COVID-19
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyA Genome Epidemiological Study of SARS-CoV-2 Introduction into JapanThis study aimed to evaluate the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome sequences from COVID-19 cases and to characterize their genealogical networks to demonstrate possible routes of spread in Japan. We found that there were at least two distinct SARS-CoV-2 introductions into Japan, initially from China and subsequently from other countries, including Europe. Our findings can help understand how SARS-CoV-2...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyDaily Viral Kinetics and Innate and Adaptive Immune Response Assessment in COVID-19: a Case SeriesThis work is particularly important because it simultaneously assessed the virology, immunology, and clinical presentation of the same subjects, whereas other studies assess these separately. We describe the detailed viral and immune profiles of the first five patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 and quarantined in Geneva, Switzerland. Viral loads peaked at the very beginning of the disease, and infectious virus was shed only during the...
Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyEffectiveness of Face Masks in Preventing Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2Airborne simulation experiments showed that cotton masks, surgical masks, and N95 masks provide some protection from the transmission of infective SARS-CoV-2 droplets/aerosols; however, medical masks (surgical masks and even N95 masks) could not completely block the transmission of virus droplets/aerosols even when sealed.
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyDescriptive, Retrospective Study of the Clinical Characteristics of Asymptomatic COVID-19 PatientsAsymptomatic transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a potential problem for pandemic control through public health strategies. Our results demonstrate that asymptomatic COVID-19 patients have better outcomes than symptomatic patients. This may have been due to more active cellular immune responses and normal liver function. Since asymptomatic patients have no clinical symptoms which can easily...
Research Article | Applied and Environmental ScienceEpidemiological Investigation and Prevention Control Analysis of the Longitudinal Distribution of COVID-19 in Henan Province, ChinaEpidemic prevention and control in China have entered a new stage of normalization. This article analyzes the epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 in Henan Province and summarizes the effective disease prevention and control means and measures at the prefecture level; the normalized private data provide a theoretical reference for the formulation and conduct of future prevention and control work. At the same time, these epidemic...
Editor's Pick Commentary | Clinical Science and EpidemiologymSphere of Influence: That’s Racist—COVID-19, Biological Determinism, and the Limits of HypothesesKishana Taylor works in the field of virology. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on the personal impact of “Racial health disparities and COVID-19 – caution and context” by Merlin Chowkwanyun and Adolph L. Reed, Jr. (N Engl J Med 383:201–203, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp2012910) and “A hypothesis is a liability” by Itai Yanai and Martin Lercher (Genome Biol 21:...
Perspective | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyThe Social Distancing Imposed To Contain COVID-19 Can Affect Our Microbiome: a Double-Edged Sword in Human HealthHygienic measures imposed to control the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and contain COVID-19 have proven effective in controlling the pandemic. In this article, we argue that these measures could impact the human microbiome in two different and disparate ways, acting as a double-edged sword in human health. New lines of research have shown that the diversity of human intestinal and oropharyngeal...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyCompetitive SARS-CoV-2 Serology Reveals Most Antibodies Targeting the Spike Receptor-Binding Domain Compete for ACE2 BindingWith the emergence and continued spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and of the associated disease, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is an urgent need for improved understanding of how the body mounts an immune response to the virus. Here, we developed a competitive SARS-CoV-2 serological assay that can simultaneously determine whether an individual has developed antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein receptor-binding...
Research Article | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyDevelopment and Clinical Application of a Rapid and Sensitive Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Test for SARS-CoV-2 InfectionWe developed a visual and rapid reverse transcription–loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay targeting the S gene for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The strength of our study was that we validated the RT-LAMP assay using 481 clinical respiratory samples from two prospective cohorts of suspected COVID-19 patients and on the serial samples from an asymptomatic carrier. The developed RT-LAMP approach showed an increased...
Observation | Clinical Science and EpidemiologyLevels of the TNF-Related Cytokine LIGHT Increase in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients with Cytokine Release Syndrome and ARDSMany coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients demonstrate lethal respiratory complications caused by cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Multiple cytokines have been implicated in CRS, but levels of tumor necrosis factor superfamily 14 (TNFSF14) (LIGHT) have not been previously measured in this setting. In this study, we observed significantly elevated serum LIGHT levels in hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to healthy age- and...