++Many countries have seen a two-wave pattern in reported cases of coronavirus disease-19 during the 2020 pandemic, with a first wave during spring followed by the current second wave in late summer and autumn. Empirical data show that the characteristics of the effects of the virus do vary between the two periods. Differences in age range and severity of the disease have been reported, although the comparative characteristics of the two waves still remain largely unknown. Those characteristics are compared in this study using data from two equal periods of 3 and a half months. The first period, between 15th March and 30th June, corresponding to the entire first wave, and the second, between 1st July and 15th October, corresponding to part of the second wave, still present at the time of writing this article. Two hundred and four patients were hospitalized during the first period, and 264 during the second period. Patients in the second wave were younger and the duration of hospitalization and case fatality rate were lower than those in the first wave. In the second wave, there were more children, and pregnant and post-partum women. The most frequent signs and symptoms in both waves were fever, dyspnea, pneumonia, and cough, and the most relevant comorbidities were cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and chronic neurological diseases. Patients from the second wave more frequently presented renal and gastrointestinal symptoms, were more often treated with non-invasive mechanical ventilation and corticoids, and less often with invasive mechanical ventilation, conventional oxygen therapy and anticoagulants. Several differences in mortality risk factors were also observed. These results might help to understand the characteristics of the second wave and the behaviour and danger of SARS-CoV-2 in the Mediterranean area and in Western Europe. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings. +
++We used a mathematical model to evaluate the impact of mass testing in the control of SARS-CoV-2. Conditions required to control a quickly growing epidemic with mass testing appear impossible to achieve. Mass testing should therefore not be seen as a silver bullet that will ensure other control measures can be removed. Even under a set of optimistic assumptions, this strategy is most relevant when epidemic growth remains limited, thanks to a combination of interventions. +
++Objectives Protecting healthcare workers (HCW) from Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) is critical to preserve the functioning of healthcare systems. We therefore assessed seroprevalence and identified risk factors for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) seropositivity in this population. Methods Between June 22nd and August 15th 2020, HCW from institutions in Northern/Eastern Switzerland were screened for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We recorded baseline characteristics, non-occupational and occupational risk factors. We used pairwise tests of associations and multivariable logistic regression to identify factors associated with seropositivity. Results Among 4664 HCW from 23 healthcare facilities, 139 (3%) were seropositive. Non-occupational exposures independently associated with seropositivity were contact with a COVID-19-positive household (adjusted OR=54, 95%-CI: 31-97) and stay in a COVID 19 hotspot (aOR=2.2, 95%-CI: 1.1-3.9). Blood group 0 vs. non-0 (aOR=0.4, 95%-CI: 0.3-0.7), active smoking (aOR=0.5, 95%-CI: 0.3-0.9) and living with children <12 years (aOR=0.3, 95%-CI: 0.2-0.6) were associated with decreased risk. Occupational risk factors were close contact to COVID-19 patients (aOR=2.8, 95%-CI: 1.5-5.5), exposure to COVID-19-positive co-workers (aOR=2.0, 95%-CI: 1.2-3.1), poor knowledge of standard hygiene precautions (aOR=2.0, 95%-CI: 1.3-3.2), and frequent visits to the hospital canteen (aOR=1.9, 95%-CI: 1.2-3.1). Conclusions Living with COVID-19-positive households showed by far the strongest association with SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity. We identified several potentially modifiable risk factors, which might allow mitigation of the COVID-19 risk among HCW. The lower risk among those living with children, even after correction for multiple confounders, is remarkable and merits further study. +
++Background: Little evidence exists on the differential health effects of COVID-19 on disadvantaged population groups. Here we characterise the differential risk of hospitalisation and death in Sao Paulo state, Brazil and show how vulnerability to COVID-19 is shaped by socioeconomic inequalities. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using hospitalised severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) notified from March to August 2020, in the Sistema de Monitoramento Inteligente de Sao Paulo (SIMI-SP) database. We examined the risk of hospitalisation and death by race and socioeconomic status using multiple datasets for individual-level and spatio-temporal analyses. We explained these inequalities according to differences in daily mobility from mobile phone data, teleworking behaviour, and comorbidities. Findings: Throughout the study period, patients living in the 40% poorest areas were more likely to die when compared to patients living in the 5% wealthiest areas (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.48 - 1.74) and were more likely to be hospitalised between April and July, 2020 (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04 - 1.12). Black and Pardo individuals were more likely to be hospitalised when compared to White individuals (OR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.32 - 1.41; OR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.21 - 1.25, respectively), and were more likely to die (OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07 - 1.21; 1.09, 95% CI: 1.05 - 1.13, respectively). Interpretation: Low-income and Black and Pardo communities are more likely to die with COVID-19. This is associated with differential access to healthcare, adherence to social distancing, and the higher prevalence of comorbidities. +
++Background: Antipsychotics suppress expression of inflammatory cytokines and inducible inflammatory enzymes. Elopiprazole (a phenylpiperazine antipsychotic drug in phase 1) has been characterized as a therapeutic drug to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection in a repurposing study. We aim to investigate the potential effects of aripiprazole (an FDA approved phenylpiperazine) on COVID19-related immunological parameters. Methods: Differential gene expression profiles of non-COVID versus COVID RNA-Seq samples (CRA002390 project in GSA database) and drug-naive patients with psychosis at baseline and after three months of aripiprazole treatment was identified. An integrative analysis between COVID and aripiprazole immunomodulatory antagonist effects was performed. Findings: 82 out the 377 genes (21.7%) with expression significantly altered by aripiprazole have also their expression altered in COVID-19 patients and in 93.9% of these genes their expression is reverted by aripiprazole. The number of common genes with expression altered in both analyses is significantly higher than expected (Fisher9s Exact Test, two tail; P value=3.2e-11). 11 KEGG pathways were significantly enriched with genes with altered expression both in COVID-19 patients and aripiprazole medicated schizophrenia patients (P adj<0.05). The most significant pathways were associated to the immune system such as the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (the most significant pathway with a P adj of 0.00021), Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation and B cell receptor signaling pathway, all three related to the defense against infections. Interpretation: This exploratory investigation may provide further support to the notion that protective effect is exerted by phenylpiperazine by modulating the immunological dysregulation associated to COVID-19. Along with many ongoing studies and clinical trials, repurposing available medications could be of use in countering SARS-CoV-2 infection, but require further studies and trials. +
+Evaluating Safety, Pharmacokinetics and Clinical Benefit of Silmitasertib (CX-4945) in Subjects With Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Silmitasertib; Drug: SOC
Sponsor: Chris Recknor, MD
Recruiting
Convalescent Plasma for Treatment of COVID-19: An Open Randomised Controlled Trial - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Biological: SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma; Other: Standard of care
Sponsors: Joakim Dillner; Karolinska Institutet; Danderyd Hospital; Falu Hospital
Not yet recruiting
Phase II / III Study of COVID-19 DNA Vaccine (AG0302-COVID19) - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: Group A (AG0302-COVID19); Biological: Group A (Placebo); Biological: Group B (AG0302-COVID19); Biological: Group B (Placebo)
Sponsors: AnGes, Inc.; Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
Recruiting
Use of BCG Vaccine as a Preventive Measure for COVID-19 in Health Care Workers - Condition: COVID 19 Vaccine
Intervention: Biological: BCG vaccine
Sponsors: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Ministry of Science and Technology, Brazil
Recruiting
At-Home Infusion Using Bamlanivimab in Participants With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Drug: bamlanivimab
Sponsors: Daniel Griffin, MD PhD; Eli Lilly and Company; Optum, Inc.
Not yet recruiting
Changes in Viral Load in COVID-19 After Probiotics - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Dietary Supplement: Dietary supplementation with probiotic GASTEEL PLUS in patients with covid disease admitted to hospital
Sponsors: Hospital de Sagunto; Biopolis S.L.; Laboratorios Heel España
Recruiting
Efficacy and Safety of High-dose Vitamin C Combined With Chinese Medicine Against Coronavirus Pneumonia (COVID-19) - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Alpha-interferon alpha, abidol, ribavirin, Buzhong Yiqi plus and minus formula, Huhuang Detoxicity Paste, Baimu Qingre Jiedu Paste, fumigation/inhalation of vitamin C; Drug: Alpha-interferon, abidol, ribavirin, Buzhong Yiqi plus and minus formula, Huhuang Detoxicity Paste, Baimu Qingre Jiedu Paste and 5% glucose; Drug: Alpha-interferon, abidol, ribavirin, Buzhong Yiqi plus and minus formula, Huhuang Detoxicity Paste, Baimu Qingre Jiedu Paste and high-dose vitamin C treatment
Sponsor: Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital
Active, not recruiting
IFN-beta 1b and Remdesivir for COVID19 - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Interferon beta-1b; Drug: Remdesivir
Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong
Recruiting
COVID-19 And Geko Evaluation: The CAGE Study - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Device: geko T3
Sponsor: Lawson Health Research Institute
Not yet recruiting
A Clinical Safety Study on AT-100 in Treating Adults With Severe COVID-19 Infection - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Biological: AT-100
Sponsor: Airway Therapeutics, Inc.
Not yet recruiting
LYT-100 in Post-acute COVID-19 Respiratory Disease - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: LYT-100; Other: Placebo
Sponsors: PureTech; Clinipace Worldwide; Novotech (Australia) Pty Limited
Not yet recruiting
Resolving Inflammatory Storm in COVID-19 Patients by Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids - - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Omegaven®; Drug: Sodium chloride
Sponsor: Karolinska University Hospital
Recruiting
WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Trial for COVID-19 Treatments - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Remdesivir; Drug: Acalabrutinib; Drug: Interferon beta-1a; Other: Standard of Care
Sponsor: The University of The West Indies
Not yet recruiting
COVID-19 Thrombosis Prevention Trials: Post-hospital Thromboprophylaxis - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Apixaban 2.5 MG; Drug: Placebo
Sponsors: Thomas Ortel, M.D., Ph.D.; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Not yet recruiting
Mushroom-based Product for COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Drug: FoTv
Sponsors: Gordon Saxe; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Irvine
Recruiting
Candidate Binding Sites for Allosteric Inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease from the Analysis of Large-Scale Molecular Dynamics Simulations - We analyzed a 100 μs MD trajectory of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease by a non-parametric data analysis approach which allows characterizing a free energy landscape as a simultaneous function of hundreds of variables. We identified several conformations that, when visited by the dynamics, are stable for several hundred nanoseconds. We explicitly characterize and describe these metastable states. In some of these configurations, the catalytic dyad is less accessible. Stabilizing them by a suitable...
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), human erythrocytes and the PKC-alpha/-beta inhibitor chelerythrine -possible therapeutic implication - The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19. Until now, diverse drugs have been used for the treatment of COVID-19. These drugs are associated with severe side effects, e.g. induction of erythrocyte death, named eryptosis. This massively affects the oxygen (O(2)) supply of the organism. Therefore, three elementary aspects should be considered simultaneously: (1) a potential drug should directly attack the virus, (2) eliminate virus-infected host cells and (3)...
First Report of Tocilizumab Use in a Cohort of Latin American Patients Hospitalized for Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia - Introduction/objectives: An interleukin-6 inhibition strategy could be effective in selected COVID-19 patients. The objective is to present our experience of tocilizumab use in patients with severe COVID-19. Methods: Observational retrospective cohort study. Hospitalized patients were evaluated by our multidisciplinary team for eventual use of tocilizumab. Patients with progressive ventilatory impairment and evidence of a hyperinflammatory state despite usual treatment received tocilizumab 8...
Repurposing Known Drugs as Covalent and Non-covalent Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Papain-Like Protease - In the absence of an approved vaccine, developing effective severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antivirals is essential to tackle the current pandemic health crisis due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread. As any traditional drug discovery program is a time-consuming and costly process requiring more than one decade to be completed, in silico repurposing of existing drugs is the preferred way for rapidly selecting promising clinical candidates. We present a...
Proton pump inhibitors and the risk of severe COVID-19: a post-hoc analysis from the Korean nationwide cohort - No abstract
Silybin B and Cianidanol Inhibit M pro and Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2: Evidence from in Silico Molecular Docking Studies - CONCLUSION: Silybin B and Cianidanol showed excellent binding and ADME properties compared with the currently endeavored drugs and can be exploited as therapeutic options against SARS-CoV-2 infection after experimental validation and clinical trials.
Natural Products Homoharringtonine and Emetine Alkaloids for SARSCoV-2 Treatment Options - CONCLUSION: This review specifically focuses on the recent findings of these alkaloids against coronaviruses and possible treatment options for SARS-CoV-2. It is expected that natural products as alkaloids from herbal plants could be considered as novel and valuable candidates for the new antiviral drugs against SARS-CoV-2.
Protease-activated receptor 1 as a potential therapeutic target for COVID-19 - Acute respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has spread all over the world, since its discovery in 2019, Wuhan, China. This disease is called COVID-19 and already killed over 1 million people worldwide. The clinical symptoms include fever, dry cough, dyspnea, headache, dizziness, generalized weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea. Unfortunately, so far, there is no validated vaccine, and its management consists mainly of supportive care. Venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism...
Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Entry into Host Cells Using Small Molecules - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a virus belonging to the Coronavirus family, is now known to cause Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) which was first recognized in December 2019. Covid-19 leads to respiratory illnesses ranging from mild infections to pneumonia and lung failure. Strikingly, within a few months of its first report, Covid-19 has spread worldwide at an exceptionally high speed and it has caused enormous human casualties. As yet, there is no specific...
Topoisomerase 1 inhibition therapy protects against SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammation and death in animal models - The ongoing pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently affecting millions of lives worldwide. Large retrospective studies indicate that an elevated level of inflammatory cytokines and pro-inflammatory factors are associated with both increased disease severity and mortality. Here, using multidimensional epigenetic, transcriptional, in vitro and in vivo analyses, we report that Topoisomerase 1 (Top1) inhibition suppresses lethal inflammation...
Amilorides inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro by targeting RNA structures - The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and the likelihood of future coronavirus pandemics, has rendered our understanding of coronavirus biology more essential than ever. Small molecule chemical probes offer to both reveal novel aspects of virus replication and to serve as leads for antiviral therapeutic development. The RNA-biased amiloride scaffold was recently tuned to target a viral RNA structure critical for translation in enterovirus 71, ultimately uncovering a novel mechanism to modulate positive-sense...
Ca (2+) -dependent mechanism of membrane insertion and destabilization by the SARS-CoV-2 fusion peptide - Cell penetration after recognition of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by the ACE2 receptor, and the fusion of its viral envelope membrane with cellular membranes, are the early steps of infectivity. A region of the Spike protein (S) of the virus, identified as the "fusion peptide" (FP), is liberated at its N-terminal site by a specific cleavage occurring in concert with the interaction of the receptor binding domain of the Spike. Studies have shown that penetration is enhanced by the required binding of Ca...
Repurposing the Ebola and Marburg Virus Inhibitors Tilorone, Quinacrine and Pyronaridine: In vitro Activity Against SARS-CoV-2 and Potential Mechanisms - SARS-CoV-2 is a newly identified virus that has resulted in over 1.3 M deaths globally and over 59 M cases globally to date. Small molecule inhibitors that reverse disease severity have proven difficult to discover. One of the key approaches that has been widely applied in an effort to speed up the translation of drugs is drug repurposing. A few drugs have shown in vitro activity against Ebola virus and demonstrated activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vivo . Most notably the RNA polymerase targeting...
A proposed molecular mechanism for pathogenesis of severe RNA-viral pulmonary infections - Background: Certain riboviruses can cause severe pulmonary complications leading to death in some infected patients. We propose that DNA damage induced-apoptosis accelerates viral release, triggered by depletion of host RNA binding proteins (RBPs) from nuclear RNA bound to replicating viral sequences. Methods: Information theory-based analysis of interactions between RBPs and individual sequences in the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Influenza A (H3N1), HIV-1, and...
Emerging role of artificial intelligence in therapeutics for COVID-19: a systematic review - To elucidate the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in therapeutics for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Five databases were searched (December 2019-May 2020). We included both published and pre-print original articles in English that applied AI, machine learning or deep learning in drug repurposing, novel drug discovery, vaccine and antibody development for COVID-19. Out of 31 studies included, 16 studies applied AI for drug repurposing, whereas 10 studies utilized AI for novel drug...
"AYURVEDIC PROPRIETARY MEDICINE FOR TREATMENT OF SEVERWE ACUTE RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONAVIRUS 2 (SARS-COV-2." - AbstractAyurvedic Proprietary Medicine for treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)In one of the aspect of the present invention it is provided that Polyherbal combinations called Coufex (syrup) is prepared as Ayurvedic Proprietary Medicine , Aqueous Extracts Mixing with Sugar Syrup form the following herbal aqueous extract coriandrum sativum was used for the formulation of protek.Further another Polyherbal combination protek as syrup is prepared by the combining an aqueous extract of the medicinal herbs including Emblica officinalis, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia belerica, Aegle marmelos, Zingiber officinale, Ocimum sanctum, Adatoda zeylanica, Piper lingum, Andrographis panivulata, Coriandrum sativum, Tinospora cordiofolia, cuminum cyminum,piper nigrum was used for the formulation of Coufex.
Haptens, hapten conjugates, compositions thereof and method for their preparation and use - A method for performing a multiplexed diagnostic assay, such as for two or more different targets in a sample, is described. One embodiment comprised contacting the sample with two or more specific binding moieties that bind specifically to two or more different targets. The two or more specific binding moieties are conjugated to different haptens, and at least one of the haptens is an oxazole, a pyrazole, a thiazole, a nitroaryl compound other than dinitrophenyl, a benzofurazan, a triterpene, a urea, a thiourea, a rotenoid, a coumarin, a cyclolignan, a heterobiaryl, an azo aryl, or a benzodiazepine. The sample is contacted with two or more different anti-hapten antibodies that can be detected separately. The two or more different anti-hapten antibodies may be conjugated to different detectable labels.
疫苗融合蛋白 - 本申请涉及一种融合蛋白，所述融合蛋白包括SARS‑CoV‑2抗原多肽和鞭毛蛋白或其片段。本申请还提供了所述融合蛋白的制备方法和用途。本申请所述的融合蛋白能够诱导机体产生针对SARS‑CoV类病毒的抗原的细胞免疫反应。
AN EFFICIENT METHODOLOGY TO MANAGE THE ADMISSIONS IN HOSPITALS DURING THE PANDEMICS SUCH AS COVID 19 -
一种SARS-CoV-2假病毒小鼠体内包装系统及其制备方法 - 本发明提供了一种假病毒小鼠体内包装系统的制备方法，包括以下步骤：S1基于慢病毒包装质粒系统和睡美人转座子系统构建SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒包装质粒系统，S2将步骤S1中SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒包装质粒系统与睡美人转座酶表达质粒混合通过水动力注射的方式转染小鼠肝细胞，然后睡美人转座子系统将SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒包装所需序列以剪切粘贴的方式整合到小鼠肝细胞的基因组。本发明可在小鼠体内持续制造分泌SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒，可模拟靶器官被SARS‑CoV‑2病毒持续侵入攻击的过程，从而可模拟出新冠肺炎（COVID‑19）的病理特征。基于SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒小鼠体内包装系统的动物模型安全性高，不需要P3级实验室就能开展研究。利用水动力注射的方式引入SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒包装质粒系统操作简单，成本低。
柴胡解毒药物组合物及其制备方法和应用 - 本发明属于中药领域，具体涉及一种柴胡解毒药物组合物及其制备方法和应用，所述柴胡解毒药物组合物以质量份计由如下原料组分制成：柴胡3060份，黄芩1530份，法半夏1530份，生姜1530份，大枣510份，枳实2040份，大黄1020份，桃仁1020份，白芍15~30份。本发明的柴胡解毒药物组合物能够显著改善普通型COVID‑19引起的咳嗽；能改善疫毒闭肺型重型COVID‑19引起的咳嗽，显著改善疫毒闭肺型重型COVID‑19引起的胸闷、气短和乏力等主要症状。另外经大量临床观察，本发明的柴胡解毒药物组合物能够显著改善疫毒闭肺型重型COVID‑19引起的发热面红，咳嗽，痰黄粘少，或痰中带血，喘憋气促，疲乏倦怠，口干苦粘，大便不畅，小便短赤等症状。
一种新型冠状病毒RBD核苷酸序列、优化方法与应用 - 本发明公开了一种新型冠状病毒RBD核苷酸序列、优化方法与应用。属于基因工程技术领域。优化步骤：（1）对野生型新型冠状病毒RBD核苷酸序列进行初步优化；（2）将宿主细胞特异性高表达分泌蛋白信号肽序列进行优化；（3）将人IgG1‑Fc核苷酸序列进行优化；（4）将步骤（2）优化后的宿主细胞特异性高表达分泌蛋白信号肽核苷酸序列、步骤（1）得到的初步优化新型冠状病毒RBD核苷酸序列、连接子核苷酸序列和步骤（3）优化后的人IgG1‑Fc核苷酸序列依次连接即可。与现有技术相比，本发明的有益效果：产生的克隆表达效率比野生新型冠状病毒RBD序列提高了约12倍，比中国仓鼠密码子偏性优化序列克隆表达效率提高了2倍。
ASSISTING COMPLEX FOR TAKING OF BIOMATERIAL FROM MOUTH IN PANDEMIC CONDITIONS - FIELD: medicine. SUBSTANCE: invention refers to medicine, namely to methods for contactless taking of biomaterial in tested person. Taking the biomaterial in the tested person is carried out in a room located in a dirty zone and separated by a partition from the clean zone, in which there is a laboratory assistant performing the procedure using a robotic complex. Complex includes digital controller, manipulator with tool unit, small manipulator, camera, monitor, control system of digital controller, manipulator, small manipulator, and complex control system. In the partition there are two holes: one – for installation and passage of the swab, the other – for the test tube installation. In the dirty zone there is a small manipulator having two actuators: one for movement of a test tube with a swab, and the second for positioning and placing a disposable mouthpiece. EFFECT: reduced risk of laboratory assistant and tested person infection by avoiding their direct contact. 17 cl, 1 dwg
+Einzeldosierte, wasserlösliche oder wassermischbare Arzneiform, umfassend mindestens einen antiinfektiven Arzneistoff, zur Herstellung einer Nasenspülung und/oder zur Verwendung in der lokalen Behandlung des menschlichen Nasenraums. +
+Einzeldosierte, wasserlösliche oder wassermischbare Arzneiform, umfassend mindestens einen antiinfektiven Arzneistoff, zur Herstellung einer Nasenspülung und/oder zur Verwendung in der lokalen Behandlung des menschlichen Nasenraums. +
Dianne Feinstein’s Missteps Raise a Painful Age Question Among Senate Democrats - Older lawmakers’ foibles and infirmities are coming under new scrutiny, violating an unspoken culture of complicity and coverup. - link
The Distinct Political Paths of Barack Obama and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - In elevating the New York congresswoman and gently criticizing her ideas, Obama has opened up a new conversation in the Democratic Party. - link
Britain’s Vaccine Program Brings Joy and Chauvinism - Brexit colors a rare bright day in the country’s management of the pandemic. - link
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya Is Overcoming Her Fears - “Every country has its own path to democracy,” Tsikhanouskaya, who calls herself the leader of democratic Belarus, says. “And this is ours.” - link
The G.O.P. Can No Longer Be Relied On to Protect Democracy - The gall of Kevin McCarthy and his fellow-backers of Trump’s attempts to overturn the results of the election is only surpassed by their irresponsibility and fecklessness. - link
++As vaccine distribution begins, the Covid-19 pandemic is only getting worse. +
++On Sunday, the first batches of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine were loaded onto trucks and cargo planes to be distributed around the United States. +
++Doses of the vaccine, which received an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration on Friday, will be sent to all 50 states, and vaccinations could begin as soon as Monday, FDA commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn said Sunday. +
++++The FedEx plane that will transport the first shipment of the Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine in the US now has its cargo door open here at @FlyGRFord.... vaccines should be loaded on soon, then flight takes off for Memphis- from there shipments will be dispatched around the country pic.twitter.com/i0DrMW1i2a +
+— Dianne Gallagher (@DianneG) December 13, 2020 +
+Nearly 3 million doses will be delivered in the first round of shipments, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told CBS News’s Margaret Brennan on Face The Nation this Sunday. +
++“We’re shipping 2.9 million doses of vaccine,” Azar said. “So whenever they get them in arms, that’s 2.9 million people getting vaccinated.” +
++++NEWS: @HHSGov's @SecAzar tells @margbrennan states will administer vaccines “as soon as they’re able to,” but did not offer a figure for the number of Americans who will be vaccinated by the end of the week.
+— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 13, 2020 +
2.9 million doses will be distributed by end of week pic.twitter.com/I2CMErrUVF +
+Azar also said that a second shipment of doses — the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two separate shots, administered three weeks apart, to be fully effective — would be reserved to ensure those who received the first dose would be able to complete their course. +
++The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is estimated to be about 95 percent effective in preventing Covid-19. +
++According to recommendations published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health care workers, as well as essential workers in other industries, and people over the age of 65 or with “underlying medical conditions” that place them in a high-risk category, will be first in line for the vaccine. A committee that advises the CDC has further recommenced that health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities — a group of about 24 million people — be at the very front of the line. +
++Exactly how quickly these at-risk populations will be able to receive the vaccine is not clear, however. On Sunday, Azar said he was optimistic about the initial vaccine distribution. +
++“We could have every nursing home patient vaccinated in the United States by Christmas,” Azar told Brennan, and as many as 20 million people vaccinated by the end of the December. +
++HHS, however, has reportedly offered different guidance, telling health providers to begin vaccinating those in care homes on December 21, which would likely mean that all residents would not be vaccinated by Christmas. Former FDA commissioner and current Pfizer board member Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CBS News this delay was mandated to allow time for residents and guardians to provide consent. “It’s a very costly delay,” Gottlieb said. +
++Azar also predicted that as many as 100 million Americans will be vaccinated by the end of February, an estimate that aligns closely with President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to see 50 million people vaccinated within his first 100 days in office. +
++On Fox News Sunday, Dr. Moncef Slaoui — the chief medical adviser of Operation Warp Speed, the federal vaccine development program — clarified that those projections rely on further vaccine candidates being granted EUAs. +
++A second EUA, for Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine, could be forthcoming shortly. An FDA advisory panel is scheduled to review the vaccine on December 17, and the US has ordered 200 million total doses in anticipation of its approval. And Slaoui said Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine candidate — which would require only one dose — could be approved in late January or early February. +
++US authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine trails that of the UK — which cleared it for emergency use last week and started vaccinations Tuesday — as well as that of Canada. +
++This led the White House to pressure the FDA to get the EUA over the finish line by Friday. In a tweet, President Donald Trump attacked the agency as “a big, old, slow turtle.” +
++++While my pushing the money drenched but heavily bureaucratic @US_FDA saved five years in the approval of NUMEROUS great new vaccines, it is still a big, old, slow turtle. Get the dam vaccines out NOW, Dr. Hahn @SteveFDA. Stop playing games and start saving lives!!! +
+— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 11, 2020 +
+Separately, the Washington Post reported Friday that White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told the FDA’s Stephen Hahn that Hahn might be forced to resign if the EUA wasn’t issued that day. Hahn defended the timeline Sunday, saying that his agency worked with all possible speed to get the vaccine authorized. +
++That shouldn’t undermine confidence in the vaccine, though: It was reviewed by an independent advisory panel on Thursday prior to the EUA, and the FDA concluded that the vaccine had “a favorable safety profile, with no specific safety concerns.” +
++Sunday’s vaccine shipments come not a moment too soon. The coronavirus is currently spreading out of control in the US as deaths and hospitalizations from the virus rise to unprecedented levels. +
++As of Saturday, the country was averaging more than 208,000 new Covid-19 cases per day, according to the New York Times, after crossing the 200,000 per day mark for the first time on November 27. +
++And on Wednesday, the US reported more than 3,000 deaths in a single day for the first time ever. Hospitalizations broke the 100,000 mark for the first time earlier this month, and have climbed steadily ever since. +
++Things aren’t likely to get better for some time, either. According to CDC Director Robert Redfield, the US may well “have more deaths per day than we had in 9/11” for the next 60 to 90 days. +
++Biden, who has put his Covid-19 response plan front and center during the presidential transition, has been equally dire in his warnings. +
++“Christmas is going to be a lot harder,” he said last week. “I don’t want to scare anybody here, but understand the facts — we’re likely to lose another 250,000 people dead between now and January.” +
++Currently, the US death toll stands at more than 298,000 people, according to the New York Times. +
++The pandemic is also leaving hospitals and health care workers depleted and exhausted. According to Dr. Vin Gupta, “there’s just not enough doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists to staff intensive care unit beds” in some places. In Mississippi, for instance, there are no ICU beds left. +
++“People are going to get suboptimal care,” Gupta told NBC. +
++In California, dwindling ICU capacity triggered a wave of new shutdowns last weekend. With intensive care units below 15 percent capacity in some parts of the state, more than 33 million Californians are once again under lockdown orders. +
++Beyond the immediate crisis, public health experts have also emphasized that now is not the time to relax best practices in anticipation of a vaccine. As Vox’s Umair Irfan explained last month, there are lots of steps that need to be taken to scale up distribution for a mass vaccination campaign: +
++++A global supply chain, from the glass vials that hold the vaccine to the syringes used to inject them, needs to spool up to make huge quantities of the vaccine. Manufacturers will also have to ensure that vaccines remain intact and under strict temperature controls from the factory to the hospitals and clinics where they will be used. The process of manufacturing, distributing, and administering a vaccine could take months. +
++... +
++It’s also important to remember that a vaccine is not enough on its own to end the pandemic. Measures like social distancing, good hygiene, and wearing face masks will remain essential to control the spread of Covid-19 until a vaccine is widely available. Public acceptance will also be a major issue, and health officials will have to overcome a rising wave of vaccine hesitancy. +
+
+In the meantime, Americans will need to do everything possible to tamp down the virus’s uncontrolled spread — and no matter what, Redfield warns, the coming months may be “the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation.” +
+
++Pro-Trump protests in Washington, DC, and Washington state turn violent as court defeats pile up. +
++Supporters of President Donald Trump demonstrated against the results of the 2020 presidential election on Saturday, in a series of rallies that underscored the hold the president retains on backers both within and outside the Republican Party. +
++At least two of these protests ultimately became violent — four people were stabbed in Washington, DC, and one person was shot in the city of Olympia, in Washington state. No deaths were reported, though all four stabbing victims are said to be hospitalized in critical condition as of Sunday. As of early Sunday, no information is available about the status of the shooting victim in Washington state. +
++In addition to the four people who were stabbed, at least five others were hospitalized in DC on Saturday, and more than 20 people were arrested on a variety of charges, including assault. Three people, including the suspected shooter, were arrested in Olympia, according to the Olympian. +
++Members of the Proud Boys — a violent, neofascist hate group that frequently traffics in white nationalism and misogyny — were also recorded in DC assaulting bystanders and destroying property. Among other incidents, the group tore down Black Lives Matter signs from multiple DC churches, and burned at least one sign. +
++++Proud Boys members ruthlessly assaulting a non-combative couple. Trigger warning: graphic and brutal. pic.twitter.com/Efqh6TvPvK +
+— Strictly (@christoq) December 13, 2020 +
+The Proud Boys were in Washington, DC, for overlapping protests meant to show support for Trump’s false claim that the election was stolen from him. Members of the religious far right, as well as attendees of a second “Million MAGA March” — a sequel to a November event that saw tens of thousands of Trump supporters protest in the capital — all converged on DC. +
++Saturday’s event was far smaller than the one in November, featuring a few thousand people, but was nevertheless celebrated by the president. +
++“Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal,” he tweeted Saturday morning. “Didn’t know about this, but I’ll be seeing them!” +
++Trump later shared video of the rally on Twitter, which showed a tightly packed crowd of maskless supporters cheering on Marine One as it flew overhead. +
++ +— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2020 ++
+It was a similar story in Olympia, albeit without any cameos from presidential aircraft, and on a smaller scale. According to the Seattle Times, pro-Trump rallies have become “a regular weekend occurrence at Washington’s Capitol campus,” and Trump supporters clashed with counterprotesters throughout the day Saturday. +
++Both events came as Trump approaches his sixth week of denying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, which took place on November 3, and as the president continues to spread disinformation about the election’s results. Those results will be further cemented Monday, when the Electoral College votes to formally elect Biden. +
++The rhetoric of the protesters and their leaders, however, suggests that fact will have little influence on false claims the election was stolen from Biden — and that the president’s supporters will remain loyal to him and his alternate-reality claims. +
++The events in Washington, DC, featured not just Proud Boys and grassroots activists, but an eclectic parade of well-known Trump allies, conspiracy theorists, and grifters, all of whom echoed Trump’s efforts to spread disinformation, encouraged the crowd to continue to reject the results of the election, and made their loyalty to Trump plain. +
++Recently pardoned former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn told the crowd how important it was to let Trump know “that we love him.” And MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell joined many of the day’s speakers in placing the president’s struggle to overturn the election’s results in a religious context, saying the world may now be in “end times.” +
++++MyPillow guy Mike Lindell ends his speech by claiming we're living in "the end times" but "that's a good thing. Jesus loves you all." pic.twitter.com/bgPX0eqxA8 +
+— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 12, 2020 +
+Lindell also took time during his speech — as the president has done repeatedly in recent days — to call out Republicans who have been insufficiently fervent in their defenses of Trump’s lies about the election, calling them “cowards,” and warning them, “We’re not going anywhere.” +
++++"The Republicans out there that were cowards -- now's your chance! We're not going anywhere." -- Mike Lindell pic.twitter.com/5ZGfccmL0R +
+— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 12, 2020 +
+Other prominent figures went further than Lindell; speaking to a crowd of supporters, Nick Fuentes — a white nationalist leader in a far-right movement that views many Trump allies as insufficiently conservative — said, “We are going to destroy the GOP.” +
++The crowd responded by chanting, “Destroy the GOP,” and with boos when Fuentes brought up Georgia Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. Both are running in January special elections, and the GOP’s Senate majority rests on both winning. +
++++Nick Fuentes speaks to a crowd of Trump supporters and gets them chanting “destroy the GOP!” for failing to protect Trump from not getting a second term. pic.twitter.com/AUAqU402Dz +
+— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) December 12, 2020 +
+Other speakers included Alex Jones — a conspiracy theorist known for harassing the families of mass shooting victims and promoting 9/11 trutherism — and US Representative-elect Bob Good of Virginia, who began his speech by describing the coronavirus as a “phony pandemic,” despite the fact that nearly 300,000 people have now died of Covid-19 in the US. +
++QAnon, the insane pro-Trump conspiracy theory that posits the existence of a global cabal of Satanic pedophiles, was also represented at the rally. +
++Across the board, however, Saturday’s rallygoers emphasized their dedication to Trump — and his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and install himself to an unelected second term in office — above all else. +
++“If President Trump accepts [his election loss] and Vice President Pence accepts it, then we will accept it,” one attendee, a pastor from California, told the Washington Post. “But right now, this is a Godly protest.” +
++Despite a rapid-fire string of legal defeats at every level of the federal court system, the energy — and money — that has been generated by the president’s efforts to overturn the election’s results seem to indicate that there’s no end in sight for Trump’s false election fraud rhetoric. +
++What’s more, the fervent dedication exhibited by rallygoers Saturday underscores an unfortunate reality: Republicans have an electoral incentive to continue their support of Trump’s anti-democratic efforts, in order to escape a primary challenge to the right. +
++Trump, for his part, has proven completely unwilling to give any ground in his fight to subvert democracy. As recently as Sunday morning, he tweeted without evidence that the 2020 presidential election, which he lost by more than 7 million votes, was the “MOST CORRUPT ELECTION IN U.S. HISTORY!” +
++These tweets have been backed up by action from the Trump campaign and Republican lawmakers, who have failed time and time again to turn up any evidence of voter fraud or other irregularities. According to Democratic voting-rights lawyer Marc Elias, the president and his supporters are now 1-59 in court, with their most recent loss coming Sunday in Georgia. +
++The Georgia Supreme Court on Sunday rejected an appeal by the Trump campaign in a case alleging large-scale voter fraud without evidence. +
++And separately, a Wisconsin state Supreme Court justice told a lawyer for the Trump campaign Saturday that its election lawsuit challenging the results “smacks of racism.” +
++On Friday, the US Supreme Court also rejected for lack of standing a Texas lawsuit attempting to overturn election results in four key swing states won by Biden. The suit — referred to by Trump as “the big one” — was supported by 17 state attorneys general, as well as more than half of the House Republican conference. +
++With an Electoral College vote imminent on Monday, both Trump and the Republican establishment are quickly running out of venues to challenge the election results, but as of Sunday, they show few signs of acknowledging reality. On Fox News Sunday, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise — the second most powerful Republican in the chamber — again refused to recognize Biden as the president-elect when pressed by anchor Chris Wallace. +
++++Steve Scalise, who supported Trump's effort to disenfranchise millions of Biden voters for no good reason, won't commit to recognizing Joe Biden as President-elect even after the Electoral College votes pic.twitter.com/rlrIqw8OcS +
+— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 13, 2020 +
+Scalise’s acknowledgement isn’t necessary — the presidential transition has already begun and Biden will be sworn in as president on January 20. But it presages a likely fight in Congress over the official counting of Electoral College votes on January 6 — one that Republicans can’t win, as Vox’s Andrew Prokop explains — and it’s an alarming sign in its own right that leaders of one of the country’s two major political parties are unwilling to accept the results of a free and fair election. +
++The GOP’s willingness to support Trump in his disinformation campaign could have long-term consequences: In a Saturday Fox News poll, for example, 56 percent of registered voters indicated that Trump’s continued refusal to concede was “weakening American democracy.” +
++But Trump appears unconcerned about the damage he’s doing to the country. “WE HAVE JUST BEGUN TO FIGHT!!!” he tweeted Saturday. +
+
++A re-cast Anthony Fauci returns to talk about the vaccine in SNL’s latest cold open. +
++For December 12’s Saturday Night Live cold open, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, played by Beck Bennett, addressed the topic on everyone’s minds: The recently authorized Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine. +
++Bennett’s Blitzer — who introduced himself as “an indoor man with an outdoor name” — opened the show with news of the Food and Drug Administration’s decision to issue an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the vaccine before introducing White House coronavirus task force members Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx. +
++“It’s just like the PS5,” Bennett quipped of the vaccine. “Everybody wants it, nobody can get it, and if you’re rich, you already had it a month ago.” +
++Fauci — played this time by SNL’s Kate McKinnon rather than by Brad Pitt — confirmed the good news for Blitzer and announced his decision to join the Biden administration as a chief medical adviser in addition to his current role as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. +
++“And I think I’ll be joining as well,” Heidi Gardner’s Birx, whose real-world position in the Biden administration is less certain, chimed in. “Remember when Trump said to inject bleach ... and I almost whispered, ‘No’?” +
++Bennett pressed the pair — who he dubbed “the American Gothic of the whole coronavirus situation” — on vaccine logistics, distribution priorities, and more. +
++“We’re doing this vaccine World War II-style,” McKinnon said as Fauci. “We made England” — which began vaccinations on Tuesday — “go in first, see what’s what, and then we swoop in at the end and steal the spotlight.” +
++McKinnon also gave poor marks to the federal vaccine plan, telling Bennett that “this president has done about as good a job with this rollout as I did throwing out that first pitch at the Nationals game.” +
++In July, a Fauci first pitch went badly askew — which he said at the time was because he spent too long practicing before throwing out the pitch. +
++++Dr. Anthony Fauci threw out the first pitch before the Nationals-Yankees game. pic.twitter.com/04Tbkh7Voa +
+— ESPN (@espn) July 23, 2020 +
+After Bennett aired a clip of the real-world Fauci’s pitch, Gardner tried to cheer McKinnon up. +
++“It’s okay, little guy,” she said. “We all mess up sometime. You threw the ball wrong, I didn’t say, ‘Don’t drink the bleach.’ It happens!” +
++Throughout the skit, McKinnon was also barraged with thrown bras, a phenomenon which she explained as common because “throughout this whole thing I’ve been the only one saying facts, so some people got a crush on me.” +
++And the pair offered a variety of regionally tailored vaccine distribution strategies. +
++“In New Orleans we’re tossing the vaccines up to balconies like Mardi Gras beads,” McKinnon said, and Gardner told Bennett that “North Carolina’s vaccine will be vinegar-based, while South Carolina’s will be mustard-based.” +
++(There’s a longstanding schism between the Carolinas when it comes to vinegar- and mustard-based BBQ sauces.) +
++New York, meanwhile, will get vaccine vials that are “very thin on the bottom,” in contrast to Chicago’s “deep dish” vials. +
++After another bra-throwing event — and an off-screen scream of “marry me” — McKinnon explained her hopes for the vaccine to close the segment. +
++“If enough Americans get this vaccine, you’ll all forget who I am,” she said. “That’s my goal, to have zero name recognition with Americans because that means I’ll have done my job well. I want to go back to being an anonymous hunk.” +
+Quick century in pink ball warm-up game was big confidence-booster: Pant - Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant says the hundred that he struck in the recently-concluded pink-ball warm-up game here was just the confidenc
Ind-Oz series: All-rounder Henriques added to Australia squad, injured Abbott ruled out - All-rounder Henriques added to Australia squad, injured Abbott ruled out
Ashwa Bravo impresses - Ashwa Bravo impressed when the horses were exercised here on Monday (Dec. 14) morning.Inner sand:600m: Epistoiary (M. Carim) 40.5. Fit for the fray.8
There will be no pressure of captaincy on Ajinkya Rahane: Sunil Gavaskar - The opening Test begins at Adelaide on December 17.
Prevalent Force has an edge - Prevalent Force has an edge over his rivals in the A. Cheriyan Memorial Guindy Gold Cup (1,600m), the chief event of the races to be held here on Mon
Popular fishing vloggers are making a splash on cyberspace - The vloggers talk about creating content and the challenges involved
Pratap Sarnaik submits privilege notice against Kangana Ranaut for ‘tweet’ - Pratap Sarnaik, being probed by the ED in a money-laundering case, said he has submitted the notice against Kangana Ranaut to the office of Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Nana Patole.
“Foetus secure”, U.P. pregnant woman to undergo microscopic examination: U.P. child rights chairperson - The Uttar Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights would submit a report on the incident to the State government.
Involve CMs to end farmers’ impasse, Anand Sharma tells government - Urges govt to make money available to poor sections as that will help revive economy by improving consumption
UGC asks universities to encourage students to visit Atal Tunnel - Students will appreciate the ‘technological marvel’, UGC Secretary said.
Brexit: Negotiators to enter 'extra mile' talks - It comes after the two sides agreed on Sunday there had been enough progress for talks to continue.
Gerard Houllier: Former Liverpool manager dies aged 73 - Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has died at the age of 73.
Coronavirus: Germany to go into lockdown over Christmas - The authorities have been struggling to control a growing number of infections and deaths.
John le Carré: Espionage writer dies aged 89 - The renowned Cold War novelist, author of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, died following a short illness.
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict flares despite ceasefire - The tension comes after a six-week war killed thousands over the disputed territory in the Caucasus.
The Ars Technica ultimate holiday gift guide 2020 - We propose some last-minute tech gift ideas for the various people in your life. - link
Russian hackers hit US government using widespread supply chain attack - Russia's Cozy Bear is trojanizing business software to infect organizations worldwide. - link
Stroll down memory lane with this 1996 instructional video on How to Internet - Everything You Need to Know About... Introduction to the Internet is on the Internet Archive. - link
We have a winner in the world’s first quantum chess tournament - It’s like playing in a multiverse “but the different boards are connected to each other.” - link
Phosphorus equivalent of graphene makes reconfigurable transistors - May be useful for security, as it’s hard to tell how the circuitry might execute. - link
+There’s free parking, a luxury tax and rich people can actually go to jail. +
+ submitted by /u/Po1sonator
[link] [comments]
+Ten-tickles. +
++Of course it only has 8 of those. +
++So the first two were test-tickles! +
+ submitted by /u/JackZodiac2008
[link] [comments]
+The border guard searched the bags every time, but never found anything, so he had to let him through. The guard has his last day at work before retiring and the guy comes to the border again, carrying his two bags of sand. The guard says "look, man, it's my last day, I'm not going to bust you. You're clearly smuggling something across the border all this time but we never find anything, what is it.". The guy says "I'm smuggling motorcycles" +
+ submitted by /u/The_Dylmyster
[link] [comments]
+I came to realize. +
+ submitted by /u/Danc777
[link] [comments]
+Teach a man to fish and he will spend a fortune on gear he will only use twice a year. +
+ submitted by /u/TATERBONE
[link] [comments]