+Several recent studies used results of SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR, Ct (threshold cycle), as proxies of viral load1. Unfortunately, an important aspect of this virus’ biology is neglected: Coronaviruses being (+)ssRNA viruses the form of RNA they use for replication is identical to the form used for transcription. It is therefore not obvious which process, replication or transcription, is quantified by RT-qPCR. To make matters more complicated, Coronaviruses produce several kinds of mRNA, genomic (= full size) and subgenomic (carrying only some genes), hence modulating their gene expression1. As shown by Finkel et al. the different mRNAs of SARS-CoV-2 occur at different densities in cell cultures. Because of their location on the viral genome the different targets of RT-qPCR are differentially affected, some being carried by more types of mRNA than others. Further, gene expression being affected by environmental and genetic factors, the quantity of RNA revealed by RT-qPCR may consequently vary due to differences in replication rates, in expression rates, or in both. It is thus unclear how good a proxy of viral load Ct values are, or what differences in Ct values may reflect. Even though the process underlying them is poorly characterized, and despite additional known biases in sample quality and RT-PCR protocols, quantitative analyses of Ct may nevertheless be highly informative e.g. in allowing to detect patterns in ‘levels of RNA’ in patients with different properties (gender, age, severe vs. mild disease, stage of infection) or in allowing to relate these patterns to epidemic properties in populations. For example, given that a priori replication levels should be the same for all genes of these monopartite viruses, differences in Ct among markers lying in different viral genes for should reflect different expression profiles. Such observations could thus help reveal interesting, and potentially epidemiologically significant, variations e.g. among SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Prevalence of vitamin D is not associated with the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe. A judicial update of the existing evidence. -
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+Background: COVID-19 has emerged as a global pandemic, affecting nearly 104 million people worldwide as of February 4th 2021. In previous published studies, the association between the mean Vit D status of each country and COVID-19 infection rate, and mortality among the adult population in European countries was examined. The aim of this study was to re-examine the relationship between the Vit D status of each country and COVID-19 infection, recovery, and mortality using updated data and a different methodological approach. Methods: Information only form the last decade on Vit D concentration/deficiency for each country was retrieved through literature search on PubMed database. As of February, 4th 2021, COVID-19 infections and mortalities per one million population as well as total recoveries were extracted from the Worldometer website. The association between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19 infection, recovery, and mortality were explored using correlation coefficients and scatterplots. Results: The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among European countries ranged from 6.0 (Finland) to 75.5% (Turkey), with several countries facing more than 50% of vitamin D deficiency among their population. Non-significant correlations were observed between the number of COVID-19 infections (r=0.190; p=0.374), recoveries (rs=0.317, p=0.131), and mortalities (r=0.129; p=0.549) per one million population, with the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. Conclusions: Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was not significantly associated with either number of infections, recoveries or mortality rate of COVID-19 among European countries. Thus, it is an important parameter to be considered when implementing preventive measures to face COVID-19.
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Rapid increase of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 detected in sewage samples from England between October 2020 and January 2021 -
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+SARS-CoV-2 variants with multiple amino acid mutations in the spike protein are emerging in different parts of the world raising concerns on their possible impact on human immune response to the virus and vaccine efficacy against them. Recently, a variant named lineage B.1.1.7 was detected and shown to be rapidly spreading across the UK since November 2020. As surveillance for these SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) becomes critical, we have investigated the use of environmental surveillance (ES) for the rapid detection and quantification of B.1.1.7 viruses in sewage as a way of monitoring its expansion that is independent on the investigation of identified clinical cases. B.1.1.7 mutations in viral sequences from sewage were first identified in a sample collected in London on 10th November 2020 and shown to rapidly increase in frequency to >95% in January 2021, in agreement with clinical data over the same period. We show that ES can provide an early warning of VOCs becoming prevalent in the population and that, as well as B.1.1.7, our method can potentially detect VOCs B.1.351 and P.1, first identified in South Africa and Brazil, respectively, and other viruses also carrying critical spike mutation E484K, known to have an effect on virus antigenicity.
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The impact of COVID-19 on air travel demand and CO2 emissions in Brazil -
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+The drastic reduction in economic activities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic creates a unique and timely opportunity to examine the environmental impacts of human activity. In several countries, the aviation sector was dramatically affected by the travel restrictions, resulting in a change of trip demand and in a drop of fuel consumption. Nonetheless, little attention has been paid to the impact of the pandemic on air travel demand, one of the fastest-growing sources of emissions globally. This paper estimates the impact of the COVID-19 on air travel demand and emissions in Brazil, the largest aviation market in Latin America. Combining detailed flight data with daily number of passengers and fuel consumption and data on combustion emission factors, we estimate CO2 emissions of domestic flights in Brazil. A Bayesian structural time-series model was used to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on daily trends of air travel demand and emissions. We find that the COVID-19 pandemic caused a reduction of 68% on national passengers and 62% in total CO2 emissions compared to what would have occurred if the pandemic had not happened. It avoided a total of approximately 4.6 megatons of CO2 between March and December 2020 in Brazil, the equivalent of one year of domestic flight emissions in France. Despite such a sharp drop in commercial aviation, passenger demand recovered to 64.2% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2020. CO2 emissions had a 52.6% reduction in 2020 and the emissions per capita increased after the COVID-19 outbreak. Although the precise impact of the COVID-19 on this figure is not yet fully understood, the fast recovery in domestic flights by December 2020 indicates that the emissions could soon return to pre-pandemic levels, demonstrating the challenges of reducing emissions in the aviation sector in the short term.
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Distinguishing non severe cases of dengue from COVID-19 in the context of co-epidemics: a cohort study in a SARS-CoV-2 testing center on Reunion island -
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+Background. As coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading globally, several countries are handling dengue epidemics. As both infections are deemed to share similarities at presentation, it would be useful to distinguish COVID-19 from dengue in the context of co-epidemics. Hence, we performed a retrospective cohort study to identify predictors of both infections. Methodology/Principal Findings. All the subjects suspected of COVID-19 between March 23 and May 10, 2020, were screened for COVID-19 within the testing center of the University hospital of Saint-Pierre, Reunion island. The screening consisted in a questionnaire surveyed in face-to-face, a nasopharyngeal swab specimen for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcription polymerase chain-reaction and a rapid diagnostic orientation test for dengue. Factors independently associated with COVID-19 or with dengue were sought using multinomial logistic regression models, taking other febrile illnesses (OFIs) as controls. Adjusted Odds ratios (OR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) were assessed. Over a two-month study period, we diagnosed 80 COVID-19, 60 non-severe dengue and 872 OFIs cases. Among these, we identified delayed presentation (>3 days) since symptom onset (Odds ratio 1.91, 95% confidence interval 1.07-3.39), contact with a COVID-19 positive case (OR 3.81, 95%CI 2.21-6.55) and anosmia (OR 7.80, 95%CI 4.20-14.49) as independent predictors of COVID-19, body ache (OR 6.17, 95%CI 2.69-14.14), headache (OR 5.03, 95%CI 1.88-13.44) and retro-orbital pain (OR 5.55, 95%CI 2.51-12.28) as independent predictors of dengue, while smoking was less likely observed with COVID-19 (OR 0.27, 95%CI 0.09-0.79) and upper respiratory tract infection symptoms were associated with OFIs. Conclusions/Significance. Although prone to potential biases, these data suggest that non-severe dengue may be more symptomatic than COVID-19 in a co-epidemic setting with higher dengue attack rates. At clinical presentation, eight basic clinical and epidemiological indicators may help to distinguish COVID-19 or dengue from each other and other febrile illnesses.
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Long-read sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 reveals novel transcripts and a diverse complex transcriptome landscape. -
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+Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), is a positive single-stranded RNA virus with a 30 kb genome that is responsible for the current pandemic. To date, the genomes of global COVID-19 variants have been primarily characterized via short-read sequencing methods. Here, we devised a long-read RNA (IsoSeq) sequencing approach to characterize the COVID-19 transcript landscape and expression of its ~27 coding regions. Our analysis identified novel COVID-19 transcripts including a) a short ~65-70 nt 5’-UTR fused to various downstream ORFs encoding accessory proteins such as the envelope, ORF 8, and ORF 9 (nucleocapsid) proteins, that are relatively highly expressed, b) novel SNVs that are differentially expressed, whereby a subset are suggestive of partial RNA editing events, and c) SNVs at functional sites, whereby at least one is associated with a differentially expressed spike protein isoform. These previously uncharacterized COVID-19 isoforms, expressed genes, and gene variants were corroborated using ddPCR. Understanding this transcriptional complexity may help provide insight into the biology and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 compared to other coronaviruses.
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SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Norway rats (Rattus norvergicus) from Antwerp sewer system, Belgium -
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+Background: SARS-CoV-2 human-to-animal transmission can lead to the establishment of novel reservoirs and the evolution of new variants with the potential to start new outbreaks in humans. Aim: We tested Norway rats inhabiting the sewer system of Antwerp, Belgium, for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 following a local COVID-19 epidemic peak. In addition, we discuss the use and interpretation of SARS-CoV-2 serological tests on non-human samples. Methods: Between November and December 2020, Norway rat oral swabs, feces and tissues from the sewer system of Antwerp were collected to be tested by RT-qPCR for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. Serum samples were screened for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using a Luminex microsphere immunoassay (MIA). Samples considered positive were then checked for neutralizing antibodies using a conventional viral neutralization test (cVNT). Results: The serum of 35 rats was tested by MIA showing 3 potentially positive sera that were later shown to be negative by cVNT. All tissue samples of 39 rats analyzed tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Conclusion: This is the first study that evaluates SARS-CoV-2 infection in urban rats. We can conclude that the sample of 39 rats had never been infected with SARS-CoV-2. We show that diagnostic serology tests can give misleading results when applied on non-human samples. SARS-CoV-2 monitoring activities should continue due to the emergence of new variants prone to infect Muridae rodents.
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+Neutralization escape by SARS-CoV-2 variants, as has been observed in the 501Y.V2 (B.1.351) variant, has impacted the efficacy of first generation COVID-19 vaccines. Here, the antibody response to the 501Y.V2 variant was examined in a cohort of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in early 2021 - when over 90% of infections in South Africa were attributed to 501Y.V2. Robust binding and neutralizing antibody titers to the 501Y.V2 variant were detected and these binding antibodies showed high levels of cross-reactivity for the original variant, from the first wave. In contrast to an earlier study where sera from individuals infected with the original variant showed dramatically reduced potency against 501Y.V2, sera from 501Y.V2-infected patients maintained good cross-reactivity against viruses from the first wave. Furthermore, sera from 501Y.V2-infected patients also neutralized the 501Y.V3 (P.1) variant first described in Brazil, and now circulating globally. Collectively these data suggest that the antibody response in patients infected with 501Y.V2 has a broad specificity and that vaccines designed with the 501Y.V2 sequence may elicit more cross-reactive responses.
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Resolving the Dynamic Motions of SARS-CoV-2 nsp7 and nsp8 Proteins Using Structural Proteomics -
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+Coronavirus (CoV) non-structural proteins (nsps) assemble to form the replication-transcription complex (RTC) responsible for viral RNA synthesis. nsp7 and nsp8 are important cofactors of the RTC, as they interact and regulate the activity of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and other nsps. To date, no structure of full-length SARS-CoV-2 nsp7:nsp8 complex has been published. Current understanding of this complex is based on structures from truncated constructs or with missing electron densities and complexes from related CoV species with which SARS-CoV-2 nsp7 and nsp8 share upwards of 90% sequence identity. Despite available structures being solved using crystallography and cryo-EM representing detailed snapshots of the nsp7:nsp8 complex, it is evident that the complex has a high degree of structural plasticity. However, relatively little is known about the conformational dynamics of the complex and how it assembles to interact with other nsps. Here, the solution-based structural proteomic techniques, hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) and crosslinking mass spectrometry (XL-MS), illuminate the structural dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 full-length nsp7:nsp8 complex. The results presented from the two techniques are complementary and validate the interaction surfaces identified from the published three-dimensional heterotetrameric crystal structure of SARS-CoV-2 truncated nsp7:nsp8 complex. Furthermore, mapping of XL-MS data onto higher order complexes suggests that SARS-CoV-2 nsp7 and nsp8 do not assemble into a hexadecameric structure as implied by the SARS-CoV full-length nsp7:nsp8 crystal structure. Instead our results suggest that the nsp7:nsp8 heterotetramer can dissociate into a stable dimeric unit that might bind to nsp12 in the RTC without altering nsp7-nsp8 interactions.
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COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: shortening the last mile -
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+We offer three recommendations to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates. First, use communication campaigns leveraging evidence-based levers and argumentation tools with experts. Second, use behavioral insights to make vaccination more accessible. Third, help early adopters communicate about their decision to be vaccinated to accelerate the emergence of pro-vaccination norms.
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“Zoom Developmentalists”: Home-Based Videoconferencing Developmental Research during COVID-19 -
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+As home-based video conferencing has become increasingly popular among developmental researchers during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a pressing need to discuss its potentials and challenges. We have augmented our own experiences with insights from many “Zoom developmentalists” (see Acknowledgments) to provide recommendations for those who are considering engaging in home-based videoconferencing studies.
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What to target when reopening universities in times of COVID-19? Selecting relevant and changeable determinants and underlying beliefs of university students’ adherence to COVID-19-guidelines -
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+Objective: When reopening universities in times of COVID-19, students still have to adhere to COVID-19 behavioral guidelines. We explored what behavioral determinants (and underlying beliefs) related to the adherence to guidelines are both relevant and changeable, as input for future interventions. Design: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted (Oct-Nov 2020), identifying behavioral determinants (and underlying beliefs) of university students’ adherence to COVID-19-guidelines, including keeping 1.5m distance, getting tested, and isolating (N = 255). Main Outcomes: Determinants and underlying beliefs of students’ adherence to COVID-19-guidelines. Results: Attitude, perceived norm, self-efficacy, and several beliefs (e.g., risk perception beliefs ‘I am not afraid because I am young’; attitudinal beliefs, e.g., ‘I feel responsible for telling people to adhere to guidelines’; self-efficacy beliefs, e.g., ‘COVID-19-prevention guidelines are difficult to adhere to’) were strongly associated with intention to adhere to guidelines, and for those beliefs there was room for improvement, making them suitable as possible intervention targets. Conclusion: Students mostly adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, but there is room for improvement. Interventions need to enhance students’ adherence behavior by targeting the most relevant determinants as identified in this study. Based on these findings, a small intervention was introduced targeting the determinants of students’ adherence to guidelines.
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The Behavioral Immune System and Vaccination Intentions During the Coronavirus Pandemic -
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+The behavioral immune system is considered to be a psychological adaptation that decreases the risk of infection. Research suggests that, in the current environment, this system can produce attitudes with negative health consequences, such as increased vaccine hesitancy. In three studies, we investigated whether two facets of the behavioral immune system—contamination aversion (i.e., avoiding potential contamination) and perceived infectability (i.e., perceived susceptibility to disease)—predicted intentions to accept COVID-19, influenza, and measles or general childhood vaccinations. Both contamination aversion and perceived infectability were higher during than before the pandemic. In contrast to previous research, those with higher contamination aversion during the pandemic perceived vaccines to be safer and had higher intentions to accept vaccination. Contamination aversion before the pandemic was not associated with perceived vaccine safety or vaccination intentions during the pandemic. Individuals who perceived themselves as more susceptible to diseases were slightly more willing to accept vaccination. We conjecture that high disease threat reverses the relationship between the behavioral immune system response and vaccination. As the associations were weak, individual differences in contamination aversion and perceived infectability are of little practical relevance for vaccine uptake.
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Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science Global Engagement Task Force Report -
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+The Society for the Improvement of Psychological Science (SIPS) is an organization whose mission focuses on bringing together scholars who want to improve methods and practices in psychological science. The organization reaffirmed in June 2020 that “[we] cannot do good science without diverse voices,” and acknowledged that “right now the demographics of SIPS are unrepresentative of the field of psychology, which is in turn unrepresentative of the global population. We have work to do when it comes to better supporting Black scholars and other underrepresented minorities.” The purpose of the Global Engagement Task Force, started in January 2020, was to explore suggestions made after the 2019 Annual Conference, held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, around inclusion and access for scholars from regions outside of the United States, Canada, and Western Europe (described in the report as “geographically diverse” regions), a task complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic and civil unrest in several task force members’ countries of residence. This report outlines several suggestions, specifically around building partnerships with geographically diverse open science organizations; increasing SIPS presence at other, more local events; diversifying remote events; considering geographically diverse annual conference locations; improving membership and financial resources; and surveying open science practitioners from geographically diverse regions.
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Overviews of Reviews of the comorbidities, symptoms and perinatal clinical characteristics of patients with coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) -
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+What is the incidence in pregnant women of: preterm labor, C-section operation, pneumonia, cough, fever, radiological alterations in the chest, alterations in the blood count, liver function, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, high D-dimer, thrombocytopenia, globular sedimentation rate. What is the incidence in the neonate of: low birth weight, fetal well-being commitment, low Apgar score, radiological alterations in chest, alterations in the blood count, liver function, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, high D-dimer, thrombocytopenia, and what is the globular sedimentation rate, the vertical transmission of COVID-19 symptoms, and what are the clinical characteristics?
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Clinical Study in the Treatment of Patients With COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Drug: Molixan; Drug: Placebo Sponsor: Pharma VAM Not yet recruiting
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A Safety and Efficacy Study of Human Monoclonal Antibodies, BRII-196 and BRII-198 for the Treatment of Patients With COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Drug: BRII-196 and BRII-198; Drug: Placebo Sponsor: Brii Biosciences, Inc. Not yet recruiting
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Dose-Ranging Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Melatonin in Outpatients Infected With COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Drug: Melatonin; Drug: Placebo Sponsors: State University of New York at Buffalo; National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) Not yet recruiting
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A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Brilacidin in Hospitalized Participants With COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Drug: Brilacidin; Drug: Placebo; Drug: Standard of Care (SoC) Sponsor: Innovation Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Recruiting
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Protecting Native Families From COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Behavioral: Motivational Interviewing; Behavioral: COVID-19 Symptom Monitoring System; Behavioral: Motivational Interviewing and COVID-19 Symptom Monitoring System; Other: Supportive Services Sponsor: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Not yet recruiting
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Safety and Efficacy of Thymic Peptides in the Treatment of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients in Honduras - Condition: COVID-19 Intervention: Biological: Thymic peptides Sponsors: Universidad Católica de Honduras; Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile Recruiting
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(CBDRA60) to Prevent or Reduce Symptoms of COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Dietary Supplement: CBDRA60 supplement; Dietary Supplement: Placebo Sponsors: Anewsha Therapeutics Inc.; University of Michigan; Biologics Consulting Not yet recruiting
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Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of ATR-002 in Adult Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Drug: ATR-002; Drug: Placebo Sponsor: Atriva Therapeutics GmbH Not yet recruiting
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A Study to Evaluate UB-612 COVID-19 Vaccine in Adolescent, Younger and Elderly Adult Volunteers - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Biological: UB-612; Biological: Placebo Sponsors: United Biomedical Inc., Asia; COVAXX Recruiting
Study of the Tolerability, Safety, Immunogenicity and Preventive Efficacy of the EpiVacCorona Vaccine for the Prevention of COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Interventions: Biological: EpiVacCorona (EpiVacCorona vaccine based on peptide antigens for the prevention of COVID-19); Other: Placebo (sodium chloride, a 0.9% solution for the preparation of dosage forms for injections) Sponsor: Federal Budgetary Research Institution State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector” Active, not recruiting
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Adoptive SARS-CoV-2 Specific T Cell Transfer in Patients at Risk for Severe COVID-19 - Condition: Moderate COVID-19-infection Interventions: Drug: IMP 1,000 plus SoC; Drug: IMP 5,000 plus SoC; Drug: IMP RP2D plus SoC; Drug: SoC Sponsors: Universitätsklinikum Köln; ZKS Köln; MMH Institute for Transfusion Medicine; Miltenyi Biomedicine GmbH Not yet recruiting
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A Phase 3 Trial to Determine the Efficacy/Safety of Plitidepsin vs Control in Patients With Moderate COVID-19 Infection - Condition: COVID-19 Infection Interventions: Drug: Plitidepsin; Drug: Dexamethasone; Drug: Remdesivir Sponsor: PharmaMar Not yet recruiting
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Study to Evaluate a Single Dose of STI-2020 (COVI-AMG™) in Hospitalized Adults With COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19 Interventions: Biological: COVI-AMG; Drug: Placebo Sponsor: Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. Not yet recruiting
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Safety & Efficacy of Low Dose Aspirin / Ivermectin Combination Therapy for Treatment of Covid-19 Patients - Condition: Covid19 Intervention: Drug: 3-dayIVM 200 mcg/kg/day/14-day 75mgASA/day + standard of care (intervention 1) Sponsors: Makerere University; Ministry of Health, Uganda; Mbarara University of Science and Technology; Joint Clinical Research Center Not yet recruiting
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From PubMed
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Exploring naphthyl derivatives as SARS-CoV papain-like protease (PLpro) inhibitors and its implications in COVID-19 drug discovery - Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerges as a serious threat to public health globally. The rapid spreading of COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), proclaimed the multitude of applied research needed not only to save the human health but also for the environmental safety. As per the recent World Health Organization reports, the novel corona virus may never be wiped out completely from the world. In this connection, the inhibitors…
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Structural basis for inhibition of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase by suramin - The COVID-19 pandemic caused by nonstop infections of SARS-CoV-2 has continued to ravage many countries worldwide. Here we report that suramin, a 100-year-old drug, is a potent inhibitor of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and acts by blocking the binding of RNA to the enzyme. In biochemical assays, suramin and its derivatives are at least 20-fold more potent than remdesivir, the currently approved nucleotide drug for treatment of COVID-19. The 2.6 Å cryo-electron microscopy…
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SARS-CoV-2 mediated neuroinflammation and the impact of COVID-19 in neurological disorders - SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that severely affects the respiratory system, is the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is projected to result in the deaths of 2 million people worldwide. Recent reports suggest that SARS-CoV-2 also affects the central nervous system along with other organs. COVID-19-associated complications are observed in older people with underlying neurological conditions like stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Hence, we discuss SARS-CoV-2 viral…
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Demystifying Excess Immune Response in COVID-19 to Reposition an Orphan Drug for Down-Regulation of NF-kappaB: A Systematic Review - The immunological findings from autopsies, biopsies, and various studies in COVID-19 patients show that the major cause of morbidity and mortality in COVID-19 is excess immune response resulting in hyper-inflammation. With the objective to review various mechanisms of excess immune response in adult COVID-19 patients, Pubmed was searched for free full articles not related to therapeutics or co-morbid sub-groups, published in English until 27.10.2020, irrespective of type of article, country, or…
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Establishing an Analogue Based In Silico Pipeline in the Pursuit of Novel Inhibitory Scaffolds against the SARS Coronavirus 2 Papain-Like Protease - The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has been a burden on the worldwide population, with mass fatalities and devastating socioeconomic consequences. It has particularly drawn attention to the lack of approved small-molecule drugs to inhibit SARS coronaviruses. Importantly, lessons learned from the SARS outbreak of 2002-2004, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV-1), can be applied to current drug discovery ventures. SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 both possess two cysteine…
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Resveratrol Inhibits HCoV-229E and SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Replication In Vitro - A novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in China at the end of 2019 causing a large global outbreak. As treatments are of the utmost importance, drug repurposing embodies a rich and rapid drug discovery landscape, where candidate drug compounds could be identified and optimized. To this end, we tested seven compounds for their ability to reduce replication of human coronavirus (HCoV)-229E, another member of the coronavirus family. Among these…
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Concentration and Quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater Using Polyethylene Glycol-Based Concentration and qRT-PCR - Wastewater-based epidemiology has become an important tool for the surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. However, the detection of viruses in sewage is challenging and to date there is no standard method available which has been validated for the sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2. In this paper, we describe a simple concentration method based on polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation, followed by RNA extraction and a one-step quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) for viral detection…
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Screening and Molecular Modeling Evaluation of Food Peptides to Inhibit Key Targets of COVID-19 Virus - Peptide drugs, especially food-derived peptides, have a variety of functional activities including antiviral and may also have a therapeutic effect on COVID-19. In this study, comparing with the reported drugs, 79 peptides were found to bind to the key targets of COVID-19 virus with higher non-covalent interaction, while among them, six peptides showed high non-covalent interactions with the three targets, which may inhibit the COVID-19 virus. In the simulation, peptides of nine to 10 amino…
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sFasL-The Key to a Riddle: Immune Responses in Aging Lung and Disease - By dint of the aging population and further deepened with the Covid-19 pandemic, lung disease has turned out to be a major cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality. The condition is exacerbated when the immune system further attacks the healthy, rather than the diseased, tissue within the lung. Governed by unremittingly proliferating mesenchymal cells and increased collagen deposition, if inflammation persists, as frequently occurs in aging lungs, the tissue develops tumors and/or turns into…
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Opportunities, Challenges and Pitfalls of Using Cannabidiol as an Adjuvant Drug in COVID-19 - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection may lead to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which, in turn, may be associated with multiple organ dysfunction. In this review, we present advantages and disadvantages of cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid from the cannabis plant, as a potential agent for the treatment of COVID-19. CBD has been shown to downregulate proteins responsible for viral entry and to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication. Preclinical…
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Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Cytokine Storms for More Effective Treatments from an Inflammatory Pathophysiology - The Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has swept the world and caused a global pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 seems to have originated from bats as their reservoir hosts over time. Similar to SARS-CoV, this new virus also exerts its action on the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. This action causes infections in cells and establishes an infectious disease, COVID-19. Against this viral invasion, the human body starts to activate the innate immune system in producing and releasing…
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MicroRNAs and Long Non-Coding RNAs as Potential Candidates to Target Specific Motifs of SARS-CoV-2 - The respiratory system is one of the most affected targets of SARS-CoV-2. Various therapies have been utilized to counter viral-induced inflammatory complications, with diverse success rates. Pending the distribution of an effective vaccine to the whole population and the achievement of “herd immunity”, the discovery of novel specific therapies is to be considered a very important objective. Here, we report a computational study demonstrating the existence of target motifs in the SARS-CoV-2…
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Berberine and Obatoclax Inhibit SARS-Cov-2 Replication in Primary Human Nasal Epithelial Cells In Vitro - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged as a new human pathogen in late 2019 and it has infected over 100 million people in less than a year. There is a clear need for effective antiviral drugs to complement current preventive measures, including vaccines. In this study, we demonstrate that berberine and obatoclax, two broad-spectrum antiviral compounds, are effective against multiple isolates of SARS-CoV-2. Berberine, a plant-derived alkaloid, inhibited SARS-CoV-2…
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Polyphosphate Reverses the Toxicity of the Quasi-Enzyme Bleomycin on Alveolar Endothelial Lung Cells In Vitro - The anti-cancer antitumor antibiotic bleomycin(s) (BLM) induces athyminic sites in DNA after its activation, a process that results in strand splitting. Here, using A549 human lung cells or BEAS-2B cells lunc cells, we show that the cell toxicity of BLM can be suppressed by addition of inorganic polyphosphate (polyP), a physiological polymer that accumulates and is released from platelets. BLM at a concentration of 20 µg ml^(-1) causes a decrease in cell viability (by ~70%), accompanied by an…
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Computational Selectivity Assessment of Protease Inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 - The pandemic of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a serious global health threat. Since no specific therapeutics are available, researchers around the world screened compounds to inhibit various molecular targets of SARS-CoV-2 including its main protease (M^(pro)) essential for viral replication. Due to the high urgency of these discovery efforts, off-target binding, which is one of the major reasons for drug-induced toxicity and safety-related drug…
Compositions and methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein - - link
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Aronia-Mundspray -
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+Anordnung zum Versprühen einer Substanz in die menschliche Mundhöhle und/oder in den Rachen, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Anordnung eine Sprühflasche mit einer Substanz aufweist, die wenigstens Aroniasaft und eine Alkoholkomponente aufweist.
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一种3-羟基丁酰化修饰蛋白质药物及其制备方法和应用 - 本发明涉及医药技术领域，公开了一种3‑羟基丁酰化修饰蛋白质药物（例如抗体）及其制备方法和应用，特别是一种3‑羟基丁酰化修饰抗体及其制备方法和应用。发明人经过大量实验发现，3‑羟基丁酸及其类似物修饰蛋白质药物（例如抗体）后，可以显著提高蛋白质药物的热稳定性、对蛋白酶水解的抗性，降低蛋白质药物的等电点，并显著延长其在受试者体内的半衰期，进而提高其药效。修饰后所得蛋白质药物在科研和临床方面具有广阔的应用前景和较高的商业价值。 - link
+
新冠病毒重组融合蛋白、其制备方法和应用 - 本发明提供一种新冠病毒重组融合蛋白、其制备方法和应用。本发明通过对新冠病毒S和N重组融合蛋白的基因序列进行设计，选择最优的片段进行整合，再通过人源HEK293细胞系统重组表达融合蛋白，经过纯化后对融合蛋白的分子量、纯度进行检测，最后利用融合蛋白制成新冠病毒抗体胶体金检测试纸条/试剂盒。与单独使用S蛋白或N蛋白制备的胶体金检测试纸条相比，该重组融合蛋白制备的胶体金检测试纸条具有更高的灵敏度和更低的漏检率。此外，本发明提供的新冠病毒重组融合蛋白可广泛应用于不同平台技术的新冠抗体检测试剂盒开发，如胶体金、荧光免疫层析、化学发光和酶联免疫等。 - link
+
Atemluft-Desinfektionsvorrichtung und Atemschutzmaske -
+
+Atemluft-Desinfektionsvorrichtung mit einem am Körper eines Lebewesens (2) tragbaren Gehäuse (32), aufweisend:
+
eine im Gehäuse (32) ausgebildete frei durchströmbare Atemluft-Bestrahlungskammer (33), die frei von den Strömungswiderstand erhöhenden Einbauten oder Umlenkabschnitten ist, und die an einem Ende (34.1) der Atemluft-Bestrahlungskammer (33) eine im Strömungsweg der Nase und/oder dem Mund des Lebewesens (2) zugewandte erste Durchtrittsöffnung (35.1) aufweist und an einem anderen Ende (34.2) der Atemluft-Bestrahlungskammer (33) eine im Strömungsweg von der Nase und/oder von dem Mund des Lebewesens (2) abgewandte zweite Durchtrittsöffnung (35.2) aufweist, wobei die Atemluft-Bestrahlungskammer (33) von wenigstens einer UV-reflektierenden Kammer-Innenwand (36) begrenzt ist, die aus einem wärmeleitenden Material besteht,
+
wenigstens eine im Gehäuse (32) angeordnete, in die Atemluft-Bestrahlungskammer (33) einstrahlende UV-LED-Einheit (31, 31.1, 31.2), die ausgebildet und eingerichtet ist, den Innenraum der Atemluft-Bestrahlungskammer (33) mit UV-Strahlen vollständig zu beaufschlagen, und
+
wenigstens einen sich außerhalb der Atemluft-Bestrahlungskammer (33) erstreckenden Kühlkörper (37), der thermisch sowohl an die wenigstens eine UV-LED-Einheit (31, 31.1, 31.2), als auch an die aus dem wärmeleitenden Material bestehende Kammer-Innenwand (36, 39, 40) angekoppelt ist.
稳定的冠状病毒重组蛋白二聚体及其表达载体 - 本发明公开了稳定的冠状病毒重组蛋白二聚体及其表达载体，冠状病毒重组蛋白，由冠状病毒S蛋白S‑RBD、冠状病毒N蛋白的CTD区N‑CTD和将二者偶联的连接子构成。本发明一些实例的冠状病毒重组蛋白，可以形成并维持稳定的二聚体结构，避免单体S‑RBD降解，有利于提高冠状病毒重组蛋白的免疫原性，有望用于制备检测试剂原料、疫苗、抗体、预防或治疗性药物。本发明一些实例的冠状病毒重组蛋白二聚体，具有很好的免疫原性。在疫苗开发领域具有广阔的应用前景。本发明一些实例的表达载体，易于表达冠状病毒重组蛋白二聚体且表达量高。 - link
+
SELF-CLEANING AND GERM-KILLING REVOLVING PUBLIC TOILET FOR COVID 19 - - link
+
一种新冠病毒S1蛋白的灌流生产系统及方法 - 本发明涉及细胞生物学技术领域，提供了一种新冠病毒S1蛋白的灌流生产系统及方法，包括：细胞反应器，用于培养表达S1蛋白的细胞株；灌流系统，包括过滤装置、出液管、回液管和第一循环泵，所述过滤装置的主体内设有孔径为0.1‑0.2μm的中空纤维柱，用于过滤透出液，截留细胞培养液中的S1蛋白；所述出液管的两端分别与所述细胞反应器和所述中空纤维柱的下端相连通；所述回液管的两端分别与所述细胞反应器和所述中空纤维柱的上端相连通；所述第一循环泵设置于所述出液管与所述中空纤维柱相连的管路中。本发明系统投入成本低且S1蛋白产量高。 - link
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+ 07 March, 2021
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+Daily-Dose
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What Does National Security Even Mean Anymore? - Talking threats, foreign and domestic, with Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. - link
+
The Vaccine Resisters - Why do so many people say that they won’t be immunized against COVID-19? - link
+
Is the Vatican Finally Ready to Get Serious About Women in the Church? - Stories of American nuns over the past fifty years highlight an urgent need for change. - link
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What the Coronavirus Variants Mean for the End of the Pandemic - The virus is mutating—but we can still beat it, one vaccination at a time. - link
+
The Civilian Climate Corps Is a Big-Government Plan That All Americans Can Embrace - Biden’s proposal draws on a New Deal program that created jobs and helped unite the country. - link
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+
From Vox
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Trump tells GOP committees to stop using his name for fundraising -
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+Former President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida on February 28, 2021. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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+Trump sent cease and desist orders to the RNC, NRSC, and NRCC on Friday.
+
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+Former President Donald Trump demanded that the Republican National Committee (RNC) and two GOP campaign organizations stop using his name and likeness for fundraising, on Friday, according to a report from Politico.
+
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+Trump lawyers reportedly sent cease and desist orders not just to the RNC, but the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which are spearheading Republican efforts to retake the Senate and the House in the 2022 midterms, respectively.
+
+
+The cease and desist effort comes less than a week after Trump’s first major post-presidency speech, at the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in Orlando, Florida.
+
+
+Trump used his keynote address there not just to reassert his leadership of the party that has twice nominated him for president, but to float a potential 2024 run for president, and to call out by name the 10 Republican representatives who voted to impeach him for inciting insurrection in January.
+
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+He also attacked the seven Republican senators who voted to convict him, telling the crowd, “Get rid of ’em all,” though at least two of the seven have already announced that they will not run for reelection.
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+Trump puts Mitt Romney, “Little Ben Sasse,” Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Pat Tomney, and all the House Republicans who voted for his impeachment on blast by name – concluding with Liz Cheney pic.twitter.com/Me5JvoIslq
+
+According to Politico’s Rachael Bade and Tara Palmeri, those Republican defectors are part of the reason why Trump chose to issue cease and desist orders Friday. The twice-impeached former president was reportedly “furious that his name has been bandied about by organizations that help Republicans who voted to impeach him — without his permission.”
+
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+Before his pivot to politics, Trump made a career trading on his name: He’s licensed everything from Trump steaks to Trump vodka to Trump ties, not to mention a slew of towers in the US and abroad, and made millions in the process.
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+In February, NRCC finance chair Rep. Darin LaHood told Politico that the GOP’s campaign arm would stand behind pro-impeachment members in 2022, despite Trump’s public desire to excommunicate them from the party. And NRCC chair Rep. Tom Emmer has encouraged Trump to stay out of GOP primaries.
+
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+Trump’s CPAC speech made it clear that he does plan to intercede in primaries — and if enforced, the cease and desist orders Trump’s camp sent Friday could well be a blow to the GOP’s fundraising efforts heading into the midterms.
+
+
+In part, this is because the Republican base remains overwhelmingly loyal to Trump. For example, in a Morning Consult/Politico poll in the field late last month, 79 percent of Republicans say they retain a favorable opinion of the former president, and the majority of House and Senate Republicans have cast in their lot with him as well.
+
+
+Additionally, Trump has already proved himself to be a fundraising giant since his election defeat in November last year. His leadership PAC, Save America, raised more than $31 million just in the aftermath of the election, and Trump is reportedly also contemplating starting a new super PAC to boost his fundraising power.
+
+
+Trump is also doing his best to channel money from Republican donors through his own fundraising channels, instead of groups like the NRSC.
+
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+“There’s only one way to contribute to our efforts to elect America-first Republican conservatives and in turn to make America great again, and that’s through Save America PAC and donaldjtrump.com,” he told supporters at CPAC last weekend.
+
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+Should Republican donors heed the former president’s call, Trump will likely be able to influence coming elections not just by using his popularity to provide endorsements, but by using his PACs to rival efforts by the RNC, NRSC, and NRCC.
+
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+As of Saturday, however, the RNC doesn’t appear to have been deterred. According to Politico’s Alex Isenstadt, the committee sent out a fundraising email invoking Trump’s agenda even after the cease and desist orders went out.
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+
+
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+As reported by @playbookdc, Trump has sent cease-and-desist letters to the RNC, NRCC, and NRSC telling them not to use Trump’s name or likeness in $ appeals
But the RNC appears to be ignoring it. They sent out an email today asking supporters for $ to “DEFEND” Trump’s policies
+
+Trump’s exact plans aren’t clear, but he’s making sure the GOP stays his party
+
+
+All the money he’s raking in aside, Trump’s future political plans are somewhat unclear. He has repeatedly teased a 2024 run, and it’s not hard to see him winning the nomination again if his current support with the GOP base holds up.
+
+
+But Trump is also facing a unique set of post-presidential challenges that could complicate that plan — namely, a whole bunch of potential legal problems.
+
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+At the very least, he’s facing ongoing criminal investigations by district attorneys in Manhattan and Fulton County, Georgia, and New York Attorney General Letitia James is also leading a civil investigation into potential fraud by the Trump Organization.
+
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+There’s also a defamation suit by writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexual assault in 2019, and twolawsuits by members of Congress over Trump’s actions in connection with the January 6 storming of the US Capitol by pro-Trump insurgents.
+
+
+What’s more, Trump is facing potentially precarious financial circumstances in the near future, with a more than $100 million IRS decision about a tax refund looming and his business in difficulty.
+
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+In short, he could be a bit busy with other things by the time 2024 rolls around — and that’s even assuming he wants to run, as he famously hates the actual work of being president and Twitter has made it clear he won’t have his account back to aid him, even if he runs again.
+
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+For now, however, Trump’s prospective 2024 candidacy has largely frozen out the rest of the field of Republican 2024 hopefuls, and allowed him to consolidate his leadership of the party, as Bloomberg explained last month.
+
+
+And regardless of what he decides about 2024, Trump’s plans for 2022 are clearer. In February, he issued his first GOP primary endorsement against a pro-impeachment Republican — Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez — and plans to target other intraparty opponents, such as Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the only senator who voted to convict who is also up for reelection in 2022.
+
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+“I do not know where other people will be next year,” Trump said in a statement Saturday, “But I know where I will be — in Alaska campaigning against a disloyal and very bad Senator.”
+
When to expect your stimulus check, and other questions, answered -
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+A stimulus check from the December 2020 round of economic impact payments. | STRF/STAR MAX/IPx/AP Images
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+
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+Congress is about to pass a third stimulus package, including $1,400 direct payments.
+
+
+On Saturday, the Senate approved a $1.9 trillion stimulus package by a vote of 50 to 49, clearing the way for its final passage through the House early next week, after which President Joe Biden is expected to sign the package into law.
+
+
+That means a third round of direct cash payments will soon be on the way — but there are a few differences from the stimulus bill Congress passed in December.
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+
+Specifically, this round of payments will be quite a bit larger for most of those who received checks previously. Instead of the $600 that was sent out in December, individuals will receive as much as $1,400, depending on their income. However, the income threshold to receive a check will also be stricter this time around, after moderate Senate Democrats used their leverage to negotiate a lower maximum eligible income with the Biden White House.
+
+
+Those changes mean that about 17 million fewer people will receive a third round of stimulus payments than would have under the House-passed version of the bill, according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, but some 280 million people will still be eligible.
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+Here’s what you need to know:
+
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+Who qualifies for a $1,400 direct payment?
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+Unlike previous rounds of payments, eligibility for the new $1,400 checks may be determined based on either 2019 or 2020 tax returns, depending on whether you’ve filed yet for 2020 — and whether the IRS has processed your return. In general, the federal government will use the most recent income information it has on file to determine eligibility.
+
+
+Here’s who’s eligible for a payment:
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+
+
+Adults who earned $75,000 or less in their most recent tax year will receive the full $1,400, as will married couples who earned $150,000 or less, and heads of household who earned $112,500 or less.
+
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+Adults who earned more than $75,000, but less than $80,000; married couples who earned more than $150,000, but less than $160,000; and heads of household who earned more than $112,500, but less than $120,000, will be eligible for a reduced payment.
+
+
+Online calculators can give you an idea of how much to expect, based on variables like your filing status and number of dependents.
+
+
+Adults who earned more than $80,000, married couples who earned more than $160,000, and heads of household who earned more than $120,000 will not be eligible for checks.
+
+
+Parents will also receive an additional $1,400 check for each dependent claimed on their tax returns. Unlike previous direct payments, all dependents — including college students and some people with disabilities, not just children under 17 — will be eligible.
+
+
+Undocumented immigrants are not eligible to receive direct payments. Households in which one adult has legal residency and the other does not would be eligible for at least one check, however.
+
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+If you didn’t file a tax return in 2019 and haven’t yet done so in 2020, you may be able to use the IRS’s free file fillable form to do so in order to receive a stimulus check.
+
+
+
+When will I receive a direct payment?
+
+
+It’s still unclear exactly when the latest Covid-19 relief package will be signed into law, but it’s expected to happen before March 14, when federal unemployment benefits are currently set to expire. That means checks will likely start showing up in the second half of March, depending on a few different factors.
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+
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+As was the case with the last two stimulus checks, direct-deposit recipients are likely to get their checks the fastest. As CNET notes, direct deposit payments began registering in accounts about two weeks after the last stimulus package was passed. So, if the relief bill is signed on the expected schedule, the first payments could start showing up in bank accounts the week of March 22.
+
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+Physical checks are expected to take about a week longer than direct deposits, and should begin to go out starting March 29 or so.
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+Lastly, economic impact payment, or EIP, cards could take the longest. The prepaid debit cards may begin to go out the week of April 5, depending on when the stimulus package is signed into law.
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+
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+Is there anything I need to do to get a check?
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+
+As Vox’s Fabiola Cineas and Ella Nilsen explained after Congress passed its previous round of direct payments, most people don’t need to do anything to get a stimulus check. If you filed taxes in 2019 or 2020, meet the eligibility requirements, and included your direct deposit information, the payment should show up in your account in the coming weeks.
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+If your direct deposit information isn’t on file with the IRS yet, you can still provide those details using IRS’s “Get My Payment” tool before the latest wave of payments starts going out.
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+
The Covid-19 stimulus bill, explained in 600 words -
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+President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris meet with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to discuss the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill. | Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images
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+Here’s what the bill tries to do — and what’s actually in it.
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+The Senate on Saturday passed what will be the first big bill of President Joe Biden’s term: a $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package. The bill now goes to the House, which is likely to okay it and send it to Biden’s desk.
+
+
+The first thing that’s notable about the bill is how absolutely massive it is. At $1.9 trillion, the cost comes in at roughly double the stimulus package that President Barack Obama signed into law during the Great Recession in 2009. And that’s after Congress separately approved $2.2 trillion and $900 billion relief bills last year. This all adds up to a huge, unprecedented undertaking to shore up the economy.
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+According to some analyses, the latest relief bill could actually put the economy in even stronger shape than it was before the Covid-19 pandemic, at least temporarily. The Brookings Institution projected the impact of the legislation (as proposed by Biden, so there are some differences with the congressional bill) compared to no additional support, summarizing its findings in this chart:
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+The bill accomplishes this through diverse policies — simultaneously combating the pandemic, stimulating the economy and filling the hole left in it by Covid-19, and providing broader economic relief to Americans.
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+
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+Here are the major items likely to make it in the bill:
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+
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+$1,400 stimulus checks to most Americans: The full checks will go to individuals making up to $75,000 a year and couples filing jointly making up to $150,000 a year, including adult dependents for the first time. But the phaseout beyond those limits will be quicker than the previous $600 checks.
+
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+A continued $300-a-week boost to unemployment insurance: Those getting jobless benefits will continue to get an extra $300 through September 6, and the first $10,200 in benefits won’t be taxable, retroactively, for households with incomes under $150,000. The increase in benefits was set to expire on March 14 otherwise.
+
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+A boost to the child tax credit and other tax credits: The child tax credit will go up to $3,600 for children under 6 and $3,000 for children up to 17, and more people will fully qualify. Other tax credits, like the child and dependent care tax credit and earned income tax credit, get boosts too.
+
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+Funding for K-12 schools and higher education: About $170 billion is geared toward helping schools reopen, while also providing relief to students and trying to address concerns over “learning loss” as schools shut down in the last year.
+
+
+Improved access to health care: The bill includes a boost to individual marketplace tax subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare), additional incentives for states to expand Medicaid, and extra subsidies for COBRA, which continues health coverage for people who recently lost their jobs.
+
+
+Public health efforts against Covid-19: With tens of billions in new funding, the legislation supports coronavirus testing and contact tracing, vaccines, and increasing the size of the public health workforce.
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+
+Relief for state, local, and tribal governments: After a year in which some jurisdictions saw tax revenues drop and budgets tighten, the relief package will provide $350 billion to help them.
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+
+
+One thing that won’t make it in: a $15 minimum wage hike. The Senate parliamentarian ruled the hike is not allowed under the reconciliation process Congress is using to pass the bill. And even if the hike survived the rules, Senate moderates Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) — crucial swing votes — opposed and voted against the idea.
+
+
+Still, the remaining measures in the bill — adding up to that whopping $1.9 trillion cost — will certainly boost the economy and anti-Covid-19 efforts as the pandemic (hopefully) reaches an end. It’s a truly wide-ranging effort to help Americans as quickly as possible after a year marked by so much suffering.
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+
+
From The Hindu: Sports
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Indian women’s team suffers heavy loss on return to international cricket - Asked to bat, India never got the momentum it needed and could only manage 177 for nine.
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Former Indian Premier League COO Sundar Raman named consultant for Chennai Super Kings - The sources said the chief executive officer (CEO) K S Viswanathan would be the head on the cricket front.
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Shastri on bio-bubble: Building bonds, talking cricket, understanding each other - Washington Sundar should start batting in the top four for Tamil Nadu across formats, suggested Shastri.
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Indian Premier League 2021 — Full schedule of matches, venues - Defending champion Mumbai Indians will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai on April 9.
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IPL 2021 to begin in Chennai on April 9 without spectators - Defending champion Mumbai Indians will take on Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on April 9
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+
From The Hindu: National News
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+
COVID-19 negatively affected women’s income, health, security, says UN Women’s top official - Issue of care burden on women is not a family or an individual issue, but a public policy one, says Anita Bhatia.
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Farmers’ protest | You are up against people who are expert at dividing you, says Jayant Chaudhary - Jayant Chaudhary was addressing a Kisan Panchayat organised by RLD in Dhikoli village of Baghpat.
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West Bengal Assembly elections | Mamata Banerjee asks Jharkhand CM to campaign for her; JMM to decide on it - Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been requested by Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee to campaign for her in the West Bengal Assembly
+
Move to privatise VSP brought rival parties on same platform, says CPI(M) - ‘Steel plant issue will influence voters in GVMC polls’
+
All-women crew of MT Swarna Krishna makes history - This is the first time in the world maritime history that a ship is being sailed by all women officers
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+
From BBC: Europe
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+
Pope Francis visits regions of Iraq once held by Islamic State - The Roman Catholic leader visits Mosul, the former stronghold of the Islamic State group.
+
Covid-19: Australia asks European Commission to review Italy’s vaccine block - A row with drug firm AstraZeneca has caused Italy to block 250,000 doses to be sent to Australia.
+
Covid-19: Cyprus and Portugal want to welcome vaccinated UK tourists from May - It is not yet clear how visitors will be required to prove they have received both doses of a jab.
+
Stormont signer’s children passing on their skills - Stormont signer Kristina Sinclair’s children use sign language despite not having hearing difficulties.
+
Ukraine holds borscht soup fest with political flavour - Ukraine seeks Unesco status for its beetroot soup - but Russians and Poles call it theirs too.
+
+
From Ars Technica
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+
Facebook’s new AI teaches itself to see with less human help - This new approach eliminates the need for picture labeling. - link
+
Tens of thousands of US organizations hit in ongoing Microsoft Exchange hack - Multiple hacking groups are exploiting vulnerabilities to backdoor unpatched servers. - link
+
Review: WandaVision sticks the landing with a very Marvel-esque finale - But the rumored major cameo failed to materialize, despite two post-credit scenes - link
+
A new type of supply-chain attack with serious consequences is flourishing - New dependency confusion attacks take aim at Microsoft, Amazon, Slack, Lyft, and Zillow. - link
+
We’re living on a planet of ants - A new book looks at the amazing behaviors of ants and the people who study them. - link
+
+
From Jokes Subreddit
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+
A guy sits down at the bar and orders drink after drink. “Is everything okay, pal?” the bartender asks. “My wife and I got into a fight and she said she wasn’t going to talk to me for a month.” -
+
+
+Trying to put a positive spin on things, the bartender says, “Well, maybe that’s kind of a good thing. You know… a little peace and quiet?”
+
A retired man purchased a home near a high school. He spent the first few weeks of his retirement in peace, then the new school year began… -
+
+
+…One afternoon early into the first semester, three loud young boys came down his street, beating merrily on every bin they came across. They then did so the following day and the day after that, until finally the retiree decided it was time to take some action.
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+
+The next afternoon, he walked out to meet the boys as they banged their way down the street.
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+
+Stopping them, he said, “You kids are a lot of fun. I used to do the same thing when I was your age. Will you do me a favor? I’ll give you each a dollar if you’ll promise to come around every day and do your thing.”
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+
+The boys were more than happy and continued to bang the bins every day on their walk home.
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+After a week, the old man walked out and greeted the kids again. However this time, he didn’t have a smile on his face.
+
+
+“This recession’s really putting a big dent in my income.” he told them. “I’m going to have to cut it down to 50¢ a day to keep you kids banging the bins.” The kids were obviously unimpressed but they accepted the reduction in payment and continued their afternoon activities.
+
+
+A few days later, the man approached them again. “Look,” he said, “I haven’t received my retirement checks yet so I’m not going to be able to give you more than 25¢ to bang on the bins. Will that be okay?”
+
+
+“That’s it!?” the ‘drum leader’ exclaimed. “If you think we’re going to waste our time beating these around for 25¢ a day, you’re nuts! No way, mister. We quit!”
+
+
+And the man enjoyed peace and serenity for the rest of his days…
+
A man in Alberta wakes up one morning to find a bear on his roof. -
+
+
+So he looks in the yellow pages and sure enough..there’s an ad for “Alberta Bear Removers.” He calls the number and the man says he’ll be over in 30 minutes. The bear remover arrives and gets out of his van. He’s got a ladder, a baseball bat, 12-gauge shotgun, and a mean heavily scarred old pit bull.
+
+
+“What are you going to do?” the homeowner asks.
+
+
+“I’m going to put this ladder up against the roof, then I’m going to go up there and I’ll knock the bear off the roof with this baseball bat. When the bear falls off the roof, the pit bull is trained to grab his testicles and not let go. The bear will then be subdued enough for me to put him in the cage in the back of the van.”
+
+
+He then hands the shotgun to the homeowner.
+
+
+“What’s the shotgun for?” asks the homeowner.
+
+
+
+“If the bear knocks me off the roof, shoot the dog.”
+
Three new cellmates are contemplating their life sentences in prison. -
+
+
+The first guy pulls out a deck of playing cards and says, “Don’t worry, guys. I brought these cards with me so that we can play poker to pass the time.”
+
+
+The second guy pulls out a harmonica and says, “I brought this harmonica so that I can play some music to cheer us up when we’re feeling down.”
+
+
+The third guy pulls out a box of tampons.
+
+
+“What the hell are we supposed to do with those!?” ask the first two.
+
+
+“Well, it says on the back that I can ride, swim, ski, and play tennis with these.”
+
+
+
+/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22348276/brookings_stimulus.png)