Current perspective on diagnosis, epidemiological assessment, prevention strategies, and potential therapeutic interventions for severe acute respiratory infections caused by 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

Coronaviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses that cause severe respiratory, enteric, and systemic infections in a vast range of hosts, including man, fish, mammals, and avian. Scientific interest has heightened on coronaviruses after the emergence of the 2019 novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). This review provides current perspectives on morphology, genetic diversity, transmission characteristics, replication cycle, diagnostic approaches, epidemiological assessment, and prevention strategies against the SARS-CoV-2. Moreover, different potential biotherapeutics such as small drug molecules, different vaccines, and immunotherapies to control severe acute respiratory infections caused by 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) are repurposed and discussed with different mechanistic approaches. The current growth trends of the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 outbreak globally and preventive measures are briefly discussed. Furthermore, the lessons learned from the COVID-19 outbreak, so far, concluding remarks and future directions for controlling for COVID-19, are also recommended for a safer tomorrow.

Implications and measurement of herd protection (indirect effects) for enteric vaccine development.

Diarrhea remains one of the top five causes of disease and death among young children in developing nations. Fortunately, scientists are making progress developing vaccines against enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and Shigella, two of the leading diarrhea pathogens. As vaccine developers start to consider field efficacy trials of these vaccines, they should be aware of the importance of evaluating not only vaccine direct effects on the immunized, but also the herd effects that vaccination can afford to the unimmunized in a community. In a workshop held at the conference titled "Vaccines against Shigella and ETEC (VASE)", we described to participants what herd effects are and we presented on methods used in cholera and rotavirus studies that could be useful for future ETEC and Shigella vaccine trials conducted in low and middle-income nations. We also presented evidence on the effects of vaccine herd effects for estimates of vaccine cost-effectiveness.

Direct, indirect, total, and overall effectiveness of the rotavirus vaccines for the prevention of gastroenteritis hospitalizations in privately insured US children, 2007-2010.

We demonstrate how direct, indirect, total, and overall effectiveness estimates and absolute benefits of rotavirus vaccines vary through the years following vaccine introduction. Privately insured US children in a large claims database were followed from age 8 months until they 1) experienced a hospitalization for rotavirus or acute gastroenteritis; 2) lost continuous health plan enrollment; 3) turned 20 months of age; or 4) reached the end of the study period. Vaccine effectiveness estimates in preventing rotavirus and acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression, stratified by calendar year and adjusted for birth month. Incidence rate differences were estimated to determine the absolute number of gastroenteritis hospitalizations prevented in the cohort. Among 905,718 children, 51%, 66%, 80%, and 86% received 1 or more doses of rotavirus vaccine in each year from 2007 to 2010. The direct vaccine effectiveness of 1 or more doses of rotavirus vaccine in preventing rotavirus gastroenteritis hospitalizations ranged from 87% to 92% each year. Accounting for indirect protection increased estimates of vaccine effectiveness by an additional 3%-8% among those vaccinated. Failing to account for population-level vaccine benefits in 2010, when circulation of rotavirus was low, could underestimate the sustained impact of the vaccine program.