Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• Who helps and why? A longitudinal exploration of volunteer role identity, intergroup closeness, and community identification as predictors of coordinated helping during the COVID-19 pandemic -
  Mutual aid groups have allowed community members to respond collectively to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing essential support to the vulnerable. While research has begun to explore the benefits of participating in these groups, there is a lack of work investigating who is likely to engage in this form of aid-giving, and what social psychological processes predict this engagement. Taking a Social Identity approach, the present study explored predictors of coordinated COVID-19 aid-giving in pre-existing volunteers. A two-wave longitudinal online survey study (N = 202) revealed participants’ volunteer role identity at T1 (pre-pandemic) positively predicted perceptions of volunteer- beneficiary intergroup closeness at T1, which in turn positively predicted community identification at T1. This in turn positively predicted coordinated COVID-19 aid-giving at T2 (3 months later). This paper therefore reveals the intra- and intergroup predictors of pandemic-related coordinated aid-giving in pre-existing volunteers. Implications for voluntary organisations and emergency voluntary aid provision are discussed.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Who helps and why? A longitudinal exploration of volunteer role identity, intergroup closeness, and community identification as predictors of coordinated helping during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and treated effluents: Surveillance of COVID-19 epidemic in the United Arab Emirates -
  Testing SARS-CoV-2 viral loads in wastewater has recently emerged as a method of tracking the prevalence of the virus and an early-warning tool for predicting outbreaks in the future. This study reports SARS-CoV-2 viral load in wastewater influents and treated effluents of 11 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as well as untreated wastewater from 38 various locations, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in May and June 2020. Composite samples collected over twenty-four hours were thermally deactivated for safety, followed by viral concentration using ultrafiltration, RNA extraction using commercially available kits, and viral quantification using RT-qPCR. Furthermore, estimates of the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in different regions were simulated using Monte Carlo. Results showed that the viral load in wastewater influents from these WWTPs ranged from 7.50E+02 to over 3.40E+04 viral gene copies/L with some plants having no detectable viral RNA by RT-qPCR. The virus was also detected in 85% of untreated wastewater samples taken from different locations across the country, with viral loads in positive samples ranging between 2.86E+02 and over 2.90E+04 gene copies/L. It was also observed that the precautionary measures implemented by the UAE government correlated with a drop in the measured viral load in wastewater samples, which were in line with the reduction of COVID-19 cases reported in the population. Importantly, none of the 11 WWTPs’ effluents tested positive during the entire sampling period, indicating that the treatment technologies used in the UAE are efficient in degrading SARS-CoV-2, and confirming the safety of treated re-used water in the country. SARS-CoV-2 wastewater testing has the potential to aid in monitoring or predicting an outbreak location and can shed light on the extent viral spread at the community level.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Detection and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater and treated effluents: Surveillance of COVID-19 epidemic in the United Arab Emirates
• Antecedents and consequences of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs: a systematic review -
  Belief in COVID-19 conspiracy theories can have severe consequences; it is therefore crucial to understand this phenomenon. We developed a new theoretical framework, the dual-inheritance model of conspiracy beliefs, which proposes that conspiracy theories are attempts of individuals with low epistemic (information) and socio-existential (trust) resources, in a context of perceived uncertainty and threat, to fulfil epistemic and socio-existential needs (i.e., reducing uncertainty and threat). We use this framework to present a narrative synthesis of COVID-19 conspiracy belief research from 85 articles, identified and appraised through a systematic review. We conclude that our model is supported by the findings: low levels of information and trust but high perceived uncertainty and threat underlie the antecedents of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs (incl. individual differences, attitudes, biases, and social factors) and their consequences (incl. safeguarding, self-centred, and misguided behaviours, vaccination intentions). We recommend that future research considers both interconnected pathways simultaneously.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Antecedents and consequences of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs: a systematic review
• Does COVID-19 vaccination improve mental health? A difference-in-difference analysis of the Understanding Coronavirus in America study -

  Background: Mental health problems increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowledge that one is less at risk after being vaccinated may alleviate distress, but this hypothesis remains unexplored. Here we test whether psychological distress declined in those vaccinated against COVID-19 in the US and whether changes in perceived risk mediated any association. Methods: A nationally-representative cohort of U.S. adults (N=5,792) in the Understanding America Study were interviewed every two weeks from March 2020 to June 2021 (28 waves). Difference-in-difference regression tested whether getting vaccinated reduced distress (PHQ-4 scores), with mediation analysis used to identify potential mechanisms, including perceived risks of infection, hospitalization, and death. Results: Vaccination was associated with a 0.09 decline in distress scores (95% CI:-0.15 to -0.04) (0-12 scale), a 5.7% relative decrease compared to mean scores in the wave prior to vaccination. Vaccination was also associated with an 8.44 percentage point reduction in perceived risk of infection (95% CI:-9.15% to -7.73%), a 7.44-point reduction in perceived risk of hospitalization (95% CI:-8.07% to -6.82%), and a 5.03-point reduction in perceived risk of death (95% CI:-5.57% to -4.49%). Adjusting for risk perceptions decreased the vaccination-distress association by two-thirds. Event study models suggest vaccinated and never vaccinated respondents followed similar PHQ-4 trends pre-vaccination, diverging significantly post-vaccination. Analyses were robust to individual and wave fixed effects, time-varying controls, and several alternative modelling strategies. Results were similar across sociodemographic groups. Conclusion: Receiving a COVID-19 vaccination was associated with declines in distress and perceived risks of infection, hospitalization, and death. Vaccination campaigns could promote these additional benefits of being vaccinated.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Does COVID-19 vaccination improve mental health? A difference-in-difference analysis of the Understanding Coronavirus in America study
• Potential COVID-19 Immunomodulators and Beyond: NSAIDs Might Inhibit SARS CoV-2 ORF Proteins Induced Caspase Activation, Necroptosis and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress. -
  We have previously suggested numerous immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory benefits when NSAIDs are administered as first choice therapy early in management of COVID-19 and in this manuscript we add several additional clues and it is really unfortunate that for more than one year of relentless struggle, this call is not yet adopted to save precious lives that are succumbed every day.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Potential COVID-19 Immunomodulators and Beyond: NSAIDs Might Inhibit SARS CoV-2 ORF Proteins Induced Caspase Activation, Necroptosis and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.
• Diclofenac potassium/Nitazoxanide/Azithromycin Used in Adults, Children and Pregnant Patients: A Novel Potential Game Changer COVID-19 Protocol. -
  To date no treatment protocol of proven efficacy was approved to manage COVID-19. We have developed a novel COVID-19 immunomodulatory protocol basing on our early pioneering article that justified repurposing of nitazoxanide/azithromycin combination for early cases of COVID-19 which was followed by two articles to justify addition of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to nitazoxanide/azithromycin. We are presenting a prospective telemedicine protocol that managed more than 50 documented COVID-19 patients while fully presenting a case series of 36 patients/legal guardians COVID-19 Arab patients including 12 confirmed by PCR and 23 diagnosed by other measures. The patients included 14 adult males including an immunocompromised patient, 15 adult females including one lactating, 3 pregnant patients including one confirmed by PCR as well as 4 children. All patients have received a short 5-day-regimen of NSAIDs (diclofenac potassium in most of cases, ibuprofen, lornoxicam, meloxicam, celecoxib, naproxen, ketoprofen or ketorolac)/nitazoxanide/azithromycin +/- cefoperazone either in full or in part as illustrated in the manuscript. The primary endpoint of this protocol was full relief of all serious COVID-19 clinical manifestations and it was fully achieved in all patients within two weeks. Most of the patients treated early have fully recovered during its described five days; the leucocytic/lymphocytic count was significantly improved for those with prior leucopenia/lymphopenia. No significant adverse effects were reported. A novel 5-day-protocol to safely and effectively cure COVID-19 using repurposed immunomodulatory safe and inexpensive FDA approved drugs is illustrated and we recommend performing sufficiently powered double blind randomized clinical trials against any current standard protocol.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Diclofenac potassium/Nitazoxanide/Azithromycin Used in Adults, Children and Pregnant Patients: A Novel Potential Game Changer COVID-19 Protocol.
• NSAIDs/Nitazoxanide/Azithromycin Immunomodulatory Protocol Used in Adults, Children and Pregnant COVID-19 Patients: An Egyptian Prospective Observational Study. -
  To date no treatment protocol of proven efficacy was approved to manage COVID-19. We have developed a novel COVID-19 immunomodulatory protocol basing on our early pioneering article that justified repurposing of nitazoxanide/azithromycin combination for early cases of COVID-19 which was followed by two articles to justify addition of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to nitazoxanide/azithromycin. We are presenting a prospective telemedicine protocol that managed more than 50 documented COVID-19 patients while fully presenting a case series of 36 patients/legal guardians COVID-19 Arab patients including 12 confirmed by PCR and 23 diagnosed by other measures. The patients included 14 adult males including an immunocompromised patient, 15 adult females including one lactating, 3 pregnant patients including one confirmed by PCR as well as 4 children. All patients have received a short 5-day-regimen of NSAIDs (diclofenac potassium in most of cases, ibuprofen, lornoxicam, meloxicam, celecoxib, naproxen, ketoprofen or ketorolac)/nitazoxanide/azithromycin +/- cefoperazone either in full or in part as illustrated in the manuscript. The primary endpoint of this protocol was full relief of all serious COVID-19 clinical manifestations and it was fully achieved in all patients within two weeks. Most of the patients treated early have fully recovered during its described five days; the leucocytic/lymphocytic count was significantly improved for those with prior leucopenia/lymphopenia. No significant adverse effects were reported. A novel 5-day-protocol to safely and effectively cure COVID-19 using repurposed immunomodulatory safe and inexpensive FDA approved drugs is illustrated and we recommend performing sufficiently powered double blind randomized clinical trials against any current standard protocol.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: NSAIDs/Nitazoxanide/Azithromycin Immunomodulatory Protocol Used in Adults, Children and Pregnant COVID-19 Patients: An Egyptian Prospective Observational Study.
• NSAIDs, SARS CoV-2 ORF Proteins, Caspases, and CARD14: Solving the Mystery of COVID-19 and Beyond -
  In this manuscript we further build on our previous suggested potential beneficial effects of using NSAIDs as first choice drugs in COVID-19 management while discussing the role that SARS CoV-2 ORF proteins induced caspases play in the pathophysiology of SARS CoV-2 infection. Moreover, we postulate that CARD 14, a caspase recruitment domain-containing protein of the membrane-associated guanylate kinases family, mutations might share a role in development of severe and critical COVID-19.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: NSAIDs, SARS CoV-2 ORF Proteins, Caspases, and CARD14: Solving the Mystery of COVID-19 and Beyond
• The potential crucial role of COX-1 inhibition and/or Aspirin triggered lipoxins and resolvins in amelioration of COVID-19 mortality -
  Aspirin has been recently suggested to be independently associated with reduced risk of mechanical ventilation, ICU admission and in-hospital mortality of COVID-19. However, we claim that the molecular interpretation of these important results was not scientifically valid and we provide our academic interpretation that is also basing on our real-life practice using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in management of COVID-19 and we suggest that inhibition of COX-1 and/or COX-2 enzymes might play a life saving role in COVID-19 management and we further discuss the potential of aspirin triggered lipoxins and resolivns in the same context.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: The potential crucial role of COX-1 inhibition and/or Aspirin triggered lipoxins and resolvins in amelioration of COVID-19 mortality
• Understanding SARS-CoV-2 budding through molecular dynamics simulations of M and E protein complexes -
  SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses pose a major threat to global health, yet treatment efforts have largely ignored the process of envelope assembly, a key part of the coronaviral life cycle. When expressed together, the M and E proteins are sufficient to facilitate coronavirus envelope assembly. Envelope assembly leads to budding of coronavirus particles into the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC) and subsequent maturation of the virus, yet the mechanisms behind the budding process remain poorly understood. Better understanding of budding may enable new types of antiviral therapies. To this end, we ran atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of SARS-CoV-2 envelope assembly using the Feig laboratory’s refined structural models of the M protein dimer and E protein pentamer. Our MD simulations consisted of M protein dimers and E protein pentamers in patches of virtual ERGIC membrane. By examining how these proteins induce membrane curvature in silico, we have obtained insights around how the budding process may occur. In our simulations, M protein dimers acted cooperatively to induce membrane curvature. By contrast, E protein pentamers kept the membrane planar. These results could help guide the development of novel antiviral therapeutics which inhibit coronavirus budding.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Understanding SARS-CoV-2 budding through molecular dynamics simulations of M and E protein complexes
• Self-supervised contrastive learning for integrative single cell RNA-seq data analysis -
  Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) has become a powerful tool to reveal the complex biological diversity and heterogeneity among cell populations. However, the technical noise and bias of the technology still have negative impacts on the downstream analysis. Here, we present a self-supervised Contrastive LEArning framework for scRNA-seq (CLEAR) profile representation and the downstream analysis. CLEAR overcomes the heterogeneity of the experimental data with a specifically designed representation learning task and thus can handle batch effects and dropout events. In the task, the deep learning model learns to pull together the representations of similar cells while pushing apart distinct cells, without manual labeling. It achieves superior performance on a broad range of fundamental tasks, including clustering, visualization, dropout correction, batch effect removal, and pseudo-time inference. The proposed method successfully identifies and illustrates inflammatory-related mechanisms in a COVID-19 disease study with 43,695 single cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Further experiments to process a million-scale single-cell dataset demonstrate the scalability of CLEAR. This scalable method generates effective scRNA-seq data representation while eliminating technical noise, and it will serve as a general computational framework for single-cell data analysis.

• Spatio-temporal dynamics of intra-host variability in SARS-CoV-2 genomes -
  During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 has been useful in tracking its spread and in identifying Variants Of Concern (VOC). Besides, viral and host factors could contribute to variability within a host that can be captured in next-generation sequencing reads as intra-host Single Nucleotide Variations (iSNVs). Analysing 1,347 samples collected till June 2020, we recorded 18,146 iSNV sites throughout the SARS- CoV-2 genome. Both, mutations in RdRp as well as APOBEC and ADAR mediated RNA editing seem to contribute to the differential prevalence of iSNVs in hosts. Noteworthy, 41% of all unique iSNVs were reported as SNVs by 30th September 2020 in samples submitted to GISAID, which increased to ~80% by 30th June 2021. Following this, analysis of another set of 1,798 samples sequenced in India between November 2020 and May 2021 revealed that majority of the Delta (B.1.617.2) and Kappa (B.1.617.1) variations appeared as iSNVs before getting fixed in the population. We also observe hyper-editing events at functionally critical residues in Spike protein that could alter the antigenicity and may contribute to immune escape. Thus, tracking and functional annotation of iSNVs in ongoing genome surveillance programs could be important for early identification of potential variants of concern and actionable interventions.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Spatio-temporal dynamics of intra- host variability in SARS-CoV-2 genomes
• Stress and Sleep Across the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact of Distance Learning on U.S. College Students’ Health Trajectories -
  Study Objectives. This study examined associations between average and intraindividual trajectories of stress, sleep duration, and sleep quality in college students before and after transitioning to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. Two hundred and one first-year college students answered twice-weekly questionnaires assessing stress exposure, sleep duration, and sleep quality from January until May, 2020 (N= 4,278 unique observations). Results. Multilevel growth modeling revealed that prior to distance learning, student stress was increasing and sleep duration and quality were decreasing. After transitioning online, students’ stress immediately and continuously decreased; sleep quality initially increased but decreased over time; and sleep duration increased but then plateaued for the remainder of the semester. Days with higher stress than typical for that student were associated with lower sleep quality, and higher average stress exposure was linked with shorter sleep duration and lower sleep quality. Specific demographics (e.g., females) were identified as at-risk for stress and sleep problems. Conclusions. Although remote learning initially alleviated college students’ stress and improved sleep, these effects plateaued, and greater exposure to academic, financial, and interpersonal stressors predicted worse sleep on both daily and average levels. Environmental stressors may particularly dictate sleep quality during times of transition, but changes in learning modalities may mitigate short-term detrimental health outcomes, even during a developmental period with considerable stress vulnerability. Future studies should examine the longer-term implications of these trajectories on mental and physical health.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Stress and Sleep Across the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact of Distance Learning on U.S. College Students’ Health Trajectories
• High secondary attack rate and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in household transmission study participants, Finland 2020 -

  Background Household transmission studies offer the opportunity to assess both secondary attack rate and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over time. Methods We invited confirmed COVID-19 cases and their household members to attend up to four household visits with collection of nasopharyngeal and serum samples over 28 days after index case onset. We calculated secondary attack rates (SAR) based on the presence of SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein IgG antibodies (IgG Ab) and/or neutralizing antibodies (NAb) overall and per households. Three and six months later, we assessed the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Findings We recruited 39 index cases and 90 household members. Among 87 household members evaluated, SAR was 48% (n=42), including 37 symptomatic secondary cases. In total, 80/129 (62%) participants developed both IgG Ab and NAb, while three participants only developed IgG Ab. Among participants who had both IgG Ab and NAb during the initial follow-up, 68/69 (99%) and 63/70 (90%) had IgG Ab and NAb at 3 months, while at 6 months, 59/75 (79%) and 63/75 (84%) had IgG Ab and NAb, respectively. Participants who required hospital care had initially 5-fold IgG Ab concentrations compared to cases with mild symptoms and 8-fold compared to asymptomatic cases. Interpretation Following detection of a COVID-19 case in a household, other members had a high risk of becoming infected. Follow-up of participants showed strong persistence of antibodies in most cases. Funding This study was supported by THL coordinated funding for COVID-19 research (Finnish Government9s supplementary budget) and by the Academy of Finland (Decision number 336431).

  🖺 Full Text HTML: High secondary attack rate and persistence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in household transmission study participants, Finland 2020
• Mechanism of a COVID-19 nanoparticle vaccine candidate that elicits a broadly neutralizing antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 variants -
  Vaccines that induce potent neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses against emerging variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are essential for combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We demonstrated that mouse plasma induced by self-assembling protein nanoparticles (SApNPs) that present 20 rationally designed S2G{Delta}HR2 spikes of the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 strain can neutralize the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, and B.1.617 variants with the same potency. The adjuvant effect on vaccine-induced immunity was investigated by testing 16 formulations for the multilayered I3-01v9 SApNP. Using single-cell sorting, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with diverse neutralization breadth and potency were isolated from mice immunized with the receptor binding domain (RBD), S2G{Delta}HR2 spike, and SApNP vaccines. The mechanism of vaccine-induced immunity was examined in mice. Compared with the soluble spike, the I3-01v9 SApNP showed 6-fold longer retention, 4-fold greater presentation on follicular dendritic cell dendrites, and 5-fold stronger germinal center reactions in lymph node follicles.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Mechanism of a COVID-19 nanoparticle vaccine candidate that elicits a broadly neutralizing antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 variants

From Clinical Trials

• Phase II/III Study of AZD2816, for the Prevention of COVID-19 in Adults - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2
  Interventions:   Biological: AZD1222;   Biological: AZD2816
  Sponsor:   AstraZeneca
  Recruiting

• Building Resiliency and Vital Equity (BRAVE) Project: Understanding Native Americans’ Perceptions/Beliefs About COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Study - Condition:   Covid19 Virus Infection
  Intervention:   Behavioral: Protect Your Elders Campaign
  Sponsors:   North Carolina Central University;   Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina;   University of North Carolina at Pembroke
  Recruiting

• Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training in Patients With Post COVID-19 - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Other: Exercise training group;   Other: Control training group
  Sponsor:   Gazi University
  Completed

• SOLIDARITY Finland Long COVID-19 - Condition:   Covid19
  Intervention:   Drug: Remdesivir
  Sponsors:  
  Clinical Urology and Epidemiology Working Group;   University of Helsinki;   World Health Organization;   Helsinki University Central Hospital;   Hyvinkää Hospital;   Kanta-Häme Central Hospital;   Kuopio University Hospital;   Oulu University Hospital;   Porvoo Hospital;   Seinajoki Central Hospital;   Mikkeli Central Hospital;   Tampere University Hospital
  Recruiting

• Vaccination for Recovered Inpatients With COVID-19 (VATICO) - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Biological: Moderna mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine;   Biological: Pfizer BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine
  Sponsors:   International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT);   University of Minnesota;   National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID);   University of Copenhagen;   Kirby Institute;   Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center;   AIDS Clinical Trials Group;   National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI);   US Department of Veterans Affairs;   Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury (PETAL);   Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network (CTSN);   Medical Research Council
  Not yet recruiting

• Internet-based Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation for Longterm COVID-19 Syndrome - Condition:   Long COVID-19
  Intervention:   Behavioral: Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation
  Sponsors:   Danderyd Hospital;   St Göran Hospital, Stockholm
  Recruiting

• Enabling Family Physicians to Reduce Vaccine Hesitancy and Increase Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake - Conditions:   Covid19;   COVID-19 Vaccine
  Interventions:  
  Behavioral: Tailored COVID-19 vaccine messages;   Other: Other health messages
  Sponsors:  
  Hopital Montfort;   Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC);   Eastern Ontario Health Unit
  Not yet recruiting

• Efficacy of Canrenone as add-on Treatment in Moderate to Severe ARDS in COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
  Intervention:  
  Drug: Potassium Canrenoate
  Sponsors:   Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico;   University of Milan;   IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna
  Not yet recruiting

• COVID-19 and Lung Ultrasound Utility - Condition:   Covid19
  Intervention:   Device: Device: Butterfly iQ
  Sponsor:  
  Rocket Doctor Inc.
  Recruiting

• Saliva-based COVID-19 DNA Aptamer Test - Condition:   Covid19
  Intervention:   Device: AptameX
  Sponsors:   Achiko AG;   Udayana University
  Recruiting

• Baricitinib in Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients With Diabetes Mellitus - Condition:   COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Interventions:   Drug: Baricitinib;   Drug: Dexamethasone;   Drug: Remdesivir
  Sponsor:   Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
  Recruiting

• Evaluation of the RD-X19 Treatment Device in Individuals With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID19
  Interventions:   Device: RD-X19;   Device: Sham
  Sponsor:  
  EmitBio Inc.
  Recruiting

• Evaluation of The Efficacy of Triazavirin Versus Oseltamivir in Egyptian Patients Infected With COVID-19 - Condition:   Covid19
  Intervention:   Drug: standard treatment COVID-19 + Triazavirin
  Sponsor:   Ain Shams University
  Recruiting

• Hidroxicloroquina With Azitromicina Versus Hidroxicloroquina and Placebo Int Patients With Mild COVID-19 - Condition:   Covid19
  Intervention:   Drug: Hydroxychloroquine with Azithromycin
  Sponsors:   Coordinación de Investigación en Salud, Mexico;   Ultra Laboratorios SA. de CV.
  Recruiting

• Study to Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of Heterologous SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Schemes - Condition:   COVID-19 Vaccines
  Intervention:   Drug: Gam-COVID-Vac / Gam-COVID-Vac
  Sponsor:   Ministerio de Salud de Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires
  Recruiting

From PubMed

• Author Correction: Targeting novel LSD1-dependent ACE2 demethylation domains inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication - No abstract

• SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers widespread host mRNA decay leading to an mRNA export block - The transcriptional induction of interferon (IFN) genes is a key feature of the mammalian antiviral response that limits viral replication and dissemination. A hallmark of severe COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 is the low presence of IFN proteins in patient serum despite elevated levels of IFN-encoding mRNAs, indicative of post-transcriptional inhibition of IFN protein production. Here, we performed single-molecule RNA visualization to examine the expression and localization of host mRNAs…

• Remdesivir analogs against SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase - The COVID-19 pandemic has already taken many lives but is still continuing its spread and exerting jeopardizing effects. This study is aimed to find the most potent ligands from 703 analogs of remdesivir against RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus . RdRp is a major part of a multi- subunit transcription complex of the virus, which is essential for viral replication. In clinical trials, it has been found that remdesivir…

• Aberrant glycosylation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG is a pro-thrombotic stimulus for platelets - A subset of patients with COVID-19 become critically ill, suffering from severe respiratory problems and also increased rates of thrombosis. The causes of thrombosis in severely ill COVID-19 patients are still emerging, but the coincidence of critical illness with the timing of the onset of adaptive immunity could implicate an excessive immune response. We hypothesised that platelets might be susceptible to activation by anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and contribute to thrombosis. We found that…

• Network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis on mechanisms of Tibetan Hongjingtian (Rhodiola crenulata) in the treatment of COVID-19 - Introduction. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly contagious disease and ravages the world.Hypothesis/Gap Statement. We proposed that R. crenulata might have potential value in the treatment of COVID-19 patients by regulating the immune response and inhibiting cytokine storm.Aim. We aimed to explore the potential molecular mechanism for Rhodiola crenulata (R. crenulata), against the immune regulation of COVID-19, and to provide a referenced candidate Tibetan herb (R. crenulata) to…

• Application of nano-graphene oxide as nontoxic disinfectant against alpha and betacoronaviruses - New viruses are continuously emerging and recently there have been many great concerns on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Nanographene oxide (nanoGO) has received much attention and is widely investigated to be utilised in therapy for infectious diseases by viruses. Thus, antiviral activity of nanoGO was evaluated using the porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV), bovine coronavirus (BCoV), and SARS-CoV-2, which are all Alpha- and Beta- coronavirus. In a virus…

• Natural Products with tandem Anti-inflammatory, Immunomodulatory and Anti-SARS-CoV/2 effects: A Drug Discovery Perspective against SARS-CoV-2 - CONCLUSION: This study revealed that amentoflavone, rubranoside B, savinin, psoralidin, hirsutenone, and papyriflavonol A are good drug candidate for the search of antibiotics against COVID-19.

• Strengths and Weaknesses of Docking Simulations in the SARS-CoV-2 Era: the Main Protease (Mpro) Case Study - The scientific community is working against the clock to arrive at therapeutic interventions to treat patients with COVID-19. Among the strategies for drug discovery, virtual screening approaches have the capacity to search potential hits within millions of chemical structures in days, with the appropriate computing infrastructure. In this article, we first analyzed the published research targeting the inhibition of the main protease (Mpro), one of the most studied targets of SARS-CoV-2, by…

• Integrin activation is an essential component of SARS-CoV-2 infection - Cellular entry of coronaviruses depends on binding of the viral spike (S) protein to a specific cellular receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Furthermore, the viral spike protein expresses an RGD motif, suggesting that cell surface integrins may be attachment co-receptors. However, using infectious SARS-CoV-2 requires a biosafety level 3 laboratory (BSL-3), which limits the techniques that can be used to study the mechanism of cell entry. Here, we UV- inactivated SARS-CoV-2 and…

• Combination of Antiviral Drugs to Inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Polymerase and Exonuclease as Potential COVID-19 Therapeutics - SARS-CoV-2 has an exonuclease-based proofreader, which removes nucleotide inhibitors such as Remdesivir that are incorporated into the viral RNA during replication, reducing the efficacy of these drugs for treating COVID-19. Combinations of inhibitors of both the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and the exonuclease could overcome this deficiency. Here we report the identification of hepatitis C virus NS5A inhibitors Pibrentasvir and Ombitasvir as SARS- CoV-2 exonuclease inhibitors. In the…

• In silico studies of Potency and safety assessment of selected trial drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 - SARS-CoV-2 has caused millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths globally. Presently, no cure for SARS- CoV-2 infection is available; thus, all hands are on deck for new drug discovery. Although, several studies have reported the potentials of some already approved drugs for the treatment of COVID-19. This study attempted to compare the potency and safety of some these trial drugs via in silico methods. The binding affinity and interactions of the trial drugs with proteins…

• Identification of FDA approved drugs against SARS-CoV-2 RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), drug repurposing approach - The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and 3C-like protease (3CLpro) from SARS-CoV-2 play crucial roles in the viral life cycle and are considered the most promising targets for drug discovery against SARS-CoV-2. In this study, FDA- approved drugs were screened to identify the probable anti-RdRp and 3CLpro inhibitors by molecular docking approach. The number of ligands selected from the PubChem database of NCBI for screening was 1760. Ligands were energy minimized using Open Babel. The RdRp and…

• Transcription factor NF-kappaB as target for SARS-CoV-2 drug discovery efforts using inflammation-based QSAR screening model - NF-κB is a central regulator of immunity and inflammation. It is suggested that the inflammatory response mediated by SARS-CoV-2 is predominated by NF-κB activation. Thus, NF-κB inhibition is considered a potential therapeutic strategy for COVID-19. The aim of this study was to identify potential anti-inflammation lead molecules that target NF-κB using a quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) model of currently used and investigated anti-inflammatory drugs as the basis for…

• Computational modeling predicts potential effects of the herbal infusion “horchata” against COVID-19 - Bioactive plant-derived molecules have emerged as therapeutic alternatives in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In this investigation, principal bioactive compounds of the herbal infusion “horchata” from Ecuador were studied as potential novel inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The chemical composition of horchata was determined through a HPLC- DAD/ESI-MS^(n) and GC-MS analysis while the inhibitory potential of the compounds on SARS-CoV-2 was determined by a computational prediction using…

• The potential role of thymoquinone in preventing the cardiovascular complications of COVID-19 - A new virus strain detected in late 2019 and not previously described in humans is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes corona virus disease (COVID-19). While potential therapeutic approaches for COVID-19 are being investigated, significant initiatives are being made to create protective drugs and study various antiviral agents to cure the infection. However, an effective treatment strategy against COVID-19 is worrisome inadequate. The objective of the…

From Patent Search

• A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COVID- 19 DIAGNOSIS USING DETECTION RESULTS FROM CHEST X- RAY IMAGES - - link

• Advanced Machine Learning System combating COVID-19 virus Detection, Spread, Prevention and Medical Assistance. - - link

• 一种包装重组流感病毒的重组载体和重组流感病毒及其构建方法和应用 - 本发明提供了一种包装重组流感病毒的重组载体和重组流感病毒及其构建方法和应用，涉及生物医药技术领域。本发明利用A型流感病毒八个基因片段为骨架包装出带有新型冠状病毒SARS‑CoV‑2表面刺突蛋白受体结合域（SARS‑CoV‑2_RBD）片段的重组流感病毒，此重组流感病毒可在复制过程中表达具有生物学活性和免疫原性的刺突蛋白受体结合区域RBD。本发明所述重组流感病毒rgH1N1（PR8）‑PA‑RBD可作为重组病毒类药物，用于2019新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID‑19）的预防；也可作为体外SARS‑COV‑2 RBD等相关抗原表达和体内递呈系统。 - link

• Differential detection kit for common SARS-CoV-2 variants in COVID-19 patients - - link

• 一种新型冠状病毒的mRNA疫苗 - 本发明公开了一种新型冠状病毒的mRNA疫苗。本发明提供的疫苗，其活性成分为mRNA，如序列表的序列6所示。本发明还保护TF‑RBD蛋白，如序列表的序列2所示。本发明的发明人通过一系列序列设计和序列优化得到了特异DNA分子，进一步构建了特异重组质粒，将特异重组质粒进行体外转录，可以得到多聚化TF‑RBD mRNA。进一步的，发明人制备了负载TF‑RBD mRNA的脂质纳米粒。本发明对于新型冠状病毒的防控具有重大的应用推广价值。 - link

• 新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因及其应用 - 本发明属于生物技术领域，具体涉及新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因及其应用。本发明的新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因，其核苷酸序列如SEQ ID NO.1或SEQ ID NO.6所示。本发明通过优化野生型新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因序列，并结合筛选确定了相对最佳序列，优化后序列产生的克隆表达效率比野生型新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD序列表达效率大幅提高，从而，本发明的新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因更有利于用于制备新型冠状病毒疫苗。 - link

• SARS-CoV-2 anti-viral therapeutic - - link

• 一种基于联邦学习的多用户协同训练人流统计方法及系统 - 本发明提供一种基于联邦学习的多用户协同训练人流统计方法，旨在利用联邦学习框架搭建一个新颖的人群计数模型，达到让多用户多设备同时训练的目的。各个客户端利用图像数据集对图像分类网络进行本地训练以获取本地模型；在各经过至少一次本地训练后，中心服务器从客户端获取本地模型的权值及附加层参数并进行聚合处理；中心服务器利用聚合处理后的权值及附加层参数更新全局模型，并将聚合处理后的权值参数及附加层参数返回给各个客户端；各个客户端利用中心服务器返回的权值以及ground truth值进行贝叶斯估计，计算loss值，并利用返回的权值参数及附加层参数更新本地模型；重复执行直至所有客户端的loss值均收敛，则完成人流统计全局模型和本地模型的训练。 - link

• A POLYHERBAL ALCOHOL FREE FORMULATION FOR ORAL CAVITY - The present invention generally relates to a herbal composition. Specifically, the present invention relates to a polyherbal alcohol free composition comprising of Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract, Ocimum sanctum leaf extract, Elettaria cardamomum fruit extract, Mentha spicata (Spearmint) oil and Tween 80 and method of preparation thereof. The polyherbal alcohol free composition of the present invention possesses excellent antimicrobial properties and useful for oral cavity. - link

• 新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因及其应用 - 本发明属于生物技术领域，具体涉及新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因及其应用。本发明的新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因，其核苷酸序列如SEQIDNO.1或SEQIDNO.6所示。本发明通过优化野生型新型冠状病毒南非B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因序列，并结合筛选确定了相对最佳序列，优化后序列产生的克隆表达效率比野生型新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD序列表达效率大幅提高，从而，本发明的新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因可以用于制备新型冠状病毒疫苗。 - link