Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

• From Preprints
• From Clinical Trials
• From PubMed
• From Patent Search

From Preprints

• Baby Bust: Births fall in Brazilian major cities during the Covid-19 pandemic -
  Since the beginning of the pandemic of the new coronavirus, Brazil is a country that has been heavily affected by this new disease, and from March 2020 this country saw its death records increased as the number of Covid-19 infected got out of control. Consequently, many studies tried to explain the influence of this illness in the number of deaths and possible reductions in life expectancy. Until now, there were few empirical attempts to comprehend the effects of pandemic on birth reductions. In this work, we sought to analyze the influence of the pandemic Covid-19 on birth numbers of six major cities of Brazil. Using data from the Ministry of Health, we compared the number of monthly births from October-December 2020 and January-March 2021 with the amount of newborns in similar months and in years previous to the pandemic. Our results show a strong decline in the number of births in all cities analyzed, and most of the reductions occurred at mothers’ age of 30 years old. Because of the uncertain scenario that the pandemic brought us, women are postponing their fertility intentions, causing a perhaps temporary baby bust in major cities of Brazil.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Baby Bust: Births fall in Brazilian major cities during the Covid-19 pandemic
• Spatial pattern of COVID-19 deaths and infections in small areas of Brazil -
  As at mid August, 2020, Brazil is the second most affected country by the COVID-19 pandemic, with large regional and social differences. In this study, using data from Brazilian Ministry of Health, we analyze the spatial patterns of infection and mortality from Covid-19 across small areas in Brazil. We apply spatial autoregressive Bayesian models and estimate the risks of infection and mortality, taking into account age and sex composition of the population. We also perform a decomposition analysis to study how age composition impacts the differences in mortality and infection rates across regions. Our results indicate that death and infections are spatially distributed forming clusters and hotspots especially in the Northern Amazon, Northeast coast and Southeast of the country. The high mortality risks in the Southeast part of the country, which harbours the major cities can, be explained by the high proportion of elderly population. In the less developed areas of North and Northeast, there is a combination of high infection among young adults, socioeconomic and health access backwardness that results in more deaths.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Spatial pattern of COVID-19 deaths and infections in small areas of Brazil
• COVID treatment and in-hospital length of stay inequalities between race in the US over time -

  Introduction: Demonstrated health inequalities persist in the United States. SARS-CoV-2 (COVID) has been no exception, with access to treatment and hospitalization differing across race or ethnic group. Here we aim to assess differences in treatment with remdesivir and hospital length of stay across four waves of the pandemic. Methods: Using a subset of the Truveta data we examine odds ratios (OR) of in-hospital remdesivir treatment and risk ratios (RR) of in-hospital length of stay between Black or African American (Black) to white patients. We adjusted for confounding factors such as age, sex, and comorbidity status. Results: There were statically significant lower rates of remdesivir treatment and longer in-hospital lengths of stay comparing Black patients to white patients early in the pandemic (OR for treatment: 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80, 0.96; RR for length of stay: 1.17, CI: 1.06, 1.21). Rates became close to parity between groups as the pandemic progressed. Conclusions: While inpatient remdesivir treatment rates increased and length of stay decreased over the beginning course of the pandemic, there are still inequalities in patient care.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: COVID treatment and in-hospital length of stay inequalities between race in the US over time
• Quantification of nuclear transport inhibition by SARS-CoV-2 ORF6 using a broadly applicable live-cell dose-response pipeline -
  SARS coronavirus ORF6 inhibits the classical nuclear import pathway to antagonize host antiviral responses. Several models were proposed to explain its inhibitory function, but quantitative measurement is needed for model evaluation and refinement. We report a broadly applicable live-cell method for calibrated dose-response characterization of the nuclear transport alteration by a protein of interest. Using this method, we found that SARS-CoV-2 ORF6 is ~15 times more potent than SARS-CoV-1 ORF6 in inhibiting bidirectional nuclear transport, due to differences in the NUP98-binding C-terminal region that is required for the inhibition. The N-terminal region promotes membrane binding and was required for activity, but could be replaced by constructs which forced oligomerization in solution. Based on these data, we propose that the hydrophobic N-terminal region drives oligomerization of ORF6 to multivalently cross-link the FG domains of NUP98 at the nuclear pore complex, and this multivalent binding inhibits bidirectional transport.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Quantification of nuclear transport inhibition by SARS-CoV-2 ORF6 using a broadly applicable live-cell dose-response pipeline
• Tixagevimab-cilgavimab as an early treatment for COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients -

  Objective: This single-center retrospective study evaluated the use of tixagevimab-cilgavimab as an early treatment for COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) during the omicron wave. Methods: KTRs were deemed at high risk for moderate-to-severe COVID-19 in presence of at least one comorbidity (age >60 years, diabetes, obesity, or cardiovascular disease) associated with a weak humoral response (<264 BAU/mL). All other KTRs were considered at low risk. The two groups were stratified according to the administration of tixagevimab-cilgavimab and compared in terms of COVID-19-related hospitalization, oxygen need, ICU admission, and mortality. Results: Of the 61 KTRs at high risk, 26 received tixagevimab-cilgavimab. COVID-19-related hospitalizations (3.8% versus 34%, p=0.006) and oxygen need (3.8% versus 23%, p=0.04) were significantly less frequent in patients who received tixagevimab-cilgavimab. In addition, non-significant trends towards a lower number of ICU admissions (3.8% versus 14.3% p=0.17) and deaths (0 versus 3, p=0.13) were observed after administration of tixagevimab-cilgavimab. Ten of the 73 low-risk KTRs received tixagevimab-cilgavimab, and no significant clinical benefit was observed in this subgroup. Conclusion: Early administration of tixagevimab-cilgavimab may be clinically useful in high-risk KTRs with COVID-19; however, no major benefit was observed for low-risk patients.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Tixagevimab-cilgavimab as an early treatment for COVID-19 in kidney transplant recipients
• COVID-19 vaccine antibody response is associated with side-effects, chronic health conditions, and vaccine type in a large Northern California cohort -

  As vaccines have become available for COVID-19, it is important to understand factors that may impact response. The objective of this study is to describe vaccine response in a well-characterized Northern California cohort, including differences in side-effects and antibody response by vaccine type, sex, and age, as well as describe responses in subjects with pre-existing health conditions that are known risk factors for more severe COVID-19 infection. From July 2020 to March 2021, ~5,500 adults from the East Bay Area in Northern California were followed as part of a longitudinal cohort study. Comprehensive questionnaire data and biospecimens for COVID-19 antibody testing were collected at multiple time-points. All subjects were at least 18 years of age and members of the East-Bay COVID-19 cohort who answered questionnaires related to vaccination status and side-effects at two time-points. Three vaccines, Moderna (2 doses), Pfizer-BioNTech (2 doses), and Johnson & Johnson (single dose), were examined as exposures. Additionally, pre-existing health conditions were assessed. The main outcomes of interest were anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike antibody response (measured by S/C ratio in the Ortho VITROS assay) and self-reporting of 11 potential vaccine side effects. When comparing both doses of the Moderna vaccine to respective doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, participants receiving the Moderna vaccine had higher odds of many reported side-effects. The same was true comparing the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine to dose 2 of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The antibody S/C ratio also increased with each additional side-effect after the second dose. S/C ratios after vaccination were lower in participants aged 65 and older, and higher in females. At all vaccination timepoints, Moderna vaccine recipients had a higher S/C ratio. Individuals who were fully vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech had a 72.4% lower S/C ratio compared to those who were fully vaccinated with Moderna. Subjects with asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease all demonstrated more than a 20% decrease in S/C ratio. In support of previous findings, we show that antibody response to the Moderna vaccine is higher than the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. We also observed that antibody response was associated with side-effects, and participants with a history of asthma, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease had lower antibody responses. This information is important to consider as further vaccines are recommended.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: COVID-19 vaccine antibody response is associated with side-effects, chronic health conditions, and vaccine type in a large Northern California cohort
• Is there a role for RDTs as we live with COVID? An assessment of different strategies -

  Introduction: By 2022, high levels of past COVID-19 infections, combined with substantial levels of vaccination and the development of Omicron have shifted country strategies toward burden reduction policies. SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests (RDTs) could contribute to these policies by helping rapidly detect, isolate and/or treat infections in different settings. However, the evidence to inform RDT policy choices in LMICs is limited. Method: We provide an overview of the potential impact of several RDT use cases (surveillance; testing, tracing and isolation without and with surveillance; hospital-based screening to reduce nosocomial COVID; and testing to enable earlier/expanded treatment) for a range of country settings. We use conceptual models and literature review to identify which use cases are likely to bring benefits and how these may change with outbreak characteristics. Impacts are measured through multiple outcomes related to gaining time, reducing the burden on the health system, and reducing deaths. Results: In an optimal scenario in terms of resources and capacity and with baseline parameters, we find marginal time gains of at least a week through surveillance and testing tracing and isolation with surveillance, a reduction in peak ICU or ICU admissions by 6% or more (hospital-based screening; testing, tracing and isolation), and reductions in COVID deaths by over 6% (hospital-based screening; test and treat). Time gains may be used to strengthen ICU capacity and/or boost vulnerable individuals, though only a small minority of at-risk individuals could be reached in the time available. The impact of RDTs declines with lower country resources and capacity, more transmissible or immune-escaping variants and reduced test sensitivity. Conclusion: RDTs alone are unlikely to dramatically reduce the burden of COVID-19 in LMICs, though they may have an important role alongside other interventions such as vaccination, therapeutic drugs, improved healthcare capacity and non-pharmaceutical measures.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Is there a role for RDTs as we live with COVID? An assessment of different strategies
• Perspectives and use of telemedicine by doctors in India: A cross-sectional study -

  Objectives: India has committed to formulating a roadmap for realising a resilient health system, with digital health being an important element of this. Following the successful implementation of a free telemedicine service, eSanjeevani, India published the Telemedicine Practice Guidelines in 2020 to further scale telemedicine use in India. The main objective of the current study was to understand the perspective and use of telemedicine by medical doctors in India after the release of its telemedicine policy. Methods: Data were acquired through an anonymous, cross-sectional, internet-based survey of medical doctors (n = 444) at a pan-India level. Replies were subjected to statistical analysis. Results: Telemedicine was used for various non-mutually exclusive reasons, with the top two reasons being live audio or video consultations (60.4%) and online payments (19.1%) and smartphones were the most frequently used device type (60.6%). The telemedicine benefit that the greatest proportion of respondents (93%) recognised was its potential to reduce COVID-19 infection risk for healthcare professionals. Interestingly, nearly 45% of respondents felt that limited and fragmented insurance coverage was an important limitation to the practice of telemedicine in India and 49% believed reduced patient fees for teleconsultations could help incentivise telemedicine use. Conclusions: This study helps to appraise the use of telemedicine in India after the publication of telemedicine guidelines in 2020. Furthermore, the findings can inform the development of telemedicine platforms, policies and incentives to improve the design and implementation of effective telemedicine in India. Public Interest Summary: India has committed to formulating a roadmap for realising a resilient health system, with digital health being an important element of this. In 2020, India published its Telemedicine Practice Guidelines to scale telemedicine use in India. The main objective of the current study was to survey medical doctors in India to understand their perspectives on and use of telemedicine after the release of Indias telemedicine policy. Our findings revealed that the top two reasons doctors used telemedicine were for live audio or video consultations and online payments. Interestingly, a large proportion of respondents felt that limited and fragmented insurance coverage was an important limitation to the practice of telemedicine in India. This study helps to appraise the use of telemedicine in India after the publication of its telemedicine guidelines and can inform the development of telemedicine platforms, policies and incentives to improve the design and implementation of telemedicine in India.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Perspectives and use of telemedicine by doctors in India: A cross-sectional study
• Mental Health During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review and Recommendations for Moving Forward -
  COVID-19 has infected millions of people and upended the lives of most humans on the planet. Researchers from across the psychological sciences have sought to document and investigate the impact of COVID-19 in myriad ways, causing an explosion of research that is broad in scope, varied in methods, and challenging to consolidate. Because policy and practice aimed at helping people live healthier and happier lives requires insight from robust patterns of evidence, this paper provides a rapid and thorough summary of high-quality studies available through early 2021 examining the mental health consequences of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Our review of the evidence indicates that anxiety, depression, and distress increased in the early months of the pandemic. Meanwhile, suicide rates, life satisfaction, and loneliness remained largely stable throughout the first year of the pandemic. In response to these insights, we present seven recommendations (one urgent, two short-term, and four ongoing) to support mental health during the pandemic and beyond.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Mental Health During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review and Recommendations for Moving Forward
• Social and moral psychology of COVID-19 across 69 countries -
  The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all domains of human life, including the economic and social fabric of societies. One of the central strategies for managing public health throughout the pandemic has been through persuasive messaging and collective behavior change. To help scholars better understand the social and moral psychology behind public health behavior, we present a dataset comprising of 51,404 individuals from 69 countries. This dataset was collected for the International Collaboration on Social Moral Psychology of COVID-19 project (ICSMP COVID-19). This social science survey invited participants around the world to complete a series of individual differences and public health attitudes about COVID-19 during an early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (between April and June 2020). The survey included seven broad categories of questions: COVID-19 beliefs and compliance behaviours; identity and social attitudes; ideology; health and well-being; moral beliefs and motivation; personality traits; and demographic variables. We report both raw and cleaned data, along with all survey materials, data visualisations, and psychometric evaluations of key variables.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Social and moral psychology of COVID-19 across 69 countries
• Maturation of SARS-CoV-2 Spike-specific memory B cells drives resilience to viral escape -
  Memory B cells (MBCs) generate rapid antibody responses upon secondary encounter with a pathogen. Here, we investigated the kinetics, avidity and cross-reactivity of serum antibodies and MBCs in 155 SARS-CoV-2 infected and vaccinated individuals over a 16-month timeframe. SARS-CoV-2-specific MBCs and serum antibodies reached steady-state titers with comparable kinetics in infected and vaccinated individuals. Whereas MBCs of infected individuals targeted both pre- and postfusion Spike (S), most vaccine-elicited MBCs were specific for prefusion S, consistent with the use of prefusion-stabilized S in mRNA vaccines. Furthermore, a large fraction of MBCs recognizing postfusion S cross-reacted with human betacoronaviruses. The avidity of MBC-derived and serum antibodies increased over time resulting in enhanced resilience to viral escape by SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 sub-lineages, albeit only partially for BA.4 and BA.5 sublineages. Overall, the maturation of high-affinity and broadly-reactive MBCs provides the basis for effective recall responses to future SARS-CoV-2 variants.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Maturation of SARS-CoV-2 Spike-specific memory B cells drives resilience to viral escape
• The impact of a home-based personalized computerized training program on cognitive dysfunction associated with Long COVID: a before-and-after feasibility study -

  Background: Long COVID, also known as post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 or PASC,is a systemic syndrome affecting a large number of persons in the aftermath of the pandemic. Cognitive dysfunction (or brain fog) is one of its most common manifestations of PACS, and there are no effective interventions to mitigate it. Home-based personalized computerized cognitive training (CCT), which has shown effectiveness to improve other conditions, could offer hope to relieve the cognitive dysfunction in people with a previous history of COVID-19. Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and potential benefit of a personalized CCT intervention to improve cognitive function among people living with PACS. Methods: Adult individuals who self-reported cognitive dysfunction more than 3 months after a diagnosis of COVID-19 were recruited through an online platform designed for the study. Those who were eligible assessed their general cognitive function before completing as many cognitive daily training sessions as they wished during an 8-week period, using a personalized CCT application at home. The sessions included gamified tasks that tapped into five cognitive domains (attention, coordination, memory, perception and reasoning) and were tailored to the specific cognitive strengths and weaknesses detected at each point. At the end of this period, participants repeated the general cognitive function assessment. The differences between the scores at 8 weeks and baseline was the main outcome, complemented with analyses of the changes based on age, training time, self-reported health level at baseline and time since the initial COVID-19 infection. Cognitive assessment scores were also computed in terms of percentiles according to the normative database of the test, considering their corresponding age- and gender-based reference sample. Results: The participants had significant cognitive dysfunction at baseline, even though 80% of them had had the initial episode of COVID-19 more than a year before enrolling in the study. Eighty nine percent reported negative levels of self-reported health at baseline. On average, 51 training sessions (range: 10 to 251) were completed over a mean time of 435 minutes (range 78 to 2448). Most of the participants obtained higher scores after CCT in each of the domains as compared with baseline (attention: 81% of the sample; memory: 86%; coordination: 82%; perception: 88%; reasoning: 77%). The magnitude of the score increase at post-test was high across domains (attention: 31% of change; memory: 37%; coordination: 52%; perception: 42%; reasoning: 26%). Following CCT, there were also improvements in the percentile data in all the domains (attention: 14 points; memory: 18 points; coordination: 18 points; perception: 17 points; reasoning: 11 points). Conclusions: This study suggests that a self-administered CCT based on gamified cognitive tasks could be an effective way to ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in persons with PASC.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: The impact of a home-based personalized computerized training program on cognitive dysfunction associated with Long COVID: a before-and-after feasibility study
• Can Mental Health Apps Be Effective for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress During a Pandemic? -
  Covid-19 is poised to exacerbate the global mental health crisis as social isolation, unemployment, and economic recession are risk factors for negative mental health consequences. Since the need for social distancing can make face-to-face services less accessible, people may turn to mental health apps as an accessible and inexpensive solution. But are the claims about the efficacy of these apps supported by evidence? We identified 19 published articles on PubMed of peer-reviewed randomized clinical trials of mental health apps focused on stress, anxiety, and depression. Despite some evidence for the effectiveness of mental health apps, it remains unclear how effective these apps are compared to standard of care. Populations studied so far also lack diversity, making it difficult to generalize any benefits to racial minorities and low-income individuals—the very people who have been most negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and traditionally have higher barriers to mental health services. While apps are not a substitute for face-to-face therapy, further evidence is warranted given their potential for delivering scalable, low-cost care to patients. We call for regulatory oversight as a means to ensure mental health apps demonstrate safety and effectiveness prior to marketing.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Can Mental Health Apps Be Effective for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress During a Pandemic?
• In COVID-19 health messaging, loss framing increases anxiety with little-to-no concomitant benefits: Experimental evidence from 84 countries -
  The COVID-19 pandemic (and its aftermath) highlights a critical need to communicate health information effectively to the global public. Given that subtle differences in information framing can have meaningful effects on behavior, behavioral science research highlights a pressing question: Is it more effective to frame COVID-19 health messages in terms of potential losses (e.g., “If you do not practice these steps, you can endanger yourself and others”) or potential gains (e.g., “If you practice these steps, you can protect yourself and others”)? Collecting data in 48 languages from 15,929 participants in 84 countries, we experimentally tested the effects of message framing on COVID-19-related judgments, intentions, and feelings. Loss- (vs. gain-) framed messages increased self-reported anxiety among participants cross-nationally with little-to-no impact on policy attitudes, behavioral intentions, or information seeking relevant to pandemic risks. These results were consistent across 84 countries, three variations of the message framing wording, and 560 data processing and analytic choices. Thus, results provide an empirical answer to a global communication question and highlight the emotional toll of loss-framed messages. Critically, this work demonstrates the importance of considering unintended affective consequences when evaluating nudge-style interventions.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: In COVID-19 health messaging, loss framing increases anxiety with little-to-no concomitant benefits: Experimental evidence from 84 countries
• A global test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic -
  The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion regulation strategy which modifies how one thinks about a situation. Participants from 87 countries/regions (N = 21,644) were randomly assigned to one of two brief reappraisal interventions (reconstrual or repurposing) or one of two control conditions (active or passive). Results revealed that both reappraisal interventions (vs. both control conditions) had consistent effects in reducing negative emotions and increasing positive emotions across different measures. Reconstrual and repurposing had similar effects. Importantly, planned exploratory analyses indicated that reappraisal interventions did not reduce intentions to practice preventive health behaviours. The findings demonstrate the viability of creating scalable, low-cost interventions for use around the world to build resilience during the pandemic and beyond.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: A global test of brief reappraisal interventions on emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic

From Clinical Trials

• The Efficacy and Safety of TADIOS as an Adjuvant Therapy in Patients Diagnosed With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: TADIOS;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsor:   Helixmith Co., Ltd.
  Completed

• COVID-19 iCura SARS-CoV-2 Ag OTC: Clinical Evaluation - Conditions:   SARS-CoV-2 Infection;   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Device: iCura COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Home Test;   Diagnostic Test: RT-PCR Test
  Sponsors:   EDP Biotech;   Paragon Rx Clinical, Inc.;   iCura Diagnostics, LLC
  Recruiting

• FMT for Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome - Conditions:   Post-Acute COVID19 Syndrome;   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Procedure: Faecal Microbiota Transplantation
  Sponsor:   Chinese University of Hong Kong
  Recruiting

• Research on Community Based ATK Test Study to Control Spread of COVID-19 in Migrant Community - Condition:   COVID-19 Pandemic
  Intervention:   Device: STANDARD Q COVID-19 Ag Test
  Sponsor:   University of Oxford
  Active, not recruiting

• Safety and Immunogenicity of COVID-19 Vaccine in Population Aged 18 Years and Above - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: low-dose LYB001;   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (CHO Cell);   Biological: high-dose LYB001
  Sponsors:   Guangzhou Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.;   Yantai Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.
  Recruiting

• Safety and Immunogenicity of Inactivated Heterologous Booster Vaccination - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: VLA 2001
  Sponsor:   Centro de Estudios en Infectogía Pediatrica
  Not yet recruiting

• The Efficacy and Safety of BioBlock® Intranasally Administered Virus-Neutralizing Bovine Colostrum Nasal Spray in Preventing of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-19) Infection in Healthy Volunteer Individuals - Condition:   SARS CoV 2 Infection
  Intervention:   Biological: BioBlock® antiviral nasal spray
  Sponsor:   Chemi-Pharm AS
  Recruiting

• Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of Trivalent Coronavirus Vaccine Candidate VBI-2901a - Conditions:   COVID-19;   Coronavirus Infections
  Intervention:   Biological: VBI-2901a
  Sponsor:   VBI Vaccines Inc.
  Not yet recruiting

• 3EO Health SARS-CoV-2 OTC At Home Test - Condition:   COVID-19 Pandemic
  Intervention:   Diagnostic Test: In Vitro
  Sponsor:   3EO Health
  Not yet recruiting

• A Study to Learn About the Medicine Called Nirmatrelvir Used in Combination With Ritonavir in People With Weakened Immune Systems or at Increased Risk for Poor Outcomes Who Are Hospitalized Due to Severe COVID-19 - Conditions:   Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2);   Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19);   Immunocompromised;   Hospitalization;   Child, Hospitalized
  Interventions:   Drug: Nirmatrelvir;   Drug: Ritonavir;   Drug: Placebo for nirmatrelvir
  Sponsor:   Pfizer
  Not yet recruiting

• Bringing Optimised COVID-19 Vaccine Schedules To ImmunoCompromised Populations (BOOST-IC): an Adaptive Randomised Controlled Clinical Trial - Conditions:   HIV;   Organ Transplantation;   Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin;   Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia;   Multiple Myeloma;   COVID-19 Vaccines
  Interventions:   Biological: BNT162b2;   Biological: mRNA-1273;   Biological: NVX-COV2373
  Sponsors:   Bayside Health;   Monash University
  Not yet recruiting

• PAPR: PAP + MBSR for Front-line Healthcare Provider COVID-19 Related Burnout - Conditions:   Depression;   Burnout, Professional
  Interventions:   Drug: Psilocybin;   Behavioral: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)
  Sponsors:   University of Utah;   Heffter Research Institute;   Usona Institute
  Not yet recruiting

• Scaling Well-Being for Educators During COVID-19 - Conditions:   Anxiety;   Depression
  Intervention:   Behavioral: Healthy Minds Program Foundations Training
  Sponsors:   University of Wisconsin, Madison;   Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
  Not yet recruiting

• A Cohort Study of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine, Bivalent in Participants in China - Condition:   SARS-CoV-2
  Interventions:   Biological: SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine, Bivalent Low dose;   Biological: SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine, Bivalent High dose;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsors:   AIM Vaccine Co., Ltd.;   Ningbo Rongan Biological Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd;   First Affiliated Hospital Bengbu Medical College
  Not yet recruiting

• A Preliminary Exploratory Cohort Study of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine, Bivalent in Participants Aged 18 Years and Over in China - Condition:   SARS-CoV-2
  Interventions:   Biological: COVID-19 Variant (Omicron BA.5) mRNA Vaccine Low dose;   Biological: COVID-19 Variant (Omicron BA.5) mRNA Vaccine High dose;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsors:   AIM Vaccine Co., Ltd.;   Ningbo Rongan Biological Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd;   First Affiliated Hospital Bengbu Medical College
  Recruiting

From PubMed

• Evaluation of the mutagenic effects of Molnupiravir and N4-hydroxycytidine in bacterial and mammalian cells by HiFi sequencing - Molnupiravir (MOV) is used to treat COVID-19. In cells, MOV is converted to the ribonucleoside analog N4-hydroxycytidine (NHC) and incorporated into the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome during its replication, resulting in RNA mutations. The widespread accumulation of such mutations inhibits SARS-CoV-2 propagation. Although safety assessments by many regulatory agencies across the world have concluded that the genotoxic risks associated with the clinical use of MOV are low, concerns remain that it could…

• BNT162b2 coronavirus disease-2019 vaccination accelerated rheumatoid arthritis disease activity in chronic eosinophilic pneumonia: A case report - RATIONALE: The relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and eosinophilic inflammation is unclear. According to recent studies, it has been suggested that T helper 2 cell responses play a role in the inhibition of RA. It is unclear how the immunological response after coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccination affects T cell immune reactions.

• Adding colchicine to tocilizumab in hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia: An open-label randomized controlled trial - INTRODUCTION: Colchicine acts upstream in the cytokines cascade by inhibiting the nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome while interleukin 6 (IL-6) receptor antagonists, such as tocilizumab, block the end result of the cytokines cascade. Hence, adding colchicine to tocilizumab with the aim of blocking the early and end products of the cytokines cascade, might reduce the risk of developing cytokine storm.

• Is sitagliptin effective for SARS-CoV-2 infection: false or true prophecy? - Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Covid-19 is characterized by hyperinflammation, oxidative stress, and multi-organ injury (MOI) such as acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Covid-19 is mainly presented with respiratory manifestations; however, extra-pulmonary manifestations may also occur. Extra-pulmonary manifestations of Covid-19 are numerous including: neurological, cardiovascular, renal,…

• SARS-CoV-2 Nsp6 damages Drosophila heart and mouse cardiomyocytes through MGA/MAX complex-mediated increased glycolysis - SARS-CoV-2 infection causes COVID-19, a severe acute respiratory disease associated with cardiovascular complications including long-term outcomes. The presence of virus in cardiac tissue of patients with COVID-19 suggests this is a direct, rather than secondary, effect of infection. Here, by expressing individual SARS-CoV-2 proteins in the Drosophila heart, we demonstrate interaction of virus Nsp6 with host proteins of the MGA/MAX complex (MGA, PCGF6 and TFDP1). Complementing transcriptomic…

• Lucidenic acid A inhibits the binding of hACE2 receptor with spike protein to prevent SARS-CoV-2 invasion - High infection caused by mutations of SARS-CoV-2 calls for new prevention strategy. Ganoderma lucidum known as a superior immunoenhancer exhibits various antiviral effects, whether it can resist SARS-CoV-2 remains unclear. Herein, virtual screening combined with in vitro hACE2 inhibition assays were used to investigate its anti SARS-CoV-2 effect. Potential 54 active components, 80 core targets and 20 crucial pathways were identified by the component-target-pathway network. The binding characters…

• Small-molecule screening identifies Syk kinase inhibition and rutaecarpine as modulators of macrophage training and SARS-CoV-2 infection - Biologically active small molecules can impart modulatory effects, in some cases providing extended long-term memory. In a screen of biologically active small molecules for regulators of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) induction, we identify several compounds with the ability to induce training effects on human macrophages. Rutaecarpine shows acute and long-term modulation, enhancing lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and relieving LPS tolerance in human…

• NLRP3-inflammasome activation in male reproductive system diseases - The nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a multiprotein complex belonging to the innate immune system, plays a key role in the chronic inflammatory response, through the production of proinflammatory cytokines, IL-1β and IL-18, which can elicit their effects through receptor activation, both locally and systemically. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated the interaction of NLRP3 inflammasome components with redox signaling,…

• Receptor-binding domain-anchored peptides block binding of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike proteins with cell surface angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 - CONCLUSION: Using PhD methodology, two peptides were generated bearing potentials to interfere with S protein-ACE2 interaction, which might be further exploited to produce peptidomimetics that block the attachment of SARS-CoV-2 virus onto host cells, hence diminishing the pathogenesis of COVID-19.

• SARS-CoV-2 Nsp14 protein associates with IMPDH2 and activates NF-κB signaling - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection leads to NF-κB activation and induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, though the underlying mechanism for this activation is not fully understood. Our results reveal that the SARS-CoV-2 Nsp14 protein contributes to the viral activation of NF-κB signaling. Nsp14 caused the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65. Nsp14 induced the upregulation of IL-6 and IL-8, which also occurred in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells. IL-8 upregulation…

• The regulation of ISG20 expression on SARS-CoV-2 infection in cancer patients and healthy individuals - ISG20 inhibits viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 invasion; however, details of its expression and regulation with viral susceptibility remain to be elucidated. The present study analyzed ISG20 expression, isoform information, survival rate, methylation patterns, immune cell infiltration, and COVID-19 outcomes in healthy and cancerous individuals. Cordycepin (CD) and N6, N6-dimethyladenosine (m⁶ (2)A) were used to treat cancer cells for ISG20 expression. We revealed that ISG20 mRNA expression was…

• Targeted protein S-nitrosylation of ACE2 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection - Prevention of infection and propagation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a high priority in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here we describe S-nitrosylation of multiple proteins involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection, including angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the receptor for viral entry. This reaction prevents binding of ACE2 to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, thereby inhibiting viral entry, infectivity and cytotoxicity. Aminoadamantane…

• SARS-CoV-2 infects adipose tissue in a fat depot- and viral lineage-dependent manner - Visceral adiposity is a risk factor for severe COVID-19, and a link between adipose tissue infection and disease progression has been proposed. Here we demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 infects human adipose tissue and undergoes productive infection in fat cells. However, susceptibility to infection and the cellular response depends on the anatomical origin of the cells and the viral lineage. Visceral fat cells express more ACE2 and are more susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection than their subcutaneous…

• Novel Regioselective Approach to Cyclize Phage-Displayed Peptides in Combination with Epitope-Directed Selection to Identify a Potent Neutralizing Macrocyclic Peptide for SARS-CoV-2 - Using the regioselective cyanobenzothiazole condensation reaction with an N-terminal cysteine and the chloroacetamide reaction with an internal cysteine, a phage-displayed macrocyclic 12-mer peptide library was constructed and subsequently validated. Using this library in combination with iterative selections against two epitopes from the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spike protein, macrocyclic peptides that strongly inhibit the…

• Interaction of HDAC2 with SARS-CoV-2 NSP5 and IRF3 Is Not Required for NSP5-Mediated Inhibition of Type I Interferon Signaling Pathway - Over the last 2 years, several global virus-host interactome studies have been published with SARS-CoV-2 proteins with the purpose of better understanding how specific viral proteins can subvert or utilize different cellular processes to promote viral infection and pathogenesis. However, most of the virus-host protein interactions have not yet been confirmed experimentally, and their biological significance is largely unknown. The goal of this study was to verify the interaction of NSP5, the…

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