Measures for diagnosing and treating infections by a novel coronavirus responsible for a pneumonia outbreak originating in Wuhan, China.

On 10 January 2020, a new coronavirus causing a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan City in central China was denoted as 2019-nCoV by the World Health Organization (WHO). As of 24 January 2020, there were 887 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV infection, including 26 deaths, reported in China and other countries. Therefore, combating this new virus and stopping the epidemic is a matter of urgency. Here, we focus on advances in research and development of fast diagnosis methods, as well as potential prophylactics and therapeutics to prevent or treat 2019-nCoV infection

Neither B cell nor T cell – The unique group of innate lymphoid cells

This special issue contains four review articles that analyze the development and biology of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), which are the most recently-discovered group of innate immune cells. This unique group of lymphoid cells lacks the RAG gene and consequently does not express B cell nor T cell antigen-specific receptors. They are abundant at mucosal surfaces, where they play a role in immunity and homeostasis. The ILCs are the focus of intensive research efforts to understand their development and function

Is There an Association Between Oral Health and Severity of COVID-19 Complications?

The new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in late 2019 and has quickly developed into a global pandemic [1]. Age is one of the highest risk factors for developing severe symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2 [2]. Thus, individuals over the age of 65 and those living in long-term care facilities are especially vulnerable to morbidity and mortality due to infection with SARS-CoV-2. However, persons with chronic lung disease, moderate to severe asthma, severe obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and liver disease are also at high risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms. A recent study lists hypertension, obesity, and diabetes as the three major underlying conditions with the most unfavorable outcomes in COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalization [3]. While COVID-19 can affect multiple organs in the body, including the kidneys and liver [4, 5], the main cause of mortality is due to the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect the respiratory tract, leading to severe pneumonia. Patients with COVID-19 display symptoms of fever, cough, dyspnea, and other complications associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome [6-8]. A salient feature of COVID-19 is its ability to trigger an excessive immune reaction in the host, termed a ‘cytokine storm’, which causes extensive tissue damage, particularly in the connective tissue of the lungs [9]. The lung pathology of patients who die from COVID-19 pneumonia includes edema, focal reactive hyperplasia of pneumocytes with patchy inflammatory cellular infiltration, and multinucleated giant cells [10]

Impact of COVID-19 on dental education in the United States

© 2020 American Dental Education Association Dental institutions in the United States are reeling from the consequences of the novel SARS-CoV2 coronavirus, the causative agent of CODIV-19. As oral health care providers, we have been trained on prevention of aerosol transmissible diseases, but we are still grappling with many unknown factors regarding COVID-19. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Dental Association (ADA), and local state agencies are releasing updates on guidelines for dentists and patients, no official information exists for dental institutions on how to effectively follow the recommended guidelines including “shelter in place” with social distancing to protect students, faculty, staff, and patients, and still ensure continuity of dental education. This article discusses the challenges that we face currently and offers some simple strategies to bridge the gaps in dental education to overcome this emergency