Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• The decline of bars and drinking establishments, 2006-2016 -
  The growth of the food and beverage service industry in the 2010s obscured the decline of one of its sectors: bars and drinking establishments with limited food offerings. This research note presents 2006-2016 data from the U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns, a time period that captures industry peaks on either side of the Great Recession of 2008. Data show that while the food and beverage service sector as a whole grew by 17.7%, the bar sector decreased by 10.5%. City-level data from the 30-largest municipalities show much internal variation in both sectors, but the bar sector’s share of the food and beverage service industry declined in 28 of 30 municipalities under study. Restaurant industry growth in this decade ranged from 5.0% to 48.4%, while bar sector change ranged from -37.7% to an increase of 56.5%. The implications of this changing industry mix and its municipal variation are discussed for future research into the changing food and drink service industry, its role in urban revitalization, strategies for public health and safety, and the likely acceleration of these trends due to COVID-19.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: The decline of bars and drinking establishments, 2006-2016
• Evaluating Sub-Saharan Africa’s COVID-19 Research Contribution: A Preliminary bibliometric Analysis -
  The response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the science community is unprecedented as indicated by the high number of research publications. Deeper insight into COVID-19 research at regional, and national levels through bibliometric research has revealed different levels of research evolution, depth, contribution, and collaboration patterns. Such reliable and evidence-based information is important for health research planning and policy making. This study aims at providing some evidence-based insight into Sub-Saharan Africa’s preliminary COVID-19 research by evaluating its research contributions, patterns of collaboration, and funding sources. COVID-19 publication data from all the 41 Sub-Saharan African countries was collected from Scopus for analysis. Results show that Sub-Saharan Africa contributed about two percent to global COVID-19 research. South Africa contributed 50.95% of all the COVID-19 publications from Sub-Saharan Africa while USA (28.48%) and the UK (24.47%), the top two external contributors, collaborated with Sub-Saharan African countries three times more than other countries. Collaborative papers between Sub-Saharan African countries - without contributions from outside the region- made up less than five percent of the sample, whereas over 50% of the papers were written in collaboration with researchers from outside the region. Organizations based in USA, UK, and EU funded more than 60% of all the COVID-19 research from Sub-Saharan Africa. More than 60% of all the funding from Sub-Saharan African countries came from South African organizations. This study provides evidence that pan-African COVID-19 research collaboration is low, perhaps due to poor funding and institutional support within Africa. There is a need to forge stronger pan-African research collaboration networks, through funding from Africa’s national and regional government organizations, with the specific objective of meeting COVID-19 healthcare needs of Africans.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Evaluating Sub-Saharan Africa’s COVID-19 Research Contribution: A Preliminary bibliometric Analysis
• COVID-19 and Asian Americans: How Social Exclusion Shapes Asian American Partisanship -
  Extending theories of social exclusion, we argue that Trump’s targeted rhetoric toward Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic pushes the racial group, largely "Independent'' or nonpartisan affiliated, to lean more towards the Democratic Party. This article supports this claim by combining social media and survey data analysis. Tracing more than one million tweets, we find that anti-Asian attitudes have increased in the U.S. since the pandemic and Trump's rhetoric has popularized racially charged COVID-19 related terms. Drawing on a nationwide over time survey of n=12,907 Asian Americans from July to May 2020, we find that the the group has increased in favorability of the Democratic Party, favorability of the Democratic presidential nominee, and identified with this party more since Trump first made inflammatory remarks towards Asian Americans. Whites, Blacks, and Latina/os, on the other hand, exhibited little change in these Democratic Party-related attitudes. Our findings suggest that experiences with social exclusion further cement Asian Americans as Democrats, who are positioned to be consequential in the outcome of the 2020 election.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: COVID-19 and Asian Americans: How Social Exclusion Shapes Asian American Partisanship
• In vitro inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 with 0.5% povidone iodine nasal spray (Nasodine) at clinically relevant concentrations and timeframes using tissue culture and PCR based assays -
  BACKGROUND: There has been considerable speculation regarding the potential of PVP-I nasal disinfection as an adjunct to other countermeasures during the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Nasodine is a commercial formulation of 0.5% PVP-I that has been evaluated for safety and efficacy in human trials as a treatment for the common cold, including a Phase III trial (ANZCTR: ACTRN12619000764134). This study presents the first report of the in vitro efficacy of this formulation against SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: We conducted in vitro experiments to determine if the PVP-I formulation inactivated SARS-CoV-2 using two independent assays and virus isolates, and incorporating both PCR-based detection and cell culture methods to assess residual virus after exposure to the formulation. RESULTS: Based on cell culture results, the PVP-I formulation was found to rapidly inactivate SARS-CoV-2 isolates in vitro in short timeframes (15 seconds to 15 minutes) consistent with the minimum and maximum potential residence time in the nose. The Nasodine formula was found to be more effective than 0.5% PVP-I in saline. Importantly, it was found that the formulation inactivated culturable virus but had no effect on PCR-detectable viral RNA. CONCLUSIONS: The PVP-I formulation eliminated the viability of SARS-CoV-2 virus with short exposure times consistent with nasal use. PCR alone may not be adequate for viral quantification in nasal PVP-I studies; future studies should incorporate cell culture to assess viral viability. Nasal disinfection with PVP-I may be a useful intervention for newly-diagnosed COVID-19 patients to reduce transmission risk and disease progression to the lower respiratory tract.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: In vitro inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 with 0.5% povidone iodine nasal spray (Nasodine) at clinically relevant concentrations and timeframes using tissue culture and PCR based assays
• SCOPE: Flexible targeting and stringent CARF activation enables type III CRISPR-Cas diagnostics -
  Characteristic properties of type III CRISPR-Cas systems include recognition of target RNA (rather than DNA) and the subsequent induction of a multifaceted immune response. This involves sequence-specific cleavage of a target RNA and production of cyclic oligoadenylate (cOA) second messenger molecules that may trigger dormancy or cell death. In this study, we discovered that a largely exposed seed region at the 3'end of the crRNA is essential for target RNA binding and cleavage, whereas base pairing at a unique region at the 5' end of the guide is required to trigger cOA production. Moreover, we uncovered that the natural variation in the composition of type III complexes within a single host results in different guide lengths, and hence variable seed regions. This shifting seed may prevent escape by invading genetic elements, while controlling cOA production very tightly to prevent unnecessary damage to the host. Lastly, we used these findings to develop a new diagnostic tool, named SCOPE, which was used for the specific detection of SARS-CoV-2 from human nasal swab samples, showing sensitivities in the atto-molar range.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: SCOPE: Flexible targeting and stringent CARF activation enables type III CRISPR-Cas diagnostics
• Enhanced immunogenicity of a synthetic DNA vaccine expressing consensus SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein using needle-free immunization -
  The ongoing global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) calls for an urgent development of effective and safe prophylactic and therapeutic measures. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S) glycoprotein is a major immunogenic and protective protein, and plays a crucial role in viral pathogenesis. In this study, we successfully constructed a synthetic codon-optimized DNA-based vaccine as a countermeasure against SARS-CoV-2; denoted as VIU-1005. The design was based on the synthesis of codon-optimized coding sequence for optimal mammalian expression of a consensus full-length S glycoprotein. The successful construction of the vaccine was confirmed by restriction digestion and sequencing, and the protein expression of the S protein was confirmed by western blot and immunofluorescence staining in mammalian cells. The immunogenicity of the vaccine was tested in two mouse models (BALB/c and C57BL/6J). Th1-skewed systemic S-specific IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) were significantly induced in both models four weeks post three injections with 100 g of the VIU-1005 vaccine via intramuscular needle injection but not intradermal or subcutaneous routes. Importantly, such immunization induced long-lasting IgG response in mice that lasted for at least 6 months. Interestingly, using a needle-free system, we showed an enhanced immunogenicity of VIU-1005 in which lower doses such as 25-50 g or less number of doses were able to elicit significantly high levels of Th1-biased systemic S-specific IgG antibodies and nAbs via intramuscular immunization compared to needle immunization. Compared to the intradermal needle injection which failed to induce any significant immune response, intradermal needle-free immunization elicited robust Th1-biased humoral response similar to that observed with intramuscular immunization. Furthermore, immunization with VIU-1005 induced potent S-specific cellular response as demonstrated by the significantly high levels of IFN-{gamma}, TNF and IL-2 cytokines production in memory CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in BALB/c mice. Together, our results demonstrate that the synthetic VIU-1005 candidate DNA vaccine is highly immunogenic and capable of inducing long-lasting and Th1-skewed immune response in mice. Furthermore, we show that the use of needle-free system could enhance the immunogenicity and minimize doses needed to induce protective immunity in mice, supporting further preclinical and clinical testing of this candidate vaccine.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Enhanced immunogenicity of a synthetic DNA vaccine expressing consensus SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein using needle-free immunization
• Nanotraps for the containment and clearance of SARS-CoV-2 -
  SARS-CoV-2 enters host cells through its viral spike protein binding to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors on the host cells. Here we show functionalized nanoparticles, termed "Nanotraps", completely inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection by blocking the interaction between the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and the ACE2 of host cells. The liposomal-based Nanotrap surfaces were functionalized with either recombinant ACE2 proteins or anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and phagocytosis-specific phosphatidylserines. The Nanotraps effectively captured SARS-CoV-2 and completely blocked SARS-CoV-2 infection to ACE2-expressing human cell lines and primary lung cells; the phosphatidylserine triggered subsequent phagocytosis of the virus-bound, biodegradable Nanotraps by macrophages, leading to the clearance of pseudotyped and authentic virus in vitro. Furthermore, the Nanotraps demonstrated excellent biosafety profile in vitro and in vivo. Finally, the Nanotraps inhibited pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2 infection in live human lungs in an ex vivo lung perfusion system. In summary, Nanotraps represent a new nanomedicine for the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Nanotraps for the containment and clearance of SARS-CoV-2
• Single Dose Vaccination in Healthcare Workers Previously Infected with SARS-CoV-2 -

  Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine shortages have led some experts and countries to consider untested dosing regimens. We studied antibody responses to a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines in healthcare workers (HCW) with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection and compared to them to antibody responses of HCW who were IgG negative to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. HCW with prior COVID-19 showed clear secondary antibody responses to vaccination with IgG spike binding titers rapidly increasing by 7 days and peaking by days 10 and 14 post-vaccination. At all time points tested, HCW with prior COVID-19 infection showed statistically significant higher antibody titers of binding and functional antibody compared to HCW without prior COVID-19 infection (p<.0001for each of the time points tested). In times of vaccine shortage, and until correlates of protection are identified, our findings preliminarily suggest the following strategy as more evidence-based: a) a single dose of vaccine for patients already having had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19; and b) patients who have had laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 can be placed lower on the vaccination priority list.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Single Dose Vaccination in Healthcare Workers Previously Infected with SARS-CoV-2
• A systematic review and meta-analysis on the safety and efficacy of tocilizumab in the management of COVID-19 -

  Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis was aimed to evaluate the therapeutic benefits and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) in treating severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and associated health complications. Methods: The electronic search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (RCTs), and Google scholar databases to identify the retrospective observational reports. The studies published from 01 January 2020 to 30th September 2020 involving comparison of TCZ group with SOC/control treatment group were included. The studies included in this work involve RT-PCR confirmed cases of COVID-19 (Population), having tocilizumab and corresponding SOC/control as interventions (Intervention), comparison between tocilizumab versus SOC/control (Comparison) for the parameter of interest. Mortality, incidences of ICU admission, need of mechanical ventilation (MV), length of stay in the hospital (LOS), and length of stay in the ICU (LOS-ICU), and the incidences of super-infection, bacteraemia, fugleman, pneumonia, and pulmonary thrombosis were evaluated as the primary outcomes. The comparison will be between TCZ versus standard of care (SOC)/placebo. Results: Based on the inclusion criteria there were 24 retrospective studies involving 5686 subjects were included. The outcomes of the meta-analysis have revealed that the TCZ has reduced the mortality (Mantel-Haenszel (M-H), random effects risk difference (RE-RD) of -0.11 (-0.18 to -0.04), at 95% CI, p = 0.001, I2 = 88%) and increased the incidences of super-infections (M-H, RE-Risk ratio (RR) of 1.49 (1.13 to 1.96) at 95% CI, p=0.004, I2 = 47%). However, there is no significant difference in ICU admissions rate (M-H, RE-RD of -0.06 (-0.23 to 0.12) at 95% CI, p=0.54, I2 = 93%), need of MV (M-H, RE-RD of 0.00 (-0.06 to 0.07) at 95% CI, p=0.96, I2 = 74%), LOS (Inverse variance (IV): -2.86 (-0.91 to 3.38) at 95% CI, p=0.37, I2 = 100%), LOS-ICU (IV: -3.93 (-12.35 to 4.48) at 95% CI, p=0.36, I2 = 100%), and incidences of pulmonary thrombosis (M-H, fixed effect odds ratio (FE-OR) of 1.01 (0.45 to 2.26) at 95% CI, p=0.99, I2 = 0%) compared to SOC/control. Conclusion: This meta-analysis was performed using retrospective clinical reports on the use of tocilizumab in COVID-19 and based on the outcomes of the meta-analysis we can conclude that administration of TCZ would reduce the risk of mortality, and however there is no much difference observed between the TCZ and SOC/control groups in other parameters such as ICU admission rate, need of mechanical ventilation and length of hospital stay (ICU and Non-ICU). On the other hand, TCZ treated subjects possess higher chances of super-infections and pneumonia compared with SOC/control group. However, there is a need for multi-centric randomized trials to determine the potential therapeutic role of TCZ in mitigating COVID-19 and associated health complications.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: A systematic review and meta-analysis on the safety and efficacy of tocilizumab in the management of COVID-19
• Integrating Operant and Cognitive Behavioral Economics to Inform Infectious Disease Response: Prevention, Testing, and Vaccination in the COVID-19 Pandemic -

  The role of human behavior to thwart transmission of infectious diseases like COVID-19 is evident. Yet, many areas of psychological and behavioral science are limited in the ability to mobilize to address exponential spread or provide easily translatable findings for policymakers. Here we describe how integrating methods from operant and cognitive approaches to behavioral economics can provide robust policy relevant data. Adapting well validated methods from behavioral economic discounting and demand frameworks, we evaluate in four crowdsourced samples (total N = 1,366) behavioral mechanisms underlying engagement in preventive health behaviors. We find that people are more likely to social distance when specified activities are framed as high risk, that describing delay until testing (rather than delay until results) increases testing likelihood, and that framing vaccine safety in a positive valence improves vaccine acceptance. These findings collectively emphasize the flexibility of methods from diverse areas of behavioral science for informing public health crisis management.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Integrating Operant and Cognitive Behavioral Economics to Inform Infectious Disease Response: Prevention, Testing, and Vaccination in the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Spatial Inequities in COVID-19 Testing, Positivity, Confirmed Cases and Mortality in 3 US Cities: an Ecological Study -

  Background: Preliminary evidence has shown inequities in COVID-19 related cases and deaths in the US. Objective: We explored the emergence of spatial inequities in COVID-19 testing, positivity, confirmed cases, and mortality in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago during the first six months of the pandemic. Design: Ecological, observational study at the zip code tabulation area (ZCTA) level from March to September 2020. Setting: Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia. Participants: All populated ZCTAs in the three cities. Measures: Outcomes were ZCTA-level COVID-19 testing, positivity, confirmed cases, and mortality cumulatively through the end of September. Predictors were the CDC social vulnerability index and its four domains, obtained from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey. We examined spatial clusters of COVID-19 outcomes using local Moran9s I and estimated associations using spatial conditional autoregressive negative binomial models. Results: We found spatial clusters of high and low positivity, confirmed cases and mortality, co-located with clusters of low and high social vulnerability. We also found evidence for the existence of spatial inequities in testing, positivity, confirmed cases and mortality for the three cities. Specifically, neighborhoods with higher social vulnerability had lower testing rates, higher positivity ratios, confirmed case rates and mortality rates. Limitations: ZCTAs are imperfect and heterogeneous geographical units of analysis. We rely on surveillance data, which may be incomplete. Conclusion: We found spatial inequities in COVID-19 testing, positivity, confirmed cases, and mortality in three large cities of the US.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Spatial Inequities in COVID-19 Testing, Positivity, Confirmed Cases and Mortality in 3 US Cities: an Ecological Study
• Vaccination strategies for minimizing loss of life in Covid-19 in a Europe lacking vaccines -

  Background: We aimed at identifying vaccination strategies that minimize loss of life in the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 mainly kills the elderly, but the pandemic is driven by social contacts that are more frequent in the young. Vaccines elicit stronger immune responses per dose in younger persons. As vaccine production is a bottleneck, many countries have adopted a strategy of first vaccinating the elderly and vulnerable, while postponing vaccination of the young. Methods: Based on published age-stratified immunogenicity data of the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine, we compared the established 9one dose fits all9 approach with tailored strategies: The known differential immunogenicity of vaccine doses in different age groups is exploited to vaccinate the elderly at full dose, while the young receive a reduced dose, amplifying the number of individuals receiving the vaccine early. A modeling approach at European Union scale with population structure, Covid-19 case and death rates similar to Europe in late January 2021 is used. Results: When the elderly were vaccinated preferentially, the pandemic initially continued essentially unchecked, as it was dominantly driven by social contacts in other age groups. Tailored strategies, including regular dosing in the elderly but reduced dose vaccination in the young, multiplied early vaccination counts, and even with some loss in protection degree for the individual person, the protective effect towards stopping the pandemic and protecting lives was enhanced, even for the elderly. Conclusion: Protecting the vulnerable, minimizing overall deaths and stopping the pandemic is best achieved by an adaptive vaccination strategy using an age-tailored vaccine dose.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Vaccination strategies for minimizing loss of life in Covid-19 in a Europe lacking vaccines
• The role of masks, testing and contact tracing in preventing COVID-19 resurgences: a case study from New South Wales, Australia -

  Objectives: The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic illustrated that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, has the potential to spread exponentially. Therefore, as long as a substantial proportion of the population remains susceptible to infection, the potential for new epidemic waves persists even in settings with low numbers of active COVID-19 infections, unless sufficient countermeasures are in place. We aim to quantify vulnerability to resurgences in COVID-19 transmission under variations in the levels of testing, tracing, and mask usage. Setting: The Australian state of New South Wales, a setting with prolonged low transmission, high mobility, non-universal mask usage, and a well-functioning test-and-trace system. Participants: None (simulation study) Results: We find that the relative impact of masks is greatest when testing and tracing rates are lower (and vice versa). Scenarios with very high testing rates (90% of people with symptoms, plus 90% of people with a known history of contact with a confirmed case) were estimated to lead to a robustly controlled epidemic, with a median of ~180 infections in total over October 1 - December 31 under high mask uptake scenarios, or 260-1,200 without masks, depending on the efficacy of community contact tracing. However, across comparable levels of mask uptake and contact tracing, the number of infections over this period were projected to be 2-3 times higher if the testing rate was 80% instead of 90%, 8-12 times higher if the testing rate was 65%, or 30-50 times higher with a 50% testing rate. In reality, NSW diagnosed 254 locally-acquired cases over this period, an outcome that had a low probability in the model (4-7%) under the best-case scenarios of extremely high testing (90%), near-perfect community contact tracing (75-100%), and high mask usage (50-75%), but a far higher probability if any of these were at lower levels. Conclusions: Our work suggests that testing, tracing and masks can all be effective means of controlling transmission. A multifaceted strategy that combines all three, alongside continued hygiene and distancing protocols, is likely to be the most robust means of controlling transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: The role of masks, testing and contact tracing in preventing COVID-19 resurgences: a case study from New South Wales, Australia
• Environmental impact of Personal Protective Equipment distributed for use by health and social care services in England in the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic -

  Objectives Use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has been central to controlling spread of SARS-CoV2. Here we quantify the environmental impact of PPE distributed for use by the health and social care system in England, and model strategies for mitigating the environmental impact. Methods Life cycle assessment was used to determine environmental impacts of PPE distributed to health and social care in England during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The base scenario assumed all products were single-use and disposed of via clinical waste. Scenario modelling was used to determine the effect of environmental mitigation strategies; 1) eliminating international travel during supply, 2) eliminating glove use 3) reusing gowns and face shields, 4) maximal recycling. Results The carbon footprint of PPE distributed during the study period totalled 106,478 tonnes CO2e, with greatest contributions from gloves, aprons, face shields, and Type IIR surgical masks. The estimated damage to human health was 239 DALYs (disability adjusted life years), impact on ecosystems was 0.47 species.year (loss of local species per year), and impact on resource depletion was costed at US $ 12.7 (GBP 9.3) million. Scenario modelling indicated UK manufacture would have reduced the carbon footprint by 12%, eliminating gloves by 45%, reusing gowns and gloves by 10%, and maximal recycling by 35%. A combination of strategies may have reduced carbon footprint by 75% compared with the base scenario, and saved an estimated 183 DALYS, 0.34 species.year, and US $ 7.4 (GBP 5.4) million due to resource depletion. Conclusions The environmental impact of PPE is large and could be reduced through domestic manufacture, rationalising glove use, using reusables where possible, and optimising waste management.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Environmental impact of Personal Protective Equipment distributed for use by health and social care services in England in the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic
• Environmentally-induced mdig is a major contributor to the severity of COVID-19 through fostering expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptor NRPs and glycan metabolism -
  The novel {beta}-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected more than 101 million people and resulted in 2.2 million death worldwide. Recent epidemiological studies suggested that some environmental factors, such as air pollution, might be the important contributors to the mortality of COVID-19. However, how environmental exposure enhances the severity of COVID-19 remains to be fully understood. In the present report, we provide evidence showing that mdig, a previously reported environmentally-induced oncogene that antagonizes repressive trimethylation of histone proteins, is a master regulator for SARS-CoV-2 receptors neuropilin-1 (NRP1) and NRP2, cathepsins, glycan metabolism and inflammation, key determinants for viral infection and cytokine storm of the patients. Depletion of mdig in bronchial epithelial cells by CRISPR-Cas-9 gene editing resulted in a decreased expression of NRP1, NRP2, cathepsins, and genes involved in protein glycosylation and inflammation, largely due to a substantial enrichment of lysine 9 and/or lysine 27 trimethylation of histone H3 (H3K9me3/H3K27me3) on these genes as determined by ChIP-seq. These data, accordingly, suggest that mdig is a key mediator for the severity of COVID-19 in response to environmental exposure and targeting mdig may be one of the effective strategies in ameliorating the symptom and reducing the mortality of COVID-19.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Environmentally-induced mdig is a major contributor to the severity of COVID-19 through fostering expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptor NRPs and glycan metabolism

From Clinical Trials

• Phase III Study of AZD7442 for Treatment of COVID-19 in Outpatient Adults - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: AZD7442;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsor:   AstraZeneca
  Not yet recruiting

• Fluvoxamine Administration in Moderate SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infected Patients - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Drug: Placebo;   Drug: Fluvoxamine
  Sponsor:   SigmaDrugs Research Ltd.
  Recruiting

• TOCILIZUMAB - An Option for Patients With COVID-19 Associated Cytokine Release Syndrome; A Single Center Experience - Condition:   Covid19
  Intervention:   Drug: Tocilizumab
  Sponsor:   FMH College of Medicine and Dentistry
  Completed

• APT™ T3X on the COVID-19 Contamination Rate - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Tetracycline hydrochloride 3%;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsors:   University of Nove de Julho;   Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre
  Not yet recruiting

• COVID-19 Immunologic Antiviral Therapy With Omalizumab - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Biological: Omalizumab;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsor:   McGill University Health Centre/Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
  Not yet recruiting

• An Outpatient Clinical Trial Using Ivermectin and Doxycycline in COVID-19 Positive Patients at High Risk to Prevent COVID-19 Related Hospitalization - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Drug: Ivermectin Tablets;   Drug: Doxycycline Tablets;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsor:   Max Health, Subsero Health
  Recruiting

• Safety and Efficacy of Doxycycline and Rivaroxaban in COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Doxycycline Tablets;   Drug: Rivaroxaban 15Mg Tab;   Combination Product: Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin
  Sponsor:   Yaounde Central Hospital
  Recruiting

• Phase IIb Clinical Trial of Recombinant Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (COVID-19) Vaccine (Sf9 Cells) - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (Sf9 cells);   Biological: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;   West China Hospital
  Not yet recruiting

• Famotidine vs Placebo for the Treatment of Non-Hospitalized Adults With COVID-19 - Condition:   Covid-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Famotidine;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Northwell Health;   Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
  Recruiting

• COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Placental and Immunological Impacts - Condition:   Covid19
  Intervention:   Other: Specimens specific for the study
  Sponsor:   Hopital Foch
  Recruiting

• Study to Assess Efficacy and Safety of Inhaled Interferon-β Therapy for COVID-19 - Conditions:   Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2;   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: SNG001;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsor:   Synairgen Research Ltd.
  Recruiting

• Convalescent Plasma in the Treatment of Covid-19 - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Biological: Convalescent plasma from COVID-19 donors;   Biological: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Helsinki University Central Hospital;   Finnish Red Cross
  Recruiting

• Early Use of Hyperimmune Plasma in COVID-19 - Condition:   Covid19
  Intervention:   Other: hyperimmune plasma
  Sponsors:   Catherine Klersy;   Policlinico San Matteo Pavia Fondazione IRCCS
  Recruiting

• Efficacy of Nano-Ivermectin Impregnated Masks in Prevention of Covid-19 Among Healthy Contacts and Medical Staff - Condition:   Covid-19
  Intervention:   Other: ivermectin impregnated mask
  Sponsor:   South Valley University
  Recruiting

• Restoration of Endothelial Integrity in Patients With COVID-19 (RELIC) - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: Thawed plasma
  Sponsor:   University of Alabama at Birmingham
  Not yet recruiting

From PubMed

• The SARS-Coronavirus Infection Cycle: A Survey of Viral Membrane Proteins, Their Functional Interactions and Pathogenesis - Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel epidemic strain of Betacoronavirus that is responsible for the current viral pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a global health crisis. Other epidemic Betacoronaviruses include the 2003 SARS-CoV-1 and the 2009 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), the genomes of which, particularly that of SARS-CoV-1, are similar to that of the 2019 SARS-CoV-2. In this extensive review, we document the most...

• Computational Determination of Potential Multiprotein Targeting Natural Compounds for Rational Drug Design Against SARS-COV-2 - SARS-CoV-2 caused the current COVID-19 pandemic and there is an urgent need to explore effective therapeutics that can inhibit enzymes that are imperative in virus reproduction. To this end, we computationally investigated the MPD3 phytochemical database along with the pool of reported natural antiviral compounds with potential to be used as anti-SARS-CoV-2. The docking results demonstrated glycyrrhizin followed by azadirachtanin, mycophenolic acid, kushenol-w and 6-azauridine, as potential...

• Immunogenic BNT162b vaccines protect rhesus macaques from SARS-CoV-2 - A safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 is urgently needed in quantities sufficient to immunise large populations. We report the preclinical development of two BNT162b vaccine candidates, which contain lipid-nanoparticle (LNP) formulated nucleoside-modified mRNA encoding SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein-derived immunogens. BNT162b1 encodes a soluble, secreted, trimerised receptor-binding domain (RBD-foldon). BNT162b2 encodes the full-length transmembrane spike glycoprotein, locked in its...

• A drug repurposing screen identifies hepatitis C antivirals as inhibitors of the SARS-CoV2 main protease - Effective SARS-CoV-2 antiviral drugs are desperately needed. The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) appears as an attractive target for drug development. We show that the existing pharmacopeia contains many drugs with potential for therapeutic repurposing as selective and potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. We screened a collection of ~6,070 drugs with a previous history of use in humans for compounds that inhibit the activity of Mpro in vitro and found ~50 compounds with activity against Mpro....

• Remdesivir Metabolite GS-441524 Effectively Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Mouse Models - The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has resulted in a global pandemic due to the rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). At the time of this manuscript's publication, remdesivir is the only COVID-19 treatment approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. However, its effectiveness is still under question due to the results of the large Solidarity Trial conducted by the World Health Organization. Herein, we report that the parent...

• Ruxolitinib as adjunctive therapy for secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: a case series - CONCLUSIONS: This series demonstrates the effective use of JAK inhibition with ruxolitinib to control pathological immune activation in critically ill patients with secondary HLH and otherwise limited therapeutic options. JAK inhibition is also an area of urgent investigation for the treatment of cytokine storm associated with COVID-19.

• Structural basis of SARS-CoV-2 polymerase inhibition by Favipiravir - The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has developed into an unprecedented global pandemic. Nucleoside analogues, such as Remdesivir and Favipiravir, can serve as the first-line broad-spectrum antiviral drugs by targeting the viral polymerases. However, the underlying mechanisms for the antiviral efficacies of these drugs are far from well understood. Here we reveal that Favipiravir, as a pyrazine derivative, could be incorporated into the viral RNA products...

• Genetic IL-6R variants and therapeutic inhibition of IL-6 receptor signalling in COVID-19 - Authors' reply - No abstract

• Genetic IL-6R variants and therapeutic inhibition of IL-6 receptor signalling in COVID-19 - No abstract

• Efficacy matters: broadening complement inhibition in COVID-19 - No abstract

• Efficacy matters: broadening complement inhibition in COVID-19 - Authors' reply - No abstract

• Antiviral activity of sulfated polysaccharides from marine algae and its application in combating COVID-19: Mini review - Marine-derived sulfated polysaccharides possess various antiviral activities against a broad range of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. It has become the potential source of antiviral drugs for pharmaceutical development. In this review, we will discuss the different types of sulfated polysaccharides and their structural classification. Some of the major sulfated polysaccharides with potent antiviral activity, including carrageenan, agar, ulvan, fucoidan, and alginates, are considered in this...

• Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF): The link between obesity and COVID-19 - The COVID-19 death toll has involved to date more than 1 million confirmed deaths. The death rate is even higher in the obese COVID-19 patients, as a result of hypoxia, due to the interplay between adipose tissue hypoxia and obstructive sleep apnea. The discrepancy of manifestations seen in COVID-19 seems to be mediated by a differential immune response rather than a differential viral load. One of the key players of the immune response is HIF. HIF-1β is a stable constitutively expressed protein...

• Manipulated bio antimicrobial peptides from probiotic bacteria as proposed drugs for COVID-19 disease - Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) is the latest pandemic resulted from the coronavirus family. Due to the high prevalence of this disease, its high mortality rate, and the lack of effective treatment, the need for affordable and accessible drugs is one of the main challenges in this regard. It has been proved that RdRp, 3CL, Spike, and Nucleocapsid are the most important viral proteins playing vital roles in the processes of proliferation and infection. Therefore, we started studying a wide...

• Mushroom-derived bioactive compounds potentially serve as the inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease: An in silico approach - CONCLUSION: Our study highlights the potential of existing mushroom-derived natural compounds for further investigation and possibly can be used to fight against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

From Patent Search

• SARS-CoV-2 antibodies - - link

• SARS-CoV-2 antibodies - - link

• A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITION OF NITAZOXANIDE AND MEFLOQUINE AND METHOD THEREOF - A pharmaceutical composition for treating Covid-19 virus comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a nitazoxanide or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and an mefloquine or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof is disclosed. The pharmaceutical composition comprises the nitazoxanide in the ratio of 0.05% to 66% w/v and the mefloquine in the ratio of 0.05% to 90% w/v. The composition is found to be effective for the treatment of COVID -19 (SARS-CoV2). The pharmaceutical composition of nitazoxanide and mefloquine has been found to be effective and is unexpectedly well tolerated with a low rate of side-effects, and equally high cure-rates than in comparable treatments. - link

• TREATMENT OF COVID-19 WITH REBAMIPIDE - - link

• METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ACQUIRING POWER CONSUMPTION IMPACT BASED ON IMPACT OF COVID-19 EPIDEMIC - - link

• A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITION OF ARTESUNATE AND MEFLOQUINE AND METHOD THEREOF - A pharmaceutical composition for treating Covid-19 virus comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an artesunate or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and a mefloquine or its pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof is disclosed. The pharmaceutical composition comprises the artesunate in the ratio of 0.25% to 66% w/v and mefloquine in the ratio of 0.25% to 90% w/v. The composition is found to be effective for the treatment of COVID -19 (SARS-CoV2). The pharmaceutical composition of Artesunate and Mefloquine has been found to be effective and is unexpectedly well tolerated with a low rate of side-effects, and equally high cure-rates than in comparable treatments. The present invention also discloses a method to preparing the pharmaceutical composition comprising of Artesunate and Mefloquine. - link

• Zahnbürstenaufsatz, elektrische Versorgungseinheit einer elektrischen Zahnbürste, elektrische Zahnbürste mit einem Zahnbürstenaufsatz, Zahnbürste sowie Testaufsatz für eine elektrische Zahnbürste -

  Zahnbürstenaufsatz für eine elektrische Zahnbürste (20) umfassend einen Koppelabschnitt (2), über den der Zahnbürstenaufsatz (1) mit einer elektrischen Versorgungseinheit (10) der elektrischen Zahnbürste (20) verbindbar ist und einen Bürstenabschnitt (3), der zur Reinigung der Zähne ausgebildete Reinigungsmittel (3.1) aufweist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass an dem Zahnbürstenaufsatz (1) eine Sensoreinheit (4) vorgesehen ist, die dazu ausgebildet ist, selektiv das Vorhandensein eines Virus oder eines Antigen im Speichel eines Nutzers des Zahnbürstenaufsatzes (1) durch Messen zumindest eines virusspezifischen Parameters zu bestimmen.

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• 一种医用可佩戴式防护口鼻的微型气幕系统 - 本发明公开了一种医用可佩戴式防护口鼻的微型气幕系统，包括框柱，框柱一侧开凿有气幕送风口和呼吸用送风口，气幕送风口和呼吸用送风口内分别连接有软管一和软管二，框柱内开凿有水平条缝和垂直条缝，水平条缝与垂直条缝均与气幕送风口相连通，框柱靠近水平条缝的一侧贯穿开凿有出风口，出风口内设有滤网，出风口贯穿框柱的一端连接有高效过滤器，滤网与高效过滤器之间连接有吸气泵，框柱靠近出风口的一侧连接有电池和开关。本发明通过提出一种在口腔处应用洁净空气幕阻挡气溶胶传播的可佩戴装置，可以在口腔类相关诊疗过程，保护医生和周围人的健康，避免引起可能引发的呼吸道疾病交叉感染。 - link

• COVID-19 CLASSIFICATION RECOGNITION METHOD BASED ON CT IMAGES OF LUNGS - - link

• Vorrichtung umfassend einen Schutzschirm und einen Filter zum Herausfiltern von Viren aus einem Schall erzeugenden Luftstrom -

  Vorrichtung (10) umfassend einen Schutzschirm (12) und einen Filter (14) zum Herausfiltern von Viren (16) aus einem Schall erzeugenden Luftstrom (18), der von einem Musiker (20) beim Musizieren mit einem Musikinstrument oder beim Singen erzeugt wird, wobei der Schutzschirm (12) zur Verringerung des Risikos einer Infektion mit den Viren (16) dafür vorgesehen ist, wenigstens einen Teil der mit dem Luftstrom transportierten Viren (16) aufzufangen, der Schutzschirm (12) eine erste Seite (22) und eine zweite Seite (24) aufweist, die voneinander abgewandt sind, und der Schutzschirm (12) wenigstens einen sich von der ersten (22) bis zu der zweiten Seite (24) erstreckenden Durchlass (26) aufweist, wobei dieser Durchlass (26) zum Durchströmen mit wenigstens einem Teil des beim Musizieren erzeugten Luftstroms (18) vorgesehen ist und der Filter (14) zum Herausfiltern von Viren (16) aus dem Luftstrom (18) in dem Durchlass (26) des Schutzschirms (12) angeordnet ist.

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