Towards the end of 2019, a cluster of severe acute respiratory disease cases emerged in the region of Wuhan, China. Chinese scientists rapidly identified the etiological agent as a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus rapidly spread around the world, infecting, disabling, and killing millions of people, placing immense strains on public health infrastructures, and resulting in untold economic damage. The exceptional threat of a deadly and debilitating new disease led to an extraordinary and unprecedented collaborative effort between the world’s research, medical, publishing, and industrial communities.

Starting with the speedy publication of its genomic sequence in January 2020, this has resulted in the publication of thousands of scientific papers describing the origins and evolution of the virus, its structure, biology and variability and epidemiology. The same is true for recording massive investment in the development of existing as well as new testing methodologies, identification of potential therapeutics, improvements in patient management, and, perhaps most astonishingly of all, the multiple approaches to designing novel vaccines in record time. This is complemented by numerous reports detailing the disease’s devastating potential to impose substantial mortality, morbidity and economic burdens on the human population.

The Scholarly Community Encyclopedia is a user generated content knowledge platform (https://encyclopedia.pub/) that was released by MDPI in April 2018, with the aim of providing a comprehensive and reliable record for science development. Encyclopedia is a new international journal affiliated journal to this platform. Its content will be peer-reviewed and published quarterly using the open access model. It will be supplemented with topical books or collections that summarise current knowledge and contemplate future developments about a range of life science and medical themes. 

The first of these books is dedicated to the topic of COVID-19. It aims to provide a single source of reliable, comprehensive, and easily accessible information to chart this unparalleled progress. Contributions can be opinions and critiques, even controversial ones, as long as they are well argued and accompanied by factual evidence. All submissions will be peer-reviewed. For planned entry papers, we invite interested researchers to contact the publishers with titles and short definitions (about 100 words) to fit that brief.

Please click here to find Guidelines for Submissions.

 

Published Entries

Nanotechnology-Enabled COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines
By
Zimei Wu
Encyclopedia 2021, 1(3), 773-780; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1030059
COVID-19 mRNA vaccines contain synthetic mRNA sequences encoded for the Spike proteins expressed on the surface of SARS-CoV-2, and utilize the host cells to produce specific antigens that stimulate both humoral and cellular immunities. Lipid nanoparticles are essential [...] Read more
COVID-19 mRNA vaccines contain synthetic mRNA sequences encoded for the Spike proteins expressed on the surface of SARS-CoV-2, and utilize the host cells to produce specific antigens that stimulate both humoral and cellular immunities. Lipid nanoparticles are essential to facilitate the intracellular delivery of the mRNA to its action site, the ribosome, to fully exert its effect.
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Sheet Barrier and Intubating Stylet
By
Hsiang-Ning Luk
Encyclopedia 2021, 1(4), 1058-1075; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1040081
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a respiratory syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2, can be transmitted through respiratory droplets and aerosols of droplet nuclei. Aerosol-generating medical procedures (AGMP) are needed to take care of critically ill patients but place he [...] Read more
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a respiratory syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2, can be transmitted through respiratory droplets and aerosols of droplet nuclei. Aerosol-generating medical procedures (AGMP) are needed to take care of critically ill patients but place health care providers at risk of infection. With limited supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), barrier systems were developed to help protect health care providers during tracheal intubation. The video intubating stylet shows promise to become the preferred intubation device in conjunction with plastic sheet barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Increase in Addiction during COVID-19
By
THEODOROS DAGLIS
Encyclopedia 2021, 1(4), 1257-1266; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1040095
The increase in addiction during COVID-19 is a condition that emerged as an aftermath of COVID-19-related events, for instance, fear of the spread of COVID-19, self-abstention from many activities, and restrictions established by the lockdown measures. This condition in [...] Read more
The increase in addiction during COVID-19 is a condition that emerged as an aftermath of COVID-19-related events, for instance, fear of the spread of COVID-19, self-abstention from many activities, and restrictions established by the lockdown measures. This condition includes substance addictions such as drugs and alcohol but also behavioral addictions such as gambling, gaming, pornography, and smartphone and internet misuse.
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Misinformation about COVID-19: Psychological Insights
By
Elly Anastasiades
,
Marios Argyrides
,
Marilena Mousoulidou
Encyclopedia 2021, 1(4), 1200-1214; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1040091
While the precise conceptualization of the term misinformation remains a subject of debate, the current entry defines misinformation as any type of information which is misleading or false, regardless of intent. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the rapid and widespread sh [...] Read more
While the precise conceptualization of the term misinformation remains a subject of debate, the current entry defines misinformation as any type of information which is misleading or false, regardless of intent. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the rapid and widespread sharing of misinformation on a global scale, which has had detrimental effects on containment efforts and public health. This entry offers psychological insights to better our understanding of what makes people susceptible to believing and sharing misinformation and how this can inform interventions aimed at tackling the issue.
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Secondary Education and COVID-19
By
Michailina Siakalli*
,
Marilena Mousoulidou
,
Andri Christodoulou
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(1), 409-427; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2010025
Secondary education is the second stage of formal education and traditionally begins after primary school, usually about age 11 to 13. The COVID-19 pandemic caused immeasurable changes to the educational system which inevitably greatly impacted secondary education. The [...] Read more
Secondary education is the second stage of formal education and traditionally begins after primary school, usually about age 11 to 13. The COVID-19 pandemic caused immeasurable changes to the educational system which inevitably greatly impacted secondary education. The current entry describes the changes in secondary education imposed by the pandemic and explores the accompanying challenges.
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COVID-19 and Psychological Impact
By
Nereida Bueno-Guerra
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(1), 400-408; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2010024
The worldwide mental health burden associated to COVID-19. The psychological symptoms associated to COVID-19 can originate from three different sources: lockdowns, pandemic life and virus infection (both COVID-19 and post COVID-19 condition). Within the psychological sy [...] Read more
The worldwide mental health burden associated to COVID-19. The psychological symptoms associated to COVID-19 can originate from three different sources: lockdowns, pandemic life and virus infection (both COVID-19 and post COVID-19 condition). Within the psychological symptoms it can be found: anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, fatigue and cognitive impairment (i.e., ’brain fog’, mental slowness, deficits in attention, executive functioning, working memory, learning, articulation, and/or psychomotor coordination). Plus, two psychological conditions associated to the COVID-19 pandemic have been coined so far by the World Health Organization: pandemic fatigue and post COVID-19 condition. The increase of psychological symptoms both in the general population and in frontline workers (especially health-care workers) generates an unprecedented number of psychological patients and it challenges national mental health systems. 
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COVID-19 in the Construction Sector
By
Ruben Elizalde
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(2), 717-728; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2020050
This section analyzes the influence of COVID-19 in the construction sector. Construction workers’ high vulnerability to the spread of the virus motivated this entry. The construction sector’s peculiarities and some work procedure characteristics in this sector make tele [...] Read more
This section analyzes the influence of COVID-19 in the construction sector. Construction workers’ high vulnerability to the spread of the virus motivated this entry. The construction sector’s peculiarities and some work procedure characteristics in this sector make telecommuting impossible in most activities. In addition, most of the states and national governments declared the construction sector essential activity due to its high economic impact. The working conditions in this sector are very special: constant trips to work in groups, work group execution with little interpersonal distance, group travel, stays and accommodations away from home, meals in restaurants or work canteens, lunch in restaurants or work canteens, etc. Due to all of this, the contagion rate was very high during the pandemic months. Even today, it is still considered one of the most dangerous sectors for these purposes. With all this in mind, here we discuss why it is difficult to minimize the spread of the virus for construction workers, summarize how to assess exposure risk grades for construction job tasks, and provide possible protection requirements for the different exposure risk grades. 
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Otovestibular Symptoms of COVID-19 and Its Vaccines/Treatments
By
Marcello Cherchi
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(3), 1200-1209; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2030080
The rapidly developing literature regarding COVID-19 and its treatments has documented an impressive breadth of pathology across multiple organ systems. In this entry, researchers highlight the audiologic and vestibular manifestations that have been reported in associat [...] Read more
The rapidly developing literature regarding COVID-19 and its treatments has documented an impressive breadth of pathology across multiple organ systems. In this entry, researchers highlight the audiologic and vestibular manifestations that have been reported in association with COVID-19, its vaccines, and some of its treatments.
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Air Quality during Covid-19 Lockdown
By
Gabriele Donzelli
,
Lorenzo Cioni
,
Maria Morales Suarez-Varela
Encyclopedia 2021, 1(3), 519-526; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1030043
Air pollution exposure is one of the greatest risks to health worldwide. It is estimated to be responsible for about 4.2 million deaths around the world every year owing to many serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke, acute and chronic respiratory diseases, and [...] Read more
Air pollution exposure is one of the greatest risks to health worldwide. It is estimated to be responsible for about 4.2 million deaths around the world every year owing to many serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke, acute and chronic respiratory diseases, and lung cancer. The WHO guideline limits are exceeded in several areas around the world, and it is estimated that about 90% of the world’s population is exposed to high air pollution levels, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments to implement severe mobility restriction measures to limit the spread of the virus. This represented a unique opportunity to study the impact of mobility on urban air quality. Several studies which have investigated the relations between the quality of the air and such containment measures have shown the significant reduction of the main pollutants in the urban environment so to encourage the adoption of new approaches for the improvement of the quality of air in the cities. The aims of this entry are both a brief analysis and a discussion of the results presented in several papers to understand the relationships between COVID-19 containment measures and air quality in urban areas.
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COVID-19: Evidenced Health Disparity
By
Ayodeji Iyanda
,
Yongmei Lu
Encyclopedia 2021, 1(3), 744-763; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1030057
Health disparity is an unacceptable, unjust, or inequitable difference in health outcomes among different groups of people that affects access to optimal health care, as well as deterring it. Health disparity adversely affects disadvantaged subpopulations due to a highe [...] Read more
Health disparity is an unacceptable, unjust, or inequitable difference in health outcomes among different groups of people that affects access to optimal health care, as well as deterring it. Health disparity adversely affects disadvantaged subpopulations due to a higher incidence and prevalence of a particular disease or ill health. Existing health disparity determines whether a disease outbreak such as coronavirus disease 2019, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), will significantly impact a group or a region. Hence, health disparity assessment has become one of the focuses of many agencies, public health practitioners, and other social scientists. Successful elimination of health disparity at all levels requires pragmatic approaches through an intersectionality framework and robust data science.
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COVID-19 and Dentistry
By
Parisa Soltani
,
hugh devlin
Encyclopedia 2021, 1(2), 496-504; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1020041
Dentistry is a healthcare profession requiring close contacts between the dental practitioner and the patient. In particular, many dental procedures generate aerosols and droplets which are proved to be the major transmission route for COVID-19.
Limbic Encephalitis Associated with COVID-19
By
Timur Sirbiladze
,
Natalia Shnayder
,
Marina Petrova
,
Regina Nasyrova
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(1), 26-35; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2010003
Limbic encephalitis (LE) is an inflammatory disease of the brain, in which lesion is anatomically limited in structures of the limbic system. In some cases, LE can start with symptoms of limbic dysfunction with further involvement of other regions of the brain. Classic [...] Read more
Limbic encephalitis (LE) is an inflammatory disease of the brain, in which lesion is anatomically limited in structures of the limbic system. In some cases, LE can start with symptoms of limbic dysfunction with further involvement of other regions of the brain. Classic LE syndrome includes such symptoms as the development of personality disorders, depression, sleep disorders, epileptic seizures, hallucinations and cognitive disorders (short-term and long-term memory impairment). The information of clinical examination, electroencephalogram (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cerebrospinal fluid studies (CSF) suggest the diagnosis of LE in most patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
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Molecular Aspects of Spike–ACE2 Interaction
By
Luigi De Masi
,
Angelo Facchiano
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(1), 96-108; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2010007
A new betacoronavirus (CoV-2) is responsible for the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that began in China at the end of 2019, today known as COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Subsequent studies confirmed the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 ( [...] Read more
A new betacoronavirus (CoV-2) is responsible for the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that began in China at the end of 2019, today known as COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Subsequent studies confirmed the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) as the main cell receptor of spike trimeric glycoprotein, located on the viral envelope, mediating the CoV-2 invasion into the host cells through the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike. Computational analysis of the known experimental 3D structures of spike–ACE2 complexes evidenced distinguishing features in the molecular interactions at the RBD-cell receptor binding interface between CoV-2 and previous CoV-1. The spike represents a key target for drug design as well as an optimal antigen for RNA/viral vector vaccines and monoclonal antibodies in order to maximize prevention and therapy of COVID-19.
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Culture and COVID-19: Impact of Cross-Cultural Dimensions on Behavioral Responses
By
Nisha Nair
,
Patturaja Selvaraj
,
Ranjeet Nambudiri
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(3), 1210-1224; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2030081
The global pandemic of COVID-19 has impacted every sphere of human life across all nations of the world. Countries adapted and responded to the crisis in different ways with varied outcomes and different degrees of success in mitigation efforts. Studies have examined in [...] Read more
The global pandemic of COVID-19 has impacted every sphere of human life across all nations of the world. Countries adapted and responded to the crisis in different ways with varied outcomes and different degrees of success in mitigation efforts. Studies have examined institutional and policy-based responses to the pandemic. However, to gain a holistic understanding of the pandemic response strategy and its effectiveness, it is also important to understand the cultural foundations of a society driving its response behavior. Towards that end, this entry focuses on a few key cultural dimensions of difference across countries and proposes that national culture is related to the protective behavior adopted by societies during COVID-19. The cultural dimensions examined in relation to COVID-19 include the dimensions of individualism vs. collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity and femininity, and future orientation. Inferences are drawn from academic research, published data, and discernible indicators of social behavior. The entry provides pointers for each dimension of culture and proposes that cultural awareness be made an important element of policy making while responding to crises such as COVID-19. 
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COVID-19: Gender and Outcomes
By
Alfonso Ilardi
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(2), 864-872; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2020056
The existence of differences in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection between males and females in both incidence and outcomes is well documented in the scientific literature. These differences, which are still underestimated, may have important implications in terms o [...] Read more
The existence of differences in susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection between males and females in both incidence and outcomes is well documented in the scientific literature. These differences, which are still underestimated, may have important implications in terms of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of COVID-19, with significant prognostic consequences. The greater severity of the infection observed in males, even more so if they are elderly, would seem, according to current knowledge, to be due to multiple influences: immunological and endocrinological, but also genetic and behavioral.
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Adverse Events Profile of COVID-19 Preventative Strategies
By
Kunal Ajmera
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(1), 457-465; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2010028
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of deaths and has affected most people across the world, either directly or indirectly. Many preventative and therapeutic strategies have been employed since the beginning of the pandemic. With the development of the mRNA vaccin [...] Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused millions of deaths and has affected most people across the world, either directly or indirectly. Many preventative and therapeutic strategies have been employed since the beginning of the pandemic. With the development of the mRNA vaccine within a year of the start of the pandemic, we are entering a new era of vaccinology, and the adverse event profile of the COVID-19 vaccine is also becoming more apparent with time. While the benefits of the vaccines and other preventative strategies certainly outweigh the risk of adverse events, prospective clinical trials are urgently needed to determine whether specific populations, including those with a personal or family history of autoimmune disease, are at higher risk of developing certain adverse events, in order to minimize risk further.
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Trust in Science and COVID-19
By
Marilena Mousoulidou
,
Andri Christodoulou
,
Marios Argyrides
,
Michailina Siakalli*
,
Louiza Constantinou
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(1), 602-616; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2010040
In this entry, trust in science is defined as the reliance, confidence, and dependence on science to understand scientific information. With the outbreak of, and the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, turning towards science and trusting the specialized know [...] Read more
In this entry, trust in science is defined as the reliance, confidence, and dependence on science to understand scientific information. With the outbreak of, and the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, turning towards science and trusting the specialized knowledge of experts is of particular importance during this period.
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Domestic Violence against Women and COVID-19
By
Constantina Zamba
,
Marilena Mousoulidou
,
Andri Christodoulou
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(1), 441-456; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2010027
Domestic violence against women is defined as harmful behavior that occurs within a home and it involves aggressive and violent conduct towards women. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and following the restrictions imposed to combat the pandemic (lockdowns, [...] Read more
Domestic violence against women is defined as harmful behavior that occurs within a home and it involves aggressive and violent conduct towards women. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and following the restrictions imposed to combat the pandemic (lockdowns, staying at home, isolation), domestic violence against women has increased worldwide. The current entry presents existing knowledge and discusses issues important for public awareness.
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COVID-19 and Romantic Relationships
By
Octav Candel
,
Mihaela Jitaru
Encyclopedia 2021, 1(4), 1038-1046; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1040079
Since the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted most people’s activities and relationships. Romantic relationships are a crucial source of fulfillment and emotional safety for many individuals. However, due to the risk of illness and the social distancin [...] Read more
Since the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted most people’s activities and relationships. Romantic relationships are a crucial source of fulfillment and emotional safety for many individuals. However, due to the risk of illness and the social distancing norms, human interaction, even inside one’s couple or family, suffered great changes. Some of these changes have the potential of disrupting people’s relational or psychological well-being, but they can also have positive impacts. On the other hand, one of the most negative consequences is the growing number of intimate partner violence (IPV) incidents. Considering all these aspects, therapy would be beneficial for those affected.
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COVID-19 and Fake News
By
Javier Bustos
,
Ruben Nicolas-Sans
Encyclopedia 2021, 1(4), 1175-1181; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1040088
COVID-19 can be defined as a global pandemic caused by a coronavirus that first surfaced in 2019. Fake news refers to false reports that can be found in digital media. The combination of these two concepts creates an especially mismanaged situation that can result in wi [...] Read more
COVID-19 can be defined as a global pandemic caused by a coronavirus that first surfaced in 2019. Fake news refers to false reports that can be found in digital media. The combination of these two concepts creates an especially mismanaged situation that can result in widespread unease among the population, to whom the news appears continuously and without quality filters.
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Digital Mental Health Implementation Challenges
By
Luke Balcombe
Encyclopedia 2021, 1(4), 1047-1057; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia1040080
Digital Mental Health is information and communication technology used in mental health services delivered or boosted through the Internet and related technologies, smartphone and wearable technologies as well as immersive solutions (e.g., Virtual Reality and video game [...] Read more
Digital Mental Health is information and communication technology used in mental health services delivered or boosted through the Internet and related technologies, smartphone and wearable technologies as well as immersive solutions (e.g., Virtual Reality and video games). It is predominantly used as self-help services or with the assistance of a (para-)professional and/or artificial intelligence for the provision of mental health promotion as well as mental ill-health identification, prevention and intervention.
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Asymptomatic Patients and Immune Subjects
By
Sheila Veronese
Encyclopedia 2022, 2(1), 109-126; https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia2010008
An asymptomatic patient is someone who contracts a disease but shows no symptoms. An immune subject is a person who is free from virus infection. Both of these categories of people experience the limitations of government imposed by a pandemic situation, with one import [...] Read more
An asymptomatic patient is someone who contracts a disease but shows no symptoms. An immune subject is a person who is free from virus infection. Both of these categories of people experience the limitations of government imposed by a pandemic situation, with one important difference. Probably only the first subjects contribute, in spite of themselves, to the spread of the disease and to the contagion of the people most susceptible to the virus. This implies that their detection is essential to limit infections. Therefore, knowing the characteristics of these people and those immune to the virus can be extremely useful in mitigating the effects of the disease and/or defeating it.
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Planned Entries

The diseases of the modern era: Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and interupted gut/brain axis - post Covid-19 consequences
By Monika Peshevska-Sekulovska: Milena Peruhova Metodija Sekulovski Tsvetelina Velikova
Department of Gastroenterology MHAT Lozanetz, Sofia, Bulgaria. Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski- Medical Faculty. Department of Gastroenterology MHAT Heart and brain, Burgas, Bulgaria. Department of Anesthesiology and intensive care MHAT Lozanetz, Sofia, Bulgaria. Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski- Medical Faculty.
Stephen Bustin

Institution: Medical Technology Research Institute, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford CM1 1SQ, UK

Interests: qPCR; RT-qPCR; colorectal cancer; molecular staging; clostridium difficile; MRSA; aspergillus

© 2023 by the authors. Contents in this book are Open Access and distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. The book as a whole is distributed by MDPI under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND.

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