While pandemic waves are often studied on the national scale, they typically are not distributed evenly within countries. This paper employs a novel approach to analyze the tempo-spatial dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. First, we base the analysis on a composite indicator of pandemic severity to gain a more robust understanding of the temporal dynamics of the pandemic. Second, we subdivide the pandemic during the years 2020 and 2021 into fifteen phases, each with a coherent trend of pandemic severity. Third, we analyze the patterns of spatial association during each phase. Fourth, similar types of trajectories of pandemic severity among all German counties were identified through hierarchical clustering. The results imply that the hotspots and cold spots of the first four waves of the pandemic were relatively stationary in space so that the pandemic moved in time but less in space.
In recent years, the SARS-CoV-2 viruses emerged and spread around the world, leaving a large death toll and long-lasting impact on survivors. As of January 2023, Brazil is still among the countries with the highest number of registered deaths. This continental-size and pluralistic country experienced a heterogenous implementation of non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions which, associated with large socioeconomic differences between the country regions, has led to distinct virus spread dynamics across the country. Here we investigate the spatiotemporal dispersion of emerging SARS-CoV-2 lineages and its dynamics in distinct epidemiological scenarios in the first two years of the pandemics in the Pernambuco state (Northeast Brazil). We generated a total of 1389 new SARS-CoV-2 genomes from June 2020 to August 2021 covering all major regions of the state. This sampling captured the arrival, communitary transmission and the circulation of the B1.1, B.1.1.28 and B.1.1.33 lineages in the first eight months of the pandemics, the emergence of the former variant of interest P.2 and the emergence and fast replacement of all previous variants by the more transmissible variant of concern P.1 (Gamma) lineage. Based on the incidence and lineage spread pattern we observed that there was an East-to-West to inner state pattern of transmission which is in agreement with the transmission of more populous metropolitan areas to medium and small size country-side cities in the state. Such transmission patterns may be partially explained by the main routes of traffic across municipalities in the state. Nevertheless, inter-state traffic was also another important source of lineage introduction and spread into the state. Our results highlight that the fine grained intrastate analysis of lineages and incidence spread can provide actionable insights for planning future non-pharmacological intervention for air-borne transmissible human pathogens.
The protection afforded by vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to individuals with chronic lung disease is not well established. To understand how chronic lung disease impacts SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-elicited immunity we performed deep immunophenotyping of the humoral and cell mediated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine response in an investigative cohort of vaccinated patients with diverse pulmonary conditions including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and interstitial lung disease (ILD). Compared to healthy controls, 48% of vaccinated patients with chronic lung diseases had reduced antibody titers to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine antigen as early as 3-4 months after vaccination, correlating with decreased vaccine-specific memory B cells. Vaccine-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells were also significantly reduced in patients with asthma, COPD, and a subset of ILD patients compared to healthy controls. These findings reveal the complex nature of vaccine-elicited immunity in high-risk patients with chronic lung disease.
Background: New SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged and COVID-19 is still a public health issue, especially for vulnerable groups such as people with chronic medical conditions. Objective: To investigate the impact of COVID-19-related burnout on COVID-19 vaccination intention in cardiac patients. Moreover, we investigated other possible demographic and psychological predictors of vaccination intention in cardiac patients. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Greece using a convenience sample. Data collection was performed from 20 November 2022 to 10 January 2023. We measured demographic data, COVID-19-related burnout, anxiety, depression, social support, and resilience. We used the following valid tools: COVID-19 burnout scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-4, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Brief Resilience Scale. Results: Among patients, 45.8% were willing to accept a COVID-19 booster dose, 25.3% were hesitant, and 28.9% were unwilling. Patients experienced moderate levels of COVID-19-related burnout. After multivariable linear regression analysis, we found that increased age and decreased emotional exhaustion due to COVID-19 were associated with increased vaccination intention. Moreover, patients who have already received a booster dose had also a greater willingness to accept a new booster dose. Conclusions: Identification of factors that influence patients decision to accept a COVID-19 booster dose is crucial to maintain a high vaccination coverage rate among them in order to avoid COVID-19-related outcomes. Since a COVID-19 booster dose on an annual basis seems to be necessary policy makers should develop and implement vaccination programmes tailored for patients.
Background and aims Several recommendations exist regarding the role of physiotherapy programs (PTPs) in COVID-19 patients. However, none of the studies examines the frequency of bedside PTPs during admission. Thus, this study aimed to compare the different bedside PTPs frequencies on the survival rate, length of hospitalization (LoH), referrals to the intensive care unit (ICU), and in-hospital complications. The safety of patients and the physiotherapist was also investigated. Methods Fifty-two COVID-19 patients were equally assigned into two groups matched on gender and age (1:1 ratio). Experimental group one received 1-2 times of PTPs during hospitalization, and experimental group two received daily PTPs until hospital discharge. The primary outcomes were the survival rate, LoH, referrals to ICU, and in-hospital complications. The secondary outcomes were the adverse events for patients and the number of physiotherapists who contracted with COVID-19. Results Most participants were classified as having mild to moderate COVID-19 with a mean age of 45 years. There were no differences between groups in all primary outcome measures (all p > 0.05). The overall survival rate was 98%. One participant from the Ex-G2 group was referred to the ICU. Two Ex-G1 and four Ex-G2 participants had complications. There were no immediate serious adverse events found after PTPs for both groups. None of the physiotherapists tested positive for COVID-19. Conclusion In COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate conditions, one to two bedside PTPs were enough to achieve the same results as patients who received daily PTPs. PTPs were safe for COVID-19 patients, and physiotherapists.
Objective: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has posed a significant challenge to health of individual. Increasing evidence shows that patients with metabolic unhealthy obesity (MUO) and COVID19 have severer complications and higher mortality rate. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the association between MUO and COVID19 are poorly understood. We sought to implement transcriptomic analysis using bioinformatics and systems biology analysis approaches. Methods: Here, two datasets (GSE196822 and GSE152991) were employed to extract differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to identify common hub genes, shared pathways and candidate drugs and construct a gene disease network. Results: Based on the identified 65 common DEGs, the results revealed hub genes and essential modules. Moreover, common associations between MUO and COVID-19 were found. Transcription factors (TFs) and genes interaction, protein and drug interactions, and DEGs and miRNAs coregulatory network were identified. Furthermore, the gene-disease association were obtained and constructed. Conclusions: The shared pathogenic pathways are noted worth paying attention to. Several genes are highlighted as critical targets for developing treatments for and investigating the complications of COVID19 and MUO. Additionally, multiple genes are identified as promising biomarkers. We think this result of the study may help in selecting and inventing future treatments that can combat COVID-19 and MUO.
Objective: We aimed to explore general practice coding activity associated with the use of online consultation systems in terms of trends, COVID-19 effect, variation and quality. The pandemic accelerated work by the NHS in England to enable and stimulate use of online consultation systems across all practices, for improved access to primary care. Methods: With the approval of NHS England, OpenSAFELY-TPP and OpenSAFELY-EMIS were used to query and analyse in situ records of electronic health record systems of over 53 million patients in over 6,400 practices, mainly in 2019-2020. SNOMED CT codes relevant to online consultation systems and written online consultations were identified. Coded events were described by volumes, practice coverage, trends pre- and post-COVID-19 and inter-practice and sociodemographic variation. Results: 3,550,762 relevant coding events were found in TPP practices, with code eConsultation detected in 84% of practices. Coding activity related to digital forms of interaction increased rapidly from March 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, though we found large variation in coding instance rates among practices in England. Code instances were more commonly found among females, those aged 18-40, those least deprived or white. eConsultation coded activity was more commonly found recorded among patients with a history of asthma or depression. Conclusions: We successfully queried general practice coding activity relevant to the use of online consultation systems, showing increased adoption as well as key areas of variation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The work can be expanded to support monitoring of coding quality and underlying activity. In future, large-scale impact evaluation studies can be implemented within the platform, namely looking at resource utilisation and patient outcomes.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is still producing hundreds of thousands of cases worldwide. However, the currently dominant Omicron variant (and its sub-variants) have proven to be less virulent than previous dominant variants, resulting in proportionately fewer severe cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Nonetheless, a persistent concern is that new mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus may yet produce more virulent variants. In the present study we provide evidence supporting the hypothesis that this is unlikely, and that COVID-19 will remain a low-severity although highly transmissible disease. Three complementary pieces of evidence support our argument. First, empirical observations suggest that the transmission advantage that Omicron (sub)variants enjoy is in large part due to their cell tropism in the upper respiratory tract, which renders them less virulent. Second, when a negative link between transmissibility and virulence is included in agent-based epidemiological models, viruses evolve towards lower virulence. Third, genetic diversification of SARS-CoV-2 suggests that epistasis in the Omicron family reduces the diversity of successful variants. Taken together these observations point to a high likelihood that the severity of COVID-19 will remain sufficiently low for an endemic status to be reached, provided that vaccination campaigns and sensible hygiene and social measures continue worldwide, as suggested by the World Health Organization.
Background The Delta variant has led to a surge in COVID-19 cases in Libya, making it crucial to investigate the impact of vaccination on mortality rates among hospitalized patients and critically ill. Aims To study risk factors and COVID-19 mortality rates among unvaccinated and vaccinated adults during delta wave at a single COVID-19 care centre in Tripoli, Libya. Methods The study involved two independent cohorts (n=341). One cohort was collected retrospectively from May 2021-August 2021 and the second cohort was prospectively collected from August 2021-October 2021 and most of them were during the Delta wave. The two cohorts were merged and analysed as one group. Results Most patients were male (60.5%) and 53.3% were >60 years. The vast majority of admitted patients did not have previous COVID-19 infection (98.9%) and were unvaccinated (90.3%). Among vaccinated, 30 patients had one dose and only 3 had two doses. Among patients who received one dose, 58.1% (18/31) died and 41.9% (13/31) survived. Most patients (72.2%) had a pre-existing medical condition. Multivariable prediction model showed that age >60 years was significantly associated with death (odds ratio=2.328, CI 1.456-3.724, p-value=<0.0001). Conclusion Previous infection or full vaccination against COVID-19 significantly reduces hospitalization and death, as most admitted patients were unvaccinated and not previously infected. However, a single vaccine dose may not be adequate, especially for older individuals and those with underlying medical conditions. High-risk older patients with comorbidities should be fully vaccinated and offered up to date bivalent COVID-19 booster doses.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic led to reductions in cervical cancer screening and colposcopy. Therefore, in this mixed method study we explored perceived pandemic-related practice changes to cervical cancer screenings in federally qualified health centers. <br />Methods: Between October 2021 and June 2022, a national sample of 148 clinicians completed surveys; a subset (n=13) clinicians completed qualitative interviews. Most (86%) reported reduced cervical cancer screening early in the pandemic, and 28% reported continued reduction in services at the time of survey completion (October 2021- July 2022). Nearly half (45%) reported staff shortages impacting their ability to screen or track patients. <br />Results: Compared to clinicians in OBGYN/Women’s health, those in family medicine and other specialties were less likely to report maintaining or increasing screening compared to pre-pandemic. Advanced practice providers (compared to MDs/DOs,) and Hispanic/Latinx/other clinicians (compared to white non-Hispanic) were more likely to report maintaining or increasing screening vs. pre-pandemic. Most (91%) felt that screening using HPV self-sampling would be helpful to address screening backlogs. Qualitative interviews highlighted the impacts of staff shortages and strategies for improvement. <br />Conclusions: Identifying barriers to screening and instituting solutions in federally qualified health centers is critical to preventing cervical cancers among patients at highest risk.<br />Funding: This study was funded by the American Cancer Society, who had no role in the study’s design, conduct, or reporting.
There is a demand for more comprehensive studies related to diabetes management in Indian settings covering; incidence, multimorbidity and complications in diabetes patients, clinical progression, medication, and treatment-seeking patterns. CHIPS study aims to bridge this research gap through a systematic analysis of the medical records maintained under an employees contributory health services scheme (CHSS). The CHSS based in an urban metropolitan area has 89,204 beneficiaries. The hospital information management system (HIMS) has records of lab reports, clinical summaries, prescriptions, and drugs and other medical consumables, supplied for every interaction with CHSS. Firstly, a cohort of 835 patients newly diagnosed as diabetic in the year 2011-2012 was identified from the HIMS. Their 10-year (2011-2021) medical history after getting diagnosed as a diabetic patient was elicited from the HIMS in a retrospective manner. For comparison needs another cohort of 1670 age-sex matched non-diabetic beneficiaries was created and similar 10-year medical history was created. A total of 144,511 lab records and 247,473 drug records from the HIMS for the period 2010-2012 were scrutinized to identify newly diabetic patients and their non-diabetic counterparts. The reconstructed 10-year medical history of these two groups will be used to investigate the burden of diabetes in the community, transitions from a non-diabetic and pre-diabetic to a diabetic, excess morbidity in diabetic patients, seasonal variation in glycaemic levels, association between glycaemic control and frequency of health care utilization, and COVID-19-induced temporal changes in glycaemic control.
After the deleterious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare worker mental health, we tested the effectiveness of an interactive chatbot, Vitalk, for improving wellbeing and resilience among healthcare workers in Malawi, a country with few mental health professionals. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) to investigate our hypothesis that Vitalk is more effective in improving mental health and resilience outcomes than passive Internet resources. For our 2-arm, 8-week, parallel RCT (ISRCTN Registry: trial ID ISRCTN16378480), we recruited participants from 8 professional cadres from public and private healthcare facilities. The treatment arm used Vitalk; the control arm received links to Internet resources. Of 1,584 participants, 512 completed baseline and endline assessments. Six assessments provided outcome measures for: anxiety (GAD-7); depression (PHQ-9); burnout (OLBI); loneliness (ULCA); resilience (RS-14); and resilience-building activities. We analyzed effectiveness using mixed-effects linear models, effect size estimates, and reliable change in risk levels. Results from mixed-model analyses support our hypothesis. Difference-in-differences estimators showed that Vitalk reduced: depression (-0.68 [95% CI -1.15 to -0.21]); anxiety (-0.44 [95% CI -0.88 to 0.01]); and burnout (-0.58 [95% CI -1.32 to 0.15]). Changes in resilience (1.47 [95% CI 0.05 to 2.88]) and resilience-building activities (1.22 [95% CI 0.56 to 1.87]) were significantly greater in the treatment group. We observed no treatment effect on loneliness. Our RCT produced a medium effect size. This is the first RCT of a mental health app for healthcare workers during the pandemic in Southern Africa combining multiple mental wellbeing outcomes, and measuring resilience and resilience-building activities. A significant number of participants could have benefited from mental health support (1 in 8 reported anxiety and depression; 3 in 4 suffered burnout; and 1 in 4 had low resilience). Such help is not readily available in Malawi. Vitalk has the potential to fill this gap.
Previous research has categorised symptoms of COVID-19 / Long COVID into 12 thematic areas including: fever, myalgia, fatigue, impaired cognitive function, and that COVID-19 survivors had reduced levels of physical function, activities of daily living, and health-related quality of life. Our aim was to review the evidence for interventions or best practice to support people with Long COVID, or similar post-viral conditions characterised by fatigue, to return to normal activities. Evidence was included from guidelines, systematic reviews (SR), and primary studies. The primary studies focussed on Long COVID (LC) indicated that there should be a needs-based focus to care for those with LC. Consideration should be given to individuals living with LC in the same way as people with disabilities are accommodated in terms of workplace adjustment. Two SRs indicated that non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) for patients with LC or chronic fatigue syndrome could help improve function for activities of daily life. However, the third, most recent SR, concluded that there is a lack of robust evidence for NPIs. LC fatigue management methods may be beneficial under certain conditions. One SR reported work capability as an outcome however they did not find any studies which evaluated the impact of interventions on return to work/ normal life. One primary study, on individuals with CFS, described a written self-management programme. Following this intervention there was an 18% increase in the number of patients in employment. Policy and practice implications: Long COVID is still being established as a post-viral condition with many symptoms. Patient-centred treatment options such as occupational therapy, self-management therapy and talking therapy may be considered in the same way as for other debilitating conditions. Return-to-work accommodations are needed for all workers unable to return to full-time employment. Due to the nature of the studies included, there was little reported evidence of effectiveness of getting individuals back into their normal activities.
Evaluation of Corfluvec Vaccine for the Prevention of COVID-19 in Healthy Volunteers - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: Corfluvec component 1 low dose; Biological: Corfluvec component 2 low dose; Biological: Corfluvec component 1 high dose; Biological: Corfluvec component 2 high dose; Biological: Corfluvec low dose; Biological: Corfluvec high dose; Biological: Placebo
Sponsors: Tatyana Zubkova; MDP-CRO, LLC; St. Petersburg State Pavlov Medical University
Active, not recruiting
COVID-19 Self-testing Study - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Behavioral: SMARTest mobile app for COVID-19 self-testing
Sponsor: Columbia University
Recruiting
A Study of Efficacy and Safety of Azvudine vs. Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir in the Treatment of COVID-19 Infection - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Azvudine; Drug: Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir
Sponsors: Shandong Provincial Hospital; Central hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University; The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University; The Affiliated Hospital Of Southwest Medical University; Gansu Provincial Hospital
Not yet recruiting
A Chatbot to Enhance COVID-19 Knowledge - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Device: chatbot; Other: Printed educational booklet
Sponsor: Sun Yat-sen University
Not yet recruiting
Tetrandrine Tablets Used in Hospitalized Adults With COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Drug: Tetrandrine
Sponsor: Peking University Third Hospital
Not yet recruiting
Low-Dose Radiation Therapy for Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia - Condition: COVID-19 Pneumonia
Intervention: Radiation: Low-Dose Radiation Therapy
Sponsors: Jiangsu Cancer Institute & Hospital; Nanjing Chest Hospital; The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University; Central South University; Zhongda Hospital
Not yet recruiting
A Phase 2 Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of QLS1128 Orally in Symptomatic Participants With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: QLS1128; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: Qilu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
Recruiting
Oropharyngeal Immunoprophylaxis With High Polyphenolic Olive Oil as Clinical Spectrum Mitigating Factor in COVID-19. - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Dietary Supplement: High polyphenolic olive oil. (Early harvest olive oil).
Sponsor: Hospital General Nuestra Señora del Prado
Completed
Efficacy of Megadose Vitamin C in Severe and Critical Ill COVID-19 Patients. - Conditions: Vitamin C; COVID-19 Pneumonia
Interventions: Drug: Vitamin C; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: Zhujiang Hospital
Recruiting
A Randomized, Phase I Study of DNA Vaccine OC-007 as a Booster Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine - Conditions: COVID-19 Respiratory Infection; COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Reaction
Interventions: Biological: DNA vaccine OC-007; Other: Placebo
Sponsor: Matti Sällberg
Not yet recruiting
Multicenter Randomized Double-blind Placebo-controlled Study to Investigate Azvudine in Symptomatic Adults With COVID-19 at Increased Risk of Progressing to Severe Illness - Condition: COVID-19 Respiratory Infection
Interventions: Drug: Azvudine; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: Peking Union Medical College Hospital
Not yet recruiting
UC-MSCs in the Treatment of Severe and Critical COVID-19 Patients With Refractory Hypoxia - Conditions: Mesenchymal Stem Cell; COVID-19 Pneumonia
Intervention: Biological: UC-MSCs treatment
Sponsors: Shanghai East Hospital; Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital
Recruiting
Aerosolized Versus Intravenous Colistin-based Antimicrobial Regimens in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients With Bacterial Coinfection: A Randomized Controlled Trial - Condition: Secondary Bacterial Infection in COVID-19 Patients
Intervention: Drug: Colistin
Sponsor: Beni-Suef University
Completed
Safety and Efficacy of the Therapy With BREINMAX® for the Treatment of Patients With Asthenia After COVID-19 - Conditions: Asthenia; COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Ethyl methyl hydroxypyridine succinate + Meldonium; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: Promomed, LLC
Completed
Acupuncture as an Adjunctive Therapy for Covid-19 Omicron Randomised Controlled Trial in Patients With Moderate/Severe Pneumonia - Conditions: Acupuncture; Covid-19 Omicron; Pulmonary Function
Intervention: Other: Acupuncture
Sponsor: The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Recruiting
In silico identification of microRNAs targeting the PPARα/γ: promising therapeutics for SARS-CoV‑2 infection - The SARS-CoV-2 lifecycle is dependent on the host metabolism machinery. It upregulates the PPARα and PPARγ genes in lipid metabolism, which supports the essential viral replication complex including lipid rafts and palmitoylation of viral protein. The use of PPAR ligands in SARS-CoV-2 infection may have positive effects by preventing cytokine storm and the ensuing inflammatory cascade. The inhibition of PPARα and PPARγ genes may alter the metabolism and may disrupt the lifecycle of SARS-CoV-2…
Interleukin-18-primed human umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells achieve superior therapeutic efficacy for severe viral pneumonia via enhancing T-cell immunosuppression - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatments are still urgently needed for critically and severely ill patients. Human umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) infusion has therapeutic benefits in COVID-19 patients; however, uncertain therapeutic efficacy has been reported in severe patients. In this study, we selected an appropriate cytokine, IL-18, based on the special cytokine expression profile in severe pneumonia of mice induced by H1N1virus to prime hUC-MSCs in vitro and improve…
Enzymatic approaches against SARS-CoV-2 infection with an emphasis on the telomere-associated enzymes - The pandemic phase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appears to be over in most countries. However, the unexpected behaviour and unstable nature of coronaviruses, including temporary hiatuses, re-emergence, emergence of new variants, and changing outbreak epicentres during the COVID-19 pandemic, have been frequently reported. The mentioned trend shows the fact that in addition to vaccine development, different strategies should be considered to deal effectively with this disease, in long…
The role of the HLA allelic repertoire on the clinical severity of COVID-19 in Canadians, living in the Saskatchewan province - CONCLUSION: In this study, the HLA allelic repository with the distribution of deleterious and protective alleles was found to correlate with the severity of the clinical course in COVID-19. Moreover, the interaction of specific HLA alleles with the KIR-associated subfamily modulates the NK cell-mediated surveillance of SARS-CoV-2. Both deleterious HLA alleles and inhibitory KIR appear prominently in the severe COVID-19 group focusing on the importance of NK cells in the convalescence of…
Fine-scale variation in the effect of national border on COVID-19 spread: A case study of the Saxon-Czech border region - The global extent and temporally asynchronous pattern of COVID-19 spread have repeatedly highlighted the role of international borders in the fight against the pandemic. Additionally, the deluge of high resolution, spatially referenced epidemiological data generated by the pandemic provides new opportunities to study disease transmission at heretofore inaccessible scales. Existing studies of cross-border infection fluxes, for both COVID-19 and other diseases, have largely focused on…
Gaseous nitric oxide failed to inhibit the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro - Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to have antimicrobial activity in vitro and in some in vivo models, while the virucidal activity of NO remains elusive. Some studies using NO donors have suggested that NO could be a potential candidate to treat SARS-CoV infection. The Covid-19 pandemic raised the hypothesis that NO gas might have an impact on Sars-CoV-2 replication cycle and might be considered as a candidate therapy to treat COVID-19. To our knowledge, there are no in vitro preclinical studies…
Reducing Vaccinia virus transmission indoors within 60 seconds: Applying SAFEAIR-X aerosol with Iodine-V as a disinfectant - Iodine-V ((C26H39N4O15)x * (I2)y) demonstrates an in vitro virucidal activity by deactivating SARS-CoV-2 viral titers. It combines elemental iodine (I2) and fulvic acid (C14H12O8), forming a clathrate compound. The antiviral properties of Iodine-V reduce viral load in the air to inhibit viral transmission indoors. This antiviral property was applied to form a disinfectant solution called SAFEAIR-X Aerosol. The current study evaluates the antiviral efficacy of Iodine-V in aerosol form in a…
Waning humoral and cellular immunity after COVID-19 vaccination in patients with psoriasis treated with methotrexate and biologics: a cohort study - CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with anti-TNF has an impact on the immunity elicited by mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccination in patients with psoriasis, resulting in a faster waning of humoral and cellular markers of immunity, however, the clinical implications are unknown.
Identification of niclosamide as a novel antiviral agent against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infection by targeting viral internalization - Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), an enteropathogenic coronavirus, has catastrophic impacts on the global pig industry. However, there remain no effective drugs against PEDV infection. In this study, we utilized a recombinant PEDV expressing renilla luciferase (PEDV-Rluc) to screen potential anti-PEDV agents from an FDA-approved drug library in Vero cells. Four compounds were identified that significantly decreased luciferase activity of PEDV-Rluc. Among them, Niclosamide was further…
Hepatitis D virus interferes with hepatitis B virus RNA production via interferon-dependent and -independent mechanisms - CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that HDV interferes with HBV through both IFN-dependent and IFN-independent mechanisms. Specifically, we uncover a new viral interference mechanism in which proteins of a satellite virus affect RNA production of its helper virus. Exploiting these finding could pave the way to the development of new therapeutic strategies against HBV.
Two pan-SARS-CoV-2 nanobodies and their multivalent derivatives effectively prevent Omicron infections in mice - With the widespread vaccinations against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we are witnessing gradually waning neutralizing antibodies and increasing cases of breakthrough infections, necessitating the development of drugs aside from vaccines, particularly ones that can be administered outside of hospitals. Here, we present two cross-reactive nanobodies (R14 and S43) and their multivalent derivatives, including decameric ones (fused to the immunoglobulin M [IgM] Fc) that maintain potent…
Thiopurine therapy in inflammatory bowel disease in the pandemic era: Safe or unsafe? - CONCLUSION: Emerging evidence suggests that TP therapy is safe during the current pandemic and does not carry an elevated risk when used as monotherapy on in combination with other IBD drugs. In-vitro studies demonstrate that TP is a potential therapeutic for present and future betacoronavirus pandemics.
Discovery, synthesis and mechanism study of 2,3,5-substituted [1,2,4]-thiadiazoles as covalent inhibitors targeting 3C-Like protease of SARS-CoV-2 - The 3C-like protease (3CL^(pro)) is essential for the replication and transcription of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), making it a promising target for the treatment of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, a series of 2,3,5-substituted [1,2,4]-thiadiazole analogs were discovered to be able to inhibit 3CL^(pro) as non-peptidomimetic covalent binders at submicromolar levels, with IC(50) values ranging from 0.118 to 0.582 μM. Interestingly, these…
Exploration of Fuzheng Yugan Mixture on COVID-19 based on network pharmacology and molecular docking - After the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as a global pandemic, global health workers have been facing an unprecedented and severe challenge. Currently, a mixturetion to inhibit the exacerbation of pulmonary inflammation caused by COVID-19, Fuzheng Yugan Mixture (FZYGM), has been approved for medical institution mixturetion notification. However, the mechanism of FZYGM remains poorly defined. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular and related…
N-Phenylpyridine-3-Carboxamide and 6-Acetyl-1H-Indazole Inhibit the RNA Replication Step of the Dengue Virus Life Cycle - Dengue virus (DENV) is a Flavivirus that causes the most prevalent arthropod-borne viral disease. Clinical manifestation of DENV infection ranges from asymptomatic to severe symptoms that can lead to death. Unfortunately, no antiviral treatments against DENV are currently available. In order to identify novel DENV inhibitors, we screened a library of 1,604 chemically diversified fragment-based compounds using DENV reporter viruses that allowed quantification of viral replication in infected…