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COVID-19: COVID-19 Epidemiological and Clinical Challenges
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COVID-19: COVID-19 Epidemiological and Clinical Challenges

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 19911

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Prisco Piscitelli

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Guest Editor
1. Euro Mediterranean Scientific Biomedical Institute (ISBEM), 72023 Mesagne, Italy
2. Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA), 20123 Milan, Italy
Interests: epidemiology; preventive medicine; occupational medicine; environmental medicine; global health; air pollution; indoor pollution; radon; infectious diseases
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ivan Gentile

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Medicina clinica e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
Interests: COVID-19; bacterial and fungal infections, antibiotics, HIV and AIDS, HCV, HBV
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Alessandro Miani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA), 20123 Milan, Italy
2. Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of Milan, 20149 Milan, Italy
Interests: primary prevention; indoor pollution; sustainability; public health; environmental medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Loreto Gesualdo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento della Emergenza e Trapianti d´Organo (DETO), Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Università di Bari, Bari, Italy
Interests: nephrology; epidemiology; preventive medicine; precision medicine; occupational medicine; environmental medicine; personalized medicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on both the population and healthcare systems across the world since 2020. As we are in the second year of the pandemic, it is time to assess the epidemiological burden and characteristics of COVID-19 spread and lethality among the general population and specific subgroups in different nations. At the same time, it is time to evaluate the efficacy of treatments that have been used for more than a year, as well as resume the follow-up of patients who were diagnosed or hospitalized due to COVID-19. 

This Special Issue on “COVID-19: Epidemiological and Clinical Challenges” is aimed at stimulating clinicians and researchers working in the field of infectious diseases, virology, epidemiology, preventive medicine and public health, internal medicine, pulmonology, radiology, neurology, cardiology, etc. to share their research or experiences with the scientific community, from the perspective of common advances of knowledge that will lead us out of this health emergency.  

Articles addressing epidemiological issues, treatment protocols, follow-up of small numbers or large cohorts of patients, as well as epidemiological or clinical surveys are solicited: systematic reviews, meta-analyses, original research articles, short articles, and commentaries are welcome and expected to add relevant information to the current knowledge. 

Dr. Prisco Piscitelli
Prof. Dr. Ivan Gentile
Dr. Alessandro Miani
Dr. Loreto Gesualdo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • epidemiology
  • prevention
  • diagnosis
  • treatment
  • follow-up

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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8 pages, 3825 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Experiences in Preventing COVID-19 in Hemodialysis Centers of the North of Poland before the Era of Vaccination
by Bogdan Biedunkiewicz, Leszek Tylicki, Ewelina Puchalska-Reglińska and Alicja Dębska-Ślizień
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(2), 684; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19020684 - 7 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1687
Abstract
Background: The appearance of very contagious SARS-CoV-2 variants and waning vaccine immunity may indicate the need to return to using universal methods of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Methods: We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort survey study to describe the methods used in [...] Read more.
Background: The appearance of very contagious SARS-CoV-2 variants and waning vaccine immunity may indicate the need to return to using universal methods of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Methods: We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort survey study to describe the methods used in dialysis units to prevent and control the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and also the association between these methods and the incidence of COVID-19 among hemodialyzed (HD) patients before the era of vaccination. The study population included all maintenance HD patients (n = 1569) in 14 dialysis units in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Results: The group of 352 patients (199 men, 153 female) were confirmed for COVID-19. The absolute cumulative incidence in the studied period was 22.4%. It varied widely by dialysis units, ranging from 9.4% to 36.9%. Universal preventive methods were applied by all units. Different additional methods were implemented in some stations with varying frequency (36–86%). In order to quantify the scale of the applied additional preventive methods, we calculated a summary prevention index (PI), i.e., one point for one additional method. Lower incidence was found in centers applying dialysis in isolation of patients hospitalized due to diseases requiring hospitalization (17.42% ± 6.89 vs. 26.54 ± 6.34; p = 0.028) and higher incidence in medium-size dialysis centers (ANOVA F: p = 0.017). Significant inverse correlation between PI and incidence was demonstrated as well (r = −0.759; p = 0.002). Conclusions: The higher the number of implemented preventive measures, the lower the risk of COVID-19 infection in HD patients. Among applied procedures the isolation of hospitalized patients is of significant importance. The measures proved to be effective in prevention before the vaccination era should be continued, as the threat of SARS-CoV-2 still exists. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19: COVID-19 Epidemiological and Clinical Challenges)
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15 pages, 5190 KiB  
Article
Lactoferrin as Antiviral Treatment in COVID-19 Management: Preliminary Evidence
by Elena Campione, Caterina Lanna, Terenzio Cosio, Luigi Rosa, Maria Pia Conte, Federico Iacovelli, Alice Romeo, Mattia Falconi, Claudia Del Vecchio, Elisa Franchin, Maria Stella Lia, Marilena Minieri, Carlo Chiaramonte, Marco Ciotti, Marzia Nuccetelli, Alessandro Terrinoni, Ilaria Iannuzzi, Luca Coppeta, Andrea Magrini, Sergio Bernardini, Stefano Sabatini, Felice Rosapepe, Pier Luigi Bartoletti, Nicola Moricca, Andrea Di Lorenzo, Massimo Andreoni, Loredana Sarmati, Alessandro Miani, Prisco Piscitelli, Ettore Squillaci, Piera Valenti and Luca Bianchiadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10985; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010985 - 19 Oct 2021
Cited by 61 | Viewed by 9905
Abstract
Lactoferrin (Lf), a multifunctional cationic glycoprotein synthesized by exocrine glands and neutrophils, possesses an in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. Thus, we conducted an in vivo preliminary study to investigate the antiviral effect of oral and intranasal liposomal bovine Lf (bLf) in asymptomatic [...] Read more.
Lactoferrin (Lf), a multifunctional cationic glycoprotein synthesized by exocrine glands and neutrophils, possesses an in vitro antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2. Thus, we conducted an in vivo preliminary study to investigate the antiviral effect of oral and intranasal liposomal bovine Lf (bLf) in asymptomatic and mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients. From April 2020 to June 2020, a total of 92 mild-to-moderate (67/92) and asymptomatic (25/92) COVID-19 patients were recruited and divided into three groups. Thirty-two patients (14 hospitalized and 18 in home-based isolation) received only oral and intranasal liposomal bLf; 32 hospitalized patients were treated only with standard of care (SOC) treatment; and 28, in home-based isolation, did not take any medication. Furthermore, 32 COVID-19 negative, untreated, healthy subjects were added for ancillary analysis. Liposomal bLf-treated COVID-19 patients obtained an earlier and significant (p < 0.0001) SARS-CoV-2 RNA negative conversion compared to the SOC-treated and untreated COVID-19 patients (14.25 vs. 27.13 vs. 32.61 days, respectively). Liposomal bLf-treated COVID-19 patients showed fast clinical symptoms recovery compared to the SOC-treated COVID-19 patients. In bLf-treated patients, a significant decrease in serum ferritin, IL-6, and D-dimers levels was observed. No adverse events were reported. These observations led us to speculate a potential role of bLf in the management of mild-to-moderate and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19: COVID-19 Epidemiological and Clinical Challenges)
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Review

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11 pages, 770 KiB  
Review
Functional and Psychological Changes after Exercise Training in Post-COVID-19 Patients Discharged from the Hospital: A PRISMA-Compliant Systematic Review
by Amir Hossein Ahmadi Hekmatikar, João Batista Ferreira Júnior, Shahnaz Shahrbanian and Katsuhiko Suzuki
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2290; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042290 - 17 Feb 2022
Cited by 48 | Viewed by 7076
Abstract
Millions of people worldwide are infected with COVID-19, and COVID-19 survivors have been found to suffer from functional disabilities and mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. This is a matter of concern because COVID-19 is still not over. Because reinfection is still [...] Read more.
Millions of people worldwide are infected with COVID-19, and COVID-19 survivors have been found to suffer from functional disabilities and mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. This is a matter of concern because COVID-19 is still not over. Because reinfection is still possible in COVID-19 survivors, decreased physical function and increased stress and anxiety can lower immune function. However, the optimal exercise intensity and volume appear to remain unknown. Therefore, the current systematic review aimed to evaluate the effect of resistance or aerobic exercises in post-COVID-19 patients after hospital discharge. We conducted searches in the Scopus, SciELO, PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases. Studies that met the following criteria were included: (i) English language, (ii) patients with COVID-19 involved with resistance or aerobic exercise programs after hospital discharge. Out of 381 studies reviewed, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Evidence shows that exercise programs composed of resistance exercise (e.g., 1–2 sets of 8–10 repetitions at 30–80% of 1RM) along with aerobic exercise (e.g., 5 to 30 min at moderate intensity) may improve the functional capacity and quality of life (reduce stress and mental disorders) in post-COVID-19 patients. In addition, only one study reported reinfection of three subjects involved with the exercise program, suggesting that exercise programs may be feasible for the rehabilitation of the patients. A meta-analysis was not conducted because the included studies have methodological heterogeneities, and they did not examine a control group. Consequently, the results should be generalized with caution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19: COVID-19 Epidemiological and Clinical Challenges)
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