Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• When scientific journals disseminate pseudoscience -
  We alert in this position paper the scientific community against the dissemination of pseudoscience in apparently sane scientific journals, and the dangers that such a spreading are causing to public health. Seneff et al. recently published in Food & Chemical Toxicology a series of fallacious arguments against Covid-19 vaccination. The important shortcomings and misusage of scientific literature and data have no place in a scientific journal. Therefore, we explain why this article should be retracted in an effort to prevent further damages to health care policies.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: When scientific journals disseminate pseudoscience
• A life in lockdown: Brain injury survivors experiences of loneliness in lockdown -
  Objective: The paper explores the personal experiences of loneliness among brain injury survivors during lockdown in the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: This is a mixed methods research design, employing a combination of quantitative statistical analysis and semi-structured interviews with subsequent reflexive thematic analysis. Methods: 24 brain injury survivors from across the UK (8 females, 16 males; 24-68 years old; Mage = 48.65) participated in semi-structured interviews and completed questionnaires relating to loneliness, resilience, and wellbeing. Statistical and reflexive thematic analysis methods were employed in the interpretation of the data. Results: The interview data and subsequent analysis created three overarching themes: the experience of loneliness, loneliness during the pandemic, and loneliness after the pandemic. These themes explore survivors’ experiences of loneliness generally post-brain injury, but also chronicle how these feelings developed in lockdown and survivors’ feelings regarding society returning to ‘normal’. Lockdown provided participants with time and space, an opportunity to reflect in circumstances that did not further exacerbate their symptoms or anxiety associated with societal expectations or responsibility. Participants’ accounts detailed a greater societal awareness of brain injury and feeling more included during the pandemic but concern they would be left behind with society returning to normal. Conclusions: We recommend that future interventions focus on reframing survivors’ beliefs regarding societal expectations and minimise the pressure they often experience to keep up with their peers physically and emotionally. Additionally, we recommend creating accessible peer support options for all brain injury survivors as an important step for alleviating loneliness in this population.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: A life in lockdown: Brain injury survivors experiences of loneliness in lockdown
• Crowdsourcing interventions to promote uptake of COVID-19 booster vaccines -
  We apply a novel crowdsourcing approach to provide rapid insights on the most promising interventions to promote uptake of COVID-19 booster vaccines. In the first stage, international experts proposed 46 unique interventions. To reduce noise and potential bias, in the second stage, experts and representative general population samples from the UK and the US rated the proposed interventions on several criteria, including expected effectiveness and acceptability. Sanctions were evaluated as potentially most effective but least accepted. Interventions that received the most positive evaluations regarding both effectiveness and acceptability across evaluation groups were a day off after getting vaccinated, financial incentives, tax benefits, benefit campaigns, and mobile vaccination teams. The results provide useful insights to help governments in their decision which interventions to implement.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Crowdsourcing interventions to promote uptake of COVID-19 booster vaccines
• Perceived barriers and facilitators to attending diabetic eye screening appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic -
  Aim Diabetic eye screening is important for the early detection of diabetic retinopathy, to prevent sight loss. The COVID-19 pandemic may have resulted in additional factors influencing whether individuals with diabetes choose to attend their appointment. This study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators to attending diabetic eye screening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted between 7th April 2021 and 9th July 2021. Participants included those with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who were in a retinopathy priority group. Interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams either as video or telephone interviews. Central questions included topics such as thoughts and feelings on COVID-19 and how participants felt about diabetic eye screening. Data were analysed via reflexive thematic analysis. Results Two themes were developed: “Keeping safe from COVID-19 at appointments” and “The importance of protecting their eyesight”. Participants explained barriers and facilitators to keeping safe from COVID-19 at their appointment. These included increased confidence from the vaccine, the perceived risk of catching COVID-19 in certain environments, and trusting the NHS to keep them safe. Participants also discussed the importance of their eyesight and their identity as an attender, which facilitated attendance. Overall, participants considered the benefits of attending screening against the perceived risk of catching COVID-19. Conclusions The results indicated several barriers and facilitators participants experienced when deciding whether to attend an eye screening appointment since the COVID-19 pandemic. Service communications must address these as the pandemic continues, and for other future outbreaks of infectious disease.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Perceived barriers and facilitators to attending diabetic eye screening appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Predicting intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 in older Syrian refugees in Lebanon: findings from a multi-wave study -

  Introduction: COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among refugees in the Arab region remains low. This study aimed to examine the prevalence, reasons and predictors of COVID-19 vaccine refusal among older Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Method: A nested cross-sectional study among older Syrian refugees in Lebanon. The sampling frame was a complete listing of beneficiary households of a humanitarian organization with an adult aged 50 years or older. Telephone surveys were completed between September 2020 and May 2021. Logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of COVID-19 vaccine refusal. Models were internally validated using bootstrap methods and the models9 calibration and discrimination were presented. Results: Of 3,173 Syrian refugees, 61% intended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, 31% refused and 7% were undecided. Reasons for vaccine refusal were: preference to follow preventive measures (27%) and belief that the vaccine is not essential (21%). Despite high vaccine acceptance, only 6% of older Syrian refugees were registered on the national platform to receive the vaccine. Reasons for not registering included: being unsure about how to register (36%), and not wanting to receive the vaccine (33%). Predictors of COVID-19 vaccine refusal included: sex (female), older age, education, living outside informal tented settlements, perceiving COVID-19 as not severe and vaccines as not safe or effective, and using social media for information on COVID-19. After adjusting for optimization, the final model showed moderate discrimination (C-statistic: 0.65 (95% CI:(0.63-0.67)) and good calibration (C-Slope: 0.93 (95% CI:0.82-1.06)). Conclusion: This study developed predictive model for vaccination intention with a moderate discriminative ability and good calibration. Prediction models in humanitarian settings can help to identify refugees at higher risk of not intending to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for public health targeting.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Predicting intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 in older Syrian refugees in Lebanon: findings from a multi-wave study
• High titre neutralizing antibodies in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection require RBD-specific CD4 T cells that include proliferative memory cells. -

  Long-term immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection, including neutralizing antibodies and T cell-mediated immunity, is required in a very large majority of the population in order to reduce ongoing disease burden. We have investigated the association between memory CD4 and CD8 T cells and levels of neutralizing antibodies in convalescent COVID-19 subjects. Higher titres of convalescent neutralizing antibodies were associated with significantly higher levels of RBD-specific CD4 T cells, including specific memory cells that proliferated vigorously in vitro. Conversely, up to half of convalescent individuals had low neutralizing antibody titres together with a lack of receptor binding domain (RBD)-specific memory CD4 T cells. These low antibody subjects had other, non-RBD, spike-specific CD4 T cells, but with more of an inhibitory Foxp3+ and CTLA-4+ cell phenotype, rather than the effector T-bet+, cytotoxic granzymes+ and perforin+ cells seen in high antibody subjects. Single cell transcriptomics of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells from high antibody subjects revealed heterogenous RBD-specific CD4+ T cells that comprised central memory, transitional memory and Tregs, as well as cytotoxic clusters containing diverse TCR repertoires, that were absent in individuals with low antibody levels. However, vaccination in low antibody convalescent individuals led to a slight but significant improvement in RBD-specific memory CD4 T cells and increased neutralizing antibody titres. Our results suggest that targeting CD4 T cell epitopes proximal to and within the RBD-region should be prioritized in booster vaccines.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: High titre neutralizing antibodies in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection require RBD-specific CD4 T cells that include proliferative memory cells.
• Evaluation of Seropositivity after Standard Doses of Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in Early Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant Treatment -

  Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected millions of individuals and patients with cancer are known to be more susceptible. Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been developed and used for patients with cancer, but scarce data is available on their efficacy in patients under active anti-cancer therapies. Materials and Methods In this study, we semi-quantitatively measured the titers of the immunoglobulin G against the anti-spike protein subunit 1 of SARS-CoV-2 after vaccination in early breast cancer patients with concurrent chemotherapy, endocrinal or targeted non-cytotoxic treatments, and no treatments. Results Standard doses of COVID-19 vaccines provided sufficient immune responses in patients with early breast cancer, regardless of the type of anticancer therapies. However, the post-vaccination serum anti-spike antibody titers were significantly lower in the patients under cytotoxic chemotherapy. Conclusion Our study emphasizes the importance of the personalized risk stratification and consideration for booster doses in more vulnerable populations.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Evaluation of Seropositivity after Standard Doses of Vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 in Early Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Adjuvant Treatment
• Part-time or full-time teleworking? A systematic review of the psychosocial risk factors of telework from home -

  Since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic thousands of people have experienced teleworking and this practice is becoming increasingly commonplace. Systematic reviews can yield evidence and information to help inform the development of policies and regulations, the aim of this study was to highlight the differences in exposure to psychosocial risk factors for health between part-time and full-time teleworking from home. The protocol of the systematic review of the literature was registered on PROSPERO 2020 platform - International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (number CRD42020191455), according to the PRISMA statement guidelines. The key words “telework” and frequency (“part-time” or “full-time”), together with their synonyms and variations, were searched. Independent researchers conducted the systematic search of 7 databases: Scopus, SciELO, PePSIC; PsycInfo, PubMed, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA) and Web of Science. Of the 638 articles identified from 2010 to June 2021, 32 were selected for data extraction. The authors evaluated the risk of bias and quality of evidence of the studies included using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The results were categorized into 7 dimensions of psychosocial risk factors: work intensity and working hours; emotional demands; autonomy; social relationships at work; conflict of values, work insecurity and home/work interface. The results revealed scant practice of full-time teleworking prior to the pandemic. Regarding the psychosocial risk factors found, differences were evident before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. For part-time and full-time telework prior to the pandemic, the dimensions of intensification of work and working hours, social relationships at work, and the home-work interface were the most prominent factors. However, in studies performed during the COVID-19 pandemic where teleworking was mostly performed full-time, there was an increase in focus on emotional demands and the home-work interface, and a reduction in the other dimensions.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Part-time or full-time teleworking? A systematic review of the psychosocial risk factors of telework from home
• Vaccination strategies impact the probability of outbreak extinction: a case study of COVID-19 transmission -

  Mass vaccination has been one of the effective control measures for mitigating infectious disease transmission. Several vaccination strategies have been introduced throughout history to control infections and terminate the outbreak. Here, we employed the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission as a case study and constructed a stochastic age-structured compartmental model to investigate the effectiveness of different vaccination strategies. We estimated the outbreak extinction probability under different vaccination scenarios in homogeneous and heterogeneous populations. We found that population heterogeneity could enhance the likelihood of outbreak extinction at various vaccine coverage. In addition, prioritizing vaccines for people with higher infection risk could maximize the outbreak extinction probability and reduce more infections. In contrast, allocating vaccines to individuals with higher mortality risk provides better results in reducing deaths. We also found that as the vaccine effectiveness wane over time, a booster dose of vaccine could significantly enhance the extinction probability and mitigate disease transmission.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Vaccination strategies impact the probability of outbreak extinction: a case study of COVID-19 transmission
• A Randomised -Controlled Phase 2 trial of Molnupiravir in Unvaccinated and Vaccinated Individuals with Early SARS-CoV-2 -

  Background Molnupiravir was licensed for treating high-risk patients with COVID-19 based on data from unvaccinated adults. AGILE CST-2 (NCT04746183) Phase II reports safety and virological efficacy of molnupiravir in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Methods Adult out-patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection within five days of symptom onset were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive molnupiravir (800mg twice daily for five days) or placebo. The primary outcome was time to swab PCR-negativity, compared using a Bayesian model for estimating the probability of a superior virological response (Hazard Ratio>1) for molnupiravir over placebo. Secondary outcomes included change in viral titre at day 5, safety and tolerability, clinical progression and patient reported outcome measures. We analysed outcomes after the last participant reached day 29. Findings Of 180 participants randomised (90 molnupiravir, 90 placebo), 50% were vaccinated. Infections with SARS-CoV-2 variants Delta (40%), Alpha (21%), Omicron (21%) and EU1 (16%) were represented. The median time to negative-PCR was 8 versus 11 days for molnupiravir and placebo (HR=1.30, 95% CrI 0.92-1.71, p=0.7 by Logrank and p=0.03 by Breslow-Gehan tests). Although small numbers precluded subgroup analysis, no obvious differences were observed between vaccinated and unvaccinated participants. Using a two-point prior the probability of molnupiravir being superior to placebo (HR>1) was 75.4%, which was just below our defined threshold of 80% for establishing superiority. Using an uninformative continuous prior, the probability of HR>1 was 94.7%. As an exploratory analysis, the change in viral titre on day 5 (end of treatment) was significantly greater with molnupiravir compared with placebo. A total of 4 participants reported severe adverse events (grade 3+), 3 of whom were in the placebo arm. Interpretation We found molnupiravir to be well-tolerated, with evidence for high probability of antiviral efficacy in a population of vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals infected with a broad range of viral variants.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: A Randomised -Controlled Phase 2 trial of Molnupiravir in Unvaccinated and Vaccinated Individuals with Early SARS-CoV-2
• Infection Prevention and Control in Residential Aged Care Facilities In and Out of Recent Pandemics: A Scoping Review Protocol -
  Abstract Background The longstanding problem of infection prevention and control (IPC) in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) has been highlighted and seriously exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 among aged care residents is increased by age, comorbidities and the congregate living arrangements, which often also function as healthcare settings. Implementation of IPC practices are intended to protect residents and staff from infectious disease risks, but can also impact on other dimensions of wellbeing and safety. Objectives To identify evidence of effective IPC strategies in RACFs and their impacts on resident or staff safety or wellbeing, during both ‘business as usual’ and infectious disease outbreaks. Methods We will search relevant databases for original research articles, published in 2000 or later, that examine (1) IPC measures and/or (2) infectious disease outbreaks in (3) in residential aged care settings, whilst (4) considering resident and/or staff wellbeing and/or safety. Following Preferred Reporting of Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-SCR) and consultation with a university librarian, we have devised a search strategy for review of relevant key articles. One author customised the search strategy for each database (CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane, MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science) and reviewed each term before inclusion. After deletion of duplicates, 2-4 reviewers will screen references by title and abstract, then review full texts of selected articles. Items included will be charted with respect to publication details and quality assessment performed. Results will be grouped according to thematic contributions. Results Systematic searches began at the end of 2021 and data extraction will progress in early 2022, followed by data analyses and writing. Anticipated conclusions Implementation of IPC practices in RACFs must balance effectiveness, feasibility, and wellbeing and safety of residents and staff. This review will summarise, and identify gaps in, evidence for how best to protect residents and staff from infection in long term aged care settings. Support Partial financial support for this project has been provided by the Sydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Sydney.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Infection Prevention and Control in Residential Aged Care Facilities In and Out of Recent Pandemics: A Scoping Review Protocol
• Exploring psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 mandates in children with and without autism spectrum disorder -
  Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are particularly at risk for adverse psychosocial consequences as a result of unexpected challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. These children experience a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety, difficulties with cognitive flexibility, and a reduction in support services during the pandemic. Higher executive function (EF) has been previously found to be protective against negative mental health outcomes. Here we probed the psychosocial impacts of pandemic responses in children with ASD by relating pre-pandemic (EF) measures with mental health outcomes measured several months into the pandemic. We found that pre-existing inhibition and shift difficulties measured by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function predicted higher risk of anxiety symptoms, with shift difficulties also predicting elevated depressive symptoms during the pandemic. These findings are critical for promoting community recovery and maximizing clinical preparedness to support children at increased risk for adverse psychosocial outcomes.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Exploring psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 mandates in children with and without autism spectrum disorder
• Pin-pointing the key hubs in the IFN-gamma pathway responding to SARS-CoV-2 infection -

  Interferon gamma may be a potential adjuvant immunotherapy for COVID-19 patients. In this work, we assessed gene expression profiles associated with the IFN-gamma pathway in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Employing a case-control study from SARS-CoV-2 positive and negative patients, we identified IFN-gamma-associated pathways to be enriched in positive patients. Bioinformatics analyses showed upregulation of MAP2K6, CBL, RUNX3, STAT1 and JAK2 in COVID-19 positive vs. negative patients. A positive correlation was observed between STAT1/JAK2, which varied alongside the patient9s viral load. Expression of MX1, MX2, ISG15 and OAS1 (4 well-known IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs)) displayed upregulation in COVID-19 positive vs. negative patients. Integrative analyses showcased higher levels of ISGs which were associated with increased viral load and STAT1/JAK2 expression. Confirmation of ISGs up-regulation was performed in vitro using the A549 lung cell line treated with Poly(I:C), a synthetic analog of viral double-stranded RNA; and in different pulmonary human cell lines and ferret tracheal biopsies infected with SARS-CoV-2. A pre-clinical murine model of coronavirus infection confirmed findings displaying increased ISGs in the liver and lungs from infected mice. Altogether, these results demonstrate the role of IFN-gamma and ISGs in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, highlighting alternative druggable targets that can boost the host response.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Pin-pointing the key hubs in the IFN-gamma pathway responding to SARS-CoV-2 infection
• Cervical cancer screening improvements with self- sampling during the COVID-19 pandemic -

  Background<br />At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic cervical screening in the capital region of Sweden was cancelled for several months. A series of measures to preserve and improve the cervical screening under the circumstances were instituted, including a switch to screening with HPV self-sampling to enable screening in compliance with social distancing recommendations.<br />Methods<br />We describe the major changes implemented, which were i) nationwide implementation of HPV screening ii) switch to primary self-sampling instead of clinician sampling iii) implementation of HPV screening in all screening ages and iv) combined HPV vaccination and HPV screening in the cervical screening program.<br />Results<br />A temporary government regulation allowed primary self-sampling with HPV screening in all ages. In the Stockholm region, 330,000 self-sampling kits were sent to the home address of screening-eligible women, instead of an invitation to clinician sampling. A dramatic increase in population test coverage was seen (from 75% to 85% in just one year). In addition, a national campaign for faster elimination of cervical cancer with concomitant screening and vaccination for women in ages 23- 28 was launched.<br />Conclusions<br />The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated major changes in the cervical cancer preventive strategies, where it can already be concluded that the strategy with organised primary self-sampling for HPV has resulted in a major improvement of population test-coverage.<br />Funding<br />Funded by the Swedish Association 44 of Local Authorities and Regions, the Swedish Cancer Society, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program, the Swedish government and the Stockholm county.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Cervical cancer screening improvements with self- sampling during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Lost in pandemic time: A phenomenological analysis of temporal disorientation during the Covid-19 crisis -
  People have experienced many forms of temporal disorientation during the Covid-19 crisis. For this study, we collected a rich corpus of reports on the multifaceted experiences of disorientation during the pandemic. In this paper, we study the resulting corpus using a descriptive approach. We identify six emerging themes: temporal rift; temporal vertigo; impoverished time; tunnel vision; spatial and social scaffolding of time; suspended time. We offer a phenomenological analysis of each of the themes. Based on the phenomenological analysis, we draw a key distinction between episodic and existential forms of temporal disorientation, and we argue that the Covid-19 crisis is best conceptualised as a period of suspended time.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Lost in pandemic time: A phenomenological analysis of temporal disorientation during the Covid-19 crisis

From Clinical Trials

• Puerto Rico COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Study - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Other: Educational intervention
  Sponsors:   University of Puerto Rico;   National Institutes of Health (NIH);   National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
  Recruiting

• Bank of Human Leukocytes From COVID-19 Convalescent Donors With an Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Cellular Immunity - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Other: Generation of a biobank allowing the cryopreservation of leucocytes from COVID19 convalescent donors
  Sponsor:   Central Hospital, Nancy, France
  Not yet recruiting

• Beta-glucans for Hospitalised Patients With COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: MC 3x3;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Concentra Educacion e Investigación Biomédica;   Wohlstand Pharmaceutical
  Not yet recruiting

• A Randomised, Multi-centre, Double-blind, Phase 3 Study to Observe the Effectiveness, Safety and Tolerability of Molnupiravir Compared to Placebo Administered Orally to High-risk Adult Outpatients With Mild COVID-19 Receiving Local Standard of Care in South Africa - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Drug: Molnupiravir 200 mg
  Sponsors:   University of Witwatersrand, South Africa;   Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
  Not yet recruiting

• **NanoMn®_COVID-19 A Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group, Double-blind Trial to Evaluate the Clinical Efficacy of NanoManganese® on Top of Standard of Care, in Adult Patients With Moderate to Severe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)** - Condition:   COVID-19 Pandemic
  Interventions:   Drug: Placebo;   Drug: Experimental drug
  Sponsor:   Medesis Pharma SA
  Recruiting

• Safety and Immunogenicity of Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Sf9 Cell) as a Booster - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2 Infection
  Interventions:   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Sf9 Cell);   Biological: COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated
  Sponsor:   WestVac Biopharma Co., Ltd.
  Recruiting

• Safety and Immunogenicity of Recombinant COVID-19 Variant Vaccine (Sf9 Cell) as a Booster - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2 Infection
  Interventions:   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 variant Vaccine (Sf9 Cell);   Biological: COVID-19 Vaccine (Vero Cell), Inactivated;   Biological: mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Moderna);   Biological: Viral Vector COVID-19 vaccine (AstraZeneca)
  Sponsor:   WestVac Biopharma Co., Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• Developing an Integrative, Recovery-Based, Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS) Psychotherapeutic Intervention - Condition:   Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome
  Intervention:   Behavioral: PACS Coping and Recovery (PACS-CR) Intervention
  Sponsor:   VA Office of Research and Development
  Not yet recruiting

• Mineralocorticoid Use in COVID-19 Patients - Conditions:   COVID-19;   ARDS
  Intervention:   Drug: Fludrocortisone Acetate 0.1 MG
  Sponsor:   Ain Shams University
  Completed

• An Observer-blind, Cohort Randomized, Exploratory Phase 3 Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of Recombinant Covid-19 Vaccine, mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine and Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Trimeric S-protein Subunit Vaccine as 4th Dose in Individuals Primed/ Boosted With Various Regimens - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: AstraZeneca/Fiocruz;   Biological: Pfizer/Wyeth;   Biological: Clover SCB-2019
  Sponsors:   D’Or Institute for Research and Education;   Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation;   University of Oxford
  Not yet recruiting

• Xanthohumol as an Adjuvant Therapy in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   COVID-19 Respiratory Infection
  Intervention:   Biological: Xanthohumol - prenylated chalcone extracted from female inflorescences of hop cones (Humulus lupus). Hop-RXn™, BioActive-Tech Ltd, Lublin, Poland; http://xanthohumol.com.pl/
  Sponsor:   Medical University of Lublin
  Suspended

• A Clinical Trial of Immuno-bridging Between Different Manufacture Scales of Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Sf9 Cell) - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2 Pneumonia
  Intervention:   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cell)
  Sponsor:   WestVac Biopharma Co., Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• A Dose Escalation Phase 1 Study Evaluating the Safety and Pharmacokinetics of an Inhaled COVID-19 Inhibitor Delcetravir in Healthy Subjects - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Combination Product: Delcetravir dry powder inhaler
  Sponsor:   Esfam Biotech Pty Ltd
  Not yet recruiting

• Physiotherapy for Persistent COVID-19 Disease Using Aerobic Exercise - Conditions:   COVID-19;   Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  Interventions:   Device: Experimental;   Genetic: Control
  Sponsors:   Universidad Francisco de Vitoria;   Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
  Completed

• Passive Antibodies Against COVID-19 With EVUSHELD in Vaccine Non-responsive CLL - Conditions:   Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia;   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: EVUSHELD
  Sponsors:   Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre;   AstraZeneca
  Not yet recruiting

From PubMed

• Evaluation of the dual effects of antiviral drugs on SARS-CoV-2 receptors and the ACE2 receptor using structure-based virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation - The use of US FDA-approved drugs is preferred due to the need for lower costs and less time. In in silico medicine, repurposing is a quick and accurate way to screen US FDA-approved medications to find a therapeutic option for COVID-19 infection. Dual inhibitors possess dual inhibitory activity, which may be due to the inhibition of two different enzymes, and are considered better than combination therapy from the developmental and clinical perspectives. In this study, a molecular docking…

• Targeting the Receptor-Binding Motif of SARS-CoV-2 with D-Peptides Mimicking the ACE2 Binding Helix: Lessons for Inhibiting Omicron and Future Variants of Concern - The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread around the world, with several new variants emerging, particularly those of concern (VOCs). Omicron (B.1.1.529), a recent VOC with many mutations in the spike protein’s receptor-binding domain (RBD), has attracted a great deal of scientific and public interest. We previously developed two D-peptide inhibitors for the infection of the original SARS-CoV-2 and its VOCs, alpha and beta, in vitro. Here, we demonstrated that Covid3 and Covid_extended_1…

• Unsymmetrical aromatic disulfides as SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors: Molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and ADME scoring investigations - COVID-19 pandemic caused by very severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) agent is an ongoing major global health concern. The disease has caused more than 452 million affected cases and more than 6 million death worldwide. Hence, there is an urgency to search for possible medications and drug treatments. There are no approved drugs available to treat COVID-19 yet, although several vaccine candidates are already available and some of them are listed for emergency use by the…

• Severity, predictors and clinical correlates of post-COVID syndrome (PCS) in Germany: A prospective, multi-centre, population-based cohort study - BACKGROUND: Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) is an important sequela of COVID-19, characterised by symptom persistence for >3 months, post-acute symptom development, and worsening of pre-existing comorbidities. The causes and public health impact of PCS are still unclear, not least for the lack of efficient means to assess the presence and severity of PCS.

• Targeting ACLY efficiently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication - The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the biggest public health challenge the world has witnessed in the past decades. SARS-CoV-2 undergoes constant mutations and new variants of concerns (VOCs) with altered transmissibility, virulence, and/or susceptibility to vaccines and therapeutics continue to emerge. Detailed analysis of host factors involved in virus replication may help to identify novel treatment…

• Signaling mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid protein in viral infection, cell death and inflammation - COVID-19 which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has posed a worldwide pandemic and a major global public health threat. SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid (N) protein plays a critical role in multiple steps of the viral life cycle and participates in viral replication, transcription, and assembly. The primary roles of N protein are to assemble with genomic RNA into the viral RNA-protein (vRNP) complex and to localize to the replication transcription complexes (RTCs)…

• Friend or Foe? Implication of the autophagy-lysosome pathway in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 - There is increasing amount of evidence indicating the close interplays between the replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 and the autophagy-lysosome pathway in the host cells. While autophagy machinery is known to either assist or inhibit the viral replication process, the reciprocal effects of the SARS-CoV-2 on the autophagy-lysosome pathway have also been increasingly appreciated. More importantly, despite the disappointing results from the clinical trials of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in…

• Prospects of Coffee Leaf against SARS-CoV-2 Infection - In the current climate, many countries are in dire need of effective preventive methods to curb the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. The purpose of this research is to screen and explore natural plant extracts that have the potential to against SARS-CoV-2 and provide alternative options for SARS-CoV-2 prevention and hand sanitizer or spray-like disinfectants. We first used Spike-ACE2 ELISA and TMPRSS2 fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays…

• Photobiomodulation Improves Serum Cytokine Response in Mild to Moderate COVID-19: The First Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled, Pilot Study - CONCLUSION: The major cytokines in COVID-19 pathophysiology, including IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, responded positively to PBM therapy and opened a new window for inhibiting and managing a cytokine storm within only 3-10 days.

• The Cholesterol-Binding Sequence in Monomeric C-Reactive Protein Binds to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Receptor-Binding Domain and Blocks Interaction With Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 - The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) binds to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, which is a prerequisite for the virus to enter the cell. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an important marker of inflammation and is a putative soluble pattern recognition receptor. Clinical elevation of CRP levels in patients with COVID-19 is one of the characteristics of the disease; however, whether CRP is…

• Tricyclic Aza-Andrographolide Derivatives from Late-Stage Hydroamination and Their Anti-human Coronavirus (Anti-HCoV) Activity - A late-stage functionalization (LSF) of the natural product andrographolide for the efficient assembly of a range of structurally interesting and diverse tricyclic-aza derivatives was developed. The key to the diversification is a photo-catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination reaction, and acridinium derivatives were demonstrated to be the optimal catalysts. Additionally, the synthesized tricyclic aza-andrographolide derivatives were found to inhibit human coronavirus with high potency.

• Accelerating PERx Reaction Enables Covalent Nanobodies for Potent Neutralization of SARS-Cov-2 and Variants - The long-lasting COVID-19 pandemic and increasing SARS-CoV-2 variants demand effective drugs for prophylactics and treatment. Protein-based biologics offer high specificity yet their noncovalent interactions often lead to drug dissociation and incomplete inhibition. Here we developed covalent nanobodies capable of binding with SARS-CoV-2 irreversibly via proximity-enabled reactive therapeutic (PERx) mechanism. A latent bioreactive amino acid FFY was designed and genetically encoded into…

• Whole-body metabolic modelling predicts isoleucine dependency of SARS-CoV-2 replication - We aimed at investigating host-virus co-metabolism during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Therefore, we extended comprehensive sex-specific, whole-body organ resolved models of human metabolism with the necessary reactions to replicate SARS-CoV-2 in the lung as well as selected peripheral organs. Using this comprehensive host-virus model, we obtained the following key results: 1. The predicted maximal possible virus shedding rate was limited by isoleucine availability. 2. The supported initial viral load…

• Chronic Administration of COVID-19 Drugs Fluvoxamine and Lopinavir Shortens Action Potential Duration by Inhibiting the Human Ether-à-go-go-Related Gene and Cav1.2 - Background: Old drugs for new indications in the novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have raised concerns regarding cardiotoxicity, especially the development of drug-induced QT prolongation. The acute blocking of the cardiac hERG potassium channel is conventionally thought to be the primary mechanism of QT prolongation induced by COVID-19 drugs fluvoxamine (FLV) and lopinavir (LPV). The chronic impact of these medications on the hERG expression has yet to be determined….

• Erythromycin Estolate Is a Potent Inhibitor Against HCoV-OC43 by Directly Inactivating the Virus Particle - In addition to antibacterial effects, macrolide antibiotics exhibit other extensive pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. Erythromycin estolate, one of the macrolide antibiotics, was previously investigated to effectively inhibit infections of various flaviviruses including Zika virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus, but its antiviral effect against human coronavirus remains unknown. Thus, the current study was designed to evaluate the antiviral…

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