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Im Rahmen des Forschungsprojekts LehrstellenPuls bietet dieses Informationsblatt einen Überblick über die Auswirkungen der COVID-19-Pandemie auf die berufliche Grundbildung in der Schweiz im Februar 2021 und vergleicht diese Ergebnisse mit der Situation in den Vormonaten von April 2020 bis Januar 2021.

Mucins play an essential role in protecting the respiratory tract against microbial infections. The heavily O-glycosylated gel-forming mucins MUC5AC and MUC5B eliminate pathogens by mucociliary clearance while transmembrane mucins MUC1, MUC4, and MUC16 restrict microbial invasion at the apical surface of the epithelium. In this study, we determined the impact of host mucins and mucin glycans on SARS-CoV-2 spike-mediated epithelial entry. Human lung epithelial Calu-3 cells have endogenous expression of the SARS-CoV-2 entry receptor ACE2 and express high levels of glycosylated MUC1 on the surface but not MUC4 and MUC16. Removal of the MUC1 extracellular domain (ED) using the O-glycan-specific mucinase StcE greatly enhanced spike binding and viral infection. By contrast, removal of mucin glycans sialic acid and fucose did not impact viral invasion. This study implicates the glycosylated ED of MUC1 as an important component of the host defense that restricts the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The zoonotic SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide, with devastating consequences. While the medical community has gained insight into the epidemiology of COVID-19, important questions remain about the clinical complexities and underlying mechanisms of disease phenotypes. Severe COVID-19 most commonly involves respiratory manifestations, although other systems are also affected, and acute disease is often followed by protracted complications. Such complex manifestations suggest that SARS-CoV-2 dysregulates the host response, triggering wide-ranging immuno-inflammatory, thrombotic, and parenchymal derangements. We review the intricacies of COVID-19 pathophysiology, its various phenotypes, and the anti-SARS-CoV-2 host response at the humoral and cellular levels. Some similarities exist between COVID-19 and respiratory failure of other origins, but evidence for many distinctive mechanistic features indicates that COVID-19 constitutes a new disease entity, with emerging data suggesting involvement of an endotheliopathy-centred pathophysiology. Further research, combining basic and clinical studies, is needed to advance understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms and to characterise immuno-inflammatory derangements across the range of phenotypes to enable optimum care for patients with COVID-19.

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are a heterogeneous family of uncommon tumours with challenging diagnosis, clinical management and unique needs that almost always requires a multidisciplinary approach. In the absence of guidance from the scientific literature, along with the rapidly changing data available on the effect of COVID-19, we report how 12 high-volume NEN centres of expertise in 10 countries at different stages of the evolving COVID-19 global pandemic along with members of international neuroendocrine cancer patient societies have suggested to preserve high standards of care for patients with NENs. We review the multidisciplinary management of neuroendocrine neoplasms during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we suggest potential strategies to reduce risk and aid multidisciplinary treatment decision-making. By sharing our joint experiences, we aim to generate recommendations for proceeding to other institutions facing the same challenges.

Wanneer we terugblikken op de opkomst van de eikenprocessierups in Nederland en een poging wagen om vooruit te kijken, ook met het oog op nieuwe exoten die naar ons land oprukken, is er maar één echte les te trekken: wees er op tijd bij! Geef ter zake doende informatie en nuanceer het risico. Het dilemma in beeld- en oordeelvorming speelt mogelijk vooral bij creeping crises. De opkomst van de eikenprocessierups bestreek in pieken van overlast een periode van dertig jaar, terwijl de uitbraak van COVID-19 in de eerste maanden van 2020 laat zien hoe het dilemma ook speelt in kortere tijdslijnen. Zonder een acuut voelbare dreiging voor de volksgezondheid en zorgcapaciteit permitteren autoriteiten en experts zich de luxe om te denken dat het wel zal meevallen. Maar dat is niet helemaal waar, zie bijvoorbeeld de toenemende overlast van met Lyme besmette teken de laatste decennia. Ook daar lopen de verantwoordelijke overheden niet echt hard, terwijl de gevolgen voor de gezondheid (vele malen) ernstiger zijn dan bij de eikenprocessierups.

The COVID-19 pandemic poses great challenges for healthcare workers around the world, including perioperative specialists. Previously, we provided a first overview of available literature on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, relevant for anaesthetists and intensivists. In the current review, we provide an update of this topic, after a literature search current through May 2020. We discuss the evidence on perioperative risk for COVID-19 patients presenting for surgery, the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the operating room, and the current literature on laboratory diagnostics. Furthermore, cardiovascular and nervous system involvement in COVID-19 are discussed, as well as considerations in diabetic patients. Lastly, the latest evidence on pharmacological treatment is summarised.

CONTENT: 1. The pandemic as a criminological experiment. The development of crime during one year of corona measures - Edwin Kruisbergen, Marco Haas, Lisa van Es and Joanieke Snijders 2. Stay home, stay safe? The consequences of Covid-19 measures on domestic violence in the Netherlands - Anne Coomans, Sjoukje van Deuren, Meintje van Dijk, Steve van de Weijer, Arjan Blokland, Carlijn van Baak, David Kühling, Rosanne Bombeld and Veroni Eichelsheim 3. Compliance with COVID-19 mitigating measures in the Netherlands - Joska Appelman, Kiki Bijleveld, Peter Ejbye-Ernst, Evelien Hoeben, Lasse Liebst, Cees Snoek, Dennis Koelma and Marie Rosenkrantz Lindegaard 4. Deception during the corona pandemic. On fake news, conspiracy thinking and social receptivity - Peter Klerks 5. Administration of justice in youth protection cases during the COVID pandemic. A report of ongoing research - Eddy Bauw, Yasemin Glasgow, Anne Janssen and Marc Simon Thomas 6. Sex work in times of corona. The impact of the lockdown on sex workers - Roos de Wildt