Summary

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, and the disease now affects nearly every country and region. Caused by SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 continues nearly 18 months later to present significant challenges to health systems and public health in both hemispheres, as well as the economies of every country. The morbidity and mortality of the infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been significant, and various waves of disease outbreaks initially overwhelmed many hospitals and clinics and continue to do so in many countries. This influences everyone, and public health countermeasures have been dramatic in terms of their impact on employment, social systems, and mental health. This entry collection aims to gather diverse fields about COVID-19, including in epidemiology, public health, medicine, genetics, systems biology, informatics, data science, engineering, sociology, anthropology, nursing, environmental studies, statistics, and psychology.

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Entries
Topic Review
COVID-19 Effect on Supply Chains
The COVID-19 pandemic has generated disruptions in supply chains, traveling, businesses, and a loss of human lives that is being accounted for at least five million diseased. When the pandemic started, uncertainties, the lockdown of countries, and stay-at-home orders generated that millions of people made runs to grocery stores to buy essential products, the most distinctive being hygiene tissue, antibacterial formulations, and hand sanitizers. Then workers in essential processes in the medical, food, and manufacturing industries had to restart work to keep supply chains running. That generated further repercussions due to the infection of workers in multiple facilities, which created more considerable uncertainties. Universities and schools were mandated to close, and work-from-home orders were enacted in most sectors. In this entry, a summary of the essential factors, current situation, and future perspective regarding the effect generated by COVID-19 on the disruptions of supply chains is presented. The strategic sectors summarized are food and produce, transportation, paper products, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, automobiles, minerals and technology companies. At two years since the WHO declaration, there are still shockwaves that show some unpredictability. Hence, companies and governments should look for strategical plans for preparing for this kind of event, making supply chains resilient or even immune to pandemics, natural disasters and trade wars.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Jan 2022
Topic Review
SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors
The main protease (M-pro) or 3C-like protease of coronaviruses plays an essential role in virus replication. This protease contributes to the cleavage of the ppa1a and pp1ab polyproteins to produce several non-structural proteins, including M-pro itself. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 M-pro enzyme has been extensively studied, and its inhibitors are promising effective drugs for fighting against SARS-CoV-2. The first attempts to discover SARS-CoV-2 M-pro inhibitors used previously developed protease inhibitors or tried to repurpose drugs from other diseases. Covalent inhibitors form a covalent bond, usually with catalytic Cys145. Non-covalent inhibitors bind by non-covalent interactions at the active site of the enzyme, inhibiting its function.
  • 533
  • 10 Jan 2022
Topic Review
COVID-19 Pandemic Management of LMICs
The World Bank has historically classified countries according to their per capita gross national income (GNI) into three groups: high-income countries (or HICs), middle-income countries (or MICs), and low-income countries (or LICs). In 2020, LICs were 32, suffering high rates of illnesses and infections due to the lack of clean water, low sanitation levels, malnutrition, and the lack of access to quality medical care. Approximately 5 billion people lived in MICs, representing over 70% of the world population. There are a total of 105 MICs. Only 77 countries were classified by the World Bank as HICs. The management of the COVID-19 pandemic represents a challenging process, especially for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to the serious economic and health resource problems it generates. 
  • 463
  • 10 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Complicated Appendicitis during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Pre-Pandemic
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted volume, management strategies and patient outcomes of acute appendicitis. There is a significantly higher incidence of complicated appendicitis in children during the COVID-19 pandemic than in the pre-COVID-19 period. Additionally, a significantly higher proportion of children was managed via the NOM during the pandemic in comparison to the pre-pandemic period. 
  • 469
  • 07 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Insights into Acute Pancreatitis Associated COVID-19
Pancreatic injury can manifest from an asymptomatic elevation of amylase and lipase to severe acute pancreatitis (AP).
  • 620
  • 07 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Lung Ultrasound for SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia Diagnostic
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread worldwide causing a global pandemic. In this context, lung ultrasound (LUS) has played an important role due to its high diagnostic sensitivity, low costs, simplicity of execution and radiation safeness. Despite computed tomography (CT) being the imaging gold standard, lung ultrasound point of care exam is essential in every situation where CT is not readily available nor applicable.
  • 368
  • 07 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Pneumococcal Vaccination during COVID-19
The emergence of new viral infections has increased over the decades. The novel virus is one such pathogen liable for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, popularly known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Most fatalities during the past century’s influenza pandemics have cooperated with bacterial co/secondary infections. Unfortunately, many reports have claimed that bacterial co-infection is also predominant in COVID-19 patients (COVID-19 associated co/secondary infection prevalence is up to 45.0%). In the COVID-19 pandemic, Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common coinfecting pathogen. Half of the COVID-19 mortality cases showed co-infection, and pneumonia-related COVID-19 mortality in patients >65 years was 23%. The weakening of immune function caused by COVID-19 remains a high-risk factor for pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal disease and COVID-19 also have similar risk factors. For example, underlying medical conditions on COVID-19 and pneumococcal diseases increase the risk for severe illness at any age; COVID-19 is now considered a primary risk factor for pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease. Thus, pneumococcal vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic has become more critical than ever. 
  • 552
  • 06 Jan 2022
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
COVID-19 and Psychological Impact
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. 
  • 1.0K
  • 13 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Statistical Genetic Physics of COVID-19 Spread
Researchers propose a computational framework for quantitatively coalescing transmitter–recipient–virus interactions, pertaining to the genetic system into a hypergraph. Subsequent transmissions of the virus to other individuals lead to the formation of a new genetic system.
  • 380
  • 06 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Psychological Symptoms in COVID-19 Patients
There is growing evidence of studies associating COVID-19 survivors with increased mental health consequences. Mental health implications related to a COVID-19 infection include both acute and long-term consequences. Here we discuss COVID-19-associated psychiatric sequelae, particularly anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), drawing parallels to past coronavirus outbreaks. A literature search was completed across three databases, using keywords to search for relevant articles. The cause may directly correlate to the infection through both direct and indirect mechanisms, but the underlying etiology appears more complex and multifactorial, involving environmental, psychological, and biological factors. Although most risk factors and prevalence rates vary across various studies, being of the female gender and having a history of psychiatric disorders seem consistent. Several studies will be presented, demonstrating COVID-19 survivors presenting higher rates of mental health consequences than the general population. The possible mechanisms by which the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) enters the brain, affecting the central nervous system (CNS) and causing these psychiatric sequelae, will be discussed, particularly concerning the SARS-CoV-2 entry via the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE-2) receptors and the implications of the immune inflammatory signaling on neuropsychiatric disorders. Some possible therapeutic options will also be considered. 
  • 673
  • 05 Jan 2022
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