COVID Ecology and Evolution: Systemic Biosocial Dynamics

Editorial

03 September 2021

Editorial: COVID Ecology and Evolution: Systemic Biosocial Dynamics

Matteo Convertino

and

Salvatore Flavio Pileggi

2,913 views

1 citations

Editors

Matteo Convertino, DrEng PhD

Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University

Salvatore Flavio Pileggi

University of Technology Sydney

Impact

Retraction

04 January 2023

Retraction: “Recovering with nature”: A review of ecotherapy and implications for the COVID-19 pandemic

Frontiers Editorial Office

5,028 views

0 citations

Original Research

20 May 2021

Challenges Caused by Imported Cases Abroad for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 in China

Jianfei Zhu

, 13 more and

Tao Jiang

2,962 views

8 citations

Original Research

13 April 2021

A Vulnerability Analysis for the Management of and Response to the COVID-19 Epidemic in the Second Most Populous State in Brazil

Igor Silva Campos

, 3 more and

Stefan Vilges de Oliveira

4,538 views

12 citations

Nine significant node clusters within the COVID-19 genomic epidemiology network designed between December 2019 and July 2020. (A) COVID-19 genomic epidemiology network. (Upper panel) Simplified network, with the genomic clades and node clusters labeled. (Lower panel) Actual network, with the significant nodes (red) as determined by centrality analyses are shown. Nodes (dots) and edges (lines) are indicated. Node clusters are boxed and labeled. (B) List of countries identified by the significant nodes and classified according to node cluster.

Brief Research Report

10 March 2021

Insights on the Structural Variations of the Furin-Like Cleavage Site Found Among the December 2019–July 2020 SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein: A Computational Study Linking Viral Evolution and Infection

Marni E. Cueno

, 8 more and

Kenichi Imai

4,946 views

6 citations

(A) R0 vs. the time delay of epidemic onset. (B) Pearson correlation of R0 with pollutants (from left to right): NO2, SO2, CO, PM2.5, and PM10 (inhalable particles with 2.5 and 10 μm, respectively). (C) R0 vs. precipitation. (D) Pearson correlation of R0 with (from left to right): temperature, specific humidity, UV index, air pressure, and wind speed. The convention for representing the statistical significance of each correlation is the same as before.

Original Research

25 January 2021

Effects of Demographic and Weather Parameters on COVID-19 Basic Reproduction Number

Igor Salom

, 4 more and

Marko Djordjevic

6,973 views

28 citations

Distribution of COVID-19 infections, fatalities and mortality rates (fatalities/infections * 100) across the prefectures of China (updated on 23 May 2020), and the distribution of the tropospheric column amounts of three representative air pollutants derived from the 2019 averaged satellite measures of: Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Formaldehyde (HCHO). The values in the square brackets show the COVID-19 cases' counts of administrative units.

Brief Research Report

22 January 2021

COVID-19 Higher Mortality in Chinese Regions With Chronic Exposure to Lower Air Quality

Riccardo Pansini

and

Davide Fornacca

5,634 views

56 citations

Whole protein structural comparison of the various monomeric human-infecting coronavirus spike protein models. Representative spike protein models of (A) SARS CoV 2, (B) HCoV 229E, (C) HCoV OC43, (D) HCoV NL63, (E) HCoV HKU1, (F) SARS CoV 1, and (G) MERS CoV are shown. S1-CTD (red dashed circle) and S1-NTD (blue dashed circle) are indicated. (H) RMSD and (I) Tm scores of superimposed spike models are tabulated. Tm scores normalized to a spike model is distinguished by having or not having a parenthesis.

Original Research

14 January 2021

Structural Comparison of the SARS CoV 2 Spike Protein Relative to Other Human-Infecting Coronaviruses

Marni E. Cueno

and

Kenichi Imai

Coronaviruses (CoV) are enveloped positive-stranded RNA viruses and, historically, there are seven known human-infecting CoVs with varying degrees of virulence. CoV attachment to the host is the first step of viral pathogenesis and mainly relies on the spike glycoprotein located on the viral surface. Among the human-infecting CoVs, only the infection of SARS CoV 2 (SARS2) among humans resulted to a pandemic which would suggest that the protein structural conformation of SARS2 spike protein is distinct as compared to other human-infecting CoVs. Surprisingly, the possible differences and similarities in the protein structural conformation between the various human-infecting CoV spike proteins have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we utilized a computational approach to generate models and analyze the seven human-infecting CoV spike proteins, namely: HCoV 229E, HCoV OC43, HCoV NL63, HCoV HKU1, SARS CoV, MERS CoV, and SARS2. Model quality assessment of all CoV models generated, structural superimposition of the whole protein model and selected S1 domains (S1-CTD and S1-NTD), and structural comparison based on RMSD values, Tm scores, and contact mapping were all performed. We found that the structural orientation of S1-CTD is a potential structural feature associated to both the CoV phylogenetic cluster and lineage. Moreover, we observed that spike models in the same phylogenetic cluster or lineage could potentially have similar protein structure. Additionally, we established that there are potentially three distinct S1-CTD orientation (Pattern I, Pattern II, Pattern III) among the human-infecting CoVs. Furthermore, we postulate that human-infecting CoVs in the same phylogenetic cluster may have similar S1-CTD and S1-NTD structural orientation. Taken together, we propose that the SARS2 spike S1-CTD follows a Pattern III orientation which has a higher degree of similarity with SARS1 and some degree of similarity with both OC43 and HKU1 which coincidentally are in the same phylogenetic cluster and lineage, whereas, the SARS2 spike S1-NTD has some degree of similarity among human-infecting CoVs that are either in the same phylogenetic cluster or lineage.

24,989 views

47 citations

Original Research

23 December 2020

Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Early Travel-Associated COVID-19 Cases

Reham M. Marei

, 8 more and

Hadi M. Yassine

4,269 views

3 citations

Review

21 December 2020

Economic and Behavioral Influencers of Vaccination and Antimicrobial Use

Caroline E. Wagner

, 5 more and

Ramanan Laxminarayan

Despite vast improvements in global vaccination coverage during the last decade, there is a growing trend in vaccine hesitancy and/or refusal globally. This has implications for the acceptance and coverage of a potential vaccine against COVID-19. In the United States, the number of children exempt from vaccination for “philosophical belief-based” non-medical reasons increased in 12 of the 18 states that allowed this policy from 2009 to 2017 (1). Meanwhile, the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, especially in young children, have led to increasing rates of drug resistance that threaten our ability to treat infectious diseases. Vaccine hesitancy and antibiotic overuse exist side-by-side in the same population of young children, and it is unclear why one modality (antibiotics) is universally seen as safe and effective, while the other (vaccines) is seen as potentially hazardous by some. In this review, we consider the drivers shaping the use of vaccines and antibiotics in the context of three factors: individual incentives, risk perceptions, and social norms and group dynamics. We illustrate how these factors contribute to the societal and individual costs of vaccine underuse and antimicrobial overuse. Ultimately, we seek to understand these factors that are at the nexus of infectious disease epidemiology and social science to inform policy-making.

24,496 views

45 citations

Mini Review

10 December 2020

RETRACTED: “Recovering With Nature”: A Review of Ecotherapy and Implications for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Pourabi Chaudhury

and

Debanjan Banerjee

Connection with nature has been considered beneficial for psychological well-being since times of evolution. Differences in Indian and Western thoughts have viewed natural elements in different lights, varying between eco-centrism to anthropocentrism. The intrusion of technology and digitalized lives as a result of globalization has decreased connectedness with nature. Ecotherapy is a novel form of psychotherapeutic technique based on explicit environmental or ecological interventions. Social and therapeutic horticulture, animal-assisted interventions, care farming, green exercise, environmental conservation and wilderness therapy are some of the ecosystem-based approaches used in mental health. Based on the principles of positive and client-centered psychology, ecotherapy-related techniques have been shown to be effective in medical disorders like hypertension, obesity, post-surgical recovery and psychosocial conditions like depression, stress reduction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD) and adjustment disorders. The principles of ecotherapy have been integrated into other psychotherapeutic techniques for better efficacy. This review attempts provides an overview of techniques, applications and challenges related to ecotherapy in psychology. The implications of its use during the ongoing Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, social isolation and consequent psychosocial aftermath are also discussed.

67,368 views

54 citations