Busting Myths about SARS-CoV-2 Viral Pandemic to Non-medical Personnel
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30564/jor.v2i2.2447Abstract
Background: During these moments of anxiety, fear and to some extentdespair, it is imperative for everyone to have access to the right information.This can be achieved through breaking down the science and medicalterminologies used to express the scenarios emanating from the COVID-19pandemic. Forward: This commentary focuses on the most askedquestions that, when not answered with scientific grounds to convince thenon-medics can result in non-science based “infodemics”. The brief historybehind COVID-19 pandemic, the science of SARS-CoV-2, the taxonomiesused, a brief on the Pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2, the genetic make up,most vulnerable indivduals, antibodies against COVID-19, mother to babytransmission, conspiracy theories reagading the virus being weaponized,mutations occurring with SARS-CoV-2 and reoccurrence of COVID-19in the future are all explained at great length. The review made referencesto the existing publications regarding this pandemic. Conclusion: Whilethe science regarding this virus is not exhausted, we confirmed that, theknowledge gap between non-medics and medics is wide. The resultsemerging from the pandemic to form data are questionable, so it is ourcollective responsibility to fight against this virus in order to stop furtherspreading by providing the right information to the public. If we would notcome together to fight and win this battle, we might be witnessing manylarge cities turning into emerging epicenters of COVID-19.Keywords:
SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Pandemic; non-medics; Scientific evidenceReferences
[1] Lisa E. GralinskiandVineet D. Menachery. Return of the Coronavirus: 2019-nCoV. Viruses, 2020, 12: 135.
[2] World Health Organization. WHO issues best practices for naming new human infectious diseases. Updated 2020. Accessed January 29, 2020: https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2015/naming-new-diseases/.
[3] Lu R, Zhao X, Li J, Niu P, Yang B, Wu H .Genomic characterisation and epidemiology of 2019 novel coronavirus: implications for virus origins and receptor binding. Lancet, 2020, 395(10224): 565-574.
[4] Beavogui, A. H., Delamou, A., Yansane. Clinical research during the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Guinea: Lessons learned and ways forward. Clinical Trials, 2016, 13(1): 73-8.
[5] Martínez, M. J., Salim, A. M., Hurtado, J. C., Kilgore, P. E. Ebola Virus Infection: Overview and Update on Prevention and Treatment. Infect Dis Ther., 2015, 4(4): 365-90.
[6] Stremlau, M. H., Andersen, K. G., Folarin, O. A. Discovery of Novel Rhabdoviruses in the Blood of Healthy Individuals from West Africa. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2015, 9(3).
[7]
[8] Kyei, N. N. A., Abilba, M. M. Imported Lassa fever: A report of 2 cases in Ghana. BMC Infectious Diseases, 2015, 15(1).
[9] Zhou Peng, Yang Xing-Lou. A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin. Nature, 2020, 579(7798): 270-273
[10] Liu Z, Xiao X, Wei X, Li J, Yang J, Tan H. Composition and divergence of coronavirus spike proteins and host ACE2 receptors predict potential intermediate hosts of SARS-CoV-2. J Med Virol., 2020. DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25726
[11] Yin Y, Wunderink RG. MERS, SARS and othercoronaviruses as causes of pneumonia. Respirology, 2018, 23(2): 130-137.
[12] Meo SA, Alhowikan AM. Novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV: prevalence, biological and clinical characteristics comparison with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci., 2020, 24(4): 2012-2019.
[13] Jia HP, Look DC, Shi L, Hickey M, Pewe L, Netland J. ACE2 receptor expression and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection depend on differentiation of human airway epithelia. J Virol., 2005, 79(23): 14614-21.
[14] Wan Y, Shang J, Graham R, Baric RS, Li F. Receptor recognition by novel coronavirus from Wuhan: an analysis based on decade-long structural studies of SARS. J Virol., 2020. DOI: 10.1128/JVI.00127-20
[15] Hofmann, H., Hattermann, K., Marzi, A., Gramberg, T., Geier, M., Krumbiegel, M., Kuate, S., Uberla, K., Niedrig, M., Pohlmann, S. S protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome‐associated coronavirus mediates entry into hepatoma cell lines and is targeted by neutralizing antibodies in infected patients. J. Virol., 2004, 78: 6134-6142. (In English).
[16] Simmons, G., Reeves, J.D., Rennekamp, A.J., Amberg, S.M., Piefer, A.J., Bates, P. Characterization of severe acute respiratory syndrome‐associated coronavirus (SARS‐CoV) spike glycoprotein‐mediated viral entry. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA, 2004, 101: 4240-4245. (In English).
[17] He, Y., Li, J., Du, L., Yan, X., Hu, G., Zhou, Y., Jiang, S. Identification and characterization of novel neutralizing epitopes in the receptor‐binding domain of SARS‐CoV spike protein: Revealing the critical antigenic determinants in inactivated SARS‐CoV vaccine. Vaccine, 2006, 24: 5498-5508. (In English).
[18] Fehr AR, Perlman S. Coronaviruses: an overview of the irreplication and pathogenesis. Methods MolBiol., 2015, 1282: 1-23.
[19] Fung TS, Liu DX. Coronavirus infection, ER stress, apoptosis and innate immunity. Front Microbiol., 2014, 5: 296.
[20] Wu Z, McGoogan JM. Characteristics of and Important Lessons From the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Outbreak in China: Summary of a Report of 72 314 Cases From the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. JAMA, 2020, 323(13): 1239-1242.
[21]
[22] Tonnesen P, Marott JL, Nordestgaard B, Bojesen SE, Lange P. Secular trends in smoking in relation to prevalent and incident smoking-related disease: A prospective population-based study. TobInduc Dis., 2019, 17.
[23] Park JE, Jung S, Kim A. MERS transmission and risk factors: a systematic review. BMC Public Health, 2018, 18(1): 574.
[24] Arcavi L, Benowitz NL. Cigarette smoking and infection. Arch Intern Med., 2004, 164(20): 2206-2216.
[25] Wang G, Jiang R, Gao Z, Jin Q, Wang J, Cao B. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. The Lancet, 2020.
[26] Dong Y, Mo X, Hu Y, Xi Mo, Yabin Hu, Xin Qi, Fan Jian. Epidemiological characteristics of 2143 pediatric patients with 2019 coronavirus disease in China. Pediatrics. 2020, e20200702.
[27] Zhang W, Du RH, Li B, Zheng XS, Yang XL, Hu B. Molecular and serological investigation of 2019-nCoV infected patients: implication of multiple shedding routes. Emerg Microbes Infect, 2020, 9(1): 386-389.
[28] Al-Tawfiq JA, Kattan RF, Memish ZA. Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus disease is rare in children: an update from Saudi Arabia. World JClin Pediatr, 2016, 5: 391-96.
[29] Denison MR. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus pathogenesis, disease and vaccines: an update. Pediatr Infect Dis J, 2004, 23: S207-14.
[30] Hong L, Luo Y. Respiratory viral infections in infants: causes, clinical symptoms, virology, and immunology. Clin Microbiol Rev., 2010, 23: 74-98.
[31] Mahmoudjafari Z, Alexander M, Roddy J, Shaw R, Shigle TL, Timlin C, Culos K. American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Pharmacy Special Interest Group Position Statement on Pharmacy Practice Management and Clinical Management for COVID-19 in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Patients in the United States. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant, 2020, pii: S1083-8791(20)30214-7. [Epub ahead of print] Review.
[32] Zhao J, Yuan Q, Wang H. Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients of novel coronavirus disease 2019. Clin Infect Dis., 2020. pii: ciaa344.
[33] F u Y, C h e n g Y, W u Y. U n d e r s t a n d i n g SARS-CoV-2-Mediated Inflammatory Responses: From Mechanisms to Potential Therapeutic Tools.Virol Sin., 2020. DOI: 10.1007/s12250-020-00207-4 [Epub ahead of print]
[34] CDC 2019. Information about Coronavirus Disease 2019, Pregnancy & Breastfeeding.https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/pregnancy-breastfeeding.html
[35] Chen Y, Peng H, Wang L, Zhao Y, Zeng L, Gao H,Liu Y. Infants Born to Mothers With a New Coronavirus (COVID-19). Front. Pediatr., 2020, 8: 104.
[36] Chen H, Guo J, Wang C. Clinical characteristics and intrauterine vertical transmission potential of COVID‐19 infection in nine pregnant women: a retrospective review of medical records. Lancet., 2020(20): 30360-3.
[37] Zeng L, Xia S, Yuan W. Neonatal Early-Onset Infection With SARS-CoV-2 in 33 Neonates Born to Mothers With COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. JAMA Pediatr. Published online March 26, 2020.
[38]
[39] D. ParaskevisaK E.G, Kostaki. Full-genome evolutionary analysis of the novel corona virus (2019-nCoV) rejects the hypothesis of emergence as a result of a recent recombination event. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 2020, 79: 104212.
[40] Tang X, Wu C, Li X, Song Y, Yao X, Wu X. On the origin and continuing evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Natl Sci Rev., 2020. DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwaa036
[41] Jin-Hong Yoo. The Fight against the 2019-nCoV Outbreak: an Arduous March Has Just Begun. J Korean Med Sci., 2020, 35(4): e56.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Article Type
License
Copyright and Licensing
The authors shall retain the copyright of their work but allow the Publisher to publish, copy, distribute, and convey the work.
Journal of Oncology Research publishes accepted manuscripts under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). Authors who submit their papers for publication by Journal of Oncology Research agree to have the CC BY-NC 4.0 license applied to their work, and that anyone is allowed to reuse the article or part of it free of charge for non-commercial use. As long as you follow the license terms and original source is properly cited, anyone may copy, redistribute the material in any medium or format, remix, transform, and build upon the material.
License Policy for Reuse of Third-Party Materials
If a manuscript submitted to the journal contains the materials which are held in copyright by a third-party, authors are responsible for obtaining permissions from the copyright holder to reuse or republish any previously published figures, illustrations, charts, tables, photographs, and text excerpts, etc. When submitting a manuscript, official written proof of permission must be provided and clearly stated in the cover letter.
The editorial office of the journal has the right to reject/retract articles that reuse third-party materials without permission.
Journal Policies on Data Sharing
We encourage authors to share articles published in our journal to other data platforms, but only if it is noted that it has been published in this journal.