Thermal inactivation of COVID-19 specimens improves RNA quality and quantity.

The rapid spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, poses a huge demand for immediate diagnosis. Real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) of nasopharyngeal (NP) and oropharyngeal (OP) swabs have been used to confirm the clinical diagnosis. To avoid the risk of viral-exposure of laboratory workers, thermal inactivation is currently recommended but has unknown effects on the accuracy of the rRT-PCR results. Thirty-six NP/OP specimens were collected from COVID-19 patients and subjected to thermal inactivation (60°C for 30 min) or the RNA extraction processes to activate the form. Here, our data showed that the concentration of extracted-RNA increases upon thermal inactivation compared to the active form (p = .028).  Significantly higher levels of RNA copy number were obtained in inactivated compared to the active samples for both N and ORF1ab genes (p = .009, p = .032, respectively). Thermal inactivation elevated concentration and copy number of extracted-RNA, possibly through viral-capsid degradation and/or nucleoprotein denaturation.

A global treatments for coronaviruses including COVID-19.

In late December 2019 in Wuhan, China, several patients with viral pneumonia were identified as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). So far, there are no specific treatments for patients with coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), and the treatments available today are based on previous experience with similar viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and Influenza virus. In this article, we have tried to reach a therapeutic window of drugs available to patients with COVID-19. Cathepsin L is required for entry of the 2019-nCoV virus into the cell as target teicoplanin inhibits virus replication. Angiotensin-converting-enzyme 2 (ACE2) in soluble form as a recombinant protein can prevent the spread of coronavirus by restricting binding and entry. In patients with COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine decreases the inflammatory response and cytokine storm, but overdose causes toxicity and mortality. Neuraminidase inhibitors such as oseltamivir, peramivir, and zanamivir are invalid for 2019-nCoV and are not recommended for treatment but protease inhibitors such as lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) inhibit the progression of MERS-CoV disease and can be useful for patients of COVID-19 and, in combination with Arbidol, has a direct antiviral effect on early replication of SARS-CoV. Ribavirin reduces hemoglobin concentrations in respiratory patients, and remdesivir improves respiratory symptoms. Use of ribavirin in combination with LPV/r in patients with SARS-CoV reduces acute respiratory distress syndrome and mortality, which has a significant protective effect with the addition of corticosteroids. Favipiravir increases clinical recovery and reduces respiratory problems and has a stronger antiviral effect than LPV/r. currently, appropriate treatment for patients with COVID-19 is an ACE2 inhibitor and a clinical problem reducing agent such as favipiravir in addition to hydroxychloroquine and corticosteroids.

Isolation and identification of specific bacteriophage against enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and in vitro and in vivo characterization of bacteriophage.

In recent years, the increasing resistance of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) to commonly used antibiotics has made it difficult to choose the best treatment option. Bacteriophage therapy could be a potent alternative to antibiotic therapy for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The aim of the present study was to isolate and identify a specific bacteriophage against EPEC and characterize bacteriophage in vitro and in vivo. The specific bacteriophage was isolated, and the effect of phage therapy on 48 mice (Balb/c) was investigated. Animals were divided into six groups, including A: PBS (negative control); B: bacteria (positive control); C: bacteria + ciprofloxacin (after 24 h); D: bacteria + bacteriophage (after 24 h); E: bacteria + ciprofloxacin + bacteriophage (after 24 h) and F: bacteriophage + bacteria (after 24 h). Specific bacteriophage against EPEC was isolated from hospital sewage. The bacteriophage had an icosahedral head (120 nm) and a tail (138 nm). The single dose of the bacteriophage (2 × 109 pfu ml-1) was able to control the infection. Unfortunately, because of the misuse of antibiotics by EPEC infected patients, the antibiotic resistant bacteria will become prevalent in the future and the treatment of EPEC infection is going to become more difficult than ever.