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Prevention and Control Strategies for the COVID-19 Pandemic
Published in Debmalya Barh, Kenneth Lundstrom, COVID-19, 2022
Isfendiyar Darbaz, Gizem Morris, Şükrü Tüzmen
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a single-stranded RNA virus [7]. The word “corona” is derived from the Latin word for “crown”, which refers to the crown-like spikes on the surface of the virus. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, which means that they can spread from animals to humans. Since zoonotic diseases have an animal reservoir, eradication is extremely difficult. For example, avian influenza virus can be eradicated in farmed animals, turkeys, and ducks, but it returns every year because of its presence in wild birds. Avian influenza virus does not spread from person to person, but outbreaks in poultry farms happen every year all over the world [7]. Coronaviruses have been associated with other outbreaks in humans, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) caused by SARS-CoV, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) caused by MERS-CoV [8].
Applications of AI, IoT, IoMT, and Biosensing Devices in Curbing COVID-19
Published in Fadi Al-Turjman, AI-Powered IoT for COVID-19, 2020
Basil Bartholomew Duwa, Mehmet Ozsoz, Fadi Al-Turjman
The avian flu, or avian influenza or bird flu, is a virus that influences birds. This type of flu can be traced to the year 1878, when the first case was recorded. Domestic birds were very affected in developing countries in the 1890s. Recorded millions of birds were dead that year due to the flu.
Influenza
Published in Firza Alexander Gronthoud, Practical Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 2020
Vaccination remains the cornerstone of prevention and control of seasonal epidemics. There are three types of influenza vaccines available: a live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), an inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) and a recombinant HA vaccine. The main shortcoming of influenza vaccines is that annual updates are needed to retain effectiveness because of antigenic shift occurring. It takes about 14 days for the vaccine to become protective, with a vaccine effectiveness generally ranging between 40% and 70%. Furthermore, the vaccine is less effective in the elderly, requiring a vaccine adjuvant or a higher dose potentially. Recently, a vaccine for avian influenza H5N1 has been developed.
Emerging antiviral therapies and drugs for the treatment of influenza
Published in Expert Opinion on Emerging Drugs, 2022
Jinshen Wang, Yihang Sun, Shuwen Liu
The intra-racial and inter-species transmission of human and avian influenza represents a major public health concern and can significantly burden our economy. The latest 2009 Mexican or swine flu pandemic was caused by the H1N1 subtype influenza virus, which affected 214 countries, costing about 200,000 lives [199]. In this case, vaccines are still the most effective means of preventing infection, which can largely avoid large-scale pandemics and reduce other losses. Current vaccines are designed to elicit neutralizing antibodies against the influenza HA protein and, to a lesser degree, against neuraminidase. This approach accounts for the efficacy of most vaccines against only a few subtypes of IAV or influenza B virus infection. In contrast, both recombinant protein vaccines and virosomes vaccines, such as Peptide-HA, NP, M1(BiondVax) and Alphasvirus-HA(Alphavax), demonstrate a wider scope of prevention and enable more targeted delivery of conserved antigens, which can stimulate the innate and adaptive immune systems [200]. Developing universal influenza vaccines aims to tackle antigenic drift and shift and the rapid mutation rates of influenza viruses, thus providing broadly protective efficacy against multiple influenza virus strains.
Medical Staff Work Burnout and Willingness to Work during COVID-19 Pandemic Situation in Pakistan
Published in Hospital Topics, 2022
Iqra Mushtaque, Ali Zain Raza, Azhar Abbas Khan, Qaiser Abbas Jafri
In the total of Partial square analysis results, burnout had a significant impact on the health care staff's willingness to work in the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite the workload and perceived risk, 42.6% of participants agreed to work if their department had to need their services. In comparison, 55.2% of participants agreed to work whether their department asked them or not.19.9% of participants refused to report for duty. A study on Influenza Pandemics in which Balicer et al. (2010) examined the willingness of hospital employees that was 72% and the absentees of all staff were 28%. Martinese et al. (2009) conducted a study on Australian Medical Staff during the avian influenza situation. 36% of participants stated that they would not attend hospital during this pandemic if an antiviral medication was immediately available, 53% of participants showed their willingness.
Assessment of serum ferritin as a biomarker in COVID-19: bystander or participant? Insights by comparison with other infectious and non-infectious diseases
Published in Biomarkers, 2020
Kai Kappert, Amir Jahić, Rudolf Tauber
Avian influenza is a variant of influenza A caused by the H5N1 virus adapted to birds. Although primarily known to birds, it can also adapt stably and maintain transmission within humans. 455 people died of H5N1 worldwide since 2003 by 2019 (Uyeki and Peiris 2019), in particular in Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. Laboratory findings of patients suffering from H5N1 commonly included low lymphocyte counts and moderately decreased platelet counts at admission. During hospitalisation, elevated concentrations of lactate, creatinine kinase, liver enzymes as well as lower albumin concentrations were frequently detected. However, only lower counts of neutrophilic leukocytes and elevated alanine aminotransferase were associated with higher mortality rates in H5N1 disease (Uyeki and Peiris 2019). Thus, the laboratory changes of blood biomarkers reported in H5N1 patients seem rather unspecific. Only a few publications described ferritin changes during the H5N1 disease course. A scientific report summarised the clinical and laboratory findings of 22 patients infected with H5N1. Among them, in eight patients measurement of serum ferritin was performed with six patients displaying concentrations above the reference range (Soepandi et al.2010).