As the world endures the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the conditions of 35 million vulnerable individuals struggling with substance use disorders (SUDs) worldwide have not received sufficient attention for their special health and medical needs. Many of these individuals are complicated by underlying health conditions, such as cardiovascular and lung diseases and undermined immune systems. During the pandemic, access to the healthcare systems and support groups is greatly diminished. Current research on COVID-19 has not addressed the unique challenges facing individuals with SUDs, including the heightened vulnerability and susceptibility to the disease. In this systematic review, we will discuss the pathogenesis and pathology of COVID-19, and highlight potential risk factors and complications to these individuals. We will also provide insights and considerations for COVID-19 treatment and prevention in patients with SUDs.

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As the world endures the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, conditions of 35 million vulnerable individuals struggling with substance use disorders (SUDs) worldwide have not received sufficient attention for their special health and medical needs. Many of these individuals are complicated by underlying health conditions, such as cardiovascular and lung diseases and undermined immune systems. During the pandemic, access to the healthcare systems and support groups is greatly diminished. Current research on COVID-19 has not addressed the unique challenges facing individuals with SUDs, including the heightened vulnerability and susceptibility to the disease. In this systematic review, we will discuss the pathogenesis and pathology of COVID-19, and highlight potential risk factors and complications to these individuals. We will also provide insights and considerations for COVID-19 treatment and prevention in patients with SUDs.

ALG13‐CDG is a rare X‐linked disorder of N‐linked glycosylation. Given the lack of long‐term outcome data in ALG13‐CDG, we collected natural history data and reviewed individuals surviving to young adulthood with confirmed pathogenic variants in ALG13 in our own cohort and in the literature. From the 14 ALG13‐CDG patients enrolled into our Frontiers of Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation Consortium natural history study only two patients were older than 16 years; one of these two females is so far unreported. From the 52 patients described in the medical literature with confirmed pathogenic variants in ALG13 only five patients were older than 16 years (all females), in addition to the new, unreported patient from our natural history study. Two male patients have died due to ALG13‐CDG, and there were no surviving males older than 16 years with a confirmed ALG13‐CDG diagnosis. Our adolescent and young adult cohort of six patients presented with epilepsy, muscular hypotonia, speech, and developmental delay. Intellectual disability was present in all female patients with ALG13‐CDG. Unreported features included ataxia, neuropathy, and severe gastrointestinal symptoms requiring G/J tube placement. In addition, two patients from our natural history study developed unilateral hearing loss. Skeletal abnormalities were found in four patients, including osteopenia and scoliosis. Major health problems included persistent seizures in three patients. Ketogenic diet was efficient for seizures in three out of four patients. Although all patients were mobile, they all had severe communication problems with mostly absent speech and were unable to function without parental support. In summary, long‐term outcome in ALG13‐CDG includes gastrointestinal and skeletal involvement in addition to a chronic, mostly non‐progressive neurologic phenotype.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is a DNA sequence, found in bacteria, that functions as protective system against bacteriophages. CRISPR DNA sequence is characterized by the presence of short, identical nucleotide repeats that are interspaced by spacers. The spacer sequences are unique in that they are records of viral infections experienced by the bacterium and act as an “immunization card”. If the same virus attempts to invade again, the spacer sequence recognizes it via the help of CRISPR‐RNA (crRNA) and CRISPR‐associated (Cas) proteins. Subsequently, Cas proteins cut the viral DNA to eliminate the threat. Thus, CRISPR/Cas system provides an effective mechanism for bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), to resist infections from bacteriophage, but it could also pose challenges to phage therapy, which utilizes bacteriophages to kill bacteria. The focus of this research is to examine spacer sequences from soil samples collected around NY/NJ metropolitan area at various timepoints, locations, and weather conditions. To accomplish this goal, the genomic DNA was extracted from E. coli bacteria from the soil and purified. The CRISPR locus was amplified and purified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis, respectively. The sequences were run through the CRISPR Finder program to identify spacer sequences, and NCBI’s Blast alignment was carried out to determine the specific E. coli strain associated with the sequence. We have identified several new spacer sequences, which could putatively link the history of bacteriophage infections of the E. coli bacteria to the unique environments the bacteria are located. Support or Funding Information We would like to thank the Chemistry Department at NJCU. This research was funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH), grant number R21DA046223.