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A group of pneumonia patients was detected in Hubei Province, in China in December 2019. The etiology of the disease was unknown. Later, the researchers diagnosed the novel Coronavirus as the causal agent of this respiratory disease. On February 12th 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially named this disease Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Consequently, the disease spread globally and became a pandemic. As there is no specific treatment for the symptomatic patients and several vaccines are approved by WHO, the efficacy and effectiveness of these vaccines are not fully understood yet and the availability of these vaccines are very limited. In addition, new variants and mutants of SARS-CoV-2 are thought to be able to evade the immune system of the host. So, diagnosis and isolation of infected individuals is advised. Currently, real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is considered the gold standard method to detect novel Coronavirus, however, there are few limitations associated with RT-PCR such as false-negative results. This demanded another diagnostic tool to detect and isolate COVID-19 early and accurately. Chest computed tomography (CT) became another option to diagnose COVID-19 patients accurately (about 98% sensitivity). However, it did not apply to the asymptomatic carriers and sometimes the results were misinterpreted as from other groups of Coronavirus infection. The combination of RT-PCR and chest CT might be the best option in detecting novel Coronavirus infection early and accurately thereby allowing adaptation of measures for the prevention and control of the COVID-19.

En diciembre de 2019 se detectó un grupo de pacientes con neumonía en la provincia de Hubei, China, desconociéndose la etiología de la enfermedad. Posteriormente, los investigadores señalaron al nuevo coronavirus como agente causal de esta enfermedad respiratoria. El 12 de febrero de 2020, la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) la designó oficialmente como enfermedad por coronavirus de 2019 (COVID-19). A continuación, dicha enfermedad se propagó a nivel global, y se convirtió en una pandemia. No existe tratamiento específico para los pacientes sintomáticos, y la OMS ha aprobado diversas vacunas. Sin embargo, la eficacia y la efectividad de las mismas no se comprende plenamente aún, siendo muy limitada su disponibilidad. Además, se piensa que las diferentes variantes y mutaciones del SARS-CoV-2 son capaces de evadir el sistema inmune del huésped. Por tanto, se recomienda el diagnóstico y aislamiento de las personas infectadas. Actualmente se considera la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa con transcriptasa inversa (RT-PCR) a tiempo real el método de referencia para detectar el nuevo coronavirus. Sin embargo, existen algunas limitaciones asociadas a RT-PCR tales como los resultados falso-negativos. En consecuencia, ello ha demandado otra herramienta diagnóstica para detectar y aislar la COVID-19 de manera temprana y precisa. La tomografía computarizada (TC) de tórax se ha convertido en otra opción para diagnosticar de manera precisa a los pacientes con COVID-19 (cerca del 98% de sensibilidad). Sin embargo no se aplica a los portadores asintomáticos, y a veces se han malinterpretado los resultados como en el caso de otros grupos de infección por coronavirus. La combinación de RT-PCR y TC de tórax podría ser la mejor opción para detectar la nueva infección por coronavirus de manera temprana y precisa, permitiendo, por tanto, la adaptación de las medidas para la prevención y el control de la COVID-19.

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To examine: 1) whether exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) at home is associated with symptoms of self-reported illness among mother-child pairs (MCPs); and 2) the relationship between low socio-economic status and SHS exposure and the role these play as obstacles to the reduction of risk of illness in MCPs. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Rajshahi District, Bangladesh, from May to July 2017. A total of 541 MCPs were interviewed. The prevalence of SHS exposure at home in our sample data was 49.0%. SHS exposure was found to be associated with a higher likelihood of any self-reported rhinitis, any respiratory symptoms and any reproductive health problems among mothers. SHS exposure in children was found to be associated with a higher likelihood of any self-reported rhinitis and food sensitisation, any respiratory symptoms and otitis media. Our findings also suggested that although SHS had an independently adverse effect on MCPs, wealth moderated the likelihood of illness. MCPs who were both poor and exposed to SHS were uniquely disadvantaged in terms of their poor health conditions than MCPs who were wealthier and exposed to SHS. .

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OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine socio-economic disparities in mother-child pairs' self-reported and cotinine-measured secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at home. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study was conducted in the Rajshahi district of Bangladesh from May to July 2017. A total of 541 mother-child pairs were interviewed for self-reported measured SHS; cotinine-measured saliva test was performed on 263 mothers and 236 children. Mother-child pairs' SHS exposure at home was the outcome of interest. RESULTS: Overall self-reported prevalence of SHS exposure at home was 49.0%. Self-reported SHS exposure among mothers (50.2%) and children (51.3%) were lower than the prevalence rate of cotinine-measured exposure for mothers (60.5%) and their children (58.9%). Maternal rich bands of wealth were found to be associated with lower likelihood of self-reported (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.35-0.99) and cotinine-measured SHS exposure among mothers (AOR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.08-0.37). Maternal rich bands of wealth were also found to be associated with lower likelihood of cotinine-measured SHS exposure among children (AOR = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.07-0.26). CONCLUSIONS: Socio-economic inequalities exist in exposure to SHS at home. Interventional approaches aimed at reducing SHS at home are urgently needed at public health and healthcare service level, with special focus given to the socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

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The aim of the present study was to investigate the biocidal activity of four new ferrocene derivative based coordination complexes, [1,2,3-trithia-/3/-ferrocenophane, C1]; [disodium-1,1'-ferrocenedithiolate, C2]; [1,1'-(ferrocene-1,1'-diyl)-diethanol, C3]; [ferrocenyl(ethyl-phenyl)-methanol, C4]; against microbes (bacteria and fungi) and brine shrimp (Artemia salina Lech.) nauplii. C2 showed modest antibacterial activity at the concentration of 200 microg disc(-1) and gave its Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values at 32-64 microg mL(-1) against the tested bacteria. These complexes gave comparatively better antibacterial activity against the Gram-positives than the Gram-negatives. C3, C1 and C4 showed moderate antifungal activity at concentration of 200 microg disc(-1). Brine shrimp eggs were hatched in artificial sea water and exposed to the complexes. Median lethal concentration (LC50) values were calculated. Both complexes showed toxicity against brine shrimp but complex C3 explored its potent cytotoxicity having LC50 values at 6.031 microg mL(-1) (ppm).

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Standardized ethanol extracts of Allium sativum (garlic), Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), Plantago major (plantain) and Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) were assessed for their effects on cellular immunity in laying hens. Birds (n = 25) had blood samples taken and both specific and non-specific immune cell responsiveness were evaluated by a leukocyte proliferation assay, carbon clearance test and SRBC phagocytosis in monocyte-derived macrophage cultures. Licorice and sea buckthorn (50 microg/mL) clearly enhanced the macrophage membrane function (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). Dual effects on circulating phagocytes were revealed for plantain and sea buckthorn, while garlic at 200 microg/mL impaired the phagocytic capacity of blood cells. None of the tested extracts showed mitogenic properties, but high concentrations of sea buckthorn (400 microg/mL) inhibited leukocyte proliferation. Small concentrations (20 microg/mL) of licorice proved the co-mitogenic potential for both T and B avian lymphocytes (p < 0.05). Certain extracts definitely enhanced the fowl innate and/or specific cell immunity and may therefore improve host resistance in poultry. Considering the chicken as an important non-mammalian model that also serves as an available laboratory approach for some human diseases, herbs exerting immunomodulatory properties may find relevant clinical applications.

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