Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• Loneliness in Older People and COVID-19: Applying the Social Identity Approach to Digital Intervention Design -
  The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening loneliness for many older people through the challenges it poses in engaging with their social worlds. Digital technology has been offered as a potential aid, however, many popular digital tools have not been designed to address the needs of older adults during times of limited contact. We propose that the Social Identity Model of Identity Change (SIMIC) could be a foundation for digital loneliness interventions. While SIMIC is a well-established approach for maintaining wellbeing during life transitions, it has not been rigorously applied to digital interventions. There are known challenges to integrating psychological theory in the design of digital technology to enable efficacy, technology acceptance, and continued use. The interdisciplinary field of Human Computer Interaction has a history of drawing on models originating from psychology to improve the design of digital technology and to design technologies in an appropriate manner. Drawing on key lessons from this literature, we consolidate research and design guidelines for multidisciplinary research applying psychological theory such as SIMIC to digital social interventions for loneliness.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Loneliness in Older People and COVID-19: Applying the Social Identity Approach to Digital Intervention Design
• Impact of BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccination on the Development of Short and Long-term Vaccine-Related Adverse Events in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Multi-Center Prospective Study -

  Introduction: SARS-CoV-2 vaccination has been effective in protecting against severe COVID-19 infections and related mortality. It is recommended for all individuals including patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, safety data is lacking in this group of patients. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the short- and long-term vaccine related adverse events (AEs) in patients with IBD. Methods: This is a prospective, observational cohort study investigating short- and long-term AEs related to BNT162b2 vaccine in patients with IBD (study group) after first and second dose compared to healthy participants (study group). Patients were recruited at the time of attendance to clinic or infusion rooms. Short term (<3 weeks) localized and systemic AEs were assessed via questionnaire. Follow-up phone- based survey was made to collect data on long term (up to 24 weeks) AEs. Results A total of 408 patients answered the questionnaires, 204 patients in each group, the study and control group. No serious adverse events were reported in either the study nor the control group after the first or the second dose. Participants in the control group reported more frequent pain at the injection site than those in the study group after the first dose (58 (57%) vs 38 (37%) respectively, P-value= 0.005). After the second dose, tiredness was reported more frequently in the control group [49 (48%)] compared to the study group [25 (24%), (P-value<0.001)]. At 20-24 weeks post vaccination, 386 out of 408 (94.6%) patients were willing to participate in the follow-up phone based questionnaire (196 (96.1%) in the study group vs 190 (93.1%) in the control group). In both groups, none of the patients reported local, systemic or severe adverse events (0 out of 386) at week 20-244 post second dose. Conclusion: The BNT162b2 vaccine is safe in patients with IBD. No severe or long-term adverse events were reported in our study. The frequency of local and systemic adverse events after the second dose was generally higher among healthy participants compared to patients with IBD. Further studies including a larger cohort with longer follow-up duration are needed to assess for possible rare adverse events.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Impact of BNT162b2 mRNA Vaccination on the Development of Short and Long-term Vaccine-Related Adverse Events in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Multi-Center Prospective Study
• Clinical severity of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals during the Omicron wave in South Africa -

  Background: Clinical severity of patients hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the Omicron (fourth) wave was assessed and compared to trends in the D614G (first), Beta (second), and Delta (third) waves in South Africa. Methods: Weekly incidence of 30 laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 cases/100,000 population defined the start and end of each wave. Hospital admission data were collected through an active national COVID-19-specific surveillance programme. Disease severity was compared across waves by post-imputation random effect multivariable logistic regression models. Severe disease was defined as one or more of acute respiratory distress, supplemental oxygen, mechanical ventilation, intensive-care admission or death. Results: 335,219 laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 admissions were analysed, constituting 10.4% of 3,216,179 cases recorded during the 4 waves. In the Omicron wave, 8.3% of cases were admitted to hospital (52,038/629,617) compared to 12.9% (71,411/553,530) in the D614G, 12.6% (91,843/726,772) in the Beta and 10.0% (131,083/1,306,260) in the Delta waves (p<0.001). During the Omicron wave, 33.6% of admissions experienced severe disease compared to 52.3%, 63.4% and 63.0% in the D614G, Beta and Delta waves (p<0.001). The in-hospital case fatality ratio during the Omicron wave was 10.7%, compared to 21.5%, 28.8% and 26.4% in the D614G, Beta and Delta waves (p<0.001). Compared to the Omicron wave, patients had more severe clinical presentations in the D614G (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.01-2.13), Beta (aOR 3.59; CI: 3.49-3.70) and Delta (aOR 3.47: CI: 3.38-3.57) waves. Conclusion: The trend of increasing cases and admissions across South Africa9s first three waves shifted in Omicron fourth wave, with a higher and quicker peak but fewer admitted patients, who experienced less clinically severe illness and had a lower case-fatality ratio. Omicron marked a change in the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic curve, clinical profile and deaths in South Africa. Extrapolations to other populations should factor in differing vaccination and prior infection levels.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Clinical severity of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals during the Omicron wave in South Africa
• Scottish COVID CAncer iMmunity Prevalence (SCCAMP) - a longitudinal study of patients with cancer receiving active anti-cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic -

  Background Cancer and systemic anti-cancer treatment (SACT) have been identified as possible risk factors for infection and related severe illness associated with SARS-CoV-2 virus as a consequence of immune suppression. The Scottish COVID CAncer iMmunity Prevalence (SCCAMP) study aims to characterise the incidence and outcomes of SARS-Cov-2 infection in patients undergoing active anti-cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic and their antibody response following vaccination. Patients and Methods Eligible patients were those attending secondary care for active anti-cancer treatment for a solid tumour. Blood samples were taken for total SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay (Siemens) at baseline and after 1.5, 3, 6 and 12 months. Data on COVID-19 infection, vaccination, cancer type, treatment and outcome was obtained from routine electronic health records. Results The study recruited 766 eligible participants between 28th May 2020 and 31st October 2021. The median age was 62.7 years, and 66.5% were female. Most received cytotoxic chemotherapy (79%), with the remaining 14% receiving immunotherapy and 7% receiving another form of anti-cancer therapy (radiotherapy, other systemic anti-cancer treatment). 48 (6.3%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR during the study period. The overall infection rate matched that of the age-matched local general population until May 2021, after which population levels appeared higher. Antibody testing detected additional evidence of infection prior to vaccination, taking the total number to 58 (7.6%). There was no significant difference in SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive test rates based on type of anti- cancer treatment. Mortality proportion was similar between those who died within 90 days of a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR and those with no positive PCR (10.4% vs 10.6%). Death from all causes was lowest among vaccinated patients, and of the patients who had a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR at any time, all of those who died during the study period were unvaccinated. Multivariate analysis correcting for age, gender, socioeconomic status, comorbidities and number of previous medications revealed that vaccination was associated with a significantly lower infection rate regardless of treatment with chemotherapy or immunotherapy with hazard ratios of 0.307 (95% CI 0.144-0.6548) or 0.314 (95% CI 0.041-2.367) in vaccinated patients respectively. Where antibody data was available, 96.3% of patients successfully raised SARS-CoV-2 antibodies at a time point after vaccination. This was unaffected by treatment type. Conclusion SCCAMP provides real- world evidence that patients with cancer undergoing SACT have a high antibody response and protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection following COVID-19 vaccination.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Scottish COVID CAncer iMmunity Prevalence (SCCAMP) - a longitudinal study of patients with cancer receiving active anti-cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Australian Information Commission v Facebook Inc: Substituting the Hague Service Convention during the Pandemic -
  Recently, in Australian Information Commission v Facebook Inc ([2020] FCA 531), the Federal Court of Australia (‘FCA’) addresses substituted service and the Hague Service Convention in the contexts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article seeks to discuss this important case in relation to whether defendants located outside of Australia in a Hague Convention state can be served by substituted service instead of following the Convention.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Australian Information Commission v Facebook Inc: Substituting the Hague Service Convention during the Pandemic
• A novel intranasal administration adenoviral vector-based platform for rapid COVID-19 vaccine development -
  The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has a severe impact on global public health, and the emerging variants threaten the efficacy of the circulating vaccines. Here, we report that a single vaccination with a non-replicated Chimpanzee adenovirus-based vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 variant (JS1-delta) elicits potent humoral, cellular and mucosal immunity in mice. Additionally, a single intranasal administration of JS1- delta provides sufficient protection against B.1.617.2 challenge in mice. This study indicates that Chimpanzee adenovirus type 3 (ChAd3) derived vector represents a promising platform for antiviral vaccine development against respiratory infections, and that JS1-delta is worth further investigation in human clinical trials.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: A novel intranasal administration adenoviral vector-based platform for rapid COVID-19 vaccine development
• Targeted Down Regulation Of Core Mitochondrial Genes During SARS-CoV-2 Infection -
  Defects in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) have been reported in COVID-19 patients, but the timing and organs affected vary among reports. Here, we reveal the dynamics of COVID-19 through transcription profiles in nasopharyngeal and autopsy samples from patients and infected rodent models. While mitochondrial bioenergetics is repressed in the viral nasopharyngeal portal of entry, it is up regulated in autopsy lung tissues from deceased patients. In most disease stages and organs, discrete OXPHOS functions are blocked by the virus, and this is countered by the host broadly up regulating unblocked OXPHOS functions. No such rebound is seen in autopsy heart, results in severe repression of genes across all OXPHOS modules. Hence, targeted enhancement of mitochondrial gene expression may mitigate the pathogenesis of COVID-19.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Targeted Down Regulation Of Core Mitochondrial Genes During SARS-CoV-2 Infection
• Potential autoimmunity resulting from molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 Spike and human proteins -
  SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19, a disease curiously resulting in varied symptoms and outcomes, ranging from asymptomatic to fatal. Autoimmunity due to cross-reacting antibodies resulting from molecular mimicry between viral antigens and host proteins may provide an explanation. We computationally investigated molecular mimicry between SARS- CoV-2 Spike and known epitopes. We discovered molecular mimicry hotspots in Spike and highlight two examples with tentative autoimmune potential and implications for understanding COVID-19 complications. We show that a TQLPP motif in Spike and thrombopoietin shares similar antibody binding properties. Antibodies cross-reacting with thrombopoietin may induce thrombocytopenia, a condition observed in COVID-19 patients. Another motif, ELDKY, is shared in multiple human proteins such as PRKG1 and tropomyosin. Antibodies cross-reacting with PRKG1 and tropomyosin may cause known COVID-19 complications such as blood-clotting disorders and cardiac disease, respectively. Our findings illuminate COVID-19 pathogenesis and highlight the importance of considering autoimmune potential when developing therapeutic interventions to reduce adverse reactions.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Potential autoimmunity resulting from molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 Spike and human proteins
• Household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to pets in Washington and Idaho: burden and risk factors -
  SARS-CoV-2 is believed to have emerged from an animal reservoir; however, the frequency of and risk factors for inter-species transmission remain unclear. We carried out a community-based study of pets in households with one or more confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans. Among 119 dogs and 57 cats with completed surveys, clinical signs consistent with SARS-CoV-2 were reported in 20 dogs (21%) and 19 cats (39%). Out of 81 dogs and 32 cats sampled for testing, 40% of dogs and 43% of cats were seropositive, and 5% of dogs and 8% of cats were PCR positive; this discordance may be due to delays in sampling. Respondents commonly reported close human-animal contact and willingness to take measures to prevent transmission to their pets. Reported preventative measures showed a slightly protective trend for both illness and seropositivity in pets, while sharing of beds and bowls had slight harmful effects.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Household transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to pets in Washington and Idaho: burden and risk factors
• Doxycycline for the prevention of progression of COVID-19 to severe disease requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission: a randomized, controlled, open-label, parallel group trial (DOXPREVENT.ICU) -

  Background: After admission to hospital, COVID-19 progresses in a substantial proportion of patients to critical disease that requires intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Methods: In a pragmatic, non-blinded trial, 387 patients aged 40-90 years were randomised to receive treatment with SoC plus doxycycline (n=192) or SoC only (n=195). The primary outcome was the need for ICU admission as judged by the attending physicians. Three types of analyses were carried out for the primary outcome: Intention to treat (ITT) based on randomisation; Per protocol (PP), excluding patients not treated according to randomisation; and As treated (AT), based on actual treatment received. The trial was undertaken in six hospitals in India with high-quality ICU facilities. An online application serving as the electronic case report form was developed to enable screening, randomisation and collection of outcomes data. Results: Adherence to treatment per protocol was 95.1%. Among all 387 participants, 77 (19.9%) developed critical disease needing ICU admission. In all three primary outcome analyses, doxycycline was associated with a relative risk reduction (RRR) and absolute risk reduction (ARR): ITT 31.6% RRR, 7.4% ARR (P=0.063); PP 40.7% RRR, 9.6% ARR (P=0.017); AT 43.2% RRR, 10.8% ARR (P=0.007), with numbers needed to treat (NTT) of 13.4 (ITT), 10.4 (PP), and 9.3 (AT), respectively. Doxycycline was well tolerated with not a single patient stopping treatment due to adverse events. Conclusions: In hospitalized COVID-19 patients, doxycycline, a safe, inexpensive, and widely available antibiotic with anti-inflammatory properties, reduces the need for ICU admission when added to SoC.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Doxycycline for the prevention of progression of COVID-19 to severe disease requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission: a randomized, controlled, open- label, parallel group trial (DOXPREVENT.ICU)
• Identification of a SARS-CoV-2 host metalloproteinase-dependent entry pathway differentially used by SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern Alpha, Delta, and Omicron -
  To infect cells, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) via its spike glycoprotein (S), delivering its genome upon S-mediated membrane fusion. SARS-CoV-2 uses two distinct entry pathways: 1) a surface, serine protease-dependent or 2) an endosomal, cysteine protease-dependent pathway. In investigating serine protease-independent cell-cell fusion, we found that the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP2/9, can activate SARS-CoV-2 S fusion activity, but not that of SARS-CoV-1. Importantly, metalloproteinases activation of SARS-CoV-2 S represents a third entry pathway in cells expressing high MMP levels. This route of entry required cleavage at the S1/S2 junction in viral producer cells and differential processing of variants of concern S dictated its usage. In addition, metalloproteinase inhibitors reduced replicative Alpha infection and abrogated syncytia formation. Finally, we found that the Omicron S exhibit reduced metalloproteinase-dependent fusion and viral entry. Taken together, we identified a MMP2/9-dependent mode of activation of SARS-CoV-2 S. As MMP2/9 are released during inflammation and severe COVID-19, they may play important roles in SARS-CoV-2 S-mediated cytopathic effects, tropism, and disease outcome.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Identification of a SARS-CoV-2 host metalloproteinase-dependent entry pathway differentially used by SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern Alpha, Delta, and Omicron
• Omicron booster in ancestral strain vaccinated mouse augments protective immunities against both the Delta and Omicron variants -
  A booster vaccination is called for constraining the evolving epidemic of SARS-CoV-2. However, the necessity of a new COVID-19 vaccine is currently unclear. To compare the effect of an Omicron-matched S DNA vaccine and an ancestral S DNA vaccine in boosting cross-reactive immunities, we firstly immunized mice with two-dose of a DNA vaccine encoding the spike protein of the ancestral Wuhan strain. Then the mice were boosted with DNA vaccines encoding spike proteins of either the Wuhan strain or the Omicron variant. Specific antibody and T cell responses were measured at 4 weeks post boost. Our data showed that the Omicron-matched vaccine efficiently boosted RBD binding antibody and neutralizing antibody responses against both the Delta and the Omicron variants. Of note, antibody responses against the Omicron variant elicited by the Omicron-matched vaccine were much stronger than those induced by the ancestral S DNA vaccine. Meanwhile, CD8+ T cell responses against both the ancestral Wuhan strain and the Omicron strain also tended to be higher in mice boosted by the Omicron-matched vaccine than those in mice boosted with the ancestral S DNA vaccine, albeit no significant difference was observed. Our findings suggest that an Omicron-matched vaccine is preferred for boosting cross-reactive immunities.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Omicron booster in ancestral strain vaccinated mouse augments protective immunities against both the Delta and Omicron variants
• SARS-CoV-2 Viroporins Activate The NLRP3-Inflammasome Via The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore -
  Cytokine storm precipitated by activation of the host innate immune defenses is a major cause of COVID19 death. To elucidate how SARS-CoV-2 initiates this inflammatory process, we studied viroporin proteins E and Orf3a (2-E+2-3a). Expression of 2-E+2-3a in human 293T cells resulted in increased cytosolic Ca++ and then elevated mitochondrial Ca++, taken up through the MUCi11-sensitive mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU). Increased mitochondrial Ca++ resulted in stimulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) production, which was blocked by mitochondrially-targeted catalase or MnTBAP. To determined how mROS activates the inflammasome, we transformed 293T cells with NLRP3, ASC, pro-caspase-1 and pro-IL-1{beta} plus used THP1 derived macrophages to monitor the secretion of mature IL-1{beta}. This revealed that mROS activates a factor that is released via the NIM811-sensitive mitochondrial permeability pore (mtPTP) to activate the inflammasome. Hence, interventions targeting mROS and the mtPTP may mitigate the severity of COVID19 cytokine storms.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: SARS-CoV-2 Viroporins Activate The NLRP3-Inflammasome Via The Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore
• Alterations in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta peptides presentation by HLA molecules -
  The T-cell immune response is a major determinant of effective SARS-CoV-2 clearance. Here, using the recently developed T-CoV bioinformatics pipeline (https://t-cov.hse.ru) we analyzed the peculiarities of the viral peptide presentation for the Omicron, Delta and Wuhan variants of SARS-CoV-2. First, we showed the absence of significant differences in the presentation of SARS-CoV-2-derived peptides by the most frequent HLA class I/II alleles and the corresponding HLA haplotypes. Then, the analysis was limited to the set of peptides originating from the Spike proteins of the considered SARS-CoV-2 variants. The major finding was the destructive effect of the Omicron mutations on PINLVRDLPQGFSAL peptide, which was the only tight binder from the Spike protein for HLA-DRB103:01 allele and some associated haplotypes. Specifically, we predicted a dramatical decline in binding affinity of HLA-DRB103:01 and this peptide after N211 deletion, L212I substitution and EPE 212-214 insertion. The computational prediction was experimentally validated by ELISA with the use of corresponding thioredoxin-fused peptides and recombinant HLA-DR molecules. Another finding was the significant reduction in the number of tightly binding Spike peptides for HLA-B*07:02 HLA class I allele (both for Omicron and Delta variants). Overall, the majority of HLA alleles and haplotypes was not significantly affected by the mutations, suggesting the maintenance of effective T-cell immunity against the Omicron and Delta variants. Finally, we introduced the Omicron variant to T-CoV portal and added the functionality of haplotype- level analysis to it.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Alterations in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta peptides presentation by HLA molecules
• Modular capsid decoration boosts adenovirus vaccine-induced humoral and cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 -
  Adenovirus vector vaccines have been widely and successfully deployed in response to COVID-19. However, despite inducing potent T cell immunity, improvement of vaccine-specific antibody responses upon homologous boosting is modest compared to other technologies. Here, we describe a system to enable modular decoration of adenovirus capsid surfaces with protein antigens and demonstrate induction of potent humoral immunity against these displayed antigens. Ligand attachment via a covalent isopeptide bond was achieved in a rapid and spontaneous reaction, requiring simple co- incubation of ligand and vector components. We used a recently described protein superglue, DogTag/DogCatcher, which is similar to the widely used SpyTag/SpyCatcher ligation system but performs better in loop structures. DogTag was inserted into surface-exposed loops in the adenovirus hexon protein to allow attachment of DogCatcher-fused ligands on virus particles. Efficient coverage of the capsid surface was achieved using a variety of ligands and vector infectivity was retained in each case. Capsid decoration shielded particles from anti-adenovirus neutralizing antibodies. In prime-boost regimens, proof-of-concept COVID-19 adenovirus vaccines decorated with the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike induced >10-fold higher SARS-CoV-2 neutralization titers compared to an undecorated adenovirus vector encoding spike. Importantly, decorated vectors retained robust T cell immunogenicity to encoded antigens, a key hallmark of adenovirus vector vaccines. We propose capsid decoration via protein superglue-mediated covalent ligation as a novel strategy to improve the efficacy and boostability of adenovirus-based vaccines and therapeutics.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Modular capsid decoration boosts adenovirus vaccine-induced humoral and cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2

From Clinical Trials

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

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

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

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

• Anti-inflammatory Drug Algorithm for COVID-19 Home Treatment - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Recommended treatment schedule;   Drug: Usual care
  Sponsors:   Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research;   Family physicians
  Not yet recruiting

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Immunogenicity and Safety of the SpikoGen COVID-19 Vaccine in Children Aged 5 to <12 Years and 12 to <18 Years Compared With Adults Aged 18 to 40 Years - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: Low-dose SARS-CoV-2 recombinant spike protein + Advax-SM adjuvant;   Biological: SARS-CoV-2 recombinant spike protein + Advax-SM adjuvant
  Sponsors:  
  Cinnagen;   Vaxine Pty Ltd
  Not yet recruiting

• Safety and Immunogenicity of COVI-VAC as a Booster Dose in Adults Previously Vaccinated Against COVID-19 - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2
  Intervention:   Biological: COVI-VAC
  Sponsor:  
  Codagenix, Inc
  Not yet recruiting

• Effects of Inspiratory Muscle Training in Patients With Post COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Other: Inspiratory Muscle Training Group;   Other: Control Group
  Sponsor:   Gazi University
  Not yet recruiting

• Effect of Combined Use of Ivermectin and Colchicine in COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Ivermectin + colchicine;   Drug: Colchicine
  Sponsor:   Ain Shams University
  Recruiting

From PubMed

• Role of peripheral myelin protein 22 in chronic exercise-induced interactions of muscle and bone in mice - Exercise is important for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia and osteoporosis. Although the interactions between skeletal muscles and bone have recently been reported, the myokines linking muscle to bone during exercise remain unknown. We previously revealed that chronic exercise using treadmill running blunts ovariectomy-induced osteopenia in mice. We herein performed an RNA sequence analysis of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of male mice with or without chronic exercise to…

• A global lipid map reveals host dependency factors conserved across SARS-CoV-2 variants - A comprehensive understanding of host dependency factors for SARS-CoV-2 remains elusive. We mapped alterations in host lipids following SARS-CoV-2 infection using nontargeted lipidomics. We found that SARS-CoV-2 rewires host lipid metabolism, altering 409 lipid species up to 64-fold relative to controls. We correlated these changes with viral protein activity by transfecting human cells with each viral protein and performing lipidomics. We found that lipid droplet plasticity is a key feature of…

• An In-silico Screening Strategy to the Prediction of New Inhibitors of COVID-19 M(pro) Protein - The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) was first recognized in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread worldwide. Between all proposed research guidelines, inhibition of the main protease (M^(pro)) protein of the virus will be one of the main strategies for COVID-19 treatment. The present work was aimed to perform a computational study on FDA-approved drugs, similar to piperine scaffold, to find possible M^(pro) inhibitors. Firstly, virtual screening studies were performed on a library of FDA-approved…

• In silico investigations of heparin binding to SARS-CoV-2 variants with a focus at the RBD/ACE2 interface - The increased infectivity and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 new variants were contributed largely by increase binding of receptor binding domain (RBD) domain of the Spike (S) protein to its cellular receptor ACE2 (Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2). Several studies have indicated that heparin and its derivatives interact to SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD and inhibits the binding of ACE2 which blocks the viral invasion. However, it is largely unclear how these SARS-CoV-2 variants affects ACE2 binding in the…

• Korean Red Ginseng, a regulator of NLRP3 inflammasome, in the COVID-19 pandemic - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) exhibits various symptoms, ranging from asymptomatic to severe pneumonia or death. The major features of patients in severe COVID-19 are the dysregulation of cytokine secretion, pneumonia, and acute lung injury. Consequently, it leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome, disseminated intravascular coagulation, multiple organ failure, and death. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative virus of COVID-19, influences…

• Financing Constraints and Firm’s Productivity Under the COVID-19 Epidemic Shock: Evidence of A-Shared Chinese Companies - Focusing on the financing barriers to firm productivity improvement under the influence of external shocks, we empirically analyze the data of A-share listed companies from 2007-2018 to determine the impact of financing constraints on total factor productivity (TFP) in the context of COVID-19 pandemic and the paths of factor use efficiency and R&D innovation efficiency on this impact using ordinary least-squares (OLS) method. We find that financing constraints are an important factor inhibiting…

• SAR and QSAR of COVID-19 Main Protease-Inhibitor Interactions of Recently X-ray Crystalized Complexes - COVID-19 is still widespread worldwide and up to now there is no established antiviral able to control the disease. Main protease is responsible for the viral replication and transcription; thus, its inhibition is a promising route to control virus proliferation. The present study aims to examine detail interactions between main protease and recently reported ninety-seven inhibitors with available X-ray crystallography to define factors enhance inhibition activity; thirty-two of most potent…

• Antiviral activities of 4H-chromen-4-one scaffold-containing flavonoids against SARS-CoV-2 using computational and in vitro approaches - The widespread outbreak of the novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the main health challenge worldwide. This pandemic has attracted the attention of the research communities in various fields, prompting efforts to discover rapid drug molecules for the treatment of the life-threatening COVID-19 disease. This study is aimed at investigating 4H-chromen-4-one scaffold-containing flavonoids that combat the SARS-CoV-2 virus using…

• Combination of antiviral drugs inhibits SARS-CoV-2 polymerase and exonuclease and demonstrates COVID-19 therapeutic potential in viral cell culture - SARS-CoV-2 has an exonuclease-based proofreader, which removes nucleotide inhibitors such as Remdesivir that are incorporated into the viral RNA during replication, reducing the efficacy of these drugs for treating COVID-19. Combinations of inhibitors of both the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and the exonuclease could overcome this deficiency. Here we report the identification of hepatitis C virus NS5A inhibitors Pibrentasvir and Ombitasvir as SARS- CoV-2 exonuclease inhibitors. In the…

• Adverse reactions and production of neutralizing anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccination: A cross-sectional study in a single center - Adverse events following vaccination with the ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccine may be associated with the titer of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against SARS-CoV-2. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 82 HCWs who received the ChAdOx1 COVID-19 vaccine and did not have previous COVID-19 history were enrolled during March 2021. Blood samples were collected from HCWs 3 weeks after the first and second doses of vaccine, and NAbs were estimated using two types of commercially available kits, the cPass™…

• A cell-based ELISA as surrogate of virus neutralization assay for RBD SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies - SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, has provoked a global crisis and death of millions of people. Several serological assays to determine the quality of the immune response against SARS-CoV-2 and the efficacy of vaccines have been developed, among them the gold standard conventional virus neutralization assays. However, these tests are time consuming, require biosafety level 3 (BSL3), and are low throughput and expensive. This has motivated the development of alternative methods,…

• Tea and tea drinking: China’s outstanding contributions to the mankind - CONCLUSIONS: Today, CAM provides an array of treatment modalities for the health promotion in both developed and developing countries all over the world. Tea drinking, a simple herb-based CAM therapy, has become a popular man-made non-alcoholic beverage widely consumed worldwide, and it can improve the growth of economy as well. Tea can improve our physical and mental health and promote the harmonious development of society through its chemical and cultural elements.

• Oncopreventive and oncotherapeutic potential of licorice triterpenoid compound glycyrrhizin and its derivatives: Molecular insights - Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a well-known natural herb used to treat different ailments since ancient times. Glycyrrhizin (GL), which is the primary triterpenoid compound of licorice extract, has been known to have broad-spectrum pharmacological effects. GL is cleaved into glucuronide and the aglycone, glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), which exists in two stereoisomeric forms: 18α- and 18β-GA. It is well documented that GL and GA have great potential as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antiviral,…

• Durability of ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccination in people living with HIV - Duration of protection from SARS-CoV-2 infection in people with HIV (PWH) following vaccination is unclear. In a sub- study of the phase 2/3 the COV002 trial (NCT04400838), 54 HIV positive male participants on antiretroviral therapy (undetectable viral loads, CD4+ T cells >350 cells/ul) received two doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) 4-6 weeks apart and were followed for 6 months. Responses to vaccination were determined by serology (IgG ELISA and MesoScale Discovery (MSD)), neutralisation, ACE-2…

• The potential role of the combined PARP-1 and VEGF inhibition in severe SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection - CONCLUSIONS: The synergistic potential of these two classes of inhibitors in severe COVID-19 management could be beneficial. Further research should be carried out in order to support this hypothesis.

From Patent Search

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

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

• 一种特异性结合新型冠状病毒S蛋白的抗体及其应用 - 本发明涉及一种特异性结合新型冠状病毒S蛋白的抗体及其应用，属于生物技术领域。本发明提供了一种抗原，所述抗原包括氨基酸序列如SEQ ID NO.1所示的多肽，氨基酸序列如SEQ ID NO.2所示的多肽，与SEQ ID NO.1所示氨基酸序列具有80%以上同源性，且具有诱发针对SARS‑CoV‑2 S蛋白免疫反应功能的衍生多肽，和/或，与SEQ ID NO.2所示氨基酸序列具有80%以上同源性，且具有诱发针对SARS‑CoV‑2 S蛋白免疫反应功能的衍生多肽；使用所述抗原对动物进行免疫可获得能够与SARS‑CoV‑2 S蛋白特异性结合的多克隆抗体。 - link

• 检测SARS-CoV-2变异株的组合物、试剂盒、方法及其用途 - 本发明属于分子生物学检测领域；涉及SARS‑CoV‑2奥密克戎（Omicron）变异株的检测。本发明提供了包含所述组合物的试剂盒，所述组合物的用途，以及用于检测SARS‑CoV‑2变异株并分型的方法。通过检测SARS‑CoV‑2变异株S基因上的4个不同的特征功能变异位点，对奥密克戎变异株进行分型，从而在单管反应体系中同时实现SARS‑CoV‑2病毒及奥密克戎变异株分型的检测。本发明的组合物，结合荧光探针熔解曲线法，其成本低，通量高。并且操作简便，结果读取过程通过熔解峰Tm值即可以判定。检测全过程均在单管封闭条件下进行，避免了由于样本间交叉引起的假阳性和环境污染。 - link

• 一种用于检测病毒的试剂盒 - 本发明提供了一种用于检测病毒的试剂盒，包括裂解病毒的试剂和病毒的免疫层析检测装置，通过在试纸条上设置连接标记区域和检测区域的缓冲过渡区域，以及在卡壳盖上设置三条压住试纸条的压条，减缓样本的流速，提高样本在试纸条上的层析和过滤效果，并搭配裂解病毒的试剂，暴露出更多的抗原或者抗原位点，从而大幅提高待测物的检测灵敏度，特别是针对新型冠状病毒的裂解，可以明显提高样本中的病毒抗原浓度，从而采用特定结构的免疫荧光测试条，提高检测的最低阀值，防止漏检。 - link

• 一种用于检测病毒的试剂和试剂盒 - 本发明提供了一种用于检测病毒的试剂和试剂盒，包括裂解病毒的试剂和试纸条，通过在试纸条上设置连接标记区域和检测区域的缓冲过渡区域，减缓样本的流速，提高样本在试纸条上的层析和过滤效果，并搭配裂解病毒的试剂裂解病毒，暴露出更多的抗原或者抗原位点，从而提高检测的灵敏度。在样本中病毒量特别低的时候，希望能够获得阳性结果，就希望获得更多的抗原片段或者病毒片段，采用本发明提供的裂解液对样本进行裂解，可以明显提高样本中的病毒抗原浓度，从而采用免疫荧光测试条，提高检测的最低阀值，防止漏检，特别适用于针对新型冠状病毒的裂解。 - link

• 一种结合冠状病毒双特异性抗体的抗药抗体及其制备方法和应用 - 本发明公开了一种结合冠状病毒双特异性抗体的抗药抗体及其制备方法和应用。所述抗药抗体包含重链可变区和轻链可变区，所述重链可变区包含HCDR1、HCDR2和HCDR3，所述轻链可变区包含LCDR1、LCDR2和LCDR3，其中各功能区的序列详见本发明。本发明筛选得到的抗药抗体具有较高的结合亲和力和特异性。 - link

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

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

• 一种腺病毒载体重组新冠病毒B.1.429变异株疫苗及其应用 - 本发明公开了一种以人5型复制缺陷型腺病毒为载体的新冠变异株疫苗。所述疫苗以E1、E3联合缺失的复制缺陷型人5型腺病毒为载体，基因组中整合有经优化设计的新型冠状病毒B.1.429变异株抗原基因（Ad5‑nCoV‑B.1.429）。该疫苗在宿主细胞中可以有效表达保护性抗原蛋白。使用该疫苗单次免疫即可激发针对新冠野生株以及B.1.351、B.1.617.2变异株的抗体反应。与2019野生型新型冠状病毒疫苗联用，疫苗加强免疫后可以激发强烈且广谱的新冠病毒变异株中和抗体反应。无论用作单独免疫，还是同新冠野生株疫苗联用作异型加强免疫时，该疫苗均能激发较为广谱的中和抗体反应，具有一定的应用优势，可作为疫苗候选株，用于应对持续蔓延的新冠变异株疫情。 - link