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Life
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COVID-19: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Vaccine
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COVID-19: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Vaccine

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2022) | Viewed by 13793

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Shih-Bin Su

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Occupational Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan 710, Taiwan
Interests: occupational medicine; family medicine; community medicine; preventive medicine

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) rapidly spread worldwide, and coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has led to an estimated 6 million deaths worldwide since January 2020. Since its genetic sequence became available, the development and testing of vaccines directed against SARS-CoV-2 has grown at an unprecedented pace. The distribution of vaccines, together with nonpharmacological interventions, has been proven to be the only possible strategy to control the pandemic. As COVID-19 becomes under control and draws to a close, we encourage scholars from all fields to publish research articles on COVID-19 to provide scientific references for future studies.

Dr. Shih-Bin Su
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Life 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 2600 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 vaccine
  • adverse effect
  • global public health
  • community medicine
  • preventive medicine

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2079 KiB  
Article
Using Real-Time PCR Fluorescence Reaction Values to Improve SARS-CoV-2 Virus Detection and Benefit Clinical Decision-Making
by Wan-Wen Yang, Chin-Wen Hsu, Yu-Ju Chan, Shih-Bin Su, I-Jung Feng, Chia-Yi Hou and Chien-Yuan Huang
Life 2023, 13(3), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13030683 - 2 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1615
Abstract
This study aimed to compare the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection results of the BD MAX™ System and other platforms to formulate an optimized laboratory verification process. The re-examination of 400 samples determined as positive by BD MAX™ indicated that the inconsistency rate between [...] Read more.
This study aimed to compare the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection results of the BD MAX™ System and other platforms to formulate an optimized laboratory verification process. The re-examination of 400 samples determined as positive by BD MAX™ indicated that the inconsistency rate between BD MAX™ and the other platforms was 65.8%; the inconsistency rate of single-gene-positive results was as high as 99.2%. A receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn for the relative light unit (RLU) values of samples positive for a single gene, and RLU 800 was used as the cutoff. After setting the retest standard as single-gene positive and RLU ≥ 800, the number of the 260 BD MAX™ single-gene positives that needed to be confirmed again was 36 (13.8%) and the number that could be directly reported as negative was 224 (86.2%). This verification process can shorten the reporting period and speed up the epidemic adjustment time and turnover rate of special wards, thereby improving SARS-CoV-2 detection efficiency and clinical decision-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Vaccine)
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9 pages, 433 KiB  
Article
Late Hypersensitivity Reactions to the BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Are Linked to Delayed Skin Sensitization and Prior Exposure to Hyaluronic Acid
by Ramit Maoz-Segal, Ronen Shavit, Mona Iancovici Kidon, Irena Offengenden, Diti Machnes-Maayan, Yulia Lifshitz-Tunitsky, Stanley Niznik and Nancy Agmon-Levin
Life 2022, 12(12), 2021; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12122021 - 3 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1896
Abstract
Background: Late hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to the BNT162b2-vaccine have raised concerns regarding its safety, particularly as further immunizations are required. The yield of skin testing with the BNT162b2v is unclear, as well as the risk factors and outcomes of re-immunization after late HSRs. [...] Read more.
Background: Late hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) to the BNT162b2-vaccine have raised concerns regarding its safety, particularly as further immunizations are required. The yield of skin testing with the BNT162b2v is unclear, as well as the risk factors and outcomes of re-immunization after late HSRs. Objective: We studied a series of patients with late HSRs to BNT162b2v. Methods: Patients referred to the Sheba medical center from December 2020 to May 2021 with late HSRs to the first dose of BNT162b2 were included. HSRs were defined as late if they appeared or lasted >24 h after inoculation. We compared late HSRs to immediate HSRs that appeared within minutes–2 h after vaccination. Intradermal testing with PEG-containing medication and BNT162b2v was performed. Results: A total of 17 patients that presented with late HSRs (study group) were compared to 34 patients with immediate HSRs (control group). Delayed sensitivity to intradermal testing of the BNT162b2v was observed in 9/17 (53%) of the study group compared to 4/34 (12%) in the control group (p = 0.01). Former exposure to a dermal filler with hyaluronic acid was documented among 7/17 (41%) vs. 2/34 (6%) in the study and control groups, respectively, (p = 0.0038). All patients who presented with late HSRs were advised to receive subsequent doses of the BNT162b2v vaccine with or without concomitant medication, and all were re-immunized successfully. Conclusions: Late HSRs to BNT162b2v were linked with positive responses to intradermal testing with the vaccine and prior exposure to derma fillers with hyaluronic acid. This may elude to an immune mechanism triggered by former exposures. Although further studies are needed, late HSRs to the BNT162b2-vaccine did not prevent patients from receiving subsequent doses of the vaccines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Vaccine)
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Review

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19 pages, 702 KiB  
Review
A Review Pertaining to SARS-CoV-2 and Autoimmune Diseases: What Is the Connection?
by Nina Kocivnik and Tomaz Velnar
Life 2022, 12(11), 1918; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12111918 - 18 Nov 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7517
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious viral disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is known that infection with SARS-CoV-2 can lead to various autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. There are few reports in the literature on the association [...] Read more.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious viral disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is known that infection with SARS-CoV-2 can lead to various autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases. There are few reports in the literature on the association between SARS-CoV-2 and autoimmune diseases, and the number of reports has been increasing since 2020. Autoimmune diseases and SARS-CoV-2 infections are intertwined in several ways. Both conditions lead to immune-mediated tissue damage, the immune response is accompanied by the increased secretion of inflammatory cytokines and both conditions can be treated using immunomodulatory drugs. Patients with certain autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, cardiac sarcoidosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, autoimmune hepatitis, multiple sclerosis and others, are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, either because of the active autoimmune disease or because of the medications used to treat it. Conversely, SARS-CoV-2 infection can also cause certain autoimmune diseases. In this paper, we describe the development of autoimmune diseases after COVID-19 and the recovery from COVID-19 in people with autoimmune diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Vaccine)
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Other

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11 pages, 1445 KiB  
Systematic Review
Anticancer Therapy and Mortality of Adult Patients with Hematologic Malignancy and COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Wen-Li Lin, Thi-Hoang-Yen Nguyen, Li-Min Wu, Wen-Tsung Huang and Shih-Bin Su
Life 2023, 13(2), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/life13020381 - 30 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2119
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) might affect cancer treatment outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis identified the prognostic predictors of adult patients with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19, and evaluated the effect of anticancer therapy on mortality. We performed a literature search of electronic databases [...] Read more.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) might affect cancer treatment outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis identified the prognostic predictors of adult patients with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19, and evaluated the effect of anticancer therapy on mortality. We performed a literature search of electronic databases and identified additional studies from the bibliographies of the articles that were retrieved. Two investigators independently extracted data according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. We evaluated study quality using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale and performed a meta-analyses in order to evaluate the effect of anticancer therapy on mortality among adult patients with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19. Heterogeneity was assessed with the I2 statistic. The meta-analysis included 12 studies. The overall mortality rate was 36.3%. The pooled risk difference (RD) in mortality between patients receiving and not receiving anticancer therapy was 0.14 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.02–0.26; I2 = 76%). The pooled RD in mortality associated with chemotherapy was 0.22 (95% CI: 0.05–0.39; I2 = 48%), and with immunosuppression was 0.20 (95% CI: 0.05–0.34; I2 = 67%). In the subgroup analyses, anticancer-therapy-associated mortality was higher in females (RD = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.29–0.85; I2 = 0%) than in males (RD = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.04–0.52; I2 = 0%). Among patients with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19, those receiving anticancer therapy had a higher mortality risk, regardless of sex. The mortality risk was higher in females than in males. These results indicate that caution should be exercised when administering anticancer therapy to patients with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue COVID-19: Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Vaccine)
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