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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="covid-19-sentry">Covid-19 Sentry</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Gaza Ramadan Reflections. Communal Acts of Worship Adapted for COVID-19 - a Field Report</strong> -
<div>
This paper reflects upon the experiences of the author’s multi-generational family during the month of Ramadan, which took place from April 23 until May 23, 2020, in Gaza. The family consists of two grandparents, fifteen children (both biological and -in-law), and fifty-six grandchildren in shared buildings. Multigenerational living is typical in Gaza. Experiences were documented in notes, journal entries, digital photographs, videos, texts, and letters. The aim of this report is to analyze how Muslims adapted communal acts during Ramadan because of the COVID-19 pandemic. To interpret the data, a review of the Quran, sunnah (the actions and words of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him), and current academic literature was conducted.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/2znxw/" target="_blank">Gaza Ramadan Reflections. Communal Acts of Worship Adapted for COVID-19 - a Field Report</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Egyptian Traditional Herbal Medicine Candidate Adiantum Capillus-Veneris Linn. as a Symptomatic Treatment for COVID-19: A Review of its Mechanisms, Pros and Cons.</strong> -
<div>
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered strain of Corona viruses (SARS-CoV-2). The disease causes mild to severe symptoms, mainly respiratory. Some patients can develop pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. Any patient can develop mild to severe illness, but old age and severe underlying medical conditions like chronic lung diseases, diabetes, obesity, etc. seem to be higher risk factors for developing more serious complications from COVID-19. There is no specific treatment for COVID-19. However, many of the symptoms can be treated according to the patient’s clinical condition. Adiantum capillus-veneris (Maidenhair fern) is a medicinal herb of the family Pteridaceae. The plant extract showed a potential efficacy as ancient physicians used it for curing different diseases. In modern medicine, the plant was proven to possess a pharmacological efficacy to treat many symptoms similar to that caused by COVID-19 and its underlying medical conditions. Herbal agents extracted from Adiantum capillus veneris is widely used for the treatment of COVID-19 in Egypt, but Unfortunately, specific preclinical and clinical trials to evaluate the effects of the herbal immunoregulators in COVID19 patients have not been conducted. However, certain natural compounds are proven here to be possibly effective for the treatment of COVID-19 symptoms based on general concepts from previous experiments. Meanwhile, people believe that consuming herbal immunomodulators can prevent or even cure COVID-19, this review is done to discuss the pros and cons of utilising the extract of Adiantum capillus veneris during COVID-19 pandemic, draw conclusions, and make recommendations of modern therapeutic application of an extract-based drug to treat symptoms of patients with COVID-19.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/npsh6/" target="_blank">Egyptian Traditional Herbal Medicine Candidate Adiantum Capillus-Veneris Linn. as a Symptomatic Treatment for COVID-19: A Review of its Mechanisms, Pros and Cons.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Longitudinal Changes in COVID-19 Associated In-Hospital Mortality</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Objective: As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, a key question for health care systems is whether in-hospital mortality has changed over time and if so, what factors contributed to these changes. Our goal was to leverage real-world data spanning two COVID-19 surges over the first year of the pandemic to determine the temporal trend of in-hospital mortality. Design: This was an observational, retrospective study based on real-world data for patients admitted with COVID-19. Generalized additive models (GAM) were used to evaluate the association of covariates with the composite outcome over time. Setting and Population: We identified a retrospective cohort of all patients who were hospitalized within the Yale New Haven Health (YNHH) system with an admission diagnosis of COVID-19 between March 1, 2020 and February 28, 2021. Main outcome: The primary outcome for the study was a composite endpoint of in-hospital mortality, defined as death during the index hospitalization or discharge to hospice. Results: Among 6,477 discharges over the study period, the mean age was 66.2 years (SD=17.6), 52.5% (n=3,401) were male and the overall composite mortality was 14.2% (n=920). Composite in-hospital mortality was significantly associated with increased age, comorbidity index, respiratory rate, and heart rate; decreased systolic blood pressure; male sex; and admission from a long-term care facility (LTCF). The significant temporal decrease in mortality that was observed for patients admitted from a location other than a LTCF was not seen in those admitted from a LTCF. Conclusions: We found that the adjusted in-hospital mortality rate declined over the first year of the pandemic, despite a second surge in COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Importantly, the decrease in mortality appeared to be driven by declines in risk in those not admitted from a LTCF. The observed decrease in mortality over time suggests that improved outcomes may be due to progressive, incremental learning and continuous evolution in hospital practice and policy over the course of the pandemic.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.04.21255938v2" target="_blank">Longitudinal Changes in COVID-19 Associated In-Hospital Mortality</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Practical Indicators for Risk of Airborne Transmission in Shared Indoor Environments and their application to COVID-19 Outbreaks</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Some infectious diseases, including COVID-19, can be transmitted via aerosols that are emitted by an infectious person and inhaled by susceptible individuals. Although physical distancing effectively reduces short-range airborne transmission, many infections have occurred when sharing room air despite maintaining distancing. We propose two simple parameters as indicators of infection risk for this situation. They combine the key factors that control airborne disease transmission indoors: virus-containing aerosol generation rate, breathing flow rate, masking and its quality, ventilation and air cleaning rates, number of occupants, and duration of exposure. COVID-19 outbreaks show a clear trend in relation to these parameters that is consistent with an airborne infection model, supporting the importance of airborne transmission for these outbreaks. The observed trends of outbreak size vs. risk parameters allow us to recommend values of the parameters to minimize COVID-19 indoor infection risk. All of the pre-pandemic spaces are in a regime where they are highly sensitive to mitigation efforts. Measles outbreaks occur at much lower risk parameter values than COVID-19, while tuberculosis outbreaks are observed at much higher risk parameter values. Since both diseases are accepted as airborne, the fact that COVID-19 is less contagious than measles does not rule out airborne transmission. It is important that future outbreak reports include ventilation information, to allow expanding our knowledge of the circumstances conducive to airborne transmission of different diseases.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.21.21255898v2" target="_blank">Practical Indicators for Risk of Airborne Transmission in Shared Indoor Environments and their application to COVID-19 Outbreaks</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Confirmed forecasts for the expansion of the COVID-19 epidemic in the largest Brazilian City</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Objective: A SEIR compartmental model was previously selected to estimate future outcomes to the dynamics of the Covid-19 epidemic breakout in Brazil. Method: Compartments for individuals vaccinated, and prevalent SARS-Cov-2 variants were not included. A time-dependent incidence weight on the reproductive basic number accounted for Non Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPI). A first series of published data from March 1st to May 8, 2020 was used to adjust all model parameters aiming to forecast one year of evolutionary outbreak. The cohort study was set as a city population-based analysis. Analysis: The population-based sample, 25,366 during the study period, was the number of confirmed cases on exposed individuals. The analysis was applied to predict the consequences of holding for posterior NPI releases, and indicates the appearance of a second wave starting last quarter of 2020. Findings: By March 1st2021, the number of confirmed cases was predicted to reach 0.47Million (0.24-0.78), and fatalities would account for 21 thousand (12-33), 5 to 95% CRI. A second series of data published from May 9, 2020 to March 1st, 2021 confirms the forecasts previously reported for the evolution of infected people and fatalities. Novelty: By March 1st 2021, the number of confirmed cases reached 527,710 (12% bellow predicted average of accumulated cases), and fatalities accounted for 18,769 (10% above the accumulated average of estimated fatalities). After March 1st, new peaks on reported numbers of daily new infected and new fatalities appeared as a combined result to the appearance of the prevalent SARS-CoV-2 P1 variant, and the increased number of vaccinated individuals.evolutionary outbreak. The cohort study was set as a city population-based analysis. The population-based sample, 25,366 during the study period, was the number of confirmed cases on exposed individuals. The analysis was applied to predict the consequences of releasing the NPIs, and indicated the appearance of a second wave starting last quarter of 2020. By January 31st 2021, the number of confirmed cases was predicted to reach 0.49 Million (0.28-0.77), and fatalities would account for 22 thousand (11-32), 5 to 95% CRI. A second series of official data published from June 1st 2020 to January 31st, 2021 confirms all forecasts previously reported for the evolution of infected people and fatalities associated to this epidemic outbreak in the city of S. Paulo. By January 31st 2021, the official number of confirmed cases reached 469,657 (4 % above predicted average of accumulated cases), and fatalities accounted for 17,333 (19% above accumulated average of fatalities).
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.08.21251290v2" target="_blank">Confirmed forecasts for the expansion of the COVID-19 epidemic in the largest Brazilian City</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>SARS-CoV2- infection as a trigger of humoral response against apolipoprotein A-1</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Aims: Unravelling autoimmune targets triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection may provide crucial insights in the physiopathology of the disease and foster the development of potential therapeutic candidate targets and prognostic tools. We aimed at determining i) the association between anti-SARS-CoV-2 and anti-apoA-1 humoral response, ii) their relationship to prognosis, and iii) the degree of linear homology between SARS-CoV-2, apoA-1, and Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2) epitopes. Methods and Results: Immunoreactivity against different engineered peptides as well as cytokines were assessed by immunoassays, on a case-control (n=101), an intensive care unit (ICU; n=126) with a 28-days follow-up, and a general population cohort (n=663) with available samples in the pre and post-pandemic period. Using bioinformatics modelling a linear sequence homologies between apoA-1, TLR2, and Spike epitopes were identified. Overall, anti-apoA-1IgG levels were higher in COVID-19 patients or anti-SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individuals than in healthy donors or anti-SARS-CoV-2 seronegative individuals (p&lt;0.0001). Significant and similar associations were noted between anti-apoA-1, anti-SARS-CoV-2IgG, cytokines, and lipid profile. In ICU patients, anti-SARS-CoV-2 and anti-apoA-1 seroconversion rates displayed similar 7-days kinetics, reaching 82% for anti-apoA-1 seropositivity. C-statistics (CS) indicated that anti-Spike/TLR2 mimic-peptide IgGs displayed a significant prognostic accuracy for overall mortality at 28 days (CS: 0.64; p=0.02). In the general population, SARS-CoV-2 exposure increased baseline anti-apoA-1 IgG levels. Conclusion: COVID-19 induces a marked humoral response against the major protein of high-density lipoproteins. As a correlate of poorer prognosis in other clinical settings, such autoimmunity signatures may relate to long-term COVID-19 prognosis assessment and warrant further scrutiny in the current COVID-19 pandemic.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.12.21251298v2" target="_blank">SARS-CoV2- infection as a trigger of humoral response against apolipoprotein A-1</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Support for Border Security During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence on Levels and Predictors from Eight Western Democracies</strong> -
<div>
One of the unprecedented measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic was to close borders across the world. In Europe the closing of national borders were perceived as particularly controversial because of the emphasis of the free movement across borders of labor and citizens within the European Union. Here, we examine the level of support for border closings among citizens from eight Western democracies, how support developed over time, and how particular COVID-19-related concerns and considerations predict individual differences in support. Specifically, we collected data on support for tightened border security from April 9, 2020 until December 19, 2020 in quota-sampled online surveys in Denmark, Sweden, United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Hungary. Eight Western democracies that differ in their response to and the impact of COVID-19 (N= 67,679). Overall, the data show moderate to high levels of support for tightened border security across all observed countries, with substantial within-country variation. Furthermore, the analyses show that support for border security relates to both usual predictors of anti-immigration views and corona-specific considerations, in particular, personal concerns about the adverse effects of COVID-19 and attributions of blame to international actors such as China and WHO.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/h385v/" target="_blank">Support for Border Security During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence on Levels and Predictors from Eight Western Democracies</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Endothelial cells elicit a pro-inflammatory response to SARS-COV-2 without productive viral infection</strong> -
<div>
Objectives: Thrombotic and microvascular complications are frequently seen in deceased COVID-19 patients. However, whether this is caused by direct viral infection of the endothelium or inflammation induced endothelial activation remains highly contentious. Methods: Here, we use patient autopsy samples, primary human endothelial cells and an in vitro model of the pulmonary epithelial-endothelial cell barrier to show that primary human endothelial cells express very low levels the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 and the protease TMPRSS2. Results: Accordingly, endothelial cells can only be infected when SARS-CoV-2 is present at very high concentrations. However, this is not a productive infection (i.e. no infectious virus is produced) and viral entry induces an inflammatory response. We also show that SARS-CoV-2 does not infect endothelial cells in 3D vessels under flow conditions. We further demonstrate that in a co-culture model endothelial cells are not infected with SARS-CoV-2. They do however sense and respond to infection in the adjacent epithelial cells, increasing ICAM-1 expression and releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines. Conclusions: Taken together, these data suggest that in vivo, endothelial cells are unlikely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 and that infection is only likely to occur if the adjacent pulmonary epithelium is denuded (basolateral infection) or a high viral load is present in the blood (apical infection). In such a scenario, whilst SARS-CoV-2 infection of the endothelium can occur, it does not contribute to viral amplification. However, endothelial cells are still likely to play a key role in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis by sensing adjacent infection and mounting a pro-inflammatory response to SARS-CoV-2.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.14.431177v2" target="_blank">Endothelial cells elicit a pro-inflammatory response to SARS-COV-2 without productive viral infection</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Paired SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Mutations Observed During Ongoing SARS-CoV-2 Viral Transfer from Humans to Minks and Back to Humans</strong> -
<div>
A mutation analysis of a collection of SARS-CoV-2 genomes around the world via sequence, date, geographic location, and species has revealed a large number of variants from the initial reference sequence in Wuhan. It also reveals that humans infected with SARS-CoV-2 have infected mink populations in the Netherlands, Denmark, United States, and Canada. In these animals, a small set of mutations often in combination, in the spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) has apparently transferred back into humans. The viral genomic mutations in minks observed in the Netherlands and Denmark show the potential for new mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein RBD to be introduced into humans by zoonotic transfer. Our data suggests that close attention to viral transfer from humans to farm animals and pets will be required to prevent build-up of a viral reservoir for future zoonotic transfer.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.22.424003v3" target="_blank">Paired SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Mutations Observed During Ongoing SARS-CoV-2 Viral Transfer from Humans to Minks and Back to Humans</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Improved and Linear-Time Stochastic Sampling ofRNA Secondary Structure with Applications toSARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
Many RNAs fold into multiple structures at equilibrium. The classical stochastic sampling algorithm can sample secondary structures according to their probabilities in the Boltzmann ensemble, and is widely used. However, the current sampling algorithm, consisting of a bottom-up partition function phase followed by a top-down sampling phase, suffers from three limitations: (a) the formulation and implementation of the sampling phase are unnecessarily complicated; (b) the sampling phase recalculates many redundant recursions already done during the partition function phase; (c) the partition function run-time scales cubically with the sequence length. These issues prevent it from being used for very long RNAs such as the full genomes of SARS-CoV-2. To address these problems, we first adopt a hypergraph framework under which the sampling algorithm can be greatly simplified. We then present three sampling algorithms under this framework, two of which eliminate redundant work in the sampling phase by caching. Finally, we present LinearSampling, an end-to-end linear-time sampling algorithm that is orders of magnitude faster than the standard one. For instance, LinearSampling is 176 times faster (38.9s vs. 1.9h) than Vienna RNAsubopt on the full genome of Ebola virus (18,959 nt). More importantly, LinearSampling can scale up to the full genome of SARS-CoV-2, taking only 69.2 seconds on its reference sequence (29,903 nt). It finds 23 regions of 15 nt with high accessibilities, which can be potentially used for COVID-19 diagnostics and drug design.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.12.29.424617v2" target="_blank">Improved and Linear-Time Stochastic Sampling ofRNA Secondary Structure with Applications toSARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Germany - a population based sequential study in five regions</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies is an essential indicator to guide measures. Few population-based estimates are available in Germany. We determine seroprevalence allowing comparison between regions, time points, socio-demographic and health-related factors. MuSPAD is a sequential multi-local seroprevalence study. We randomly recruited adults in five counties with differing cumulative SARS-CoV-2 incidence July 2020 - February 2021. Serostatus was determined using Spike S1-specific IgG ELISA. We determined county-wise proportions of seropositivity. We assessed underestimation of infections, county and age specific infection fatality risks, and association of seropositivity with demographic, socioeconomic and health factors. We found seroprevalence of 2.4 % (95%CI: 1.8-3.1%) for Reutlingen in June 2020 (stage 1) which increased to 2.9% (95%CI: 2.1-3.8%) in October (stage 2), Freiburg stage 1 1.5% (95% CI: 1.1-2.1%) vs. 2.5% (95%CI: 1.8-3.4%), Aachen stage 1 2.3% (95% CI: 1.7-3.1%) vs. 5.4% (95%CI: 4.4-6.6%), Osnabrueck 1.3% (95% CI: 1.0-1.9%) and Magdeburg in Nov/Dec 2020. 2.4% (95%CI 1.9-3.1%). Number needed to quarantine to prevent one infection was 8.2. The surveillance detection ratio (SDR) between number of infections based on our results and number reported to health authorities ranged from 2.5-4.5. Participants aged 80+ had lower SDR. Infection fatality estimates ranged from 0.2-2.4%. Lower education was associated with higher, smoking with lower seropositivity. Seroprevalence remained low until December 2020 with high underdetection. The second wave from November 2020 to February 2021 resulted in additional 2-5% of the population being infected. Detected age specific differences of SDR should be taken into account in modelling and forecasting COVID-19 morbidity. Funding: The Helmholtz Association, European Union9s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [grant number 101003480] and intramural funds of the Helmholtz Centre for infection (HZI).
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.04.21256597v1" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Germany - a population based sequential study in five regions</a>
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<li><strong>SARS-CoV-2 infection and reinfection in a seroepidemiological workplace cohort in the United States</strong> -
<div>
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Identifying the extent of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection is crucial for understanding possible long-term epidemic dynamics. We analysed longitudinal PCR and serological testing data from a prospective cohort of 4411 US employees in four states between April 2020 and February 2021. We conducted a multivariable logistic regression investigating the association between baseline serological status and subsequent PCR test result in order to calculate an odds ratio for reinfection. We estimated an adjusted odds ratio of 0.09 (95% CI: 0.005 - 0.48) for reinfection, implying that the presence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at baseline is associated with around 91% reduced odds of a subsequent PCR positive test. This suggests that primary infection with SARS-CoV-2 provides protection against reinfection in the majority of individuals, at least over a sixth month time period. We also highlight two major sources of bias and uncertainty to be considered when estimating reinfection risk, confounders and the choice of baseline time point, and show how to account for both in our analysis.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.04.21256609v1" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 infection and reinfection in a seroepidemiological workplace cohort in the United States</a>
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<li><strong>Obstructive sleep apnea is highly prevalent in COVID19 moderate to severe ARDS survivors: Findings of level I Polysomnography in a tertiary care hospital</strong> -
<div>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
Study Objectives- Studies have found Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as a risk factor for increased risk for COVID19 Acute respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS); but most of the studies were done in already known patients of OSA. This study was done to find prevalence of OSA in patients with COVID-19 related acute respiratory distress syndrome. Methodology- A hospital based longitudinal study was conducted among COVID 19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) survivors. All consecutive COVID19 with moderate to severe ARDS were evaluated for OSA by Level I Polysomnography (PSG) after 4-6 weeks of discharge. Prevalence of OSA and PSG variables {Total sleep time, Sleep efficiency, sleep stage percentage, Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI), T90, nadir oxygen} was estimated. Results- Out of 103 patients discharged from ICU during study period (October 2020 to 15 December 2020), 67 underwent Level I PSG. Mean Age was 52.6 years and mean Body Mass Index was 27.5 Kg/m2. Total sleep time was 343.2 minutes, sleep efficiency was 75.9. OSA (AHI more than 5 ) was seen in 65/67 patients and 49 patients had moderate to severe OSA (i.e. AHI more than 15). Conclusion- Moderate-severe OSA was highly prevalent (73%) in COVID19 moderate to severe ARDS survivors. Role of OSA in pathophysiology of COVID19 ARDS needs further evaluation.
</p>
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.04.21256593v1" target="_blank">Obstructive sleep apnea is highly prevalent in COVID19 moderate to severe ARDS survivors: Findings of level I Polysomnography in a tertiary care hospital</a>
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<li><strong>Derivation and external validation of a simple risk score to predict in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalized for COVID-19</strong> -
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Background: As SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread, and hospitals are treating a large number of patients with COVID-19, easy-to-use risk models that predict hospital mortality can assist in clinical decision making and triage. Objective: As SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread, easy-to-use risk models that predict hospital mortality can assist in clinical decision making and triage. We aimed to develop a risk score model for in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 that was robust across hospitals and used clinical factors that are readily available and measured standardly across hospitals. Methods: In this observational study we developed a risk score model using data collected by trained abstractors for patients in 20 diverse hospitals across the state of Michigan (Mi-COVID19) who were discharged between March 5, 2020 and August 14, 2020. Patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during hospitalization or were discharged with an ICD-10 code for COVID-19 (U07.1) were included. We employed an iterative forward selection approach to consider the inclusion of 145 potential risk factors available at hospital presentation. Model performance was externally validated with patients from 19 hospitals in the Mi-COVID19 registry not used in model development. We shared the model in an easy-to-use online application that allows the user to predict in-hospital mortality risk for a patient if they have any subset of the variables in the final model. Results: Our final model includes the patient9s age, first recorded respiratory rate, first recorded pulse oximetry, highest creatinine level on day of presentation, and hospital9s COVID-19 mortality rate. No other factors showed sufficient incremental model improvement to warrant inclusion. The AUC for the derivation and validation sets were .796 and .829 respectively. Conclusions: Risk of in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients can be reliably estimated using a few factors, which are standardly measured and available to physicians very early in a hospital encounter.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.04.21256599v1" target="_blank">Derivation and external validation of a simple risk score to predict in-hospital mortality in patients hospitalized for COVID-19</a>
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<li><strong>Covid-19 and the South Asian Countries: factors ruling the pandemic</strong> -
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The novel corona virus causing Covid-19 was first detected in the city of Wuhan, China in December, 2019. In matter of months Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The focus of this research includes the probable factors that might have played an important role in the spread of this infection causing a global threat. In this study we dealt with the South Asian countries namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan. Data on the demography of the countries, the climatic and geographical conditions, the socio-economic statuses, GDP being in the forefront, was collected and compared with Covid-19 related data such as total number of positive, recovered and death cases, etc. to determine if there was any significant correlation. The wide range of correlations observed can curve the path for the future research to understand the factors behind the spread of the communicable disease, analyzing the dynamics of the future biological threats to mankind and design the precautionary or preventive methods accordingly.
</p>
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.04.21256590v1" target="_blank">Covid-19 and the South Asian Countries: factors ruling the pandemic</a>
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</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Phase 3 Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo Controlled, Multi-regional Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of GT0918 for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate COVID-19 Male Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: GT0918 tablets or placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Suzhou Kintor Pharmaceutical Inc,<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for Prevention of COVID-19</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Covid19;   COVID-19 Prevention<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ);   Other: Standard care;   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CHO Cell) for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: low-dose Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CHO cell);   Biological: high-dose Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CHO cell);   Biological: placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   National Vaccine and Serum Institute, China;   Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd;   Beijing Zhong Sheng Heng Yi Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd.;   Zhengzhou University<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Safety and Efficacy of Niclosamide in Patients With COVID-19 With Gastrointestinal Infection</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Niclosamide;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   AzurRx BioPharma, Inc.<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>tDCS for Post COVID-19 Fatigue</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Post Covid-19 Patients<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Device: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Thorsten Rudroff<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Immunobridging and Immunization Schedules Study of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: 3-doses schedule 1 of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated;   Biological: 3-doses schedule 2 of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated;   Biological: 3-doses schedule 3 of COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated;   Biological: 2 doses of vaccine<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   China National Biotec Group Company Limited;   Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd.<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Convalescent Plasma as Adjunct Therapy for COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: Convalescent plasma treatment<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   National Institute of Health Research and Development, Ministry of Health Republic of Indonesia;   Indonesian Red Cross;   Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Selenium as a Potential Treatment for Moderately-ill, Severely-ill, and Critically-ill COVID-19 Patients.</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Selenium (as Selenious Acid);   Other: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   CHRISTUS Health;   Pharco Pharmaceuticals<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Protecting Our Community: COVID-19 Testing</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   SARS-CoV-2;   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Diagnostic Test: Home-based SARS-CoV-2 test kit<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Montana State University;   National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS);   University of Washington;   Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center;   Salish Kootenai College<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Nasopharyngeal Swabs by Using Multi-Spectral Screening System</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Diagnostic Test: AP-23<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Fable Biyoteknoloji San ve Tic A.S<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Estradiol and Progesterone in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Other: Placebo injection and placebo pill;   Drug: Estradiol Cypionate 5 MG/ML;   Drug: Progesterone 200 MG Oral Capsule<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Tulane University<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Safety, Tolerability and PK of Ensovibep (MP0420 - a New Candidate With Potential for Treatment of COVID-19)</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Ensovibep;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Molecular Partners AG<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>#SafeHandsSafeHearts: An eHealth Intervention for COVID-19 Prevention and Support</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: eHealth for Covid-19 prevention and support<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of Toronto<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>COVID-19 Vaccination Take-Up</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Covid19;   Vaccination<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Behavioral: Financial incentives;   Behavioral: Convenient scheduling link;   Behavioral: Race concordant;   Behavioral: Gender concordant<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of Southern California;   Contra Costa Health Services;   J-PAL North America, State and Local Innovation Initiative;   National Bureau of Economic Research Roybal Center;   National Institute on Aging (NIA)<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>PROphylaxis for paTiEnts at Risk of COVID-19 infecTion -V</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Covid19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Niclosamide;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;   LifeArc;   Kidney Research UK (KRUK);   UNION therapeutics;   Addenbrookes Charitable Trust<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Covid-19 Clinical Course and Blood Groups: Turkish Population-Based Study</strong> - CONCLUSION: Our study revealed that ABO and Rh blood groups do not have any impact on the rate of hospital admission, hospital and ICU stay, MV support, and CFR.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Contribution of Biophysics and Structural Biology to Current Advances in COVID-19</strong> - Critical to viral infection are the multiple interactions between viral proteins and host-cell counterparts. The first such interaction is the recognition of viral envelope proteins by surface receptors that normally fulfil other physiological roles, a hijacking mechanism perfected over the course of evolution. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has successfully adopted this strategy using its spike…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Role of epithelial-endothelial cell interaction in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: This study evaluates the role of endothelial cells in the development of clinical disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, and the importance of endothelial cell-epithelial cell interaction in the pathogenesis of human COVID-19 diseases.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19: A Fiction, Hope or Hype? An Updated Review</strong> - In December 2019, the novel coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) that began in China had infected so far more than 109,217,366 million individuals worldwide and accounted for more than 2,413,912 fatalities. With the dawn of this novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), there was a requirement to select potential therapies that might effectively kill the virus, accelerate the recovery, or decrease the case fatality rate. Besides the currently available antiviral medications for human immunodeficiency…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Network pharmacology approach to decipher signaling pathways associated with target proteins of NSAIDs against COVID-19</strong> - Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) showed promising clinical efficacy toward COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) patients as potent painkillers and anti-inflammatory agents. However, the prospective anti-COVID-19 mechanisms of NSAIDs are not evidently exposed. Therefore, we intended to decipher the most influential NSAIDs candidate(s) and its novel mechanism(s) against COVID-19 by network pharmacology. FDA (U.S. Food &amp; Drug Administration) approved NSAIDs (19 active drugs and one…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Self-Assembling Nanoparticle Vaccines Displaying the Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 Elicit Robust Protective Immune Responses in Rhesus Monkeys</strong> - SARS-CoV-2 caused the COVID-19 pandemic that lasted for more than a year. Globally, there is an urgent need to use safe and effective vaccines for immunization to achieve comprehensive protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Focusing on developing a rapid vaccine platform with significant immunogenicity as well as broad and high protection efficiency, we designed a SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) displayed on self-assembled ferritin nanoparticles. In a 293i cells…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Uncoupling of macrophage inflammation from self-renewal modulates host recovery from respiratory viral infection</strong> - Tissue macrophages self-renew during homeostasis and produce inflammatory mediators upon microbial infection. We examined the relationship between proliferative and inflammatory properties of tissue macrophages by defining the impact of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, a central regulator of self-renewal, in alveolar macrophages (AMs) . Activation of β-catenin by Wnt ligand inhibited AM proliferation and stemness, but promoted inflammatory activity. In a murine influenza viral pneumonia model,…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Mechanistic insights into the inhibitory activity of FDA approved ivermectin against SARS-CoV-2: old drug with new implications</strong> - The novel corona virus (Covid-19) has become a great challenge worldwide since 2019, as no drug has been reported yet. Different clinical trials are still under way. Among them is Ivermectin (IVM), an FDA approved drug which was recently reported as a successful candidate to reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral load by inhibiting Importin-α1 (IMP-α1) protein which subsequently affects nuclear transport of viral proteins but its basic binding mode and inhibitory mechanism is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Investigation of potential inhibitor properties of ethanolic propolis extracts against ACE-II receptors for COVID-19 treatment by molecular docking study</strong> - The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-related carboxypeptidase, ACE-II, is a type I integral membrane protein of 805 amino acids that contains 1 HEXXH-E zinc binding consensus sequence. ACE-II has been implicated in the regulation of heart function and also as a functional receptor for the coronavirus that causes the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). In this study, the potential of some flavonoids presents in propolis to bind to ACE-II receptors was calculated with in silico. Binding…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-COV-2 induced Diarrhea is inflammatory, Ca (2+) Dependent and involves activation of calcium activated Cl channels</strong> - Diarrhea occurs in 2-50% of cases of COVID-19 (∼8% is average across series). The diarrhea does not appear to account for the disease mortality and its contribution to the morbidity has not been defined, even though it is a component of Long Covid or post-infectious aspects of the disease. Even less is known about the pathophysiologic mechanism of the diarrhea. To begin to understand the pathophysiology of COVID-19 diarrhea, we exposed human enteroid monolayers obtained from five healthy…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Great Deceiver: miR-2392’s Hidden Role in Driving SARS-CoV-2 Infection</strong> - MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation that have a major impact on many diseases and provides an exciting avenue towards antiviral therapeutics. From patient transcriptomic data, we have discovered a circulating miRNA, miR-2392, that is directly involved with SARS-CoV-2 machinery during host infection. Specifically, we found that miR-2392 was key in driving downstream suppression of mitochondrial gene expression, increasing inflammation,…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The SARS-CoV-2 protein ORF3a inhibits fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes</strong> - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. How SARS-CoV-2 regulates cellular responses to escape clearance by host cells is unknown. Autophagy is an intracellular lysosomal degradation pathway for the clearance of various cargoes, including viruses. Here, we systematically screened 28 viral proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and identified that ORF3a strongly inhibited autophagic flux by blocking the fusion of autophagosomes with…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Galectin-9, a Player in Cytokine Release Syndrome and a Surrogate Diagnostic Biomarker in SARS-CoV-2 Infection</strong> - The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection has enormously impacted our lives. Clinical evidence has implicated the emergence of cytokine release syndrome as the prominent cause of mortality in COVID-19 patients. In this study, we observed massive elevation of plasma Galectin-9 (Gal-9) in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls (HCs). By using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, we found that a baseline of 2,042 pg/ml plasma Gal-9 can differentiate SARS-CoV-2-infected from…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Non-Specific Antiviral Activity of Polysulfates to Fight SARS-CoV-2, its Mutants and Viruses with Cationic Spikes</strong> - Polyanions are negatively charged macromolecules known for several decades as inhibitors of many viruses in vitro, notably AIDS virus. In the case of enveloped viruses, this activity was assigned to the formation of a polyelectrolyte complex between an anionic species, the polyanion, and the spike cationic proteins which are, for polymer chemists, comparable to cationic polyelectrolytes. Unfortunately, in vitro antiviral activity was not confirmed in vivo, possibly because polyanions were…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>In Vitro Inhibitory Analysis of Rationally Designed siRNAs against MERS-CoV Replication in Huh7 Cells</strong> - MERS-CoV was identified for the first time in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 2012 in a hospitalized patient. This virus subsequently spread to 27 countries with a total of 939 deaths and 2586 confirmed cases and now has become a serious concern globally. Camels are well known for the transmission of the virus to the human population. In this report, we have discussed the prediction, designing, and evaluation of potential siRNA targeting the ORF1ab gene for the inhibition of MERS-CoV replication. The…</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A COMPREHENSIVE DISINFECTION SYSTEM DURING PANDEMIC FOR PERSONAL ITEMS AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) TO SAFEGUARD PEOPLE</strong> - The current Covid-19 pandemic has led to an enormous demand for gadgets / objects for personal protection. To prevent the spread of virus, it is important to disinfect commonly touched objects. One of the ways suggested is to use a personal UV-C disinfecting box that is “efficient and effective in deactivating the COVID-19 virus. The present model has implemented the use of a UV transparent material (fused silica quartz glass tubes) as the medium of support for the objects to be disinfected to increase the effectiveness of disinfection without compromising the load bearing capacity. Aluminum foil, a UV reflecting material, was used as the inner lining of the box for effective utilization of the UVC light emitted by the UVC lamps. Care has been taken to prevent leakage of UVC radiation out of the system. COVID-19 virus can be inactivated in 5 minutes by UVC irradiation in this disinfection box - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN322882412">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>USE OF IMINOSUGAR COMPOUND IN PREPARATION OF ANTI-SARS-COV-2 VIRUS DRUG</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU322897928">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Compositions and methods for the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) infection</strong> - - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=AU321590214">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>用于检测新型冠状病毒的试纸和试剂盒</strong> - 本发明涉及生物技术和免疫检测技术领域，具体涉及一种用于检测新型冠状病毒的试纸和试剂盒。所述试纸或试剂盒含有抗体1和/或抗体2，所述抗体1的重、轻链可变区的氨基酸序列分别如SEQ ID NO:1‑2所示，所述抗体2的重、轻链可变区的氨基酸序列分别如SEQ ID NO:3‑4所示。本发明对于大批量的新型冠状病毒样本，包括新型冠状病毒突变（英国、南非）与非突变株的人血清、鼻咽拭子等样本的检测有普遍检测意义，避免突变株的漏检。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN322953478">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>METHOD FOR QUANTIFICATION OF PIRFENIDONE, A COVID-19 ANTI-FIBROTIC AGENT, BY SENSITIVE ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES</strong> - This invention relates to the development of specific methods for quantification of pirfenidone, an anti-fibrotic drug which is used to treat Covid-19 for curing lung infections. Ultra-Violet spectroscopy detection and quantification conducted using HPLC grade water as solvent. Linearity constructed for the concentration range of 3-15µL for UV spectroscopy, 2-10 µg/ml for HPLC using methanol as diluent and 5-25µg/ml using methanol as diluent for HPTLC. The chromatographic system comprised of HPLC system equipped with quaternary gradient pump and Shim-Pack GIST C18 (250X 4.6 mm, 5µm) column with PDA detector monitored at 310nm. HPTLC performed on silica gel 60 F254 plates using mobile phase in the ratio of toluene and methanol 8:2 v/v. Analytical method validation done according to ICH Q2 (R1) guidelines. System suitability, intraday precision and inter day precision calculations performed and reported which found to be within limits (%RSD&lt;2%). Recovery studies performed and amount recovered is found between 98.20-102.20%. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN322881663">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>5-(4-TERT-BUTOXY PHENYL)-3-(4N-OCTYLOXYPHENYL)-4,5-DIHYDROISOXAZOLE MOLECULE (C-I): A PROMISING DRUG FOR SARS-COV-2 (TARGET I) AND BLOOD CANCER (TARGET II)</strong> - The present invention relates to a method ofmolecular docking of crystalline compound (C-I) with SARS-COV 2 proteins and its repurposing with proteins of blood cancer, comprising the steps of ; employing an algorithmto carry molecular docking calculations of the crystalized compound (C-I); studying the compound computationally to understand the effect of binding groups with the atoms of the amino acids on at least four target proteins of SARS-COV 2; downloading the structure of the proteins; removing water molecules, co enzymes and inhibitors attached to the enzymes; drawing the structure using Chem Sketch software; converting the mol file into a PDB file; using crystalized compound (C-I) for comparative and drug repurposing with two other mutated proteins; docking compound into the groove of the proteins; saving format of docked molecules retrieved; and filtering and docking the best docked results. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN320884617">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>新闻传播速度测评方法和系统</strong> - 本发明实施例提供一种新闻传播速度测评方法和系统，核心是基于新闻媒体权重计算新闻事件主题的传播速度，再通过聚类分析确定传播速度测评体系，最后评定新闻事件主题的传播等级。其中方法包括：确定待测评的新闻事件主题，获取新闻事件主题的新闻数据；基于新闻数据中每一新闻文本的传播媒体信息，计算新闻事件主题的初始传播速度；基于初始传播速度，以及预先设定的传播速度测评体系，确定新闻事件主题的传播速度等级；其中，传播速度测评体系包括多个传播速度等级与初始传播速度之间的对应关系。本发明实施例提供的方法和系统，实现了基于大数据的新闻事件舆情监测，能够有效提高新闻事件舆情响应效率，有利于决策管理者及时做出舆情应对。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN322592921">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>AQUEOUS ZINC OXIDE NANOSPRAY COMPOSITIONS</strong> - Disclosed herein is aqueous zinc oxide nano spray compositions comprising zinc oxide nanoparticles and a synthetic surfactant for controlling the spread of Covid-19 virus. - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=IN321836709">link</a></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bettverlängerungssystem</strong> -
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</p><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">Bettverlängerungssystem (1) für in Bauchlage beatmungspflichtige Patienten in Gestalt mit zumindest einer Platte (16), dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Platte (16) im Kopflagerungsbereich einen Luftwegezugangsdurchbruch (8) mit einem den Luftwegezugangsdurchbruch (8) umgebenden Auflagerbereich für ein durchbrochenes Kopfauflagepolster (14) aufweist, durch den von der Bettunterseite her und durch das Kopfauflagepolster (14) hindurch die Ver- und Entsorgungsschläuche für eine orotracheale Intubation oder eine nasotracheale Intubation ventral an das Gesicht des Patienten herangeführt werden können, und dass die Platte (16) im Bereich ihrer dem Kopfende eines Bettrosts (15) zugeordneten Stirnseite (6) ein Fixierelement (2) zur Befestigung der Platte (16) am Bettrost (15) nach Art eines einseitig frei über das Kopfende des Bettrosts hinausragenden Kragträgers aufweist.</p></li>
</ul>
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<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=DE322212040">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>一种肝素类药物组合物、喷鼻剂及其制备方法及应用</strong> - 本发明公开了一种肝素类药物组合物、喷鼻剂及其制备方法及应用。该肝素类药物组合物包括肝素钠和阿比朵尔。本发明中的肝素类药物组合物首次采用肝素钠和阿比朵尔联合使用，普通肝素钠联合1μM/L以上的阿比朵尔病毒抑制效率显著高于单独普通肝素钠或单独阿比多尔组（p&lt;0.05）。 - <a href="https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=CN321712860">link</a></p></li>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="daily-dose">Daily-Dose</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-vox">From Vox</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-new-yorker">From New Yorker</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Inside India’s COVID-19 Surge</strong> - At a hospital in New Delhi, supplies and space are running out, but the patients keep coming. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/science/medical-dispatch/inside-indias-covid-19-surge">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Biden’s Great Economic Rebalancing</strong> - The President is looking to correct a capitalist economy that has gone askew, and reclaim a lost vision of shared prosperity. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/joe-bidens-great-economic-rebalancing">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Facebook and the Normalization of Deviance</strong> - The trouble with waiting to address problems long after you know that they exist. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/facebook-and-the-normalization-of-deviance">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Emerging Movement for Police and Prison Abolition</strong> - Mariame Kaba, a New York City-based activist and organizer, is at the center of an effort to “build up another world.” - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-emerging-movement-for-police-and-prison-abolition">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The New, Conservative Supreme Court Is Returning to the Second Amendment</strong> - The decision could gut state laws, at a time when more and more Americans favor stricter gun regulation. - <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-new-conservative-supreme-court-is-returning-to-the-second-amendment">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-vox">From Vox</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>One Good Thing: A Zoom experience that will still be fun post-pandemic</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="The text PLYMOUTH POINT over a background that looks like a desk with items on it." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-G9HOgznYtUVhhEzi-41RnTOf4s=/240x0:1680x1080/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69251195/Screen_Shot_2021_05_06_at_1.26.09_PM.0.png"/>
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The logo for Plymouth Point, an immersive show you can only experience on Zoom with friends. | Swamp Motel
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
A mysterious, immersive theater show provides a fresh way to connect with far-flung friends.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="XgaBip">
The day I got my second Moderna shot was also Valentine’s Day. I anticipated feeling the side effects, so I’d preplanned a fun but low-key activity that evening. Not that I had much of a choice, thanks to the pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Am07FG">
A few minutes before 7:30 pm, my husband and I settled in front of his computer with dinner and glasses of wine, and clicked on a Zoom link I’d been sent earlier that afternoon. When we logged in, we greeted our co-conspirators for the evening, two other couples we’d invited to join us. We all live within a few miles of one another, but we hadn’t seen each other in a year except on screen. And we were about to go on an adventure.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="4eGy0k">
Soon, a mysterious figure appeared in the Zoom window — a woman with a British accent who told us an odd story about a young woman in her apartment complex who seemed to have suddenly disappeared. Instructions appeared in the chat box. We had to follow some clues. Our mission was to find the missing young woman.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="IJsZ12">
From there, we were off. Four of the six of us are journalists, and the other two are smarty-pants, so we were armed and equipped. We had our browsers open, our notepads at the ready, and our metaphorical sleuthing caps on.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Jiytt2">
We plunged giddily down the rabbit hole. We scoured public Facebook pages for clues. We listened to recordings leaked by some mysterious source. We hacked into corporate intranet sites and watched videos about strange initiation practices at a shadowy hedge fund. If we started to head too far toward a dead end, a ghostly presence pinged into the Zoom chat to redirect our attention.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="A6ey2T">
And it was all over in less than an hour. We laughed about some of our dead ends, wished one another a happy Valentine’s Day, and signed off to spend the rest of the evening in our houses. But for a brief period of time, it felt like we’d been romping around London, hot on the trail of a mystery.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LCluxt">
What we’d actually been doing was experiencing <a href="https://www.plymouthpoint.co.uk/">Plymouth Point</a>, the first in a trilogy of — actually, I still don’t really know what to call it. Immersive theater? Virtual escape room? Puzzle box? Some combination of the three?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="jC0rfy">
<em>Plymouth Point</em> is the brainchild of <a href="https://swampmotel.co.uk/">Swamp Motel</a>, an immersive theater company helmed by Ollie Jones and Clem Garrity, two creative associates of Punchdrunk — the theater company that created, among other things, the immersive show (and smash hit) <em>Sleep No More</em> in New York. <em>Plymouth Point</em> is designed to be experienced entirely over Zoom, which is why a bunch of New Yorkers could participate in a “show” based in the UK. Using pretaped elements and a set of skillfully designed clues spread out across the internet on a combination of public and private sites, the Swamp Motel artists created a compelling puzzle for a group to experience during the pandemic.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Z05zw7">
<em>Plymouth Point</em> is also the first installment of a trilogy of pandemic-era immersive theater experiences (the other two are <em>The Mermaid’s Tongue</em> and <em>The Kindling Hour</em>), all designed for a small group to watch and participate in together from behind their various computer screens. I suppose you could do one of them alone, but <em>Plymouth Point</em> is meant to be played by a group of at least four, and it’s much more fun that way. There’s nothing quite like yelling “I’ve GOT it!” to your friends as you all scroll frantically through archives of corporate newsletters in search of a lead. (I’m assuming your cat won’t respond with quite the same enthusiasm.)
</p>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNj1-3NH_u0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Swamp Motel (<span class="citation" data-cites="swamp_motel">@swamp_motel</span>)</a>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UhAKl9">
Our night with <em>Plymouth Point </em>was a few months ago. Everyone in the group has since finished their vaccination regimens, so if we want to hang out together in person, we can. And right now, I’d much rather see my friends in person than in a box on my computer screen, especially since I’m tired of looking at this screen and sick to death of the word “Zoom.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="M2rfDE">
But as we near the point of some return, I’ve been thinking about things that might be fun to keep doing even after we have the choice to go out or stay in. When I’m no longer forced to do everything on a screen, what might still merit that kind of engagement?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="egS0oz">
And one possible answer, for me, is Zoom-based theater.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="BfBKi5">
There is no universe in which I (or anyone who works in, writes about, or loves theater) wants to see virtual plays and performances replace the electricity of an in-person show. However, there are some upsides to experiencing a play or show through a medium such as Zoom. It’s accessible to people who might otherwise be unable (or prefer not) to travel to a theater and sit in a creaky seat for two hours. It gives directors a chance to innovate inside the restraints the medium creates.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="2ycn2P">
And, in the case of an interactive experience like <em>Plymouth Point</em>, it offers a different way to connect with friends who don’t live nearby. I can’t give a friend from graduate school an extra ticket to an off-Broadway show; they all live on the other side of the country. None of my family lives close to me. Plenty of those who do have small children or other responsibilities that make it harder to get together in person.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="NwPHdk">
Sure, we can get on the phone and chat (or text; we’re millennials, after all). But one way people build friendships is through doing things together, not just talking to one another. There’s a surprisingly low number of activities available to long-distance friends. And that can make keeping those friendships alive, especially when time or money are short, pretty tricky.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="3nUdYN">
One odd hidden blessing of this enormously terrible year is that we’ve been forced to reimagine what long-distance friendship can look like, because for those taking Covid-19 precautions, all friendships became long-distance. That long-distance element will mercifully lessen as the pandemic wanes; I personally hope to never hear the term “Zoom happy hour” again, and would like to attend weddings and baby showers in person instead of watching them on a screen.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7jpyhx">
And yet, some version of experiencing art and togetherness through the internet might be worth maintaining. I would happily set up an hour to hang out with faraway friends in the future to play a game, watch a live show, or experience a work like <em>Plymouth Point</em>. I want to see my relationships flourish through having fun together, beyond just sharing memes and snark on the group chat. I can’t say having those options available now is a gift from this time, exactly, since a deadly pandemic doesn’t really leave gifts behind.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="Ry9D9g">
But if it’s a way to snatch joy from the jaws of misery, to prove that human ingenuity finds a way to give life in the middle of frustration and sadness, well, sign me up.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="L5sWb2">
<em>Tickets for </em><a href="https://www.plymouthpoint.co.uk/"><em>Plymouth Point</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://www.themermaidstongue.com/"><em>The Mermaid’s Tongue</em></a><em>, and </em><a href="https://www.thekindlinghour.com/"><em>The Kindling Hour</em></a><em> are available at their respective websites.</em>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="LwkIxB">
<em>For more recommendations from the world of culture, check out the </em><a href="https://www.vox.com/one-good-thing">One Good Thing</a><em> archives.</em>
</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The great American chicken wing shortage is upon us</strong> -
<figure>
<img alt="chicken wings, up close, covered in buffalo sauce." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-ZOi4vMO9vI7VBXPEdN__3ElRgc=/171x0:2838x2000/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69251076/GettyImages_185274327.0.jpg"/>
<figcaption>
rudisill/Getty Images
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</figure>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom">
How big business and bad weather are killing your local bar’s “Wing Night Wednesday.”
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="g0hRLS">
On a Wednesday in February, I took the same five-minute trek uphill to my local bar that I’d taken weekly since the pandemic began. It was “wing night,” what with both the day and the dish starting with a “w” and all, and a global pandemic that prevented indoor dining added a layer of self-righteousness — support of a local business — to my favorite meal.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="UJnNby">
Good wings are usually accompanied (until the last decade, at least) by the faint smell of cigarette smoke from a smoldering ash tray shoved over to the corner of the table when the waiter arrived — a staple of bar culture. This was how I spent the majority of my late teens and 20s, until I quit drinking three years ago, telling friends it was for my kids instead of admitting it was a preemptive strike against alcoholism. The first time you tell someone you quit, there’s a palpable moment of tension; a face drops in hurt or confusion, then someone makes a joke and the tension disappears. Everything is back to normal, even if it’s never the same again.
</p>
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<aside id="0MqkEE">
<q>The price of a dozen wings was temporarily up, from $12 to $19 six days a week and $16 on Wednesdays</q>
</aside>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="vEhoLN">
I didn’t mind losing the booze, but I’d be damned if I lost the wings. On those alliterative Wednesdays, once the kids were down to sleep, I’d duck out to grab a dozen and watch a game, drink some club soda, and maybe meet up with a few friends who no longer asked if they could buy me a drink. The wings act as a sort of time capsule, each plate and each bite a reminder of a previous bar or night out, the memory experienced as a flash of warmth passing through the base of your skull.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="yOrLFn">
But this time, a hastily put-together sign on the door gave me pause as I went to enter: Due to a chicken wing shortage at the bar’s supplier, the price of a dozen wings was temporarily up, from $12 to $19 six days a week and $16 on Wednesdays. The bar had suffered two separate forced closures due to coronavirus exposure in the past six months, so I chalked it up to a casual lie; restaurants were already closing around the country, and if my local bar wanted to make up lost revenue on the back end by jacking up prices on their most popular menu item, I wouldn’t begrudge it.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="rH2yo4">
I’d check every Wednesday for the price to go back down, but it never did. In the meantime, a funny thing happened: More bars in the area started jacking up wing prices or making Facebook posts informing customers that wing night was temporarily postponed. My local grocery store rarely had wings in stock, so I couldn’t even fry up a batch in the Dutch oven to satisfy my craving. The chicken wing shortage I had written off as a tall tale was very real, apparently due to a combination of rising prices to meet demand and damaged flocks from the record cold temperatures that swept across America’s heartland. Panic set in: What if the best food on the planet became a delicacy?
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="v5gkVm">
During the pandemic, getting takeout wings on Wednesdays continued to act as a totem, while also letting me feel good about buying things from a local restaurant during a time of communal need. The government had abandoned us, thus the need for unfruitful $11 lunches to try to prop up a dying local economy. It didn’t really work on a macro level — the bar still had to close twice, after all — but it did do its part in draining America of its crucial chicken wing reserves. Too many Americans shared the goal of eating our way to fiscal stability. Wing sales went up 7 percent, which may not sound like a lot until you remember that it’s 7 percent of billions: Roughly 9 billion chickens are slaughtered each year for commercial sale and consumption.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="izlJty">
The National Chicken Council is already ahead of the messaging around the shortage, leaning into the harsh winter as a root cause and indicating that extra time is needed to have supply “<a href="https://www.syracuse.com/food/2021/04/yes-the-chicken-wing-shortage-is-real-in-central-new-york-and-check-out-those-prices.html">catch up</a>” with demand due to the impacted chicken flocks.
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<aside id="nZXDHX">
<q>We’re going to make up for lost meat by increasing the very practice that will only ensure the perpetuity of our environmental calamity</q>
</aside>
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="xoq443">
The ongoing plague may have distracted from it for some, but the southern US suffered record cold and volatile weather conditions all winter, most visibly during the <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/161434/texas-energy-crisis-green-new-deal">tragic Texas freeze and energy blackouts</a>. It’s easy to draw a direct link between the chicken wing shortage and climate change, and the efforts to ramp up production of chickens to slaughter to meet new demand is a perverse way of making sure it continues. It’s <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/04/22/climate-change-biden-agriculture-484351">well documented</a> that beef production is a massive contributor to climate change (and at a much greater rate than that of chicken production), but factory farming of meat in general is the problem, not just the cow. We’re going to make up for lost meat by increasing the very practice that will only ensure the perpetuity of our environmental calamity.
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="7umVCP">
There are other reasons to be less than enthused about factory farming, regardless of how delicious so many millions might find the outcome. Before a mass-produced chicken is shown the mercy of being stunned in an electric bath and bled out in its shackles, it lives <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/21437054/chickens-factory-farming-animal-cruelty-welfare">a life of immense pain</a>. It’s unlikely to ever see sunlight and spends its days dragging an oversized body through its own waste, joints in danger of collapse from its freakishly enlarged breasts and legs. On its final day, whatever semblance of a bird remains is hung upside down and taken through a Rube Goldberg machine specifically designed for its efficient demise: The bird is shocked in the water bath, its throat is cut (being hung upside down facilitates faster bleeding), and then it’s dunked into a scalding bath to remove its feathers. It’s complicated when projecting human emotions onto animals, but the sense of relief from suffering is universal. This already happens about 9 billion times per year in the United States.
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMPn_Fprx-g/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Pizza Hut (<span class="citation" data-cites="pizzahut">@pizzahut</span>)</a>
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But this brutality is deemed necessary to satisfy an economy based around consumer demand wherein everything must be available for consumption all the time, which brings us to the next reason for the chicken wing shortage. If the market requires 10 percent more chicken wings to satisfy new consumer demand in perpetuity, that means 10 percent more overgrown chickens that will never see the sun. That means billions more electrified bodies and cut throats, trillions more feathers scalded off.
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As national and regional chains rushed to meet the demand of the <a href="https://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/limited-service/will-delivery-still-be-king-post-covid-world">pandemic delivery market</a>, a natural first inclination was to <a href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/pandemic-fuels-virtual-wing-explosion">add chicken wings to the menu</a>. In conjunction with the push to support locally owned businesses and struggling bars, demand for chicken reached its highest levels in years, and reserves are at <a href="https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/operations/massive-chicken-wing-shortage-brewing">the lowest levels seen in a decade</a>. To the average person, this factor alone doesn’t really matter. But when you consider that massive corporate chains with more buying power than your local bar are now competing for and snapping up the same wing stock, the effect is higher prices at local spots you love and stable prices at lesser wing providers. Try as they might, franchises simply can’t compete with local dives on taste or atmosphere, as even the best food offerings at franchises are often nothing more than an echo of the original dish they were modeled after.
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Wholesale prices have increased dramatically since before the pandemic started, and it’s hitting small businesses — primarily independent bars — the hardest. No bar menu is complete without chicken wings, but nobody wants to spend twice the usual price for a dozen. That leaves bars with a choice: Pass the cost onto customers to keep everything running smoothly, like my local bar, or eat the cost by charging the same amount and essentially losing money on every plate of wings that leaves the kitchen. For massive corporate chains that regularly feature loss leaders on their menus, this is less of an issue. For independent kitchens with already paper-thin margins, the choice becomes more perilous.
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This is why those damp wings with the limp roasted meat from national pizza chains are the same price, while your local place has either discontinued wing night or made it such that it doesn’t really feel like you’re getting a deal anymore. We’ve allowed the brands to lead us into a hell where independent restaurants may have to start charging “market price” for a plate of buffalo wings, as if they were Maryland blue crabs. And the planet reaps irreparable damage as a result.
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The rapaciousness of business isn’t limited to wings; the market regularly runs rampant over the things we profess to want. Every push for a new electronics release, for example, ramps up lithium production, which then ramps up mining efforts, which causes everything from labor abuses to international coups to help preserve favorable trade arrangements for the US. Fortunately for all of us, that tension is hidden deep within our fitness trackers or our phones or our vape rigs. To us it’s just a battery, and any apparent suffering to bring it into being happens far away from our wrists and pockets. This is less true with something like a dead animal, where any shortage and requisite ramped-up effort to meet consumer demand has a 1:1 (or greater, when factoring in labor conditions and the exponential increase in greenhouse gases) relationship with death.
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<q>The shortage in chicken wings has reminded me I’m contributing to forces I’d rather turn my back on</q>
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The local price increases and subsequent rabbit hole have reintroduced the creeping sense of unease I have with my relationship to my food, or my relationship to our economy. Silly as it may seem, the shortage in chicken wings has reminded me that even in my flailing attempts to prop up a local business, I’m contributing to forces I’d rather turn my back on. And while poultry production plants across the country scramble to meet shifting consumer demand and ensure further environmental disaster, the United States will continue to <a href="https://www.fooddive.com/news/usda-to-purchase-470m-in-surplus-meat-dairy-and-produce/577326/">have a food surplus</a> from the damage already sowed. And the feeling we’ve been duped will persist; since the pandemic began, it’s been hard to shake the feeling that our economic system is more than smoke and mirrors. The US has been producing enough housing and food and wealth to give all of its people the dignity and quality of life they deserve, but it chooses to bow to the whims of “markets” and fail the people instead.
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Production will ramp back up and a scarcity will soon become a surplus, making consumers and brands and bars happier than they should be. I’m still looking forward to late summer or fall, when wing night returns just in time for a vaccination rate that’s high enough to allow me back into a bar with friends, a plate of cheap wings and watery ranch sitting next to a club soda. Each bite and each plate will remind me of the other nights, the flash of warmth in the base of my skull, and with it something new that I can’t quite place — something I’m probably still too cowardly to confront. Normal, but never the same.
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<ul>
<li><strong>Join the Vox Book Club!</strong> -
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<img alt="A book with the words Vox Book Club on the cover." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vDBrTDkBYu9Sv2E58NMQ0pJimFI=/260x0:1820x1170/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66636186/bookclub_3_v2.0.jpg"/>
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Zac Freeland/Vox
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Our pick for May 2021 is Gold Diggers by Sanjena Sathian.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="SvTyEG">
<em>The Vox Book Club is linking to </em><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org&amp;referrer=vox.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F2020%2F4%2F10%2F21216559%2Fvox-book-club-join-read-discuss" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Bookshop.org</em></a><em> to support local and independent booksellers.</em>
</p>
<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="ieb6Ae">
Here’s how the <a href="http://vox.com/bookclub">Vox Book Club</a> works: Every month, we pick a book. Around the middle of the month, we publish a discussion post containing thoughts and questions from Vox book critic Constance Grady, but we also have comments turned on and moderated so you can share your thoughts, too. Talk among yourselves! Post your opinions and questions! Or use the conversation as a jumping-off point for your own conversations with friends and family. And at the end of the month, we gather on Zoom for a virtual live discussion.
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Our pick for May 2021 is Sanjena Sathian’s assured and immersive debut novel <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516588&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fbooks%2Fgold-diggers-9780593401088%2F9781984882035%3Fsscid%3D51k5_6gex6%26utm_source%3DShareASale%26utm_medium%3DAffiliate%26utm_campaign%3D314743%26utm_term%3D1535322&amp;referrer=vox.com&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2F2020%2F4%2F10%2F21216559%2Fvox-book-club-join-read-discuss" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><em>Gold Diggers</em></a>. It’s got <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/22379926/gold-diggers-book-review-sanjena-sathian">alchemy, heists, and diaspora politics</a>, and it should give us plenty to talk about! Constance will host a <a href="https://voxmediaevents.com/vox-book-club-gold-diggers">live discussion</a> of <em>Gold Diggers</em> on Wednesday, May 19, at 5 pm ET, featuring Sathian herself. We’d love to see you there! You can <a href="https://voxmediaevents.com/vox-book-club-gold-diggers">RSVP here</a>, and in the meantime, <a href="http://vox.com/book-club-newsletter">sign up for the Vox Book Club newsletter</a> to be notified about new book selections, discussions, and related live events.
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Here’s the full <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/4/10/21216559/vox-book-club-join-read-discuss">Vox Book Club schedule</a> for May 2021:
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<strong>Friday, May 14:</strong> Discussion post on <em>Gold Diggers </em>published to Vox.com
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom" id="dVc7Yl">
<strong>Wednesday, May 19:</strong> Virtual live event with author Sanjena Sathian at 5 pm ET. You can <a href="https://voxmediaevents.com/vox-book-club-gold-diggers">RSVP here</a>. Reader questions are encouraged!
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</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-sports">From The Hindu: Sports</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Covid-19 | Tokyo Olympic head says IOC president’s visit to Japan could be ‘tough’</strong> - IOC President Thomas Bach plans to go to Hiroshima to meet the torch relay — and presumably to Tokyo — on May 17 and 18.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Olympic gold is ultimate goal for all of us, says hockey mid-fielder Rajkumar Pal</strong> - The Tokyo Games are scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Indian rowing team of Arjun Lal and Arvind Singh qualifies for Olympics</strong> - Arjun Lal and Arvind will be the only Indian rowers in Tokyo Games which open on July 23</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Malaysia Open postponed due to COVID-19 surge; Saina, Srikanth’s Olympic hopes take hit</strong> - Saina and Srikanth’s qualification for the Tokyo Games hinged on the Kuala Lumpur event followed by the Singapore Open.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma donate ₹2 crore in COVID-19 fight</strong> - The campaign will run for seven days on Ketto and the proceeds will be directed to ACT Grants, the implementation partner which will work towards providing oxygen, medical manpower, vaccination awareness and tele-medicine facilities</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-the-hindu-national-news">From The Hindu: National News</h1>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Supreme Court benches to sit through vacation</strong> - CJI nominates judges to hear cases twice a week</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A day before lockdown in Kerala, no mad scramble among migrant workers to leave the State</strong> - A majority of them are choosing to stay back, reassured by their employers’ promise of care during the lockdown and guarantee of jobs thereafter</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Railways has delivered 2,960 tonnes of liquid oxygen to States</strong> - Forty-seven ‘Oxygen Express’ trains have completed their journey so far</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Coronavirus | Uttar Pradesh government failed to protect people from COVID-19: Akhilesh</strong> - Coronavirus is spreading and has reached villages, where there are no health services available, the Samajwadi Party chief said.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>KSEB employees say vaccination delay may hit service</strong> - Around 25,000 field workers face the risk of getting infected</p></li>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-bbc-europe">From BBC: Europe</h1>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>German call to ban ‘Jewish star’ at Covid demos</strong> - The anti-Semitism commissioner urges authorities not to allow protesters to “relativise” the Holocaust.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Eurovision’s noisy fans are back despite Dutch pandemic</strong> - It’s Europe’s most popular cultural event and the Netherlands will host it despite battling a third Covid wave.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Covid: Germany rejects US-backed proposal to waive vaccine patents</strong> - The EU’s biggest economy rejects the US-backed proposal, saying patents are not hindering production.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Why wearing the wrong socks is risky in Belarus</strong> - Socks and a TV box coloured red and white are treated as opposition protests in Belarus.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>UK ships prepare to leave Jersey after dispute over fishing rights</strong> - The government says it is “pleased” French vessels have left but the Royal Navy remains on standby.</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-ars-technica">From Ars Technica</h1>
<ul>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>IBM creates the world’s first 2 nm chip</strong> - IBM’s new 2 nm process offers transistor density similar to TSMC’s next-gen 3 nm. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1763407">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Unsolved mysteries of the Warhammer 40k universe with loremaster Dan Abnett</strong> - Best-selling author goes deep—like, <em>real deep</em>—on wild and crazy Warhammer questions. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1762186">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Why hasn’t Waymo expanded its driverless service? Here’s my theory</strong> - Suburban ride-hailing is a lousy business to be in. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1762459">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>What cats’ love of boxes and squares can tell us about their visual perception</strong> - “Vision has evolved to answer questions having to do with boundaries and contours.” - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1762974">link</a></p></li>
<li><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>9,000 fliers may have had reused swabs jammed up their noses in Indonesia</strong> - Five workers were arrested for washing and reusing cotton swabs for testing. - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/?p=1763266">link</a></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-jokes-subreddit">From Jokes Subreddit</h1>
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<li><strong>People say being a waiter is a bad job…</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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… but, hey, it puts food on the table.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Eagle_82"> /u/Eagle_82 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n6lpvx/people_say_being_a_waiter_is_a_bad_job/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n6lpvx/people_say_being_a_waiter_is_a_bad_job/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>A barbarian slave in Rome somehow won the attention of Caesar’s daughter</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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They became lovers. To avoid pregnancy, they agreed to oral sex only. After just a few encounters, they were caught in the act. At first the barbarian, imprisoned and sentenced to fight to entertain the crowd, regretted his poor judgment.
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Eventually, though, he was gladiator.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Mickey_James"> /u/Mickey_James </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n6nu3u/a_barbarian_slave_in_rome_somehow_won_the/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n6nu3u/a_barbarian_slave_in_rome_somehow_won_the/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Sex and Golf</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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Professor Higgins at the University of Sydney was giving a lecture on ‘Involuntary Muscle Contraction’ to first-year medical students.
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This was not an exciting subject and the professor decided to lighten up the mood.
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He pointed to a young woman in the front row and asked, ‘Do you know what your asshole is doing while you’re having an orgasm?’
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She replied, ‘Probably golfing with his buddies.’
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It took 45 minutes to restore order in the classroom.
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/orgasmic2021"> /u/orgasmic2021 </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n6v4df/sex_and_golf/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n6v4df/sex_and_golf/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>Did you know “T-shirt” is short for “tyrannosaurus shirt”…..</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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because they have short arms?
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<p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"> submitted by <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/sarcasticpremed"> /u/sarcasticpremed </a> <br/> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n6r87e/did_you_know_tshirt_is_short_for_tyrannosaurus/">[link]</a></span> <span><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Jokes/comments/n6r87e/did_you_know_tshirt_is_short_for_tyrannosaurus/">[comments]</a></span></p></li>
<li><strong>While walking down the street one day, a senator is tragically hit by a truck and killed.</strong> - <!-- SC_OFF -->
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His soul arrives in Heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
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“Welcome to Heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”
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“No problem, just let me in,” says the senator.
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“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in Hell and one in Heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”
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“There’s no need! I want to be in Heaven,” says the senator.
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“I’m sorry, but we have our rules.” And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator, the doors open, and he rides the elevator down, down, down. When the doors open again, the senator finds himself in the middle of a beautiful green golf course. In the distance is a club, and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.
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Everyone is very happy and in formal dress. They run to greet him, and they reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster and caviar.
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Also present is the Devil, who is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that, before the senator realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a big hug and waves while the elevator rises. The elevator goes up, up, up, and the door reopens in Heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.
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So 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by, and St. Peter returns.
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“Well, you’ve spent a day in Hell and another in Heaven. Now, you must choose where you want to spend eternity.”
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He reflects for a minute and then answers, “Well, I would never would have thought it, I mean Heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better satisfied in Hell.”
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So Saint Peter escorts him to the elevator, and down, down, down he goes into Hell. Now, the doors of the elevator open, and he is in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags. And it’s hot, hot, hot, and the odor is just horrible.
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Sweltering hot. Hot and miserable. The Devil comes over to him and smoothly lays his arm around his shoulder.
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“I don’t understand,” stammers the senator. “The day before I was here, and there was a golf course and club, and we ate lobster and caviar and danced and had a great time. Now all there is is a wasteland full of garbage, and my friends look miserable.”
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The Devil looks at the senator, smiles, and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted for us.”
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