++In several hospitals worldwide, healthcare workers are currently at the forefront against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Since Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli (FPG) IRCCS has been enlisted as a COVID hospital, healthcare workers deployed to COVID wards were separated from those with limited or no exposure, whereas administrative staff was destined to work-from-home. Between June 4 and July 3 2020, an investigation was carried out to evaluate seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies among employees of the FPG using point-of-care (POC) and venous blood tests. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were determined with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) on nasal/oropharyngeal swabs as gold standard. Four thousand, seven hundred seventy-seven participants were enrolled. Seroprevalence was 3.66% using the POC test and 1.19% using venous blood test, with a significant difference between the two (p < 0.05). POC sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 63.64% (95% confidence interval (CI): 62.20% to 65.04%) and 96.64% (95% CI: 96.05% to 97.13%), while those of the venous blood test were, respectively, 78.79% (95% CI: 77.58% to 79.94%) and 99.36% (95% CI: 99.07% to 99.55%). Among low-risk population, point-of-care9s predictive values were 58.33% (positive) and 98.23% (negative) whereas venous blood test9s were 92.86% (positive) and 98.53% (negative). In conclusion, point-of-care tests have low diagnostic accuracy, while venous blood tests seem to show an overall poor reliability. +
++Objectives: Despite an extensive risk of exposure to COVID-19, the residents of Giglio Island, Italy, did not develop any symptom of SARS-CoV-2. The present study aims to characterize the nature of exposure and to describe the local population dynamics underlying its apparent resistance to COVID-19, hypothesizing the presence of several co-factors that may have protected against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: Descriptive study of an isolated population cohort, including SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and viral prevalence in samples of saliva assessed through RT-qPCR. We conducted seroprevalence screening from April 29 to May 3, 2020 across the three main settlements on the island. We invited the adult resident population, present on the island to undergo testing by rapid serologic assay and to provide a sample of saliva, which was cryopreserved for molecular validation. We monitored the participation through the official municipality residents list. Serologic testing was performed using a COVID-19 IgG/IgM rapid test while molecular analyses were carried out by Allplex 2019-nCoV Assay (Seegene). Results: A total of 634 residents out of 748 (84.8%) present at the time, and 89 non-residents underwent serological testing. 364 males and 359 females with a median age of 58.5 years. The serological screening identified one positive, asymptomatic subject. The Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAAT) did not yield any positive result. Conclusion: Despite extensive exposure to SARS-CoV-2, only one new asymptomatic infection occurred in this population, as documented by IgM positivity not confirmed by RT-qPCR. This may be due to unknown protective factors or chance. On the basis of this first descriptive study, using its population as a reference model, further investigations will be conducted to characterize the summer period exposure and to test the advanced hypotheses, focusing on the evaluation of a possible cross-reactivity to SARS-CoV-2 from exposure to endemic viruses. +
++Objective: Ivermectin has been suggested as a treatment for COVID-19.This randomised control trial was conducted to test the efficacy of Ivermectin in the treatment of mild and moderate COVID-19. Design: Parallel, double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial Setting: A tertiary care dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Bihar, India Participants: Adult patients (> 18 years) admitted with mild to moderate COVID 19 disease (saturation > 90% on room air, respiratory rate < 30 and no features of shock) with no contraindications to ivermectin and willing to participate in the study Intervention: Patients in the intervention arm were given ivermectin 12 mg on day 1 and day 2 of admission. Patients in the placebo arm were given identical looking placebo tablets. Rest of the treatment was continued as per the existing protocol and the clinical judgment of the treating teams. Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure was a negative RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 on day 6 of admission. The secondary outcome measures were symptom status on day 6, discharge status on day 10, admission to ICU, need for invasive mechanical ventilation and in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 115 patients were enrolled for the study of which 112 were included in the final analysis. Of them, 55 were randomised to the intervention arm while 57 were randomised to the placebo arm. There was no significant difference in the baseline characteristics of the two arms. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome, i.e. negative RT-PCR status on day 6 between the two groups. Similarly, there was no significant difference between the two groups in most of the secondary outcome measures, viz. symptom status on day 6, discharge status on day 10, admission to ICU, and need for invasive mechanical ventilation. However, while there was no in-hospital mortality in the intervention arm, there were 4 deaths in the placebo arm. As a result, all patients in the intervention arm (n=56) were successfully discharged as compared to 93.1% (n=54/58) in the placebo arm (RR 1.1, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.2, p=0.019). Conclusion: There was no difference in the primary outcome i.e. negative RT-PCR status on day 6 of admission with the use of ivermectin. However, a significantly higher proportion of patients were discharged alive from the hospital when they received ivermectin. +
++Mass testing has been proposed as a strategy to address and contain the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. We have developed MassMark, a novel and highly scalable multiplex method that employs next generation sequencing for high-throughput, accurate and sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2, while minimizing handling complexity and resources by utilizing a serial pooling strategy to accommodate over 9,000 samples per workflow. Analytical validation showed that MassMark was able to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA down to a level of 100 copies per reaction. We evaluated the clinical performance of MassMark in a simulated screening testing with 22 characterized samples from three different sources (nasopharyngeal swabs, nasal swabs and saliva), comprising of 12 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples with mid to late Ct values (range: 22.98-32.72) and 10 negative samples. There was one false negative and no false positives, giving an overall sensitivity and specificity of 91.67% and 100% respectively, when compared against an optimized RT-PCR test with a target size within 70 bp (CDC 2019-nCoV Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel). +
++Rationale. Triage is crucial for patient9s management and estimation of the required Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds is fundamental for Health Systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective. To assess whether chest Computed Tomography (CT) of COVID-19 pneumonia has an incremental role in predicting patient9s admission to ICU. Methods. We performed volumetric and texture analysis of the areas of the affected lung in CT of 115 outpatients with COVID-19 infection presenting to the Emergency Room with dyspnea and unresponsive hypoxyemia. Admission blood laboratory including lymphocyte count, serum lactate dehydrogenase, D-dimer and C-Reactive Protein and the ratio between the arterial partial pressure of oxygen and inspired oxygen were collected. By calculating the areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUC), we compared the performance of blood laboratory-arterial gas analyses features alone and combined with the CT features in two hybrid models (Hybrid radiological and Hybrid radiomics)for predicting ICU admission. Following a machine learning approach, 63 patients were allocated to the training and 52 to the validation set. Measurements and Main Results. Twenty-nine (25%) of patients were admitted to ICU. The Hybrid radiological model comprising the lung %consolidation performed significantly (p=0.04) better in predicting ICU admission in the validation (AUC=0.82; 95%Confidence Interval 0.68-0.95) set than the blood laboratory-arterial gas analyses features alone (AUC=0.71; 95%Confidence Interval 0.56-0.86). A risk calculator for ICU admission was derived and is available at:https://github.com/cgplab/covidapp Conclusions. The volume of the consolidated lung in CT of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia has a mild but significant incremental value in predicting ICU admission. +
++Cytokine storms and hyperinflammation, potentially controlled by glucocorticoids, occur in COVID-19; the roles of lipid mediators and acetylcholine (ACh) and how glucocorticoid therapy affects their release in Covid-19 remain unclear. Blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples from SARS-CoV-2- and non-SARS-CoV-2-infected subjects were collected for metabolomic/lipidomic, cytokines, soluble CD14 (sCD14), and ACh, and CD14 and CD36-expressing monocyte/macrophage subpopulation analyses. Transcriptome reanalysis of pulmonary biopsies was performed by assessing coexpression, differential expression, and biological networks. Correlations of lipid mediators, sCD14, and ACh with glucocorticoid treatment were evaluated. This study enrolled 190 participants with Covid-19 at different disease stages, 13 hospitalized non-Covid-19 patients, and 39 healthy-participants. SARS-CoV-2 infection increased blood levels of arachidonic acid (AA), 5-HETE, 11-HETE, sCD14, and ACh but decreased monocyte CD14 and CD36 expression. 5-HETE, 11-HETE, cytokines, ACh, and neutrophils were higher in BAL than in circulation (fold-change for 5-HETE 389.0; 11-HETE 13.6; ACh 18.7, neutrophil 177.5, respectively). Only AA was higher in circulation than in BAL samples (fold-change 7.7). Results were considered significant at P<0.05, 95%CI. Transcriptome data revealed a unique gene expression profile associated with AA, 5-HETE, 11-HETE, ACh, and their receptors in Covid-19. Glucocorticoid treatment in severe/critical cases lowered ACh without impacting disease outcome. We first report that pulmonary inflammation and the worst outcomes in Covid-19 are associated with high levels of ACh and lipid mediators. Glucocorticoid therapy only reduced ACh, and we suggest that treatment may be started early, in combination with AA metabolism inhibitors, to better benefit severe/critical patients. +
++This paper studies the effect of air temperature on the transmission of COVID-19 in the U.S. using daily observations across counties. This study uses various ordinary least squares (OLS) models with a comprehensive set of fixed effects to overcome unobserved heterogeneity issues across counties as well as the generalized method of moments (GMM) estimators as dynamic models to address endogeneity issue. Our main results indicate that an increase of one degree in temperature is associated with a reduction of 0.041 cases per 100,000 population at the county-level. We run several robustness tests and all the models confirm the impact of temperature on COVID-19 confirmed new cases. These results help policymakers and economists in optimizing decisions and investments to reduce COVID-19 new cases. +
++Accurate knowledge of levels of prior population exposure will inform preparedness plans for subsequent SARS-CoV-2 epidemic waves and vaccination strategies. Serological studies can be used to estimate levels of past exposure and thus position populations in their epidemic timeline. To circumvent biases introduced by decaying antibody titers over time, population exposure estimation methods should account for seroreversion. Here, we present a new method that combines multiple datasets (serology, mortality, and virus positivity ratios) to estimate seroreversion time and infection fatality ratios and simultaneously infer population exposure levels. The results indicate that the average time to seroreversion is five months, meaning that true exposure may be more than double the current seroprevalence levels reported for several regions of England. +
++Background: The efficacy of interleukin-6 receptor antagonists in critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is unclear. Methods: We evaluated tocilizumab and sarilumab in an ongoing international, multifactorial, adaptive platform trial. Adult patients with Covid-19, within 24 hours of commencing organ support in an intensive care unit, were randomized to receive either tocilizumab (8mg/kg) or sarilumab (400mg) or standard care (control). The primary outcome was an ordinal scale combining in-hospital mortality (assigned -1) and days free of organ support to day 21. The trial uses a Bayesian statistical model with pre-defined triggers to declare superiority, efficacy, equivalence or futility. Results: Tocilizumab and sarilumab both met the pre-defined triggers for efficacy. At the time of full analysis 353 patients had been assigned to tocilizumab, 48 to sarilumab and 402 to control. Median organ support-free days were 10 (interquartile range [IQR] -1, 16), 11 (IQR 0, 16) and 0 (IQR -1, 15) for tocilizumab, sarilumab and control, respectively. Relative to control, median adjusted odds ratios were 1.64 (95% credible intervals [CrI] 1.25, 2.14) for tocilizumab and 1.76 (95%CrI 1.17, 2.91) for sarilumab, yielding >99.9% and 99.5% posterior probabilities of superiority compared with control. Hospital mortality was 28.0% (98/350) for tocilizumab, 22.2% (10/45) for sarilumab and 35.8% (142/397) for control. All secondary outcomes and analyses supported efficacy of these IL-6 receptor antagonists. Conclusions: In critically ill patients with Covid-19 receiving organ support in intensive care, treatment with the IL-6 receptor antagonists, tocilizumab and sarilumab, improved outcome, including survival. +
++Abstract Background: Feelings of isolation, insecurity, and instability triggered by COVID 19 could have a long-term impact on the mental health status of individuals. This study examined the prevalence and factors associated with the mental health symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress during the COVID 19 pandemic in Bangladesh. Methods: From 1st to 30th April 2020, we used a validated self-administered questionnaire to conduct a cross sectional study on 10,609 participants through an online survey platform. We assessed mental health status using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The total depression, anxiety, and stress subscale scores were divided into normal, mild, moderate, severe, and multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associated factors. Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 15%, 34%, and 15% for mild, moderate, and severe depressive symptoms, respectively. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 59% for severe anxiety symptoms, 14% for moderate anxiety symptoms, and 14% for mild anxiety symptoms while, the prevalence for stress levels were 16% for severe stress level, 22% for moderate stress level and 13% for mild stress level. Multivariate analyses revealed that the most consistent factors associated with mild, moderate, and severe of the three mental health subscales (depression, anxiety, and stress) were respondents who lived in Dhaka and Rangpur division, females, those who self quarantined in the previous 7 days before the survey and those respondents who experienced chills, breathing difficulty, dizziness, and sore throat. Conclusion: Our results showed that about 64%, 87%, and 61% experienced depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and levels of stress, respectively. In Bangladesh, there is a need for better mental health support for females especially those that lived in Dhaka and Rangpur division and experienced chills, breathing difficulty, dizziness, and sore throat during COVID 19 and other future pandemics. +
+Dendritic Cell Vaccine to Prevent COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Biological: AV-COVID-19
Sponsors: Indonesia-MoH; Aivita Biomedical, Inc.; PT AIVITA Biomedika Indonesia; National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia; RSUP Dr. Kariadi Semarang, indonesia; Faculty of Medicine University of Diponegoro, Indonesia
Recruiting
A Study to Evaluate MVC-COV1901 Vaccine Against COVID-19 in Adult - Condition: Covid19 Vaccine
Interventions: Biological: MVC-COV1901(S protein with adjuvant); Biological: MVC-COV1901(Saline)
Sponsor: Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.
Recruiting
Effect of Tenofovir/Emtricitabine in Patients Recently Infected With SARS-COV2 (Covid-19) Discharged Home - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Drug: tenofovir disoproxil and emtricitabine
Sponsor: University Hospital, Caen
Recruiting
The Safety and Efficacy of Pyronaridine-artesunate (Pyramax® or Artecom®)in COVID-19 Patients - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Artecom® (pyronaridine-artesunate); Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: Shin Poong Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.
Not yet recruiting
Safety and Immunogenicity of Two Different Strengths of the Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine ERUCOV-VAC - Condition: COVID-19 Vaccine
Interventions: Biological: ERUCOV-VAC; Other: Placebo Vaccine
Sponsors: Health Institutes of Turkey; TC Erciyes University
Recruiting
Efficacy of Ramdicivir and Baricitinib for the Treatment of Severe COVID 19 Patients - Conditions: Covid19; Covid-19 ARDS
Interventions: Drug: Remdesivir; Drug: Baricitinib; Drug: Tocilizumab
Sponsors: M Abdur Rahim Medical College and Hospital; First affiliated Hospital Xi'an Jiaoting University
Recruiting
The Effect of Deep Breathing Exercise on Dyspnea, Anxiety and Quality of Life in Patients Treated for COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Behavioral: Deep Breathing Exercise with Triflo
Sponsor: Ankara University
Not yet recruiting
Study in Adults to Determine the Safety and Immunogenicity of AZD1222, a Non-replicating ChAdOx1 Vector Vaccine, Given in Combination With rAd26-S, Recombinant Adenovirus Type 26 Component of Gam-COVID-Vac Vaccine, for the Prevention of COVID-19. - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: AZD1222; Biological: rAd26-S
Sponsors: R-Pharm; AstraZeneca
Not yet recruiting
Surgical Face Mask Effects in Patients With COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Other: Sit-To-Stand test
Sponsor: Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc- Université Catholique de Louvain
Not yet recruiting
Efficacy of Favipiravir in Treatment of Mild & Moderate COVID-19 Infection in Nepal - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Favipiravir; Drug: Placebo; Drug: Remdesivir
Sponsor: Nepal Health Research Council
Recruiting
Dendritic Cell Vaccine, AV-COVID-19, to Prevent COVID-19 Infection - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: AV-COVID-19; Other: GM-CSF
Sponsors: Aivita Biomedical, Inc.; PT AIVITA Biomedika Indonesia; Indonesia Ministry of Health; National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia
Recruiting
A Real World Study of Bamlanivimab in Participants With Mild-to-moderate Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Drug: Bamlanivimab
Sponsors: Eli Lilly and Company; AbCellera Biologics Inc.
Not yet recruiting
Feasibility of Remote Evaluation and Monitoring of Acoustic Pathophysiological Signals With External Sensor Technology in Covid-19 - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Device: Senti V1.0 Device
Sponsors: Senti Tech Ltd; Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Not yet recruiting
RescuE pLAsma eXchange in Severe COVID-19 - Conditions: Therapeutic Plasma Exchange; Covid19
Intervention: Other: Therapeutic plasma exchange
Sponsor: Heidelberg University
Recruiting
Can RIC Prevent Deterioration to Critical Care in Covid19 - Conditions: Covid19; Ischemia
Interventions: Procedure: Cuff application with inflation; Other: Sham inflation
Sponsor: Derek Yellon
Recruiting
Denovo designing, retro-combinatorial synthesis, and molecular dynamics analysis identify novel antiviral VTRM1.1 against RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of SARS CoV2 virus - A novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV2 has now spread globally. Replication/transcription machinery of this virus consists of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (nsp12 or RdRp) and its two cofactors nsp7 and nsp8 proteins. Hence, RdRp has emerged as a promising target to control COVID-19. In the present study, we are reporting a novel inhibitor VTRM1.1 against the RdRp protein of SARS CoV2. A series of antivirals were tested for binding to the catalytic residues of the active site...
THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS CHALLENGES IN COVID-19 - THERAPEUTIC PERSPECTIVES OF HEPARIN AND TISSUE-TYPE PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR AND POTENTIAL TOXICOLOGICAL REACTIONS-A MINI REVIEW - The coronavirus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic is a major challenge for the health systems worldwide. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is one of the most common complications of the COVID-19 infection. The activation of the coagulation system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ARDS. The development of lung coagulopathy involves thrombin generation and fibrinolysis inhibition. Unfractionated heparin and its recently introduced counterpart low molecular weight heparin (LMWH),...
GABAB-Receptor Agonist-Based Immunotherapy for Type 1 Diabetes in NOD Mice - Some immune system cells express type A and/or type B γ-aminobutyric acid receptors (GABA(A)-Rs and/or GABA(B)-Rs). Treatment with GABA, which activates both GABA(A)-Rs and GABA(B)-Rs), and/or a GABA(A)-R-specific agonist inhibits disease progression in mouse models of type 1 diabetes (T1D), multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and COVID-19. Little is known about the clinical potential of specifically modulating GABA(B)-Rs. Here, we tested lesogaberan, a peripherally restricted GABA(B)-R...
Could cilostazol be beneficial in COVID-19 treatment? Thinking about phosphodiesterase-3 as a therapeutic target - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that has emerged and rapidly spread across the world. The COVID-19 severity is associated to viral pneumonia with additional extrapulmonary complications. Hyperinflammation, dysfunctional immune response and hypercoagulability state are associated to poor prognosis. Therefore, the repositioning of multi-target drugs to control the hyperinflammation represents an important challenge for the...
Computational drug repurposing strategy predicted peptide-based drugs that can potentially inhibit the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with its target (humanACE2) - Drug repurposing for COVID-19 has several potential benefits including shorter development time, reduced costs and regulatory support for faster time to market for treatment that can alleviate the current pandemic. The current study used molecular docking, molecular dynamics and protein-protein interaction simulations to predict drugs from the Drug Bank that can bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein interacting surface on the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) receptor. The study...
Chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine: an inflammasome inhibitor in severe COVID-19? - Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine belong to the aminoquinoline drugs. Studies revealed that chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine shows antagonism activity against COVID-19 under laboratory conditions. ARDS and ALI are conditions that occur in patients with COVID-19 as the main pathological complications of cytokine storm. Inflammasomes play a key role in the pathogenesis of many diseases associated with destructive inflammation. NLRP3 inflammasome has been shown to play a key role in the...
COVID-19 Curfews: Kenyan and Australian Litigation and Pandemic Protection - Historically and etymologically, curfews are public health measures imposed to guard against risks to health and safety. On occasion they have been deployed oppressively, disproportionately and without proper regard to their ramifications. It is important that they not be used during a pandemic unless there is sufficient medico-scientific reason to conclude that they will serve a constructive purpose and that they are the least restrictive available governmental response. Inevitably, they impact...
Tannic acid suppresses SARS-CoV-2 as a dual inhibitor of the viral main protease and the cellular TMPRSS2 protease - The cell surface protein TMPRSS2 (transmembrane protease serine 2) is an androgen-responsive serine protease important for prostate cancer progression and therefore an attractive therapeutic target. Besides its role in tumor biology, TMPRSS2 is also a key player in cellular entry by the SARS-CoV viruses. The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in huge losses in socio-economy, culture, and human lives for which safe and effective cures are highly demanded. The main...
Interleukin-38 ameliorates poly(I:C) induced lung inflammation: therapeutic implications in respiratory viral infections - Interleukin-38 has recently been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in lung inflammatory diseases. However, the effects of IL-38 in viral pneumonia remains unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that circulating IL-38 concentrations together with IL-36α increased significantly in influenza and COVID-19 patients, and the level of IL-38 and IL-36α correlated negatively and positively with disease severity and inflammation, respectively. In the co-cultured human respiratory...
COVID-19 vaccine candidates based on modified vaccinia virus Ankara expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike induce robust T- and B-cell immune responses and full efficacy in mice - Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, are urgently needed. We developed two COVID-19 vaccines based on modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vectors expressing the entire SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein (MVA-CoV2-S); their immunogenicity was evaluated in mice using DNA/MVA or MVA/MVA prime/boost immunizations. Both vaccines induced robust, broad and polyfunctional S-specific CD4+ (mainly Th1) and CD8+ T-cell responses, with a T effector memory phenotype. DNA/MVA...
'BhAVI-23'-A spice-herb based dietary infusion possessing in-vitro anti-viral potential - CONCLUSION: This 'BhAVI-23' infusion displayed prominent in-vitro anti-viral and anti-diabetic potential in different model systems. These attributes have relevance as diabetic patients are more prone to COVID-19 morbidity. 'BhAVI-23' opens the avenue for its potential inclusion as a supportive health care system upon due regulatory approval during the current pandemic.
Higher expression of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 in mild COVID-19 patients might be correlated with inhibition of Type I IFN signaling - CONCLUSION: Higher expression of MCP-1 in mild COVID-19 patients might be correlated with inhibition of IFN signaling. The finding adds to our understanding of the immunopathological mechanisms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and provides potential therapeutic targets and strategies.
Identification of potential SARS-CoV-2 M(pro) inhibitors integrating molecular docking and water thermodynamics - The COVID-19 pandemic is an ongoing global health emergency caused by a newly discovered coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The entire scientific community across the globe is working diligently to tackle this unprecedented challenge. In silico studies have played a crucial role in the current situation by expediting the process of identification of novel potential chemotypes targeting the viral receptors. In this study, we have made efforts to identify molecules that can potentially inhibit the SARS-CoV-2...
Combination therapy of IFNbeta1 with lopinavir-ritonavir, increases oxygenation, survival and discharging of sever COVID-19 infected inpatients - Interferon Beta-1a (IFN-β1-a), an immunomodulatory mediator with antiviral effects, has shown in vivo and in vitro activities especially on coronavirus including SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 defined as the disease caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2. The virus has been illustrated inhibits the production of IFN-β1-a from inflammatory cells. We conducted a retrospective study of all adult confirmed COVID-19 hospitalized patients who received combination of three doses of 12 million international units of...
A SARS-CoV-2 antiviral therapy score card - The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented effort to identify efficacious treatments for persons infected with SARS-CoV-2. As of September 2020, more than 750 completed, ongoing, or planned clinical trials of drugs intended to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication have been registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov or WHO International Clinical Trials Platform websites. Most of the treatments studied in these trials are repurposed licensed or investigational drugs targeting viral proteins or...
Covid 19 - Chewing Gum - - link
A traditional Chinese medicine composition for COVID-19 and/or influenza and preparation method thereof - - 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
The use of human serum albumin (HSA) and Cannabigerol (CBG) as active ingredients in a composition for use in the treatment of Coronavirus (Covid-19) and its symptoms - - link
The use of human serum albumin (HSA) and Cannabigerol (CBG) as active ingredients in a composition for use in the treatment of Coronavirus (Covid-19) and its symptoms - - link
抑制病毒受体ACE2的COVID-19防治药物及其应用 - 本发明提供了一种抑制病毒受体ACE2的COVID‑19防治药物及其应用。具体地说，本发明提供了中药鹅不食草在制备调节ACE2表达量的药物中的应用。本发明还提供了中药鹅不食草单独或与其它药物组合在制备COVID‑19防治药物中的应用。本发明发现鹅不食草能够使正常肺上皮细胞中ACE2的表达降低，从而降低新型冠状病毒(SARS‑CoV‑2)感染的风险，发挥预防SARS‑CoV‑2感染及治疗COVID‑19的作用。中药鹅不食草成本低，毒副作用小，疗效显著，为COVID‑19的治疗提供了新策略。 - link
"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. - link
제2형 중증급성호흡기증후군 코로나바이러스 감염 질환의 예방 또는 치료용 조성물 - 본 발명은 화학식 1로 표시되는 화합물, 또는 이의 약학적으로 허용가능한 염; 및 글루카곤 수용체 작용제(glucagon receptor agonist), 위 억제 펩타이드(gastric inhibitory peptide, GIP), 글루카곤-유사 펩타이드 1(glucagon-like peptide 1, GLP-1) 및 글루카곤 수용체/위 억제 펩타이드/글루카곤-유사 펩타이드 1(Glucagon/GIP/GLP-1) 삼중 완전 작용제(glucagon receptors, gastric inhibitory peptide and glucagon-like peptide 1 (Glucagon/GIP/GLP-1) triple full agonist)로 이루어진 군으로부터 선택된 1종 이상;을 포함하는 제2형 중증급성호흡기증후군 코로나바이러스 감염 질환 예방 또는 치료용 약학적 조성물을 제공한다. - link
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. - link
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Mundschutz bestehend aus einem Abdeckteil für den Mund- und gegebenenfalls den Nasenbereich des Gesichts und einem Bandteil mit mindestens einem Halteband, welches mit den Seiten des Abdeckteil verbunden ist und zur Befestigung des Mundschutzes dient, wobei das Halteband am seitlichen Ende des Abdeckteils fixiert ist und eine Schlaufe bildet, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass an der Schlaufe des Haltebands ein Clip befestigt ist.
Georgia, Trump’s Insurrectionists, and Lost Causes - In the name of preserving democracy, the G.O.P. and its febrile leader have actually subverted it—and, thanks to Trump’s unhinged behavior, the world now knows it. - link
What Should We Call the Sixth of January? - What began as a protest, rally, and march ended as something altogether different—a day of anarchy that challenges the terminology of history. - link
Trump Must Be Held Accountable - Impunity has been the defining feature of Trump’s Presidency. If he remains unpunished, his antidemocratic, violent movement will persist in mainstream American culture. - link
Sunday Reading: Waiting for the Vaccine - From The New Yorker’s archive: stories about the impact of vaccinations and the consequences of anti-vax propaganda. - link
Black America Has Reason to Question Authorities - From vaccines to public schools, a history of cruelty and neglect informs Black communities’ relation to the state. - link
++Sen. Josh Hawley says he will “never apologize” for objecting to Biden electors. +
++Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz are facing mounting criticism for their role in inciting Wednesday’s deadly riot at the US Capitol, with their Senate colleagues and major newspapers alike calling for their resignation — or expulsion. +
++Hawley, the junior senator from Missouri, has also been disavowed by a former mentor, and publisher Simon & Schuster has abandoned plans to publish Hawley’s upcoming book. On Thursday, a prominent Hawley donor called for him to be formally censured for his actions. +
++Both senators helped lead a Republican effort in the Senate to object to the certification of electors from key states President-elect Joe Biden won in the 2020 presidential election — arguing, despite all evidence proving otherwise, that there were irregularities in the vote count which required further investigation. And they continued their efforts Wednesday night, even after pro-Trump insurgents stormed the Capitol earlier the same day. +
++Ultimately, Biden’s victory — 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232 — was certified over objections by Hawley and Cruz. But their decision to join six other senators in delaying the process with objections to electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania was sharply condemned, even by some Republican colleagues, for sustaining the baseless election fraud narrative that inspired Wednesday’s attack on the Capitol and left at least five people dead. +
++Hawley in particular has been excoriated for a Wednesday morning photo showing him raising his fist in solidarity with supporters of President Donald Trump, who later stormed the Capitol. +
++“Sen. Hawley was doing something that was really dumbass,” Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse told NPR in an interview Friday. “This was a stunt. It was a terrible, terrible idea. And you don’t lie to the American people. And that’s what’s been going on.” +
++Former Missouri Sen. John Danforth, an influential Hawley mentor prior to this week, went further, telling the Kansas City Star that Hawley was responsible for the riot and that supporting him was “the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life.” +
++“I don’t know if he was always like this and good at covering it up or if it happened,” Danforth said Thursday. “I just don’t know.” +
++Cruz, the junior senator from Texas, has also been under fire in his home state. +
++“Senator, those terrorists wouldn’t have been at the Capitol if you hadn’t staged this absurd challenge to the 2020 results in the first place,” the editorial board of the Houston Chronicle wrote Friday. “So, we call for another consequence, one with growing support across Texas: Resign.” +
++“We’re done with the drama. Done with the opportunism. Done with the cynical scheming that has now cost American lives,” the editorial concludes. “Resign, Mr. Cruz, and deliver Texas from the shame of calling you our senator.” +
++Three Senate Democrats — Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware, Patty Murray of Washington state, and Ron Wyden of Oregon, have also called for Hawley and Cruz to resign. +
++Unsurprisingly, Cruz rebuffed calls for his resignation in an interview Friday, and Hawley likewise has shown no inclination to offer his. +
++“I will never apologize for giving voice to the millions of Missourians and Americans who have concerns about the integrity of our elections,” Hawley said Thursday, though there is no evidence to support any of his voter fraud allegations. +
++The bipartisan furor over Hawley and Cruz’s decisions to stay the course with their objections, even though the same sentiment driving them helped incite the storming of the Capitol, has also sparked a discussion about their political futures. +
++Hawley and Cruz are both widely considered to be Republican presidential hopefuls in 2024, assuming Trump himself doesn’t shoulder the rest of the field out of the way in a bid to regain the White House. +
++Support for Trump was reaffirmed at the highest levels of the Republican Party this week with the unopposed reelection of Ronna McDaniel, a Trump loyalist, to continue serving at the head of the Republican National Committee. +
++And Trump, for his part, has signaled that he wants to run — but between the outside possibility of his being formally barred from holding elected office again and the extensive legal jeopardy he’ll face when he leaves office in just 11 days, there’s a real chance that the way will be clear for Hawley and Cruz, both of whom will likely be gunning to shore up as much support as possible with Trump’s base. +
++That part might not be difficult: For now, polling suggests that they both remain popular with the president’s most diehard supporters. +
++Specifically, according to a new tracking poll from Morning Consult that was taken January 6 and 7, 68 percent of those with a “very favorable” view of Trump also feel favorably toward Cruz, with 37 percent of strong Trump backers feeling favorably about Hawley. +
++Hawley suffers from substantially lower name recognition than Cruz — 32 percent of respondents who say they hold a “very favorable” view of Trump say they have never heard of Hawley, compared to just 6 percent for Cruz — but only 11 percent of respondents who view Trump very favorably have a negative opinion of Hawley. Slightly more of those respondents hold a negative opinion of Cruz, at 13 percent. +
++Current support, however, may prove ephemeral by the time 2024 rolls around. One Trump 2016 campaign aide told Politico this week that many Trump supporters “saw through [Hawley’s] blind ambitious act” and didn’t view it as genuine. +
++“They don’t think he’s a real MAGA supporter,” the aide, Bryan Lanza, said. “He just comes across as insincere.” +
++Meanwhile, at least one editorial board — that of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch — has already deemed Hawley’s presidential hopes dead on arrival. +
++“Hawley’s presidential aspirations have been flushed down the toilet because of his role in instigating Wednesday’s assault on democracy,” the Post-Dispatch editorial board wrote Thursday. “He should do Missourians and the rest of the country a big favor and resign now.” +
++Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) also disavowed Hawley, Cruz, and their Republican allies in objecting to the electoral vote certification in a floor speech Wednesday night. +
++“Those who choose to continue to support [Trump’s] dangerous gambit by objecting to the results of a legitimate, democratic election will forever be seen as being complicit in an unprecedented attack against our democracy,” Romney said. +
++++Mitt Romney: “What happened today was an insurrection incited by the president of the United States. Those who continue to support his dangerous gambit... will forever be seen as being complicit in an unprecedented attack against our democracy." https://t.co/hxrZh9PRvt pic.twitter.com/V3hDAz57Xf +
+— Bloomberg (@business) January 7, 2021 +
+In most scenarios, that complicity in an outright attack on US democracy might prove to be a political deal-breaker. But if it remains Trump’s GOP — and Trump himself takes a pass, voluntarily or involuntarily, on the 2024 race — Hawley and Cruz might still find a future in the Republican Party. +
++Correction, January 10, 2021: An earlier version of this article misstated which Texas editorial board called for Sen. Ted Cruz’s resignation; it was the editorial board of the Houston Chronicle. +
+
++How law enforcement and internet detectives are identifying the Capitol rioters. +
++
++Capitol Police may have allowed nearly every member of a mob of pro-Trump rioters to enter, vandalize, and leave the Capitol building scot-free, but internet sleuths and official investigators are determined to hold them accountable. The reckoning has already begun: Several people have now been charged with riot-related crimes, and law enforcement officials promise more charges are to come. +
++After insurrectionists crashed through barriers surrounding Capitol Hill, overwhelmed police, rampaged through the Capitol, and left dozens injured and five dead, there were relatively few arrests, and many people were allowed to simply walk out. There were few consequences then — only about a dozen of the hundreds of invaders were arrested at the scene — but that’s changing now. Law enforcement and civilians alike are attempting to identify those who participated. Due to the brazenness of many members of the mob, there’s plenty of evidence, and it’s being used to charge them with related crimes. +
++Many participants willingly — and quite happily — posed for photos and videos at the scene, or boasted of their exploits on social media and verified livestream accounts during or shortly after the melee, even though many of their actions may well constitute serious crimes. Apparently believing they weren’t doing anything wrong, or that law enforcement wouldn’t go after them for their actions, the Trump supporters paraded in front of cameras wearing distinct (and thus easily recognizable) costumes and, in some cases, even ID badges. +
++One notably befurred pro-Trump rioter was identified as the son of a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge. Aaron Mostofsky, who was photographed wearing multiple fur pelts and a vest that said “police” on it, and carrying a police riot shield as well as a large stick, was hard to miss. +
++Tim Gionet, better known as the alt-right white supremacist provocateur “Baked Alaska,” even livestreamed his stroll through the Capitol building (and his attempt to use a desk phone to call Trump) to thousands of followers on DLive, where he is a verified partner. +
++In short, those who stormed the Capitol didn’t leave social media breadcrumbs for law enforcement to follow to their front doors — they left entire loaves of bread. +
++Several alleged rioters have been arrested in the days following the insurrection, and the arrests of many more are likely imminent. The FBI is calling for “tips and digital media depicting rioting and violence in the U.S. Capitol Building and surrounding area in Washington, D.C.” +
++“Make no mistake: With our partners, we will hold accountable those who participated in yesterday’s siege of the Capitol,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a statement Thursday. +
++DC’s Metropolitan Police Department has also requested “assistance in identifying persons of interest responsible for unlawful entry offenses,” posting on its website a series of photos showing rioters inside and around the Capitol building. One person who brazenly held pieces of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s door aloft is suspected of “receiving stolen property,” while another who was photographed vaping while seated behind a desk and using a phone is suspected of “unlawful entry.” +
++And social media detectives — who deservedly don’t have the best reputation for tracking down potential criminals — are also on the case. An Instagram account dedicated to identifying and naming members of the mob accumulated more than 230,000 followers before it went private. A cybersecurity and disinformation researcher gained tens of thousands of followers during his crowdsourced quest to identify two people wearing military-style gear in the Senate chamber. +
+ <img alt="A protester yells inside the Senate Chamber on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/m_Kb3HUYakgZ4OTP-E9CmGHnh5c=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22220974/GettyImages_1294933285.jpg" />
+ <cite>Win McNamee/Getty Images</cite>
+ <figcaption>One of the most instantly infamous rioters was Jacob Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, who wears a distinctive outfit to pro-Trump rallies.</figcaption>+Two of the most prominently featured members of the mob — the shirtless man wearing face paint and a furry horned hat, and the man who put his feet up on a desk in Pelosi’s office — were identified within hours of the riot by press in their hometowns, and arrested in the days that followed. +
++The horned man is Jacob Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, of Arizona, a QAnon supporter and right-wing rally fixture whose costume made him easily recognizable. By Saturday, he had been arrested and charged with knowingly entering or remaining on restricted grounds as well as violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. According to the complaint, a Capitol Police agent used tweeted photos of a man who appeared to be Chansley in the Capitol building and matched them with photos of Chansley wearing the same “distinctive attire and tattoos” on his own Facebook page and YouTube account. +
++Richard “Bigo” Barnett, of Arkansas, was quickly identified by his local news station as the man in Pelosi’s office. He later bragged to the New York Times that his time in Pelosi’s office included “scratch[ing] his balls” and taking an envelope, for which he said he paid a quarter. Barnett was arrested on Friday and has been charged with entering or remaining on restricted grounds, violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, and theft of public property. +
+ <img alt="Richard Barnett, a supporter of US President Donald Trump sits inside the office of US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as he protest inside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, January 6, 2021." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/L96JAxJ3nK6WFxuxzMwUsblhd_U=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22220981/GettyImages_1230454190.jpg" />
+ <cite>Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images</cite>
+ <figcaption>Richard “Bigo” Barnett, who boasted of entering House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office and taking an envelope off a desk, is now in police custody.</figcaption>+“The shocking image of Mr. Barnett with his boots up on a desk in the Speaker of the House’s office on Wednesday was repulsive,” Jeffrey Rosen, acting US attorney general, said in a statement. +
++The subject of another much-circulated photo, of a cheerful and waving bearded man walking through the Capitol with the speaker’s lectern, has been identified by the Bradenton Herald as Florida man Adam Johnson (not “Via Getty”). Johnson was arrested on Friday and hit with the same three charges as Barnett. The complaint against Johnson references photos posted on his own Facebook account that appear to show him inside the Capitol building and were sourced from a newspaper article about the riot. Additionally, someone who has a mutual friend with Johnson called the FBI to report that he was the man in the photo with the lectern. +
+ <img alt="A member of the pro-Trump mob that invaded the Capitol Building carries the Speaker of House’s lectern through the rotunda." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dcxqOpUUNh4sqC7kVkf1N8XnUw4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22220534/GettyImages_1294949346.jpg" />
+ <cite>Win McNamee/Getty Images</cite>
+ <figcaption>Adam Johnson carries the House speaker’s lectern through the Capitol Rotunda. This photo is part of the evidence cited in the criminal complaint against him.</figcaption>+And Doug Jensen — an Iowa man photographed wearing a QAnon-branded shirt and who appeared to be leading the charge of one of the groups inside the Capitol building — was arrested on Friday and charged with entering or remaining on restricted grounds, violent entry or disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, disrupting the orderly conduct of government business, parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, and obstructing law enforcement. Jensen posted photos of himself to his Facebook page wearing the same shirt on the day of the riot. +
++Also arrested on Friday was Derrick Evans, a freshly sworn-in Republican member of West Virginia’s House of Delegates, who livestreamed himself entering the Capitol building. (He has since deleted that footage and now claims he was there as an independent member of the media.) +
++Evans has been charged with knowingly entering or remaining on restricted grounds and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. An FBI agent stated in the complaint against Evans that the agent matched the voice in the livestream to one of Evans’s campaign videos, and that the agent was able to review the deleted livestream because it was reposted on Reddit. Evans’s Facebook page also had several public posts advertising his presence at the January 6 event in the weeks and days leading up to it. +
++Evans is now a former delegate. He resigned on Saturday, less than a month after he was sworn in. +
+ <img alt="Supporters of US President Donald Trump protest in the US Capitol Rotunda on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/gN4OEd7qlIwoFNgTbdtfu-IyLt4=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22220977/GettyImages_1230455373.jpg" />
+ <cite>Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images</cite>
+ <figcaption>Capitol rioters pause mid-rebellion to take a breather and admire the artwork.</figcaption>+It remains to be seen if other sitting or incoming state lawmakers from Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia who boasted of their presence in DC will suffer the same fate. (Unlike Evans, as the Associated Press points out, it’s not clear if they were part of the mob that entered the Capitol, or just attended the rally that preceded it.) +
++More brazen was Connecticut’s Joe Visconti, who ran for governor in 2014, and who tweeted an image of himself on the Capitol stairs next to graffiti that said “our house.” He made sure to tag local publications to alert them of his actions, but has since removed that post. +
++There have been professional repercussions, too. Several participants have already been fired or resigned from their jobs. +
++Jensen was fired from his job at an Iowa masonry company, which the company announced on the same day that he was arrested. +
++Goosehead Insurance confirmed Thursday on Twitter that Paul Davis, an associate general counsel at the company, was no longer employed there. Davis posted a video on Instagram from outside the Capitol in which he complained of being tear-gassed. +
++Another man was photographed wearing a clearly visible employee ID badge. He is no longer an employee. Navistar Direct Marketing fired him “after a review of photographic evidence.” Another former employer of the man, Glory Doughnuts, identified him as Nicholas Rodean on its Instagram account. +
++Libby Andrews, a Chicago real estate agent, was fired from her job on Thursday after her real estate employer, @properties, said it received “a tremendous amount of outreach” about Andrews, “who acknowledged on social media that she took part in ‘storming the Capitol.’” Andrews told the Chicago Tribune that she didn’t realize she was doing anything wrong and that “it was like a party.” +
++And former Pennsylvania state Rep. Rick Saccone, who boasted on Facebook that he was “storming the capitol” and “our vanguard has broken through the barricades,” has resigned from his adjunct teaching position at St. Vincent College. +
++Law enforcement has been happy to make use of social media and internet activities to track down alleged criminals in the past, just as they are doing now. Social media feeds and livestreams led to the arrest of protesters in Portland last July, and the FBI used Instagram, LinkedIn, Etsy, and Poshmark to identify a Philadelphia woman who allegedly set two police cars on fire during the George Floyd protests last June. +
++Arguably, if law enforcement had previously paid this much attention to social media, where Trump fans were openly organizing ahead of the insurrection on Capitol Hill, they would have been better prepared for the riot that followed — and perhaps may have prevented it from happening at all. +
++Relatively few of the alleged Capitol rioters have been arrested so far, considering how many people were there and how well-documented their actions were. But with so many people motivated to hold them responsible — and many of the alleged rioters already identified — expect that number to continue increasing. Acting US Attorney for the District of Columbia Michael Sherwin said on Thursday afternoon that 55 cases had been filed relating to the riot. +
++“This is just the beginning,” he said. +
++Update, January 9, 6 pm ET: Updated to add the recent arrests of several alleged rioters. +
++
++
++
+
++“It’s like a hall of mirrors”: The online far right’s disordered response to the storming of the Capitol. +
++In the wake of pro-Trump extremists invading the Capitol, the online right displayed fault lines as it publicly processed the events of the past week. +
++Clear arguments and ideas are gaining traction and some have even been repeated by members of Congress. On Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, the message board TheDonald, and Parler, a “free speech social network” created in opposition to Twitter, some users blamed antifa for the attack while others claimed credit for it. Meanwhile, others were angry at the president for posting a video Thursday acknowledging a “new administration” would take over. +
++Even as the online right is divided about how to react to the events of this week, loyalty to President Donald Trump is still strong. Many online supporters refer to him as “GEOTUS,” or Grand Emperor of the United States, and have called fellow members to stand by him. +
++But there is fracturing within the movement: Some are confused about why they were asked to come to the January 6 rally if not to take extreme action, others are angry at Trump’s concession video posted on Twitter Thursday night where he described Wednesday’s events as a “heinous attack,” and others still are developing new conspiracy theories. +
++++Ashley Babbit's last stream. She believed she was doing her patriotic duty, she died wrapped in a flag that said Trump 2020. Yet Trump betrayed her, and Pence's secret service killed her.
+— Syrian Girl ️ (@Partisangirl) January 8, 2021 +
I'm not even American and I can't stand this shameful betrayal. pic.twitter.com/cA3SSD30sx +
+“It’s like a hall of mirrors,” said Jessica Stern, a Boston University global studies professor and expert on terrorism. People on these platforms want to communicate with one another and strategize, but at the same time they’re using these platforms to boast, make niche jokes, and taunt law enforcement, she told Vox. +
++It’s hard to know how seriously to take any individual threat or comment made by members of these forums. Distinguishing between legitimate threats and trolling is difficult — and that reality is mirrored by the president himself. Trump will make “jokes” that target groups or individuals and undermine democratic norms. His supporters casually dismissed criticisms of these comments, or chastised observers for taking the president literally. +
++With five people dead, the time for parsing such distinctions has to be over. +
++In the hours following the storming of the Capitol on January 6, Vox reported on the baseless yet quickly proliferating rumor that antifa activists were behind the violence in Washington. Within hours, a theory that started in Twitter replies and message boards was being repeated publicly by Republican Reps. Paul Gosar, Mo Brooks, and Matt Gaetz. The latter went so far as to cite a now-retracted article from the Washington Times which falsely alleged that a facial recognition company had identified members of antifa. In reality, the company, XRVision, had found “two members of neo-Nazi organizations and a QAnon supporter among the pro-Trump mob,” according to BuzzFeed News. +
++Others on these forums began calling out what they perceived as hypocritical treatment from the police and the media compared to Black Lives Matter (BLM) and antifa. “I watched cops kneel to BLM and antifa,” one commenter wrote. Another angrily pointed out that his social media friends were “perfectly fine with BLM shooting people up months ago” — insinuating that they should be fine with the violence at the Capitol, though it’s not clear what he’s referencing, as Black Lives Matter protesters have not “shot up” anyone. +
++A perception that law enforcement is more lenient on the left is almost certainly false — Vox’s Fabiola Cineas reported on new research finding that law enforcement is harsher on left-wing protests than ones conducted by right-wing groups. Researchers wrote: “When authorities engage demonstrations associated with the right-wing, they use force nearly one-third or 34% of the time. Meanwhile, authorities use force in demonstrations associated with the left-wing over half or 51% of the time.” +
++But mostly, people were angry that “RINOs” — Republicans in name only, a pejorative term for Republicans deemed insufficiently conservative or loyal to Trump — were attempting to give credit to antifa for something they were proud to have done. +
++“WE TOOK THE FUCKING CAPITOL WITHOUT A SHOT. And very minor damage was sustained in the process. NO APOLOGIES. WE’LL FUCKING DO IT AGAIN,” reads one comment on a popular post on TheDonald. One very popular commenter told his fellow agitators to “own it” and stop getting “cold feet” about what they had done and blaming it on antifa: +
++“They deserve every broken window they got. And I laughed at the photos of them cowering in fear under their chairs. The government should fear the people, never the other way around. I support every action of every patriot against this illegal occupation. We need to support every move our side makes.” +
++But some are less forgiving of what they view as betrayal from their commander-in-chief. +
++There’s real anger and betrayal being levied at the president from some people. Many have expressed confusion as to why Trump told them to come to DC, if not to act. One popular comment on TheDonald read: “To be honest, I feel betrayed by GEOTUS who asked us to be there, that’d he’d have ‘new evidence’ to prove what really happened. Except he didn’t release one damned thing. Makes me wonder about a lot of things at this point...” +
++In reply, another commenter writes: “I’m confused about what the purpose of telling people to come to DC if was just for the same canned speech, no new info ... thousands of pissed off people who feel the election was stolen what did anyone expect would happen?” +
++After Trump released his concession video, some grew angry at the president referring to the events as a “heinous attack” and not standing by them after, in their view, they were just doing what he asked. +
+ <img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZFD9GHKomK2sGOuEy6gIcO8G2kw=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22223626/Screen_Shot_2021_01_08_at_5.42.51_PM.png" />
+ <cite>Kelsey Piper/Vox</cite>
+ <figcaption>A now-deleted screenshot from the right-wing message board TheDonald from January 7.</figcaption>+But these are not the norm — a very popular post on TheDonald two days after the riots simply read “I remain 100% in support of Donald J. Trump, last legally elected President of the United States and 100% in support of MAGA.” On Facebook, under a Newsmax article headlined “Trump Spokeswoman Says President Emphatically Condemns Riot at Capitol,” all of the top comments were in support of White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and loyal to Trump. +
++Trump is the unifying figure for a lot of this diverse group of people — it’s unlikely that they’ll turn on him en masse, and there are some indications that even though the president has conceded, his followers still intend to fight to stop President-elect Joe Biden from being sworn in. +
++On Parler, one account — in a message that has made its way through screenshots to Twitter and Instagram — wrote that “many of us will return on January 19, 2021, carrying our weapons ... We will come in numbers that no standing army or police agency can match.” +
++This is just one of several posts in which individuals are planning and strategizing for future anti-government actions. But the sheer volume and diversity of these messages makes it difficult to discern which are direct threats. +
+ <img alt=" " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iXWnlXvhxTQw5nHfd489fB4-hZ8=/800x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22224364/coloneltperez_parler.jpeg" />+Many of these posters could be minors or pranksters trolling online, with no intent or means of traveling to foment an armed insurrection. But that’s exactly what makes this movement so dangerous. +
++“One of the challenges is that there’s so much chatter, there’s so much noise, what constitutes a genuine threat [is difficult to parse] — in my view, this is exactly their strategy,” Georgetown University’s Bruce Hoffman, a professor specializing in terrorism studies, told Vox. This ecosystem consists, he said, of “endless feedback loops of calls to violence... where the people posting it may not pose any kind of direct threat but they’re hoping that someone sitting in their basement ... is going to read that, get angry enough, feel that there’s community support for the violence and then go out and do something.” +
++Both Hoffman and Stern pointed to the internet and social media as being a necessary component to the right-wing movement growing nationally. Previously, these extremist groups were discrete entities that had to be searched out. Now, they are adjacent to and intermingled with mainstream political ideas and leaders, and people can exist as a part of the movement without formally identifying as a member of an extremist group. +
++All it takes is an internet connection and a vague belief that the election was stolen, and all of a sudden people are a part of Facebook groups where posts allege gross fraud and illegal activity undermining democracy. Many people may not even know that the same talking points they post on their social media accounts originated from white supremacists in shady corners of the internet. +
++Social media and tech companies have scrambled in the past few days to act, as pressure mounts. Apple threatened to remove Parler from its App Store, and Google Play did remove the app shortly thereafter. Twitter has removed Trump entirely from their platform, even going so far as to ban other accounts that he attempted to use following his ban. +
++While the effort to remove extremism from mainstream social media companies could help curb the spread of extreme ideas to casual users of the internet, the ever-evolving web of right-wing social media and messaging boards will likely defy the control of these tech giants. Just take a look at TheDonald, formerly a part of Reddit; once banned there, it managed to migrate to its own outpost on the internet. +
++“This was always the dream of white supremacists who first began organizing on a nationwide coordinated basis in the early 1980s ... to bring together the disparate strands of the extremist movement: anti-federalists, people opposed to taxes, people opposed to governance above the local level, racists, anti-Semites, xenophobes. Lacking the communicative power of social media they can only go so far,” Hoffman explained. +
++Well, they have it now. +
++
++
++
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Coronavirus | Health Ministry meets State officials on CoWIN use - Software forms core of vaccine administration
Kerala CM to hold talks with film forum reps today - Organisations seek revival package before reopening cinemas
Parts of Bengal witness clashes between Trinamool and BJP - Suvendu Adhikari, who quit Mamata Banerjee camp to join BJP, blamed Trinamool Congress for the attacks.
Education Ministry draws up plans to support students hit by pandemic - The move is particularly aimed at identification, admission and continued education of migrant children who have been affected during the pandemic.
Europe's slow start: How many people have had the Covid vaccine? - As countries look to quickly vaccinate people, BBC reporters explain what's happening across Europe.
Storm Filomena: Spain sees 'exceptional' snowfall - Four deaths are reported as Storm Filomena dumps snow and triggers floods across the country.
Bosnia: Icy struggle for many migrants stuck in freezing tents - Some aid has reached hundreds of migrants in Bosnia, but their conditions are primitive.
Huge sinkhole appears in Italy hospital car park - It's around 50 metres wide and caused a power outage in the Ospedale del Mare in Naples, Italy.
Brexit: M&S temporarily cuts hundreds of products in NI - Criticism of new Brexit trade rules is growing as firms warn of more bureaucracy, higher costs and delays.
New York City proposes regulating algorithms used in hiring - Bill would require firms to disclose when they use software to assess candidates. - link
Amazon cuts off Parler’s web hosting following Apple, Google bans - The app will need to find new web hosting by Sunday or go offline. - link
The immune system and COVID: It’s still confusing - Antibodies may help, inflammation may hurt, but immunosuppressants are irrelevant? - link
What to expect from the first-ever virtual CES - Some big players are missing, along with over half of last year's exhibitors. - link
Twitter takes down China’s “baby-making machines” tweet on Uighur women - Twitter now says the tweet violates a rule against dehumanizing an ethnic group. - link
+It really does! +
+ submitted by /u/thisisnota_love_song
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+Everybody’s 6 feet away +
+ submitted by /u/MagicTech547
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+A former patient was so brain damaged afterwards that he wrongly believed he'd won an election that he actually lost by 7 million votes. +
+ submitted by /u/debteb
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+He says to the Jew, “See how good I am? The owner didn’t see a thing.” The Jew says to the Arab, “That’s typical of you Arabs. I am going to show you an honest way to get the same result.” +
++He goes to the owner of the bakery and says, “Give me a pastry and I will show you a magic trick.” Intrigued, the owner accepts and gives him a pastry. The Jew swallows it and asks for another one. The owner gives him another one. Then the Jew swallows that one and asks for a third pastry and eats that, too. +
++The owner is starting to wonder where the magic trick is and asks, “So what did you do with the pastries?” The Jew replies, “Look in the Arab’s back pocket…” +
+ submitted by /u/KrisP8
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+One is a Coronavirus, the other is a Verona Crisis. +
+ submitted by /u/ps_1337
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