Military training centers may be high risk environments for the spread of disease such as COVID-19. Individuals arrive after traveling from many parts of the country, live in communal settings, and undergo high-interaction training. A pilot study of wastewater testing was initiated in February, 2021 to determine its feasibility as a sentinel surveillance tool in the U.S. Coast Guard for SARS-CoV-2. Wastewater was analyzed for the presence of two viral genes, N and E, and quantified relative to levels of a fecal indicator virus, Pepper Mild Mottle Virus (PMMoV). A stability control, Bovine Syncytial Respiratory Virus vaccine, was added to samples to assess sample stability and degradation. Wastewater data was validated by comparison with concomitant screening and surveillance programs that identified asymptomatic individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 by diagnostic testing at on site medical clinics using PCR. Elevated levels of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater were frequently associated with diagnosed cases, and in several instances, led to screenings of asymptomatic individuals that identified infected personnel, mitigating the risk of spread of disease. Wastewater screening also successfully indicated the presence of breakthrough cases in vaccinated individuals. A method for assessing blackwater from Coast Guard vessels was also developed, allowing detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus in shipboard populations. In one instance, virus was detected in the blackwater four weeks following the diagnosis of a single person on a Coast Guard cutter. These data show that wastewater testing is an effective tool for measuring the presence and prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in military populations so that mitigation can occur and suggest other diseases may be assessed similarly. As a result, the Coast Guard has established three laboratories with wastewater testing capability at strategic locations and is actively continuing its wastewater testing program.
An exceptional effort by the scientific community has led to the development of multiple vaccines against COVID-19. Efficacy estimates for these vaccines have been widely communicated to the general public, but are nonetheless challenging to compare because they are based on phase 3 trials that differ in study design, definition of vaccine efficacy and in the handling of cases arising shortly after vaccination. In this work, we investigate the impact of these choices on vaccine efficacy estimates, both theoretically and by re-analyzing the Janssen and Pfizer COVID-19 trial data under a uniform protocol. We moreover study the causal interpretation that can be assigned to per-protocol analyses typically performed in vaccine trials. Finally, we propose alternative estimands to measure the intrinsic vaccine efficacy in settings with delayed immune response.
Introduction Prisons are susceptible to outbreaks. Control measures focusing on isolation and cohorting negatively affect wellbeing. We present an outbreak of COVID-19 in a large male prison in Wales, UK, 14 October 2020 to 21 April 2021, and discuss control measures. Methods We gathered case-information, including: demographics, staff- residence postcode, resident cell number, work areas/dates, test results, staff interview dates/notes and resident prison-transfer dates. Epidemiological curves were mapped by prison location. Control measures included isolation (exclusion from work or cell-isolation), cohorting (new admissions and work-area groups), asymptomatic testing (case- finding), removal of communal dining and movement restrictions. Facemask use and enhanced hygiene were already in place. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) and interviews determined genetic relationship between cases plausibility of transmission. Results Of 453 cases, 53% (n=242) were staff, most aged 25-34 years (11.5% females, 27.15% males) and symptomatic (64%). Crude attack-rate was higher in staff (29%, 95%CI: 26-64%) than in residents (12%, 95%CI: 9-15%). Conclusions Whole genome sequencing can help differentiate multiple introductions from person-to-person transmission in prisons. It should be introduced alongside asymptomatic testing as soon as possible to control prison outbreaks. Timely epidemiological investigation, including data visualization, allowed dynamic risk assessment and proportionate control measures, minimizing reduction in resident welfare.
Background Recent meta-analyses concluded that vitamin D supplementation can prevent acute respiratory infection (ARI). However, the findings were heavily influenced by results from two arms of a six-arm cluster-randomised trial that were analysed without accounting for the cluster trial design. We have used publicly available data to provide results from the remaining four unpublished trial arms and to reanalyse the meta-analyses, accounting for the cluster trial design. Methods The intracluster correlation co-efficient (ICC) and design effect were estimated. We then calculated the risk reduction (RR) of ARI from summary statistics, adjusting for the design effect, individually for the five different vitamin D treatment groups (four previously unpublished) and for all the vitamin D groups pooled. For this trial, individual patient data were used to estimate the effect of vitamin D on ARI risk and number of ARIs, adjusting for the cluster trial design, using random-effects models. Finally, we reanalysed the most recent trial-level meta-analysis, including the trial data generated by the correct analysis of the cluster randomized trial. Results There were 744 trial participants (6 treatment groups, 21 clusters, mean cluster size 35.4). The ICC was 0.08 (95% CI 0.02-0.14) and design effect 3.75. In analyses based on summary statistics, there was no statistically significant effect of vitamin D on ARI risk in any individual treatment group, or when groups were pooled (RR 0.75, 95%CI 0.50-1.13). In individual patient data analyses, there was also no statistically significant effect of vitamin D on the ARI risk or number of ARIs in any treatment group, or when pooled: odds ratio 0.58 (0.26-1.29), rate ratio 0.70 (0.44-1.12), respectively. Update of the previous meta-analysis showed no effect of vitamin D on ARI either when data from the two arms of the trial, or when all trial arms were incorporated (RR 0.98, 0.96-1.00, P=0.10 both analyses). Conclusions Overall, vitamin D supplementation had no effect on the risk of an ARI or on the number of ARIs in this trial or in a re-analysis of the most recent meta-analysis. The results of the updated meta-analysis do not suggest that vitamin D supplementation would reduce the risk of Covid 19.
Background - As investigator site audits have largely been conducted remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, remote quality monitoring has gained some momentum. To further facilitate the conduct of remote Quality Assurance (QA) activities for clinical trials, we developed new quality indicators, building on a previously published statistical modeling methodology. Methods - We modeled the risk of having an audit or inspection finding using historical audits and inspections data from 2011 - 2019. We used logistic regression to model finding risk for 4 clinical impact factor (CIF) categories: Safety Reporting, Data Integrity, Consent and Protecting Endpoints. Results - We could identify 15 interpretable factors influencing audit finding risk of 4 out of 5 CIF categories. They can be used to realistically predict differences in risk between 25 and 43% for different sites which suffice to rank sites by audit and inspection finding risk. Conclusion - Continuous surveillance of the identified risk factors and resulting risk estimates could be used to complement remote QA strategies for clinical trials and help to manage audit targets and audit focus also in post-pandemic times.
In 2012 the World Health Organization (WHO) aimed to eliminate measles in five regions by 2020. This retrospective descriptive study reviewed measles surveillance data in South Africa for the period 2015 - 2020 to document the epidemiology of measles and the progress made towards meeting the 2020 measles elimination goal. A total of 22,578 specimens were tested over the period 2015 - 2020 yielding 401 (1.8%) confirmed measles cases, 321 (1.4%) compatible and 21,856 (96.8%) discarded cases. The most affected age group was 0-4 year olds. At the provincial level, South Africa achieved adequate surveillance, defined as more than two cases of febrile rash notified annually per 100 000 popoulation, except for KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo in 2020, probably due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Of confirmed cases, only 26% were vaccinated, 3% were too young to receive vaccines, 5% were not vaccinated, and 65% had vaccination status unknown. Measles vaccine effectiveness amongst 1-4 year olds was 80%. Using the standard case definition, South Africa achieved the measles elimination target of less than one case per one million nationally in years 2015, 2016 and 2020. The years 2017 to 2019 had incidence rates exceeded one per million nationally. Using a narrow case definition, that excluded positive rubella cases, improved the indicators with only the year 2017 having an incidence rate of more than one per million. South Africa displays intermittent measles outbreaks approximately six- yearly interspersed by inter-epidemic periods in which the country meets measles elimination targets. Intense effort is needed to increase the vaccine coverage to avoid periodic outbreaks. Enhanced molecular testing of each case will be required as measles incidence declines regionally.
Background: Case reports of patients infected with COVID-19 and influenza virus (“flurona”) have raised questions around the prevalence and clinical significance of these reports. Methods: Epidemiological data from the HHS Protect Public Data Hub was analyzed to show trends in SARS-CoV-2 and influenza co-infection-related hospitalizations in the United States in relation to SARS-CoV-2 and influenza strain data from NCBI Virus and FluView. In addition, we retrospectively analyzed all cases of PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 across the Mayo Clinic Enterprise from January 2020 to January 2022 and identified cases of influenza co-infections within two weeks of PCR-positive diagnosis date. Using a cohort from the Mayo Clinic with joint PCR testing data, we estimated the expected number of co-infection cases given the background prevalences of COVID-19 and influenza during the Wuhan (Original), Alpha, Delta, and Omicron waves of the pandemic. Findings: Considering data from all states of the United States using HHS Protect Public Data Hub, hospitalizations due to influenza co-infection with SARS-CoV-2 were seen to be highest in January 2022 compared to all previous months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among 171,639 SARS-CoV-2-positive cases analyzed at Mayo Clinic between January 2020 and January 2022, only 73 cases of influenza co-infection were observed. Identified coinfected patients were relatively young (mean age: 28.4 years), predominantly male, and had few comorbidities. During the Delta era (June 16, 2021 to December 13, 2021), there were 9 lab-confirmed co-infection cases observed compared to 13.9 expected cases (95% CI: [12.7, 15.2]), and during the Omicron era (December 14, 2021 to January 17, 2022), there were 54 lab-confirmed co-infection cases compared to 80.9 expected cases (95% CI: [76.6, 85.1]). Conclusions: Reported co-infections of SARS- CoV-2 and influenza are rare. These co-infections have occurred throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and their prevalence can be explained by background rates of COVID-19 and influenza infection. Preliminary assessment of longitudinal EHR data suggests that most co-infections so far have been observed among relatively young and healthy patients. Further analysis is needed to assess the outcomes of “flurona” among subpopulations with risk factors for severe COVID-19 such as older age, obesity, and immunocompromised status. Significance Statement: Reports of COVID-19 and influenza co- infections (“flurona”) have raised concern in recent months as both COVID-19 and influenza cases have increased to significant levels in the US. Here, we analyze trends in co-infection cases over the course of the pandemic to show that these co-infection cases are expected given the background prevalences of COVID-19 and influenza independently. In addition, from an initial analysis of these co-infection cases which have been observed at the Mayo Clinic, we find that these co-infection cases are extremely rare and have mostly been observed in relatively young, healthy patients.
The time-varying reproduction number (Rt) can change rapidly over the course of a pandemic due to changing restrictions, behaviours, and levels of population immunity. Many methods exist that allow the estimation of Rt from case data. However, these are not easily adapted to point prevalence data nor can they infer Rt across periods of missing data. We developed a Bayesian P-spline model suitable for fitting to a wide range of epidemic time-series, including point-prevalence data. We demonstrate the utility of the model by fitting to periodic daily SARS-CoV-2 swab-positivity data in England from the first 7 rounds (May 2020 - December 2020) of the REal-time Assessment of Community Transmission-1 (REACT-1) study. Estimates of Rt over the period of two subsequent rounds (6-8 weeks) and single rounds (2-3 weeks) inferred using the Bayesian P-spline model were broadly consistent with estimates from a simple exponential model, with overlapping credible intervals. However, there were sometimes substantial differences in point estimates. The Bayesian P-spline model was further able to infer changes in Rt over shorter periods tracking a temporary increase above one during late-May 2020, a gradual increase in Rt over the summer of 2020 as restrictions were eased, and a reduction in Rt during England9s second national lockdown followed by an increase as the Alpha variant surged. The model is robust against both under- fitting and over-fitting and is able to interpolate between periods of available data; it is a particularly versatile model when growth rate can change over small timescales, as in the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This work highlights the importance of pairing robust methods with representative samples to track pandemics.
Production of affordable coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines in low- and middle-income countries is needed. NDV-HXP-S is an inactivated egg-based Newcastle disease virus (NDV) vaccine expressing the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Wuhan-Hu-1. The spike protein was stabilized and incorporated into NDV virions by removing the polybasic furin cleavage site, introducing the transmembrane domain and cytoplasmic tail of the fusion protein of NDV, and introducing six prolines for stabilization in the prefusion state. Vaccine production and clinical development was initiated in Vietnam, Thailand, and Brazil. Here the interim results from the first stage of the randomized, dose-escalation, observer-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 1/2 trial conducted at the Hanoi Medical University (Vietnam) are presented. Healthy adults aged 18-59 years, non-pregnant, and with self- reported negative history for SARS-CoV-2 infection were eligible. Participants were randomized to receive one of five treatments by intramuscular injection twice, 28 days apart: 1 mcg +/- CpG1018 (a toll-like receptor 9 agonist), 3 mcg alone, 10 mcg alone, or placebo. Participants and personnel assessing outcomes were masked to treatment. The primary outcomes were solicited adverse events (AEs) during 7 days and subject-reported AEs during 28 days after each vaccination. Investigators further reviewed subject-reported AEs. Secondary outcomes were immunogenicity measures (anti- spike immunoglobulin G [IgG] and pseudotyped virus neutralization). This interim analysis assessed safety 56 days after first vaccination (day 57) in treatment-exposed individuals and immunogenicity through 14 days after second vaccination (day 43) per protocol. Between March 15 and April 23, 2021, 224 individuals were screened and 120 were enrolled (25 per group for active vaccination and 20 for placebo). All subjects received two doses. The most common solicited AEs among those receiving active vaccine or placebo were all predominantly mild and included injection site pain or tenderness (<58%), fatigue or malaise (<22%), headache (<21%), and myalgia (<14%). No higher proportion of the solicited AEs were observed for any group of active vaccine. The proportion reporting vaccine-related AEs during the 28 days after either vaccination ranged from 4% to 8% among vaccine groups and was 5% in controls. No vaccine-related serious adverse event occurred. The immune response in the 10 mcg formulation group was highest, followed by 1 mcg+CpG1018, 3 mcg, and 1 mcg formulations. Fourteen days after the second vaccination, the geometric mean concentrations (GMC) of 50% neutralizing antibody against the homologous Wuhan-Hu-1 pseudovirus ranged from 56.07 IU/mL (1 mcg, 95% CI 37.01, 84.94) to 246.19 IU/mL (10 mcg, 95% CI 151.97, 398.82), with 84% to 96% of vaccine groups attaining a ≥ 4-fold increase over baseline. This was compared to a panel of human convalescent sera (N=29, 72.93 95% CI 33.00-161.14). Live virus neutralization to the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant of concern was reduced but in line with observations for vaccines currently in use. Since the adjuvant has shown modest benefit, GMC ratio of 2.56 (95% CI, 1.4
A Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of MVC-COV1901 or MVC-COV1901(Beta) Against COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Vaccine
Interventions: Biological: MVC-COV1901(Beta); Biological: MVC- COV1901
Sponsor: Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.
Not yet 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
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
Efficacy and Safety of Ingavirin®, 90 mg Capsules in Patients With COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Ingavirin®, 90 mg capsules; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: Valenta Pharm JSC
Recruiting
Availability and Advice on Test Uptake During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Vignette Study. - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Behavioral: Customised testing advice; Behavioral: Regular testing advice; Behavioral: LFT available; Behavioral: No LFT available
Sponsor:
National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)
Completed
Phase IIa Randomized Placebo Controlled Clinical Study of Codivir in Hospitalized Patients With Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: Covidir injections; Diagnostic Test: Quantitative PCR SARS-CoV-2; Diagnostic Test: IgM and IgG dosage; Diagnostic Test: Screening Blood tests; Diagnostic Test: Electrocardiogram; Other: NEWS-2 score; Other: WHO score; Other: Physical examination; Other: COVID-19-Related Symptoms assessment
Sponsor: Code Pharma
Recruiting
Exercise in Adults With Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infection Study - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Other: Exercise Prescription
Sponsor:
Baylor Research Institute
Not yet recruiting
Safety and Immunogenicity Study of EgyVax Vaccine Candidate for Prophylaxis of COVID-19 Infection - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: EgyVax Vaccine Candidate; Drug: Placebo
Sponsors: Eva Pharma; Veterinary Serum & Vaccine Research Institute (VSVRI), Egypt; The Supreme Council of University Hospitals, Egypt; Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Egypt
Not yet recruiting
To Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Inhaled CT-P63 and CT-P66 Combination Therapy in Patients With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Biological: CT-P63 and CT-P66 / Placebo
Sponsor: Celltrion
Not yet recruiting
Treatment of Non-Severe COVID-19 Outpatients With Xagrotin, Phase 3 - Condition: Sars-cov-2
Interventions: Drug: Xagrotin; Drug: Green tea
Sponsor:
Biomad AS
Not yet 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
The function of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is impaired by disulfide-bond disruption with mutation at cysteine-488 and by thiol-reactive N-acetyl-cysteine and glutathione - Viral spike proteins play important roles in the viral entry process, facilitating attachment to cellular receptors and fusion of the viral envelope with the cell membrane. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein binds to the cellular receptor angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) via its receptor-binding domain (RBD). The cysteine residue at position 488, consisting of a disulfide bridge with cysteine 480 is located in an important structural loop at…
Serological reactivity of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine based on an S-RBD neutralizing antibody assay - CONCLUSIONS: After two times of immunization, the positive rate of SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD domain antibody was high, and the vaccine had good immunogenicity. The improvement of the immune strategy should focus on the effects of BMI and other factors.
Antiviral therapy for COVID-19: Derivation of optimal strategy based on past antiviral and favipiravir experiences - Favipiravir, a broad-spectrum RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor, inhibits the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) at significantly lower concentrations than the plasma trough levels achieved by the dosage adopted for influenza treatment and exhibits efficacy against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Although high doses of favipiravir are required due to the molecule being a purine analog, its conversion into the active form in infected…
Dihydroartemisinin attenuates pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in rats by suppressing JAK2/STAT3 signaling - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, has induced a worldwide pandemic since early 2020. COVID-19 causes pulmonary inflammation, secondary pulmonary fibrosis (PF); however, there are still no effective treatments for PF. The present study aimed to explore the inhibitory effect of dihydroartemisinin (DHA) on pulmonary inflammation and PF, and its molecular mechanism. Morphological changes and collagen deposition were analyzed using hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson staining,…
The clinical impact of androgen deprivation therapy on SARS-CoV-2 infection rates and disease severity - CONCLUSION: We could not find any effect of ADT on risk and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARSCoV- 2 infection and hospitalization rates were similar between patients with and without ADT.
Effect of an Inhibitor on the ACE2-Receptor-Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2 - The recent outbreak of COVID-19 infection started in Wuhan, China, and spread across China and beyond. Since the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic (March 11, 2020), three vaccines and only one antiviral drug (remdesivir) have been approved (Oct 22, 2020) by the FDA. The coronavirus enters human epithelial cells by the binding of the densely glycosylated fusion spike protein (S protein) to a receptor (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, ACE2) on the host cell surface. Therefore, inhibiting the viral…
Vaccine-elicited murine antibody WS6 neutralizes diverse beta-coronaviruses by recognizing a helical stem supersite of vulnerability - Immunization with SARS-CoV-2 spike elicits diverse antibodies, but can any of these neutralize broadly? Here, we report the isolation and characterization of antibody WS6, from a mouse immunized with mRNA encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike. WS6 bound diverse beta-coronavirus spikes and neutralized SARS-CoV-2 variants, SARS-CoV, and related sarbecoviruses. Epitope mapping revealed WS6 to target a region in the S2 subunit, which was conserved among SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, and hCoV- OC43. The crystal…
Structural changes in the SARS-CoV-2 spike E406W mutant escaping a clinical monoclonal antibody cocktail - The SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) E406W mutation abrogates neutralization mediated by the REGEN-CoV therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) COVID-19 cocktail and the cilgavimab (AZD1061) mAb. Here, we show that this residue substitution remodels the ACE2-binding site allosterically, thereby dampening receptor recognition severely and altering the epitopes recognized by these three mAbs. Although vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibody titers are decreased similarly against the E406…
Host Chitinase 3-like-1 is a Universal Therapeutic Target for the Delta, Omicron and Other SARS-CoV-2 Viral Variants in COVID 19 - COVID 19 is the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2; SC2) which has caused a world-wide pandemic with striking morbidity and mortality. Evaluation of early SC2 strains suggested limited viral genetic diversity. However, genetic and epidemiologic investigations in the interim have revealed impressive genetic variability. Many of these viral variants are now defined as variants of concern (VOC) based on genetic alterations in their spike (S) and other…
Hantavirus Induced Kidney Disease - Hantavirus induced hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is an emerging viral zoonosis affecting up to 200,000 humans annually worldwide. This review article is focused on recent advances in the mechanism, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of hantavirus induced HFRS. The importance of interactions between viral and host factors in the design of therapeutic strategies is discussed. Hantavirus induced HFRS is characterized by thrombocytopenia and proteinuria of varying severities. The…
Circulating Microparticles in the Pathogenesis and Early Anticoagulation of Thrombosis in COVID-19 With Kidney Injury - As more is learned about the pathophysiological mechanisms of COVID-19, systemic thrombosis has been recognized as being associated with more severe clinical manifestations, mortality and sequelae. As many as 40% of patients admitted to the hospital due to COVID-19 have acute kidney injury, with coagulation abnormalities the main cause of impaired function. However, the mechanism of renal thrombosis and the process leading to kidney injury are unclear. Microparticles (MPs) are membrane bubbles…
Natural triterpenoids from licorice potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection - CONCLUSION: In this work, we found GA and A3 from licorice potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection by affecting entry and replication of the virus. Our findings indicate that these triterpenoids may contribute to the clinical efficacy of licorice for COVID-19 and could be promising candidates for antiviral drug development.
Association of Complement C3 with Clinical Deterioration Among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 - CONCLUSION: Low complement C3 levels are associated with a higher risk for clinical worsening among inpatients with COVID-19. The serum C3 levels may contribute to the identification of patient populations that could benefit from therapeutic complement inhibition.
Telacebec (Q203): Is there a novel effective and safe anti-tuberculosis drug on the horizon? - High prevalence and stronger emergency of various forms of drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), including the multidrug- resistant (MDR-TB) as well as extensively drug-resistant (XDR-TB) ones, caused by variously resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogens, make first-line anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) agents therapeutically more and more ineffective. Therefore, there is an imperative to develop novel highly efficient (synthetic) agents against both drug-sensitive-TB and DR-TB. The exploration…
Development of targeted nanoparticles loaded with antiviral drugs for SARS-CoV-2 inhibition - Recently, a novel coronavirus, known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has raised global concerns, being the etiological agent of the current pandemic infectious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Specific prophylactic treatments like vaccines, have been authorized for use by regulatory bodies in multiple countries, however there is an urgent need to identify new, safe, and targeted therapeutics as post-exposure therapy for COVID-19. Among a plethora of potential…
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
黄芩黄酮活性成分及其制剂在制备预防和/或治疗炎症风暴药物中的应用 - 本发明公开了黄芩黄酮活性成分及其制剂在制备预防和/或治疗炎症风暴药物中的应用。所述黄芩黄酮活性成分选自下述至少一种：黄芩素、汉黄芩素和千层纸素A。炎症风暴是一种机体对外界刺激的过度免疫反应和炎症反应，以炎症细胞因子的快速大量释放为特征。炎症风暴可由许多感染或非感染性疾病引起，并与疾病的严重程度和多器官功能障碍综合征的发生密切相关。减少炎症风暴的发生有助于降低器官损伤和减缓疾病进程，尤其对危重症患者的治疗至关重要。本发明发现，黄芩素、汉黄芩素、千层纸素A均具有不同程度抑制小鼠细胞因子风暴的作用。黄芩素能改善炎症风暴引发的肺损伤和炎性细胞浸润。因此黄芩黄酮活性成分可用于制备防治炎症风暴的药物。 - link
一种预防和/或治疗炎症风暴的药物组合物及其制剂与应用 - 本发明公开了一种预防和/或治疗炎症风暴的药物组合物、制剂及其应用。该药物组合物，由黄芩素、汉黄芩素和千层纸素A组成，其中，黄芩素、汉黄芩素、千层纸素A的质量比为0.251.5：0.57：1。本发明提供的自微乳包括下述组分：药物磷脂复合物、油相、乳化剂和助乳化剂；其中，所述药物磷脂复合物由上述药物组合物和磷脂材料复合而成。本发明的实验结果表明在LPS诱导的系统性炎症风暴小鼠模型中，黄芩素、汉黄芩素和千层纸素A的组合物及其自微乳制剂均具有不同程度抑制小鼠细胞因子风暴的作用。本发明为炎症风暴的临床治疗提供了一种安全、有效、经济的解决方案。 - link
用于核酸检测的微流控芯片及检测方法 - 本发明提供一种用于核酸检测的微流控芯片及检测方法。所述微流控芯片包括依次叠放在一起并相互密封的三层结构，由上至下分别为气道层、中间层和流道层；所述气道层包含两个独立的气道，所述中间层为弹性薄膜，用于控制流道层上微阀的开启和关闭，所述流道层包含四个进样口，两个出样口，四个微阀，一个LAMP反应室、一个CRISPR反应室以及若干条流道，所述微阀通过弹性薄膜与气道层的气道相连，并通过气道层气压的改变来实现微阀的开关，实现不同进样口的顺序进样。本发明将微流控与LAMP扩增技术以及CRISPR检测技术相结合，在单个芯片上实现高灵敏，高特异性的检测病毒核酸。 - 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
基于引物设计和铜纳米簇的SARS-CoV-2德尔塔变异株检测方法 - 本发明公开了一种基于引物设计和铜纳米簇的SARS‑CoV‑2德尔塔变异株检测方法。该方法结合DPO引物和AT引物成功区分了单碱基缺失的SARS‑CoV‑2德尔塔变异株和SARS‑CoV‑2野生菌株。并且DPO引物和AT引物的PCR产物可以作为CuNCs的生成模板，在紫外照射下实现SARS‑CoV‑2德尔塔变异株的可视化检测。本申请利用常规实验条件，借助PCR仪将DPO引物和AT引物结合扩增，使其SARS‑CoV‑2德尔塔变异株检测具有特异性、高灵敏、可视化的优势。 - 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