++In early January 2021, England entered its third national lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce numbers of deaths and pressure on healthcare services, while rapidly rolling out vaccination to healthcare workers and those most at risk of severe disease and death. REACT-1 is a survey of SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in the community in England, based on repeated cross-sectional samples of the population. Between 6th and 22nd January 2021, out of 167,642 results, 2,282 were positive giving a weighted national prevalence of infection of 1.57% (95% CI, 1.49%, 1.66%). The R number nationally over this period was estimated at 0.98 (0.92, 1.04). Prevalence remained high throughout, but with suggestion of a decline at the end of the study period. The average national trend masked regional heterogeneity, with robustly decreasing prevalence in one region (South West) and increasing prevalence in another (East Midlands). Overall prevalence at regional level was highest in London at 2.83% (2.53%, 3.16%). Although prevalence nationally was highest in the low-risk 18 to 24 year old group at 2.44% (1.96%, 3.03%), it was also high in those over 65 years who are most at risk, at 0.93% (0.82%, 1.05%). Large household size, living in a deprived neighbourhood, and Black and Asian ethnicity were all associated with higher levels of infections compared to smaller households, less deprived neighbourhoods and other ethnicities. Healthcare and care home workers, and other key workers, were more likely to test positive compared to other workers. If sustained lower prevalence is not achieved rapidly in England, pressure on healthcare services and numbers of COVID-19 deaths will remain unacceptably high. +
++SARS-CoV-2 infection has so far affected over 42 million people worldwide, causing over 1.1 million deaths. With the large majority of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals being asymptomatic, major concerns have been raised about possible long-term consequences of the infection. We developed an antigen capture assay to detect SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in urine samples from COVID-19 patients whose diagnosis was confirmed by PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs (NP-PCR+). The study used a collection of 233 urine samples from 132 participants from Yale New Haven Hospital and the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia obtained during the pandemic (106 NP-PCR+ and 26 NP-PCR-) as well as a collection of 20 urine samples from 20 individuals collected before the pandemic. Our analysis identified 23 out of 91 (25%) NP-PCR+ adult participants with SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 protein in urine (Ur-S+). Interestingly, although all NP-PCR+ children were Ur-S-, 1 NP-PCR- child was found to be positive for spike protein in urine. Of the 23 Ur-S+ adults, only 1 individual showed detectable viral RNA in urine. Our analysis further showed that 24% and 21% of NP-PCR+ adults have high levels of albumin and cystatin C in urine, respectively. Among individuals with albuminuria (>0.3 mg/mg of creatinine) statistical correlation could be found between albumin and spike protein in urine. Together, our data showed that 1 of 4 of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals develop renal abnormalities such as albuminuria. Awareness about the long-term impact of these findings is warranted. +
++While emergence of new SAS-COV-2 variants is posing grave challenge to efforts to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the structural and molecular basis of their fitness remain poorly understood. We performed in silico analysis of structures of two most frequent SARS-COV-2 mutations, namely, N501Y and E484K, to identify plausible basis of their fitness over the original strain. The analysis suggested that the N501Y mutation is associated with strengthening of intra- as well as intermolecular H-bond in the hACE2 receptor-spike protein complex, which could result in increased affinity and, therefore, higher infectivity. While E484K mutation did not seem to directly affect the binding with hACE2 receptor, it disrupted H-bonding and salt-bridge interaction associated with binding with neutralizing antibody, which could affect chance of re-infection, disease outcome. Survey of several other mutations showing reduction in antibody-mediated neutralization also revealed that similar disruption of H-bonding or salt-bridge or Van der Waals interaction might explain their phenotype. Analysis of GESS database indicated that N501Y, EK484 as well as these other mutations existed since March-April, 2020, might have evolved independently across the world and may keep accumulating, which could affect efficacy of vaccination and antibody-based therapies. Our analysis also indicated that these may spread in spite of current travel restrictions focused on few countries and evolve indigenously warranting intensification of surveillance for emerging mutations among all travellers as well as people in their dwelling zones. Meta-analysis of existing literature showed that repeat testing of travellers, contacts and others under scrutiny 7-11 days after the initial RT-PCR test may significantly help to contain the spread of emerging variants by catching false negative results. In addition, existing evidence calls for development of strain-specific tests, escalated sequencing and broadening the scope of surveillance including in hospitals and animal farms to contain the threat of emerging variants. +
++In the fight against COVID-19, there remains unmet needs in developing point-of-care (POC) diagnostic testing tools that can rapidly and sensitively detect the causative SARS-CoV-2 virus to control disease transmission and improve patient management. Although recent CRISPR-Cas-assisted SARS-CoV-2 detection assays (such as DETECTR and SHERLOCK) are viewed as transformative solutions for POC diagnostic testing, their lack of simple sample processing and full integration within an automated and portable device hamper their potential for POC use. We report herein POC-CRISPR - a new single-step CRISPR-Cas-assisted assay that is coupled to droplet magnetofluidics (DM) - that leverages simple magnetic concentration and transport of nucleic acid-binding magnetic beads to accomplish sample preparation and assay automation. By further adapting the assay into a fully integrated thermoplastic cartridge within a palm-sized mobile device, POC-CRISPR was able to detect 1 genome equivalent (GE)/ÎŒL SARS-CoV-2 RNA from a sample volume of 100 ÎŒL in 30 min. Moreover, when evaluated with unprocessed clinical nasopharyngeal (NP) swab eluates, POC-CRISPR identified SARS-CoV-2 positive samples in as short as 20 min and achieved full concordance with standard RT-qPCR. +
++Background: Estimated seroprevalence of Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a critical evidence for a better evaluation of the virus spread and monitoring the progress of the COVID-19 pandemic in a population. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence has been reported in specific regions, but an extensive nationwide study has not been reported. Here, we report a nationwide study to determine the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in the population of KSA during the pandemic, using serum samples from healthy blood donors, non-COVID patients and healthcare workers (HCWs) in six different regions of the kingdom, with addition samples from COVID-19 patients. Methods: A total of 11703 serum samples were collected from different regions of the KSA including; 5395 samples from residual healthy blood donors (D); 5877 samples from non-COVID patients collected through residual sera at clinical biochemistry labs from non-COVID patients (P); and 400 samples from consented HCWs. To determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2, all serum samples, in addition to positive control sera from RT-PCR confirmed COVID-19 patients, were subjected to in-house ELISA with a sample pooling strategy, which was further validated by testing individual samples that make up some of the pools, with a statistical estimation method to report seroprevalence estimates Results: Overall (combining D and P groups) seroprevalence estimate was around 11% in Saudi Arabia; and was 5.1% (Riyadh), 1.5% (Jazan), 18.4% (Qassim), 20.8% (Hail), 14.7% (ER; Alahsa), and 18.8% in Makkah. Makkah samples were only D group and had a rate of 24.4% and 12.8% in the cities of Makkah and Jeddah, respectively. The seroprevalence in Saudi Arabia across the sampled areas would be 12 times the COVID-19 infection rate. Among HCWs, 7.5% (4.95-10.16 CI 95%) had reactive antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 without reporting any previously confirmed infection. This was higher in HCWs with hypertension. The study also presents the demographics and prevalence of co-morbidities in HCWs and subset of non-COVID-19 population. Interpretation: Our study estimates the overall national serological prevalence of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia to be 11%, with an apparent disparity between regions. +
++Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and delayed implementation of diagnostics have led to poorly defined viral prevalence rates. To address this, we analyzed seropositivity in US adults who have not previously been diagnosed with COVID-19. Individuals with characteristics that reflect the US population (n = 11,382) and who had not previously been diagnosed with COVID-19 were selected by quota sampling from 241,424 volunteers (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04334954). Enrolled participants provided medical, geographic, demographic, and socioeconomic information and 9,028 blood samples. The majority (88.7%) of samples were collected between May 10th and July 31st, 2020. Samples were analyzed via ELISA for anti-Spike and anti-RBD antibodies. Estimation of seroprevalence was performed by using a weighted analysis to reflect the US population. We detected an undiagnosed seropositivity rate of 4.6% (95% CI: 2.6 - 6.5%). There was distinct regional variability, with heightened seropositivity in locations of early outbreaks. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the highest estimated undiagnosed seropositivity within groups was detected in younger participants (ages 18-45, 5.9%), females (5.5%), Black/African American (14.2%), Hispanic (6.1%), and Urban residents (5.3%), and lower undiagnosed seropositivity in those with chronic diseases. During the first wave of infection over the spring/summer of 2020 an estimate of 4.6% of adults had a prior undiagnosed SARS-CoV-2 infection. These data indicate that there were 4.8 (95% CI: 2.8-6.8) undiagnosed cases for every diagnosed case of COVID-19 during this same time period in the United States, and an estimated 16.8 million undiagnosed cases by mid-July 2020. +
++Background: Healthcare factors have strongly influenced the propagation of COVID-19. The present study aims to examine whether excess mortality during the first phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy was associated with health, healthcare, demographic, and socioeconomic indicators measured at a provincial level. Methods: The present ecological study concerns the raw number of deaths from Jan. 1 to Apr. 30, 2020 and the mean number of deaths in the same months of 2015 to 2019, per province. Information on socioeconomic factors and healthcare settings were extracted from the most recently updated databases on the ISTAT website. Two multilevel, multivariate models were constructed to test whether excess mortality was associated with the indicators across 107 provinces in Italy. Results: On linear multilevel, multivariate analysis, AIDS mortality rate (p-value <0.05) correlates positively with excess mortality, while a higher density of General Practitioners (number of GPs per 1,000 population) is associated with lower excess mortality (p-value <0.05). After controlling for the diffusion of COVID-19 in each province, the significance of GP density increases (p-value <0.001) and the rate of hospitalization in long-term care wards is positively associated (p-value <0.05) with excess mortality. Conclusion: Some health and healthcare variables are strongly associated with excess mortality caused by COVID-19 in Italy and should be considered to implement mitigation policies and increase healthcare resilience. +
++Since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing evidence suggests that the innate immune responses play an important role in the disease development. A dysregulated inflammatory state has been proposed as key driver of clinical complications in COVID-19, with a potential detrimental role of granulocytes. However, a comprehensive phenotypic description of circulating granulocytes in SARS-CoV-2-infected patients is lacking. In this study, we used high-dimensional flow cytometry for granulocyte immunophenotyping in peripheral blood collected from COVID-19 patients during acute and convalescent phases. Severe COVID-19 was associated with increased levels of both mature and immature neutrophils, and decreased counts of eosinophils and basophils. Distinct immunotypes were evident in COVID-19 patients, with altered expression of several receptors involved in activation, adhesion and migration of granulocytes (e.g. CD62L, CD11a/b, CD69, CD63, CXCR4). Paired sampling revealed recovery and phenotypic restoration of the granulocytic signature in the convalescent phase. The identified granulocyte immunotypes correlated with distinct sets of soluble inflammatory markers supporting pathophysiologic relevance. Furthermore, clinical features, including multi-organ dysfunction and respiratory function, could be predicted using combined laboratory measurements and immunophenotyping. This study provides a comprehensive granulocyte characterization in COVID-19 and reveals specific immunotypes with potential predictive value for key clinical features associated with COVID-19. +
++Background Racialized and low income communities face disproportionally high rates of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infection and death. However, data on inequities in COVID-19 across granular categories of socio-demographic characteristics is more sparse. Methods Neighbourhood-level counts of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Ontario, Canada recorded as of July 28th, 2020 were extracted from provincial and local reportable infectious disease surveillance systems. Associations between COVID-19 incidence and mortality and 18 neighbourhood-level measures of immigration, race, housing and socio-economic characteristics were estimated with Poisson generalized linear mixed models. Housing characteristic variables were subsequently added to models to explore if housing may have a confounding influence on the relationships between immigration, race, and socio-economic status and COVID-19 incidence. Results There were large inequities in COVID-19 incidence and mortality across the socio-demographic variables examined. Neighbourhoods having a higher proportion immigrants, racialized populations, large households and low socio-economic status were associated with COVID-19 risk. Adjusting for housing characteristics, especially unsuitably crowded housing, attenuated COVID-19 risks. However persistent risk remained for neighbourhoods having high proportions of immigrants, racialized populations, and proportion of Black, Latin American, and South Asian residents. Conclusions Socio-demographic factors account for some of the neighbourhood-level differences in COVID-19 across Ontario. Housing characteristics account for a portion, but not all, of the excess burden of COVID-19 experienced by immigrant, racialized, low income and low education populations. +
++Introduction There is a growing body of evidence to support the wearing of face masks to reduce spread of infectious respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. However, the literature exploring the effectiveness of homemade fabric face masks is still in its infancy. Developing an evidence base is an important step to ensure that public policy is evidence based and truly effective. Methods Two methodologies were used in this study: quantitative fit testing of various face masks to indicate their effectiveness and a survey of 710 US residents about their perceptions of face mask effectiveness. N95, surgical and two fabric face masks were tested on an individual twenty five times each using a TSI 8038+ machine. Our survey was distributed by Qualtrics XM, asking participants to estimate the effectiveness of N95, surgical and fabric face masks. Results and Discussion Our results indicate that fabric face masks blocked between 62.6% and 87.1% of fine particles, whereas surgical masks protected against an average of 78.2% of fine particles. N95 masks blocked 99.6% of fine particles. Survey respondents tended to underestimate the effectiveness of masks, especially fabric masks. Together these results suggest that fabric masks may be a useful tool in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic and that increasing public awareness of the effectiveness of fabric masks may help in this endeavour. +
++Purpose: The awake prone position (PP) strategy for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a safe, simple, and cost-effective technique used to improve hypoxemia. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between awake PP (AP) and endotracheal intubation in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Methods: In this retrospective, multicentre observational study conducted between 1 May and 12 June 2020 in 27 hospitals in Mexico and Ecuador, non-intubated patients with COVID-19 managed with AP or awake supine positioning (AS) were included to evaluate intubation and mortality risk in AP patients through logistic regression models; multivariable adjustment, propensity score analyses, and E-values were calculated to limit confounding. A CART model with cross-validation was also built. This study was registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04407468 Results: 827 non-intubated patients with COVID-19 in the AP (n=505) and AS (n=322) groups were included for analysis. Less patients in the AP group required endotracheal intubation (23.6% vs 40.4%) or died (20% vs 37.9%). AP was a protective factor for intubation even after multivariable adjustment (OR=0.39, 95%CI:0.28-0.56, p<0.0001, E-value=2.01), which prevailed after propensity score analysis (OR=0.32, 95%CI:0.21-0.49, p<0.0001, E-value=2.21), and mortality (adjusted OR=0.38, 95%CI:0.25-0.57, p<0.0001, E-value=1.98). The main variables associated with PP failure in AP patients were age, lower SpO2/FiO2, and management with a non-rebreather mask. In the CART model, only two variables were used: SpO2/FiO2 (F 97.7, p<0.001) and PP (X2 50.5, p<0.001), with an overall percentage of 75.2%. Conclusion: PP in awake hospitalised patients with COVID-19 is associated with a lower risk of intubation and mortality. +
++The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine showed high efficacy in clinical trials but observational data from populations not included in trials are needed. We described immunogenicity 21 days post-dose 1 among 514 Israeli healthcare workers by age, gender, ethnicity and prior COVID19 infection. Immunogenicity was similar by gender and ethnicity but decreased with age. Those with prior infection had antibody titres one magnitude order higher than naive individuals regardless of the presence of detectable IgG antibodies pre-vaccination. +
++The perspective of vaccination to protect human population from infection of SARS-CoV-2 virus has great potential to control the pandemic. Nevertheless, vaccine planning requires phased introduction with age groups, health workers, and vulnerable people. We developed a mathematical model capable of capturing the dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 dissemination aligned with social distancing, isolation measures, and vaccination. The city of Rio de Janeiro provides a case study to analyze possible scenarios including non--pharmaceutical interventions and vaccination in the epidemic scenario. Our results shows that a combination of different policies such as case isolation and social distancing are more effective for mitigating the epidemics. Furthermore, these policies will still be necessary in a phased vaccination program. Therefore, health surveillance activities should be maintained along with vaccination planning in scheduled groups until a large vaccinated coverage is reached. +
++Rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 is essential for instituting measures to prevent viral spread. SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) based on lateral flow immunochromatography assay (LFIA) principle can visually indicate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antigens as a band. Ag-RDT is clinically promising as a point-of-care testing because it can give results in a short time without the need for special equipment. Although various antigen capture LFIAs are now available for rapid diagnosis for SARS-CoV-2 infection, they face the problems of low sensitivity. We have previously developed highly specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (NP) and in this study, we have employed these mAbs to develop a new LFIA that can detect SARS-CoV-2 NP in nasopharyngeal swab samples with higher sensitivity by combining them with silver amplification technology. We also compared the performance of our Ag-RDT against the commercially available Ag-RDTs using clinical samples to find that our newly developed LFIA performed best among tested, highlighting the superiority of silver amplification technology. +
+Phase III Study of AZD7442 for Treatment of COVID-19 in Outpatient Adults - Condition: Â COVID-19
Interventions: Â Drug:Â AZD7442; Â Drug:Â Placebo
Sponsor: Â AstraZeneca
Not yet recruiting
Fluvoxamine Administration in Moderate SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infected Patients - Condition: Â Covid19
Interventions: Â Drug:Â Placebo; Â Drug:Â Fluvoxamine
Sponsor:  SigmaDrugs Research Ltd.
Recruiting
TOCILIZUMAB - An Option for Patients With COVID-19 Associated Cytokine Release Syndrome; A Single Center Experience - Condition: Â Covid19
Intervention: Â Drug:Â Tocilizumab
Sponsor:  FMH College of Medicine and Dentistry
Completed
APTâą T3X on the COVID-19 Contamination Rate - Condition: Â COVID-19
Interventions:  Drug: Tetracycline hydrochloride 3%;  Drug: Placebo
Sponsors:  University of Nove de Julho;  Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre
Not yet recruiting
COVID-19 Immunologic Antiviral Therapy With Omalizumab - Condition: Â Covid19
Interventions: Â Biological:Â Omalizumab; Â Other:Â Placebo
Sponsor: Â McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
Not yet recruiting
An Outpatient Clinical Trial Using Ivermectin and Doxycycline in COVID-19 Positive Patients at High Risk to Prevent COVID-19 Related Hospitalization - Condition: Â Covid19
Interventions:  Drug: Ivermectin Tablets;  Drug: Doxycycline Tablets;  Drug: Placebo
Sponsor:  Max Health, Subsero Health
Recruiting
Safety and Efficacy of Doxycycline and Rivaroxaban in COVID-19 - Condition: Â COVID-19
Interventions:  Drug: Doxycycline Tablets;  Drug: Rivaroxaban 15Mg Tab;  Combination Product: Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin
Sponsor:  Yaounde Central Hospital
Recruiting
Phase IIb Clinical Trial of Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (COVID-19) Vaccine (Sf9 Cells) - Condition: Â COVID-19
Interventions: Â Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells); Â Biological:Â Placebo
Sponsors:  Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;  West China Hospital
Not yet recruiting
Famotidine vs Placebo for the Treatment of Non-Hospitalized Adults With COVID-19 - Condition: Â Covid-19
Interventions: Â Drug:Â Famotidine; Â Drug:Â Placebo
Sponsors:  Northwell Health;  Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Recruiting
COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Placental and Immunological Impacts - Condition: Â Covid19
Intervention:  Other: Specimens specific for the study
Sponsor:  Hopital Foch
Recruiting
Convalescent Plasma in the Treatment of Covid-19 - Condition: Â Covid19
Interventions: Â Biological: Convalescent plasma from COVID-19 donors; Â Biological:Â Placebo
Sponsors:  Helsinki University Central Hospital;  Finnish Red Cross
Recruiting
Early Use of Hyperimmune Plasma in COVID-19 - Condition: Â Covid19
Intervention:  Other: hyperimmune plasma
Sponsors:  Catherine Klersy;  Policlinico San Matteo Pavia Fondazione IRCCS
Recruiting
Efficacy of Nano-Ivermectin Impregnated Masks in Prevention of Covid-19 Among Healthy Contacts and Medical Staff - Condition: Â Covid-19
Intervention:  Other: ivermectin impregnated mask
Sponsor:  South Valley University
Recruiting
Restoration of Endothelial Integrity in Patients With COVID-19 (RELIC) - Condition: Â COVID-19
Intervention:  Biological: Thawed plasma
Sponsor:  University of Alabama at Birmingham
Not yet recruiting
Safety and Preliminary Efficacy Study of GX-I7 in Patients With COVID-19 - Condition: Â Covid19
Interventions: Â Drug:Â GX-I7; Â Drug:Â GX-I7Â vehicle
Sponsor:  Genexine, Inc.
Recruiting
Dual Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 and Human Rhinovirus with Protease Inhibitors in Clinical Development - The 3-chymotrypsin-like cysteine protease (3CLpro) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is considered a major target for the discovery of direct antiviral agents. We previously reported the evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors in a novel self-assembled monolayer desorption ionization mass spectrometry (SAMDI-MS) enzymatic assay (Gurard-Levin, Liu et al., 2020). The assay was further improved by adding the rhinovirus HRV3C protease to the same well as the...
PDE4 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for improvement of pulmonary dysfunctions in Covid-19 and cigarette smoking - Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the binding-site and entry-point for SARS-CoV-2 in human and highly expressed in the lung. Cigarette smoking (CS) is the leading cause of pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. Chronic CS leads to upregulation of bronchial ACE2 inducing a high vulnerability in COVID-19 smoker patients. Interestingly, CS-induced dysregulation of pulmonary renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in part contributing into the potential pathogenesis COVID-19 pneumonia and acute...
Absence of vaccine-enhanced disease with unexpected positive protection against SARS-CoV-2 by inactivated vaccine given within three days of virus challenge in Syrian hamster model - CONCLUSIONS: Vaccination just before or soon after exposure to SARS-CoV-2 does not worsen disease phenotypes and may even ameliorate infection.
Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of COVID-19: the never-ending story - The anti-malarial drugs chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) have been suggested as promising agents against the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that induces COVID-19 and as a possible therapy for shortening the duration of the viral disease. The antiviral effects of CQ and HCQ have been demonstrated in vitro due to their ability to block viruses like coronavirus SARS in cell culture. CQ and HCQ have been proposed to reduce immune reactions to infectious agents, inhibit pneumonia...
SARS-CoV-2 triggers an MDA-5-dependent interferon response which is unable to control replication in lung epithelial cells - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiologic agent of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), which ranges from mild respiratory symptoms to acute respiratory distress syndrome, and death in the most severe cases. Immune dysregulation with altered innate cytokine responses is thought to contribute to disease severity. Here, we characterized in depth host cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 in primary human airway epithelia (HAE) and immortalized cell lines. Our results...
ACE2 Nascence, trafficking, and SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis: the saga continues - With the emergence of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 since December 2019, more than 65 million cases have been reported worldwide. This virus has shown high infectivity and severe symptoms in some cases, leading to over 1.5 million deaths globally. Despite the collaborative and concerted research efforts that have been made, no effective medication for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease-2019) is currently available. SARS-CoV-2 uses the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as an initial mediator...
Potential effect of Maxing Shigan decoction against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) revealed by network pharmacology and experimental verification - CONCLUSION: This work explained the positive characteristics of multi-component, multi-target, and multi-approach intervention with MXSGD in combating COVID-19, and preliminary revealed the antiviral and anti-inflammatory pharmacodynamic substances and mechanism of MXSGD, which might provide insights into the vital role of TCM in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
Cardiovascular protective properties of oxytocin against COVID-19 - SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 has become a worldwide pandemic; however, effective treatment for COVID-19 remains to be established. Along with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), new and old cardiovascular injuries are important causes of significant morbidity and mortality in COVID-19. Exploring new approaches managing cardiovascular complications is essential in controlling the disease progression and preventing long-term complications. Oxytocin (OXT), an immune-regulating...
Selection, Identification, and Characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibody Resistant Mutants - The use of monoclonal neutralizing antibodies (mNAbs) is being actively pursued as a viable intervention for the treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and associated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). While highly potent mNAbs have great therapeutic potential, the ability of the virus to mutate and escape recognition and neutralization of mNAbs represents a potential problem in their use for the therapeutic management of SARS-CoV-2. Studies investigating...
How IvIg Can Mitigate Covid-19 Disease: A Symmetrical Immune Network Model - In this report we provide a hypothesis of how intravenous immunoglobulin (IvIg) (pooled therapeutic normal IgG) mitigates the severe disease after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The disease is caused by an overreaction of the innate immune system producing a cytokine storm and inflicting multiple organ damage. Our interpretation of IvIg therapy hinges on a recent analysis of the immune dysregulation in Covid-19 infection.^((1)) Previous...
Strong Binding of Leupeptin with TMPRSS2 Protease May Be an Alternative to Camostat and Nafamostat for SARS-CoV-2 Repurposed Drug: Evaluation from Molecular Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulations - The unprecedented coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 outbreak at Wuhan, China, caused acute respiratory infection to humans. There is no precise vaccine/therapeutic agents available to combat the COVID-19 disease. Some repurposed drugs are saving the life of diseased, but the complete cure is relatively less. Several drug targets have been reported to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, in that TMPRSS2 (transmembrane protease serine 2) is one of the potential targets; inhibiting this protease stops the...
ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas1 axis and the vascular system: vasoprotection to COVID-19-associated vascular disease - The two axes of the renin-angiotensin system include the classical ACE/Ang II/AT1 axis and the counter-regulatory ACE2/Ang-(1-7)/Mas1 axis. ACE2 is a multifunctional monocarboxypeptidase responsible for generating Ang-(1-7) from Ang II. ACE2 is important in the vascular system where it is found in arterial and venous endothelial cells and arterial smooth muscle cells in many vascular beds. Among the best characterized functions of ACE2 is its role in regulating vascular tone. ACE2 through its...
Early Remdesivir Treatment in Covid-19: Why Wait Another Day? - Antiviral drug efficacy commonly depends on how soon after the onset of the infection is the treatment initiated. For COVID-19 there are no studies available to establish the benefit of early initiation of antivirals on patient outcomes. Remdesivir, an inhibitor of SARS-CoV-2 viral replication, was approved for the treatment of COVID-19 in patients requiring hospitalization. However, studies leading to its approval were conducted in COVID-19 patients with lower respiratory tract infection and/or...
Degradation of SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Skp2 in lung epithelial cells - An unexpected observation among the COVID-19 pandemic is that smokers constituted only 1.4%-18.5% of hospitalized adults, calling for an urgent investigation to determine the role of smoking in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we show that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) increase ACE2 mRNA but trigger ACE2 protein catabolism. BaP induces an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-dependent upregulation of the ubiquitin E3 ligase Skp2 for ACE2 ubiquitination. ACE2 in lung...
Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Carrying miRNA as a Potential Multi Target Therapy to COVID-19: an In Silico Analysis - In the end of 2019 COVID-19 emerged as a new threat worldwide and this disease present impaired immune system, exacerbated production of inflammatory cytokines, and coagulation disturbs. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a therapeutic option due to its intrinsic properties to alleviate inflammatory responses, capable to promote the restoring of injured tissue. EVs contain heterogeneous cargo, including active microRNAs, small noncoding sequences...
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING POWER CONSUMPTION IMPACT BASED ON IMPACT OF COVID-19 EPIDEMIC - - link
A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITION OF ARTESUNATE AND MEFLOQUINE AND METHOD THEREOF - A pharmaceutical composition for treating Covid-19 virus comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an artesunate or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and a mefloquine or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof is disclosed. The pharmaceutical composition comprises the artesunate in the ratio of 0.25% to 66% w/v and mefloquine in the ratio of 0.25% to 90% w/v. The composition is found to be effective for the treatment of COVID -19 (SARS-CoV2). The pharmaceutical composition of Artesunate and Mefloquine has been found to be effective and is unexpectedly well tolerated with a low rate of side-effects, and equally high cure-rates than in comparable treatments. The present invention also discloses a method to preparing the pharmaceutical composition comprising of Artesunate and Mefloquine. - link
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ZahnbĂŒrstenaufsatz fĂŒr eine elektrische ZahnbĂŒrste (20) umfassend einen Koppelabschnitt (2), ĂŒber den der ZahnbĂŒrstenaufsatz (1) mit einer elektrischen Versorgungseinheit (10) der elektrischen ZahnbĂŒrste (20) verbindbar ist und einen BĂŒrstenabschnitt (3), der zur Reinigung der ZĂ€hne ausgebildete Reinigungsmittel (3.1) aufweist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass an dem ZahnbĂŒrstenaufsatz (1) eine Sensoreinheit (4) vorgesehen ist, die dazu ausgebildet ist, selektiv das Vorhandensein eines Virus oder eines Antigen im Speichel eines Nutzers des ZahnbĂŒrstenaufsatzes (1) durch Messen zumindest eines virusspezifischen Parameters zu bestimmen.
COVID-19 CLASSIFICATION RECOGNITION METHOD BASED ON CT IMAGES OF LUNGS - - link
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Vorrichtung (10) umfassend einen Schutzschirm (12) und einen Filter (14) zum Herausfiltern von Viren (16) aus einem Schall erzeugenden Luftstrom (18), der von einem Musiker (20) beim Musizieren mit einem Musikinstrument oder beim Singen erzeugt wird, wobei der Schutzschirm (12) zur Verringerung des Risikos einer Infektion mit den Viren (16) dafĂŒr vorgesehen ist, wenigstens einen Teil der mit dem Luftstrom transportierten Viren (16) aufzufangen, der Schutzschirm (12) eine erste Seite (22) und eine zweite Seite (24) aufweist, die voneinander abgewandt sind, und der Schutzschirm (12) wenigstens einen sich von der ersten (22) bis zu der zweiten Seite (24) erstreckenden Durchlass (26) aufweist, wobei dieser Durchlass (26) zum Durchströmen mit wenigstens einem Teil des beim Musizieren erzeugten Luftstroms (18) vorgesehen ist und der Filter (14) zum Herausfiltern von Viren (16) aus dem Luftstrom (18) in dem Durchlass (26) des Schutzschirms (12) angeordnet ist.
+Seil-Haltevorrichtung (1)
mit einer Seil-Klemmeinrichtung (3), die auf dem TrÀger (2) angeordnet ist.
A traditional Chinese medicine composition for COVID-19 and/or influenza and preparation method thereof - - link
Covid 19 - Chewing Gum - - link
STOCHASTIC MODEL METHOD TO DETERMINE THE PROBABILITY OF TRANSMISSION OF NOVEL COVID-19 - The present invention is directed to a stochastic model method to assess the risk of spreading the disease and determine the probability of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). - link
+
Die Erfindung betrifft ein FahrzeuglĂŒftungssystem (1) zum BelĂŒften einer Fahrgastzelle (2) eines Fahrzeugs (3), mit einem Umluftpfad (5). Die Erfindung ist gekennzeichnet durch eine wenigstens abschnittsweise in einen Umluftansaugbereich (4) des Umluftpads (5) hineinreichende Sterilisationseinrichtung (6), wobei die Sterilisationseinrichtung (6) dazu eingerichtet ist von einem aus der Fahrgastzelle (2) entnommenen Luftstrom getragene Schadstoffe zu inaktivieren und/oder abzutöten.
Bidenâs Pandemic Plan Might Just Work - The coronavirus is devastating America, and getting worseâbut itâs not too late for a concerted effort to save countless lives. - link
The GameStop Stock Saga Is Dangerous and All Too Familiar - As the Federal Reserve surely knows, the longer that speculative bubbles are allowed to inflate, the bigger the eventual bust, and the more negative fallout there is for the economy as a whole. - link
The Biden Administrationâs Landmark Day in the Fight for the Climate - The newly announced actions may well mark the beginning of the end of the fossil-fuel era. - link
The Three Biggest Lessons of the Coronavirus Economy - Nearly a year into the pandemic, solving the economic crisis means defeating the virus. - link
How Black Lives Matter Came to the Academy - The #BlackInTheIvory hashtag helped to surface decades of bias at universities. - link
++Courts struck down Trump-era rules on ozone and what data can be used to make policy. +
++Former President Donald Trumpâs environmental agenda suffered two significant losses in court this week, as federal judges struck down rules that would have made regulating pollution more difficult. +
++On Wednesday, a federal judge blocked a rule passed in the final days of the Trump administration that would have limited the use of so-called âsecret science,â a term used by conservatives to refer to data kept confidential due to patient privacy concerns, in the regulation of pollutants by the Environmental Protection Agency. +
++And on Friday, a panel of three judges in Washington, DCâs circuit court abolished rules that loosened the EPAâs implementation of ozone standards under the Clean Air Act, as the panel found that the Trump-era policy âcontravene[s] the statuteâs unambiguous language,â and ârests on an unreasonable interpretation of the statute.â +
++The first case hinged on the timing of the rule change â it was put in place on January 6 under former EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, himself a former coal lobbyist. Wheeler argued that the rule would increase transparency by ensuring public health policy was grounded in data reviewable by all. +
++But critics of the rule said that it would limit the power of agencies like the EPA to protect public health, as much of the agencyâs science relies on work that includes confidential patient data that cannot legally be made publicly available. +
++For example, a landmark Harvard study from 1993, which found direct links between exposure to pollutants and mortality rates, has for years formed the basis of the EPAâs regulation of fine particulate matter. But because that study used anonymized health data, the Trump rule would have barred it, and any similar studies, from being used to create regulations. +
++On Wednesday, US District Judge Brian Morris, an Obama appointee in Montana, sided with the ruleâs critics, saying that the Trump administrationâs decision to pass the rule two weeks before Trump left office was âcapricious.â +
++He ordered that the ruleâs implementation be delayed until February 5 so that President Joe Bidenâs administration can assess whether to go forward with the rule or not. +
++In the Friday case, three judges on the United States Court of Appeals for Washington, DC â Judges Harry Edwards, David Tatel, and Gregory Katsas, appointed by former Presidents Carter, Clinton and Trump respectively â found that parts of rules relaxing ozone regulations were not lawful. +
++The rules, adopted in 2015 and 2018, allowed polluters and officials flexibility in meeting ozone regulations under the federal Clean Air Act. One key rule change gave polluters leeway in the production of compounds that serve as precursors to ozone, which can be toxic. This rule allowed polluters to swap the emission of a given ozone precursor with another known ozone precursor. Two other rules allowed states flexibility in meeting ozone requirements, and a fourth gave areas that failed to meet ozone mitigation thresholds cover from consequences if they showed that theyâd had a plan to meet those targets. +
++Environmental groups that brought challenges to each of these provisions, which included the Sierra Club and Earthjustice, called those changes âloopholes.â +
++The Trump administration rolled back nearly 100 environmental protections in just four years. On the campaign trail, Biden promised to reverse many of these actions, and has spent part of his first days in office doing so, using executive orders. +
++As Voxâs Ella Nilsen reported: +
++++On Wednesday, Biden signed a set of executive actions meant to begin making this plan a reality. In them, he directed his administration to take a âwhole-of-government approachâ to combat climate change, which includes â among other initiatives â ordering federal agencies to purchase electricity that is pollution-free, as well as zero emission vehicles, and directing the US Department of Interior to pause entering into new oil and natural gas leases on public lands or offshore. +
++These new orders come on top of Bidenâs day one executive actions to rejoin the Paris climate agreement and directing his agencies to reverse a number of former President Trumpâs actions slashing environmental regulations and emissions standards. +
+
+Biden has signaled that climate policy will be a centerpiece of his economic agenda, too. +
++âBidenâs economic agenda is his climate agenda; his climate agenda is his economic agenda,â Sam Ricketts â co-founder of the climate policy group Evergreen, and a senior fellow at the progressive Center for American Progress think tank â told Nilsen. +
++In the short term, this means finding ways to create new jobs, according to the president. And that focus was on display in one of the executive orders he signed Wednesday, which, among other initiatives, directed his administration to investigate ways to convert fossil fuel hubs into communities centered on renewable energy. +
++
+
++Their contributions were just a part of the $86 million Trump and Republicans raised following the 2020 election. +
++A Wall Street Journal investigation has found a number of key allies of former President Donald Trump â including far-right media personality Alex Jones and Julie Jenkins Fancelli, heir to the Publix supermarket fortune â helped to fund the rally that preceded the storming of the US Capitol on January 6 that left five dead. +
++According to reporters Shalini Ramachandran, Alexandra Berzon, and Rebecca Ballhaus, Jones pledged $50,000 of his own money to the event, and organized additional funds, including a $300,000 contribution from Jenkins Fancelli, who is a major GOP donor. +
++All told, the rally cost about $500,000, according to the report. That event, during which Trump pledged to never concede the November election to President Joe Biden â and whipped up supporters who later took over the Capitol â formed the basis of Trumpâs second impeachment in the House of Representatives. In part due to comments he made at that rally, Trump has been charged with âincitement of insurrection,â and will soon face a trial in the Senate. +
++The Journal also reports that, according to Federal Election Commission records, âat least five former Trump campaign staffersâ were involved in the logistics of the event. The rally was particularly lucrative for Trump fundraising official Caroline Wren, who was paid $730,000 throughout the 2020 election cycle for her and her firm to work on fundraising for the Trump reelection campaign team, according to the Journal. +
++Jones, a prolific conspiracy theorist who has helped to promote many discredited claims, such as the idea that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax, committed his funds in exchange for a speaking slot at the rally. He ended up speaking the night before, at a different rally, but promoted the January 6 event. Both rallies were demonstrations for the ongoing âStop the Stealâ movement, which falsely claims that the presidential election was stolen from Trump. +
++Jenkins Fancelliâs donation was not connected to any speaking time, and was managed by Wren, who Jenkins Fancelli reportedly selected to coordinate the rally. Beyond her contribution to the January 6 event, Jenkins Fancelli donated nearly a million dollars to the Trump campaign and the Republican Party during the 2020 election cycle. +
++Hosted by a group calling itself âWomen for America First,â the rally took place just south of the White House in an area known as the Ellipse, while congressional lawmakers were gathered at the Capitol to certify the results of that election. In his remarks, Trump blasted Republicans whom he deemed insufficiently loyal, including his own vice president, Mike Pence. He closed by encouraging the crowd to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to challenge those lawmakers directly. +
++By that afternoon, hundreds of people had breached the building, many waving pro-Trump flags, as well as other far-right emblems, such as the Confederate flag. Five people died during the chaos, including one police officer; two other police officers who were present that day have since died by suicide, and at least 140 officers were injured, some seriously. +
++Jones has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection, nor has Jenkins Fancelli. +
++The large sum of money raised for the January 6 rally is indicative of the fundraising push that surrounded the final months of Trumpâs presidency â overall, the former presidentâs opposition to the election results proved a lucrative fundraising opportunity. +
++Indeed, Trump donors were motivated to contribute some $86 million to the Republican National Committee and to organizations directly tied to Trump between November 24 and December 31, 2020, according to a disclosure Friday with the Federal Elections Commission. +
++Bloomberg first reported that, according to WinRed, the online fundraising arm of the Republican Party, a total of $207 million was raised for Republican candidates and committees in the 19 days following the November 3 election. A portion of that went to competitive runoff elections for Georgia Senate seats, both of which the GOP lost. +
++But about $68 million raised went to Trump Make America Great Again, a joint fundraising committee that splits its intake between Save America, Trumpâs political action committee, and the RNC, according to Bloomberg. As Politico has noted, Trump has a great deal of legal flexibility with how Save Americaâs money can be spent â from running ads in coming elections to paying allies and family members for work. +
++While it remains to be seen exactly how Save Americaâs money will be used, Trump is currently facing questions over his reelection campaignâs ties to the January 6 rally. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Trumpâs 2020 reelection campaign paid more than $2.7 million to organizations and individuals with ties to the January 6 event. A substantial amount of those donations were âdark money,â which makes it âdifficult to know who the campaign paid and when,â reporter Anna Massoglia wrote. +
++The Center for Responsive Politics also found that eight people were hired as either staffers or contractors to organize the rally, using campaign funds. The campaign, however, has said that it did not pay for the rally and that those people were not employed by the campaign on the day of the rally and its violent outcome. +
+
++Robinhood was a gateway into the stock market for millions of traders. Now itâs trying to get them to slow down. +
++At the center of the GameStop stock trading frenzy is Robinhood, a trading app for regular investors that says itâs out to âdemocratize finance.â But the growing chaos in the stock market is really testing the limits of that mission. +
++Robinhood, which is currently the most downloaded app on both the Apple and Google app stores, was founded in 2013 and launched in 2015. It has been a game changer in the retail trading space, largely because it allowed for commission-free trading, and others followed suit. Basically, that means when you buy or sell a stock on Robinhood â or on online brokerages like Fidelity, nowadays â thereâs no charge. (Just because Robinhood does commission-free trading doesnât mean it doesnât make money. The company is valued at more than $20 billion and is set to go public early this year.) +
++In recent months, as day trading and individual investing have really taken off, so has Robinhood. If you donât have a Robinhood account at this point, you might know someone who does. +
++So why is Robinhood in the news right now? Lots of people have gotten into trading lately, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Theyâre bored at home, many have money to spare, and trading can be fun, especially on Robinhoodâs gamified platform. Reddit, TikTok, and Twitter are also spurring the trading trend and getting people into finance. +
++In recent days, traders have piled on to certain stocks â namely, the retailer GameStop â causing enormous amounts of volatility and some serious finger-wagging from Wall Street. Many of the trades are being made on Robinhood. The platform has made trading super easy and, some would argue, almost addictive, so that it feels more like gambling than it does investing. Now, Robinhood is being forced to address the frenzy around GameStop and other volatile stocks. +
++Robinhood received an enormous amount of backlash after announcing Thursday morning that the company was restricting trading on a number of stocks, including GameStop. Some users have joined a class-action suit against the company that says it manipulated the market by restricting trades, which caused users to lose money. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has called on Congress to investigate. In fact, the issue is bringing together all types of unexpected allies â including Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Well, sort of. +
++++I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where thereâs common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out.
+â Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 28, 2021 +
Happy to work w/ almost any other GOP that arenât trying to get me killed.
In the meantime if you want to help, you can resign. https://t.co/4mVREbaqqm +
+Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) appeared on CNBC on Thursday to talk about GameStop. She weighed in on how Robinhood, which, like many similar firms, has people sign arbitration clauses that say theyâll solve disputes in arbitration instead of before a judge or jury. She also called for the Securities and Exchange Commission to have clearer rules about market manipulation. +
++âWe need an SEC that has clear rules about market manipulation and then has the backbone to get in and enforce those rules,â Warren said. âTo have a healthy stock market, youâve got to have a cop on the beat.â +
++New York Attorney General Letitia James tweeted Thursday evening that her office is âactively reviewing concernsâ about Robinhoodâs GameStop activity. Around that time, the company announced it was restoring âlimited buysâ for the restricted stocks, sending their share prices back up in after-hours trading. +
++The SEC in a blog post Friday morning said it âwill closely review actions taken by regulated entities that may disadvantage investors or otherwise unduly inhibit their ability to trade certain securities.â +
++On Friday evening, Robinhood explained that it restricted stock buying ânot because we wanted to stop people from buying these stocks,â but because due to the volatility of those stocks, the company was required to come up with 10 times the deposit requirements it had a week earlier in order to execute those trades. To do so, the company had to quickly draw on a number of credit lines. +
++Robinhood helped bring about the latest day-trading revolution, and now it seems like the company is partially trying to stamp it out. Itâs unclear how this debacle will affect Robinhoodâs future. +
++
++Robinhood is an app that lets investors trade stocks without paying a fee. Before Robinhood, people had to pay each time they bought or sold a stock. These fees presented a barrier to entry to many retail investors â regular people who are trading stocks, largely thanks to apps like Robinhood. +
++Since the advent of Robinhood, other online brokers like Charles Schwab, E-Trade, and TD Ameritrade have dropped their fees, but these companies arenât as popular. Robinhood said it had upward of 13 million accounts as of last May, although with the recent retail trading boom, that number is likely higher now. +
++Typical account sizes range from $1,000 to $5,000. These sums arenât enough to move a market alone, but en masse, retail investors have been shown to drive up certain stock prices. +
++Robinhood has not been without controversy. It has been criticized for gamifying trading and making investing feel like gambling. When you sign up, it offers you a free stock and encourages you to invite your friends to get more. The screen turns green when youâre up and red when youâre down, and when you trade, it sometimes sends you confetti and gives you the money instantly so you can trade again. Itâs easy to see how people get sucked in fast. +
+ <img alt="A gif showing how the Robinhood app works." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1ip4vl-T3Z7GoG9T6svhnpajM_4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22266641/Robinhood.gif" />
+ <cite><a class="ql-link" href="https://blog.robinhood.com/news/2020/10/6/invest-in-your-future-in-just-a-few-taps" target="_blank">Robinhood</a></cite>+Options trading, which gives traders the right to buy or sell shares of something at a certain period, has also become popular on Robinhood. It is a riskier and more advanced type of investing, and some investors are taking part without really knowing what theyâre getting into. Itâs not uncommon for retail traders to get into options, get lucky once or twice, and then get wiped out. In June of last year, one 20-year-old Robinhood trader died by suicide after believing heâd lost hundreds of thousands of dollars on the app. +
++In a statement to Vox last year, a Robinhood spokesperson said the company believes itâs âtime to move away from the notionâ that itâs gambling or gaming, and disputed that the app is gamified, instead saying that what it has is âaccessible, modern design.â The spokesperson emphasized that the app doesnât display confetti for every trade and disputed that confetti is a reward. Instead, Robinhood argued, the confetti feature is âcelebrating the achievementâ of participating in markets. The company also said most of its customers arenât day traders, and that of the customers who trade in any given month, a small portion make options trades. +
++Still, regulators are taking notice. In December, the SEC fined Robinhood $65 million for not being clear with investors about how it makes its money. Massachusetts regulators have also filed a complaint against Robinhood. +
++Along those lines, itâs worth looking at how Robinhood makes money: by routing trades through brokerages that pay to make those trades. Big market-makers like Citadel Securities and Virtu Financial pay millions of dollars to process the trades and put them back onto the market. They, in turn, make money off the spread, which is the price difference between the buy and the sell. Itâs good business for Citadel, as the Financial Times laid out: +
++++Easy access to the market against the backdrop of wild swings in prices have led to higher trading volumes for stocks and options this year â increasing the raw material Citadel Securities uses to turn a profit. At the same time, the rise in volatility has forced spreads wider, increasing the potential income for market makers. +
+
+The setup is also good for Robinhood, which made $100 million on fees from Citadel and others in the first quarter of 2020. Basically, the few cents both Citadel Securities and Robinhood are picking up on transactions add up, especially with such high volumes. +
++In its complaint against Robinhood, the SEC warned that its âcustomersâ orders were executed at prices that were inferior to other brokersâ prices.â In an email to Vox last year, a spokesperson for Citadel Securities argued that they believe they, as market-makers, provide better prices for retail investors. +
++Still, the app enjoys the perception that itâs free, and its approach has brought many people to the stock market for the first time. Whatever the controversies around it, business is good for Robinhood. +
++On Thursday morning, Robinhood announced it was restricting trading for GameStop, AMC, BlackBerry, and a number of other unlikely stocks that had been rallying after a coordinated effort by redditors to buy up stocks that had been shorted. +
++The effort, started on the popular subreddit r/WallStreetBets, has caused extraordinary stock price growth and points to the growing importance of retail investors. Even after Robinhood restricted trading, at market close Thursday GameStop stock was up more than 850 percent over what it was a month ago (it had been up 1,500 percent on Wednesday). AMC was up about 250 percent. +
++After Robinhood announced it would reinstate trading on those stocks Thursday evening, prices largely recovered. Robinhood raised $1 billion from investors overnight, which allowed the company to ease its restrictions, according to CNBC. +
++âBy drawing on our credit lines, which we do all the time as part of normal day-to-day operations, we get more capital that we can deposit with the clearinghouses and that will allow us to enable, ideally, more investing with fewer restrictions,â Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev told CNBC. +
++Meanwhile, hedge funds that bet against these stocks have suffered. Melvin Capital maintained huge losses and was forced to close out its short position. Shorts are when investors bet that a stock will go down. Essentially, when you short a stock, you eventually have to buy back the shares you borrowed and return them. If the trade works, you buy them at a lower price and get to keep the difference. But if the price of the stock goes up, it doesnât work. At some point, youâve got to buy the stock back and return it, even when the price is higher and youâre going to lose money. +
++The efforts have seemingly pitted professional traders against a pool of amateurs, but as Alexis Goldstein, a senior policy analyst at Americans for Financial Reform who formerly worked on Wall Street, points out, that narrative might not be right: More trading is good for lots of big Wall Street names that make money on retail trades. âItâs not David vs. Goliath. Itâs Goliath vs. Goliath, with David as a fig leaf,â Goldstein wrote in her newsletter. +
++The hedge fund Citadel â which is a separate company from Citadel Securities but was founded by the same person, Ken Griffin â has also been involved in the current dustup over GameStop. It was one of two funds to inject $2.75 billion into Melvin Capital amid its GameStop short-sell troubles. +
++The rally around GameStop, AMC, BlackBerry, and others seems to be unrelated to the companiesâ actual financials. GameStop, for example, posted a net loss of $275 million in the past 12 months, with the brick-and-mortar video game company struggling as game revenue shifts to online transactions. The movie theater chain AMC has had a rocky year as the coronavirus has kept people from its theaters. +
++Robinhood is not the only brokerage involved, but it has enabled a lot of the trading thatâs happening as well as this gambling-like culture. Robinhoodâs rise in the past few years is paralleled by the rise in popularity of the WallStreetBets subreddit. +
++Itâs not entirely clear if the redditorsâ efforts are legal. Charles Whitehead, a Cornell Law School professor who specializes in financial markets, told Recode itâs a gray area, but typically, proving market manipulation would require demonstrating some level of deceit. +
++âThe fact that theyâre doing this all so openly makes it much harder to show manipulation,â Whitehead explained. +
++It also depends on who is behind popular Reddit posts. As the Washington Post put it, âFederal securities law prohibits market participants from misrepresenting a companyâs prospects to artificially affect its share price. With Reddit users cloaked in anonymity, there is no way of knowing whether messages touting GameStop come from average Joes â or scam artists executing a âpump-and-dumpâ stock scheme.â +
++The SEC, which enforces federal securities laws, has said itâs monitoring the situation but has not asked the exchanges to halt trading these stocks. The SECâs leadership is in transition after chair Jay Clayton left in December. President Joe Biden has appointed an acting chair until his nominee for the post, Gary Gensler, is confirmed. +
++In the meantime, Robinhoodâs actions are likely protected by its terms of service, Whitehead said. Most likely, the app is hoping to avoid a PR disaster in the event that these stocks crash and amateur traders lose their savings. +
++Due in part to the role Robinhood has played in this day-trading craze, the past week has been a wild one on the stock market. When and how it ends is hard to say. Itâs easy to root for the little guys; itâs also hard not to worry that theyâre taking on a lot of risk. +
++Many investors have likened the current frenzy to the dot-com bubble at the turn of the century. And there are a lot of similarities: new technologies, people excited about specific stocks, talking to others about them in chat rooms and on message boards. Appaloosa Management founder David Tepper made the analogy on CNBC on Thursday: âIt was âparty on.comâ in 1999 that screwed the shorts, and now itâs âgang up inc.â It didnât end well in 1999 when the dot-com bubble popped. Been there, done that. Old scars.â +
++Henry Blodget, the founder and CEO of Insider who was banned from the financial industry after the tech bubble, echoed the sentiment in an appearance on CNBC. âThis is more than just an echo, this is a repeat of something we have seen again and again through history,â he said, later continuing, âI think we know how it ends. Call up some stock charts from 2000 to 2002 and you get a picture of how it is very much likely to end.â +
+ <img alt="The pets.com sock puppet with a microphone taped to its paw." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9ofRMWt6Yw-CA4wv4qVyWeu9xFw=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22266537/52487062.jpg" />
+ <cite>Bob Riha/Liaison/Getty Images</cite>
+ <figcaption>Many are likening the current stock rally to the dot-com bubble, when retail investors flooded into the stock market to buy stocks like Pets.com.</figcaption>+In a world where wealth creation is difficult and the economy feels stacked against so many ordinary people, itâs hard to make an argument that traders shouldnât be able to try their luck at the stock market through platforms such as Robinhood. And as much as Wall Street criticizes the redditors and Robinhood crowd for being reckless, itâs hard to argue that hedge funds, private equity firms, and big banks are the epitome of responsibility. +
++In the days, weeks, and months to come, there may be some turmoil on the horizon for Robinhood. It could face more legal challenges from users â the ones it had stopped from trading GameStop, but also potentially ones who lose a bunch of money if the bottom starts to fall out on some of these stocks. Traders could also close their accounts and exit the service en masse in the wake of the clampdown, but whether that will happen remains to be seen. In March 2020, amid major market turmoil, Robinhood experienced widespread outages, locking many traders out of making any changes to their portfolios. That didnât kill the business â far from it. +
++Maybe this is an important lesson for the day traders on Robinhood; that ultimately theyâre dealing with a private company with its own set of incentives. Robinhoodâs stated mission is to âdemocratize finance for all,â but itâs pursuing that in service of making money itself, regardless of what happens to its traders. +
+PM's appreciation further strengthens our resolve to perform under pressure, says Ravi Shastri - The effort of the Indian team in their recent victory against Australia was duly appreciated by the Prime Minister in his 'Mann Ki Baat' address to the nation on Sunday
India vs England | I don't know how we are going to get Kohli out: Moeen Ali - Back in the fold after recovering from COVID-19, Moeen said he has still got "match-winning performances" in him and is ready to take on India
Former stars sympathise with domestic players but agree holding Ranji Trophy wasn't feasible - The BCCI has promised a compensation for domestic players and that might bring in some financial respite
Sourav Ganguly discharged from hospital after second angioplasty - The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India was admitted to Apollo Hospitals in Kolkata on January 27 after discomfort and chest pain.
Messi's contract worth up to 555 million euros, says media report - According to the Spanish daily âEl Mundoâ, it is the most expensive contract ever paid to an athlete.
AAP asks Punjab CM to deploy state police for security of farmers protesting on Delhi borders - AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said the Punjab Police must provide protection to farmers so that no harm is done to them and they can continue to protest against the âblack farm lawsâ in a peaceful manner.
RJD says in talks with TMC to fight Bengal polls together - RJD principal general secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui and national general secretary Shyam Rajak are in Kolkata to hammer a tie-up with Mamata Banerjeeâs party for the Bengal polls.
Periyar Tiger Reserve trains abandoned tiger cub - A caretaker will lead the training and a doctor will monitor the health condition of the cub.
Law Minister lays foundation stone for Geological park - The park, to be built at a cost of âč5 crore by the PWD, will inlcude a museum, library and auditorium
Exhibitors, Producers Guild welcome governmentâs decision to allow 100% occupancy in theatres - The insiders said the move would help the industry recover from the coronavirus pandemic-induced losses.
Navalny: Thousands join fresh protests across Russia - More than 2,000 are detained as people gather in support of the detained opposition leader.
Coronavirus: WHO criticises EU over vaccine export controls - "Vaccine nationalism" risks causing a "protracted recovery", the head of the world health body warns.
Turkey LGBT: Four students arrested over artwork - Officials say the artwork depicted rainbow symbols alongside the most sacred site in Islam.
Russian billionaire Arkady Rotenberg says 'Putin Palace' is his - Businessman Arkady Rotenberg says he owns the vast property at the centre of a Russian controversy.
Poles take to streets over abortion ban - Protests have been taking place in Polish cities for the third night in a row following the introduction of a near-total ban on abortion.
Why kids matter in the quest to stamp out COVID-19 - Inoculating kids can help protect an entire population. - link
Google Play bans open-source Matrix client Element, citing âabusive contentâ - Banning a Matrix client for content is really no different from banning a web browser. - link
A new $110 light gun for old Duck Hunts: Ars tests an HDTV-friendly option - It's far from "plug-and-play," but awesome for devoted retro gamers. - link
Lawmakers take aim at insidious digital âdark patternsâ - New laws bar efforts to trick consumers into handing over data or money. - link
Nine Russian adventurers mysteriously froze to deathâa new theory explains why - 60 years later, new evidence points to a peculiar kind of avalanche as the culprit. - link
+A woman is at home when she hears someone knocking at her door. She goes to the door opens it and sees a man standing there. +
++He asks the lady, "Do you have a Vagina?" +
++She slams the door in disgust. The next morning she hears a knock at the door, its the same man and he asks the same question to the woman, "Do you have a Vagina?" +
++She slams the door again. +
++Later that night when her husband gets home she tell him what has happened for the last two days. The husband tells his wife in a loving and concerned voice, "Honey, I am taking a day off tomorrow so I can be home, just incase this guy shows up again." +
++The next morning they hear a knock at the door and both ran for the door. The husband whispers to the wife, "Honey, im going to hide behind the door and listen and if it is the same guy I want you to answer yes to the question because I want to a see where he's going with this." +
++She nods yes to her husband and opens the door. Sure enough the same fellow is standing there, he asks, "Do you have a Vagina?" "Yes I do." says the lady. +
++The man replies, "Good, would you mind telling your husband to leave my wife's alone and start using yours!" +
+ submitted by /u/stevenlover333
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+Me: âand?â +
+ submitted by /u/Miyke
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+Erection Fraud. +
++Dont hate me. +
+ submitted by /u/AdmiralGeekGuru
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+It's called gluten tag. +
+ submitted by /u/boatsandcurrents
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+An American +
+ submitted by /u/I-have-a-brain-too
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