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Objective: To investigate the relationship between cognitive complaints, systemic inflammatory biomarkers, and psychological general well-being (PGWB) after mild/asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to the presence of long COVID and work tasks., Methods: University employees and metal workers were recruited in a cross-sectional study 4 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection to assess cognitive impairment, individual PGWB index, inflammatory biomarkers, namely platelet-lymphocyte, neutrophil-lymphocyte, and lymphocyte-monocyte ratios, and the presence of long COVID symptoms., Results: A significant increase in the levels of inflammatory biomarkers was observed in subjects with long COVID. Furthermore, the PGWB index was influenced by long COVID symptoms and subjective cognitive and depressive symptoms, but not by work activity., Conclusions: In occupational settings, it is crucial to detect the presence of long COVID symptoms and systemic inflammation early, as they may be associated with lower PGWB., Competing Interests: Stufano, Lucchese, Schino, Plantone, Maria, Vimercati, Floel, Iavicoli, and Lovreglio have no relationships/conditions/circumstances that present potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.)

Given the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears of paramount importance to assess the cognitive effects on the population returning to work after COVID-19 resolution. Serum levels of neurofilament light chain (sNfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (sGFAP) represent promising biomarkers of neuro-axonal damage and astrocytic activation. In this cohort study, we explored the association between sNfL and sGFAP concentrations and cognitive performance in a group of 147 adult workers with a previous asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection or mild COVID-19, one week and, in 49 of them, ten months after SARS-Cov2 negativization and compared them to a group of 82 age and BMI-matched healthy controls (HCs). sNfL and sGFAP concentrations were assessed using SimoaTM assay Neurology 2-Plex B Kit. COVID-19 patients were interviewed one-on-one by trained physicians and had to complete a list of questionnaires, including the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire (CFQ). At the first assessment (T0), sNfL and sGFAP levels were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients than in HCs (p < 0.001 for both). The eleven COVID-19 patients with cognitive impairment had significantly higher levels of sNfL and sGFAP than the others (p = 0.005 for both). At the subsequent follow-up (T1), sNfL and sGFAP levels showed a significant decrease (median sNfL 18.3 pg/mL; median sGFAP 77.2 pg/mL), although they were still higher than HCs (median sNfL 7.2 pg/mL, median sGFAP 63.5 pg/mL). Our results suggest an ongoing damage involving neurons and astrocytes after SARS-Cov2 negativization, which reduce after ten months even if still evident compared to HCs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The Omicron variant is the most divergent, displaying more mutations than previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, particularly in the gene that encodes the spike protein. This study aimed to assess the persistence of neutralizing antibodies towards the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineages (BA.2, BA.5, BQ.1, XBB and XBB1.5) six months after the third dose in different vaccination regimens. Subjects who received 3 doses of mRNA vaccine retained their neutralization activity against BA.2 and BA.5, even though 56.3% and 66.7% showed a ≥ 2-fold reduction in the neutralizing antibody titre, respectively. Subjects who had received the adenovirus-based vaccine plus a booster dose of mRNA vaccine retained their neutralization activity especially against BA.2. With regard to BQ.1, XBB and XBB.1.5, the majority of the subjects showed a ≥ 2-fold reduction in neutralizing antibody titre, with the greatest evasion being observed in the case of XBB. Overall, our results provide further evidence that triple homologous/heterologous vaccination and hybrid immunity result in detectable neutralizing antibodies against the ancestral virus; however, emerging Omicron sublineages, such as XBB and XBB.1.5, show a great evasive capacity, which compromises the effectiveness of current COVID-19 vaccines., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: C.M.T. is an external consultant of VisMederi Research srl. M.L. and L.B. are employees of VisMederi Research srl. A.M. is an employee of VisMederi srl. E.M. is founder and Chief Scientific Officer of VisMederi srl and VisMederi Research srl. The other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

The use of US FDA-approved drugs is preferred due to the need for lower costs and less time. In in silico medicine, repurposing is a quick and accurate way to screen US FDA-approved medications to find a therapeutic option for COVID-19 infection. Dual inhibitors possess dual inhibitory activity, which may be due to the inhibition of two different enzymes, and are considered better than combination therapy from the developmental and clinical perspectives. In this study, a molecular docking simulation was performed to identify the interactions of antiviral drugs with the critical residues in the binding site of the main SARS-CoV-2 protease, spike glycoprotein, and papain-like protease receptors compared to the angiotensin-converting enzyme-related carboxypeptidase (ACE2) receptor of host cells. Each of the receptors was docked with 70 US FDA-approved antiviral drugs using AutoDock Vina. A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study was also used for 100 ns to confirm the stability behaviour of the ligand receptor complexes. Among the drugs that had the strongest interaction with the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, spike glycoprotein and papain-like protease receptors, and host cell ACE2 receptors, Simeprevir, Maraviroc and Saquinavir had dual inhibitory effects. The MD simulation study confirmed the stability of the strongest interactions between the antiviral drugs and the main protease, ACE2, spike glycoprotein, and papain-like protease receptors to 100 ns. However the results of MMPBSA analysis showed that the bond between Saquinavir and the ACE2 receptor was weak. Simeprevir and Maraviroc drugs had acceptable binding energies with dual receptors, especially the Simeprevir.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

In addition to the acute symptoms after infection, patients and society are also being challenged by the long-term effects of COVID-19, known as long COVID. Oxidative stress, as a pivotal point in the pathophysiology of COVID-19, could potentially be also involved in the development of the post-COVID syndrome. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between changes in oxidative status and the persistence of long-COVID symptoms in workers with a previous mild COVID-19 infection. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 127 employees of an Italian university (80 with a previous COVID-19 infection, and 47 healthy subjects). The TBARS assay was used to detect malondialdehyde serum levels (MDA), while total hydroperoxide (TH) production was measured by a d-ROMs kit. A significant difference in mean serum MDA values was found between previously infected subjects and healthy controls and (4.9 µm vs. 2.8 µm, respectively). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves showed high specificity and good sensibility (78.7% and 67.5%, respectively) for MDA serum levels. A random forest classifier identified the hematocrit value, MDA serum levels, and IgG titer against SARS-CoV-2 as features with the highest predictive value in distinguishing 34 long-COVID from 46 asymptomatic post-COVID subjects. Oxidative damage persists in subjects with previous COVID-19 infection, suggesting a possible role of oxidative stress mediators in the pathogenesis of long COVID.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has posed a challenge for correctional facilities worldwide. People in such settings are more vulnerable to severe forms of infection and it is impossible to completely isolate inmates from the outside world. This study aimed to assess the antibody-mediated immune response in terms of neutralizing antibodies against Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Omicron (sub-lineage BA.1) variants of concern after two doses of mRNA vaccine in correctional officers and inmates from an Italian correctional facility. Most of the correctional officers (56.5%) and inmates (52.3% and 63.6%) retained their neutralizing activity toward the Alpha and Gamma variants, respectively. By contrast, the most striking reduction in comparison with the ancestral virus was found in the antibody response toward the Beta and Omicron variants, in both correctional officers (91.2% and 93.9%) and inmates (85.1% and 92.8%). In addition, subjects who had undergone primary vaccination and had previously been naturally infected had higher neutralizing antibody titers toward the 4 variants than negative subjects. Overall, our findings indicate that primary mRNA vaccination is able to induce neutralizing antibodies toward the ancestral virus, while titers toward variants may vary, depending on the mutations harboring by the variants. Although the correctional setting is often considered distinct or isolated from the wider society and sanitary system, the health of correctional workers and prisoners is inexorably linked to the public health of the country as a whole and it is of paramount importance to monitor the antibody response in these settings.

The rapid replacement of Omicron BA.1 by BA.2 sublineage is very alarming, raising the question of whether BA.2 can escape the immunity acquired after BA.1 infection. We compared the neutralizing activity toward the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 sub-lineages in five groups: COVID-19 patients; subjects who had received two doses of mRNA vaccine; subjects naturally infected with SARS-CoV-2 who had received two doses of mRNA; and subjects who had received three doses of homologous or heterologous vaccine. The results obtained highlight the importance of vaccine boosters in eliciting neutralizing antibody responses against Omicron sub-lineages, and suggest that the adenovirus vectored vaccine elicits a lower response against BA.1 than against BA.2 sub-lineage.

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has rapidly replaced the Delta variant of concern. This new variant harbors worrisome mutations on the spike protein, which are able to escape the immunity elicited by vaccination and/or natural infection. To evaluate the impact and susceptibility of different serum samples to the Omicron variant BA.1, samples from COVID-19 patients and vaccinated individuals were tested for their ability to bind and neutralize the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Omicron variant BA.1. COVID-19 patients show the most drastic reduction in Omicron-specific antibody response in comparison with the response to the wild-type virus. Antibodies elicited by a triple homologous/heterologous vaccination regimen or following natural SARS-CoV-2 infection combined with a two-dose vaccine course, result in highest neutralization capacity against the Omicron variant BA.1. Overall, these findings confirm that vaccination of COVID-19 survivors and booster dose to vaccinees with mRNA vaccines is the correct strategy to enhance the antibody cross-protection against Omicron variant BA.1., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: The recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant exhibits several mutations on the spike protein, enabling it to escape the immunity elicited by natural infection or vaccines. Avidity is the strength of binding between an antibody and its specific epitope. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds to its cellular receptor with high affinity and is the primary target of neutralizing antibodies. Therefore, protective antibodies should show high avidity. This study aimed at investigating the avidity of receptor-binding domain (RBD) binding antibodies and their neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients and vaccinees., Methods: Samples were collected from 42 SARS-CoV-2 infected patients during the first pandemic wave, 50 subjects who received 2 doses of mRNA vaccine before the Omicron wave, 44 subjects who received 3 doses of mRNA vaccine, and 35 subjects who received heterologous vaccination (2 doses of adenovirus-based vaccine plus mRNA vaccine) during the Omicron wave. Samples were tested for the avidity of RBD-binding IgG and neutralizing antibodies against the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 virus and the Omicron variant., Results: In patients, RBD-binding IgG titers against the wild-type virus increased with time, but remained low. High neutralizing titers against the wild-type virus were not matched by high avidity or neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant. Vaccinees showed higher avidity than patients. Two vaccine doses elicited the production of neutralizing antibodies, but low avidity for the wild-type virus; antibody levels against the Omicron variant were even lower. Conversely, 3 doses of vaccine elicited high avidity and high neutralizing antibodies against both the wild-type virus and the Omicron variant., Conclusions: Repeated vaccination increases antibody avidity against the spike protein of the Omicron variant, suggesting that antibodies with high avidity and high neutralizing potential increase cross-protection against variants that carry several mutations on the RBD., Competing Interests: F.D., A.M., and P.P. are employed by VisMederi Srl. M.L., E. Molesti are employed by VisMederi Research Srl. E. Montomoli is an external consultant and Chief Scientific Officer of VisMederi Srl and VisMederi Research Srl., (Copyright © 2022 Francesca Dapporto et al.)

The current pandemic has exerted an unprecedented psychological impact on the world population, and its effects on mental health are a growing concern. The present study aims to evaluate psychological well-being (PWB) during the COVID-19 crisis in university workers with one or more diseases likely to increase the risk of severe outcomes in the event of SARS-CoV-2 infection, defined as susceptible. 210 susceptible employees of an Italian University (aged 25-71 years) were recruited during the COVID-19 second wave (October-December 2020). A group comprising 90 healthy university employees (aged 26-69 years) was also recruited. The self-report Psychological General Well Being Index (PGWBI) was used to assess global PWB and the influence on six sub-domains: anxiety, depressed mood, positive well-being, self-control, general health, and vitality. We applied non-linear dimension-reduction techniques and regression methods to 45 variables in order to assess the main demographic, occupational, and general-health-related factors predicting PWB during the COVID-19 crisis. PGWBI score was higher in susceptible than in healthy workers, both as total score (mean 77.8 vs 71.3) and across almost all subscales. Age and jobs involving high social interaction before the pandemic were inversely associated with the PWB total score, general health, and self-control subscores. The current data suggest no decline in PWB during the second wave of COVID-19 health emergency in susceptible individuals of working age. Critically, higher risk for mental-health issues appears to be inversely related to age, particularly among individuals deprived of their previous level of social interaction at work., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: COVID-19 outbreaks in prisons and jails may affect both inmates and correctional workers. An observational study has been performed to investigate the efficacy of specific procedures and of a serial testing approach adopted for the COVID-19 prevention in an Italian correctional facility (Bari, Apulia) for inmates affected by chronic diseases. Methods: Two SARS-CoV-2 antigen testing campaigns were carried out for all the prisoners and correctional workers, including correctional officers (CO), administrative staff (AS), correctional health care workers (HCW), and operators working with people completing their sentence outside the prison (OOP). Antigen testing was conducted on nasopharyngeal swab specimens, using a fluorescence immunoassay for the qualitative detection of nucleocapsid SARS-CoV-2 antigen. All subjects positive to the antigen test underwent confirmation by rRT-PCR test. Results: In total, 426 new and residential inmates were tested during the first campaign and 480 during the second campaign. Only two new inmates resulted positive at the first campaign, while no positive cases were observed at the second campaign or outside of the testing campaigns. In total, 367 correctional workers were tested at the first campaign and 325 at the second. At the first, 4 CO and 2 HCW showed positive test results, while no new positive cases were observed at the second. Moreover, 1 CO and 1 HCW resulted positive outside of the testing campaigns for the onset of symptoms while at home. Conclusion: The implementation of a full risk management plan in a correctional facility, including both a strict protocol for the application of preventive measures and a serial testing approach, seems to be able to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in both inmates and correctional workers., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Stufano, Buonvino, Cagnazzo, Armenise, Pontrelli, Curzio, De Benedictis and Lovreglio.)

Short-term exposure to air pollution, as well as to climate variables have been linked to a higher incidence of respiratory viral diseases. The study aims to assess the short-term influence of air pollution and climate on COVID19 incidence in Lombardy (Italy), during the early stage of the outbreak, before the implementation of the lockdown measures. The daily number of COVID19 cases in Lombardy from February 25th to March 10th , 2020, and the daily average concentrations up to 15 days before the study period of particulate matter (PM 10 , PM 2.5 ), O 3 , SO 2, and NO 2 together with climate variables (temperature, relative humidity - RH%, wind speed, precipitation), were analyzed. A univariable mixed model with a logarithm transformation as link function was applied for each day, from 15 days (lag15) to one day (lag1) before the day of detected cases, to evaluate the effect of each variable. Additionally, change points (Break Points-BP) in the relationship between incident cases and air pollution or climatic factors were estimated. The results did not show a univocal relationship between air quality or climate factors and COVID19 incidence. PM 10 , PM 2.5 and O 3 concentrations in the last lags seem to be related to an increased COVID19 incidence, probably due to an increased susceptibility of the host. In addition, low temperature and low wind speed in some lags resulted associated with increased daily COVID19 incidence. The findings observed suggest that these factors, in particular conditions and lags, may increase individual susceptibility to the development of viral infections such as SARS-CoV-2., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Abstract Given the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears of paramount importance to assess the cognitive effects on the population returning to work after COVID-19 resolution. Serum levels of neurofilament light chain (sNfL) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (sGFAP) represent promising biomarkers of neuro-axonal damage and astrocytic activation. In this cohort study, we explored the association between sNfL and sGFAP concentrations and cognitive performance in a group of 147 adult workers with a previous asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection or mild COVID-19, one week and, in 49 of them, ten months after SARS-Cov2 negativization and compared them to a group of 82 age and BMI-matched healthy controls (HCs). sNfL and sGFAP concentrations were assessed using SimoaTM assay Neurology 2-Plex B Kit. COVID-19 patients were interviewed one-on-one by trained physicians and had to complete a list of questionnaires, including the Cognitive Failure Questionnaire (CFQ). At the first assessment (T0), sNfL and sGFAP levels were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients than in HCs (p