Background: The objectives of this study were to compare the cumulative incidence, hospitalizations and mortality, by country and age group, in child and young people (CYP) from the beginning of the pandemic to January 2022, and to describe the differences and similarities and justification in the measures adopted in relation to CYP vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Methods: A descriptive quantitative summary of the available data on the impact of the COVID-19 on children and adolescents (<18y) from 7 countries (Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Nigeria, Ghana, Spain) or regions (Kocaeli, Turkey), based on official published data was performed. Outcome measures were available data on incidence, admission to hospital and to intensive care units (ICU), and deaths, by country or region; vaccination plans, including age, type of vaccine and official justification about the proposal. Results: All countries analyzed data showed variable incidence rate, and relatively low ICU hospitalizations and deaths. Vaccines used and age at starting were also variable, i.e. starting at 3-5y in some Latin American countries, while in other countries proposal starts at 15y old. Almost all justifications were based on the idea to promote collective protection, and that vaccination is important as it -directly and indirectly- protect the rest of the population. Conclusions: The results reinforce the idea of the urgent need to prioritize globally and equitably distribution of vaccines in the population at greatest risk, and to apply the precautionary principle in CYP before deciding to massively vaccinate it.
Background : To promote the vaccination against COVID-19, person-to-person communication from vaccinated people will play an important role. The objectives of this study are to identify what messages were shared by vaccinated people, and the relationship between these messages and their background. Methods : This study was an exploratory and prospective basis with individual interviews. The participants were healthcare providers and healthy adults who were recruited at a vaccination site in Chuo-City, Tokyo. The online interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview. Based on the Health Belief Model (HBM), the participants were asked about their perspectives on vaccines and what they talked about after their vaccination. The interviews were categorized into each item of the HBM and analyzed using NVivo software. Results : During August to October 2021, five healthcare providers and seven healthy adults were enrolled in the study. One healthy adult could not be contacted resulting in a total of 11 participants interviewed. Both the healthcare providers and the healthy adults mainly talked about side effects after their vaccination, and to ease the other persons’ concerns based on their experience. Meanwhile, there were differences in the recommendations for vaccination between the two groups. The healthcare providers were strongly aware of the severity of COVID-19 infection and recommended vaccination to others as a useful measure to suppress becoming severely ill. On the other hand, the healthy adults recommended the vaccine with varying degree depending on their expectations and concerns about the vaccine and external factors such as living with a family member. Conclusion : Both the healthcare providers and healthy adults shared similar messages to ease the vaccination concerns of others. However, their vaccine recommendation level was varied, which may be influenced not only by expectations and concerns toward the vaccine, but also by external factors such as family members living together.
Mathematical modelling plays a key role in understanding and predicting the epidemiological dynamics of infectious diseases. We construct a flexible discrete-time model that incorporates multiple viral strains with different transmissibilities to estimate the changing infectious contact that leads to new infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a Bayesian approach, we fit the model to longitudinal data on hospitalisations with COVID-19 from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland during the first year of the pandemic. We describe the estimated change in infectious contact in the context of government-mandated non-pharmaceutical interventions in the two jurisdictions on the island of Ireland. We also take advantage of the fitted model to conduct counterfactual analyses exploring the impact of lockdown timing and a more transmissible new variant. We found substantial differences in infectious contact between the two jurisdictions during periods of varied restriction easing and December holidays. Our counterfactual analyses reveal that implementing lockdowns earlier would have decreased subsequent hospitalisation substantially in most, but not all cases, and that an introduction of a more transmissible variant - without necessarily being more severe - can cause a large impact on the health care burden.
Background: While dialysis patients are at greater risk of serious SARS-CoV-2 complications, stringent infection prevention measures can help mitigate the risk of infection and transmission within dialysis facilities. We describe an outbreak of 14 cases diagnosed in a 13-day period between May and June of 2021 in a hospital-based ESRD facility, and our coordinated use of epidemiology, viral genome sequencing, and infection control practices to quickly end the cycle of transmission. Methods: Symptomatic patients and staff members were diagnosed via RT-PCR tests. Facility-wide screening was conducted using rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests. SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences were obtained from residual diagnostic PCR specimens. Results: Of the 106 patients who received dialysis in the facility, 10 were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, as was one patient support person. Of three positive staff members, two were unvaccinated and had provided care for six and four of the affected patients, respectively. Sequencing demonstrated that all the cases in the cluster shared an identical B.1.1.7./Alpha substrain. Attack rates were greatest among unvaccinated patients and staff. Vaccine effectiveness was 88% among patients. Conclusions: Prompt recognition of an infection cluster and rapid intervention efforts successfully ended the outbreak. Alongside consistent adherence to core infection prevention measures, vaccination was highly effective in reducing disease incidence and morbidity in this vulnerable population.
We studied 249,070 patients who were tested for SARS-CoV-2 in the Cleveland Clinic Health System between October 1, 2021 and January 31, 2022. We found that vaccination, especially with recent boosting, was more effective than prior infection and monoclonal antibody therapy against both the delta and omicron variants. Vaccination and prior infection were much less effective against infection with the omicron variant than with the delta variant, but the opposite was true of death after infection. Boosting greatly increased the effectiveness of the two mRNA vaccines against both infection and death, although its effects waned markedly after 6 months. In addition, monoclonal antibody therapy was notably less effective at preventing death from the omicron variant than from the delta variant. Finally, the relatively low mortality of the omicron variant was due to both the reduced lethality of this variant and the increased population immunity acquired from booster vaccination and previous infection.
Background: Vaccine adverse event reporting system (VAERS) was established in the United States (U.S.) as an early warning system with a main purpose of collecting postmarketing adverse events following immunizations (AEFIs) reports to monitor the vaccine safety and to mitigate the risks from vaccines. During the coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, VAERS got more attention as its important role in monitoring the safety of the vaccines. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate VAERS patterns, reported AEFIs, adverse events of special interest (AESIs), impact of different pandemics since its inception, and surveillance rate of serious vs nonserious AEFIs. Methods: This was an observational study using VARES data from 2/7/1990 to 12/11/2021. Patterns of reports over years were first described, followed by a comparison of reports statistics per year. Furthermore, a comparison of incidents (death, ER visits, etc.) statistics over years, in addition to statistics of each vaccine were calculated. Moreover, each incident9s statistics for each vaccine were calculated and top vaccines were reported. Finally, survival analysis utilizing cox regression was done, in addition to AESIs distribution stratified by age groups and gender. All analyses were conducted using R (Version 1.4.1717) and Excel for Microsoft 365. Results: There were 1,396,280 domestic and 346,210 non-domestic reports during 1990-2021, including 228 vaccines. For both domestic and non-domestic reports, year of 2021 had the highest reporting rate (48.52% and 70.33%), in addition a notable changes in AEFIs patterns were recorded during 1991, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2017. AEFIs were as follow: deaths (1.00% and 4.08%), ER or doctor visits (13.37% and 2.27%), hospitalizations (5.84% and 27.78%), lethal threat (1.42% and 4.38%), and disabilities (1.4% and 7.96%). Pyrexia was the top reported symptom during the past 31 years, except for 2021 where headache was the top one. COVID-19 vaccines namely Moderna, Pfizer-Biontech, and Janssen were the top 3 reported vaccines with headache, pyrexia, and fatigue as the top associated AEFIs. Followed by Zoster, Seasonal Influenza, Pneumococcal, and Human papillomavirus vaccines. Myocarditis or Pericarditis were the top reported AESIs (26.95% and 25.84%). Male (HR:1.15, 1.14 - 1.16) for domestic (HR:1.23, 1.22 -1.25) for nondomestic have a higher probability of having serious AEFIs. In addition, age group ≤ 5 years old in domestic and >84 years old in nondomestic have a higher probability of having AEFIs compared to other age groups. Conclusions: The large data available in VARES make it a useful tool for detecting and monitoring vaccine AEFIs. However, its usability relies on understating the limitations of this surveillance system, the impact of governmental regulations, availability of vaccines, and public health recommendations on the reporting rate.
Background: Vaccines to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe outcomes were approved in 2021 for adolescent and subsequently pediatric populations. With the emergence of variants of concern, it is important to continue to assess vaccine effectiveness against both infection and severe disease manifestations. Methods: Using an age and time-matched nested case-control design, we estimated the vaccine effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination at preventing hospitalization among adolescent and pediatric patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. We linked SARS-CoV-2 cases ages 4 to 17 years in Ontarios reportable diseases database to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination records. We included 1,441 incident SARS- CoV-2 cases occurring between May 28, 2021 and January 10, 2022. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate the effectiveness of one and two mRNA vaccine doses against hospitalization among adolescent and pediatric SARS-CoV-2 cases. We quantified and mitigated the impact of unmeasured confounding by calculating an E-value and by applying instrumental variable methods. Results: We included n=131 hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 cases and n=1,310 non- hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 cases. One vaccine dose was shown to be 37% effective against hospitalization among SARS-CoV-2 cases (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.63 [95% CI: 0.33, 1.13]). In contrast, two doses were 59% (aOR = 0.41 [95% CI: 0.21, 0.77]) effective at preventing hospitalization among SARS-CoV-2 cases. Conclusions: Even with immune evasion by SARS-CoV-2 variants, two vaccine doses continue to provide protection against hospitalization among adolescent and pediatric patients, even when the vaccines do not prevent infection. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines remain a safe and effective intervention to prevent severe outcomes.
Background As a novel disease, understanding the relationship between the clinical and demographic characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and their outcome is critical. We investigated this relationship in hospitalized patients in a tertiary healthcare setting. Aims/objectives To study COVID-19 severity and outcomes in relation to clinical and demographic characteristics of in admitted patients Methodology In this cross- sectional study, medical records for 1087 COVID-19 patients were reviewed to extract symptoms, comorbidities, demographic characteristics, and outcomes data. Statistical analyses included the post-stratification chi-square test, independent sample t-test, multivariate logistic regression, and time-to-event analysis. Results The majority of the study participants were >50 years old (67%) and male (59%) and had the following symptoms: fever (96%), cough (95%), shortness of breath (73%), loss of taste (77%), and loss of smell (77%). Regarding worst outcome, multivariate regression analysis showed that these characteristics were statistically significant: shortness of breath (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 31.3; 95% CI, 11.87–82.53; p < 0.001), intensive care unit (ICU) admission (aOR 28.3; 95% CI,9.0–89.6; p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (aOR 5.1; 95% CI;3.2–8.2; p < 0.001), ischemic heart disease (aOR 3.4; 95% CI,1.6–7; p = 0.001), nausea and vomiting (aOR 3.3; 95% CI, 1.7–6.6; p = 0.001), and prolonged hospital stay (aOR 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02–1.08; p = 0.001), while patients with rhinorrhea were significantly protected (aOR 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2–0.5; p < 0.001). A Kaplan–Meier curve showed that the symptoms of shortness of breath, ICU admission, fever, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea increased the risk of mortality. Conclusion Increasing age, certain comorbidities and symptoms, and direct admission to the ICU increased the risk of worse outcomes. Further research is needed to determine risk factors that may increase disease severity and devise a proper risk-scoring system to initiate timely management.
Background: COVID-19 vaccination was recommended for adolescents in Norway since August 2021. In this population-based cohort study, we estimated the BNT162b2 vaccine effectiveness against any PCR-confirmed (symptomatic or not) SARS-CoV-2 infections caused by the Delta and Omicron variant among adolescents (12-17-years-old) in Norway from August 2021 to January 2022. Methods: Using Cox proportional hazard models, we estimated the BNT162b2 vaccine effectiveness against any Delta and Omicron infections. Vaccine status was included as a time-varying covariate and models were adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, county of residence, country of birth, and living conditions. Data were obtained from the National Preparedness registry for COVID-19, which contains individual-level data from national health and administrative registries. Findings: Vaccine effectiveness against Delta infection peaked at 68% (95%CI: 64-71%) and 62% (95%CI: 57-66%) in days 21-48 after the first dose among 12-15-year-olds and 16-17-year-olds respectively. Among 16-17-year-olds that received two doses, vaccine effectiveness peaked at 93% (95%CI: 90-95%) in days 35-62 and declined to 84% (95%CI: 76-89%) in 63 days or more after the second dose. For both age-groups, we found no protection against Omicron infection after receiving one dose. Among 16-17-year-olds, vaccine effectiveness against Omicron infection peaked at 53% (95%CI: 43-62%) in 7-34 days after the second dose and decreased to 23% (95%CI: 3-40%) in 63 days or more after vaccination. Vaccine effectiveness decreased with time since vaccination for both variants, but waning was observed to occur faster for Omicron. Interpretation: Our results suggest reduced protection from BNT162b2 vaccination against any SARS-CoV-2 infection caused by the Omicron variant compared to the Delta. In addition, waning immunity was observed to occur faster for Omicron. The impact of vaccination among adolescents on reducing infection and thus transmission is limited during omicron dominance. Funding: No funding was received.
Background: Before the availability of vaccines, countries largely relied on mobility restriction and testing to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aim is to assess the combined impact of mobility restriction, testing, and vaccination on the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Methods: We conducted a multiple regression analysis to assess the impact of mobility, testing, and vaccination on COVID-19 incidence between April 28, 2021 to November 24, 2021 using data from Our World in Data and Google Mobility Report. The 7-day moving average was applied to offset the daily fluctuations in the mobility and testing. Each independent variable was lagged to construct a temporal relationship, and waning vaccination efficacy was taken into consideration. We performed additional analysis for three time periods between March 28, 2020 to November 24, 2021 (1st: March 28, 2020 ~ October 7, 2020, 2nd: October 8, 2020 ~ April 27, 2021, 3rd: April 28, 2021 ~ November 24, 2021) to examine potential heterogeneity over time. Results: Mobility (0.041, 95% CI: 0.033 to 0.048), testing (-0.008, 95% CI: -0.015 to -0.001), and vaccination (quadratic term: 0.004, 95% CI: 0.003 to 0.005, linear term: -0.130, 95% CI: -0.161 to -0.099) were all associated with COVID-19 incidence. For vaccination rate, the decrease of number of cases demonstrated a U-shaped curve, while mobility showed a positive association and testing showed an inverse association with COVID-19 incidence. Mobility restriction was effective during all three periods - March 28, 2020 to November 24, 2021 (0.009, 0.048, and 0.026 respectively). Testing was effective during the second and third period - October 8, 2020 to November 24, 2021 (-0.036, and -0.006 respectively). Conclusion: Mobility restriction and testing were effective even in the presence of vaccination. This shows the positive value of mobility restrictions, testing, and vaccination from the health system perspective on COVID-19 prevention and control, especially with continual emergence of variants in India and globally. At the same time, this health system gain must be balanced with the challenges in the delivery of non-COVID health services and broader socio-economic impact in deciding the prolonged continuance of mobility restriction.
Background: Non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) play a key role in managing epidemics, yet it is challenging to evaluate their impacts on disease spread and outcomes. Methods: To estimate the effect of a mask-wearing intervention to mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2 on the island of Ireland, we focused on the potential for inter-individual infectious contact over time as the outcome. This is difficult to measure directly; in a companion paper we estimated it using a multi-strain epidemiological model. We used data on mask-wearing and mobility in both Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI) to predict independently the estimated infectious contact over time. We made counterfactual predictions of infectious contact rates and hospitalisations under a hypothetical intervention where 90% of the population were wearing masks during early 2020, when in reality few people were wearing masks in public; this was mandated in both jurisdictions on 10th August 2020. Results: There were 1601 hospitalisations with COVID-19 in NI between 12th March and 10th August 2020, and 1521 in ROI between 3rd April and 10th August 2020. Under the counterfactual mask-wearing scenario, we estimated 512 (95% CI 400, 730) hospitalisations in NI, and 344 (95% CI 266,
The emergence of the new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, which is known to accumulate a huge number of mutations when compared to other variants, brought to light the concern about vaccine escape, especially from the neutralization by antibodies induced by vaccination. In this scenario, we evaluated the impact on antibody neutralization induction, against Omicron variant, by a booster dose of BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine after the CoronaVac primary vaccination scheme. The percentage of seroconverted individuals 30 and 60 days after CoronaVac scheme was 17% and 10%, respectively. After booster dose administration, the seroconvertion rate increased to 76.6%. The neutralization mean titer against Omicron in the CoronaVac protocol decreased over time, but after the booster dose, the mean titer increased 43.1 times, indicating a positive impact of this vaccine combination in the serological immune response.
Background: COVID-19 has proven to be more difficult to manage for many reasons including its high infectivity rate. One of the potential ways to limit its spread is by controlling free international travel. The objective of this systematic review is to identify, critically-appraise and summarize evidence on international travel-related control measures. Methods: This review is based on the Cochrane review: International travel-related control measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and followed the same methods. In brief, we searched for clinical and modelling studies in general health and COVID-19-specific bibliographic databases. The primary outcome categories were (i) cases avoided,
A Clinical Trial on Sequential Immunization of Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (CHO Cell, NVSI-06-09) and Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell) - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (CHO cell，NVSI-06-09); Biological: Inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (Vero cells)
Sponsors:
National Vaccine and Serum Institute, China; China National Biotec Group Company Limited; Lanzhou Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd; Beijing Insitute of Biological Products Co., Ltd
Not yet recruiting
Compass Course: COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Behavioral: Compass Course
Sponsor:
Allina Health System
Recruiting
A Community-based Study of Spikogen®, a Protein-subunit Covid-19 Vaccine - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Biological: Advax-CpG55.2 adjuvanted recombinant spike protein
Sponsors: Professor Nikolai Petrovsky; Australian Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Institute; Tasmanian Eye Institute
Not yet recruiting
COVID-19 Volumetric Quantification on Computer Tomography Using Computer Aided Diagnostics - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Diagnostic Test: CAD analysis
Sponsors:
Bogdan Bercean; Pius Brinzeu Timisoara County Emergency Hospital
Not yet recruiting
Improving COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Black and Latino Youth - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Behavioral: Culturally-Tailored COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Intervention; Behavioral: Standard Care
Sponsors: Nemours Children’s Health System; National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS); University of Delaware; ChristianaCare
Active, not recruiting
Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Impacts of COVID-19 on Young Adults - Condition: Post COVID-19
Intervention: Other: Evaluation of Pulmonary and Extrapulmonary Impacts of COVID-19 on Young Adults
Sponsor: Istanbul Arel University
Not yet recruiting
ApTOLL for the Treatment of COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: ApTOLL; Other: Saline
Sponsors:
Macarena Hernández Jiménez; Centro para el Desarrollo Tecnológico Industrial
Recruiting
Platform Trial to Compare Homologous Boost of Authorized COVID-19 Vaccines and Heterologous Boost With UB-612 Vaccine - Condition: COVID-19 Vaccines
Interventions: Biological: UB-612; Biological: BNT162b2 vaccine; Biological: ChAdOx1-S vaccine; Biological: Sinopharm BIBP
Sponsors: Vaxxinity, Inc.; Syneos Health
Recruiting
Nitrate-based Nutritional Formula for Oxygen Saturation and Patient-reported Outcomes in Covid-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Dietary Supplement: NITRATE; Dietary Supplement: PLACEBO
Sponsor: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education
Completed
COVID-19 Variant Immunologic Landscape Trial (COVAIL Trial) - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: mRNA-1273; Biological: mRNA-1273.351; Other: Sodium Chloride, 0.9%
Sponsor: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Not yet recruiting
Trial to Study the Efficacy and Safety of BEJO Red Ginger in COVID-19 Patients With Mild Symptoms - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Dietary Supplement: BEJO Red Ginger Extract; Other: Placebo
Sponsors: Research Center for Chemistry, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia; National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia; RSDC Wisma Atlet; PT. Bintang Toedjoe
Recruiting
Safety and Pharmacokinetics of FBR-002 for the Treatment of Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 in Need of Supplemental Oxygen and at Risk of Severe Outcome - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: FBR-002; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor:
Fab’entech
Not yet recruiting
PROSPECTIVE OPEN LABEL CLINICAL TRIAL TO ADMINISTER A BOOSTER DOSE OF PFIZER/BIONTECH OR MODERNA COVID-19 VACCINE IN HIGH-RISK INDIVIDUALS - Conditions: SARS CoV 2 Infection; COVID-19
Interventions:
Biological: Pfizer/BioNTech (BNT162b2); Biological: Moderna
Sponsor:
DHR Health Institute for Research and Development
Recruiting
Early Treatment Strategy With High-dose Dexamethasone in Patients With SARS-CoV-2 - Conditions: Covid19; Dexamethasone
Intervention: Drug: Dexamethasone
Sponsor:
Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor
Not yet recruiting
Combination of Inhaled DNase, Baricitinib and Tocilizumab in Severe COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19 Severe Respiratory Failure
Interventions: Drug: Dexamethasone; Drug: Low molecular weight heparin; Drug: Anakinra 100Mg/0.67Ml Inj Syringe; Drug: Tocilizumab; Drug: Baricitinib; Drug: Dornase Alfa Inhalant Product
Sponsor: Democritus University of Thrace
Recruiting
Harnessing coronavirus spike proteins’ binding affinity to ACE2 receptor through a novel baculovirus surface display system - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a newly emerging infectious disease currently spreading across the world. The spike (S) protein plays a key role in the receptor recognition and cell membrane fusion, making it an important target for developing vaccines, therapeutic antibodies and diagnosis. In this study, we constructed a baculovirus surface display system that efficiently presents both SARS-CoV and…
Enoxaparin augments alpha-1-antitrypsin inhibition of TMPRSS2, a promising drug combination against COVID-19 - The cell surface serine protease Transmembrane Protease 2 (TMPRSS2) is required to cleave the spike protein of SARS- CoV-2 for viral entry into cells. We determined whether negatively-charged heparin enhanced TMPRSS2 inhibition by alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT). TMPRSS2 activity was determined in HEK293T cells overexpressing TMPRSS2. We quantified infection of primary human airway epithelial cells (hAEc) with human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) by immunostaining for the nucleocapsid protein and by the…
MERS-CoV ORF4b employs an unusual binding mechanism to target IMPalpha and block innate immunity - The MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a highly pathogenic, emerging virus that produces accessory proteins to antagonize the host innate immune response. The MERS-CoV ORF4b protein has been shown to bind preferentially to the nuclear import adapter IMPα3 in infected cells, thereby inhibiting NF-κB-dependent innate immune responses. Here, we report high- resolution structures of ORF4b bound to two distinct IMPα family members. Each exhibit highly similar binding mechanisms that, in both cases, lack a…
STING agonist diABZI induces PANoptosis and DNA mediated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) - Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) contributes to immune responses against tumors and may control viral infection including SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, activation of the STING pathway by airway silica or smoke exposure leads to cell death, self-dsDNA release, and STING/type I IFN dependent acute lung inflammation/ARDS. The inflammatory response induced by a synthetic non-nucleotide-based diABZI STING agonist, in comparison to the natural cyclic dinucleotide cGAMP, is unknown. A low dose…
Fractionation of sulfated galactan from the red alga Botryocladia occidentalis separates its anticoagulant and anti- SARS-CoV-2 properties - Sulfation pattern and molecular weight (MW) play a key role in the biological actions of sulfated glycans. Besides anticoagulant effects, certain sulfated glycans can also exhibit anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties. To develop a more selective antiviral carbohydrate, an efficient strategy to separate these two actions is required. In this work, low MW fractions derived from the red alga Botryocladia occidentalis sulfated galactan (BoSG) were generated, structurally characterized, and tested for activity…
Inhibition of Respiratory RNA Viruses by a Composition of Ionophoric Polyphenols with Metal Ions - Controlling the infectivity of respiratory RNA viruses is critical, especially during the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. There is an unmet need for therapeutic agents that can reduce viral replication, preferably independent of the accumulation of viral mutations. Zinc ions have an apparent activity as modulators of intracellular viral RNA replication and thus, appear attractive in reducing viral RNA load and infectivity. However, the intracellular concentration of zinc is usually too low for…
One-Pot Synthesis and Molecular Modeling Studies of New Bioactive Spiro-Oxindoles Based on Uracil Derivatives as SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors Targeting RNA Polymerase and Spike Glycoprotein - The first outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 was reported about severe acute coronaviral syndrome 2 (SARS- CoV-2). The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2020 resulted in an extremely high potential for dissemination. No drugs are validated in large-scale studies for significant effectiveness in the clinical treatment of COVID-19 patients, despite the worsening trends of COVID-19. This study aims to design a simple and efficient cyclo- condensation reaction of…
In Silico and In Vitro Identification of Pan-Coronaviral Main Protease Inhibitors from a Large Natural Product Library - The main protease (M^(pro) or 3CL^(pro)) in coronaviruses represents a promising specific drug target as it is essential for the cleavage of the virus polypeptide and has a unique cleavage site that does not exist in human host proteases. In this study, we explored potential natural pan-coronavirus drugs using in vitro and in silico approaches and three coronavirus main proteases as treatment targets. The PyRx program was used to screen 39,442 natural-product-like compounds from the ZINC…
Repurposing Probenecid to Inhibit SARS-CoV-2, Influenza Virus, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Replication - Viral replication and transmissibility are the principal causes of endemic and pandemic disease threats. There remains a need for broad-spectrum antiviral agents. The most common respiratory viruses are endemic agents such as coronaviruses, respiratory syncytial viruses, and influenza viruses. Although vaccines are available for SARS-CoV-2 and some influenza viruses, there is a paucity of effective antiviral drugs, while for RSV there is no vaccine available, and therapeutic treatments are very…
A Five-Helix-Based SARS-CoV-2 Fusion Inhibitor Targeting Heptad Repeat 2 Domain against SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants of Concern - The prolonged duration of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has resulted in the continuous emergence of variants of concern (VOC, e.g., Omicron) and variants of interest (VOI, e.g., Lambda). These variants have challenged the protective efficacy of current COVID-19 vaccines, thus calling for the development of novel therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 and its VOCs. Here, we constructed a novel fusion inhibitor-based recombinant protein, denoted as 5-Helix,…
Conserved Targets to Prevent Emerging Coronaviruses - Novel coronaviruses emerged as zoonotic outbreaks in humans in 2003 (SARS), 2012 (MERS), and notably in 2019 (SARS2), which resulted in the COVID-19 pandemic, causing worldwide health and economic disaster. Vaccines provide the best protection against disease but cannot be developed and engineered quickly enough to prevent emerging viruses, zoonotic outbreaks, and pandemics. Antivirals are the best first line of therapeutic defense against novel emerging viruses. Coronaviruses are plus sense,…
Targeting of Protein Kinase CK2 Elicits Antiviral Activity on Bovine Coronavirus Infection - Coronaviruses constitute a global threat to the human population; therefore, effective pan-coronavirus antiviral drugs are required to tackle future re-emerging virus outbreaks. Protein kinase CK2 has been suggested as a promising therapeutic target in COVID-19 owing to the in vitro antiviral activity observed after both pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of the enzyme. Here, we explored the putative antiviral effect of the anti-CK2 peptide CIGB-325 on bovine coronavirus (BCoV) infection using…
A Palmitic Acid-Conjugated, Peptide-Based pan-CoV Fusion Inhibitor Potently Inhibits Infection of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Other Variants of Concern - Our previous studies have shown that cholesterol-conjugated, peptide-based pan-coronavirus (CoV) fusion inhibitors can potently inhibit human CoV infection. However, only palmitic acid (C16)-based lipopeptide drugs have been tested clinically, suggesting that the development of C16-based lipopeptide drugs is feasible. Here, we designed and synthesized a C16-modified pan-CoV fusion inhibitor, EK1-C16, and found that it potently inhibited infection by SARS- CoV-2 and its variants of concern (VOCs),…
Identification of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Palmitoylation Inhibitors That Results in Release of Attenuated Virus with Reduced Infectivity - The spike proteins of enveloped viruses are transmembrane glycoproteins that typically undergo post-translational attachment of palmitate on cysteine residues on the cytoplasmic facing tail of the protein. The role of spike protein palmitoylation in virus biogenesis and infectivity is being actively studied as a potential target of novel antivirals. Here, we report that palmitoylation of the first five cysteine residues of the C-terminal cysteine-rich domain of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein are…
Rocaglates as Antivirals: Comparing the Effects on Viral Resistance, Anti-Coronaviral Activity, RNA-Clamping on eIF4A and Immune Cell Toxicity - Rocaglates are potent broad-spectrum antiviral compounds with a promising safety profile. They inhibit viral protein synthesis for different RNA viruses by clamping the 5’-UTRs of mRNAs onto the surface of the RNA helicase eIF4A. Apart from the natural rocaglate silvestrol, synthetic rocaglates like zotatifin or CR-1-31-B have been developed. Here, we compared the effects of rocaglates on viral 5’-UTR-mediated reporter gene expression and binding to an eIF4A-polypurine complex. Furthermore, we…
MACHINE LEARNING TECHNIQUE TO ANALYZE THE WORK PRESSURE OF PARAMEDICAL STAFF DURING COVID 19 - Machine learning technique to analyse the work pressure of paramedical staff during covid 19 is the proposed invention that focuses on identifying the stress levels of paramedical staff. The invention focuses on analysing the level of stress that is induced on the paramedical staff especially during pandemic. - link
CBD Covid 19 Protection - - link
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING IMPROVED GENERALIZED FUZZY PEER GROUP WITH MODIFIED TRILATERAL FILTER TO REMOVE MIXED IMPULSE AND ADAPTIVE WHITE GAUSSIAN NOISE FROM COLOR IMAGES - ABSTRACTMETHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING IMPROVED GENERALIZED FUZZY PEER GROUP WITH MODIFIED TRILATERAL FILTER TO REMOVE MIXED IMPULSE AND ADAPTIVE WHITE GAUSSIAN NOISE FROM COLOR IMAGESThe present invention provides a new approach is proposed that includes fuzzy-based approach and similarity function for filtering the mixed noise. In a peer group, the similarity function was adaptive to edge information and local noise level, which was utilized for detecting the similarity among pixels. In addition, a new filtering method Modified Trilateral Filter (MTF) with Improved Generalized Fuzzy Peer Group (IGFPG) is proposed to remove mixed impulse and Adaptive White Gaussian Noise from Color Images. The modified trilateral filter includes Kikuchi algorithm and loopy belief propagation to solve the inference issues on the basis of passing local message. In this research work, the images were collected from KODAK dataset and a few real time multimedia images like Lena were also used for testing the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. - link
A STUDY ON MENTAL HEALTH, STRESS AND ANXIETY AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS DURING COVID-19 - SARS-Cov-2 virus causes an infectious disease coronavirus(COVID-19).The Students life is made harder by COVID-19.The human reaction that happens normally to everyone through physical or emotional tension is stress. Feeling of angry, nervous and frustration caused through any thought or events leads to stress. As college closures and cancelled events, students are missing out on some of the biggest moments of their young lives as well as everyday moments like chatting with friend, participating in class and cultural programme. For students facing life changes due to the outbreak are feeling anxious, isolated and disappointed which lead them to feel all alone. We like to take the help of expert adolescent psychologist to find out the techniques to practice self-care and look after their mental health. We would like to find out whether techniques used reduce the anxiety and stress among Engineering Students. - link
A METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS WITH PALMITOYLETHANOLAMIDE - - link
CONNECTING A TUTOR WITH A STUDENT - A system and a method for connecting a tutor with a student in real time. Initially, the system receives a student profile. Further, the system receives a question from the student. Furthermore, the system synthesizes the question based on a set of predefined machine learning model. Subsequently, the system determines a cohort of the students from the set of the cohort of the students. The cohort of the students is determined based on the one or more parameters related to the question. Further, the system identifies a tutor assigned to the cohort of the students. Subsequently, the system notifies the tutor in real time. Further, the system receives an acknowledgement from the tutor within a predefined time. Finally, the system connects the tutor with the student in real time when the acknowledgement is the positive acknowledgement. - link
A CENTRAL TRANSACTION AUTHENTIC SYSTEM FOR OTP VERIFICATION - The present invention relates to a central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification. The system (100) comprises one or more user display units (102), one or more financial units (104), an account deposit unit (106), an OTP authentication unit (108) and a service server unit (110). The central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification work as Anti-money laundering measure. The system (100) also helpful for minimizing rate of cybercrime. The central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification that can neutralize digital financial fraud. The present invention provides a central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification that can monitor and analyze every transaction and customer interaction across its customer base for suspicious and potentially criminal activity. - link
人源抗新冠病毒中和性抗体D2及其应用 - 本发明公开了人源抗新冠病毒中和性抗体D2及其应用。本发明利用噬菌体抗体库技术，成功获得一株特异性针对新型冠状病毒表面抗原的人源中和性抗体D2；且其在体外具有阻止新型冠状病毒感染敏感细胞的中和功能，在宿主中表达量高，对抗原亲和力高。利用上述方法获得的人源中和性抗新型冠状病毒表面抗原基因工程抗体可变区基因、Fab抗体基因以及上述每个抗体基因特征下的全抗体基因，可以在原核细胞、酵母细胞、真核细胞及任何重组系统中表达和生产此抗体或以此为基础的改建后的含有此抗体基因的任何其他基因，获得具有中和新型冠状病毒感染的抗体产物，制成临床上用于预防和治疗新型冠状病毒肺炎的特异性抗体药物。 - link
雾化吸入型糖皮质激素纳米药物及其制备方法和应用 - 本发明公开了一种雾化吸入型糖皮质激素纳米药物及其制备方法和应用。该纳米药物包括：纳米级细胞膜囊泡；以及加载在纳米级细胞膜囊泡中的糖皮质激素。本发明的雾化吸入型糖皮质激素纳米药物可以在炎症肺部的滞留增强，并改善对激活的巨噬细胞和树突状细胞的靶向性，从而促进糖皮质激素细胞因子的下调作用，抑制新冠病毒SARS‑CoV‑2感染引起的新冠肺炎COVID‑19炎性细胞浸润和肺组织损伤；纳米糖皮质激素依靠中性粒细胞膜囊泡上丰富的细胞因子受体，中和广谱细胞因子，有效缓解肺部炎症。此外，中性粒细胞膜囊泡显示出了更好的体内安全性，并且雾化吸入型糖皮质激素纳米药物吸入递送后能有效地减轻糖皮质激素引起的骨质疏松症。 - link
检测新型冠状病毒及其Omicron突变株的试剂盒和方法 - 本发明公开了一种检测新型冠状病毒及其Omicron突变株的试剂盒和方法。本发明通过对新冠ORF1ab、N、S三靶标基因进行联合检测对新型冠状病毒进行定性检测，同时S基因检测靶标区域覆盖Omicron变异株的特异性突变位点，如若新型冠状病毒为Omicron变异株，因突变位点的发生会导致S基因丢失无信号，从而对Omicron变异株与非Omicron变异株进行鉴别。本发明的检测试剂，能够高效率、高特异性、高稳定性、低成本的对新型冠状病毒及其Omicron突变株感染患者进行检测。 - link