Complex Reporting of the COVID-19 Epidemic in the Czech Republic: Use of an Interactive Web-Based App in Practice.

BACKGROUND: The beginning of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic dates back to December 31, 2019, when the first cases were reported in the People's Republic of China. In the Czech Republic, the first three cases of infection with the novel coronavirus were confirmed on March 1, 2020. The joint effort of state authorities and researchers gave rise to a unique team, which combines methodical knowledge of real-world processes with the know-how needed for effective processing, analysis, and online visualization of data. OBJECTIVE: Due to an urgent need for a tool that presents important reports based on valid data sources, a team of government experts and researchers focused on the design and development of a web app intended to provide a regularly updated overview of COVID-19 epidemiology in the Czech Republic to the general population. METHODS: The cross-industry standard process for data mining model was chosen for the complex solution of analytical processing and visualization of data that provides validated information on the COVID-19 epidemic across the Czech Republic. Great emphasis was put on the understanding and a correct implementation of all six steps (business understanding, data understanding, data preparation, modelling, evaluation, and deployment) needed in the process, including the infrastructure of a nationwide information system; the methodological setting of communication channels between all involved stakeholders; and data collection, processing, analysis, validation, and visualization. RESULTS: The web-based overview of the current spread of COVID-19 in the Czech Republic has been developed as an online platform providing a set of outputs in the form of tables, graphs, and maps intended for the general public. On March 12, 2020, the first version of the web portal, containing fourteen overviews divided into five topical sections, was released. The web portal's primary objective is to publish a well-arranged visualization and clear explanation of basic information consisting of the overall numbers of performed tests, confirmed cases of COVID-19, COVID-19-related deaths, the daily and cumulative overviews of people with a positive COVID-19 case, performed tests, location and country of infection of people with a positive COVID-19 case, hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19, and distribution of personal protective equipment. CONCLUSIONS: The online interactive overview of the current spread of COVID-19 in the Czech Republic was launched on March 11, 2020, and has immediately become the primary communication channel employed by the health care sector to present the current situation regarding the COVID-19 epidemic. This complex reporting of the COVID-19 epidemic in the Czech Republic also shows an effective way to interconnect knowledge held by various specialists, such as regional and national methodology experts (who report positive cases of the disease on a daily basis), with knowledge held by developers of central registries, analysts, developers of web apps, and leaders in the health care sector.

Type 1 cytokines polarize thymocytes during T cell development in adult thymus organ cultures.

Peripheral T cells can be polarized towards type 1 or type 2 cytokine immune responses during TCR engagement. Because T cell selection by peptide plus self-MHC in the thymus requires TCR engagement, we hypothesized that type 1 cytokines may polarize developing T cells. We cultured thymi from BBDR rats in adult thymus organ cultures (ATOC) under type 1 cytokine conditions in the absence of exogenous antigen. Type 1 cytokine-conditioned ATOC generated cells that spontaneously secreted high levels of IFNgamma, but not IL-4. A second exposure to type 1 cytokines further increased IFNgamma secretion by these cells, most of which were blasts that expressed the activation markers CD25, CD71, CD86, and CD134. Studies using blocking antibodies and pharmacological inhibitors suggested that both IL-18 and cognate TCR-MHC/ligand interactions were important for activation. Blocking anti-MHC class I plus anti-MHC class II antibodies, neutralizing anti-IL-18 antibody, and the p38 MAP-kinase inhibitor SB203580 each reduced IFNgamma production by approximately 75-80%. Cyclosporin A, which prevents TCR signaling, inhibited IFNgamma production by approximately 50%. These data demonstrate that exposure to type 1 cytokines during intrathymic development can polarize differentiating T cells, and suggest a mechanism by which intrathymic exposure to type 1 cytokines may modulate T cell development.