Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• Perceptions Matter: Quasi-Experimental Evidence on the Effects of Spain’s New Minimum Income on Households’ Financial Wellbeing -
  This paper examines how minimum income schemes (MISs) affect households’ financial wellbeing and whether this effect differs across objective material conditions and households’ perceptions. Two reasons motivate this study. First, while the Covid-19 pandemic, the ecological transition and the cost-of-living crisis have all prompted a renewed interest in MISs, no consensus exists on how effective these schemes are in improving households’ financial wellbeing. Second, when evaluating MISs, the literature focuses on objective measures of financial wellbeing, namely monetary poverty. Yet, peoples’ perceptions of their own situation can be instrumental in affecting their health, productivity and decision-making and can reveal important information about adaptation mechanisms or spillovers to non-recipients. This paper examines the case study of Spain, a country that introduced a new MIS in 2020. The study uses Eurostat survey data for the 2010-2022 period in a Synthetic Control Method analysis. The results show that, while the policy had no significant effect on objective financial wellbeing measures (i.e. the poverty rate, the poverty gap and mean income) for its first year and a half of existence, it did considerably improve subjective financial wellbeing after two years and a half, as it helped households feel less pessimistic about the evolution of their finances during the Covid-19 and cost-of-living crises. The paper discusses several mechanisms explaining this differentiated impact of the policy, such as its lagged rollout, the improvements made to the benefit from 2022 as well as anticipation, placebo and positive spillover effects of the MIS. The findings highlight the importance for practitioners to consider subjective measures when assessing income support schemes.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Perceptions Matter: Quasi-Experimental Evidence on the Effects of Spain’s New Minimum Income on Households’ Financial Wellbeing
• Measuring short-term mobility patterns in North America using Facebook Advertising data, with an application to adjusting Covid-19 mortality rates -
  Patterns and trends in short-term mobility are important to understand, but data required to measure such movements are often not available from traditional sources. We collected daily data from Facebook’s Advertising Platform to measure short-term mobility across all states and provinces in the United States and Canada. We show that rates of short-term travel vary substantially over geographic area, but also by age and sex, with the highest rates of travel generally for males. Strong seasonal patterns are apparent in travel to many areas, with different regions experiencing either increased travel or decreased travel over winter, depending on climate. Further, some areas appear to show marked changes in mobility patterns since the onset of the pandemic. We used the traveler rates constructed from Facebook to adjust Covid-19 mortality rates over the period July 2020 to July 2021, and showed that accounting for travelers leads to on average a 3 per cent difference in implied mortality rates, with substantial variation across demographic groups and regions.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Measuring short-term mobility patterns in North America using Facebook Advertising data, with an application to adjusting Covid-19 mortality rates
• Are patterns of discounting choices stable over time? -
  Few studies have examined the stability of discounting responses over time. We examined delay and probabilistic discounting of losses at two time points, 13-16 months apart. We found that people do change over time in the frequency with which they select immediate and certain losses. These changes in discounting steepness for delayed and probabilistic losses were predicted by different profiles of state-dependent factors (i.e., local numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths, anxiety, and depression). We also identified subgroups of individuals with different loss response patterns, and although the tendency to switch between subgroups over time was below chance, it was not negligible, particularly for delay discounting. Further, subgroup changes for delay, but not probabilistic, discounting were influenced by age as well as instability of income and intolerance of uncertainty. Together, these findings indicate the importance of considering temporal stability and the role of state-dependent factors in discounting research.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Are patterns of discounting choices stable over time?
• Inclusion of glycopeptides in hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spike ectodomain provides increased sequence coverage -
  Hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) can provide precise analysis of a protein's conformational dynamics across varied states, such as heat-denatured vs. native protein structures, localizing regions that are specifically affected by such conditional changes. Maximizing protein sequence coverage provides high confidence that regions of interest were located by HDX-MS, but one challenge for complete sequence coverage is N-glycosylation sites. The deuteration of glycopeptides has not always been identified in previous reports of HDX-MS analyses, causing significant sequence coverage gaps in heavily glycosylated proteins and uncertainty in structural dynamics in many regions throughout a glycoprotein. We report HDX-MS analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein ectodomain in its trimeric pre-fusion form, which has 22 predicted N-glycosylation sites per monomer, with and without heat treatment. We identified glycopeptides and calculated their isotopic mass shifts from deuteration. Inclusion of the deuterated glycopeptides increased sequence coverage of spike ectodomain from 76% to 84%, demonstrated that glycopeptides had been deuterated, and improved confidence in results localizing structural re-arrangements. Inclusion of deuterated glycopeptides improves the analysis of the conformational dynamics of glycoproteins such as viral surface antigens and cellular receptors.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Inclusion of glycopeptides in hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry analysis of SARS-CoV-2 spike ectodomain provides increased sequence coverage
• ACE-2-like enzymatic activity is associated with immunoglobulin in COVID-19 patients -

  Many mechanisms responsible for COVID-19 pathogenesis are well-established, but COVID-19 includes features with unclear pathogenesis, such as autonomic dysregulation, coagulopathies, and high levels of inflammation. The receptor for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein9s receptor binding domain (RBD) is angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). We hypothesized that some COVID-19 patients may develop antibodies that have negative molecular image of RBD sufficiently similar to ACE2 to yield ACE2-like catalytic activity — ACE2-like abzymes. To explore this hypothesis, we studied patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who had plasma samples available obtained about 7 days after admission. ACE2 is a metalloprotease that requires Zn2+ for activity. However, we found that the plasma from some patients studied could cleave a synthetic ACE2 peptide substrate, even though the plasma samples were collected using disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) anticoagulant. When we spiked plasma with synthetic ACE2, no ACE2 substrate cleavage activity was observed unless Zn2+ was added or the plasma was diluted to decrease EDTA concentration. After processing samples by 100 kDa size exclusion columns and protein A/G adsorption, which depleted immunoglobulin by >99.99%, the plasma samples did not cleave the ACE2 substrate peptide. The data suggest that some patients with COVID-19 develop antibodies with abzyme-like activity capable of cleaving synthetic ACE2 substrate. Since abzymes can exhibit promiscuous substrate specificities compared to the enzyme whose active site image they resemble, and since proteolytic cascades regulate many physiologic processes, anti-RBD abzymes may contribute to some otherwise obscure COVID-19 pathogenesis.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: ACE-2-like enzymatic activity is associated with immunoglobulin in COVID-19 patients
• Common molecular signatures between coronavirus infection and Alzheimer’s disease reveal targets for drug development -
  Cognitive decline has been reported as a common consequence of COVID-19, and studies have suggested a link between COVID-19 infection and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. To shed light on this link, we conducted an integrated genomic analysis using a novel Robust Rank Aggregation method to identify common transcriptional signatures of the frontal cortex, a critical area for cognitive function, between individuals with AD and COVID-19. We then performed various analyses, including the KEGG pathway, GO ontology, protein-protein interaction, hub gene, gene-miRNA, and gene-transcription factor interaction analyses to identify molecular components of biological pathways that are associated with AD in the brain also show similar changes in severe COVID-19. Our findings revealed the molecular mechanisms underpinning the association between COVID-19 infection and AD development and identified several genes, miRNAs, and TFs that may be targeted for therapeutic purposes. However, further research is needed to investigate the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of these findings.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Common molecular signatures between coronavirus infection and Alzheimer’s disease reveal targets for drug development
• Obesity Differs from Diabetes Mellitus in Antibody and T Cell Responses Post COVID-19 Recovery -

  Objective: Obesity and type 2 diabetes (DM) are risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes, which disproportionately affect South Asian populations. This study aims to investigate the humoral and cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 in adult COVID-19 survivors with obesity and DM in Bangladesh. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody and T cell responses were investigated in 63 healthy and 75 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 recovered individuals in Bangladesh, during the pre-vaccination first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Results: In COVID-19 survivors, SARS-CoV-2 infection induced robust antibody and T cell responses, which correlated with disease severity. After adjusting for age, sex, DM status, disease severity, and time since onset of symptoms, obesity was associated with decreased neutralising antibody titers, and increased SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific IFN-γ response along with increased proliferation and IL-2 production by CD8+ T cells. In contrast, DM was not associated with SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody and T cell responses after adjustment for obesity and other confounders. Conclusions: Obesity is associated with lower neutralising antibody levels and higher T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 post COVID-19 recovery, while antibody or T cell responses remain unaltered in DM.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Obesity Differs from Diabetes Mellitus in Antibody and T Cell Responses Post COVID-19 Recovery
• Association between vaccination rates and severe COVID-19 health outcomes in the United States: a population-level statistical analysis -

  Vaccine development and distribution have been at the forefront of efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. As the vaccines have been widely adopted by the population, uncertainties around their effectiveness resulting from the emergence of new variants and other confounding factors make it challenging to determine their real-world impact, which is critical for understanding risk, informing public health policies, and mitigating the impact of COVID-19. We analyzed the association between time-dependent vaccination rates and COVID-19 severity for 48 states in the U.S. using Generalized Additive Models (GAMs). We controlled for additional dynamic factors such as testing rates, purpose-specific travel behaviors, underlying population immunity, and policy, and critical static factors such as comorbidities, social vulnerability, race, and state healthcare expenditures. We used SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance data to model the different COVID-19 variant driven waves separately, and evaluate if there is a changing role of the potential drivers of severity over time and across waves. Our study revealed a strong and statistically significant negative association between vaccine uptake and COVID-19 severity across each variant wave. Results also showed that booster shots offered additional protection against severe diseases during the Omicron wave. Additionally, higher underlying population immunity based on previous infection rates are shown to be associated with reduced COVID-19 severity. Full-service restaurant visits are associated with increased COVID-19 severity for the pre-Delta and Delta waves, while office of physician visits are associated with increased COVID-19 severity for the Omicron wave. Moreover, the states with higher government policy index scores have lower COVID-19 severity. Regarding static variables, the social vulnerability index, and the proportion of adults at high risk exhibit positive associations with COVID-19 severity, while Medicaid spending per person exhibits a negative association with COVID-19 severity. Despite the emergence of new variants, vaccines remain highly effective at reducing severe outcomes of COVID-19. Therefore, given the ongoing threat posed by COVID-19, vaccines remain a critical line of defense for protecting the public and preventing burden on healthcare systems.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Association between vaccination rates and severe COVID-19 health outcomes in the United States: a population-level statistical analysis
• Occupational Essentialness During COVID-19 and Attitudes Towards Labor Migration -
  COVID-19 raised public appreciation of “essential” or “key” workers in high-income countries, many of whom are immigrants. Previous studies show native-born residents prefer highly-skilled immigrants for their perceived contributions to tax revenue and innovation. By contrast, we argue occupational essentialness—deriving from governments’ own classifications during the pandemic, and transcending conventional skill categories—is another dimension conditioning immigration attitudes that is driven by neither purely material nor cultural concerns. Using a pre-registered conjoint experiment fielded in the UK in January 2021, we find that respondents are 22 percentage points more likely to admit immigrants working in essential over non-essential occupations, and 10 percentage points more likely to view them as economically beneficial compared to those in non-essential occupations. A premium remained after distinguishing among skill levels, excluding health and personal care occupations, and seven months later as the immediate crisis lessened.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Occupational Essentialness During COVID-19 and Attitudes Towards Labor Migration
• Inflammatory profiles are associated with long COVID up to 6 months after illness onset: a prospective cohort study of individuals with mild to critical COVID-19 -

  Background After initial COVID-19 disease, immune dysregulation may persist and drive post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). We described longitudinal trajectories of cytokines in adults up to 6 months following SARS-CoV-2 infection and explored early predictors of PASC. Methods RECoVERED is a prospective cohort of individuals with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between May 2020 and June 2021 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Serum was collected at weeks 4, 12 and 24 of follow-up. Monthly symptom questionnaires were completed from month 2 after illness onset onwards; lung diffusion capacity (DLCO) was tested at 6 months. Cytokine concentrations were analysed by human magnetic Luminex screening assay. We used a linear mixed-effects model to study log-concentrations of cytokines over time, assessing their association with socio-demographic and clinical characteristics that were included in the model as fixed effects. Results 186/349 (53%) participants had ≥2 serum samples and were included. Of these, 101 (54%: 45/101[45%] female, median age 55 years [IQR=45-64]) reported PASC at 12 and 24 weeks after illness onset. We included 37 reference samples (17/37[46%] female, median age 49 years [IQR=40-56]). PASC was associated with raised CRP and abnormal diffusion capacity with raised IL10, IL17, IL6, IP10 and TNFα at 24 weeks in the multivariate model. Early (0-4 week) IL-1𝛃 and BMI at illness onset were predictive of PASC at 24 weeks. Conclusions Our findings indicate that immune dysregulation plays an important role in PASC pathogenesis, especially among those individuals with reduced pulmonary function. Early IL-1𝛃 shows promise as predictors of PASC.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Inflammatory profiles are associated with long COVID up to 6 months after illness onset: a prospective cohort study of individuals with mild to critical COVID-19
• Findings in Travel-related Thrombosis and COVID-19 Related Cardiac Biomarker Data: Combination of Novel Review Strategy and Meta-analysis Method Discovered Twenty-eight Days Cycles of Thrombosis and Latent Subgroup Patterns -

  Backgrounds Traveler′s thrombosis is well-known even among non-professionals as ″economy class syndrome.″ However, controversial discussions have remained. Clark et al. mentioned no solid evidence in their article ″Long-haul travel and venous thrombosis: What is the evidence?″ (1). Also, the status of recent COVID-19-related thrombosis research seemed like that of the traveler′s thrombosis. We hypothesized there might be something overlooked behind those strange situations. Methods Since ordinary review methods (e.g., systematic review or meta-analysis) had already been conducted (2-7), we focused on reviewing a ″previously published″ ″chart.″ Also, we developed a novel ″review method″ for the meta-regression analysis result. We applied those to some previously published and well-known data. Results We newly found an approximately 28 days cycle of thrombosis onset over several weeks after travel in a figure (Cannegieter et al., PLoS Med. 2006, in the top 25% of all research scored by Altmetric) (8). Also, we found an eighteen-day cycle of thrombosis onset in another chart (Kelman et al., BMJ. 2003, in the top 5% of research) (9). In COVID-19, we newly extracted subgroup patterns in a scatterplot (Troponin T and NT-proBNP) that applied simple linear regression analysis (Guo et al. JAMA Cardiol. 2020, top 5% research) (10). Also, these subgroups have already appeared in the cardiomyopathy study (Budnik et al., Int J Cardiol. 2016) (11). Conclusions There has been a widespread belief that in-flight environments cause thrombosis. Also, the phenomenon of the onset of thrombosis after over a few weeks to two months since the travel has been explained, such as the development of blood clots occurring on a cabin, but the dislodge of a thrombus occurs after the travel (12). However, from cyclic patterns of thrombosis onset, it is more reasonable to explain that the ″travel″ and ″high-risk period of thrombosis with Oral Contraceptives (OC) use (within three months from starting OC)″ coincided with the travel (e.g., honeymoon and starting birth control OC). The influence of the in-flight environment may be less than we had previously thought. Although simple linear regression analysis has been used in studies of cardiovascular biomarkers, including the case of COVID-19, there seems to be a complex scatterplot structure that is unsuitable for simple linear fitting. Considering our findings, in a literature review, a pattern on a chart should be given more paying attention.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Findings in Travel-related Thrombosis and COVID-19 Related Cardiac Biomarker Data: Combination of Novel Review Strategy and Meta-analysis Method Discovered Twenty-eight Days Cycles of Thrombosis and Latent Subgroup Patterns
• Defining the single base importance of human mRNAs and lncRNAs -
  As the fundamental unit of a gene and its transcripts, nucleotides have enormous impacts on molecular function and evolution, and thus on phenotypes and diseases. Given that different nucleotides on one gene often exhibit diverse levels of effects, it is quite crucial to comprehensively and quantitatively measure the importance of each base on a gene transcript, however, tools are still not available. Here we proposed Base Importance Calculator (BIC), an algorithm to calculate the importance score of single bases based on sequence information of human mRNAs and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). We then confirmed its power by applying BIC to three different tasks. Firstly, we revealed that BIC can effectively evaluate the pathogenicity of both genes and single bases by analyzing the BIC scores and the pathogenicity of single nucleotide variations (SNVs). Moreover, the BIC score in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) somatic mutations is able to predict the prognosis of some cancers. Finally, we show that BIC can also precisely predict the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2. The above results indicate that BIC is a useful tool for evaluating the single base important of human mRNAs and lncRNAs.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Defining the single base importance of human mRNAs and lncRNAs
• Prosocial behaviours under collective quarantine conditions. A latent class analysis study during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Italy -
  Aim. To identify patterns of prosocial behaviours under collective quarantine conditions. Method. Survey data was collected from a sample of Italian adults during the March ̶ May 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. Participants reported on offline and online prosocial behaviours, Sense of Community Responsibility (SoC-R) and perceptions of community resilience. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used for data analysis. Results. A total of 4,045 participants completed the survey and 2,562 were eligible (72% female; mean age 38.7 years). LCA revealed four classes of prosocial behaviours: Money donors (7%), Online & offline helpers (59%), Online health information sharers (21%), and Neighbour helpers (13%). The classes were partially invariant across age groups (18 ̶ 35 and > 35 years). Being a man and higher SoC-R scores were associated with belonging to the Online & offline helper class. Members of this class also reported the greatest perceptions of community resilience. Conclusions. Results offer insight on the multidimensionality of prosociality under collective quarantine conditions. Online & offline helpers could be targeted for promoting sustained altruism and involvement in community organisations. For the other groups, programmes should aim to eliminate barriers to help others in multiple ways.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Prosocial behaviours under collective quarantine conditions. A latent class analysis study during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Italy
• Immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines and their effect on the HIV reservoir in older people with HIV -
  Older individuals and people with HIV (PWH) were prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination, yet comprehensive studies of the immunogenicity of these vaccines and their effects on HIV reservoirs are not available. We followed 68 PWH aged 55 and older and 23 age-matched HIV-negative individuals for 48 weeks from the first vaccine dose, after the total of three doses. All PWH were on antiretroviral therapy (cART) and had different immune status, including immune responders (IR), immune non-responders (INR), and PWH with low-level viremia (LLV). We measured total and neutralizing Ab responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike and RBD in sera, total anti-spike Abs in saliva, frequency of anti-RBD/NTD B cells, changes in frequency of anti-spike, HIV gag/nef-specific T cells, and HIV reservoirs in peripheral CD4+ T cells. The resulting datasets were used to create a mathematical model for within-host immunization. Various regimens of BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and ChAdOx1 vaccines elicited equally strong anti-spike IgG responses in PWH and HIV-negative participants in serum and saliva at all timepoints. These responses had similar kinetics in both cohorts and peaked at 4 weeks post-booster (third dose), while half-lives of plasma IgG also dramatically increased post-booster in both groups. Salivary spike IgA responses were low, especially in INRs. PWH had diminished live virus neutralizing titers after two vaccine doses which were 'rescued' after a booster. Anti-spike T cell immunity was enhanced in IRs even in comparison to HIV-negative participants, suggesting Th1 imprinting from HIV, while in INRs it was the lowest. Increased frequency of viral 'blips' in PWH were seen post-vaccination, but vaccines did not affect the size of the intact HIV reservoir in CD4+ T cells in most PWH, except in LLVs. Thus, older PWH require three doses of COVID-19 vaccine to maximize neutralizing responses against SARS-CoV-2, although vaccines may increase HIV reservoirs in PWH with persistent viremia.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines and their effect on the HIV reservoir in older people with HIV
• The “Quiet Quitting” Scale: Development and initial validation -
  Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic causes drastic changes in workplaces that are likely to increase quite quitting among employees. Although quite quitting is not a new phenomenon, there is no instrument to measure it. Aim: To develop and validate an instrument assessing quiet quitting among employees. Methods: We identified and generated items through an extensive literature review and interviews with employees. We carried out the content validity by content experts and we calculated the content validity ratio. We checked face validity by conducting cognitive interviews with employees and calculating the item-level face validity index. We performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to assess the “Quiet Quitting” Scale (QQS) factorial structure. We checked the concurrent validity of the QQS using four other scales, i.e., “Job Satisfaction Survey” (JSS), “Copenhagen Burnout Inventory” (CBI), “Single Item Burnout” (SIB) measure, and a single item to measure turnover intention. We estimated the reliability of the QQS measuring Cronbach’s alpha, McDonald’s Omega, Cohen’s kappa, and intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: After expert panel review and item analysis, nine items with acceptable corrected item-total correlations, inter-item correlations, floor and ceiling effects, skewness, and kurtosis were retained. Exploratory factor analysis extracted three factors, namely detachment, lack of initiative, and lack of motivation, with a total of nine items. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed this factorial structure for QQS. We found statistically significant correlations between QQS and JSS, CBI, SIB, and turnover intention confirming that the concurrent validity of the QQS was very good. Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega of the QQS were 0.803 and 0.806 respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficient for the total QQS score was 0.993 (p < 0.001). Cohen’s kappa for the nine items ranged from 0.836 to 0.945 (p < 0.001 in all cases). Conclusions: QQS, a three-factor nine-item scale, has robust psychometric properties. QQS is a brief, easy-to-administer, valid, and reliable tool to measure employees’ quiet quitting. We recommend the use of the QQS in different societies and cultures to assess the validity of the instrument.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: The “Quiet Quitting” Scale: Development and initial validation

From Clinical Trials

• A Clinical Trial on Booster Immunization of Two COVID-19 Vaccines Constructed From Different Technical Routes - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: Prototype and Omicron BA.4/5 Bivalent Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine(Adenovirus Type 5 Vector) For Inhalation;   Biological: Bivalent COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine;   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Adenovirus Type 5 Vector) For Inhalation
  Sponsors:   Zhongnan Hospital;   Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, PLA of China
  Recruiting

• Community-engaged Optimization of COVID-19 Rapid Evaluation And TEsting Experiences - Conditions:   COVID-19;   COVID-19 Pandemic
  Interventions:   Behavioral: COVID-19 walk-up, on-site testing strategy;   Behavioral: Community Health Worker (CHW) leading testing navigation and general preventive care reminders;   Behavioral: No-cost self-testing kit vending machines
  Sponsors:   University of California, San Diego;   San Ysidro Health Center
  Not yet recruiting

• Influence of Manual Diaphragm Release on Pulmonary Functions in Women With COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Interventions:   Other: manual therapy;   Other: breathing exercise and prone position alone
  Sponsor:   Cairo University
  Completed

• Safety Study of COVID19 Vaccine on the Market - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: Recombinant new coronavirus vaccine (CHO cell)
  Sponsors:   Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biologic Pharmacy Co., Ltd.;   Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention;   Guizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention;   Hainan Center for Disease Control & Prevention
  Recruiting

• ACTIV-6: COVID-19 Study of Repurposed Medications - Arm F (Montelukast) - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Other: Placebo;   Drug: Montelukast
  Sponsors:   Susanna Naggie, MD;   National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS);   Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  Recruiting

• ACTIV-6: COVID-19 Study of Repurposed Medications - Arm B (Fluvoxamine) - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Drug: Fluvoxamine;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Susanna Naggie, MD;   National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS);   Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  Completed

• ACTIV-6: COVID-19 Study of Repurposed Medications - Arm D (Ivermectin 600) - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Drug: Ivermectin;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Susanna Naggie, MD;   National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS);   Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  Completed

• ACTIV-6: COVID-19 Study of Repurposed Medications - Arm E (Fluvoxamine 100) - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Drug: Fluvoxamine;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Susanna Naggie, MD;   National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS);   Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  Completed

• Mitoquinone/Mitoquinol Mesylate as Oral and Safe Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19 - Conditions:   SARS-CoV Infection;   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Mitoquinone/mitoquinol mesylate;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsor:   University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
  Not yet recruiting

• Pycnogenol® in Post-COVID-19 Condition - Conditions:   Post COVID-19 Condition;   Long COVID
  Interventions:   Drug: Pycnogenol®;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsor:   University of Zurich
  Recruiting

• Efficacy of Bailing Capsule on Pulmonary Fibrosis After COVID-19 - Conditions:   Pulmonary Fibrosis;   COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Intervention:   Drug: Bailing capsule
  Sponsor:   Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University
  Not yet recruiting

• Evaluating Emetine for Viral Outbreaks (EVOLVE) - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Emetine Hydrochloride;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Johns Hopkins University;   Nepal Health Research Council;   Bharatpur Hospital Chitwan;   Stony Brook University;   Rutgers University
  Not yet recruiting

• A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma (CCP) Transfusion to Prevent COVID-19 in Adult Recipients Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation - Conditions:   COVID-19;   Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
  Intervention:   Biological: COVID Convalescent Plasma
  Sponsor:   Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital
  Recruiting

• Cupping Therapy on Immune System in Post Covid -19 - Condition:   Covid-19 Patients
  Interventions:   Combination Product: Cupping therapy with convential medical treatment;   Drug: Convential medical treatment
  Sponsor:   Cairo University
  Completed

• To Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of Sequential Booster Immunization of Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Vaccine (CHO Cells) for SARS-CoV-2 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: Recombinant Novel Coronavirus vaccine (CHO Cells)
  Sponsor:   Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biologic Pharmacy Co., Ltd.
  Completed

From PubMed

• Preventative and therapeutic potential of animal milk components against COVID-19: A comprehensive review - The global pandemic of COVID-19 is considered one of the most catastrophic events on earth. During the pandemic, food ingredients may play crucial roles in preventing infectious diseases and sustaining people’s general health and well-being. Animal milk acts as a super food since it has the capacity to minimize the occurrence of viral infections due to inherent antiviral properties of its ingredients. SARS-CoV-2 virus infection can be prevented by immune-enhancing and antiviral properties of…

• COVID-19 PCR: frequency of internal control inhibition in clinical practice - CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a low percentage of inhibition using RNase P as an internal control in COVID-19 PCRs using the CDC protocol, thus proving the effectiveness of this protocol for identification of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples. Re-extraction was efficacious for samples that showed little or no fluorescence for the RNase P gene.

• A suitable drug structure for interaction with SARS-CoV-2 main protease between boceprevir, masitinib and rupintrivir; a molecular dynamics study - In recent years, more than 200 countries of the world have faced a health crisis due to the epidemiological disease of COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It had a huge impact on the world economy and the global health sector. Researchers are studying the design and discovery of drugs that can inhibit SARS-CoV-2. The main protease of SARS-CoV-2 is an attractive target for the study of antiviral drugs against coronavirus diseases. According to the docking results, binding energy for…

• Combining virtual screening with cis-/trans-cleavage enzymatic assays effectively reveals broad-spectrum inhibitors that target the main proteases of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV - The main protease (M^(pro)) of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for viral replication, which suggests that the M^(pro) is a critical target in the development of small molecules to treat COVID-19. This study used an in-silico prediction approach to investigate the complex structure of SARS-CoV-2 M^(pro) in compounds from the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) database, then validate potential inhibitory compounds against the SARS-CoV-2 M^(pro) in cis- and trans-cleavage proteolytic assays….

• Structure-Based Drug Design of RdRp Inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 - The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a worldwide pandemic since 2019, spreading rapidly and posing a significant threat to human health and life. With over 6 billion confirmed cases of the virus, the need for effective therapeutic drugs has become more urgent than ever before. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is crucial in viral replication and transcription, catalysing viral RNA synthesis and serving as a promising therapeutic target for developing…

• An allosteric inhibitor of sirtuin 2 deacetylase activity exhibits broad-spectrum antiviral activity - Most drugs used to treat viral disease target a virus-coded product. They inhibit a single virus or virus family, and the pathogen can readily evolve resistance. Host-targeted antivirals can overcome these limitations. The broad-spectrum activity achieved by host targeting can be especially useful in combating emerging viruses and for treatment of diseases caused by multiple viral pathogens, such as opportunistic agents in immunosuppressed patients. We have developed a family of compounds that…

• Recent advances in RNA sample preparation techniques for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva and gargle - Molecular detection of SARS-CoV-2 in gargle and saliva complements the standard analysis of nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) specimens. Although gargle and saliva specimens can be readily obtained non-invasively, appropriate collection and processing of gargle and saliva specimens are critical to the accuracy and sensitivity of the overall analytical method. This review highlights challenges and recent advances in the treatment of gargle and saliva samples for subsequent analysis using reverse…

• An efflux pump in genomic island GI-M202a mediates the transfer of polymyxin B resistance in Pandoraea pnomenusa M202 - CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrated that GI-M202a along with the MFS transporter FKQ53_RS21695 in P. pnomenusa M202 could mediate the transmission of polymyxin B resistance.

• Dimethyl fumarate and 4-octyl itaconate are anticoagulants that suppress Tissue Factor in macrophages via inhibition of Type I Interferon - Excessive inflammation-associated coagulation is a feature of infectious diseases, occurring in such conditions as bacterial sepsis and COVID-19. It can lead to disseminated intravascular coagulation, one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Recently, type I interferon (IFN) signaling has been shown to be required for tissue factor (TF; gene name F3) release from macrophages, a critical initiator of coagulation, providing an important mechanistic link between innate immunity and…

• Verbenalin alleviates acute lung injury induced by sepsis and IgG immune complex through GPR18 receptor - Acute lung injury is significantly associated with the aberrant activation and pyroptosis of alveolar macrophages. Targeting the GPR18 receptor presents a potential therapeutic approach to mitigate inflammation. Verbenalin, a prominent component of Verbena in Xuanfeibaidu (XFBD) granules, is recommended for treating COVID-19. In this study, we demonstrate the therapeutic effect of verbenalin on lung injury through direct binding to the GPR18 receptor. Verbenalin inhibits the activation of…

• Synthesis, Characterization, and Antibacterial Activity of New Isatin Derivatives - 1H-indol-2,3-dione (isatin) class of biologically active compounds have analgesic, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tubercular, anti-proliferative properties, and is also useful for the treatment of SARS-CoV. Schiff bases containing isatin moiety are known to have broad spectrum of biological activities like anti-viral, anti-tubercular, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial. In this work, several Schiff base derivatives have been synthesized using two methods (synthetic and microwave) by…

• Mercapto-pyrimidines are reversible covalent inhibitors of the papain-like protease (PLpro) and inhibit SARS-CoV-2 (SCoV-2) replication - The papain-like protease (PLpro) plays a critical role in SARS-CoV-2 (SCoV-2) pathogenesis and is essential for viral replication and for allowing the virus to evade the host immune response. Inhibitors of PLpro have great therapeutic potential, however, developing them has been challenging due to PLpro’s restricted substrate binding pocket. In this report, we screened a 115 000-compound library for PLpro inhibitors and identified a new pharmacophore, based on a mercapto-pyrimidine fragment that…

• Sulfated Glycomimetic α-Helical Polypeptides for Antiviral Activity - In this work, we developed a library of sulfated glycomimetic polypeptides with a high sulfated degree (up to 99%) via a click reaction and sulfation modification, enabling control over the helicity, molecular weight, rigidity, and side-chain structure. Their potentials as the inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 and common enterovirus were investigated, and the structure-activity relationship was explored in detail. The in vitro results revealed the crucial role of α-helical conformation and sulfated sugar…

• Stakeholder perspectives and experiences of the implementation of remote mental health consultations during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study - CONCLUSIONS: Remote mental health consultations were welcomed as a means to continue care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their swift and necessary adoption placed pressure on providers and organisations to adapt quickly, navigating challenges and adjusting to a new way of working. This implementation created changes to workflows and dynamics that disrupted the traditional method of mental health care delivery. Further consideration of the importance of the therapeutic relationship and fostering…

• Aerosolized sulfated hyaluronan derivatives prolong the survival of K18 ACE2 mice infected with a lethal dose of SARS-CoV-2 - Despite several vaccines that are currently approved for human use to control the pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), there is an urgent medical need for therapeutic and prophylactic options. SARS-CoV-2 binding and entry in human cells involves interactions of its spike (S) protein with several host cell surface factors, including heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs), transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2), and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2…

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