Background: Migrants in the UK may be at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure; however, little is known about their risk of COVID-19-related hospitalisation during waves 1-3 of the pandemic. Methods: We analysed secondary care data linked to Virus Watch study data for adults and estimated COVID-19-related hospitalisation incidence rates by migration status. To estimate the total effect of migration status on COVID-19 hospitalisation rates, we ran fixed-effect Poisson regression for wave 1 (01/03/2020-31/08/2020; wildtype), and fixed-effect negative binomial regressions for waves 2 (01/09/2020-31/05/2021; Alpha) and 3 (01/06/2020-31/11/2021; Delta). Results of all models were then meta-analysed. Results: Of 30,276 adults in the analyses, 26,492 (87.5%) were UK-born and 3,784 (12.5%) were migrants. COVID-19-related hospitalisation incidence rates for UK-born and migrant individuals across waves 1-3 were 2.7 [95% CI 2.2-3.2], and 4.6 [3.1-6.7] per 1,000 person-years, respectively. Pooled incidence rate ratios across waves suggested increased rate of COVID-19-related hospitalisation in migrants compared to UK-born individuals in unadjusted 1.68 [1.08-2.60] and adjusted analyses 1.35 [0.71-2.60]. Conclusions: Our findings suggest migration populations in the UK have excess risk of COVID-19-related hospitalisations and underscore the need for more equitable interventions particularly aimed at COVID-19 vaccination uptake among migrants.
Abstract Background The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Hispanic population resulted in the almost complete elimination of the longstanding Hispanic mortality advantage relative to the non-Hispanic White population. However, it is unknown how COVID-19 mortality affected the diverse Hispanic sub-populations. Objective We estimate life expectancy at birth in 2019 and 2020 by Hispanic sub-group and explore how changes in age-specific all-cause and COVID-19 mortality affected changes in life expectancy between 2019 and 2020 for each group. Methods We use final 2019 and 2020 mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics and population estimates based on the 2019 and 2020 American Community Survey. We calculate life tables and apply decomposition techniques to explore the effects of changes in age- and cause-specific mortality on life expectancy. Results Patterns of age- and cause-specific excess deaths and their impact on declines in life expectancy due to the COVID-19 pandemic differed substantially by Hispanic sub-group. Life expectancy losses ranged from 0.6 to 6.7 years among males and 0.6 to 3.6 years among females. Conclusions Our findings highlight the heterogeneous impact of the COVID-19 pandemic within the Hispanic population. Contributions Our findings contribute new information that will assist future research identify the causes of the disproportionately severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Hispanic population. Our study underscores the importance of population disaggregation in endeavors to identify the multiple pathways by which the pandemic affected the Hispanic population.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in major disruptions to the food service industry and regulatory food inspections. The objective of this study was to conduct an interrupted time series analysis to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food safety inspection trends in Toronto, Canada. Inspection data for restaurants and take-out establishments were obtained from 2017 to 2022 and ordered as a weekly time series. Bayesian segmented regression was conducted to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on weekly infraction and inspection pass rates. On average, a 0.31-point lower weekly infraction rate (95% credible interval [CI]: 0.23, 0.40) and a 2.0% higher probability of passing inspections (95% CI: 1.1%, 3.0%) were predicted in the pandemic period compared to pre-pandemic. Models predicted lower infraction rates and higher pass rates immediately following the pandemic that were regressing back toward pre-pandemic levels in 2022. Seasonal effects were also identified, with infraction rates highest in April and pass rates lowest in August. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an initial positive effect on food safety outcomes in restaurants and take-out food establishments in Toronto, but this effect appears to be temporary. Additional research is needed on seasonal and long-term inspection trends post-pandemic.
We have developed a CRISPR based assay that can detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in RNA extracted from human samples and also predict if it is an Omicron or non-Omicron variant of the virus. This is a nucleic acid amplification-based test (NAAT). The amplification and detection are carried out in two independent steps in this assay. Amplification is done using a standard one-step RT-PCR method. The detection is done using a method that utilizes the trans-cleavage activity of the Cas12a enzyme. We have evaluated the performance of OmiCrisp in more than 80 clinical samples and observed an agreement of 100% with the sequencing results, in labeling SARS-CoV-2 positive samples as Omicron or non-Omicron. OmiCrisp -like platform can be developed quickly and can potentially complement sequencing for quick and rapid tracking of the transmission of new pathogen variants.
T cells play key protective but also pathogenic roles in COVID-19. We studied expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in COVID-19 T cell transcriptomes by integrating previously published single-cell RNA sequencing datasets. The long intergenic non-coding RNA MALAT1 was the most highly transcribed lncRNA in T cells, with Th1 cells demonstrating the lowest and CD8+ resident memory cells the highest MALAT1 expression, amongst CD4+ and CD8+ T cells populations, respectively. We then identified gene signatures that covaried with MALAT1 in single T cells. A significantly higher number of transcripts correlated negatively with MALAT1 than those that correlated. Enriched functional annotations of the MALAT1- anti-correlating gene signature included processes associated with T cell activation such as cell division, oxidative phosphorylation and response to cytokine. The MALAT1 anti-correlating gene signature shared by both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells marked dividing T cells in both lung and blood of COVID-19 patients. Focussing on the tissue, we used an independent patient cohort of post-mortem COVID-19 lung samples and demonstrated that MALAT1 suppression was indeed a marker of MKI67+ proliferating CD8+ T cells. Our results reveal MALAT1 suppression and its associated gene signature are a hallmark of human proliferating T cells.
Background Since early in the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration has been measured as a surrogate for community prevalence. However, our knowledge remains limited regarding wastewater concentration and effects of the COVID-19 vaccination on overall disease burden as measured by hospitalization rates. Methods We used weekly SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentration with a stratified random sampling of seroprevalence, and spatially linked vaccination and hospitalization data, from April to August 2021. Our susceptible (S), vaccinated (V), variant-specific infected (I1 and I2), recovered (R), and seropositive (T) model (SVI2RT) tracked prevalence longitudinally. This was related to wastewater concentration for a spatial analysis of strain mutation, vaccination effect, and overall hospitalization burden. Findings We found strong linear association between wastewater concentration and estimated community prevalence (r=0.916). Based on the corresponding regression model, the 64% county vaccination rate translated into about 57% decrease in SARS-CoV-2 incidence. During the study period, the estimated effect of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant emergence was seen as an over 7-fold increase of infection counts, which corresponded to over 12-fold increase in wastewater concentration. Hospitalization burden and wastewater concentration had the strongest correlation (r=0.963) at 1 week lag time. We estimated the community vaccination campaign resulted in about 63% reduction in the number of daily admissions over the study period. This protective effect was counteracted by the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Delta strain mutation. Interpretation Wastewater samples can be used to estimate the effects of vaccination and hospitalization burden. Our study underscores the importance of continued environmental surveillance post-vaccine and provides a proof of concept for environmental epidemiology monitoring.
Introduction: Although SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were first approved under Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA in late 2020 for adults, approval for young children 6 months to < 5 years of age did not occur until 2022. Understanding real world vaccine effectiveness in the setting of emerging variants is critical. The primary goal of this study is to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infection among children aged >6 months and adults aged <50 years. Methods: CASCADIA is a four-year community-based prospective study of SARS-CoV-2 VE among adult and pediatric populations aged 6 months to 49 years in Oregon and Washington. At enrollment and regular intervals, participants complete a sociodemographic questionnaire. Individuals may provide a blood sample at enrollment and annually thereafter, with additional, optional blood draws after infection and vaccination. Participants complete weekly self-collection of anterior nasal swabs and symptom questionnaires. Swabs are tested for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens by RT-PCR, with results of selected pathogens returned to participants; nasal swabs with SARS-CoV-2 detected will undergo whole genome sequencing. Participants who report symptoms outside of their weekly swab collection and symptom survey are asked to collect an additional swab. Participants who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 undergo serial swab collection every three days for three weeks. Serum samples are tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibody by binding and neutralization assays. Analysis: Cox regression models will be used to estimate the hazard ratio associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among the pediatric and adult population, controlling for demographic factors and potential confounders, including clustering within households.
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic approaches the three-year mark and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases now exceeds 100 million cases in the United States and continues to climb, there have been increasing concerns raised over the future public health and economic burden of long COVID including disability and concomitant declines in labor force participation. Only a handful of US studies have explored sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics that may put people at risk of long COVID or have investigated the possible mental health and socioeconomic sequelae of long COVID. In this paper, I report findings from the largest multivariable analysis to date using US nationally-representative population-based data on 152,812 adults including 19,871 adults with long COVID to explore key predictors and sequelae of long COVID. An estimated 14.0% of US adults aged 18-84 years (34.55 million adults; 95% CI = 33.63 to 35.47 million adults) and 15.4% of US working-aged adults aged 18-64 years (31.14 million adults; 95% CI = 30.26 to 32.02 million adults) had developed long COVID by November 2022. I identify several sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors as predictors of long COVID including lower household income levels, being Hispanic, female, gay/lesbian or bisexual, and divorced or separated. Even after accounting for such factors, having long COVID was linked to higher risks of recent unemployment, financial hardship, and anxiety and depressive symptomatology, with evidence of dose-response relationships. Overall, an estimated 27.3 million US adults with long COVID were at risk of adverse socioeconomic and health outcomes including anxiety and depression. These preliminary estimates highlight the substantial public health and economic implications of long COVID among Americans and should prompt further inquiry and intervention.
Background: As there are limited data on B cell epitopes for the nucleocapsid protein in SARS-CoV-2, we sought to identify the immunodominant regions within the N protein, recognized by patients with varying severity of natural infection with the Wuhan strain (WT), delta, omicron and in those who received the Sinopharm vaccines, which is an inactivated, whole virus vaccine. Methods: Using overlapping peptides representing the N protein, with an in-house ELISA, we mapped the immunodominant regions within the N protein, in seronegative (n=30), WT infected (n=30), delta infected (n=30), omicron infected+vaccinated (n=20) and Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV) vaccinees (n=30). We then investigated the sensitivity and specificity of these immunodominant regions and analysed their conservation with other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, seasonal human coronaviruses and bat Sarbecoviruses. We then investigated the kinetics of responses to these regions in those with varying severity of acute COVID-19. Results: We identified four immunodominant regions aa 29-52, aa 155-178, aa 274 to 297 and aa 365 to 388, were highly conserved within SARS-CoV-2 and the bat coronaviruses. The magnitude of responses to these regions varied based on the infecting SARS-CoV-2 variants, with WT infected individuals predominantly recognizing aa155 to 178 regions, delta infected individuals and vaccinated+omicron infected individuals predominantly recognizing regions aa 29 to 52 and aa 274 to 294 regions. Sinopharm vaccinees recognized all four regions, with the magnitude of responses significantly lower than other groups. >80% of individuals gave responses above the positive cut-off threshold to many of the four regions, with some differences with individuals who were infected with different VoCs. These regions were found to be 100% specific, as none of the seronegative individuals gave any responses. Conclusions: N-protein specific responses appear to be detectable in over 90% of those who were naturally infected or vaccinated with a whole virus inactivated vaccine, with responses mainly directed against four regions of the protein, which were highly conserved. As these regions were highly specific with high sensitivity, they have a potential to be used to develop diagnostic assays and to be used in development of vaccines.
Introduction: Although SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were first approved under Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA in late 2020 for adults, approval for young children 6 months to < 5 years of age did not occur until 2022. Understanding real world vaccine effectiveness in the setting of emerging variants is critical. The primary goal of this study is to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infection among children aged >6 months and adults aged <50 years. Methods: CASCADIA is a four-year community-based prospective study of SARS-CoV-2 VE among adult and pediatric populations aged 6 months to 49 years in Oregon and Washington. At enrollment and regular intervals, participants complete a sociodemographic questionnaire. Individuals may provide a blood sample at enrollment and annually thereafter, with additional, optional blood draws after infection and vaccination. Participants complete weekly self-collection of anterior nasal swabs and symptom questionnaires. Swabs are tested for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens by RT-PCR, with results of selected pathogens returned to participants; nasal swabs with SARS-CoV-2 detected will undergo whole genome sequencing. Participants who report symptoms outside of their weekly swab collection and symptom survey are asked to collect an additional swab. Participants who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 undergo serial swab collection every three days for three weeks. Serum samples are tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibody by binding and neutralization assays. Analysis: Cox regression models will be used to estimate the hazard ratio associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among the pediatric and adult population, controlling for demographic factors and potential confounders, including clustering within households.
Background It was found that more than half of the population in Korea had a prior COVID-19 infection. In 2022, most nonpharmaceutical interventions, except mask-wearing indoors, had been lifted. Discussions about easing the indoor mask mandate are ongoing. Methods We developed an age-structured compartmental model that distinguishes vaccination history, prior infection, and medical staff from the rest of the population. Contact patterns among hosts were separated based on age and location. We simulated scenarios with the lifting of the mask mandate all at once or sequentially according to the locations. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of a new variant assuming that it has higher transmissibility and risk of breakthrough infection. Findings We found that the peak size of administered severe patients might not exceed 1,100 when the mask mandate is lifted everywhere, and 800 if the mask mandate only remains in the hospital. If the mask mandate is lifted in a sequence (except hospital), then the peak size of administered severe patients did not exceed 650. Moreover, if the new variant have both of higher transmissibility and immune reduction therefore the effective reproductive number of the new variant is approximately 3 times higher than the current variant, additional interventions may be needed to keep the administered severe patients from exceeding 2,000, which is the critical level we set. Interpretation Our findings showed that the lifting of the mask mandate, except in hospitals, would be applicable more manageable if it is implemented sequentially. Considering a new variant, we found that depending on the population immunity and transmissibility of the variant, wearing masks and other interventions may be necessary for controlling the disease.
Introduction: With the global spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and public health crisis, appropriate allocation of healthcare human resources has been necessitated. Although nursing practice takes up a larger part of medical practice in hospitals, the quantitative assessment of nursing care has not been investigated for human resource allocation in the medical field. The objective of this study to explore the time spent for each nursing intervention, and compared provided amount of nursing intervention between negative pressure isolation wards (NPIWs) and general wards (GWs) provided by COVID-19 hub hospitals. Methods: This research is a time-motion (TM) observational study. Three trained external observers recorded their observations for every minute in 19 different work schedules in 2 NPIWs and 2 general respiratory wards. Observation items were chosen based on the standard operating guidelines of Integrated Nursing and Caring Services developed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and National Health Insurance Service. The average nursing workload per shift was compared by calculating the sum of the spent time of three nurses staffed in each shift in each ward between two groups. In addition, to compare the amount of directed nursing care for patients between two types of wards, nursing work category was divided into directed and undirected nursing interventions. Results: In the comparison of demographic characteristics of nursing workforce between two groups, there was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05 respectively). In both groups, the most time-consuming nursing work category was recording in three work shifts. The average duration of those work tasks was 312.5 minutes in NPIWs and 307 minutes (per 3 nurses) in GWs, having no significant difference (p>0.05). Of all nurse duties, the second most time-consuming work category was others (including changing to protective clothing) in NPIWs, and medication administration and transfusion in GWs. The mean duration of performing the category for others that include wearing PPE was 308 minutes in NPIWs and 160 minutes (per 3 nurses) in GWs, showing a significant difference (p<0.05). The greater amount of time was taken for hygiene management in isolation wards. Medication administration and transfusion and nursing assessment were more frequently performed in GWs, demonstrating a statistical significance. In the aggregated spent time for all duties including directed and undirected nursing care, the time spent for directed nursing care was 654 minutes longer in GWs than in NPIWs (per 3 nurses) in each work shift, displaying a significant difference. Conclusion: This study provides the quantitative difference in time-consuming nursing works between NPIWs and GWs by direct observation. Recording was the most time-consuming nursing work category in both NPIWs and GWs. Considering nurses in each duty in GWs provided more directed nursing care than nurse in NIPWs, careful considerations are required in allocation of nursing workforce.
Growth and aging are fundamental features of animal life. The march from fertilization to oblivion comes in enormous variety: days and hundreds of cells for nematodes, decades and trillions of cells for humans. Since Verhulst (1838) proposed the Logistic Equation (exponential growth with a countervailing linear decline in rate) biologists have searched for ever better density-dependent growth equations, none of which accurately capture the relationship between size and time for real animals. Furthermore, while growth and aging run in parallel, whether the relationship is causal has yet to be determined. Similarly unknown has been the reason behind the exponential Force of Mortality, described by Gompertz in 1825 for all-cause mortality and reported by Levin et al. in 2020 for COVID 19. Here we report that examination in units of numbers of cells, N, Cellular Phylodynamic Analysis, reveals that growth, lifespan, and mortality, are linked to the reduction in the fraction of cells dividing, occurring by a simple expression, the Universal Mitotic Fraction Equation. Lifespan is correlated with an age when fewer than one-in-a-thousand cells are dividing, quantifying the long-appreciated mechanism of aging, the failure of cells to be rejuvenated by dilution with new materials made and DNA repaired at mitosis. These observations provide practical mathematical tools for comprehending and managing the challenges of growth and aging, for such tasks as deciphering COVID-19 lethality and its amelioration by vaccination.
Efficacy and Safety of Jaktinib in Patients With COVID-19 Pneumoia - Condition: COVID-19 Pneumonia
Interventions: Drug: Jaktinib; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University
Not yet recruiting
Effect of a Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulation on COVID-19 Infection - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulation; Other: Placebo Treatment
Sponsor: First Affiliated Hospital Xi’an Jiaotong University
Not yet recruiting
Efficacy and Safety of Anti-COVID-19 Antibody SA58 Nasal Spray to Prevent Infection in High-risk Populations - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Drug: SA58 Nasal Spray
Sponsor: Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd.
Recruiting
Efficacy and Safety of SA58 Nasal Spray in Close Contact With COVID-19 People - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: SA58 Nasal Spray; Drug: Placebo
Sponsors: Sinovac Life Sciences Co., Ltd.; Beijing Ditan Hospital
Recruiting
Immunogenicity of Heterologous Versus Homologous Prime Boost Schedule With mRNA and Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccines - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: CoronaVac/CoronaVac; Biological: CoronaVac/BNT162b2
Sponsor: Institut Pasteur de Tunis
Completed
Immunogenicity and Safety of COVID-19 Vaccine as a Booster Vaccination in Population Aged 18 Years and Above - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (CHO Cell) LYB001; Biological: ZF2001
Sponsors: Guangzhou Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.; Yantai Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.
Not yet recruiting
A Vaccine Booster (GEO-CM04S1) for the Prevention of COVID-19 in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia - Conditions: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia; COVID-19 Infection
Interventions: Procedure: Biospecimen Collection; Biological: mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine; Biological: Synthetic MVA-based SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine COH04S1
Sponsors: City of Hope Medical Center; National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Not yet recruiting
Sars-COV-2 Immunity in immunoCOmpromised Populations - Conditions: SARS CoV 2 Infection; COVID-19
Intervention: Diagnostic Test: Humoral immunity
Sponsors: Maria Goossens; Université Libre de Bruxelles; Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium; Mensura EDPB; Erasme hospital
Not yet recruiting
Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetic Characteristics Evaluation on GST-HG171 Tablets - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: GST-HG171; Drug: placebo of GST-HG171
Sponsor: Fujian Akeylink Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
Recruiting
Benefits of an Aerobic and Strength Rehabilitation Program With Post- SARS-CoV-2 Patients Moderate-severe - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Other: Aerobic plus strength group; Other: Aerobic group
Sponsor: Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz
Not yet recruiting
The Effect of Amantadine on Post-COVD-19 Fatigue - Condition: Post-COVID-19 Syndrome
Intervention: Drug: Amantadine
Sponsor: Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
Not yet recruiting
Enhanced External Counterpulsation to Treat Long COVID Fatigue - Condition: Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Intervention: Procedure: Enhanced external counterpulsation
Sponsor: Sheba Medical Center
Not yet recruiting
Oral Vitamin D2 for Prevention of COVID-19 - Condition: Healthy Volunteers
Interventions: Drug: Vitamin D2; Other: placebo
Sponsors: Peking University Third Hospital; Beijing Haidian Hospital
Recruiting
Melatonin, Vitamins and Minerals Supplements for the Treatment of Covid-19 and Covid-like Illness - Condition: Influenza -Like Illness
Intervention: Drug: kelavit
Sponsor: Hôpital Universitaire Sahloul
Not yet recruiting
Effectiveness of Rapid Antigen Testing of Students for COVID-19 in Reducing Absences From Schools in Bangladesh - Condition: School Absenteeism
Intervention: Diagnostic Test: Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) for COVID-19
Sponsors: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh; Columbia University
Completed
‘Building back better’ or sustaining the unsustainable? The climate impacts of Bank of England QE in the Covid-19 pandemic - The environmental impacts of monetary policy received academic attention after the 2008 financial crisis and the ‘market neutral’ quantitative easing policies that followed. This article examines the Bank of England’s Corporate Covid Financing Facility (CCFF) and the Asset Purchasing Facility (APF) between June 2020 and June 2021 to assess whether the Bank’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was aligned with the transition to sustainability. The data indicates that the Bank of England’s monetary…
Inhibition of SARS-CoV2 viral infection with natural antiviral plants constituents: an in-silico approach - CONCLUSION: The phytoconstituents were found to hinder the early stages of infection, such as absorption and penetration, while ivermectin prevented the passage of genetic material from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Additional research involving living tissues and clinical trials are suggested to corroborate the computational findings.
Plant production of high affinity nanobodies that block SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding with its receptor, human angiotensin converting enzyme - Nanobodies^(®) (V(HH) antibodies), are small peptides that represent the antigen binding domain, V(HH) of unique single domain antibodies (heavy chain only antibodies, HcAb) derived from camelids. Here, we demonstrate production of V(HH) nanobodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins in the solanaceous plant Nicotiana benthamiana through transient expression and their subsequent detection verified through western blot. We demonstrate that these nanobodies competitively inhibit binding between…
Methotrexate inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 entry, infection and inflammation revealed by bioinformatics approach and a hamster model - CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that this systematic repurposing approach is potentially useful to identify pharmaceutical targets, multi-target drugs and regulated pathways for a complex disease. Our findings indicate that methotrexate is established as a promising drug against SARS-CoV-2 variants and can be used to treat lung damage and inflammation in COVID-19, warranting future evaluation in clinical trials.
A review of Janus kinase inhibitors for the treatment of Covid-19 pneumonia - CONCLUSION: Thus, the development of molecular targeted drugs with elucidated pathological mechanisms may aid in controlling Covid-19 infection.
Oral antiviral treatments for COVID-19 during severe connective tissue disease flares: report of two cases - Antiviral therapies targeting SARS-CoV-2 replication change the course of COVID-19. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has approved a nirmatrelvir/ritonavir combination that inhibits the main protease of the virus. Molnupiravir, an RNA polymerase misdirector, is proposed by EMA in selected cases, despite still without marketing authorisation. Both are for use in mild disease with a high risk of progression to severe COVID. Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases under immunosuppression,…
The Effects of Propolis on Viral Respiratory Diseases - Propolis remains an interesting source of natural chemical compounds that show, among others, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. Due to the growing incidence of respiratory tract infections caused by various pathogenic viruses, complementary methods of prevention and therapy supporting pharmacotherapy are constantly being sought out. The properties of propolis may be important in the prevention and treatment of respiratory tract diseases caused…
Triterpenic Acid Amides as Potential Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease - Although the incidence and mortality of SARS-CoV-2 infection has been declining during the pandemic, the problem related to designing novel antiviral drugs that could effectively resist viruses in the future remains relevant. As part of our continued search for chemical compounds that are capable of exerting an antiviral effect against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, we studied the ability of triterpenic acid amides to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Molecular modeling suggested that the compounds…
Inspection on the Mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 Inhibition by Penciclovir: A Molecular Dynamic Study - In recent years, humanity has had to face a critical pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2. In the rapid search for effective drugs against this RNA-positive virus, the repurposing of already existing nucleotide/nucleoside analogs able to stop RNA replication by inhibiting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase enzyme has been evaluated. In this process, a valid contribution has been the use of in silico experiments, which allow for a rapid evaluation of the possible effectiveness of the proposed drugs. Here we…
Identification of Polyphenol Derivatives as Novel SARS-CoV-2 and DENV Non-Nucleoside RdRp Inhibitors - The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and dengue fever (DF) pandemics both remain to be significant public health concerns in the foreseeable future. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs and vaccines are both indispensable to eliminate the epidemic situation. Here, two piperazine-based polyphenol derivatives DF-47 and DF-51 were identified as potential inhibitors directly blocking the active site of SARS-CoV-2 and DENV RdRp. Data through RdRp inhibition screening of an in-house library and in vitro antiviral…
Computer-Aided Screening for Potential Coronavirus 3-Chymotrypsin-like Protease (3CLpro) Inhibitory Peptides from Putative Hemp Seed Trypsinized Peptidome - To control the COVID-19 pandemic, antivirals that specifically target the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are urgently required. The 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) is a promising drug target since it functions as a catalytic dyad in hydrolyzing polyprotein during the viral life cycle. Bioactive peptides, especially food-derived peptides, have a variety of functional activities, including antiviral activity, and also have a potential therapeutic effect against…
The Ethanol Extract of Evodiae Fructus and Its Ingredient, Rutaecarpine, Inhibit Infection of SARS-CoV-2 and Inflammatory Responses - COVID-19, derived from SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in millions of deaths and caused unprecedented socioeconomic damage since its outbreak in 2019. Although the vaccines developed against SARS-CoV-2 provide some protection, they have unexpected side effects in some people. Furthermore, new viral mutations reduce the effectiveness of the current vaccines. Thus, there is still an urgent need to develop potent non-vaccine therapeutics against this infectious disease. We recently established a series of…
TRPC3-Nox2 Protein Complex Formation Increases the Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein-Induced Cardiomyocyte Dysfunction through ACE2 Upregulation - Myocardial damage caused by the newly emerged coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection is one of the key determinants of COVID-19 severity and mortality. SARS-CoV-2 entry to host cells is initiated by binding with its receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) 2, and the ACE2 abundance is thought to reflect the susceptibility to infection. Here, we report that ibudilast, which we previously identified as a potent inhibitor of protein complex between transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) 3…
Direct Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein by Peracetic Acid - Peracetic acid (PAA) disinfectants are effective against a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Several studies have shown the efficacy of PAA against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); however, its efficacy in SARS-CoV-2 variants and the molecular mechanism of action of PAA against SARS-CoV-2 have not been investigated. SARS-CoV-2 infection depends on the recognition and binding of the cell receptor angiotensin-converting…
Network Pharmacological Analysis on the Herbal Combinations for Mitigating Inflammation in Respiratory Tracts and Experimental Evaluation - The regulation of inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and leukotriene B4, could play a crucial role in suppressing inflammatory diseases such as COVID-19. In this study, we investigated the potential mechanisms of drug combinations comprising Ephedrae Herba, Schisandra Fructus, Platycodonis Radix, and Ginseng Radix; validated the anti-inflammatory effects of these drugs; and determined the optimal dose of the drug combinations. By constructing a herb-compound-target network,…