Coronaviruses - Volume 2, Issue 9, 2021

In this letter, the psychological impact of COVID-19 on cancer infected patients is discussed. Cancer is a serious health-related problem nowadays. The 2019 pandemic of coronavirus disease has developed into an unheard-of pandemic. Given the havoc wreaked by this pathogen worldwide, many countries have implemented a severe, legally enforced method of social distancing, in the form of a lockdown. Unless adequate preventive measures are taken, the cost of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown can prove to be irreparable. The obvious consequences of this lockout, such as the escalating levels of unemployment, imminent economic crisis, and extreme food scarcity faced by the sudden unemployed migrant labour population, have been widely reported. Cancer patients are a highly vulnerable group even during non-pandemic periods, often presenting late in the course of their illness, without the services required to avail recommended care. The incidence of psychological complications and emotional distress is considerably higher in cancer patients than in the general population, and the trauma of both the pandemic and subsequent lockdown contributes significantly to their mental trauma. This analysis is geared at solving the challenges faced by cancer patients in the face of this pandemic and subsequent lockdown, with a look at potential solutions that can be enforced.

Novel coronavirus (nCoV-19) infection has been declared a pandemic by WHO. More than 223 countries are under the attack of this emergency situation. Primarily, pneumocytes encountered by the nCoV-19 via ACE-2 receptor cause pulmonary edema, damage to alveolar cells, production of inflammatory cells, and hypoxia. It has been found that patients with co-existing cardiovascular diseases are more prone to the infection, and severe cardiovascular dysfunction was further observed when infected with nCoV-19. There is no substantial mechanism available for the pathogenesis of this cardiovascular dysfunction; therefore, we herein present a possible mechanistic approach of cardio-toxicity by nCov-19 infection. The hypothesis of this study is based on immunopathology of nCoV-19 in pneumocytes, presence of ACE-2 on cardiomyocytes membrane, cytokine storm, genomic analysis of virus in cardiac tissue, and several reports published on the cardiovascular complications in nCoV-19 across the globe. We have also analyzed the cardiotoxic profile of recently used repurposed and investigational drugs and highlighted their possible cardiotoxic consequences and drug interactions with cardiovascular medicines, such as statins and anti-coagulants.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has emerged as a global pandemic due to its high transmissibility and pathogenicity. It is a beta clade zoonotic coronavirus like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Though no effective medication has been developed against the deadly COVID-19 disease, henceforth old antimicrobial drugs have been repurposed to treat the COVID-19 patients. In this report, a brief account of the used medication and the potential mechanism of antimicrobial drugs against SARS-CoV-2 has been provided. Based on the earlier incidences, the antimicrobials are expected to lose the battle against SARS-CoV-2. The vast lacuna in the research and development of vaccines has led to overuse of the already formulated antimicrobial drugs, which in turn has led to a distressing problem called “Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)”. A complete assay of AMR has been given including its cause, mechanism, spread, and consequences. The other two interlinked problems, namely environmental deterioration and secondary infections, are elaborated. Moreover, to combat the AMR problem, the way forward has been discussed in detail.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has created an emergency globally, and social distancing and isolation are the only solution to prevent its spread. Several countries have announced a full lockdown to tackle this pandemic. The coronavirus family is inclusive of pathogens of both- animal species and humans, encapsulating the isolated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Researchers around the globe have been dexterously working to decode this lethal virus. Many mathematical frameworks have also been depicted, which have helped to understand the dynamics of the COVID-19. Methods: This systematic review highlights the virus genomic composition, preliminary phylogenetic analysis, pathogenesis, symptomatology, diagnosis, and prognosis along with mathematical models of disease transmission and dynamics. Results: Our preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the novel coronavirus sequence discerns that although shares its lineage with SARS, BAT-CoV, Beta-BAT-SARS, however, this protein is highly dissimilar to its ancestors. The widely prominent amino acid residues found in the protein are alanine (ALA), aspartic acid (ASP), phenylalanine (PHE), leucine (LEU), aspartic acid (ASP), threonine (THR), valine (VAL), tyrosine (TYR) and asparagine (ASN) that are responsible for its replication process. Conclusion: Research on coronaviruses continues towards developing a strong understanding of the rapidly evolving viral replication and its transmission between individuals.

Background and Objective: With the initial case of corona reported in Wuhan, China on 31st December 2020, there has been an unprecedented rise in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), with over 200 countries all across the world in less than 3 months. By the October 2020, about 40 million population of the world got infected and over one million deaths occurred. Since no WHO and FDA approved medications or vaccines for COVID-19 were available, there was an impatient bustling need to develop a drug for the treatment. Drug repurposing emerged as the easiest and fast emerging strategy to get medicine for COVID-19 with rapid approvals for the clinical trials. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the status of drug repurposing under the clinical and its impact on the development of medicine for COVID-19. Methods: The study was undertaken to review various clinical trials from the website. www.clinicaltrials.gov . We evaluated 220 ongoing clinical trials with the strategy of ‘drug repurposing’ against COVID-19, analyzed them as per their chemical structure and possible biological targets. Results: It was noticed that some of the early repurposed drugs like chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, ACE inhibitors and ARBs, did not succeed and remained controversial. While many of the antiviral drugs like remdesivir, favipiravir, lopinavir, ritonavir, oseltamivir could be taken for the clinical trials in various countries, remdesivir could succeed to a great extent as compared to other drugs. WHO has come up with an initiative known as multi-country ‘Solidarity Trial’ for developing a potential drug or therapy against COVID-19.However, the most preferred drugs used for repurposing like hydroxychloroquine and remdesivir have not shown predictable results in solidarity trials. Conclusion: The analyses of several ongoing and partially concluded clinical trials suggest that drug repurposing can be one of the major strategies for the treatment of COVID-19. Further, guidelines framed by the WHO through Infection Prevention and Control for monitoring the widespread of this COVID-19 across the world is another aggressive attempt to find the solution for the treatment for COVID-19.

Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the main cellular receptor for the entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and acts as a pro-inflammatory mediator of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection is influenced by the pro-inflammatory mediators. The specific microRNAs (miRNAs) influence the ACE2 expression and are accountable for the increased circulatory pro-inflammatory mediator levels. Thus, host factors play a crucial role in COVID-19 pathophysiology. The pathogenesis of COVID-19 disease is not well understood. Hence we comprehended the role of miRNAs, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and ACE2 genes in COVID-19 pathophysiology. Methods: We utilized multiple databases, specifically EMBASE, PubMed (Medline), and Google Scholar, for our search. Discussion: SARS-CoV-2 genes could be the target of host miRNAs. The miRNAs regulate the expression of ACE2 in various organs, including the kidney, heart, blood vessels, and lung. ACE2 acts as a pro-inflammatory mediator of SARS-CoV-2 associated disease. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF) have been associated with severe COVID-19 disease. Hence variation in expression of miRNAs would influence the regulation of COVID-19 pathophysiology. The clinical outcomes of COVID-19 are variable which could be linked with the difference in binding of host miRNA to the target genes. Conclusion: Correlation of these genes with severe or critical stages of patients will provide biomarkers for the severity of lung inflammation which would be useful in the rapid identification of patients in need of hospital admission. Analysis of the relationship between the miRNAs and ACE2 will be helpful in designing anti-miR therapy for ACE2-related SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Severe acute respiratory syndromecoronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a contagious pathogen responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The pathogenesis and immunological responses of SARS-CoV-2 infection are poorly understood until now. Once a person gets infected by SARS-COV-2, both innate and adaptive immunity gets compromised, which further plays an important role in making the disease more severe. The host's innate immune system forms the first layer of defense for protection from viral infections and initiates activation of the adaptive immune system in order to give maximum protection. The respiratory tract maintains the balance of T cell, B cell pro- and anti-inflammatory responses in order to protect the tissue from damage and diseases. In this review, the current updates related to the involvement of the immune system in the antiviral defense against SARS-CoV-2 have been discussed. These novel insights within the immunological response in the respiratory tract would support the future development of vaccines and immunoregulatory therapy for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

From December 2019 till now, the coronavirus disease pandemic has exposed the whole world to a new challenge where the survival of human beings faces an alarming phase. The humankind, with utmost intelligence, is trying to find out the key to unlock the lock made by SARSCoV- 2, the causative virus of COVID-19. We here, briefly summarize the possible remedies so far introduced worldwide to combat the deadly pathogenic virus. The article includes the information of varieties of drugs applied globally: allopathic, homeopathic, Ayurveda, nanoparticle implicated protections and vaccination trials along with other biotechnical applications in different countries. Our review work may be useful to scientists involved in research in this field to know the global remedial aspects so far developed and also to create awareness among people regarding the present pandemic and preventive mechanisms.

Infection by β-coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus- 2) alters the homeostasis of the vascular endothelium, promoting an inflammatory state which causes damage and favors the prothrombotic state. The direct viral cytotoxicity induced by the SARS-CoV-2 leads to endothelial cell death; thus, altering the vessel functions. Moreover, SARS-CoV infection induces endothelial dysfunction (ED) and reduces the levels of nitric oxide (NO); thus, aggravating the vascular injuries, which promotes thrombotic events due to an alteration in the homeostasis. NO is a pleiotropic molecule that induces vasodilation, regulates the immune response, inhibits platelet aggregation, and decreases the cellular adhesion to vascular endothelium. Moreover, NO acts directly against invasive agents, exhibiting antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal activity. High levels of NO result in an increase in the ED, causing an inflammatory amplification that aggravates the disease through undesirable positive feedback. The objective of this review was to present and discuss the involvement of NO on ED in SARS-CoV-2 infections. This review may also highlight new perspectives for therapeutic interventions through the supplementation of exogenous NO. The maintenance of homeostatic NO levels could represent a useful approach in the prevention of coronavirus-induced ED.

The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which was isolated in January 2020, emerged as a result of natural evolution and has already infected millions of people around the world due to its extensive human-to-human transmission capacity. Highlighting the clinical manifestations, pathology and immune response against the SARS-CoV-2 infection process, this review study was conducted through a comprehensive bibliographic search of academic papers that are available online at the following databases Science Direct, Pub Med, ACS Publications, Nature, BioRxiv and MedRxiv. According to the analyzed works, people infected with SARS-CoV-2 may display fever and dry cough as the main clinical symptoms and they may also present breathing difficulty, muscle pain (myalgia), chills, lack of appetite, fatigue, sore throat, altered consciousness, diarrhea, vomiting, nasal discharge and syncope. When considering the immune status of patients with COVID-19, it is highlighted that hypercytokinemia contributes to the severity that can even result in death. Lymphopenia is the most frequent prognosis described in cases of COVID-19. Thus, a detailed understanding of the specific inflammatory pathways that result in the pathology of COVID-19 is crucial for the immediate development of clinical therapeutic approaches.

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has now morphed into the most serious healthcare challenge that the world has faced in a century. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was declared as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020, and a pandemic on March 11 by the World Health Organization (WHO). The number of cases and the death toll are rapidly increasing frequently because of its fast transmission from human to human through droplets, contaminated hands or body, and inanimate surfaces. Objective: SDS has been found to exhibit broad-spectrum and effective microbicidal and viral inactivation agents through the denaturation of both envelope and non-envelop proteins Methods: Viable SARS-COV-2 particles may also be found on contaminated sites such as steel surfaces, plastic surfaces, stainless steel, cardboard, and glass surfaces that can serve as a source of virus transmission. We reviewed the available literature about the SARS-CoV-2 persistence on inanimate surfaces as well as the decontamination strategies of corona and other viruses by using Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as well as other cleaning chemicals and disinfectants. Results: The efficacy of SDS has been amply demonstrated in several studies involving human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV). SDS has also been found as deactivator of SARS-CoV-2. In toxic profile, up to 1% concentration of SDS is safe for humans and showed no toxic effect if ingested. Conclusion: Since no specific treatment is available as yet so containment and prevention continue to be important strategies against COVID-19. In this context, SDS can be an effective chemical disinfectant to slow and stop the further transmissions and spread of COVID-19.

This paper describes the emerging role of robots in health care and integrated environments with special concerns related to the management and control of the spread of novel coronavirus 2019. The primary use of such robots is to reduce human interaction and ensure cleanliness, fertility, and support in the hospitals and facilities such as isolation. This will lead to a reduction in the life-threatening risk for medical professionals and physicians who have played a significant role in the management of infectious diseases like coronavirus. The purpose of this work is to highlight the importance of medical robots in general and to link their use in the field of medical assistance so that hospital administrators can use the medical robots for different treatment processes. The work involves the design and development of an AUTONOMOUS and IoT CONTROLLED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE ROBOT (AIMED), which is designed as a potential answer for any irresistible ailment, particularly for Coronaviruses Outbreak. AIMED ROBOT is utilized to limit individual to-individual contact and to guarantee cleaning, sanitization and backing in emergency clinics and comparable offices, for example, food and medication conveyance in isolate emergency clinics/offices. Voice communication can also be established between the control room and patient through a wireless network. This data is sent to the doctor and staff using a communication network that helps in monitoring the patient's condition without human interaction. Hand Sanitization, food delivery and waste collection system are also provided in the robot for quarantine zones. This is despite the popularity of telemedicine, which also applies to similar situations. In fact, the recent success of the Korean and Chinese health sectors in gaining effective control of the coronavirus epidemic would not have been possible without the use of state-of-the-art technology. Background: In the quick advancement of innovation, there are numerous sorts of robots with different details and capacities. The AIMED Robots are being developed for hospitals to deliver medicines, food and for taking live data from the patient directly. A few issues are confronted in regards to the limitation of explicit places around and inside the clinic because different robots were utilizing landmark recognition. Moreover, the issues faced when the robot is to convey things to any patient from any place should be taken care of. Objective: The objective of this work is to highlight the importance of medical robots in general and to link their use in the field of medical assistance so that hospital administrators can use the medical robots for different treatment processes. Methods: The work involves the design and development of an AUTONOMOUS and IoT CONTROLLED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE ROBOT (AIMED), which is designed as a potential answer for any irresistible ailment particularly for Coronaviruses Outbreak. Results: AIMED Robot goes through three testing stages. In the final stage, one complete embedded system is designed by embedding each tested sub-system and then this final embedded system is tested. All the project goals, which were planned as ‘Solution to Problem Statement’, have been achieved properly. Conclusion: This paper provides an overview of the robotics and therapeutic potential of robotics in specific environments with COVID-19 epidemic control. The AIMED robot introduced in this paper is a piece of emergency clinic and care focus computerization framework. Multiple patients are placed for stop-over and doctor’s prescription regarding patient health. It can be very useful to counter infectious diseases like SARS, MERS or Covid-19 etc. This work confirms that the introduction of medical robots has significantly increased the safety and quality of health care systems compared to manual systems due to the digitalization of health care.