Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• What is the impact of COVID-19 pandemic years on Deliveries and Home Based New Born Care in India? A cross-sectional comparative research study, Jan 2018-2021Dec -
  Even before the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic era, an estimated 2.8 million PW (pregnant women) and new born died every year, or 1 every 11 seconds, mostly of preventable causes. There is need of immediate investment in health workers capacity building, equipment, medicines to ensure that every mother and new born is in safe pair of hands who are able to prevent and treat complications of and during pregnancy, delivery and birth. Every year 25 million children are born in India accounting for one fifth of the global child births and every minute one baby dies. It is a fact that 46 per cent of all maternal mortality and 40 per cent of neonatal mortality happen during labour or in the first 24 hours after birth. The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has led to disruption of health services globally. I assessed the effect of the ongoing pandemic on the Deliveries and Home Based New Born Care (HBNC) in India. The author is curious and suspects a rise in maternal and neonatal mortality due to possible negative effects of COVID-19 on maternal institutional delivery and HBNC. Hence author decided to find out answer to the research question mentioned as title above. I conducted a retrospective cross-sectional comparative study among total numbers of women and newborn who have received delivery and HBNC care at different health facilities in 36 states and union territories across India during the pandemic years with pre-pandemic years (comparing 2020 and 2021(forecasted up to December 2021 with available data from January2021 to May 2021) with previous two years of pre-pandemic era i.e. 2018-2019). The data for the research study is extracted from electronic records of HMIS (health management information system) of MoHFW (ministry of health and family welfare), Govt. of India and analysed with stata and Microsoft office. The mean number of home deliveries attended by SBA [(Skill Birth Attendant) (Doctor/Nurse/ANM/ Midwife)] during the pandemic year 2021 with total number of observation of 5 months of 2021(January to May) forecasted up to December 2021 across India was 13370.27938, for years 2020, 2019, 2018 it was 16429.25, 19006.58, 21317.83 respectively with total number of observation of 12 months across India for these three years. This research study revealed that pandemic years have negative impact on number of home deliveries attended by SBA [(Skill Birth Attendant) (Doctor/Nurse/ANM/ Midwife)]. This research study revealed that pandemic years have negative impact on number of home deliveries attended by SBA [(Skill Birth Attendant) (Doctor/Nurse/ANM/ Midwife)]. There is a (projected) decrease of 37.28% in mean number of home deliveries attended by SBA in 2021 as compared to 2018. This novel research study revealed that during pandemic years 2020 and 2021 all the variables reduced quantitatively except Number of PW given Tablet Misoprostol during HD which increased in 2020 (first pandemic year).The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had negative effects on Deliveries and Home Based New Born Care (HBNC) in India. More research is required to investigate the direct and indirect consequence of the pandemic on birth and provision of HBNC as well as the health facility type which are not performing well in providing respectful maternity care and newborn services during pandemic period. The facility based research analysis is under process by the author which will be available in next version of this article. Keywords: Home delivery, Institutional delivery, new born, care, pandemic year, covid-19,
  🖺 Full Text HTML: What is the impact of COVID-19 pandemic years on Deliveries and Home Based New Born Care in India? A cross-sectional comparative research study, Jan 2018-2021Dec
• Autoantibodies linked to autoimmune diseases associate with COVID-19 outcomes -

  The SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with increased levels of autoantibodies targeting immunological proteins such as cytokines and chemokines. Reports further indicate that COVID-19 patients may develop a wide spectrum of autoimmune diseases due to reasons not fully understood. Even so, the landscape of autoantibodies induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection remains uncharted territory. To gain more insight, we carried out a comprehensive assessment of autoantibodies known to be linked to diverse autoimmune diseases observed in COVID-19 patients, in a cohort of 248 individuals, of which 171 were COVID-19 patients (74 with mild, 65 moderate, and 32 with severe disease) and 77 were healthy controls. Dysregulated autoantibody serum levels, characterized mainly by elevated concentrations, occurred mostly in patients with moderate or severe COVID-19 infection, and was accompanied by a progressive disruption of physiologic IgG and IgA autoantibody signatures. A similar perturbation was found in patients with anosmia. Notably, autoantibody levels often accompanied anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentrations, being both indicated by random forest classification as strong predictors of COVID-19 outcome, together with age. Moreover, higher levels of autoantibodies (mainly IgGs) were seen in the elderly with severe disease compared with young COVID-19 patients with severe disease. These findings suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 infection induces a broader loss of self-tolerance than previously thought, providing new ideas for therapeutic interventions.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Autoantibodies linked to autoimmune diseases associate with COVID-19 outcomes
• COVID-19-related Smell and Taste Impairment with Widespread Diffusion of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant -

  Background. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of self-reported chemosensory dysfunction in a study cohort of subjects who developed a mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in the period from January 17, 2022 to February 4, 2022 (Omicron proxy period) and compared that with a historical series of patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection between March and April, 2020 (comparator period). Methods. Prospective study based on the sinonasal outcome tool 22 (SNOT-22), item sense of smell or taste and additional outcomes. Results. Patients characteristics and clinical presentations of COVID-19 were evaluated and compared in 779 patients, 338 of the study cohort and 441 of the historical series. The prevalence of self-reported chemosensory dysfunction during the proxy Omicron period (32.5%; 95% CI, 27.6-37.8) was significantly lower from that during the comparator period (66.9%; 95% CI, 62.3-71.3) (p<.001). 24.6% (95% CI, 20.1-29.5) of patients reported an altered sense of smell during the proxy Omicron period compared to 62.6% (95% CI, 57.9-67.1) during the comparator period (p<.001). Similarly, the prevalence of an altered sense of taste dropped from 57.4% (95% CI, 52.6-62.0) during the comparator period to 26.9% (95% CI, 22.3-32.0) during the proxy Omicron period (p<.001). The severity of chemosensory dysfunction was lower in proxy Omicron period compared to comparator period (p<.001). Conclusions. The prevalence and the severity of COVID-19 associated smell and taste dysfunction has dropped significantly with the advent of the Omicron variant.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: COVID-19-related Smell and Taste Impairment with Widespread Diffusion of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant
• Timeliness of reporting of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence results and their utility for infectious disease surveillance -

  Seroprevalence studies have been used throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor infection and immunity. These studies are often reported in peer-reviewed journals, but the academic writing and publishing process can delay reporting and thereby public health action. Seroprevalence estimates have been reported faster in preprints and media, but with concerns about data quality. We aimed to (i) describe the timeliness of SARS-CoV-2 serosurveillance reporting by publication venue and study characteristics and (ii) identify relationships between timeliness, data validity, and representativeness to guide recommendations for serosurveillance efforts. We included seroprevalence studies published between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021 from the ongoing SeroTracker living systematic review. For each study, we calculated timeliness as the time elapsed between the end of sampling and the first public report. We evaluated data validity based on serological test performance and correction for sampling error, and representativeness based on use of a representative sample frame and adequate sample coverages. We examined how timeliness varied with study characteristics, representativeness, and data validity using univariate and multivariate Cox regression. We analyzed 1,844 studies. Median time to publication was 154 days (IQR 64-255), varying by publication venue (journal articles: 212 days, preprints: 101 days, institutional reports: 18 days, and media: 12 days). Multivariate analysis confirmed the relationship between timeliness and publication venue and showed that general population studies were published faster than special population or health care worker studies; there was no relationship between timeliness and study geographic scope, geographic region, representativeness, or serological test performance. Seroprevalence studies in peer-reviewed articles and preprints are published slowly, highlighting the limitations of using the academic literature to report seroprevalence during a health crisis. More timely reporting of seroprevalence estimates can improve their usefulness for surveillance, enabling more effective responses during health emergencies.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Timeliness of reporting of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence results and their utility for infectious disease surveillance
• Nursing ‘new normal’ education: an investigation of barriers and strategies of curriculum planning to meet national standards -
  Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has a major effect on nursing education in Indonesia, it needs for adaptation of the curriculum to achieve competent nursing graduates meet national and international standards. The aim of this study is to explore the barriers and strategies of nursing education of private institutions, in curriculum planning in the new normal era during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in five nursing study programs in East Java. Data collection was carried out by in-depth interviews, observations, documentation studies of 25 participants, with the criteria of lecturers being actively involved in curriculum planning based on Indonesian national standards. The data used purposive sampling and snowball sampling. The data validity is carried out with four criteria: credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability. Data analysis was carried out using the model approach of Miles, Huberman & Saldana. Data records from interviews, observations and documentation then carried out data selection, reducing, focusing on data findings (data condensation). Results: The study found five themes: (1) barriers from human resources, (2) barriers during the curriculum planning process, (3) barriers for Nursing Study Program lecturers in obtaining information sources related to Indonesian Qualification framework-based curriculum planning, (4) strengthen the pro-active leadership of study programs; (5) foster dynamic communication between curriculum teams. Conclusion: The results showed, in pandemic crisis COVID-19, the need for a curriculum planning workshop with clear technical guidelines in producing an effective, efficient, adaptable nursing curriculum, the effective one of planning has high potential in producing high quality nursing graduates.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Nursing ‘new normal’ education: an investigation of barriers and strategies of curriculum planning to meet national standards
• Murals as Social Criticism: Movements of Resistance and Urban Liberation Against the Authoritarian of Regimes -
  The Economist Intelligence Unit’s report (EIU) shows that the democracy index score in Indonesia has decreased in the last 5 years, and that number could decrease even more when the state makes society an object of conflict in which public criticism is threatened and silenced. There is an unfavorable relationship between power and society in the state process. Art in the concept of urban society is understood as a medium of awareness and liberation. Public awareness will give birth to a critical culture in identifying injustice and how to change it. Muralism is a form of criticism movement due to the disappointment and dissatisfaction of the Indonesian people towards the performance of the State and the power of authoritarianism in the midst of social, health and economic crises due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This thought movement was carried out through mural writing on the walls as a form of intellectual resistance to the authoritarian style of power and its policies which were far from the expectations of the people. This study uses a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach. The results of the study show that the freedom of expression carried out by urban communities through mural writing, graffiti, satire is always responded to by repressive actions by the authorities, ranging from arrests, silencing, deletion of murals, hacking social media, doxing, verbative intimidation, and other forms of threats. This condition turned into a curse for the style of authoritarianism. Currently, various vices and crimes of power are starting to be revealed, such as corruption, pandemics becoming business projects, tax smuggling by state officials, acts of violence, human rights violations, sexual harassment by state officials and others. This became a prolonged dark spot and became the basis of community resistance to make fundamental changes to the condition of the State.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Murals as Social Criticism: Movements of Resistance and Urban Liberation Against the Authoritarian of Regimes
• “COVID-19 really impacted our work”: Changes in services for families and staff experiences in Cape Town, South Africa -
  COVID-19 pandemic has created new pressures for many families, and organisations supporting them. In interviews with staff from three community-based organisations in Cape Town, South Africa, and other stakeholders, we looked at how organisations adapted their delivery of two evidence-informed parenting interventions and other services for families. Data from 22 interviews conducted August 2020 - May 2021 were analysed using framework approach. Participants perceived increased job losses, food insecurity, and stress experienced by families. Organisations changed how they worked with families, in response to the pandemic and restrictions on gathering, reductions in available resources, changing community needs and funding priorities. The organisations focused on boosting food provision and developed COVID prevention activities and safety measures. Organisations adapted parenting programme delivery by changing the physical settings and group size for in-person programmes and taking up digital delivery and phone communication with families. Participants reported a positive change in their perceptions of digital delivery as a feasible approach for working with families - but limited internet and phone access were a challenge. The pandemic brought new tasks and responsibilities for staff, and challenges associated with working from home and health risks of in-person work.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: “COVID-19 really impacted our work”: Changes in services for families and staff experiences in Cape Town, South Africa
• Post-COVID19 Challenges and Opportunities for Tokyo Tourism -
  Faced with the heavy impact of the COVID19 pandemic on the tourism industry, various countries are actively seeking countermeasures. Tokyo, Japan, which has made the third industry an important part of its economy, also suffered heavy losses. However, this study, by investigating the history of tourism industry development in Japan, found that after more than 2 years of pandemic, Tokyo in the post-COVID19 era has more opportunities and challenges for the revival of tourism industry. The weapons and shields found in this study are unique to Tokyo, such as superior medical resources and a stable social environment. There are still some challenges, but overall, there are more opportunities than challenges for Tokyo. This study concludes that Tokyo will have an advantage over other tourist cities in the post- COVID19 era. This conclusion will revive the confidence of third industry-related practitioners in Tokyo and will contribute to the revival of the Japanese tourism industry.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Post-COVID19 Challenges and Opportunities for Tokyo Tourism
• Analytical Sensitivity of the SalivaDirect™ Assay on the Liberty16 for detecting SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 Omicron -

  The newly emerged Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has numerous mutations that are not found in other variants of concern (VOCs). Despite acquiring extended functions in adapting to the host-cell environment, the viral genetic variation exerts a potential negative impact on a molecular test, which in turn, compromises public health and safety. The Liberty16 has been clinically validated as a flexible and accessible device system for running the affordable SalivaDirect™ real time PCR detection assay for SARS-CoV-2 especially in low resource settings. Preliminary, based on in-silico sequence analysis, we found that Omicron9s mutation at position 28,311 overlaps with the CDC 2019-nCoV_N1 probe binding region. In order to verify the performance of CDC 2019-nCoV-N1 primers-probe set in detecting the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, plasmids containing Wuhan/WH01/2019 (wild-type) and B.1.1.529 (Omicron) sequences were serially diluted and subsequently directed for SalivaDirect™ RT-qPCR detection on Liberty16 using commercially procured reagents. Our findings provide analytical support for reports that the mutations in the Omicron variant have little or no impact on SalivaDirect™ assay in terms of amplification efficiency and detection sensitivity using either standard and the recently reported fast Liberty16 SalivaDirect™ thermal cycling protocols.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Analytical Sensitivity of the SalivaDirect™ Assay on the Liberty16 for detecting SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 Omicron
• The public health impact of poor sleep on severe COVID-19, influenza and upper respiratory infections -

  Background Poor sleep is associated with an increased risk of infections and all-cause mortality, and acute sleep loss and disruption have been linked with inflammation and poorer immune control. Previous studies, however, have been unable to evidence causality between the chronic effects of poor sleep and respiratory infection risk. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and potential future disease outbreaks, understanding the risk factors for these infections is of great importance. Aim Our goal was to understand if chronic poor sleep could be identified as a causal risk factor for respiratory infections including influenza, upper respiratory infections and COVID-19. Methods We used population cohorts from the UK Biobank (N ≈ 231,000) and FinnGen (N ≈ 327,000) with ICD-10 based electronic health records and obtained diagnoses of insomnia, influenza and upper respiratory infections (URIs) from primary care and hospital settings. We computed logistic regression to assess association between poor sleep and infections, disease free survival hazard ratios, and used summary statistics from genome-wide association studies of insomnia, influenza, URI and COVID-19 to perform Mendelian randomization analyses and assess causality. Findings Utilizing 23 years of registry data and follow-up, we saw that insomnia diagnosis associated with increased risk for infections in FinnGen and in UK Biobank (FinnGen influenza HR = 5.32 [4.09, 6.92], P = 1.02×10^-35, UK Biobank influenza HR = 1.54 [1.37, 1.73], P = 2.49×10^-13). Mendelian randomization indicated that insomnia causally predisposed to influenza (OR = 1.59, P = 6.23×10^-4), upper respiratory infections (OR = 1.71, P = 7.60×10^-13), COVID-19 infection (OR = 1.08, P = 0.037) and risk of hospitalization from COVID-19 (OR = 1.47, P = 4.96×10^-5). Conclusions Our findings indicate that chronic poor sleep is a causal risk factor for contracting respiratory infections, and in addition contributes to the severity of respiratory infections. These findings highlight the role of sleep in maintaining sufficient immune response against pathogens as suggested by earlier work. As the current COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of people suffering from poor sleep, safe interventions such as sleep management and treating individuals with insomnia could be promoted to reduce infections and save lives.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: The public health impact of poor sleep on severe COVID-19, influenza and upper respiratory infections
• A novel SEIR-e model for disease transmission and pathogen exposure -

  In this study, we couple compartment models for indoor air quality and disease transmission to develop a novel SEIR-e model for disease transmission and pathogen exposure. In doing so, we gain insight into the contribution of people-people and people-pathogen interactions to the spread of transmissible diseases. A general modelling framework is used to assess the risk of infection in indoor environments due to people-pathogen interactions via inhalation of viral airborne aerosols, and contact with contaminated surfaces. We couple the indoor environment model with a standard disease transmission model to investigate how both people-people and people-pathogen interactions result in disease transmission. The coupled model is referred to as the SEIR-e model. To demonstrate the applicability of the SEIR-e model and the novel insights it can provide into different exposure pathways, parameter values which describe exposure due to people-people and people-pathogen interactions are inferred using Bayesian techniques and case data relating to the 2020 outbreak of COVID-19 in Victoria (Australia).

  🖺 Full Text HTML: A novel SEIR-e model for disease transmission and pathogen exposure
• CriSNPr: a single interface for the curated and de-novo design of gRNAs for CRISPR diagnostics using diverse Cas systems -
  Nucleic acid detection and variant calling through CRISPR-based diagnostics (CRISPRDx) has facilitated clinical decision-making, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has been further accelerated through the discovery of newer and engineered CRISPR effectors, expanding the portfolio of such diagnostic applications to a wide variety of pathogenic and non-pathogenic conditions. However, each diagnostic CRISPR pipeline requires customized detection schemes originating from fundamental principles of the Cas protein used, its guide RNA (gRNA) design parameters, and the assay readout. This is particularly relevant for variant detection, an attractive low-cost alternative to sequencing-based approaches for which no in silico pipeline for the ready-to-use design of CRISPR-based diagnostics currently exists. In this manuscript, we fill this lacuna using a unified webserver CriSNPr (CRISPR based SNP recognition), which provides the user the opportunity to de-novo design gRNAs based on six CRISPRDx proteins of choice (Fn/enFnCas9, LwCas13a, LbCas12a, AaCas12b, and Cas14a) and query for ready-to-use oligonucleotide sequences for validation on relevant samples. In addition, we provide a database of curated pre-designed gRNAs and target/off-target for all human and SARS-CoV-2 variants reported so far. CriSNPr has been validated on multiple Cas proteins and highlights its broad and immediate scope of utilization across multiple detection platforms. CriSNPr is available at URL http://crisnpr.igib.res.in/.

• Intramuscular mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 induces robust neutralizing salivary IgA -
  Intramuscularly administered vaccines stimulate robust serum neutralizing antibodies, yet they are often less competent in eliciting sustainable ‘sterilizing immunity’ at the mucosal level. Our study uncovers, strong neutralizing mucosal component (NT50 [≤] 50pM), emanating from intramuscular administration of an mRNA vaccine. We show that saliva of BNT162b2 vaccinees contains temporary IgA targeting the Receptor-Binding-Domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and demonstrate that these IgAs are key mediators of potent neutralization. RBD-targeting IgAs were found to associate with the Secretory Component, indicating their bona-fide transcytotic origin and their dimeric tetravalent nature. The mechanistic understanding of the exceptionally high neutralizing activity provided by mucosal IgA, acting at the first line of defence, will advance vaccination design and surveillance principles, pointing to novel treatment approaches, and to new routes of vaccine administration and boosting.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Intramuscular mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 induces robust neutralizing salivary IgA
• A natural broad-spectrum inhibitor of enveloped virus entry, effective against SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A Virus in preclinical animal models. -
  The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for novel antivirals for pandemic management and preparedness. Targeting host processes that are co-opted by viruses is an attractive strategy for developing antivirals with a high resistance barrier. Picolinic acid (PA) is a byproduct of tryptophan metabolism, endogenously produced in humans and other mammals. Here we report broad-spectrum antiviral effects of PA against enveloped viruses, including Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), Influenza A virus (IAV), Flaviviruses, Herpes Simplex Virus, and Human Parainfluenza Virus. We further demonstrate using animal models that PA is effective against SARS-CoV-2 and IAV, especially as an oral prophylactic. The mode of action studies revealed that PA inhibits viral entry of enveloped viruses, primarily by interfering with viral-cellular membrane fusion, inhibiting virus-mediated syncytia formation, and dysregulating cellular endocytosis. Overall, our data establish PA as a broad-spectrum antiviral agent, with promising preclinical efficacy against pandemic viruses SARS-CoV-2 and IAV.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: A natural broad- spectrum inhibitor of enveloped virus entry, effective against SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A Virus in preclinical animal models.
• An ACE2-blocking antibody confers broad neutralization and protection against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants -
  The ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in the emergence of Omicron, which displays striking immune escape potential. Many of its mutations localize to the spike protein ACE2 receptor-binding domain, annulling the neutralizing activity of most therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Here we describe a receptor-blocking human monoclonal antibody, 87G7, that retains ultrapotent neutralization against SARS-CoV-2 variants including the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron (BA.1/BA.2) Variants-of-Concern (VOCs). Structural analysis reveals that 87G7 targets a patch of hydrophobic residues in the ACE2-binding site that are highly conserved in SARS-CoV-2 variants, explaining its broad neutralization capacity. 87G7 protects mice and/or hamsters against challenge with all current SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. Our findings may aid the development of sustainable antibody-based strategies against COVID-19 that are more resilient to SARS-CoV-2 antigenic diversity.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: An ACE2-blocking antibody confers broad neutralization and protection against Omicron and other SARS-CoV-2 variants

From Clinical Trials

• Evaluation of Full Versus Fractional Doses of COVID-19 Vaccines Given as a Booster in Adults in Australia - Mongolia, Indonesia, Australia Coronavirus (MIACoV). - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: Tozinameran - Standard dose;   Biological: Tozinameran - fractional dose;   Biological: Elasomeran - standard dose;   Biological: Elasomeran - fractional dose
  Sponsors:   Murdoch Childrens Research Institute;   Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations;   PATH;   The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
  Not yet recruiting

• Zofin to Treat COVID-19 Long Haulers - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Zofin;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsors:  
  Organicell Regenerative Medicine;   Proxima Clinical Research, Inc.
  Not yet recruiting

• Pulmonary Rehabilitation Implemented With Virtual Reality for Post-COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Procedure: Pulmonary rehabilitation
  Sponsor:  
  The Opole University of Technology
  Not yet recruiting

• Pulmonary Rehabilitation Implemented With VR for Post-COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Procedure: Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program
  Sponsor:   The Opole University of Technology
  Recruiting

• COVID19 Oral Vaccine Consisting of Bacillus Subtilis Spores - Condition:   COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Intervention:   Biological: Bacillus subtilis
  Sponsors:   DreamTec Research Limited;   Middle East Cell and Gene Therapy;   National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
  Completed

• Effect of Daily Oral Administration of Food Supplement NLC-V in Patients Diagnosed With COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Dietary Supplement: NLC-V
  Sponsor:  
  Todos Medical, Ltd.
  Completed

• Fourth COVID-19 Vaccine Dose- mRNA1273 - Condition:   COVID-19 Pandemic
  Intervention:   Biological: mRNA1273 vaccine
  Sponsor:   Sheba Medical Center
  Active, not recruiting

• Study Design of the Diacerein in Patients With Covid-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Diacerein;   Drug: placebo capsules
  Sponsors:   University of Campinas, Brazil;   Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
  Not yet recruiting

• HEART Rate Variability Biofeedback in LOng COVID-19 (HEARTLOC) - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Behavioral: Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (HRV-B)
  Sponsors:   University of Leeds;   University of Manchester;   Leeds Comunity Healthcare NHS Trust
  Recruiting

• Fourth BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine Dose - Condition:   COVID-19 Pandemic
  Intervention:   Biological: BNT162b2 vaccine
  Sponsor:   Sheba Medical Center
  Active, not recruiting

• A Phase II Study of the Immunogenicity and Safety of SCTV01C in Population Aged ≥12 Years and Previously Vaccinated With Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV2 Infection
  Interventions:   Biological: SCTV01C;   Biological: Comirnaty
  Sponsor:   Sinocelltech Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• Effects of Aerobic Exercise in Patients With Post COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Other: High-intensity interval aerobic exercise training;   Other: Control Group
  Sponsor:   Gazi University
  Not yet recruiting

• A Phase II Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of SCTV01E in Population Aged ≥18 Years Previously Fully Vaccinated With mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine - Conditions:   COVID-19;   Sars-CoV-2 Infection
  Interventions:   Biological: SCTV01E;   Biological: Comirnaty
  Sponsor:   Sinocelltech Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• A Phase II Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of SCTV01C and SCTV01E in Population Aged ≥12 Years Previously Fully Vaccinated With Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2 Infection
  Interventions:   Biological: SCTV01C;   Biological: SCTV01E;   Biological: Sinopharm inactivated COVID-19 vaccine
  Sponsor:   Sinocelltech Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• A Phase II Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of SCTV01C in Population Aged ≥18 Years and Previously Fully Vaccinated With Either Inactivated or mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine or Previously Diagnosed With COVID-19 - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2 Infection
  Interventions:   Biological: SCTV01C;   Biological: Sinopharm inactivated COVID-19 vaccine;   Biological: Comirnaty
  Sponsor:   Sinocelltech Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

From PubMed

• Validation and Invalidation of SARS-CoV-2 Papain-like Protease Inhibitors - SARS-CoV-2 encodes two viral cysteine proteases, the main protease (M^(pro)) and the papain-like protease (PL^(pro)), both of which are validated antiviral drug targets. PL^(pro) is involved in the cleavage of viral polyproteins as well as immune modulation by removing ubiquitin and interferon-stimulated gene product 15 (ISG15) from host proteins. Therefore, targeting PL^(pro) might be a two-pronged approach. Several compounds including YM155, cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I, dihydrotanshinone I,…

• Mechanism for the attenuation of neutrophil and complement hyperactivity by MSC exosomes - Complements and neutrophils are two key players of the innate immune system that are widely implicated as drivers of severe COVID-19 pathogenesis, as evident by the direct correlation of respiratory failure and mortality with elevated levels of terminal complement complex C5b-9 and neutrophils. In this study, we identified a feed-forward loop between complements and neutrophils that could amplify and perpetuate the cytokine storm seen in severe SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. We observed for the…

• Diltiazem inhibits SARS-CoV-2 cell attachment and internalization and decreases the viral infection in mouse lung - The continuous emergence of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants and the increasing number of breakthrough infection cases among vaccinated people support the urgent need for research and development of antiviral drugs. Viral entry is an intriguing target for antiviral drug development. We found that diltiazem, a blocker of the L-type calcium channel Cav1.2 pore-forming subunit (Cav1.2 α1c) and an FDA-approved drug, inhibits the binding and internalization of SARS-CoV-2,…

• Healthcare Workers in South Korea Maintain a SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Response Six Months After Receiving a Second Dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccine - CONCLUSIONS: The BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine was effective in protecting healthcare personnel working in COVID-19-related departments. While the level of S-IgG antibodies was maintained for 6 months after the second vaccination, nAb levels waned over this 6-month period, indicating the need for a booster vaccination in some healthcare workers 6 months after full vaccination. Herein, we suggest that further studies are needed to evaluate the need for an interval of booster vaccination after full…

• Conserved topology of virus glycoepitopes presents novel targets for repurposing HIV antibody 2G12 - Complex glycans decorate viral surface proteins and play a critical role in virus-host interactions. Viral surface glycans shield vulnerable protein epitopes from host immunity yet can also present distinct “glycoepitopes” that can be targeted by host antibodies such as the potent anti-HIV antibody 2G12 that binds high-mannose glycans on gp120. Two recent publications demonstrate 2G12 binding to high mannose glycans on SARS-CoV-2 and select Influenza A (Flu) H3N2 viruses. Previously, our lab…

• Microsecond molecular dynamics simulations revealed the inhibitory potency of amiloride analogs against SARS-CoV-2 E viroporin - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) encodes small envelope protein (E) that plays a major role in viral assembly, release, pathogenesis, and host inflammation. Previous studies demonstrated that pyrazine ring containing amiloride analogs inhibit this protein in different types of coronavirus including SARS-CoV-1 small envelope protein E (SARS-CoV-1 E). SARS-CoV-1 E has 93.42% sequence identity with SARS-CoV-2 E and shared a conserved domain NS3/small envelope protein…

• Bat coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2 and infectious for human cells - The animal reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 is unknown despite reports of various SARS-CoV-2-related viruses in Asian Rhinolophus bats^(1-4), including the closest virus from R. affinis, RaTG13^(5,6) and in pangolins^(7-9). SARS-CoV-2 presents a mosaic genome, to which different progenitors contribute. The spike sequence determines the binding affinity and accessibility of its receptor-binding domain (RBD) to the cellular angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and is responsible for host…

• Differing pan-coronavirus antiviral potency of boceprevir and GC376 in vitro despite discordant molecular docking predictions - Given the structural similarities of the viral enzymes of different coronaviruses (CoVs), we investigated the potency of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents boceprevir and GC376 for counteracting seasonal coronavirus infections. In contrast to previous findings that both boceprevir and GC376 are potent inhibitors of the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2, we found that GC376 is much more effective than boceprevir in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 and three seasonal CoVs (NL63, 229E, and OC43) in cell culture…

• A Suite of TMPRSS2 Assays for Screening Drug Repurposing Candidates as Potential Treatments of COVID-19 - SARS-CoV-2 is the causative viral pathogen driving the COVID-19 pandemic that prompted an immediate global response to the development of vaccines and antiviral therapeutics. For antiviral therapeutics, drug repurposing allowed for rapid movement of existing clinical candidates and therapies into human clinical trials to be tested as COVID-19 therapies. One effective antiviral treatment strategy used early in symptom onset is to prevent viral entry. SARS-CoV-2 enters ACE2-expressing cells when…

• The oral drug nitazoxanide restricts SARS-CoV-2 infection and attenuates disease pathogenesis in Syrian hamsters - A well-tolerated and cost-effective oral drug that blocks SARS-CoV-2 growth and dissemination would be a major advance in the global effort to reduce COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. Here, we show that the oral FDA-approved drug nitazoxanide (NTZ) significantly inhibits SARS-CoV-2 viral replication and infection in different primate and human cell models including stem cell-derived human alveolar epithelial type 2 cells. Furthermore, NTZ synergizes with remdesivir, and it broadly inhibits…

• Boosting with Omicron-matched or historical mRNA vaccines increases neutralizing antibody responses and protection against B.1.1.529 infection in mice - The B.1.1.529 Omicron variant jeopardizes vaccines designed with early pandemic spike antigens. Here, we evaluated in mice the protective activity of the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine against B.1.1.529 before or after boosting with preclinical mRNA-1273 or mRNA-1273.529, an Omicron-matched vaccine. Whereas two doses of mRNA-1273 vaccine induced high levels of serum neutralizing antibodies against historical WA1/2020 strains, levels were lower against B.1.1.529 and associated with infection and…

• SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern type and biological sex affect efficacy of molnupiravir in dwarf hamster model of severe COVID-19 - SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) have triggered distinct infection waves in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, culminating in currently all-time high incidence rates of VOC omicron. Orally available direct-acting antivirals such as molnupiravir promise to improve disease management and limit SARS-CoV-2 spread. However, molnupiravir efficacy against VOC delta was questioned based on clinical trial results and its potency against omicron is unknown. This study evaluates…

• Identification of a conserved drug binding pocket in TMEM16 proteins - The TMEM16 family of calcium-activated membrane proteins includes ten mammalian paralogs (TMEM16A-K) playing distinct physiological roles with some implicated in cancer and airway diseases. Their modulators with therapeutic potential include 1PBC, a potent inhibitor with anti-tumoral properties, and the FDA-approved drug niclosamide that targets TMEM16F to inhibit syncytia formation induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we report cryo-EM structures of TMEM16F associated with 1PBC and…

• Inhaled heparin polysaccharide nanodecoy against SARS-CoV-2 and variants - The heparin polysaccharide nanoparticles block the interaction between heparan sulfate/S protein and inhibit the infection of both wild-type SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus and the mutated strains through pulmonary delivery.Image 1.

• Non-covalent SARS-CoV-2 M(pro) inhibitors developed from in silico screen hits - M^(pro), the main protease of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is essential for the viral life cycle. Accordingly, several groups have performed in silico screens to identify M^(pro) inhibitors that might be used to treat SARS-CoV-2 infections. We selected more than five hundred compounds from the top-ranking hits of two very large in silico screens for on-demand synthesis. We then examined whether these compounds could bind to M^(pro) and inhibit its protease…

From Patent Search

• SOCIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR MOBILE ROBOTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT TECHNOLOGY - The emergency department (ED) is a safety-critical environment in which healthcare workers (HCWs) are overburdened, overworked, and have limited resources, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. One way to address this problem is to explore the use of robots that can support clinical teams, e.g., to deliver materials or restock supplies. However, due to EDs being overcrowded, and the cognitive overload HCWs experience, robots need to understand various levels of patient acuity so they avoid disrupting care delivery. In this invention, we introduce the Safety-Critical Deep Q-Network (SafeDQN) system, a new acuity-aware navigation system for mobile robots. SafeDQN is based on two insights about care in EDs: high-acuity patients tend to have more HCWs in attendance and those HCWs tend to move more quickly. We compared SafeDQN to three classic navigation methods, and show that it generates the safest, quickest path for mobile robots when navigating in a simulated ED environment. We hope this work encourages future exploration of social robots that work in safety-critical, human-centered environments, and ultimately help to improve patient outcomes and save lives. Figure 1. - link

• A SYSTEM BASED ON DEEP LEARNING FOR ANALYZING DELAYED ENHANCEMENT MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TO IDENTIFY COVID 19 AND METHOD THEREOF - The present invention discloses a system based on deep learning for analyzing delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging to identify COVID 19 and method thereof. The method and system include, but not limited to, a processing unit adapted to process the data based on deep learning data modelling in the magnetic resonance imaging associated with the digital image scanning system for diagnosis COVID 19 with the spatial resolution that each frame is deposited is 256 * 256, and being creating that level and vertical resolution respectively are 256 pixels (pixel), the read/write address that the read/write address of each image element, which is controlled by processing unit and forms circuit and finishes; And the data that will be stored in memory are input to a real-time microcontroller, it is characterized in that: analyze and compare by the Multi-source Information Fusion analytical system by using the real-time microcontroller to deliver the D/A changer then, digital signal is become analogue signal output. - link

• FOLDABLE KIDS NEST - The objective of the present invention is to provide a bird’s nest bag which allows a kid to sleep or sit inside. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the bird nest bag is used to isolate kids below 2 years, who are affected by COVID-19. The netted portion of the bag allows a clear visibility to check on the user by the medical assistants, during emergency situations. The children below two years of age can be isolated in the bags for a shorter duration. (Refer Fig. 1) - link

• IDENTIFICATION AND ALARM SYSTEM FOR FACIAL CORONA MASK USING CNN BASED IMAGE PROCESSING - tThe covid-19 epidemic is the world’s largest wake-up call for people to pay attention to their own and society’s health. One thing to keep in mind is that there is a segment of the population that has been exposed to the covid-19 virus and has generated antibodies without developing any significant illnesses and is continuing to be healthy. This indicates that a significant section of the population, even excluding the elderly, lacks the necessary bodily immunity to combat a Viral infection. As terrible as covid-19 is on a global scale, developing personal health standards and preventative measures for any pathogenic virus as a community would have spared many lives. In’this work, a camera is combined with an image processing system to recognise facial masks, which may be improved in a variety of ways. First and foremost, this method is meant to identify masks on a single person’s face. While this method is efficient in identifying someone has a mask, it does not ensure that they will wear it all of the time. The most effective update for this task is to install a camera with a wide field of view so that many individuals can be seen in the frame, and the faces of those who aren’t wearing markings can be identified, as well as the number of people and the timing. - link

• ANTIMICROBIAL SANITIZING FORMULATION - An antimicrobial sanitizing formulation, comprising, i) isopropyl alcohol in the range of 0.1%- 80% w/w, ii) an emollient in the range of 0.1%-15% w/w, iii) hydrogen peroxide in the range of 0.1 0.13% w/w, iv) citric acid in the range of 0.1% to 2.0% w/w, v) silver nitrate in the range of 0.1% to 0.5% w/w, and vi) a fragrance imparting agent in the range of 0.1% to 2.0% w/w. - link

• A HEALTH BAND WITH A BIOMETRIC MODULE AND WORKING METHOD THEREOF - The present invention discloses a health band with a biometric module and method thereof. The assembly includes, but not limited to, a plurality of sensors configured to gather health data associated with a predefined symptom of a medical condition of a user; a memory unit configured to store the data and an interface, which is configured to determine the medical condition using the data;a processing unit configured to execute the application; and a notification facility configured to provide a notification upon receiving from the interface an instruction associated with the notification, wherein the notification is associated with a drug reminder and the like. - link

• RNA 검출 방법 - 본 발명은 RNA의 분석 및 검출 방법에 관한 것이다. 특히, 본 발명은 특히, 본 발명은 짧은 염기서열의 RNA까지 분석이 가능하면서도 높은 민감도 및 정확도로 정량적 검출까지 가능하여 감염증, 암 등 여러 질환의 진단 용도로도 널리 활용될 수 있다. - link

• 黄芩黄酮活性成分及其制剂在制备预防和/或治疗炎症风暴药物中的应用 - 本发明公开了黄芩黄酮活性成分及其制剂在制备预防和/或治疗炎症风暴药物中的应用。所述黄芩黄酮活性成分选自下述至少一种：黄芩素、汉黄芩素和千层纸素A。炎症风暴是一种机体对外界刺激的过度免疫反应和炎症反应，以炎症细胞因子的快速大量释放为特征。炎症风暴可由许多感染或非感染性疾病引起，并与疾病的严重程度和多器官功能障碍综合征的发生密切相关。减少炎症风暴的发生有助于降低器官损伤和减缓疾病进程，尤其对危重症患者的治疗至关重要。本发明发现，黄芩素、汉黄芩素、千层纸素A均具有不同程度抑制小鼠细胞因子风暴的作用。黄芩素能改善炎症风暴引发的肺损伤和炎性细胞浸润。因此黄芩黄酮活性成分可用于制备防治炎症风暴的药物。 - link

• 一种预防和/或治疗炎症风暴的药物组合物及其制剂与应用 - 本发明公开了一种预防和/或治疗炎症风暴的药物组合物、制剂及其应用。该药物组合物，由黄芩素、汉黄芩素和千层纸素A组成，其中，黄芩素、汉黄芩素、千层纸素A的质量比为0.25_1.5：0.57：1。本发明提供的自微乳包括下述组分：药物磷脂复合物、油相、乳化剂和助乳化剂；其中，所述药物磷脂复合物由上述药物组合物和磷脂材料复合而成。本发明的实验结果表明在LPS诱导的系统性炎症风暴小鼠模型中，黄芩素、汉黄芩素和千层纸素A的组合物及其自微乳制剂均具有不同程度抑制小鼠细胞因子风暴的作用。本发明为炎症风暴的临床治疗提供了一种安全、有效、经济的解决方案。 - link

• 胸部CT图像识别方法、装置、计算机设备和存储介质 - 本申请涉及一种胸部CT图像识别方法、装置、计算机设备和存储介质。所述方法针对CT图像特点，设计轻量级的胸部CT图像识别网络更快速准确地识别出胸部CT图像。引入X‑DMFF模块，提升模型性能且降低计算成本。在DMS模块中引入Swin‑Transformer与残差学习，提取更多尺度的空间特征信息并对特征信息不断重用，提升模型分类效果。 - link