“Stroke is the third most common overall cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States. New therapeutic interventions instituted in the period immediately after a stroke have revolutionized the approach to ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Recognition of a transient ischemic attack provides an opportunity to prevent a subsequent stroke. Specific stroke prevention treatment depends on the cause of the transient ischemic attack, its cerebrovascular localization and the presence of associated coexisting medical problems. Modification of stroke risk factors is the principal therapeutic approach. Antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants have been shown to be effective in reducing the occurrence of stroke in certain populations.”

American Family Physician (https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/1999/1115/p2329.html)

There are 2 types of strokes:

1-Hemmoragic-a blood vessel that bursts in the brain causing lack of oxygen to be supplied to the area of the brain (a lobe) where the vessel ruptured.  Lack of oxygen to any area of the body tissue=starvation to the tissue; where in this case is the brain=a stroke.

2-Ischemic=Blockages-These blockages caused by the following: blood clots, athero-sclerosis, a common disorder, it happens due to fat, cholesterol, with even tar from smoking, or other substances that build up in the walls of the arteries forming hard structures called plaque and in time creating a blockage in the vessel interfering with blood supply providing oxygen to tissue and if blocked in the brain=high probability of a stroke occurring if not taken care of.   “Recommended related to Heart Disease” by Web MD which states that atherosclerosis is the key cause of heart attacks & strokes including it’s the number one killer in the United States.  Risk Factors for atherosclerosis include high blood pressure (b/p)=arteriosclerosis, blood level of high bad cholesterol (LDL), blood level of low good cholesterol (HDL), smoking, diabetes, and history of heart attacks in your nuclear family.  Definitely a healthy diet, having exercise in your life, and your weight within the therapeutic body mass index level will help prevent, if not treat, atherosclerosis.

The Risk Factors of this disease that include:

1.) High Blood Pressure (b/p)-This is also known as the diagnosis hypertension.  In understanding how hypertension works let’s use a metaphor:  Think of a blood vessel as a long thin balloon and if we stand on it the pressure will increase inside the balloon causing the diameter of the balloon to swell up.  If you continue to step on the balloon adding additional pressure this causes it to finally reach it’s total amount of pressure or when you exceed the total level of pressure this results in popping the balloon.  Similar concept with high b/p, that’s if the pressure keeps rising in our blood vessels due to blockage or vasoconstriction (which is making the vessels diameter more narrow=increased pressure in the vessels) sooner or later a vessel bursts somewhere in the body due to the b/p passing it’s total level in the amount of pressure that it can handle in the circulatory system which can result into a burst of an artery, like in the brain causing a stroke or in a vessel near the heart causing a myocardial infarction (but this is another topic some other day).  Think of food,  a human being not eating leads into starvation, well for blood cells lack of oxygen=starvation to the cells.  This causes in both situations or cases a lack of nutrition (the tissue is lacking oxygen).  With a stroke, not enough oxygen is getting to the brain resulting from either a hemorrhage (loosing too much blood=loosing to many cells=oxygen (food for tissue) or a blockage preventing 02 getting to the area.  Though many people have increased b/p due to only 2 things diet leading them to obesity, and lack of exercise due to a sedentary lifestyle, which could be changed and resolve the problem in most cases.  Increased b/p can also be due noncompliance- like continuing to smoke, or not following the healthy regimen the M.D. ordered for you as a patient.  The overall healthy regimen for a person with hypertension would be a low sodium diet (preventing further vasoconstriction), even low in cholesterol/fat/1800-2000 calories a day (preventing obesity or further weight gain), balancing rest with exercise and the b/p medications taken as prescribed, by their M.D.    So for many Americans hypertension can be controlled just by diet with balancing exercise with rest.  For others it might take a little more like doing which is what I just mentioned with following your medication regimen as ordered and going to your doctor having your b/p monitored, as your M.D. prescribes.

2.) Smoking-For starters, this unhealthy habit puts you at risk for high blood pressure since it causes vasoconstriction (narrowing) of the vessels in our body due to the nicotine.  The answer to this risk factor is simply quit this unhealthy habit. I have a dear friend doing great in quitting this habit now. Smoking adds to the plaque building up in the vessels.  Centers for Disease state that in 2010 the leading cause of death was heart disease followed by cancer than to chronic respiratory disease and lastly stroke.  Over time a healthy diet balanced with exercise daily or every 2 days for 30minutes would help decrease the cardiac disease and stroke.  The American Lung Association states that smoking is directly responsible for approximately 90 percent of lung cancer deaths and approximately 80-90 percent of COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths.

• Among adults who have ever smoked, 70% started smoking regularly at age 18 or younger, and 86% at age 21 or younger.
• Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body, and is a main cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema). It is also a cause of coronary heart disease (CAD), stroke and a host of other cancers and diseases.

3.) Cholesterol is also found in some foods, such as seafood, eggs, meats and dairy products.LDL can cause plaque build-up. Plaque is a thick, hard substance that can clog arteries. Recent studies show that high levels of LDL and triglycerides (blood fats) raise the risk of ischemic stroke. Plaque can also increase risk of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) where stroke symptoms go away within 24 hours.

• The second main type of cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein (HDL), often called the “good” cholesterol. High levels of HDL may reduce stroke risk.
• Because cholesterol does not dissolve in the blood on its own, it must be carried to and from cells by particles called lipoproteins. There are two main types of lipoproteins: low-density lipoproteins (LDL)=the bad cholesterol and high-density lipoproteins=the good cholesterol (HDL).
• The National Stroke Association states the following about cholesterol: Cholesterol is a soft, waxy fat (lipid) that is made by the body. It is found in the bloodstream and in all of your body’s cells. The body needs cholesterol to form cell membranes, some hormones and vitamin D.
• So let’s take a car for instance, if the transmission is bad and not repaired by a mechanic the engine will be affected and soon fail completely.  Now let’s take the lungs, if they are bad and you don’t go to a doctor to help treat the problem the heart will be affected at some point to failure in function. This is the same with a heart (the engine of the body), that when it is bad with no repair or Rx it will soon affect the lungs (the transmission of the body). When one of these organs works at its fullest potential without the other organ properly functioning, in time, it will affect the other organ.  If a smoker doesn’t quit it causes COPD=Emphysema (this does take over years) and it will affect the heart in time to not function as effectively with someone who has healthy lungs.  Worse, if you don’t quit smoking you increase the risk of getting CAD (coronary artery disease) and add to the problem atherosclerosis, if you already have the diagnosis which is caused by fatty materials (lipids), fibrous tissue with tar (from the smoking) causing blockages in the vessels or even better cause arteriosclerosis (narrowing of the vessels). You also have a risk at lung cancer.

4.) Diet & Sedentary lifestyle as factors especially!!

Stroke verses TIA=Nonreversible verses Reversible:

• Stroke is scarring to the brain where TIA doesn’t.  Like Heart Attack verses Angina, Heart Attack is scarring to the heart verses no scarring to the heart with Angina. Both Angina and TIA are just lack of oxygen to the heart and the brain, causing the symptoms due to lack of oxygen=ischemia.  Both heart attack and stroke are both a lot worse than just ischemia.  They both get to the point where there in no oxygen causing actual permanent damage to the organ since the problem never reversed=scarring to the heart and brain.High cholesterol levels or plaque build-up in the arteries can block normal blood flow to the brain and cause a stroke. High cholesterol may also increase the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis, which are both risk factors for stroke.                                                               
• I have a dear friend who I’ve known almost 35 years that survived coronary artery bypass surgery over 55 y/o, with 5 blockages (2 arteries 100% blocked and 3 arteries at least 80% blocked=5 vessels blocked).  That was a set up for a silent heart attack if he didn’t have the surgery but he was lucky in getting symptoms of chest pain and fatigue/lethargy due to these blockages.  This made him go the doctor.  He stopped smoking the day before the surgery.   His life had taken a 360 turn and stopped in his daily routine and life schedule.  It had begun all over again at almost 60.   Without controlling your blood pressure therapeutically or without ending your smoking or without eating healthy with living healthy habits the heart at first will be able to compensate with living unhealthy habits but over time the heart may find it so hard to function or work that the heart starts to fail in doing its job effectively (it decompensates causing to go into failure if no changes are made).  Again let’s take a car, you do maintenance to the vehicle for it will operate and last longer, well the exact principle with the human body.  Pretty simple isn’t it.
• Good Diet, Good Exercise balanced with rest, and no smoking with B/P well controlled.

If you don’t eat a healthy diet, keep your weight in a therapeutic range, properly exercise than expect to be at high odds you will be leaning more towards shortening your life span.  You can control your diet, weight and your exercise the right way with a little direction.  There is many places for just that direction in helping you maintain a good diet including weight and giving you guidance whether it be at a clinic, work out facility or a weight loss food place via the community or internet with or by yourself but recommended to use simply a book.

It is recommended to go to your M.D. first before making any changes for the doctor will know all your medical history and can give you the right direction in what’s the best route for you in reaching your goals.

“Choose face paint and makeup whenever possible instead of masks, which can obstruct a child’s vision.  Popular trick-or-treating hours are 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Be especially alert for kids during those hours.  Join kids under age 12 for trick-or-treating. If kids are mature enough to be out without supervision, tell them to stick to familiar areas that are well lit and trick-or-treat in groups.”

SAFE KIDS Worldwide (https://www.safekids.org/tip/halloween-safety-tips)

Treats: Warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has carefully examined them for evidence of tampering.

Flame Resistant Costumes: When purchasing a costume, masks, beards, and wigs, look for the label Flame Resistant. Although this label does not mean these items won’t catch fire, it does indicate the items will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source. To minimize the risk of contact with candles or other sources of ignition, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts.

Costume Designs: Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists.

For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights.

Bags or sacks should also be light colored or decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle, and sporting goods stores.

To easily see and be seen, children should also carry flashlights.

Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.

Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes . Mother’ s high heels are not a good idea for safe walking.

Hats and scarfs should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children’s eyes.

Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose-fitting mask that might restrict breathing or obscure vision. If a mask is used, however, make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large enough to allow full vision. Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft and flexible material.

Pedestrian Safety: Young children should always be accompanied by an adult or an older, responsible child. All children should WALK, not run from house to house and use the sidewalk if available, rather than walk in the street.

Children should be cautioned against running out from between parked cars, or across lawns and yards where ornaments, furniture, or clotheslines present dangers.

Choosing Safe Houses: Children should go only to homes where the residents are known and have outside lights on as a sign of welcome.

Children should not enter homes or apartments unless they are accompanied by an adult.

People expecting trick-or-treaters should remove anything that could be an obstacle from lawns, steps and porches.

Candlelit jack-o’-lanterns should be kept away from landings and doorsteps where costumes could brush against the flame. Indoor jack-o’-lanterns should be kept away from curtains, decorations, and other furnishings that could be ignited.

Even though it’s not an official holiday, Halloween is much beloved by children and adults alike. What could be more fun than trick-or-treating, apple bobbing, or costume parties?

To make sure treats are safe for children, follow these simple steps:

Snacking: Children shouldn’t snack on treats from their goody bags while they’re out trick-or-treating. Give them a light meal or snack before they head out – don’t send them out on an empty stomach. Urge them to wait until they get home and let you inspect their loot before they eat any of it.

 Safe treats: Tell children not to accept – and especially not to eat – anything that isn’t commercially wrapped. Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.

 Food Allergies: If your child has a food allergy, check the label to ensure the allergen isn’t present. Do not allow the child to eat any home-baked goods he or she may have received.

 Choking hazards: If you have very young children, be sure to remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.

 Bobbing for apples is an all-time favorite Halloween game. Here are a couple of ways to say “boo” to bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Reduce the number of bacteria that might be present on apples and other raw fruits and vegetables by thoroughly rinsing them under cool running water. As an added precaution, use a produce brush to remove surface dirt.

Try this new spin on apple bobbing from FightBAC.org: Cut out lots of apples from red construction paper. On each apple, write activities for kids, such as “do 5 jumping jacks.” Place a paper clip on each apple and put them in a large basket. Tie a magnet to a string. Let the children take turns “bobbing” with their magnet and doing the activity written on their apple. Give children a fresh apple for participating.

If your idea of Halloween fun is a party at home, don’t forget these tips: 

• Beware of spooky cider! Unpasteurized juice or cider can contain harmful bacteria such as Salmonella. To stay safe, always serve pasteurized products at your parties.
• No matter how tempting, don’t taste raw cookie dough or cake batter that contain uncooked eggs.
• “Scare” bacteria away by keeping all perishable foods chilled until serving time. These include finger sandwiches, cheese platters, fruit or tossed salads, cold pasta dishes with meat, poultry, or seafood, and cream pies or cakes with whipped-cream and cream-cheese frostings.

Bacteria will creep up on you if you let foods sit out too long. Don’t leave perishable goodies out of the fridge for more than two hours (1 hour in temperatures above 90°F).

“Here’s a scary statistic: Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Lack of visibility because of low lighting at night also plays a factor in these incidents.  A responsible adult should accompany young children on the neighborhood round.  If your older children are going alone, plan and review a route acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time children should return home.  Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.  Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.  All costumes, wigs and accessories should be fire-resistant.  If children are allowed out after dark, fasten reflective tape to their costumes and bags, or give them glow sticks.”

National Safety Council NSC (https://www.nsc.org/community-safety/safety-topics/seasonal-safety/autumn-safety/halloween)

“The two mRNA vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech using the original SARS-CoV-2 virus have proved to be effective at reducing severe disease, even against omicron. “The existing vaccines are doing an absolutely terrific job of keeping people out of hospital, out of ICU, and alive,” says Sten Vermund, MD, PhD, an infectious disease epidemiologist, and professor at the Yale School of Public Health and a pediatrician at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut.

Under the direction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have started clinical trials of bivalent vaccines targeting BA.4 and BA.5, which have nearly identical spike proteins. This means that the vaccine will be a mixture of the original vaccine and one that has been reformulated to target the mutated spike proteins of the now-dominant subvariants.

All vaccines approved by stringent regulatory agencies (SRAs) or with WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) are safe and effective at reducing the risk of severe disease and death due to COVID-19 infection.

Please remember that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccinations outweigh the risks of getting severely ill with COVID-19. If you are able to get vaccinated, do not delay it. Getting vaccinated could save your life.

Read more on different types of COVID-19 vaccines here.

For the latest information on vaccines, please visit the ‘What you need to know’ pages for AstraZeneca, Covaxin, Johnson and Johnson (J&J),  Moderna, Novavax, Pfizer, Sinopharm and Sinovac.”

WHO World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-vaccines)

The WHO-World Health Org. states the following

( News 12/09/2022):

“Getting vaccinated could save your life. COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives since their introduction and provide strong protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death.

It is still possible to get COVID-19 and spread it to others after being vaccinated. Therefore, consider continuing to practice protective and preventive behaviours such as keeping a distance, wearing a mask in crowded and poorly ventilated spaces, practicing hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette (covering your mouth and nose with a bent elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze), getting vaccinated and staying up to date with booster doses. However, if you do get COVID-19 after vaccination, you are more likely to have mild or no symptoms than if you hadn’t been vaccinated.

Even if you have had COVID-19, WHO still recommends that you get vaccinated after infection because vaccination enhances your protection against severe outcomes of future COVID-19 infection, and you may be protected for longer. Furthermore, hybrid immunity resulting from vaccine and infection may provide superior protection against existing variants of concern.

To ensure optimal protection, is important to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses and boosters recommended to you by your health authority.

The high-priority group should be prioritized for the primary series vaccines as well as first and additional booster doses. The additional boosters should be administered either 6 or 12 months (depending on your risk category) after the last dose, with the timeframe depending on factors such as age and immunocompromising conditions.

The medium-priority group includes healthy adults – usually under the age of 50–60 without comorbidities, and children and adolescents with comorbidities. SAGE recommends primary series and first booster doses for the medium-priority group. Although additional boosters are safe for this group, SAGE does not routinely recommend them, given the comparatively low public health returns.

The low-priority group includes healthy children and adolescents aged 6 months to 17 years. Primary and booster doses are safe and effective in children and adolescents. However, considering the low burden of disease, SAGE urges countries considering vaccination of this age group to base their decisions on contextual factors, such as the disease burden, cost-effectiveness, and other health or programmatic priorities and opportunity costs.”

So after all this information with all these Vaccines this gives 2 questions?

1-With the new ones now available, WHICH ONE IS BETTER? 

2-Which immunity is better: Disease-induced immunity (you had covid and were induced with immunity) or vaccination-induced (immunity by the vaccine itself)?

It turns out it’s not in either  situation. Limitations exist with gaining immunity either way – BUT  in by getting infected by the virus (disease induced) and by getting vaccinated.

Previous research indicated that disease-induced immunity wasn’t necessarily better and that vaccines created more effective and longer-lasting immunity than natural immunity. Disease-induced immunity, specifically, can be spotty and appears to be somewhat related to how severe the illness was (more severely ill persons appear to have a greater immune response than those with very mild illness or asymptomatic infection). Some people may have a good antibody response, while others don’t get much of any response.

The additional benefit of vaccine-induced immunity? Fewer downsides. 

• Both immunity types start to wane within 60 to 90 days, depending on how your body reacts
• Getting the virus comes with more risks, including the potential to develop severe illness, long-COVID or death

Vaccination helps protect against the most serious risks. “Yes, the vaccine has a few rare serious adverse events associated with it,” says infectious diseases expert Mark Rupp, MD. “However, the risk of adverse events is much lower than the substantial risks of serious infection and the risk of long-COVID that you get with the disease.”

Studies now show that both types of immunity are beneficial.

“Recent data analyses indicate that disease-induced immunity can be as long-lasting or even longer-lasting in some instances than vaccine-induced immunity,” adds Dr. Rupp. “Both appear to do a pretty good job protecting from severe illness and death.”

The best protection against severe outcomes: Hybrid immunity

Hybrid immunity = natural immunity + vaccination

According to an analysis published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, a recent, robust study shows that hybrid immunity is longer lasting and more effective than disease-induced immunity or vaccination alone.

Which immunity is better: Disease-induced immunity or vaccination-induced immunity?

It turns out it’s not an either-or situation. Limitations exist with gaining immunity either way – by getting infected by the virus (disease induced) and by getting vaccinated.

Previous research indicated that disease-induced immunity wasn’t necessarily better and that vaccines created more effective and longer-lasting immunity than natural immunity. Disease-induced immunity, specifically, can be spotty and appears to be somewhat related to how severe the illness was (more severely ill persons appear to have a greater immune response than those with very mild illness or asymptomatic infection). Some people may have a good antibody response, while others don’t get much of any response.

The additional benefit of vaccine-induced immunity? Fewer downsides. 

• Both immunity types start to wane within 60 to 90 days, depending on how your body reacts
• Getting the virus comes with more risks, including the potential to develop severe illness, long-COVID or death

Vaccination helps protect against the most serious risks. “Yes, the vaccine has a few rare serious adverse events associated with it,” says infectious diseases expert Mark Rupp, MD. “However, the risk of adverse events is much lower than the substantial risks of serious infection and the risk of long-COVID that you get with the disease.”

Studies now show that both types of immunity are beneficial.

“Recent data analyses- indicate that disease-induced immunity can be as long-lasting or even longer-lasting in some instances than vaccine-induced immunity,” adds Dr. Rupp. “Both appear to do a pretty good job protecting from severe illness and death.”

The best protection against severe outcomes: Hybrid immunity

Hybrid immunity = natural immunity + vaccination

According to an analysis published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, a recent, robust study shows that hybrid immunity is longer lasting and more effective than disease-induced immunity or vaccination alone.

THE WHO further states (News 12/09/2022):

“EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended authorising an adapted bivalent vaccine targeting the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 in addition to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. This recommendation will further extend the arsenal of available vaccines to protect people against COVID-19 as the pandemic continues and new waves of infections are anticipated in the cold season.”

First B-4 and B-5  or known also as 4-5 COVID-19 vaccines) for use as a booster dose in individuals aged 12 years and older. The new bivalent vaccine comprises 15 micrograms of famtozinameran based on the Omicron variants BA. 4 and BA. 5, and 15 micrograms of tozinameran based on the original strain of SARS CoV-2.

Through the European Medicines Agency (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/adapted-vaccine-targeting-ba4-ba5-omicron-variants-original-sars-cov-2-recommended-approval) they state the following:

“EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) has recommended authorising an adapted bivalent vaccine targeting the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 in addition to the original strain of SARS-CoV-2. This recommendation will further extend the arsenal of available vaccines to protect people against COVID-19 as the pandemic continues and new waves of infections are anticipated in the cold season.

Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 is for use in people aged 12 years and above who have received at least a primary course of vaccination against COVID-19. This vaccine is an adapted version of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech).

Vaccines are adapted to better match the circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2 and are expected to provide broader protection against different variants. Prompt assessment of the available data on these adapted vaccines will enable their timely deployment in the autumn vaccination campaigns.

In its decision to recommend the authorisation of Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5, the CHMP took into account all the available data on Comirnaty and its adapted vaccines, including the recently authorised adapted vaccine Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 as well as investigational vaccines against other variants of concern.

The CHMP based its opinion in particular on the clinical data available with Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1. Apart from containing mRNA matching different, but closely related, Omicron subvariants, Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 and Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 have the same composition. Clinical studies with Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1 showed that the vaccine was more effective at triggering an immune response against the BA.1 subvariant than Comirnaty, and was as effective as Comirnaty against the original strain. Side effects were comparable to those seen with Comirnaty. This was further supported by data from investigational vaccines targeting other variants which have also shown similar safety profiles and predictable immune responses against the strains they target.

The CHMP’s opinion for Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 is also based on data on its quality and manufacturing process, which confirmed that it meets the EU standards for quality. In addition, immunogenicity data (the ability of the vaccine to trigger an immune response) from laboratory (non-clinical) studies provided supportive evidence that Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 triggers adequate immunity against the strains it targets.

Based on all these data, the CHMP concluded that Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5 is expected to be more effective than Comirnaty at triggering an immune response against the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants. The vaccine’s safety profile is expected to be comparable to that of Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.1, and of Comirnaty itself for which a large amount of data is available.”

“Within two decades, there have emerged three highly pathogenic and deadly human coronaviruses, namely SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. The economic burden and health threats caused by these coronaviruses are extremely dreadful and getting more serious as the increasing number of global infections and attributed deaths of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. Unfortunately, specific medical countermeasures for these hCoVs remain absent. Moreover, the fast spread of misinformation about the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic uniquely places the virus alongside an annoying infodemic and causes unnecessary worldwide panic. SARS-CoV-2 shares many similarities with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, certainly, obvious differences exist as well. Lessons learnt from SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, timely updated information of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV, and summarized specific knowledge of these hCoVs are extremely invaluable for effectively and efficiently contain the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. By gaining a deeper understanding of hCoVs and the illnesses caused by them, we can bridge knowledge gaps, provide cultural weapons for fighting and controling the spread of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, and prepare effective and robust defense lines against hCoVs that may emerge or reemerge in the future”

Respiratory Research (https://respiratory-research.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12931-020-01479-w)

Through the National Library of Medicine they state:

Copyright © 2020 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”

Their references: