Role of hospital environmental surfaces in the transmission of the severe acute respiratory syndrome - Coronavirus-2.

INTRODUCTION: Severe acute respiratory syndrome - Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is mainly transmitted via respiratory secretions through coughing, sneezing, or contact with contaminated surfaces. This virus can be present in feces and many body fluids. The study aimed to screen the hospital environment as a potential source for SARS-CoV-2 transmission and identify the hospital zones with the highest contamination levels. METHODOLOGY: Swabs were collected from different sites in the hospital before and after routine cleaning/disinfection, transported in vials containing 1-3 mL of viral transport medium, and stored at -80 ℃ as soon as possible until the time of testing. The real-time reverse-transcription PCR (rRT-PCR) system targeting RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and E genes was used to detect the SARS-CoV-2 RNA. RESULTS: Moderate environmental contamination by SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected by rRT-PCR before routine cleaning/disinfection (52% of the swabs were positive). The hospital surfaces with the highest contamination levels were elevators' buttons, sinks and faucets' handles at the waiting rooms, patient's room and bathroom, call buttons and telephones in the patient's room, toilet bowl surface, the doorknob and light switches at the X-ray room, and the computer keyboard at the staffroom. All the swabs collected after routine cleaning/disinfection were negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA by rRT-PCR. CONCLUSIONS: The hospital environment is a high-risk area that can be contaminated by SARS-CoV-2 through contact, respiratory, and maybe fecal shedding of the virus. To limit this fatal virus transmission, strict adherence to proper hand hygiene with frequent optimal decontamination of hospital environmental surfaces is essential.

Interplay of LncRNAs NEAT1 and TUG1 in Incidence of Cytokine Storm in Appraisal of COVID-19 Infection.

Background: In 2019, the coronavirus pandemic emerged, resulting in the highest mortality and morbidity rate globally. It has a prevailing transmission rate and continues to be a global burden. There is a paucity of data regarding the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in COVID-19. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate lncRNAs, particularly NEAT1 and TUG1, and their association with IL-6, CCL2, and TNF-α in COVID-19 patients with moderate and severe disease. Methods: The study was conducted on 80 COVID-19 patients (35 with severe and 45 with moderate infection) and 40 control subjects. Complete blood count (CBC), D-dimer assay, serum ferritin, and CRP were assayed. qRT-PCR was used to measure RNAs and lncRNAs. Results: NEAT1 and TUG1 expression levels were higher in COVID-19 patients compared with controls (P<0.001). Furthermore, CCL2, IL-6, and TNF-α expressions were higher in COVID-19 patients compared to controls (P<0.001). CCL2 and IL-6 expression levels were significantly higher in patients with severe compared to those with moderate COVID-19 infection (P<0.001). IL-6 had the highest accuracy in distinguishing COVID-19 patients (AUC=1, P<0.001 at a cutoff of 0.359), followed by TUG1 (AUC=0.999, P<0.001 at a cutoff of 2.28). NEAT1 and TUG1 had significant correlations with the measured cytokines, and based on the multivariate regression analysis, NEAT1 is the independent predictor for survival in COVID-19 patients (P=0.02). Conclusion: In COVID-19 patients, significant overexpression of NEAT1 and TUG1 was observed, consistent with cytokine storm. TUG1 could be an efficient diagnostic biomarker, whereas NEAT1 was an independent predictor for overall survival.

Immunization against severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2: an overview.

In the past years, numerous new fatal infections have emerged, including Ebola, Nipah, and Zika viruses, as well as coronaviruses. Recently, infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged in China, and were then transmitted all over the world, causing the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, which is transmitted at a higher rate than other diseases caused by coronaviruses. At the time of writing this review, COVID-19 is not contained in most countries in spite of quarantine, physical distancing, and enhanced hygiene measures. In this review, I address different methods for passive and active immunization against this virus, which is known to cause fatal respiratory disease, including natural passive immunization by breast milk, natural active immunization by herd immunization, artificial passive immunization by convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibodies, and artificial active immunization by vaccination. I hope this review will help design a prophylactic approach against outbreaks and pandemics of related coronaviruses in the future.

Novel coronavirus disease-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices among the residents of Al-Jouf region in Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: Efforts have been made to contain COVID-19. Human behavior, affected by knowledge and perceptions, may influence the course of disease. METHODOLOGY: A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 422 participants. It consisted of 28 questions in four sections; seven questions about sociodemographic characteristics of participants, 12 questions to estimate level of knowledge about COVID-19, six questions to evaluate attitudes toward disease, and three questions to assess practices to prevent disease transmission. RESULTS: Their overall understanding of COVID-19 was satisfactory. 69% of the participants had satisfactory levels of knowledge, and the main sources of information were social media platforms (79.70%) and television (70.90%). There was a significant difference in knowledge as a function of gender (p = 0.50), occupation (p = 0.012), and smoking (p = 0.041). The participants held optimistic attitudes and adopted appropriate protective measures. Most participants agreed that COVID-19 can cause death (64.7%), poses greater risks to elderly (93.4%) and those with chronic diseases (96.7%), it is mandatory to quarantine infected individuals (98.1%), preventive health measures are important (97.6%), and health authorities will succeed in controlling the pandemic (67.5%). There was a statistically significant association between satisfactory levels of knowledge and the practice of wearing masks and the adoption of protective measures (avoiding crowded places, frequent hand washing). CONCLUSIONS: Residents of Al-Jouf region in Saudi Arabia have satisfactory levels of knowledge, optimistic attitudes, and good practice during the rapid rise period of the pandemic. Awareness campaigns will improve any misbeliefs and risky behaviors.