Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• Improving speed of models for improved real-world decision-making -
  The sudden onset of the COVID-19 global health crisis and as-sociated economic and social fall-out has highlighted the im-portance of speed in modeling emergency scenarios so that ro-bust, reliable evidence can be placed in policy and decision-makers’ hands as swiftly as possible. For computational social scientists who are building complex policy models but who lack ready access to high-performance computing facilities, such time-pressure can hinder effective engagement. Popular and ac-cessible agent-based modeling platforms such as NetLogo can be fast to develop, but slow to run when exploring broad param-eter spaces on individual workstations. However, while deploy-ment on high-performance computing (HPC) clusters can achieve marked performance improvements, transferring models from workstations to HPC clusters can also be a technically challenging and time-consuming task. In this paper we present a set of generic templates that can be used and adapted by NetLogo users who have access to HPC clusters but require ad-ditional support for deploying their models on such infrastruc-ture. We show that model run-time speed improvements of be-tween 200x and 400x over desktop machines are possible using 1) a benchmark ‘wolf-sheep predation’ model in addition to 2) an example drawn from our own work modeling the spread of COVID-19 in Victoria, Australia. We describe how a focus on improving model speed is non-trivial for model development and discuss its practical importance for improved policy and de-cision- making in the real world. We provide all associated doc-umentation in a linked git repository.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Improving speed of models for improved real-world decision-making
• Remote-Delivered Services on College Campuses Manuscript -
  Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically increased use of remote-delivered mental health services. This study identifies advantages and limitations of remote-delivered services on college campuses to inform mental health delivery post-pandemic. Methods: Clinicians (n = 30) were asked to evaluate COVID-19’s impact on their work, environment, and wellness in an online survey. Qualitative data was coded using a thematic analysis approach, while quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: Many clinicians reported benefits of remote services, including increased accessibility, greater convenience, no change in therapeutic alliance, and decreased stress for clinicians. Clinicians also experienced challenges such as social isolation, technological difficulties, and personal/family concerns. Clinicians envisioned a hybrid service combining online and in-person activities post- pandemic. Conclusions: Overall, remote-delivered mental health services on college campuses have potential in increasing treatment quality while highlighting a necessity for further research in hybrid mental health delivery.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Remote- Delivered Services on College Campuses Manuscript
• Reducing false-positive SARS-CoV-2 diagnoses using long-range RT-qPCR -

  Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is a sensitive molecular method for the detection of genetic material and regarded as the gold-standard for diagnostic testing. To detect respiratory RNA virus infections, a reverse transcription (RT) step is implemented to create cDNA molecules that can serve as template in the qPCR step. However, positive RT-qPCR results can be found long after patient recovery, in part because the RT-qPCR can detect residual viral RNA genome fragments. To minimize the detection of such fragments, we here modified the RT-qPCR assay by replacing the routinely used random hexamers with an oligonucleotide that binds to the 39 end of the viral genome. We demonstrate that this method allows us to distinguish between infectious and non-infectious samples. Moreover, in clinical samples obtained over 15 days after the onset of symptoms, we observe that the modified RT-qPCR protocol yields significantly fewer positive results compared to a commercial RT-qPCR test. No significantly different results were found compared to the commercial test when SARS-CoV-2 clinical samples were tested within 5 days of the onset of symptoms, suggesting that the modification has a similar sensitivity for detecting infectious viral RNA. Overall, these findings may help differentiate between incorrectly-positive, persistently positive, and reinfection cases in COVID-19 patients.

• Age and product dependent vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalisation among adults in Norway: a national cohort study, January to September 2021. -

  Background: SARS-CoV-2 vaccines show high effectiveness against infection and (severe) disease. However, few studies estimate population level vaccine effectiveness against multiple COVID-19 outcomes, by age and including homologous and heterologous vaccine regimens. Methods: Using Cox proportional hazard models on data from 4 293 544 individuals (99% of Norwegian adults), we estimated overall, age-, and product-specific vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalisation, ICU admission and death in Norway, using data from national registries. Vaccine status was included as time-dependent variable and we adjusted for sex, pre-existing medical conditions, country of birth, county of residence, and crowded living conditions. Results: Adjusted vaccine effectiveness among fully vaccinated is 72.1% (71.2-73.0) against SARS-CoV-2 infection, 92.9% (91.2-94.2) against hospitalisation, 95.5% (92.6-97.2) against ICU admission, and 88.0% (82.5-91.8) against death. Among partially vaccinated, the effectiveness is 24.3% (22.3-26-2) against infection and 82.7% (77.7-86.6) against hospitalisation. Vaccine effectiveness against infection is 84.7% (83.1-86.1) for heterologous mRNA vaccine regimens, 78.3% (76.8-79.7) for Spikevax (Moderna; mRNA-1273), 69.7% (68.6-70.8) for Comirnaty (Pfizer/BioNTech; BNT162b2), and 60.7% (57.5-63.6) for Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca; ChAdOx nCoV-19; AZD1222) with a mRNA dose among fully vaccinated. Conclusion: We demonstrate good protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe disease in fully vaccinated, including heterologous vaccine regimens, which could facilitate rapid immunization. Partially vaccinated were less likely to get severe disease than unvaccinated, though protection against infection was not as high, which could be essential in making vaccine prioritisation policies especially when availability is limited.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Age and product dependent vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalisation among adults in Norway: a national cohort study, January to September 2021.
• Machine Learning Based Prediction of COVID-19 Mortality Suggests Repositioning of Anticancer Drug for Treating Severe Cases -

  Despite available vaccinations COVID-19 case numbers around the world are still growing, and effective medications against severe cases are lacking. In this work, we developed a machine learning model which predicts mortality for COVID-19 patients using data from the multi-center Lean European Open Survey on SARS-CoV-2-infected patients (LEOSS) observational study (>100 active sites in Europe, primarily in Germany), resulting into an AUC of almost 80%. We showed that molecular mechanisms related to dementia, one of the relevant predictors in our model, intersect with those associated to COVID-19. Most notably, among these molecules was tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2), a protein that has been patented as drug target in Alzheimers Disease but also genetically associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes. We experimentally verified that anti-cancer drugs Sorafenib and Regorafenib showed a clear anti-cytopathic effect in Caco2 and VERO-E6 cells and can thus be regarded as potential treatments against COVID-19. Altogether, our work demonstrates that interpretation of machine learning based risk models can point towards drug targets and new treatment options, which are strongly needed for COVID-19.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Machine Learning Based Prediction of COVID-19 Mortality Suggests Repositioning of Anticancer Drug for Treating Severe Cases
• An outbreak inside an outbreak: rising incidence of carbapenem-resistant isolates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Report from a tertiary care center in Argentina. -

  Introduction: COVID-19 outbreaks have left us to deal with an aftermath on many fronts. In particular, disproportionate use of antibiotics, high ICU burden and longer in-hospital stays during the pandemic have been proposed to aggravate the emergency posed by carbapenem-resistant isolates (CRI), specially through carbapenemase production. However, there have been few reports worldwide regarding changes in CRI incidence and little latinamerican literature. Objective: We set out to determine whether the incidence of CRI rose in a tertiary care center in Santa Fe, Argentina during the time period with active cases of COVID-19. Methods: Analytic epidemiologic study retrospectively designed. Two time periods were defined: P1 (without active cases of COVID-19) from September, 2019 to August, 2020 and P2 (starting at the onset of the first wave of COVID-19 in this institution) from September, 2020 to June 2021. All clinically-relevant microbiological samples -those meant for diagnostic purposes- taken during the study period from patients in the Internal Medicine and Surgical wards as well as the Intensive Care Units were included. Incidence was calculated by dividing the number of CRI during each time frame by the count of patient-day during that same period, multiplied by a hundred. Results: 9,135 hospitalizations, 50,145 patient-days of analysis. A total of 7285 clinical samples were taken, with an overall positivity for CRI of 12.1% (n=883). Overall CRI incidence during P2 was 2.5 times higher than in P1 (2.52 vs 0.955/100 patient-days, p <0.001). ICU CRI incidence raised from 6.78 to 8.69/100 patient-days in P2 (p=0.006). Conclusion: We found alarming rates of CRI in our center, 2.5 times higher than previous to the first COVID-19 wave, similar to other reports worldwide. To our knowledge, this is one of the few Latin- American reports on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on CRI incidence.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: An outbreak inside an outbreak: rising incidence of carbapenem-resistant isolates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Report from a tertiary care center in Argentina.
• Translating Imperative Sentences from English into Indonesian: COVID-19 Outbreak Text -
  The imperative sentences in the source language are categorized as imperative instructions. World health organization instructs the general population not to over-take information when reading or searching for information about Corona Virus Disease 2019 because it affects our mentality. It also instructs to avoid using unhelpful coping strategies. The imperative structure rules for English and Indonesian are different. This paper aims to explore the translation techniques used in translating imperative sentences in the ‘Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak’ text into Indonesian. The authors use Molina and Albir’s (2002) translation techniques. Data collection is done by taking twenty-three the imperatives in the source language of thirty imperative sentences in the text. The imperative sentences in the SL which have infinitive verbs without to are followed by a noun, verb-ing, past participle, adjective, and second person reflexive pronoun. It is found the suffix -lah to emphasize the verb in the TL. Twenty-two data consist of positive imperative sentences and one negative imperative sentence. The results show that from the twenty-three data, the authors found that there were six translation techniques used by the authors as the translators, namely: compensation, establish equivalent, reduction, transposition, literal, and modulation. The authors used literal translation mostly, and it is done because the starting point of the imperative sentences are at the initial of the sentence and they are readable in the TL. The imperative is the starting of meaning for the source language and the target language. The readers are more acceptable to understand the context of the text. They are expected to implement the instructions in their daily lives.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Translating Imperative Sentences from English into Indonesian: COVID-19 Outbreak Text
• The Impact of COVID-19 on Americans’ Attitudes toward China: Does Local Incidence Rate Matter? -
  Linking local COVID-19 and population statistics to a U.S.-based survey we recently conducted, we study the spatial variation in the impact of COVID-19 on Americans’ attitudes toward China. The research strategy capitalizes on differential local COVID-19 incidence rates as varying dosages of the COVID-19 impact across local contexts in the U.S. Our results reveal negative yet heterogeneous effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Americans’ attitudes toward China. We find that a greater local exposure to COVID-19 is associated with a lower level of trust in Chinese and a less favorable attitude toward China. These findings lend consistent support to behavioral immune system theory by bridging the literature on contextual variations in public opinion, with broader implications for U.S.–China relations.

• Face masks influence emotion judgments of facial expressions: A drift-diffusion model -
  Face masks slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but it has been unknown how masks might reshape social interaction. One important possibility is that masks may influence how individuals communicate emotion through facial expressions. Here, we clarify to what extent—and how— masks influence facial emotion communication, through drift-diffusion modeling (DDM). Over two independent pre-registered studies, conducted three and six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, online participants judged expressions of 6 emotions (anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise) with the lower or upper face “masked” or unmasked. Participants in Study 1 (N = 228) correctly identified expressions above chance with lower face masks. However, they were less likely—and slower—to correctly identify these expressions relative to without masks, and they accumulated evidence for emotion more slowly—via decreased drift rate in DDM. This pattern replicated and intensified three months later in Study 2 (N = 264). These data could inform critical interventions to promote continued mask wearing by addressing concerns about how masks impact communication.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Face masks influence emotion judgments of facial expressions: A drift-diffusion model
• Did the Student-Instructor and Peer-to-Peer Divide Widen with Instructional Changes during COVID-19? -
  The rapid shift to online and HyFlex learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused an abrupt reconceptualization of higher education and learning communities. It also provided a fertile ground for experimentation and observation about the student experience in a highly fluid learning environment. The work presented herein was a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the student experience grounded in the theory of transactional distance. It explored the divide between students and their peers and instructors. It was hypothesized that the distance students perceived between themselves and their peers, instructors, and content was affected by the modality (in-person, online, or hybrid) in which a course was offered during the Fall 2020 semester. The Revised Scale of Transactional Distance (RSTD) instrument was deployed as a quantitative tool, and it was found that modality was a significant factor in students’ perceived transactional distance. In-person classes had the shortest perceived distance between students and their instructors and peers; conversely, online courses resulted in the largest divide. A systematic qualitative analysis identified three themes in student interview data: changes in learning environments, changes in learning strategies, and changes in relationships with professors. The implications of these data were discussed and mitigation strategies including intentionality in course design and collaborative spaces were presented.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Did the Student-Instructor and Peer-to-Peer Divide Widen with Instructional Changes during COVID-19?
• SARS-CoV-2 Envelope protein (E) binds and activates TLR2: A novel target for COVID-19 interventions -
  In this study, we present a molecular characterization of the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein E with TLR2. We demonstrated that E protein interacts physically with TLR2 receptor in a specific and dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we showed that this interaction is able to engage TLR2 pathway as demonstrated by its capacity to activate NF-{kappa}B transcription factor and to stimulate the production of CXCL8 inflammatory chemokine in a TLR2-dependent manner. Furthermore, in agreement with the importance of NF-{kappa}B in TLR signaling pathway, we showed that the chemical inhibition of this transcription factor led to significant inhibition of CXCL8 production, while blockade of P38 and ERK1/2 MAP kinases resulted only in a partial CXCL8 inhibition. Overall, our findings suggest considering the envelope protein E as a novel target for COVID-19 interventions: (i) either by exploring the therapeutic effect of anti-E blocking/neutralizing antibodies in symptomatic COVID-19 patients, or (ii) as a promising non-Spike SARS-CoV-2 antigen candidate to include in the development of next generation prophylactic vaccines against COVID-19 infection and disease.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: SARS-CoV-2 Envelope protein (E) binds and activates TLR2: A novel target for COVID-19 interventions
• Ensemble cryo-electron microscopy reveals conformational states of the nsp13 helicase in the SARS-CoV-2 helicase replication-transcription complex -
  The SARS-CoV-2 nonstructural proteins coordinate genome replication and gene expression. Structural analyses revealed the basis for coupling of the essential nsp13 helicase with the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) where the holo-RdRp and RNA substrate (the replication-transcription complex, or RTC) associated with two copies of nsp13 (nsp132-RTC). One copy of nsp13 interacts with the template RNA in an opposing polarity to the RdRp and is envisaged to drive the RdRp backwards on the RNA template (backtracking), prompting questions as to how the RdRp can efficiently synthesize RNA in the presence of nsp13. Here, we use cryo-electron microscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the nsp132-RTC, revealing four distinct conformational states of the helicases. The results suggest a mechanism for the nsp132-RTC to turn backtracking on and off, using an allosteric mechanism to switch between RNA synthesis or backtracking in response to stimuli at the RdRp active site.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Ensemble cryo-electron microscopy reveals conformational states of the nsp13 helicase in the SARS-CoV-2 helicase replication-transcription complex
• Nebulized delivery of a broadly neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific nanobody prevents clinical, virological and pathological disease in a Syrian hamster model of COVID-19 -
  There remains an unmet need for globally deployable, low-cost therapeutics for the ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Previously, we reported on the isolation and in vitro characterization of a potent single-domain nanobody, NIH-CoVnb-112, specific for the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we report on the molecular basis for the observed broad in vitro neutralization capability of NIH-CoVnb-112 against variant SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses, including the currently dominant Delta variant. The structure of NIH-CoVnb-112 bound to SARS- CoV-2 RBD reveals a large contact surface area overlapping the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding site, which is largely unencumbered by the common RBD mutations. In an in vivo pilot study, we demonstrate effective reductions in weight loss, viral burden, and lung pathology in a Syrian hamster model of COVID-19 following nebulized delivery of NIH-CoVnb-112. These findings support the further development of NIH-CoVnb-112 as a potential adjunct preventative therapeutic for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Nebulized delivery of a broadly neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific nanobody prevents clinical, virological and pathological disease in a Syrian hamster model of COVID-19
• Expression and novel alternative purification of the recombinant nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV-2 in Escherichia coli for the serodiagnosis of COVID-19 -
  The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus causes severe acute respiratory syndrome and has caused a global pandemic by causing the COVID-19 disease. To monitor and control it, diagnostic methods such as molecular and serological tests are necessary. The serological approach use SARS-CoV-2 antigens to detect the antibodies present in patients using quantitative techniques such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or qualitative rapid tests such as lateral flow chromatography (RDT’s). The main antigens used are the spike protein (S) and the nucleocapsid protein (N). Both proteins are obtained in different expression systems, in eukaryotic cells, their production is expensive, so in this work we chose a simpler and cheaper system such as prokaryotic to express and purify the N protein. Thereore, the nucleotide sequence had to being optimized to be expressed in Escherichia coli. The protein N is sensitive to E.coli proteases and also has the ability to self-proteolyze under native conditions, degrading into different fragments. However, under denaturing conditions, using urea and at pH 5.3 it is stable and efficiently purified using metal exchange chromatography (IMAC). In our purification strategy, we surprisingly found that by not using a sonicator, a homogeneous and time-stable preparation of the recombinant antigen is obtained. An approximate yield of 200 mg / L was obtained. It was then tested with healthy sera and sera from COVID-19 convalescent patients in Wester-blot tests that were able to recognize it. Our work provides a novel strategy to produce the SARS-CoV-2 protein N so that it can be used as an input in the development and innovation of serological tests in the diagnosis of COVID-19.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Expression and novel alternative purification of the recombinant nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV-2 in Escherichia coli for the serodiagnosis of COVID-19
• Total virome characterizations of game animals in China reveals a spectrum of emerging viral pathogens -
  Game animals are wildlife species often traded and consumed as exotic food, and are potential reservoirs for SARS- CoV and SARS-CoV-2. We performed a meta-transcriptomic analysis of 1725 game animals, representing 16 species and five mammalian orders, sampled across China. From this we identified 71 mammalian viruses, with 45 described for the first time. Eighteen viruses were considered as potentially high risk to humans and domestic animals. Civets (Paguma larvata) carried the highest number of potentially high risk viruses. We identified the transmission of Bat coronavirus HKU8 from a bat to a civet, as well as cross-species jumps of coronaviruses from bats to hedgehogs and from birds to porcupines. We similarly identified avian Influenza A virus H9N2 in civets and Asian badgers, with the latter displaying respiratory symptoms, as well as cases of likely human-to-wildlife virus transmission. These data highlight the importance of game animals as potential drivers of disease emergence.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Total virome characterizations of game animals in China reveals a spectrum of emerging viral pathogens

From Clinical Trials

• BREATHE: Virtual Self-management for Long COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Other: BREATHE
  Sponsor:  
  University of Calgary
  Not yet recruiting

• Adding Colchicine to Tocilizumab in Patients With Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia. - Condition:   COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Intervention:   Drug: Colchicine
  Sponsor:  
  Hamad Medical Corporation
  Recruiting

• the Safety and Efficacy of Meplazumab in Patients With COVID-19 - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Drug: Meplazumab for Injection;   Drug: Sterile normal saline (0.9%)
  Sponsor:   Jiangsu Pacific Meinuoke Bio Pharmaceutical Co Ltd
  Not yet recruiting

• Health Information Technology for COVID-19 Testing in Schools (SCALE-UP Counts) - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Behavioral: Text Messaging (TM);   Behavioral: Text Messaging + Health Navigation (TM+HN)
  Sponsors:   University of Utah;   Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
  Not yet recruiting

• Hypertonic Saline Nasal Irrigation and Gargling (HSNIG) for Suspected COVID-19 in Pakistan - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Other: Hypertonic Saline Nasal Irrigation and Gargles (HSNIG)
  Sponsors:   The Allergy and Asthma Institute, Pakistan;   University of Edinburgh
  Recruiting

• Immunogenicity And Safety of COVID-19 Vaccine , Inactivated Co -Administration With EV71 Vaccine (Vero Cell) - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: Experimental Group
  Sponsor:  
  Sinovac Biotech Co., Ltd
  Not yet recruiting

• A Study to Evaluate Safety & Immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 DNA Vaccine Delivered Intramuscularly Followed by Electroporation for COVID-19 - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Biological: SARS-CoV-2 DNA Vaccine;   Biological: Matching placebo
  Sponsors:   The University of Hong Kong;   Immuno Cure 3 Limited
  Not yet recruiting

• Homeopathic Treatment of Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome - Condition:   Post-acute Covid-19 Syndrome
  Interventions:   Drug: Homeopathic Medication;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine;   Samueli Institute for Information Biology
  Recruiting

• Intranasal INNA-051 for Prevention of COVID-19 in Adults - Condition:   COVID-19 Pandemic
  Interventions:   Drug: INNA-051;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsor:   ENA Respiratory Pty Ltd
  Not yet recruiting

• Effectiveness of Interactive Voice Response for COVID-19 Vaccination Training in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Conditions:   COVID-19 Vaccine Knowledge;   COVID-19 Vaccine Beliefs
  Interventions:  
  Behavioral: COVID-19 Vaccine IVR Training;   Behavioral: Control Condition
  Sponsors:   Stanford University;   Viamo
  Not yet recruiting

• A Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of RUTI® to Reduce the Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (COVID-19) - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: RUTI® vaccine;   Biological: Placebo
  Sponsors:   RUTI Immunotherapeutics S.L.;   Archivel Farma S.L.
  Not yet recruiting

• Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (IN-B009) in Healthy Adults (COVID-19) - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: IN-B009 (Low-dose);   Biological: IN-B009 (High- dose)
  Sponsor:   HK inno.N Corporation
  Recruiting

• Lot-to-lot Consistency of an Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Between Different Workshops in Healthy Children Aged 3-17 Years - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero cell) Lot 1 of the workshop 2;   Biological: Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero cell) Lot 2 of the workshop 2;   Biological: Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero cell) Lot 3 of the workshop 2;   Biological: Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero cell) Lot 1 of the workshop 3;   Biological: Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero cell) Lot 2 of the workshop 3;   Biological: Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero cell) Lot 3 of the workshop 3;   Biological: Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero cell) Lot 1 of the workshop 1
  Sponsor:   Sinovac Biotech Co., Ltd
  Recruiting

• The Potential Use of Nebulized Hydroxychloroquine for the Treatment of COVID-19 - Condition:   2019 Novel Coronavirus
  Interventions:   Drug: HCQ01;   Other: standard of care (SOC) for COVID-19
  Sponsors:   Ministry of Health Jordan;   King Hussein Cancer Center;   ACDIMA Biocenter;   Amman Pharmaceutical Industries;   Sana Pharmaceutical Industry
  Not yet recruiting

• The Effect Of Music On Compliance Of Patients İn COVİD-19 Intensive Care Unit With CPAP Device - Conditions:   COVID-19;   COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
  Intervention:   Device: Listening to music with a bluetooth headset to patients receiving CPAP support
  Sponsors:   SÜMEYYE BİLGİLİ;   Ataturk University
  Recruiting

From PubMed

• Characterization of the Trans-Epithelial Transport of Green Tea (C. sinensis) Catechin Extracts with In Vitro Inhibitory Effect against the SARS-CoV-2 Papain-like Protease Activity - This work describes an untargeted analytical approach for the screening, identification, and characterization of the trans-epithelial transport of green tea (Camellia sinensis) catechin extracts with in vitro inhibitory effect against the SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease (PLpro) activity. After specific catechin extraction, a chromatographic separation obtained six fractions were carried out. The fractions were assessed in vitro against the PLpro target. Fraction 5 showed the highest inhibitory…

• Naturally Available Flavonoid Aglycones as Potential Antiviral Drug Candidates against SARS-CoV-2 - Flavonoids are important secondary plant metabolites that have been studied for a long time for their therapeutic potential in inflammatory diseases because of their cytokine-modulatory effects. Five flavonoid aglycones were isolated and identified from the hydrolyzed aqueous methanol extracts of Anastatica hierochuntica L., Citrus reticulata Blanco, and Kickxia aegyptiaca (L.) Nabelek. They were identified as taxifolin (1), pectolinarigenin (2), tangeretin (3), gardenin B (4), and hispidulin…

• Pathogenic Basis of Thromboinflammation and Endothelial Injury in COVID-19: Current Findings and Therapeutic Implications - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has become a global pandemic with a great impact on social and economic activities, as well as public health. In most patients, the symptoms of COVID-19 are a high-grade fever and a dry cough, and spontaneously resolve within ten days. However, in severe cases, COVID-19 leads to atypical bilateral interstitial pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and systemic thromboembolism,…

• Structural and Biochemical Analysis of the Dual Inhibition of MG-132 against SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (Mpro/3CLpro) and Human Cathepsin-L - After almost two years from its first evidence, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to afflict people worldwide, highlighting the need for multiple antiviral strategies. SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro/3CLpro) is a recognized promising target for the development of effective drugs. Because single target inhibition might not be sufficient to block SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication, multi enzymatic-based therapies may provide a better strategy. Here we present a structural and biochemical…

• Ezrin Peptide Therapy from HIV to COVID: Inhibition of Inflammation and Amplification of Adaptive Anti-Viral Immunity - Human Ezrin Peptides (HEPs) are inhibitors of expression of IL-6 and other inflammatory cytokines, amplifiers of adaptive B cell and T cell immunity and enhancers of tissue repair. The mutation stable C-terminus of HIV gp120, mimics 69% of the “Hep-receptor”, a zipped α-helical structure in the middle of the α domain of human ezrin protein. Synthetic peptides homologous to the Hep-receptor of ezrin of five to fourteen amino acids, activate anti-viral immunity against a wide range of viruses…

• Whey-Derived Peptides at the Heart of the COVID-19 Pandemic - The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a key regulator of blood pressure and hypertension. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and angiotensin-converting enzyme I (ACE) are two main components of the RAS that play a major role in blood pressure homeostasis. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses ACE2 as a receptor to enter cells. Despite some controversies, numerous studies have reported a significant association between the use of ACE inhibitors and reduced risk…

• Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus replication is reduced by inhibition of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway - Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) is a newly discovered enteric coronavirus. We have previously shown that the caspase-dependent FASL-mediated and mitochondrion-mediated apoptotic pathways play a central role in SADS-CoV- induced apoptosis, which facilitates viral replication. However, the roles of intracellular signaling pathways in SADS- CoV-mediated cell apoptosis and the relative advantages that such pathways confer on the host or virus remain largely unknown. In this study,…

• Intralesional delivery of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in acute myocardial infarction: Review and recommendations - Plaque rupture leads to a cascade of events culminating in collagen disruption, tissue factor release, platelet activation and thrombus formation. Pro-inflammatory conditions, hyperglycemia and smoking predispose to high thrombus burden (HTB) which is an independent predictor of slow or no-reflow. In patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) reduce thrombus burden and improve myocardial perfusion. These agents are typically administered systemically…

• Computational identification of potential inhibitory compounds in Indian medicinal and aromatic plant species against major pathogenicity determinants of SARS-CoV-2 - SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) viral pandemic has been reported across 223 countries and territories. Globalized vaccination programs alongside administration of repurposed drugs will assumingly confer a stronger and longer individual specific immune protection. However, considering possible recurrence of the disease via new variants, a conveniently deliverable phytopharmaceutical drug might be the best option for COVID-19 treatment. In the current study, the efforts have been made to identify potential…

• ARB might be superior to ACEI for treatment of hypertensive COVID-19 patients - The administration of ACEI/ARB (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/Angiotension II receptor blockers) in COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) patients with hypertension exhibits a lower risk of mortality compared with ACEI/ARB non- users. In this context, an important question arises: is ACEI or ARB more suitable for the treatment of hypertensive COVID-19 patients? Taken into consideration the following four rationales, ARB may offer a more significant benefit than ACEI for the short-term…

• ProLung-budesonide Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Replication and Reduces Lung Inflammation - CONCLUSIONS: ProLung™-budesonide significantly inhibited viral replication in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. It localized into type II pneumocytes, decreased lung inflammation, AHR and EPO activity with Mch challenge. This novel drug formulation may offer a potential inhalational treatment for COVID-19.

• Advances of nanomaterials-based strategies for fighting against COVID-19 - The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected over 100 million people globally due to its high infectivity. After decades of efforts on the studies of nanomaterials, researchers have applied nanomaterials- based strategies to combat the pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). First, nanomaterials facilitate the development of easy, fast, and low-cost diagnostic assays to detect SARS-CoV-2 and related biomarkers. Second, nanomaterials enable the…

• Silver nanoparticle based multifunctional approach for combating COVID-19 - COVID-19 is a highly contagious and widespread disease that has strained the global healthcare system to the hilt. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are well known for their potent antimicrobial, antiviral, immunomodulatory and biosensing properties. AgNPs have been found to be potential antiviral agent that act against many deadly viruses and is presumed to be effective against COVID-19. AgNPs can generate free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to apoptosis mediated cell death…

• Hyperglycosylated spike of SARS-CoV-2 gamma variant induces breast cancer metastasis - SARS-CoV-2 exploits the host cellular machinery for virus replication leading to the acute syndrome of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Growing evidence suggests SARS-CoV-2 also exacerbates many chronic diseases, including cancers. As mutations on the spike protein (S) emerged as dominant variants that reduce vaccine efficacy, little is known about the relation between SARS-CoV-2 virus variants and cancers. Compared to the SARS-CoV-2 wild-type, the Gamma variant contains two additional NXT/S…

• Isolation and Characterization of Mouse Monoclonal Antibodies That Neutralize SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants of Concern Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta by Binding Conformational Epitopes of Glycosylated RBD With High Potency - Antibodies targeting Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 have been suggested to account for the majority of neutralizing activity in COVID-19 convalescent sera and several neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) have been isolated, characterized and proposed as emergency therapeutics in the form of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, SARS-CoV-2 variants are rapidly spreading worldwide from the sites of initial identification. The variants of concern (VOC) B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), P.1…

From Patent Search

• Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and uses thereof I - - link

• Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and uses thereof II - - link

• 휴대용 자화 육각수물 발생기 - 본인의 발명은, 사람의 신체에서 육각수물 생성에는 한계가 있으며, 동맥혈관, 정맥혈관 내부 혈액은 수분이 약 90% 이며, 건강한 성인이면, 육각수 물은 약 62% 이며, COVID-19 환자, 사고의 부상, 17만개의 질병, 질환으로 조직세포가 손상되면 자기 신체수복을 위해서 육각수 물을 평소보다 많이 흡수 하면서 동반 산소부족 상태가 되며, 육각수물 보충 없이 산소 호흡기를 사용하면 심각한 후유증이 발병 할 수 있다.

육각수물 부족 상태를 해결하기 위해서, 객관적인 과학적으로 네오디뮴(원자번호 = 60) 3.000 가우스의 자기장을 이용하여서 육각수 물을 62% ~ 80% 이상, 상시 유지 시켜주는 제조 방법이며, 휴대용으로 항시 착용 가능하다. 결론은 COVID-19, 질병, 질환의 근본적인 원인은, 육각수물 부족 상태가 되면 동반 산소 부족 상태가 되면서, 염증 -> 통증 -> 극심한 통증 -> 석회화, 섬유화, 암 까지 발병 한다. - link

• 휴대용 자화 육각수물 발생기 - 본인의 발명은, 사람의 신체에서 육각수 생성에는 한계가 있으며, 동맥혈관, 정맥혈관 내부 혈액은 수분이 90% 이며, 육각수물은 약 62% 이며, COVID-19, 사고 부상, 질병, 질환으로 조직세포가 손상되면 자기 신체수복을 위해서 육각수물을 평소보다 많이 흡수하면서 산소부족 상태가 되며, 육각수 보충 없이 산소호흡기를 사용하면 심각한 후유증이 발병 할 수 있다 육각수물 부족 상태를 해결하기 위해서, 객관적인 과학적으로 네오디뮴(원자번호 = 60) 3.000 가우스의 자기장을 이용하여서 육각수물을 62% ~ 80% 상시 유지 시켜주는 제조 방법이며, 휴대용으로 항시 착용 가능하다. 결론은 COVID-19, 질병, 질환의 근본적인 원인은, 육각수물 부족 상태가 되면 동반 산소 부족 상태가 되면서, 염증 -> 통증 -> 극심한 통증 -> 석회화, 섬유화, 암 까지 발병 한다. - link

• 用于检测新冠病毒的配对抗体及其应用 - 本发明涉及一种用于检测新冠病毒的配对抗体及其应用，其包括第一检测抗体和第二检测抗体；第一检测抗体具有如SEQ ID NO:1~3所示的轻链互补决定区，以及如SEQ ID NO:4~6所示的重链互补决定区，第二检测抗体具有如SEQ ID NO:7~9所示的轻链互补决定区，以及如SEQ ID NO:10~12所示的重链互补决定区。本发明筛选得到具有上述互补决定区序列的配对抗体，其识别N蛋白的不同表位，且由于两种抗体识别的是N蛋白非核酸结合区域，不会受核酸负电荷干扰，对核酸抗原表现出了兼容性，具有较好的稳定性，同时上述配对抗体具有较高的亲和力，病毒N蛋白检测灵敏度高。 - link

• 抗KL-6双特异性抗体及基因、重组载体、药物、试剂盒 - 本发明公开了抗KL‑6双特异性抗体或其变体、或其功能性片段，所述抗KL‑6双特异性抗体或其变体、或其功能性片段包括抗PTS域和抗SEA域，所述抗PTS域的重链可变区的CDR1、CDR2和CDR3分别具有SEQ ID NO.1~3所示的氨基酸序列。本发明还提供了基因、重组载体、药物、试剂盒。本发明的抗KL‑6双特异性抗体或其变体、或其功能性片段用于与KL‑6蛋白特异性结合，基因、重组载体用于抗KL‑6双特异性抗体的制备，药物用于治疗KL‑6蛋白引起的相关疾病，试剂盒用于KL‑6蛋白的定量检测。 - link

• 基于决策树模型与逻辑回归模型组合的感染筛查方法 - 本发明公开了一种基于决策树模型与逻辑回归模型组合的感染筛查方法，其检测操作方便，可提高感染筛查准确性，该方法基于生命体征监护仪实现，生命体征监护仪与远程数据服务平台通信连接，远程数据服务平台依据临床数据进行感染筛查，该方法包括：通过生命体征监护仪检测获取用户临床数据，将临床数据随机划分为训练集、测试集，将训练集均分为两份：训练集A、训练集B，基于训练集A构建决策树模型，同时，对训练集A进行特征选择，将关键特征向量作为已构建的决策树模型的输入，获取新构造特征向量，基于组合特征向量，构造逻辑回归模型，基于决策树模型和逻辑回归模型组合，对测试集进行预测分类，获取分类结果。 - link

• 病毒中和抗体与非中和抗体联合检测方法、检测卡及应用 - 一种病毒中和抗体与非中和抗体联合检测方法、检测卡及其应用，通过病毒受体结合蛋白夹心法原理检测中和抗体，其为通过提前设置病毒受体结合蛋白和能阻断中和抗体与其结合的作为配体的蛋白所形成的复合物，将靶向受体蛋白的非中和抗体提前捕获，保证后续通过夹心法检测中和抗体的特异性。解决了现有技术中中和抗体检测灵敏度低、特异性差以及不能区分中和抗体与非中和抗体的问题，提供了一种简便、快速、灵敏度高、特异性高的病毒中和抗体与非中和抗体联合检测方法、检测卡及其应用。 - link

• 扩增△500-532的SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1基因的引物对及其检测方法 - 本发明公开了一种扩增Δ500‑532的SARS‑CoV‑2 Nsp1基因的引物对及其检测方法。引物对的具体序列如SEQ ID NO.1和SEQ ID NO.2所示，其检测方法为：采用引物对对SARS‑CoV‑2 Nsp1基因进行PCR，对PCR产物进行变性退火后，加入T7EI内切酶孵育，再进行PCR扩增，并判断是否存在Δ500‑532的SARS‑CoV‑2 Nsp1基因。本发明可简便快捷的区分出SARS‑CoV‑2 Nsp1基因突变型和野生型。 - link

• 多肽及其在新型冠状病毒检测中的应用 - 本发明涉及生物医学领域，具体而言，涉及一种多肽及其在新型冠状病毒检测中的应用。所述多肽包括如下部分：S——Linker——N——avi‑tag。通过经过优化的刚性linker序列把S蛋白和N蛋白串联起来，使得这两个蛋白即具备相对独立的空间构象，又增加了许多优势表位，很大程度上提高了灵敏度和信号值；此外，融合蛋白引入Avi‑tag，使得重组蛋白可以通过固定的位点被固相化，降低包被过程所带来的空间位阻的影响。由此，该多肽能够达到很高的灵敏度和特异性，并且不易发生漏检。 - link