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It remains unclear how effective COVID‐19 vaccinations will be in patients with weakened immunity due to diseases, transplantation, and dialysis. We conducted a systematic review comparing the efficacy of COVID‐19 vaccination in patients with solid tumor, hematologic malignancy, autoimmune disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and patients who received transplantation or dialysis. A literature search was conducted twice using the Medline/PubMed database. As a result, 21 papers were included in the review, and seropositivity rate was summarized by specific type of disease, transplantation, and dialysis. When different papers studied the same type of patient group, a study with a higher number of participants was selected. Most of the solid tumor patients showed a seropositivity rate of more than 80% after the second inoculation, but a low seropositivity was found in certain tumors such as breast cancer. Research in patients with certain types of hematological malignancy and autoimmune diseases has also reported low seropositivity, and this may have been affected by the immunosuppressive treatment these patients receive. Research in patients receiving dialysis or transplantation has reported lower seropositivity rates than the general population, while all patients with inflammatory bowel disease have converted to be seropositive. Meta‐analysis validating these results will be needed, and studies will also be needed on methods to protect patients with reduced immunity from COVID‐19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate surveillance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) incidence includes large‐scale antibody testing of the population. Current testing methods require collection of venous blood samples by a healthcare worker, or dried blood spot (DBS) collection using finger prick, however this might have some logistic and processing limitations. We investigated the performance of the Ser‐Col device for detecting severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) antibodies using a finger prick: DBS‐like collection system that includes a lateral flow paper for serum separation and allows for automated large scale analysis. For this prospective study, adult patients with moderate to severe COVID‐19 were included 6 weeks post‐symptom onset. Healthy, adult volunteers were included as a negative control group. Venous blood and capillary blood using the Ser‐Col device were collected and the Wantai SARS‐CoV‐2 total antibody ELISA was performed on all samples. We included 50 subjects in the study population and 49 in the control group. Results obtained with venous blood versus Ser‐Col capillary blood showed 100% sensitivity (95% CI: 0.93−1.00) and 100% specificity (95% CI: 0.93−1.00). Our study shows the feasibility of SARS‐CoV‐2 total antibody screening using a standardized DBS technique with semiautomated processing for large scale analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID‐19) caused by SARS‐CoV‐2 spread rapidly worldwide, posing a severe threat to public life and health. It is significant to realize rapid testing and timely control of epidemic situations under the condition of limited resources. However, laboratory‐based standardized nucleic acid detection methods have a long turnaround time and high cost, so it is urgent to develop convenient methods for detecting COVID‐19. This paper summarizes the point‐of‐care testing (POCT) developed for novel coronavirus from three aspects: nucleic acid extraction, nucleic acid amplification, and detection methods. This paper introduces a commercial real‐time detection system that integrates the abovementioned three steps and the matters needing attention in use. The primary purpose of this review is to provide a reference for emergency response and rapid deployment of COVID‐19 and some other emerging infectious diseases. Highlights: •The novel coronavirus 2019 caused a severe threat to public life and health.•POCT tests for SARS‐COV‐2 contribute to epidemic prevention and control.•The current POCT tests for SARS‐CoV‐2 differ in performance.•It is urgent to develop a real POCT device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence shows that SARS‐CoV‐2 can potentially trigger autoimmune processes, which can be responsible for the long‐term consequences of COVID‐19. Therefore, this paper aims to review the autoantibodies reported in COVID‐19 convalescents. Six main groups were distinguished: (i) autoantibodies against components of the immune system, (ii) autoantibodies against components of the cardiovascular system, (iii) thyroid autoantibodies, (iv) autoantibodies specific for rheumatoid diseases, (v) antibodies against G‐protein coupled receptors, and (vi) other autoantibodies. The evidence reviewed here clearly highlights that SARS‐CoV‐2 infection may induce humoral autoimmune responses. However, the available studies share number of limitations, such as: (1) the sole presence of autoantibodies does not necessarily implicate the clinically‐relevant risks, (2) functional investigations were rarely performed and it is often unknown whether observed autoantibodies are pathogenic, (3) the control seroprevalence, in healthy, noninfected individuals was often not reported; thus it is sometimes unknown whether the detected autoantibodies are the result of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection or the accidental post‐COVID‐19 detection, (4) the presence of autoantibodies was rarely correlated with symptoms of the post‐COVID‐19 syndrome, (5) the size of the studied groups were often small, (6) the studies focused predominantly on adult populations, (7) age‐ and sex‐related differences in seroprevalence of autoantibodies were rarely explored, (8) genetic predispositions that may be involved in generation of autoantibodies during SARS‐CoV‐2 infections were not investigated, and (9) the autoimmune reactions following infection with SARS‐CoV‐2 variants that vary in the clinical course of infection remain unexplored. Further longitudinal studies are advocated to assess the link between identified autoantibodies and particular clinical outcomes in COVID‐19 convalescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide instructive clues for clinical practice and further research of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection, we analyzed the existing literature on viral neuroinvasion of SARS‐CoV‐2 in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients. To date, SARS‐CoV‐2 has been detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or brain parenchyma in quite a few patients, which provide undeniable evidence for the neuroinvasive potential of this novel coronavirus. In contrast with the cerebrum and cerebellum, the detection rate of SARS‐CoV‐2 was higher in the olfactory system and the brainstem, both of which also showed severe microgliosis and lymphocytic infiltrations. As compared with the number of patients who underwent viral testing in the central nervous system (CNS), the number of patients showing positive results seems very small. However, it seems too early to conclude that the neuroinvasion of SARS‐CoV‐2 is rare in COVID‐19 patients because the detection methods or sampling procedures in some studies may not be suitable or sufficient to reveal the CNS infection induced by neurotropic viruses. Moreover, the primary symptoms and/or causes of death were distinctly different among examined patients, which probably caused more conspicuous pathological changes than those due to the direct infection that usually localized to specific brain areas. Unfortunately, most autopsy studies did not provide sufficient details about neurological symptoms or suspected diagnoses of the examined patients, and the documentation of neuropathological changes was often incomplete. Given the complex pathophysiology of COVID‐19 and the characteristics of neurotropic viruses, it is understandable that any study of the CNS infection may inevitably have limitations. Highlights: We analyzed the papers on CSF testing and brain autopsies in COVID‐19 patients.SARS‐CoV‐2 has been detected in the CSF or brain parenchyma in a few patients.The detection rate of SARS‐CoV‐2 is high in the olfactory system and the brainstem.Some detection methods are not sufficient to reveal the CNS infection of SARS‐CoV‐2.Symptoms or death causes of examined patients are not often provided in some papers.It cannot be simply concluded that viral neuroinvasion is rare in COVID‐19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mortality in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients has been linked to the presence of a "cytokine storm" induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection, which involves elevated levels of circulating cytokines and immune‐cell hyperactivation. Targeting cytokines during the management of COVID‐19 patients has the potential to improve survival rates and reduce mortality. Although cytokine blockers and immune‐host modulators are currently being tested in severely ill COVID‐19 patients to cope with the overwhelming systemic inflammation, there is not too many successful cases, thus finding new cytokine blockers to attenuate the cytokine storm syndrome is meaningful. In this paper, we significantly attenuated the inflammatory responses induced by mouse hepatitis viruses A59 and SARS‐CoV‐2 through a soluble DR5‐Fc (sDR5‐Fc) chimeric protein that blocked the TNF‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand–death receptor 5 (TRAIL–DR5) interaction. Our findings indicates that blocking the TRAIL–DR5 pathway through the sDR5‐Fc chimeric protein is a promising strategy to treat COVID‐19 severe patients requiring intensive care unit admission or with chronic metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing sensible estimates of the mean incubation time for COVID‐19 is important yet complex. This study aims to provide synthetic estimates of the mean incubation time of COVID‐19 by capitalizing on available estimates reported in the literature and exploring different ways to accommodate heterogeneity involved in the reported studies. Online databases between January 1, 2020 and May 20, 2021 are first searched to obtain estimates of the mean incubation time of COVID‐19, and meta‐analyses are then conducted to generate synthetic estimates. Heterogeneity of the studies is examined via the use of Cochran's Q $Q$ statistic and Higgin's & Thompson's I2 ${I}^{2}$ statistic, and subgroup analyses are conducted using mixed effects models. The publication bias issue is assessed using the funnel plot and Egger's test. Using all those reported mean incubation estimates for COVID‐19, the synthetic mean incubation time is estimated to be 6.43 days with a 95% confidence interval (CI) [5.90, 6.96], and using all those reported mean incubation estimates together with those transformed median incubation estimates, the estimated mean incubation time is 6.07 days with a 95% CI [5.70, 6.45]. The reported estimates of the mean incubation time of COVID‐19 vary considerably due to multiple reasons, including heterogeneity and publication bias. To alleviate these issues, we take different angles to provide a sensible estimate of the mean incubation time of COVID‐19. Our analyses show that the mean incubation time of COVID‐19 between January 1, 2020 and May 20, 2021 ranges from 5.68 to 8.30 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surge of patients in the pandemic of COVID‐19 caused by the novel coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 may overwhelm the medical systems of many countries. Mask‐wearing and handwashing can slow the spread of the virus, but currently, masks are in shortage in many countries, and timely handwashing is often impossible. In this study, the efficacy of three types of masks and instant hand wiping was evaluated using the avian influenza virus to mock the coronavirus. Virus quantification was performed using real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. Previous studies on mask‐wearing were reviewed. The results showed that instant hand wiping using a wet towel soaked in water containing 1.00% soap powder, 0.05% active chlorine, or 0.25% active chlorine from sodium hypochlorite removed 98.36%, 96.62%, and 99.98% of the virus from hands, respectively. N95 masks, medical masks, and homemade masks made of four‐layer kitchen paper and one‐layer cloth could block 99.98%, 97.14%, and 95.15% of the virus in aerosols. Medical mask‐wearing which was supported by many studies was opposed by other studies possibly due to erroneous judgment. With these data, we propose the approach of mask‐wearing plus instant hand hygiene (MIH) to slow the exponential spread of the virus. This MIH approach has been supported by the experiences of seven countries in fighting against COVID‐19. Collectively, a simple approach to slow the exponential spread of SARS‐CoV‐2 was proposed with the support of experiments, literature review, and control experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the global COVID‐19 epidemic has not been completely controlled, and epidemic prevention and control still face severe challenges. As there is no specific treatment for COVID‐19, promoting roll‐out vaccinations and building herd immunity are still the most effective and economic measures to control the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, the neutralizing antibody level in the recipients decreases with time, and the vaccine's protective efficacy gradually weakens. It is still inconclusive whether it is necessary to carry out booster vaccination to strengthen the immune barrier to infection. In this paper, we combined the existing data on the effectiveness and persistence of COVID‐19 vaccines. We found that it is necessary to carry out a booster vaccination strategy. However, not all subjects need to receive one more dose of vaccine 6 months after the initial immunization. Priority should be given to the high‐risk groups, such as the elderly and people with immunodeficiency. A heterologous booster can induce higher immune responses and enhance immune protection than homologous vaccinations. However, more scientific data and clinical studies are needed to verify the safety of heterologous vaccination strategies. Highlights: At present, the global COVID‐19 epidemic still faces severe challenges.It is necessary to carry out a booster vaccination strategy, especially for the high‐risk groups.A heterologous booster can induce higher immune responses than homologous vaccinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is raging worldwide, and the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak caused by SARS‐CoV‐2 seriously threatens the life and health of all humankind. There is no specific medicine for novel coronavirus yet. So, laboratory diagnoses of novel coronavirus as soon as possible and isolation of the source of infection play a vital role in preventing and controlling the epidemic. Therefore, selecting appropriate detection techniques and methods is particularly important to improve the efficiency of disease diagnosis and treatment and to curb the outbreak of infectious diseases. In this paper, virus nucleic acid, protein, and serum immunology were reviewed to provide a reference for further developing virus detection technology to provide better prevention and treatment strategies and research ideas for clinicians and researchers. Highlights: Laboratory diagnoses of novel coronavirus play a vital role in the whole epidemic situation.Nucleic acid, protein and serum immunoassay of viruses are the main methods.RT‐PCR has become the gold standard for SARS‐CoV‐2 detection because of its high sensitivity and strong specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coagulation markers, pro‐inflammatory cytokines (such as IL‐2R, IL‐6, IL‐10, and TNF‐a) and lymphopenia are associated with the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) disease. The use of anti‐inflammatory agents, such as corticosteroids (CS) or tosilizumab (TCZ), has been suggested for the treatment of advanced stage of COVID‐19 and the reduction of mechanical ventilators and mortality. The aim of this meta‐analysis is to determine the role of combination therapy with tocilizumab and steroids in COVID‐19 patients. Relevant studies were found using online international databases, and suitable studies were selected and assessed by two independent researchers. The quality of all papers was determined by a checklist. Heterogeneity assay among the primary studies was evaluated by Cochran's Q‐test and I2 index. The statistical analyses were done using the Stata ver. 14 package (StataCorp) software. Publication bias was estimated through Egger's test, and the impact of each study on the overall estimate was assessed by sensitivity analysis. Five studies were entered into this meta‐analysis. The results of these studies showed that the risk of death for COVID‐19 patients treated with the combination of corticosteroids and tocilizumab compared to tocilizumab and the control group was 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36–1.50) and 0.48 (95% CI: 0.31–0.74), respectively. This meta‐analysis showed that the risk of death in COVID‐19 patients who were treated with corticosteroids and tocilizumab was lower than the tocilizumab alone and control groups (26% and 52%, respectively). Highlights: The use of anti‐inflammatory agents, such as corticosteroids (CS) and tosilizumab (TCZ), might be useful for the treatment of advanced stage of COVID‐19. The aim of our study was to determine the role of combination therapy with corticosteroids (CS) and tosilizumab (TCZ). This study showed that the risk of death in COVID‐19 patients who were treated with corticosteroids and tosilizumab was lower than the tosilizumab alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since December 2019, a series of unexplained pneumonia cases have been reported in Wuhan, China. On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) temporarily named this new virus as the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019‐nCoV). On 11 February 2020, the WHO officially named the disease caused by the 2019‐nCoV as coronavirus disease (COVID‐19). The COVID‐19 epidemic is spreading all over the world, especially in China. Based on the published evidence, we systematically discuss the characteristics of COVID‐19 in the hope of providing a reference for future studies and help for the prevention and control of the COVID‐19 epidemic. Research Highlights: Currently, the world is watching the progress of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) epidemic. The purpose of our article is to give people a comprehensive understanding of COVID‐19, so that they can better prevent it. We review the latest published papers on COVID‐19. In this paper, the origin of the virus, the mechanism of virus infection, the clinical characteristics of COVID‐19 and the treatment and prevention of COVID‐19 are comprehensively elaborated. We hope this article will help for the prevention and control of the COVID‐19 epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine the relationship between vaccination against COVID‐19 and both the death rate from COVID‐19 and the rate of COVID‐19 spread. Our goal is determine if vaccination is associated with reduced death and/or spread of disease at the local level. This analysis was conducted at the county level in the state of Pennsylvania, United States of America, with data that were collected during the first half of 2022 from the state of Pennsylvania's Covid Dashboard (COVID‐19 Data for Pennsylvania (pa.gov). This study finds the vaccines to be highly effective in preventing death from Corona virus, even at a time when there was a mismatch between the vaccines and the prevalent variants. Specifically, a 1% increase in vaccination rate was found to correspond to a 0.751% decrease in death rate (95% confidence interval [0.236%, 1.266%]). Given that, during this time period, the vaccines being used were not geared specifically toward the common variants at that time, we found no statistically significant relationship between disease spread and vaccination rate at the county level. These results support previous findings from across the world that Covid vaccination is highly efficacious in preventing death from the disease. Even during a time when vaccine design was not optimally matched with the prevailing strains, vaccination was found to reduce death rate. Hence, improving global vaccine availability is vitally important, to achieve necessary outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We read with great interest the review by Rostami Mansoor and Ghasemi-Kasman entitled "Impact of disease-modifying drugs on the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in multiple sclerosis patients" in your journal.1 After examining the papers published on this topic, they conclude that it seems that disease-modifying drugs (DMTs) do not confer an increased risk or provoke COVID-19 infection in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Multiple sclerosis and COVID-19: How could therapeutic scenarios change during the pandemic? Managing disease-modifying therapies and breakthrough activity in multiple sclerosis patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: toward an optimized approach. B-cell depleting therapies may affect susceptibility to acute respiratory illness among patients with multiple sclerosis during the early COVID-19 epidemic in Iran. [Extracted from the article]

This study is aimed to identify the adverse effects associated with three types of coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines. Approximately 1736 individuals agreed to participate in this study. The participants involved in the study were individuals who had received the first dose or full course (two doses) of the vaccine at least 30 days before the survey. A direct and interactive web‐based system interview with a paper and electronic version of the questionnaire was used for all participants. A total of 1736 randomized individuals were identified. The reactogenicity of the vaccines including pain, redness, urticaria, and swelling at the site of the injection was reported in 34.56% of the participants. Local site reaction was reported in more individuals who had Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines than those who received the Sinopharm vaccine. The systemic events were more common with AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines, symptoms reported were fatigue, body pain, headache, muscle pain, fever, and gastrointestinal side effects. There were no correlations between age or gender, and the duration of the adverse effects for the three vaccines. Swelling and severe allergic reaction of the eyelids, severe hypotension, generalized body aches, shortness of breath, weakness and numbness on the injected arm, acute hyperglycemia, severe chest pain, and fever more than 39°C were among the unusual signs and symptoms reported by the participants. Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sinopharm vaccines were found to be safe and Sinopharm vaccine showed a lower prevalence of adverse effects compared with the other vaccines. The duration and severity of adverse effects were not affected by age or gender. Unusual side effects should be closely monitored to establish determine they are linked to the immunization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cook Island government has made several efforts to ensure zero confirmed cases and transmission of COVID‐19, especially among visiting travelers. However, the Cook Island ministry of health has to deal with the new strain of dengue fever outbreak, known as dengue fever type 2 (DEN‐2), by adopting several measures to control its spread, especially in the affected parts of the subtropical country. This paper aims to describe the dengue fever response taken in Cook Island and suggest recommendations to control the risk of transmission in endemic parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic there is a mass screening of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) happening around the world due to the extensive spread of the infections. There is a high demand for rapid diagnostic tests to expedite the identification of cases and to facilitate early isolation and control spread. Hence this study evaluates six different rapid nucleic acid detection assays that are commercially available for SARS‐CoV‐2 virus detection. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from 4981 participants and were tested for the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus by the gold standard real‐time reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) method and with one of these six rapid methods of detection. Evaluation of the rapid nucleic acid detection assays was done by comparing the results of these rapid methods with the gold standard RT‐qPCR results for SARS‐COV‐2 detection. AQ‐TOP had the highest sensitivity (98%) and a strong kappa value of 0.943 followed by Genechecker and Abbot ID NOW. The POCKIT (ii RT‐PCR) assay had the highest test accuracy of 99.29% followed by Genechecker and Cobas Liat. Atila iAMP showed the highest percentage of invalid reports (35.5%) followed by AQ‐TOP with 6% and POCKIT with 3.7% of invalid reports. Genechecker system, Abbott ID NOW, and Cobas Liat were found to have the best performance and agreement when compared with the standard RT‐PCR for COVID‐19 detection. With further research, these rapid tests have the potential to be employed in large‐scale screening of COVID‐19. Highlights: The rapid nucleic acid detection kits for detection of SARS‐COV‐2, has the potential to be employed as mass testing strategy.Variable sensitivity and specificity have been identified for the different rapid detection platforms.This evaluation will help laboratories in making choices on purchasing and further evaluation of these platforms.This evaluation considers various parameters like the diagnostic reliability of the platforms, turn around time and throughput, which are not much evaluated in other papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a new susceptible–vaccinated–exposed–infected–recovered with unaware–aware (SEIR/V‐UA) model to study the mutual effect between the epidemic spreading and information diffusion. We investigate the dynamic processes of the model with a Kinetic equation and derive the expression for epidemic stability by the eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix. Then, we validate the model by the Monte Carlo method and numerical simulation on a two‐layer scale‐free network. With the outbreak of COVID‐19, the spread of the epidemic in China prompted drastic measures for transmission containment. We examine the effects of these interventions based on modeling of the information‐epidemic and the data of the COVID‐19 epidemic case. The results further demonstrate that the epidemic spread can be affected by the effective transmission rate of awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has a worldwide distribution. Risk factors for mortality in critically ill patients, especially detailed self‐evaluation indicators and laboratory‐examination indicators, have not been well described. In this paper, a total of 192 critically ill patients (142 were discharged and 50 died in the hospital) with COVID‐19 were included. Self‐evaluation indicators including demographics, baseline characteristics, and symptoms and detailed lab‐examination indicators were extracted. Data were first compared between survivors and nonsurvivors. Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) was performed to identify possible risk factors for mortality of COVID‐19 patients. MVPA achieved a relatively high classification accuracy of 93% when using both self‐evaluation indicators and laboratory‐examination indicators. Several self‐evaluation factors related to COVID‐19 were highly associated with mortality, including age, duration (time from illness onset to admission), and the Barthel index (BI) score. When the duration, age increased by 1 day, 1 year, BI decreased by 1 point, the mortality increased by 3.6%, 2.4%, and 0.9% respectively. Laboratory‐examination indicators including C‐reactive protein, white blood cell count, platelet count, fibrin degradation products, oxygenation index, lymphocyte count, and d‐dimer were also risk factors. Among them, duration was the strongest predictor of all‐cause mortality. Several self‐evaluation indicators that can simply be obtained by questionnaires and without clinical examination were the risk factors of all‐cause mortality in critically ill COVID‐19 patients. The prediction model can be used by individuals to improve health awareness, and by clinicians to identify high‐risk individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has become a major pandemic threat worldwide. According to the existing clinical data, this virus not only causes respiratory diseases and affects the lungs but also induces histopathological or functional changes in various organs like the testis and also the male genital tract. The renin‐angiotensin system (RAS), also ACE 2 and TMPRSS2 play an important role in the cellular entry for SARS‐CoV‐2. Because the male genital system presents high ACE 2 expression, the importance of this pathway increases in COVID‐19 cases. As the COVID‐19 pandemic has affected the male genital system in direct or indirect ways and showed a negative impact on male reproduction, this paper focuses on the possible mechanisms underlying the damage caused by COVID‐19 to the testis and also other components of the male genital tract. Highlights: The male genital system presents high ACE 2 expression therefore, it will be highly important to investigate and clarify the relationship between COVID‐19 and the male genital tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) has posed a grave threat to the global public health. The COVID‐19‐induced infection is closely related to coagulation dysfunction in the affected patients. This paper attempts to conduct a meta‐analysis and systematically review the blood coagulation indicators in patients with severe COVID‐19. A meta‐analysis of eligible studies was performed to compare the blood coagulation indicators in patients with severe and nonsevere COVID‐19. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies published between 1 December 2019 and 7 May 2020. A total of 13 studies with 1341 adult patients were enrolled in this analysis. Platelet (weighted mean difference [WMD] = −24.83, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −34.12 to −15.54; P <.001), d‐dimer (WMD = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.09‐0.29; P <.001), and fibrinogen (WMD = 1.02, 95% CI: 0.50‐1.54; P <.001) were significantly associated with the severity in patients with COVID‐19. The meta‐analysis revealed that no correlation was evident between an increased severity risk of COVID‐19 and activated partial thromboplastin time (WMD = −1.56, 95% CI: −5.77 to 2.64; P =.468) or prothrombin time (WMD = 0.19, 95% CI: −0.13 to 0.51; P =.243). The single arm meta‐analysis showed that compared with the nonsevere group, the severe group had a lower pooled platelet (165.12 [95% CI: 157.38‐172.85] vs 190.09 [95% CI: 179.45‐200.74]), higher d‐dimer (0.49 [95% CI: 0.33‐0.64] vs 0.27 [95% CI: 0.20‐0.34]), and higher fibrinogen (4.34 [95% CI: 1.98‐6.70] vs 3.19 [95% CI: 1.13‐5.24]). Coagulation dysfunction is closely related to the severity of patients with COVID‐19, in which low platelet, high d‐dimer, and fibrinogen upon admission may serve as risk indicators for increased aggression of the disease. These findings are of great clinical value for timely and effective treatment of the COVID‐19 cases. Highlights: Coagulation dysfunction affects the prognosis of COVID‐19 patients.Lower platelet, higher d‐dimer and fibrinogen indicate increased severity risk in COVID‐19 patients.No difference in PT and APTT is evident between severe and non‐severe COVID‐19 patients upon admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the discovery of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), a disease caused by the new coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), the pathology showed different faces. There is an increasing number of cases described as (meningo)encephalitis although evidence often lacks. Anosmia, another atypical form of COVID‐19, has been considered as testimony of the potential of neuroinvasiveness of SARS‐CoV‐2, though this hypothesis remains highly speculative. We did a review of the cases reported as brain injury caused by SARS‐CoV‐2. Over 98 papers found, 21 were analyzed. Only four publications provided evidence of the presence of SARS‐CoV‐2 within the central nervous system (CNS). When facing acute neurological abnormalities during an infectious episode it is often difficult to disentangle neurological symptoms induced by the brain infection and those due to the impact of host immune response on the CNS. Cytokines release can disturb neural cells functioning and can have in the most severe cases vascular and cytotoxic effects. An inappropriate immune response can lead to the production of auto‐antibodies directed toward CNS components. In the case of proven SARS‐CoV‐2 brain invasion, the main hypothesis found in the literature focus on a neural pathway, especially the direct route via the nasal cavity, although the virus is likely to reach the CNS using other routes. Our ability to come up with hypotheses about the mechanisms by which the virus might interact with the CNS may help to keep in mind that all neurological symptoms observed during COVID‐19 do not always rely on CNS viral invasion. Highlights: Review of 25 COVID‐19 cases with neurological symptoms.Evidence of the SARS‐CoV‐2 presence in the brain is often lacking.Brain magnetic resonance imagery is the most accurate exam to explore brain damages.SARS‐CoV‐2 can cause anosmia and neurological symptoms without invading the brain.The routes used by SARS‐CoV‐2 to invade the brain may lead to different symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the coronavirus that has been identified as the pathogen causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).1 Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks the immune system and leads to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the late stage of disease. The patient mentioned his previous HIV test after further query and HIV status was confirmed by the antibody test. This might be explained by a protracted disease course complicated by AIDS-defining opportunistic infections (pneumocystis pneumonia for patient A and pharyngeal or esophageal infection for patient B). In summary, our paper highlights the importance of differential diagnoses for COVID-19 especially in patients with HIV infection based on dynamic clinical symptoms and radiological data. [Extracted from the article]

The objective of this paper is to perform a meta‐analysis regarding the chest computed tomography (CT) manifestations of coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) pneumonia patients. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from 1 December 2019 to 1 May 2020 using the keywords of "COVID‐19 virus," "the 2019 novel coronavirus," "novel coronavirus," and "COVID‐19." Studies that evaluated the CT manifestations of common and severe COVID‐19 pneumonia were included. Among the 9736 searched results, 15 articles describing 1453 common patients and 697 severe patients met the inclusion criteria. Based on the CT images, the common patients were less frequent to exhibit consolidation (odds ratio [OR] = 0.31), pleural effusion (OR = 0.19), lymphadenopathy (OR = 0.17), crazy‐paving pattern (OR = 0.22), interlobular septal thickening (OR = 0.27), reticulation (OR = 0.20), traction bronchiectasis (OR = 0.40) with over two lobes involved (OR = 0.07) and central distribution (OR = 0.18) while more frequent to bear unilateral pneumonia (OR = 4.65) involving one lobe (OR = 13.84) or two lobes (OR = 6.95) when compared with severe patients. Other CT features including ground‐glass opacities (P =.404), air bronchogram (P =.070), nodule (P =.093), bronchial wall thickening (P =.15), subpleural band (P =.983), vascular enlargement (P =.207), and peripheral distribution (P =.668) did not have a significant association with the severity of the disease. No publication bias among the selected studies was suggested (Harbord's tests, P >.05 for all.) We obtained reliable estimates of the chest CT manifestations of COVID‐19 pneumonia patients, which might provide an important clue for the diagnosis and classification of COVID‐19 pneumonia. Highlights: We systematically assessed the chest CT manifestations in different severity of COVID‐19 pneumonia.We analyzed the CT manifestations comprehensively and systematically from three aspects, including CT features, the number of lobes involved, as well as location and distribution of lesions.The sample is large and the conclusions are convincing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the magnitude of an informational friction limiting credit reallocation to firms during the 2007‐2009 financial crisis. Because lenders rely on private information when deciding which relationship to end, borrowers looking for a new lender are adversely selected. I show how to identify private information separately from information common to all lenders but unobservable to the econometrician by using bank shocks within a discrete choice model of relationships. Quantitatively, these informational frictions seem too small to explain the credit crunch in the U.S. syndicated corporate loan market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By contrast, the Novavax recombinant spike protein vaccine generated mean virus-neutralizing antibody titers greater than fourfold that of symptomatic COVID-19 outpatients.[2] There are numerous other issues with the paper as published. This letter is to communicate several concerns regarding the article by Salimin et al. entitled "Safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant receptor-binding domain-based protein subunit vaccine (Noora vaccine™) against COVID-19 in adults: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 1 trial."[1] Most concerning are discrepancies and issues with data depicted in Figures 5, 6, and 9. The units of the anti-receptor binding domain antibody titers and neutralizing antibody titers are likewise unclear. [Extracted from the article]

Recent studies suggest that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may precede the appearance of dysregulated immune responses, adopting the form of the multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A), as previously described in children (MIS-C).1 In this paper is presented the case of a 24-year-old Hispanic woman with a record of persistent positivity for lupus anticoagulant at moderate titers, without previous thrombotic or obstetric events, that was admitted to the hospital after 4 days of fever, headache, odynophagia, bilateral cervical painful lymphadenopathies, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diffuse exanthema. However, after having reasonably ruled out infectious and autoimmune pathology with normal laboratory, microbiologic, and imaging tests, and considering the recent SARS-CoV-2 infection, MSI-A was suspected and treated with a 2 mg/kg single dose of intravenous immunoglobulins and 1 mg/kg/day prednisone. The patient had experienced a recent SARS-CoV-2 infection, properly confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) swab test 20 days before the admission. [Extracted from the article]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection can lead to diverse clinical manifestations and pathologies that involve multiple organs. Even though the disease severity is manifested mainly in the respiratory tract, which is the primary target of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, acute kidney injury in the form of acute tubular necrosis has also been noted in some COVID‐19 cases. It is not entirely clear whether renal cells can be infected by the virus that might be involved in acute kidney disorder. In a recent publication by Radovic and colleagues, that has been selected as the editor's choice paper published in the Journal of Medical Virology, the authors provided strong histopathological and immunofluorescence evidence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and tissue injury of renal parenchymal and tubular epithelial cells, which strongly suggest an active viral replication in the kidney of some severe and fatal COVID‐19 cases, and to a lesser extent, a potential role for innate immune cells in viral infection and renal disease pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D binding protein polymorphism and COVID-19 With interest, we read the paper of Batur et al.,1 which investigated the influence of the vitamin D binding protein ( I DBP i ) gene polymorphisms on the prevalence and mortality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D are related to the phenotype of Gc (vitamin D-binding protein): a cross-sectional study on 595 early postmenopausal women. [Extracted from the article]

The novel coronavirus pandemic has represented a continuous challenge to the world's medical community since first reported in December 2019 until the present day. We present a case of pulmonary embolism (PE) and detected anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) in a patient with severe COVID-19 pneumonia. CT, computed tomography gl This paper aims to describe what seems to be I the first case reported in the United States i of synchronic presentation of PE in a COVID-19 pneumonia patient who tested positive for aCL, rather than to demonstrate correlation among them. [Extracted from the article]

Some previous studies suggested that the plasma exchange (PE) and hemoperfusion (HP) played a cardinal role in the treatment of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) cases by diminishing the cytokine storm. This study aimed to assess the effects of PE and HP on cytokine storms in patients with severe COVID‐19 through a systematic scoping review. Four Electronic databases (Medline [accessed from PubMed], Scopus, Science Direct, and Cochrane library) were searched systematically on February 2, 2021, using MESH terms and related keywords in the English language. Considering the titles and abstracts, unrelated studies were excluded. The full texts of the remained studies were evaluated by authors, independently. Then, their findings were assessed and reported. A total of 755 articles were obtained within the first step of searching, and 518 remained after removing the duplications. Through the title and abstract screening, 438 were removed. Of the rest, 59 papers were excluded. Finally, after reading the full text of the remained articles, 21 were included in data extraction. Most of the previously reported evidence were case reports and case series. Findings were summarized in two categories. The first category encompassed nine studies regarding HP and continuous renal replacement therapy, and the second category included twelve studies about PE. The results revealed that HP and PE within the cytokine storm phase would be beneficial with a high probability in the treatment of severely ill COVID‐19 patients. Highlights Some studies showed that plasma exchange (PE) and hemoperfusion (HP) played an important role in the treatment of patients with severe COVID‐19 disease. The results of this systematic scoping review revealed that HP and PE within the cytokine storm phase would be beneficial with a high probability in the treatment of severely ill COVID‐19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and comprehensive testing is crucial for practitioners to portray the pandemic. Without testing there is no data; yet, the exact number of infected people cannot be determined due to the lack of comprehensive testing. The number of seropositive for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is obviously relative to the extent of testing. However, the true number of infections might be still far higher than the reported values. To compare the countries based on the number of seropositive for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection is misleading, as there may not be enough tests being carried out to properly monitor the outbreak. In this paper, we closely look through the COVID‐19 testing results. Herein, we try to draw conclusions based on the reported data: first, the presence of a possible relationship between COVID‐19 transition and patients' age will be assessed. Then, the COVID‐19 case fatality rate (CFR) is compared with the age‐demographic data for different countries. Based on the results, a method for estimating a lower bound (minimum) for the number of actual positive cases will be developed and validated. Results of this study have shown that CFR is a metric reflecting the spread of the virus, but is a factor of the extent of testing and does not necessarily show the real size of the outbreak. Moreover, no large difference in susceptibility by age has been found. The results suggest the similarity between the age distribution of COVID‐19 and the population age‐demographic is improving over the course of the pandemic. In addition, countries with lower CFRs have a more similar COVID‐19 age distribution, which is a result of more comprehensive testing. Finally, a method for estimation of the real number of infected people based on the age distributions, reported CFRs, and the extent of testing will be developed and validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the months of April and May 2021, South Africa has witnessed several outbreaks of highly infective avian influenza (H5N1) in different poultry farms. This came as a shock to a country that was already battling with the deadly COVID‐19 pandemic. The emergence of the virus has spurred import bans and massive culls in the poultry business. Local experts have also called for a restriction on the movement of people and cars in and out of their chicken farms. Employees have also been encouraged to shower in the mornings when they arrive at the farms and wear fresh clothes, as the flu spreads very quickly. In a country that is already facing the economic implications of the COVID‐19, this has the potential to cause a significant dent in the economy, as well as severely impact people's day‐to‐day life. Bird flu—also called avian influenza—is a viral infection that can infect not only birds but also humans and other animals. The threat of a new influenza pandemic has prompted countries to draft national strategic preparedness plans to prevent, contain and mitigate the next human influenza pandemic. This paper describes the South African burden, current efforts, and preparedness against the avian influenza virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In December 2019, a new type of virus, coronavirus disease 2019 broke out globally and caused great harm. The virus mutates rapidly, and more research reports are urgently needed to increase our understanding of the disease. We found the reversed halo sign (RHS) occurred in the imaging manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 delta variant of concern pneumonia. In the absence of pathology, the mechanism is unknown. Therefore, we reported two cases of RHS and tried to speculate the pathological mechanism through multiple computed tomography follow‐up comparisons to judge the prognosis of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I have read with great interest the recently published paper by Yigenoglu et al. entitled, "The outcome of COVID-19 in patients with hematological malignancy." Further cohorts of hematological cancer patients are clearly warranted to identify predictors of COVID-19 infection and relevant disease severity, effective drug regimens, and clinical outcomes during the ongoing pandemic. The outcome of COVID-19 in patients with hematological malignancy. [Extracted from the article]

A negative saliva RAT test cannot confirm the absence of SARS-COV, a confirmation with RT-PCR is needed. Evaluation of rapid antigen tests based on saliva for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 Echavarria et al.1 presented in their paper the noninvasive saliva sampling as an alternative for nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs for RT-PCR-based detection of SARS-CoV-2 in the emergency room. [Extracted from the article]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has infected over 109 000 000 people with 2 423 443 deaths as of February 17, 2021. Currently, there are no approved or consistently effective treatments, and conventional vaccines may take several years for development and testing. In silico methods of bioinformatics, vaccinogenomics, immunoinformatics, structural biology, and molecular simulations can be used for more rapid and precise vaccine design. This paper highlights two major immunoinformatics strategies that are used in designing novel and effective vaccines and therapeutics: reverse vaccinology and structural vaccinology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We read with interest the papers by Brenner1 and Cimolai2 regarding the therapeutic potential of memantine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, we evaluated the national COVID-19 claim database of South Korea6 and identified 5726 patients with confirmed COVID-19, of whom 140 had died. However, memantine is typically prescribed to older patients, who are at higher risk of COVID-19, and, therefore, ideal candidates for retrospective investigations aimed at determining whether memantine has therapeutic effects on COVID-19. [Extracted from the article]

The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1002/jmv.26806 We read the recent paper by Araimo et al. published in the latest issue of this journal and found some crucial flaws, which raised the comments we are forwarding here. Ozone cannot be used as a natural compound, a nutraceutical or a probiotics-like therapy; its application in treating COVID-19 is particularly sensitive and pushes research toward standardized, accustomed, and highly expertised protocols, particularly in COVID-19 treatment. Oxygen-ozone autohemotherapy against COVID-19 needs to fit highly experienced, customized, and standardized protocols to succeed. [Extracted from the article]

This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) with molnupiravir in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). To end this, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, medRxiv, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to collect relevant evidence up to February 15, 2023. The risk of bias was evaluated using the risk of bias in nonrandomized studies of interventions tool. Data were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta‐Analysis software. Eighteen studies involving 57 659 patients were included in the meta‐analysis. The meta‐analysis showed a significant difference between nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and molnupiravir in terms of all‐cause mortality rate (odds ratio [OR] = 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44–0.67), all‐cause hospitalization rate (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.54–0.69), death or hospitalization rate (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.38–0.99), and negative polymerase chain reaction conversion time (mean difference = −1.55, 95% CI: −1.74 to −1.37). However, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of COVID‐19 rebound (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.71–1.07). In terms of safety, although the incidence of any adverse events was higher in the nirmatrelvir/ritonavir group (OR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.57–4.06), no significant difference was observed between the two treatments in terms of adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.69–2.00). The present meta‐analysis demonstrated the significant superiority of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir over molnupiravir in improving clinical efficacy in COVID‐19 patients during the prevalence of Omicron variant. These findings, however, need to be further confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly contagious SARS‐CoV‐2 and its associated disease (COVID‐19) are a threat to global public health and economies. To develop effective treatments for COVID‐19, we must understand the host cell types, cell states and regulators associated with infection and pathogenesis such as dysregulated transcription factors (TFs) and surface proteins, including signaling receptors. To link cell surface proteins with TFs, we recently developed SPaRTAN (Single‐cell Proteomic and RNA‐based Transcription factor Activity Network) by integrating parallel single‐cell proteomic and transcriptomic data based on Cellular Indexing of Transcriptomes and Epitopes by sequencing (CITE‐seq) and gene cis‐regulatory information. We apply SPaRTAN to CITE‐seq data sets from patients with varying degrees of COVID‐19 severity and healthy controls to identify the associations between surface proteins and TFs in host immune cells. Here, we present COVID‐19db of Immune Cell States (https://covid19db.streamlit.app/), a web server containing cell surface protein expression, SPaRTAN‐inferred TF activities, and their associations with major host immune cell types. The data include four high‐quality COVID‐19 CITE‐seq data sets with a toolset for user‐friendly data analysis and visualization. We provide interactive surface protein and TF visualizations across major immune cell types for each data set, allowing comparison between various patient severity groups for the discovery of potential therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐term sequelae conditions of COVID‐19 at least 2‐year following SARS‐CoV‐2 infection are unclear and little is known about their prevalence, longitudinal trajectory, and potential risk factors. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive meta‐analysis of survivors' health‐related consequences and sequelae at 2‐year following SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. PubMed/MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and EMBASE were systematically searched up to February 10, 2023. A systematic review and meta‐analysis were performed to calculate the pooled effect size, expressed as event rate (ER) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of each outcome. Twelve studies involving 1 289 044 participants from 11 countries were included. A total of 41.7% of COVID‐19 survivors experienced at least one unresolved symptom and 14.1% were unable to return to work at 2‐year after SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. The most frequent symptoms and investigated findings at 2‐year after SARS‐CoV‐2 infection were fatigue (27.4%; 95% CI 17%–40.9%), sleep difficulties (25.1%; 95% CI 22.4%–27.9%), impaired diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (24.6%; 95% CI 10.8%–46.9%), hair loss (10.2%; 95% CI 7.3%–14.2%), and dyspnea (10.1%; 95% CI 4.3%–21.9%). Individuals with severe infection suffered more from anxiety (OR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.17–2.44) and had more impairments in forced vital capacity (OR = 9.70, 95% CI 1.94–48.41), total lung capacity (OR = 3.51, 95% CI 1.77–6.99), and residual volume (OR = 3.35, 95% CI 1.85–6.07) after recovery. Existing evidence suggest that participants with a higher risk of long‐term sequelae were older, mostly female, had pre‐existing medical comorbidities, with more severe status, underwent corticosteroid therapy, and higher inflammation at acute infection. Our findings suggest that 2‐year after recovery from SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, 41.7% of survivors still suffer from either neurological, physical, and psychological sequela. These findings indicate that there is an urgent need to preclude persistent or emerging long‐term sequelae and provide intervention strategies to reduce the risk of long COVID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intranasal (i.n.) vaccines can induce mucosal and systemic immunity against respiratory pathogens. Previously, we demonstrated that the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)‐based COVID‐19 vaccine rVSV‐SARS‐CoV‐2, with poor immunogenicity via the intramuscular route (i.m.), is more suitable for i.n. administration in mice and nonhuman primates. Here, we found that the rVSV‐SARS‐CoV‐2 Beta variant was more immunogenic than the wild‐type strain and other variants of concern (VOCs) in golden Syrian hamsters. Furthermore, the immune responses elicited by rVSV‐based vaccine candidates via the i.n. route were significantly higher than those of two licensed vaccines: the inactivated vaccine KCONVAC delivered via the i.m. route and the adenovirus‐based Vaxzevria delivered i.n. or i.m. We next assessed the booster efficacy of rVSV following two i.m. doses of KCONVAC. Twenty‐eight days after receiving two i.m. doses of KCONVAC, hamsters were boosted with a third dose of KCONVAC (i.m.), Vaxzevria (i.m. or i.n.), or rVSVs (i.n.). Consistent with other heterologous booster studies, Vaxzevria and rVSV elicited significantly higher humoral immunity than the homogenous KCONVAC. In summary, our results confirmed that two i.n. doses of rVSV‐Beta elicited significantly higher humoral immune responses than commercial inactivated and adeno‐based COVID vaccines in hamsters. As a heterologous booster dose, rVSV‐Beta induced potent, persistent, and broad‐spectrum humoral and mucosal neutralizing responses against all VOCs, highlighting its potential to be developed into a nasal‐spray vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐CoV) is a single positive‐strand RNA virus that is responsible for the current pandemic that the world has been facing since 2019. The primary route of transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 is through respiratory tract transmission. However, other transmission routes such as fecal‐oral, vertical transmission, and aerosol‐eye also exist. In addition, it has been found that the pathogenesis of this virus involves the binding of the virus's S protein to its host cell surface receptor angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2, which results in the subsequent membrane fusion that is required for SARS‐CoV‐2 to replicate and complete its entire life. The clinical symptoms of patients infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 can range from asymptomatic to severe. The most common symptoms seen include fever, dry cough, and fatigue. Once these symptoms are observed, a nucleic acid test is done using reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. This currently serves as the main confirmatory tool for COVID‐19. Despite the fact that no cure has been found for SARS‐CoV‐2, prevention methods such as vaccines, specific facial mask, and social distancing have proven to be quite effective. It is imperative to have a complete understanding of the transmission and pathogenesis of this virus. To effectively develop new drugs as well as diagnostic tools, more knowledge about this virus would be needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In patients with severe COVID‐19, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), and even mortality can result from cytokine storm, which is a hyperinflammatory medical condition caused by the excessive and uncontrolled release of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. High levels of numerous crucial pro‐inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin‐1 (IL‐1), IL‐2, IL‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐α, interferon (IFN)‐γ, IFN‐induced protein 10 kDa, granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1, and IL‐10 and so on, have been found in severe COVID‐19. They participate in cascade amplification pathways of pro‐inflammatory responses through complex inflammatory networks. Here, we review the involvements of these critical inflammatory cytokines in SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and discuss their potential roles in triggering or regulating cytokine storm, which can help to understand the pathogenesis of severe COVID‐19. So far, there is rarely effective therapeutic strategy for patients with cytokine storm besides using glucocorticoids, which is proved to result in fatal side effects. Clarifying the roles of key involved cytokines in the complex inflammatory network of cytokine storm will help to develop an ideal therapeutic intervention, such as neutralizing antibody of certain cytokine or inhibitor of some inflammatory signal pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the patient's clinical characteristics and laboratory indicators, different machine‐learning methods were used to develop models for predicting the negative conversion time of nonsevere coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients. A retrospective analysis was performed on 376 nonsevere COVID‐19 patients admitted to Wuxi Fifth People's Hospital from May 2, 2022, to May 14, 2022. The patients were divided into training set (n = 309) and test set (n = 67). The clinical features and laboratory parameters of the patients were collected. In the training set, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to select predictive features and train six machine learning models: multiple linear regression (MLR), K‐Nearest Neighbors Regression (KNNR), random forest regression (RFR), support vector machine regression (SVR), XGBoost regression (XGBR), and multilayer perceptron regression (MLPR). Seven best predictive features selected by LASSO included: age, gender, vaccination status, IgG, lymphocyte ratio, monocyte ratio, and lymphocyte count. The predictive performance of the models in the test set was MLPR > SVR > MLR > KNNR > XGBR > RFR, and MLPR had the strongest generalization performance, which is significantly better than SVR and MLR. In the MLPR model, vaccination status, IgG, lymphocyte count, and lymphocyte ratio were protective factors for negative conversion time; male gender, age, and monocyte ratio were risk factors. The top three features with the highest weights were vaccination status, gender, and IgG. Machine learning methods (especially MLPR) can effectively predict the negative conversion time of non‐severe COVID‐19 patients. It can help to rationally allocate limited medical resources and prevent disease transmission, especially during the Omicron pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiandrogens may carry a potential benefit as a therapeutic agent against COVID‐19. However, studies have been yielding mixed results, thus hindering any objective recommendations. This necessitates a quantitative synthesis of data to quantify the benefits of antiandrogens. We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, clinical trial registers, and reference lists of included studies to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Results from the trials were pooled using a random‐effects model and outcomes were reported as risk ratios (RR) and mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Fourteen RCTs with a total sample size of 2593 patients were included. Antiandrogens yielded a significant mortality benefit (RR 0.37; 95% CI; 0.25–0.55). However, on subgroup analysis, only proxalutamide/enzalutamide and sabizabulin were found to significantly reduce mortality (RR 0.22, 95% CI: 0.16–0.30 and RR 0.42, 95% CI: 0.26–0.68, respectively), while aldosterone receptor antagonists and antigonadotropins did not show any benefit. No significant between‐group difference was found in the early or late initiation of therapy. Antiandrogens also reduced hospitalizations and the duration of hospital stay, and improved recovery rates. Proxalutamide and sabizabulin may be effective against COVID‐19, however, further large‐scale trials are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]