of potential risks embedded in water bodies.

Equipment-free, salt-mediated immobilization of nucleic acids for nucleic acid lateral flow assays.

As the world has been facing several deadly virus crises, including Zika virus disease, Ebola virus disease, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), lateral flow assays (LFAs), which require minimal equipment for point-of-care of viral infectious diseases, are garnering much attention. Accordingly, there is an increasing demand to reduce the time and cost required for manufacturing LFAs. The current study introduces an equipment-free method of salt-mediated immobilization of nucleic acids (SAIoNs) for LFAs. Compared to general DNA immobilization methods such as streptavidin-biotin, UV-irradiation, and heat treatment, our method does not require special equipment (e.g., centrifuge, UV-crosslinker, heating device); therefore, it can be applied in a resource-limited environment with reduced production costs. The immobilization process was streamlined and completed within 30 min. Our method improved the color intensity signal approximately 14 times compared to the method without using SAIoNs and exhibited reproducibility with the long-term storage stability. The proposed method can be used to detect practical targets (e.g., SARS-CoV-2) and facilitates highly sensitive and selective detection of target nucleic acids with multiplexing capability and without any cross-reactivity. This novel immobilization strategy provides a basis for easily and inexpensively developing nucleic acid LFAs combined with various types of nucleic acid amplification.

Chlorhexidine: An effective anticovid mouth rinse.

CONTEXT: Dentists across the globe are witnessing a completely unforeseen and uncertain professional situation during these times of COVID-19 pandemic. There is conflicting evidence regarding the effectiveness of routinely used mouthwashes and especially Chlorhexidine, to reduce the viral load in oral cavity and the aerosols during oral procedures. AIMS: Comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of the current 'gold standard' chlorhexidine and povidone iodine as a control agent, through an in-vitro analysis. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: In-vitro laboratory analysis. METHODS AND MATERIAL: All the experiments for analysis of antiviral efficacy of chlorhexidine digluconate (2%)and povidone iodine(1%), against SARS-CoV-2 virus were performed in the BSL3 facility at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Microbial Technology, using the VeroE6 cell lines. The analysis of the virus inactivation was based on quantification of viral RNA (Cycle threshold (Ct) profile) present in the culture supernatant using Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Descriptive analysis (Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, version 15.0 for Windows). RESULTS: Chlorhexidine digluconate in 0.2% concentration inactivated more than 99.9% of SARS CoV 2 virus, in minimal contact time of 30 seconds, which was considered better efficacy than povidone-iodine utilized for 30 and 60 seconds. Subtle differences were observed in the activity of both the compounds in terms of percent inactivation of virus, though a greater relative change in Ct values was observed for chlorhexidine. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of the present study, it can be concluded that Chlorhexidine digluconate in 0.2% concentration inactivated SARS CoV 2 in minimal contact time i.e 30 secs, however both compounds tested i.e Chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine were found to have antiviral activity against SARS CoV2 virus.

Shotgun Transcriptome and Isothermal Profiling of SARS-CoV-2 Infection Reveals Unique Host Responses, Viral Diversification, and Drug Interactions.

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused thousands of deaths worldwide, including >18,000 in New York City (NYC) alone. The sudden emergence of this pandemic has highlighted a pressing clinical need for rapid, scalable diagnostics that can detect infection, interrogate strain evolution, and identify novel patient biomarkers. To address these challenges, we designed a fast (30-minute) colorimetric test (LAMP) for SARS-CoV-2 infection from naso/oropharyngeal swabs, plus a large-scale shotgun metatranscriptomics platform (total-RNA-seq) for host, bacterial, and viral profiling. We applied both technologies across 857 SARS-CoV-2 clinical specimens and 86 NYC subway samples, providing a broad molecular portrait of the COVID-19 NYC outbreak. Our results define new features of SARS-CoV-2 evolution, nominate a novel, NYC-enriched viral subclade, reveal specific host responses in interferon, ACE, hematological, and olfaction pathways, and examine risks associated with use of ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. Together, these findings have immediate applications to SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics, public health, and new therapeutic targets.

Prenatal screening diagnosis and management in the era of coronavirus: the Sardinian experience.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a new coronavirus, was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China and spread rapidly, affecting many other countries. The disease is now referred to as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).The Italian government declared a state of emergency on 31st January 2020 and on 11th March World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. Although the COVID-19 incidence remained considerably lower in Sardinia than in the North Italy regions, which were the most affected, the field of prenatal screening and diagnosis was modified because of the emerging pandemic. Data on COVID-19 during pregnancy are so far limited. Since the beginning of the emergency, our Ob/Gyn Department at Microcitemico Hospital, Cagliari offered to pregnant patients all procedures considered essential by the Italian Ministry of Health. To evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the activities of our center, we compared the number of procedures performed from 10th March to 18th May 2020 with those of 2019. Despite the continuous local birth rate decline, during the 10-week pandemic period, we registered a 20% increment of 1st trimester combined screening and a slight rise of the number of invasive prenatal procedures with a further increase in chorionic villi sampling compared to amniocentesis. Noninvasive prenatal testing remained unvariated. The request for multifetal pregnancy reduction as a part of the growing tendency of voluntary termination of pregnancy in Sardinia increased. The COVID-19 pandemic provides many scientific opportunities for clinical research and study of psychological and ethical issues in pregnant women.