A review of nasal sprays and gargles with antiviral properties suggests that a number of commonly used antiseptics including povidone-iodine, Listerine®, iota-carrageenan and chlorhexidine should be studied in clinical trials to mitigate both the progression and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Several of these antiseptics have demonstrated the ability to cut the viral load of SARS-CoV-2 by 3–4 log10 in 15–30 s  in vitro. In addition, hypertonic saline targets viral replication by increasing hypochlorous acid inside the cell. A number of clinical trials are in process to study these interventions both for prevention of transmission, prophylaxis after exposure, and to diminish progression by reduction of viral load in the early stages of infection.

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) encephalitis has a high mortality rate. Among those who survive,~80% develop some type of permanent neurologic disorder. Early diagnosis and treatment may help prevent long-term sequelae. There have been several case reports as well as retrospective and prospective studies associating HHV-6 encephalitis with some form of sodium imbalance, either hyponatremia or hypernatremia; however, the exact frequency post-HCT is unknown, with reports ranging from 30% to 100%. We performed a systematic review of the literature and found 34 cases of HHV-6 encephalitis reported in conjunction with sodium imbalance that documented the timing of that imbalance relative to the onset of encephalitis. Sodium imbalance occurred before or at the onset of HHV-6 encephalitis in all but 2 cases (94%). This finding supports previous suggestions that sodium imbalance can be considered an early indicator of the potential development or presence of HHV-6 encephalitis in at-risk patient populations.

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Persea americana; aqueous leaves extract; kidney; rats; histological changes This study investigated the effects of aqueous leaf extract of Persea americana (avocado) on the histology of the kidney of albino rats apparently healthy. A total of 25 albino rats weighing 160-200g were used for the study. The rats were randomly divided into five groups of five rats each. They were treated with aqueous extract of Persea Americana for a period of 28 days. Group A received normal saline (control). While groups B, C and D were treated orally with the extract daily at the doses of 250, 500 and 750 mg/kg weight respectively for 28 days. At the end of the experiment, kidney sections were processed using light microscopic techniques and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin. Histological examinations were supplemented by biochemical assay analysis. The kidney of rats treated with 250 mg/kg of extract showed glomerular degeneration and tubular necrosis in the cortex. The kidney of rats treated with 500 mg/kg of extract revealed mild hydrophobic change in the lumen of the tubules and tubular ballooning. The kidney treated with 750 mg/kg of extract resulted in severe hydrophobic changes within the lumen, tubular ballooning and mild inflammatory cells. The finding of the study concluded that aqueous leaf extract of Persea americana have effects on the histology of the kidney. Administration of Perseaamericana causes dose-dependent degeneration of glomeruli and tubular necrosis in the cortex, hydrophobic change in the lumen of the tubules and tubular ballooning and mild inflammatory cells. Further toxicity studies (sub-acute and chronic) of the crude extract and organic solvent portions needs to be carried out using different animal models in order to evaluate the long-term effects of the extract.