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
Artificial Intelligence in the COVID-2019
COVID-2019 pandemic lead to a raised interest on the development of new treatments through Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is a suitable tool to quickly analyze large amounts of data or to estimate drug repurposing against COVID-2019.
  • 487
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Technology for Science Education
The COVID-19 confinement has represented both opportunities and losses for education. Rarely before has any other period moved the human spirit into such discipline or submission—depending on one’s personal and emotional points of view. Both extremes have been widely influenced by external factors on each individual’s life path. Education in the sciences and engineering has encountered more issues than other disciplines due to specialized mathematical handwriting, experimental demonstrations, abstract complexity, and lab practices. 
  • 670
  • 22 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Bangladesh Fisheries, SDGs and COVID-19
Fisheries and the aquaculture sector can play a significant role in the achievement of several of the goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development agenda. However, the current COVID-19 situation can negatively impact the fisheries sector, impeding the pace of the achievement of development goals. Therefore, this paper highlighted the performance and challenges of the fisheries sector in Bangladesh, emphasizing the impact of COVID-19 and the significance of this sector for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), through primary fieldwork and secondary data. The total fish production in the country has increased more than six times over the last three decades (7.54 to 43.84 lakh MT) with improved culture techniques and extension services. Inland closed water contributions have increased to 16%, while inland open water has declined to 10%, and marine fisheries have dropped to 6% over the past 18 financial years (2000–2001 to 2018–2019). COVID-19, a significant health crisis, has also affected various issues associated with aquatic resources and communities. Transportation obstacles and complexity in the food supply, difficulty in starting production, labour crisis, sudden illness, insufficient consumer demand, commodity price hikes, creditor’s pressure, and reduced income were identified as COVID-19 drivers affecting the fisheries sector. The combined effect of these drivers poses a significant threat to a number of the SDGs, such as income (SDG1), nutrition (SDG2), and food security (SDG3 and SDG12), which require immediate and comprehensive action. Several recommendations were discussed, the implementation of which are important to the achievement of the SDGs and the improved management of the aquatic sector (SDG14—life below, and SDG16—life above water).
  • 907
  • 16 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Mitochondrial DNA and COVID-19
The importance of mitochondria in inflammatory pathologies, besides providing energy, is associated with the release of mitochondrial damage products, such as mitochondrial DNA (mt-DNA), which may perpetuate inflammation. It should be noted the importance of mitochondria, as organelles that produce energy and intervene in multiple pathologies, focusing mainly in COVID-19 and using multiple molecular mechanisms that allow for the replication and maintenance of the viral genome, leading to the exacerbation and spread of the inflammatory response. 
  • 879
  • 18 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Multi-Organ Histopathological Changes
Infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic, causes a respiratory illness that can severely impact other organ systems and is possibly precipitated by cytokine storm, septic shock, thrombosis, and oxidative stress. SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals may be asymptomatic or may experience mild, moderate, or severe symptoms with or without pneumonia.
  • 514
  • 13 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Natural Sources against Coronavirus Protease
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is one of the molecular targets for drug design. Effective vaccines have been identified as a long-term solution but the rate at which they are being administered is slow in several countries, and mutations of SARS-CoV-2 could render them less effective.
  • 575
  • 10 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Lung Fibrosis after COVID-19
The incidence rate of post-COVID lung fibrosis can be estimated at 2–6% after a moderate illness. According to this estimation, the prevalence of post-COVID lung fibrosis will be from 10 to 30 patients per 10,000 populations, which is 30 times higher than the IPF prevalence.
  • 817
  • 08 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Type I Interferon
Together with type III IFNs, Type I Interferons (IFNs-I) represent the first line of immune defense against viral infections. In the case of RNA viruses, after recognition of viral products by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as the main cytosolic receptors RNA helicases retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5), the signal converges on the activation of the mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS), that, in turns, activates the TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), leading to the phosphorylation and activation of IFN-regulatory factors 3 and 7 (IRF3, IRF7) [6,7]. IRFs then translocate to the nucleus and induce the production of IFNs-I (IFNα, IFNβ, IFNε, IFNτ, IFNκ, IFNω, IFNδ and IFNζ).
  • 540
  • 07 Sep 2021
Topic Review
COVID-19 Biomarkers and Point-of-Care Diagnosis
COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2 is a novel, respiratory virus currently plaguing humanity. Genetically, at its core, it is a single-strand positive-sense RNA virus. It is a beta-type Coronavirus and is distinct in its structure and binding mechanism compared to other types of coronaviruses. Testing for the virus remains a challenge due to the small market available for at-home detection. Currently, there are three main types of tests for biomarker detection: viral, antigen and antibody. Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) remains the gold standard for viral testing. However, the lack of quantitative detection and turnaround time for results are drawbacks. This manuscript focuses on recent advances in COVID-19 detection that have lower limits of detection and faster response times than RT-PCR testing. The advancements in sensing platforms have amplified the detection levels and provided real-time results for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein detection with limits as low as 1 fg/mL in the Graphene Field Effect Transistor (FET) sensor. Additionally, using multiple biomarkers, detection levels can achieve a specificity and sensitivity level comparable to that of PCR testing. Proper biomarker selection coupled with nano sensing detection platforms are key in the widespread use of Point of Care (POC) diagnosis in COVID-19 detection.
  • 700
  • 06 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Mutations of SARS-CoV-2 RBD
The genetic mutation of SARS-CoV-2 -especially RBD- might be linked to the viral properties that influence the viral transmission mode and severity of COVID-19 as well as RBD conformation. One of the dominant variants during COVID-19 pandemic has been the D614G mutation (not in the RBD region) of S glycoprotein; several reports have claimed that this mutation is able to increase the infectivity and stability of SARS-CoV-2. Up until now, most neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 have been targeting its RBD. However, there have been several mutations reported in SARS-CoV-2 RBD, such as N501Y, L452R, S477N, E484K, A502S, N439K, S494P, T478K, K417N, and K417T. These mutations pose a threat due to their role in host cell entry via the hACE2 receptor, which might strengthen SARS-CoV-2 infectivity, conformation and stability of RBD, viral load, or resistance against neutralizing antibodies.
  • 343
  • 01 Sep 2021
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