Wastewater surveillance is a useful complement to clinical testing for managing COVID-19. While good agreement has been found between community-scale wastewater and clinical data, little is known about sub-community relationships between the two data types. Moreover, effects of non-detects in qPCR wastewater data have been largely overlooked. We used data collected from September 2020 through June 2021 in Davis, California (USA) to address these gaps. By applying a predictive probability model to spatially disaggregate clinical results, we compared wastewater and clinical data at the community scale, in 16 sampling zones isolating city sub-regions, and in seven zones isolating high-priority building complexes or neighborhoods. We found reasonable agreement between wastewater and clinical data at all scales. Greater activity (i.e., more frequent detections) in clinical data tended to be mirrored in wastewater data. Small, isolated clinical-data spikes were often matched as well. We also developed a method for handling such non-detects using multiple imputation and compared results to (i) single imputation using half the qPCR limit of detection, (ii) single imputation using maximum qPCR cycle number, and (iii) non-detect censoring. Apparent wastewater trends were significantly influenced by non-detect handling. Multiple imputation improved correlation relative to single imputation, though not necessarily relative to censoring.
Background. The use of an inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine (CoronaVac) against SARS-CoV-2 is implemented worldwide. However, waning immunity and breakthrough infections have been observed. Therefore, we hypothesized that the heterologous booster might improve the protection against the delta and omicron variants. Methods. A total of 224 individuals who completed the two-dose CoronaVac for six months were included. We studied reactogenicity and immunogenicity following a heterologous booster with the inactivated vaccine (BBIBP), the viral vector vaccine (AZD1222), and the mRNA vaccine (both BNT162B2 and mRNA-1273). We also determined immunogenicity at 3- and 6-months boosting intervals. Results. The solicited adverse events (AEs) were mild to moderate and well- tolerated. Total RBD immunoglobulin (Ig), anti-RBD IgG, focus reduction neutralization test (FRNT50) against delta and omicron variants, and T cell response were highest in the mRNA-1273 group followed by the BNT162b2, AZD1222 and BBIBP groups, respectively. We also witnessed a higher total Ig anti-RBD in the long-interval than in the short-interval groups. Conclusions. All four booster vaccines significantly increased binding and NAbs in individuals immunized with two doses of CoronaVac. The present evidence may benefit vaccine strategies development to thwart variants of concern, including the omicron variant. Keywords. COVID-19; Third dose; heterologous booster; omicron; mRNA-1273; BNT162b2; AZD1222; NAbs; T cells.
The SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern Omicron was first detected in Italy in November 2021. Data from three genomic surveys conducted in Italy between December 2021 and January 2022 suggest that Omicron became dominant in less than one month (prevalence on January 3: 78.6%-83.8%) with a doubling time of 2.7-3.1 days. The mean net reproduction number rose from about 1.15 in absence of Omicron to a peak of 1.83 for symptomatic cases and 1.33 for hospitalized cases, while it remained stable for critical cases.
Data analysis is widely used to generate new insights into human disease mechanisms and provide better treatment methods. In this work, we used the mechanistic models of viral infection to generate synthetic data of influenza and COVID-19 patients. We then developed and validated a supervised machine learning model that can distinguish between the two infections. Influenza and COVID-19 are contagious respiratory illnesses that are caused by different pathogenic viruses but appeared with similar initial presentations. While having the same primary signs COVID-19 can produce more severe symptoms, illnesses, and higher mortality. The predictive model performance was externally evaluated by the ROC AUC metric (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) on 100 virtual patients from each cohort and was able to achieve at least AUC≈91% using our multiclass classifier. The current investigation highlighted the ability of machine learning models to accurately identify two different diseases based on major components of viral infection and immune response. The model predicted a dominant role for viral load and productively infected cells through the feature selection process.
SARS-CoV-2 variants are emerging at frequent intervals with an ability to transmit faster and evade the immune responses. Most of Indian adults have received one or two doses of vaccination and, have also been infected naturally during the first and second waves. However, whether or not this hybrid immunity is protective against the emerging variants has not been determined. We found that a single dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine in individuals with prior history of COVID-19 infection induced high levels of neutralizing antibodies which associated with protection from infection. Natural infection during the delta variant surge generated neutralizing antibodies against other lineages including the omicron variant. However, most of the subjects had undetectable levels of antibodies to neutralize omicron variant in the follow-up samples collected after six months suggesting that a large majority of people in India are at risk of infection by omicron variant due to waning antibody titers.
Background: As national COVID-19 mass vaccination campaigns are rolled out, it is important to demonstrate and measure their public health benefit. We aimed to estimate COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness (VE) against severe disease and death in the Greek population, for all vaccines in use. Methods: Nationwide active surveillance and vaccination registry data during January-December 2021 were used to estimate VE via quasi-Poisson regression, as one minus the Incidence Rate Ratio, adjusted for age and calendar time. Interaction terms were included to assess VE by age group, against the 9delta9 SARS-CoV-2 variant and waning of VE over time. Results: Two doses of BNT162b2, mRNA-1273 or ChAdOx1 nCov-19 vaccines offered very high (>90%) VE against both intubation and death across all age groups, similar against both 9delta9 and previous variants, with one-dose Ad26.COV2.S slightly lower. There was some waning over time but VE remained >80% at six months, and three doses increased VE again to near 100%. Vaccination prevented an estimated 19,691 COVID-19 deaths (95% CI: 18,890-20,788) over the study period. Conclusions: All approved vaccines were very highly effective in preventing COVID-19 severe disease and death. Every effort should be made to vaccinate the population with at least two doses, in order to reduce the mortality and morbidity impact of the pandemic.
Background: The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 triggered a chain of public health responses that radically changed our way of living and working. Non-healthcare sectors, such as the logistics sector, play a key role in such responses. This research aims to qualitatively evaluate the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented in the UK logistics sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted nine semi-structured interviews in July-August 2020 and May- June 2021. In total 11 interviewees represented six companies occupying a range of positions in the UK logistics sector, including takeaway food delivery, large and small goods delivery and home appliance installation, and logistics technology providers. Inductive thematic analysis was completed using NVivo12 to generate emerging themes and subthemes. Themes/subthemes relevant to interventions were mapped deductively onto an adapted Hierarchy of Control (HoC) framework, focusing on delivery workers. Themes/subthemes relevant to the process of implementation were analyzed to understand the barriers and facilitators of rapid responses. Results: HoC analysis suggests the sector has implemented a wide range of risk mitigation measures, with each company developing their own portfolio of measures. Contact-free delivery was the most commonly implemented measure and perceived effective. In addition, a broad range of measures were implemented, including social distancing, internal contact tracing, communication and collaboration with other key stakeholders of the sector. Process evaluation identified facilitators of rapid responses including capacity to develop interventions internally, localized government support, overwhelming external mandates, effective communication, leadership support and financial support for self-isolation, while barriers included unclear government guidance, shortage of testing capacity and supply, high costs and diversified language and cultural backgrounds. Main sustainability issues included compliance fatigue, and the possible mental health impacts of a prolonged rapid response. Conclusions: This research identified drivers and obstacles of rapid implementation of NPIs in response to a respiratory infection pandemic. Existing implementation process models do not consider speed to respond and the absence or lack of guidance in emergency situations such as the COVID-19. We recommend the development of a rapid response model to inform the design of effective and sustainable infection prevention and control policies and to focus future research priorities.
Background COVID-19 testing coverage is limited in Nigeria. Access to SARS-CoV-2 self-testing kits may help improve the detection of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases and increase the currently low rate of COVID-19 testing in the country. Before implementing SARS-CoV-2 self-testing in Nigeria, it is imperative to assess the populations perceptions regarding this innovation. We therefore conducted a qualitative study to investigate peoples values and preferences for SARS-CoV-2 self-testing in Nigeria. Methods We used semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions among healthcare workers, community representatives, and public health implementors to explore values and perceptions around various aspects of COVID-19 testing, including conventional COVID-19 testing, SARS-CoV-2 self- testing, the safe and effective use of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing, actions upon receiving a positive SARS-CoV-2 self-test result, and future prospects for SARS-CoV-2 self-testing. Results Respondents reported that there is limited availability of conventional SARS-CoV-2 testing in Nigeria. While just a few respondents were familiar with SARS-CoV-2 testing, respondents generally supported the use of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing as they felt it could assist with early case detection and improve access to testing. Concerns relating to the use of SARS-CoV-2 self-testing were majorly about the ability among low literacy populations to use and interpret the test, the affordability of tests, equity of access, and the availability of healthcare system support for those who test positive. Conclusion Though the public perceive multiple benefits associated with access to SARS-CoV-2 self-testing, the efficiency of the national health service delivery system may limit access of the users of the kits to psychosocial and clinical support. In Nigeria, where COVID-19 vaccine coverage is low and the risk of further waves of COVID-19 is high, self-testing may assist in the prompt detection of cases and contribute to halting the spread of the virus.
Abstract Background: Observational studies have highlighted that where individuals live is far more important for risk of dying with COVID-19, than for dying of other causes. Deprivation is commonly proposed as explaining such differences. During the period of localised restrictions in late 2020, areas with higher restrictions tended to be more deprived. We explore how this impacted the relationship between deprivation and mortality and see whether local or regional deprivation matters more for inequalities in COVID-19 mortality. Methods: We use publicly available population data on deaths due to COVID-19 and all-cause mortality between March 2020 and April 2021 to investigate the scale of spatial inequalities. We use a multiscale approach to simultaneously consider three spatial scales through which processes driving inequalities may act. We go on to explore whether deprivation explains such inequalities. Results Adjusting for population age structure and number of care homes, we find highest regional inequality in October 2020, with a COVID-19 mortality rate ratio of 5.86 (95% CI 3.31 to 19.00) for the median between-region comparison. We find spatial context is most important, and spatial inequalities higher, during periods of low mortality. Almost all unexplained spatial inequality in October 2020 is removed by adjusting for deprivation. During October 2020, one standard deviation increase in regional deprivation was associated with 2.45 times higher local mortality (95% CI, 1.75 to 3.48). Conclusions Spatial inequalities are greatest in periods of lowest overall mortality, implying that as mortality declines it does not do so equally. During the prolonged period of low restrictions and low mortality in summer 2020, spatial inequalities strongly increased. Contrary to previous months, we show that the strong spatial patterning during autumn 2020 is almost entirely explained by deprivation. As overall mortality declines, policymakers must be proactive in detecting areas where this is not happening, or risk worsening already strong health inequalities.
Little is known on the key contributing factors towards progression into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) necessitating mechanical ventilation (MV) in COVID-19. We determined serum levels, within 24 hours of diagnosis, of alarmins, as well as pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules in asymptomatic, moderate, severe and intubated patients compared to non-infected comparators. Levels of the pro-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-8, IL-18, matrix metalloproteinase-9, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-B and calprotectin (S100A8/A9) were specific drivers of ARDS. Levels of the anti-inflammatory IL-1ra and IL-33r were increased; IL-38 was increased only in asymptomatic patients, but significantly decreased in the more severe COVID-19 cases. Multivariate ordinal regression showed that pathways of IL-6, IL-33 and calprotectin gave significant probability for worse outcome. These results indicate a dysfunctional response to the presence of alarmins that may be used for prognosis and development of effective treatments.
Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in interruptions in training for surgical residents in particular. This has been compounded by burnout and mental health concerns among surgical trainees across the world. We aim to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological outcomes of surgical trainees in a tertiary-care hospital in Pakistan. Setting: A cross-sectional, online survey-based study was conducted at a private tertiary care hospital of Karachi, Pakistan. Participants: All the surgery trainees including; residents, fellows and instructors acquiring training at a private tertiary care hospital of Karachi, Pakistan were included in the study. Outcome measures: The participants were assessed for their perceptions, and concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, impact on their quality of life and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Results: A majority (85%) of surgical trainees were concerned regarding contracting COVID-19 infections. Residents were more concerned with fellow residents developing burnout and anxiety as compared to their own psychological concerns. A strong, significant positive correlation (r=0.66, p <0.001) was noted between negative impact on QoL scores and developing GAD in surgical residents. On multivariable analysis, significant associations with GAD remained for family system, and negative impact of COVID-19 on QoL. The increased working hours for junior trainees showed more likelihood of developing GAD as compared to senior trainees. Conclusion: Our investigation on QoL and psychological outcomes of surgical residents showed significant rates of burnout and GAD, which were attributed to concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic. We showed the impact this had on surgical trainees perception regarding their training and concerns with infecting others. This calls for structural interventions to address mental health concerns and provide psychological and educational support to surgical residents.
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants has prompted the need for near real-time genomic surveillance to inform public health interventions. In response to this need, the global scientific community, through unprecedented effort, has sequenced over 7 million genomes as of December 2021. The extraordinarily high sampling rate provides a unique opportunity to track the evolution of the virus in near real-time. Here, we present outbreak.info, a platform that can be used to track over 40 million combinations of PANGO lineages and individual mutations, across over 7,000 locations, to provide insights for researchers, public health officials, and the general public. We describe the data pipelines that enable the scalable ingestion and standardization of heterogeneous data on SARS-CoV-2 variants, the server infrastructure that enables the dissemination of the processed data, and the client-side applications that provide intuitive visualizations of the underlying data.
Background: Sputnik-V (Gam-COVID-Vac) is a heterologous, recombinant adenoviral (rAdv) vector-based, COVID-19 vaccine now used in >70 countries. Yet there is a shortage of data on this vaccine9s performance in diverse populations. Here, we performed a prospective cohort study to assess the reactogenicity and immunologic outcomes of Sputnik-V vaccination in a multi-ethnic cohort from Kazakhstan. Methods: COVID-19-free participants (n=82 at baseline) were followed at day 21 after Sputnik-V dose 1 (rAd5) and dose 2 (rAd26). Self-reported local and systemic adverse events were captured using questionnaires. Blood and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected to perform SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic and immunologic assays. Findings: Of the 73 and 70 participants retained post-dose 1 and 2, respectively, most (>50%) reported mild-to-moderate injection site or systemic reactions to vaccination; no severe or potentially life-threatening conditions were reported. dose 1 appeared to be more reactogenic than dose 2, with fatigue and headache more frequent in participants with prior COVID-19 exposure. After dose 2 nausea was more common in subjects without prior COVID-19. The combined S-IgG and S-IgA seroconversion rate was 97% post-dose 1, remaining the same post-dose 2. The proportion of participants with detectable virus neutralization titers was 83% post-dose 19, and increased to 98% post-dose 29, with the largest relative increase observed in participants without prior COVID-19 exposure. Nasal S-IgG and S-IgA increased post-dose 1, while the boosting effect of dose 2 on mucosal S-IgG, but not S-IgA, was only observed in subjects without prior COVID-19. Systemically, vaccination reduced serum levels of growth regulated oncogene (GRO), which correlated with an elevation in blood platelet count. Interpretation: Sputnik-V dose 1 elicited both blood and mucosal SARS-CoV-2 immunity, while the immune boosting effect of dose 2 was minimal, suggesting that adjustments to the current vaccine dosing regimen may be necessary to optimize immunization efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Although Sputnik-V appears to have a reactogenicity profile similar to that of other COVID-19 vaccines, the observed alterations to the GRO/platelet axis call for further investigation of Sputnik V effects on systemic immunology. Funding: Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Background Social contact survey data forms a core component of modern epidemic models: however, there has been little assessment of the potential biases in such data. Methods We conducted focus groups with university students who had (n=13) and had not (n=14) completed a social contact survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative findings were explored quantitatively by analysing participation data. Results The opportunity to contribute to COVID-19 research, to be heard and feel useful were frequently reported motivators for participating in the contact survey. Reductions in survey engagement following lifting of COVID-19 restrictions may have occurred because the research was perceived to be less critical and/ or because the participants were busier and had more contacts. Having a high number of contacts to report, uncertainty around how to report each contact, and concerns around confidentiality were identified as factors leading to inaccurate reporting. Focus groups participants thought that financial incentives or provision of study results would encourage participation. Conclusions Incentives could improve engagement with social contact surveys. Qualitative research can inform the format, timing, and wording of surveys to optimise completion and accuracy.
Quantifying Viral Load in Respiratory Particles That Are Generated by Children and Adults With COVID-19 Infection - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Device: COVID-19 Aerosol Collection
Sponsor:
Massachusetts General Hospital
Recruiting
A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of Booster With AZD1222, mRNA-1273, or MVC-COV1901 Against COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Vaccine
Interventions: Biological: Half dose of MVC-COV1901; Biological: Full dose of MVC-COV1901; Biological: AZD1222; Biological: Half dose of mRNA-1273
Sponsors: Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.; Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
Not yet recruiting
Efficacy of Breathox Device Inhalation Therapy in the Treatment of Acute Symptoms Associated With COVID-19 and in the Prevention of the Use of Health Resources - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: BREATHOX 5 sessions; Drug: BREATHOX 10 sessions
Sponsors: UPECLIN HC FM Botucatu Unesp; Liita Holdings LTD
Recruiting
Exercise Fatigue Parameters and Endothelial Function in Pediatric Patients With a History of COVID-19 Infection or MIS-C - Conditions: COVID-19; MIS-C Associated With COVID-19
Interventions:
Device: Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET); Device: Peripheral Arterial Tonography (PAT) using the EndoPAT™ device; Diagnostic Test: Endothelin
Sponsors: Rambam Health Care Campus; The Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya
Recruiting
Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of TF0023 in Treatments for COVID-19 in Hospitalized Adults - Condition: COVID-19 Pneumonia
Intervention: Drug: TF0023
Sponsor:
Techfields Inc
Not yet recruiting
Immunogenicity of an Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Biological: Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine
Sponsor: Sinovac Research and Development Co., Ltd.
Recruiting
Short Daily Versus Conventional Hemodialysis for COVID-19 Patients - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Other: Short daily dialysis
Sponsor:
Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
Completed
Non-inferiority Trial on Monoclonal Antibodies in COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Bamlanivimab Etesevimab; Drug: Sotrovimab; Drug: Casirivimab-Imdevimab
Sponsors: Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona; Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco; Azienda Sanitaria-Universitaria Integrata di Udine
Recruiting
A Prospective, Phase II Study to Evaluate Safety of 101-PGC-005 (’005) for Moderate to Severe COVID-19 Disease Along With Standard of Care - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: 101-PGC-005 (’005) + SOC; Drug: Placebo + SOC
Sponsor: 101 Therapeutics
Recruiting
To Evaluate Safety & Immunogenicity of DelNS1-2019-nCoV-RBD-OPT1 for COVID-19 in Healthy Adults Received 2 Doses of BNT162b2 - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Biological: DelNS1-2019-nCoV-RBD-OPT1; Biological: Matching placebo
Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong
Not yet recruiting
Increasing COVID-19 Testing in Chicago’s African American Testing Desserts - Condition: COVID-19 Pandemic
Intervention: Behavioral: COVID-19 Testing
Sponsor: Rush University Medical Center
Recruiting
Phase 2b Booster Vaccination (TURKOVAC) Against COVID-19 - Conditions: COVID-19; Sars-CoV-2 Infection
Interventions: Biological: TURKOVAC-Dollvet; Biological: TURKOVAC-Koçak
Sponsor: Health Institutes of Turkey
Recruiting
Efficacy of Synchronous and Asynchronous Telerehabilitation in COVID-19 Discharges - Conditions: COVID-19; Telerehabilitation
Interventions:
Other: Synchronous telerehabilitation programme; Other: Asynchronous telerehabilitation programme
Sponsors: Bitlis Eren University; Marmara University
Recruiting
Intranasal Heparin Treatment to Reduce Transmission Among Household Contacts of COVID 19 Positive Adults and Children - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: unfractionated heparin; Drug: 0.9%sodium chloride
Sponsors: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; University of Melbourne; Northern Hospital, Australia; Monash University; The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity; St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne
Not yet recruiting
Study of F-652 in Subjects With Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pneumonia - Condition: COVID-19 Pneumonia
Interventions: Biological: F-652; Biological: Placebo
Sponsor: EVIVE Biotechnology
Not yet recruiting
Combinatorial approach of vitamin C derivative and anti-HIV drug-darunavir against SARS-CoV-2 - CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the present work suggests that bioinformatics tools are suitable for recognizing potential candidates in an emergency, and herein the selected ‘anti-HIV-drug-vitamin c derivatives’ cocktails may potential-cum- fewer toxic regimens against COVID-19 treatment.
UV-4B potently inhibits replication of multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains in clinically relevant human cell lines - CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight UV-4B’s antiviral potential against several strains of SARS-CoV-2.
COVID-19 and Preeclampsia: Overlapping Features in Pregnancy - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global respiratory disease with unique features that have placed all medical professionals in an alarming situation. Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy affecting 8%-10% of India’s pregnant population. Assuming that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) enters host cells through the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, the resulting symptoms are due to vasoconstriction, caused by disturbances in the…
In-silico investigation of some recent natural compounds for their potential use against SARS-CoV-2: a DFT, molecular docking and molecular dynamics study - Since its first appearance in December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has infected many people all over the world, causing serious health problems in many people and causing many deaths, but no specific drug has been developed yet. SARS-CoV-2 main protease (SARS-CoV-2 M^(pro)) has an important role in viral replication and transcription, so inhibition of this enzyme is proposed to be an attractive route for the treatment of COVID-19. Natural compounds have been used in the treatment of many diseases…
Antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs to combat COVID-19: Effects on cardiac ion channels and risk of ventricular arrhythmias - Introduction: Drugs with no indication for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (e.g., drugs employed to treat COVID-19) can increase the risk of arrhythmias. Of interest, a six-fold increase in the number of arrhythmic events was reported in patients with severe COVID-19. In this study, we reviewed (i) the pro-arrhythmic action of drugs given to patients with COVID-19 infection, and (ii) the effects of inflammatory cytokines on cardiac ion channels and possible generation of arrhythmias….
Inactivation of plant and animal viruses by proanthocyanidins from Alpinia zerumbet extract - Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L. Burtt and R.M. Smith belongs to the Alpinia genus in the Zingiberaceae family. In East Asia, Alpinia zerumbet has been widely used as food and traditional medicine. Previously, we identified proanthocyanidins (PACs), an anti-plant-virus molecule in A. zerumbet, using Nicotiana benthamiana and tomato mosaic virus (ToMV). Here, we found that PACs from A. zerumbet, apple, and green tea effectively inhibited ToMV infection. Additionally, the PACs from A. zerumbet…
A high throughput screening assay for inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped particle entry - Effective small molecule therapies to combat the SARS-CoV-2 infection are still lacking as the COVID-19 pandemic continues globally. High throughput screening assays are needed for lead discovery and optimization of small molecule SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. In this work, we have applied viral pseudotyping to establish a cell-based SARS-CoV-2 entry assay. Here, the pseudotyped particles (PP) contain SARS-CoV-2 spike in a membrane enveloping both the murine leukemia virus (MLV) gag-pol polyprotein and…
Measures to prevent nosocomial transmissions of COVID-19 based on interpersonal contact data - BACKGROUND: With the global spreading of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many primary care medical workers have been infected, particularly in the early stages of this pandemic. Although extensive studies have explored the COVID-19 transmission patterns and (non-) pharmaceutical intervention to protect the general public, limited research has analysed the measures to prevent nosocomial transmission based upon detailed interpersonal contacts between medical staff and patients.
DPP4 inhibitors: Could they be one of the solutions for COVID-19 patients with prediabetes? - Recent reports suggest that prediabetes is a risk factor for developing severe COVID-19 complications through underlying mechanisms involving undiagnosed sub-clinical inflammation. However, we remain without a clinical approach for managing COVID-19 in prediabetic cases. The subclinical inflammation in prediabetes is associated with elevated DPP4 levels and activity. DPP4 has pleiotropic actions, including glycaemia regulation and immuno-modulation. Recently, DPP4 has been recognised as a…
Mass spectrometric assays reveal discrepancies in inhibition profiles for the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease - The two SARS-CoV-2 proteases, i.e. the main protease (M pro ) and the papain-like protease (PL pro ), which hydrolyze the viral polypeptide chain giving functional non-structural proteins, are essential for viral replication and are medicinal chemistry targets. We report a high-throughput mass spectrometry (MS)-based assay which directly monitors PL pro catalysis in vitro . The assay was applied to investigate the effect of reported small-molecule PL pro inhibitors and selected M pro inhibitors…
Target-Based Virtual Screening and LC/MS-Guided Isolation Procedure for Identifying Phloroglucinol-Terpenoid Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 - The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2), has led to more than 5 million deaths worldwide to date. Due to the limited therapeutic options so far available, target-based virtual screening with LC/MS support was applied to identify the novel and high-content compounds 1-4 with inhibitory effects on SARS-CoV-2 in Vero E6 cells from the plant Dryopteris wallichiana. These compounds were also evaluated against SARS-CoV-2…
The Potential Mechanism of Cancer Patients Appearing More Vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 and Poor Outcomes: A Pan-Cancer Bioinformatics Analysis - To explore the potential mechanism of cancer patients appearing more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection and poor COVID-19 outcomes, we conducted an integrative bioinformatics analysis for SARS-CoV-2-required genes and host genes and variants related to SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 severity. BLCA, HNSC, KIRC, KIRP, LGG, PCPG, PRAD, TGCT, and THCA patients carrying rs10774671-A (OAS1) genotype may be more likely to have poor COVID-19 outcomes relative to those who carry rs10774671-G,…
Brilacidin, a COVID-19 Drug Candidate, demonstrates broad-spectrum antiviral activity against human coronaviruses OC43, 229E and NL63 through targeting both the virus and the host cell - Brilacidin, a mimetic of host defense peptides (HDPs), is currently in phase 2 clinical trial as an antibiotic drug candidate. A recent study reported that brilacidin has antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 by inactivating the virus. In this work, we discovered an additional mechanism of action of brilacidin by targeting heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) on host cell surface. Brilacidin, but not acetyl brilacidin, inhibits the entry of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus into multiple cell lines, and…
Efficacy of Combination Therapy with the JAK Inhibitor Baricitinib in the Treatment of COVID-19 - Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), resulting from infection with SARS-CoV-2, spans a wide spectrum of illness. In severely ill patients, highly elevated serum levels of certain cytokines and considerable cytolytic T cell infiltrates in the lungs have been observed. These same patients may bear low to negligible viral burdens suggesting that an overactive immune response, often termed cytokine storm, contributes to the severity of COVID-19. We report the safety and efficacy of baricitinib…
Extracellular vimentin is an attachment factor that facilitates SARS-CoV-2 entry into human endothelial cells - SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells is a crucial step for virus tropism, transmission, and pathogenesis. Angiotensin- converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been identified as the primary entry receptor for SARS-CoV-2; however, the possible involvement of other cellular components in the viral entry has not yet been fully elucidated. Here we describe the identification of vimentin (VIM), an intermediate filament protein widely expressed in cells of mesenchymal origin, as an important attachment factor for…
IDENTIFICATION AND ALARM SYSTEM FOR FACIAL CORONA MASK USING CNN BASED IMAGE PROCESSING - tThe covid-19 epidemic is the world’s largest wake-up call for people to pay attention to their own and society’s health. One thing to keep in mind is that there is a segment of the population that has been exposed to the covid-19 virus and has generated antibodies without developing any significant illnesses and is continuing to be healthy. This indicates that a significant section of the population, even excluding the elderly, lacks the necessary bodily immunity to combat a Viral infection. As terrible as covid-19 is on a global scale, developing personal health standards and preventative measures for any pathogenic virus as a community would have spared many lives. In’this work, a camera is combined with an image processing system to recognise facial masks, which may be improved in a variety of ways. First and foremost, this method is meant to identify masks on a single person’s face. While this method is efficient in identifying someone has a mask, it does not ensure that they will wear it all of the time. The most effective update for this task is to install a camera with a wide field of view so that many individuals can be seen in the frame, and the faces of those who aren’t wearing markings can be identified, as well as the number of people and the timing. - link
ANTIMICROBIAL SANITIZING FORMULATION - An antimicrobial sanitizing formulation, comprising, i) isopropyl alcohol in the range of 0.1%- 80% w/w, ii) an emollient in the range of 0.1%-15% w/w, iii) hydrogen peroxide in the range of 0.1 0.13% w/w, iv) citric acid in the range of 0.1% to 2.0% w/w, v) silver nitrate in the range of 0.1% to 0.5% w/w, and vi) a fragrance imparting agent in the range of 0.1% to 2.0% w/w. - link
A HEALTH BAND WITH A BIOMETRIC MODULE AND WORKING METHOD THEREOF - The present invention discloses a health band with a biometric module and method thereof. The assembly includes, but not limited to, a plurality of sensors configured to gather health data associated with a predefined symptom of a medical condition of a user; a memory unit configured to store the data and an interface, which is configured to determine the medical condition using the data;a processing unit configured to execute the application; and a notification facility configured to provide a notification upon receiving from the interface an instruction associated with the notification, wherein the notification is associated with a drug reminder and the like. - link
RNA 검출 방법 - 본 발명은 RNA의 분석 및 검출 방법에 관한 것이다. 특히, 본 발명은 특히, 본 발명은 짧은 염기서열의 RNA까지 분석이 가능하면서도 높은 민감도 및 정확도로 정량적 검출까지 가능하여 감염증, 암 등 여러 질환의 진단 용도로도 널리 활용될 수 있다. - link
REUNION OF PHOTOTHERMAL THERAPY WITH MXENE ADSORBED UREMIC TOXINS AND CYTOKINES: A SHILED FOR COVID-19 PATENTS - The COVID-19 pandemic has created havoc throughout the world. The disease has proved to be more fatalfor patients having comorbidities like diabetics, lungs and kidney infections, etc. In the case of COVID-19 patientsI having kidney injury, the. removal of uremic toxins from the blood is hindered and there is a rapid surge in the levelj of cytokine hormone resulting in the death of the patient in a short interval of time. To resolve this issue,iI; researchers have examined that the immediate removal of these toxins can improve the condition of the patient to a |greater extent. Studies have also found the presence of SARS CoV-2 viral RNAs in the blood of COVID-19patients, which risks their life as well as impacts the blood transfusion process, especially in the case ofasymptomatic patients. Hence it is required to control the surge of cytokines and uremic toxins as well as disinfectthe blood of the patient from the virus. MXenes, having a foam-like porous structure and hydrophilic negativesurface functionalization have greater adsorption efficiency as well as superior photothermal activity. Utilizingthese properties of MXenes, the MXene membranes can be used in the dialyzer that can help in the efficient andBiuick removal of the uremic toxins, cytokines, and other impurities from the blood. Along with this the greaterTJAdsorption efficiency of MXenes to amino acids result in the trapping of the SARS CoV-2 viruses on the surface J)3>f the MXene. Many researchers as well as the WHO have proved the efficient reduction of the viral copy numbersjjvith the increase of temperature. Hence, followed by the trapping of the viruses, the implementation of"Zphotothermal Therapy can result in the inactivation and denaturation of the viruses and their respective viral RNAsBJlby the produced heat. The same process can be repeated several times to get better results. This whole process canr>oQ-esult in impurity-free and infection-free blood, that can be returned back to the body of the patient or can be!— I Sitilized for the blood transfusion process without any risk of infection.IM - link
REDUCING AND STOPPING OXYGEN WASTAGE IN HOSPITAL - In an aspect, the present invention discloses a system (200) for prevention and reduction of oxygen wastage from oxygen mask (202). The system (200) includes the oxygen mask (202) having straps; a tension sensor (204), the tension sensor being sensitive towards tension produced in the straps as the oxygen gets leakage through sides of the mask (202); a processor configured in alignment with the tension sensor (204); and a buzzer (206) in alignment with processor. - link
编码SARS-COV-2病毒C.37突变株抗原的DNA分子、DNA疫苗及应用 - 本发明涉及生物技术领域，具体而言，提供了一种编码SARS‑COV‑2病毒C.37突变株抗原的DNA分子、DNA疫苗及应用。本发明提供的SEQ ID NO：1核酸序列在真核表达系统中能够高效转录和表达，而且具有免疫原性，表现在体液免疫和细胞免疫应答中，以此作为活性成分的核酸疫苗同样具有良好的免疫原性。 - link
SARS-COV-2病毒B.1.617.2突变株DNA疫苗及应用 - 本发明涉及生物技术领域，具体而言，提供了一种编码SARS‑COV‑2病毒B.1.617.2突变株抗原的DNA分子、DNA疫苗及应用。本发明提供的SEQ ID NO：1核酸序列在真核表达系统中能够高效转录和表达，而且具有免疫原性，表现在体液免疫和细胞免疫应答中，以此作为活性成分的核酸疫苗同样具有良好的免疫原性。 - link
Hung Thanh Phan COVID-19 NEW SOLUTION - - link
A METHOD TO REVEAL MOTIF PATTERNS OF COVID-19 USING MULTIPLE SEQUENCE ALIGNMENT - This present invention consists of different levels of computation and work in a pipeline manner i.e., input of one will be output of another and it is sequential process. Input data given in form of nucleotide sequence (DNA) of different COVID-19 patients (1). Using these nucleotide sequence perform mutation if possible and arrange them in a sequential order (2). Arrange number of nucleotide sequences of different patients in row wise and also compute number of characters in each row. (3). Compute frequency of occurrence of character in column wise and create a matrix having 4 rows and maximum sequence length will be the column size (4). Find the character like A, T, C, and G which one has maximum score and similarly find for each column to produce a final sequence (5). - link