COVID 19 – Possible interrelations with respiratory comorbidities caused by occupational exposure to various hazardous bioaerosols. Part II. Clinical course, diagnostics, treatment and prevention

Abstract

Introduction and objective. The course of COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 may be aggravated by bioaerosols containing other viruses, bacteria, and fungi, occurring mainly in the occupational environment. Hence, the diagnostics and treatment of COVID-19 should address such a possibility in the anamnesis, treatment and final recommendations for avoiding of adverse exposure. Abbreviated description of the state of knowledge. As SARS-CoV-2 attacks primarily the respiratory system and the severe manifestation of COVID-19 is interstitial pneumonia, diagnostics should include the following clinical and laboratory examinations: chest X-ray; high resolution computed tomography (HRCT); pulmonary function tests; arterial-blood gas test; genetic tests for the presence of SARS-CoV-2, in the future with the use of highly specific and sensitive nano-based biosensors; tests for the presence of specific immunity against the antigens of microorganisms causing other infectious or allergic pulmonary diseases (in the case of anamnestic indications). Because an universally accepted treatment for COVID-19 does not exist, the hitherto prescribed antiviral and immune-modulating drugs should be used be with caution. In many cases, a better alternative could be a safe supportive therapy, such as supplementation of the diet with probiotics, prebiotics, vitamins and microelements. Conclusions. The most important preventive measures against COVID-19 should include: vaccination; the use of filter or surgical masks; disinfection and sterilization; maintaining of well-functioning ventilation and air conditioning systems; reduction of the community air pollution which has been identified as an important factor increasing the COVID-19 severity. In the choice of preventive measures, the above should be considered for their potential efficacy against other bioaerosols as potential disease-aggravating agents.

Particulate Matter in Swine Barns: A Comprehensive Review

“…Thus, no relevant studies are included in this review effort. a The lists were compiled primarily from [43,51,54,59,76,87,152,158,159,184]. Several publications in Table 5 (e.g., [174,178]) used selective agar media to identify and quantify certain microorganisms.…”

“…Sampling represents the collection of airborne microbes (more strictly speaking, microbe-laden particles), cultivation involves the growth of target microbes on a growth medium or media to form visible colonies, and enumeration refers to the counting of formed bacterial or fungal colonies [295]. An optional step is identification, with aims to determine microbial species based on the appearance of the colonies formed [43,51,158,159,193]. Identification can also be conducted by taking individual colonies for further investigation including microscopic analysis, biochemical testing, DNA sequencing, and proteomic analysis [59,101,173,183,192].…”

“…Ref. [51] compared the colony counts of six microbial groups among farms and found a significant effect of geographic locations. At two locations, the microbial community was dominated by Corynebacteria, while at one location, Gram-positive micrococci were predominant.…”

Daily occupational exposure in swine farm alters human skin microbiota and antibiotic resistome

“…Workers' skin microbiota may be easily disturbed by environmental microbes through direct contact with animals, bedding materials, feeding facilities, and especially airborne microbial communities [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. It has been reported that the air of livestock farms, especially swine farms, is full of a large amount of dust, bacteria and fungi [ 5 , 6 ], the concentration of bacteria in the air can reach 2 × 10 7 [ 7 ], which is twice the level usually measured in indoor air. In addition, animal husbandry generally requires higher health standards to minimize economic losses caused by infectious diseases.…”

The effect of zinc supplementation on the course of COVID-19 – A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…There is evidence that some micronutrient supplements may also help the immune system of a COVID-19 patient to maintain integrity. Due to their immunomodulatory effects, essential micronutrient supplements [11,12,13,14,15], e.g., zinc, have recently received critical examination. Zinc is a micronutrient critical for the growth, development, and maintenance of immune barriers, such as the skin and mucous membranes.…”