Daily curated COVID-19 literature
WP11 - The objective of this work package is to respond to requests concerning the current scientific knowledge on SARS-CoV-2. Based on the latest scientific literature the team will compile findings and give advice when needed
150 publications
2020-04-10
Challenges in lung cancer therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic
Expert Summary: Covid-19 comes with a challenge for lung cancer treatment, diagnosis, and management due to similarities in pathological characteristics in CT images, potential adverse effects of existing cancer therapies on covid-19 progression. This comment discusses the challenges and proposes patients with lung cancer undergo systematic testing for SARS-CoV-2 at the beginning of treatment and whenever it is deemed necessary by the treating physician in the course of therapy.
International expansion of a novel SARS-CoV-2 mutant
Expert Summary: Is the genome of SARS-CoV-2 genome mutating? In this letter to the editor, the authors report that a novel SARS-CoV-2 mutation in its ORF3a gene appears to be spreading worldwide.
2020-04-09
First-wave COVID-19 transmissibility and severity in China outside Hubei after control measures, and second-wave scenario planning: a modelling impact assessment
Expert Summary: Leung, K et al. publish an estimation of instantaneous reproduction number (Rt) and confirmed case-fatality risk (cCFR) of COVID-19 in Chinese provinces highly affected by the virus. The first wave of COVID-19 outside of Hubei has abated because of aggressive non-pharmaceutical interventions but there is still risk of reintroduction of the virus. Close monitoring of Rt and cCFR is needed to inform strategies against a potential second wave to achieve balance between health and economic protection.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2−Specific Antibody Responses in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients
Expert Summary: Using serum samples from patients PCR-positive for COVID-19, Okba et al test various antigens in ELISAs. Most PCR positive patiens become seropositive 2 weeks after disease onset. IgA ELISA showed higher sensitivity than IgG ELISA.
ACE-2 Expression in the Small Airway Epithelia of Smokers and COPD Patients: Implications for COVID-19
Expert Summary: This article shows that ACE-2, the SARS-Cov2 binding target receptor expressed in epithelial cells, in lower air way is increased in current smokers and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared with non-smokers. They also found that current smokers had higher expression of ACE-2 compared with former smokers. The increased risk and fatality in smokers and COPD patients may be due to increased ACE-2 expression in lower airway
Infection and Rapid Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Ferrets
Expert Summary: The authors show a ferret model of SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission that recapitulates aspects of human disease. SARS-CoV-2-is effectively transmitted to ferrets, as consequence infected ferrets exhibit elevated bodytemperatures and virus replication.
