Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread to nearly every corner of the globe, causing societal instability. The resultant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) leads to fever, sore throat, cough, chest and muscle pain, dyspnoea, confusion, anosmia, ageusia and headache. These can progress to life-threatening respiratory insufficiency, also affecting the heart, kidney, liver and nervous systems. The diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is often confused with that of influenza and seasonal upper respiratory tract viral infections. Due to available treatment strategies and required containments, rapid diagnosis is mandated. This Review brings clarity to the rapidly growing body of available and in-development diagnostic tests, including nanomaterial-based tools. It serves as a resource guide for scientists, physicians, students and the public at large.

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Diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Timely detection of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection cases is crucial to interrupt the spread of this virus. We assessed the required expertise and capacity for molecular detection of 2019-nCoV in specialised laboratories in 30 European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries. Thirty-eight laboratories in 24 EU/EEA countries had diagnostic tests available by 29 January 2020. A coverage of all EU/EEA countries was expected by mid-February. Availability of primers/probes, positive controls and personnel were main implementation barriers.

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Laboratory readiness and response for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in expert laboratories in 30 EU/EEA countries, January 2020.

BACKGROUND: At the end of December 2019, a novel coronavirus tentatively named SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, a central city in China, was announced by the World Health Organization (WHO). SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus that has become a major public health concern after the outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-CoV (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-CoV (SARS-CoV) in 2002 and 2012, respectively. As of October 29, 2020, the total number of COVID-19 cases had reached over 44 million worldwide, with more than 1.17 million confirmed deaths. DISCUSSION: SARS-CoV-2 infected patients usually present with severe viral pneumonia. Similar to SARS-CoV, the virus enters respiratory tract cells via the angiotensin-converting enzyme receptor 2. The structural proteins play an essential role in budding the virus particles released from different host cells. To date, an approved vaccine or treatment option of a preventive character to avoid severe courses of COVID-19 is still not available. CONCLUSION: In this study, we provide a brief review of the general biological features of CoVs and explain the pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, and diagnostic approaches regarding monitoring future infectivity and prevent emerging COVID-19 infections.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jgm.3303

COVID-19; Virology, Biology and Novel Laboratory Diagnosis.

The potential application of electrochemical biosensors in the COVID-19 pandemic: A perspective on the rapid diagnostics of SARS-CoV-2.

The effects of regional climatic condition on the spread of COVID-19 at global scale.

Since the emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan, China, the number of globally confirmed cases according to World Health Organization statistics reached 292 124 in 189 countries by 22 March 2020. The number of deaths reached 12 784, with estimated case-fatality rates ranging from 0.5% to 5.7%. Children population seems to be the least affected by the disease, while the highest rate of death is among the elderly and people with comorbidities. Most infected individuals are asymptomatic or only exhibit mild symptoms. After the incubation period, the most common symptoms are fever, cough and fatigue. Asymptomatic carrier state is of paramount importance because of carriers' ability to spread the infection and to shed the virus into the air and surroundings. Although much is still unknown about SARS-CoV-2, the scientific research is moving at an unprecedented pace towards understanding the nature, effective control, prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Various reports have suggested an in vivo evolution of the virus, which may explain the rapid spread and changing epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, but further evidence is needed. Unfortunately, no effective treatment or therapeutic drug is available for the disease; only supportive treatment and classical intervention measures are available for confronting the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Epidemiology, genome, and clinical features of the pandemic SARS-CoV-2: a recent view

The ongoing pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is one of the most devastating outbreaks witnessed in the last 100 years. The outbreak started in China and spread rapidly to almost every country, culminating in woefully overwhelmed health-care systems in most countries. The only approved diagnostic test to accompany radiographic evaluation is reverse transcription PCR. However, the applicability of this test in diagnosis and surveillance is challenged by a global shortage of reagents and the lack of well-equipped laboratories with specialized staff in several low- and middle-income countries. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification and CRISPR-based diagnostic assays have developed and expected to play a role however, their accuracy is still inferior to the recommended PCR approach. The need for the development of accurate and rapid diagnostic assays became apparent. Immunodiagnostic tests and other molecular approaches were developed and tested. Other recently developed point-of-care molecular tests are expected to be helpful in pandemic management as no particular skills are required from the operator. Fortunately, a number of serological tests have been granted authorization for use under the emergency situation by the US FDA for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. The majority of recently authorized serological tests detect IgG and IgM in blood of infected individuals by on ELISA, chemiluminescence platforms or lateral flow cassettes.

Laboratory diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2: available approaches and limitations

http://www.journalofinfection.com/article/S0163445322005321/pdf

Repurposing antiviral drugs against the human monkeypox virus DNA-dependent RNA polymerase; in silico perspective

Structural, optical, and antibacterial characteristics of mixed metal oxide CdO–NiO–Fe2O3 nanocomposites prepared using a self-combustion method at different polyvinyl alcohol concentrations

The large (L) protein of Mononegavirales is a multi-domain protein that performs transcription and genome replication. One of the important domains in L is the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), a promising target for antiviral drugs. In this work, we employed rigorous computational comparative modeling to predict the structure of L protein of Nipah virus (NiV). The RdRp domain was targeted by a panel of nucleotide analogs, previously reported to inhibit different viral RNA polymerases, using molecular docking. Best binder compounds were subjected to molecular dynamics simulation to validate their binding. Molecular mechanics/generalized-born surface area (MM/GBSA) calculations estimated the binding free energy. The predicted model of NiV L has an excellent quality as judged by physics- and knowledge-based validation tests. Galidesivir, AT-9010 and Norov-29 scored the top nucleotide analogs to bind to the RdRp. Their binding free energies obtained by MM/GBSA (-31.01 ± 3.9 to -38.37 ± 4.8 kcal/mol) ranked Norov-29 as the best potential inhibitor. Purine nucleotide analogs are expected to harbor the scaffold for an effective drug against NiV. Finally, this study is expected to provide a start point for medicinal chemistry and drug discovery campaigns toward identification of effective chemotherapeutic agent(s) against NiV.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

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J.M. Abduljalil

Papers

Epidemiology, genome, and clinical features of the pandemic SARS-CoV-2: a recent view

Laboratory diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2: available approaches and limitations

Repurposing antiviral drugs against the human monkeypox virus DNA-dependent RNA polymerase; in silico perspective

Structural, optical, and antibacterial characteristics of mixed metal oxide CdO–NiO–Fe2O3 nanocomposites prepared using a self-combustion method at different polyvinyl alcohol concentrations

In silico structural elucidation of Nipah virus L protein and targeting RNA-dependent RNA polymerase domain by nucleoside analogs.