Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• SARS-CoV-2 Delta derivatives impact on neutralization of Covishield recipient sera -
  The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant and its derivatives has created grave public health problem worldwide. The high transmissibility associated with this variant has led to daily increase in the number of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Delta variant has slowly dominated the other variants of concern. Subsequently, Delta has further mutated to Delta AY.1 to Delta AY.126. Of these, Delta AY.1 has been reported from several countries including India and considered to be highly infectious and probable escape mutant. Considering the possible immune escape, we had already evaluated the efficacy of the BBV152 against Delta and Delta AY.1 variants. Here, we have evaluated the neutralizing potential of sera of COVID-19 naive vaccinees (CNV) immunized with two doses of vaccine, COVID-19 recovered cases immunized with two doses of vaccine (CRV) and breakthrough infections (BTI) post immunization with two doses of vaccine against Delta, Delta AY.1 and B.1.617.3 using 50% plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT50). Our study observed low NAb titer in CNV group against all the variants compared to CRV and BTI groups. Delta variant has shown highest reduction of 27.3-fold in NAb titer among CNV group compared to other groups and variants. Anti-S1-RBD IgG immune response among all the groups was also substantiated with NAb response. Compromised neutralization was observed against Delta and Delta AY.1 compared B.1 in all three groups. However, it provided protection against severity of the disease and fatality.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: SARS-CoV-2 Delta derivatives impact on neutralization of Covishield recipient sera
• Direct lysis RT-qPCR of SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture supernatant allows for fast and accurate quantification of virus, opening a vast array of applications -
  An enormous global effort is being made to study SARS-CoV-2 and develop safe and effective treatments. Studying the entire virus replication cycle of SARS-CoV-2 is essential to identify host factors and treatments to combat the infection. However, quantification of released virus often requires lengthy procedures, such as endpoint dilution assays or reinfection with engineered reporter viruses. Quantification of viral RNA in cell supernatant is faster and can be performed on clinical isolates. However, viral RNA purification is expensive in time and resources and often unsuitable for high-throughput screening. Here, we show a direct lysis RT-qPCR method allowing sensitive, accurate, fast, and cheap quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in culture supernatant. During lysis, the virus is completely inactivated, allowing further processing in low containment areas. This protocol facilitates a wide array of high- and low-throughput applications from basic quantification to studying the biology of SARS-CoV-2 and to identify novel antiviral treatments in vitro.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Direct lysis RT-qPCR of SARS-CoV-2 in cell culture supernatant allows for fast and accurate quantification of virus, opening a vast array of applications
• Help thy neighbor. Neighborhood relations, subjective well-being, and trust during the COVID-19 pandemic -
  Neighborhoods and neighbors are important sources for people’s life chances and well-being. Their importance is highlighted in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic: Neighbors helped vulnerable and at-risk groups by providing small services and a sense of community. Using panel data from Switzerland, this study investigated how and for whom relations with neighbors changed to the better or worse during the pandemic. In a second step, changes in subjective well-being and trust in other people, both of which dropped considerably during the pandemic and social confinement, were linked to changes in neighborly relations. The results show that the negative impact of the pandemic on people’s subjective well-being and trust was much less pronounced for those who improved their relations with neighbors during the pandemic. At the same time, those with more resources prior to the pandemic were more likely to improve neighborly relations. Consequently, this study finds evidence for a social gradient in subjective well-being and trust during the crisis that partly works through changes in neighborhood networks. Robustness analyses further show that the documented effects are indeed attributable to changes induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding social confinement measures.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Help thy neighbor. Neighborhood relations, subjective well-being, and trust during the COVID-19 pandemic
• A simple, sensitive and quantitative FACS-based test for SARS-CoV-2 serology in humans and animals -

  Serological tests are important for understanding the physiopathology and following the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic. Assays based on flow cytometry (FACS) of tissue culture cells expressing the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 have repeatedly proven to perform slightly better than the plate-based assays ELISA and CLIA (chemiluminescent immuno-assay), and markedly better than lateral flow immuno-assays (LFIA). Here, we describe an optimized and very simple FACS assay based on staining a mix of two Jurkat cell lines, expressing either high levels of the S protein (Jurkat-S) or a fluorescent protein (Jurkat-R expressing m-Cherry, or Jurkat-G, expressing GFP, which serve as an internal negative control). We show that the Jurkat-S&R-flow test has a much broader dynamic range than a commercial ELISA test and performs at least as well in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Also, it is more sensitive and quantitative than the hemagglutination-based test HAT, which we described recently. The Jurkat-flow test requires only a few microliters of blood; thus, it can be used to quantify various Ig isotypes in capillary blood collected from a finger prick. It can be used also to evaluate serological responses in mice, hamsters, cats and dogs. FACS tests offer a very attractive solution for laboratories with access to tissue culture and flow cytometry who want to monitor serological responses in humans or in animals, and how these relate to susceptibility to infection, or re- infection, by the virus, and to protection against Covid-19.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: A simple, sensitive and quantitative FACS-based test for SARS-CoV-2 serology in humans and animals
• EFFICACY OF INTERFERENTIAL THERAPY ON SELECTED CARDIOPULMONARY PARAMETERS OF ASTHMATIC PATIENTS WITH POST COVID19 EXPOSURE: STUDY PROTOCOL -
  Background: Interferential therapy (IFT) is the application of two medium frequency currents to the skin to stimulate and activate different systems in the body using specific frequencies and frequency ranges. IFT in the thoracic region aims to reduce myalgia in the chest and upper back, reduce muscular fatigue and induce mucus expectoration. This study is designed to test the efficacy of IFT on asthma patients recently exposed to SARS-CoV-2 virus. Methods: IFT will be administered as an intervention to 28 asthma patients with and without a history of COVID-19 exposure for 20 minutes. Six continuous outcome variables at different points will be utilized as an outcome measure. Selected Baseline Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) and Cardiopulmonary Variables (CVS) will be assessed on entry into the study, Quality of life and asthma control will be evaluated every two (2) weeks of the study. Data obtained will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics of repeated ANOVA; P<0.05. Discussion: The study outcome will compare the efficacy of IFT on Bronchial Asthma patients with Post COVID-19 exposure, identify the relationship between the Intervention on Asthma patients with or without COVID-19 exposure. Contribution of Paper: Asthma control in the SARS-CoV-2 virus is still unclear, this study aims to evaluate the effect of airway smooth muscle relaxation induced by IFT on the possible long-term manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 virus on asthma control, and quality of life of asthma patients. This study will add to the existing knowledge on the management of the severe acute respiratory syndrome.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: EFFICACY OF INTERFERENTIAL THERAPY ON SELECTED CARDIOPULMONARY PARAMETERS OF ASTHMATIC PATIENTS WITH POST COVID19 EXPOSURE: STUDY PROTOCOL
• Broad human and animal coronavirus neutralisation by SARS-CoV-2 S2-targeted vaccination -
  Several common-cold coronaviruses (HCoVs) are endemic in humans and several variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged during the current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Whilst antibody cross-reactivity with the Spike glycoproteins (S) of diverse coronaviruses has been documented, it remains unclear whether such antibody responses, typically targeting the conserved S2 subunit, contribute to or mediate protection, when induced naturally or through vaccination. Using a mouse model, we show that prior HCoV-OC43 S immunity primes neutralising antibody responses to otherwise subimmunogenic SARS-CoV-2 S exposure and promotes S2-targeting antibody responses. Moreover, mouse vaccination with SARS-CoV-2 S2 elicits antibodies that neutralise diverse animal and human alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses in vitro, and protects against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in vivo. Lastly, in mice with a history of SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan-based S vaccination, further S2 vaccination induces stronger and broader neutralising antibody response than booster Wuhan S vaccination, suggesting it may prevent repertoire focusing caused by repeated homologous vaccination. The data presented here establish the protective value of an S2-targeting vaccine and support the notion that S2 vaccination may better prepare the immune system to respond to the changing nature of the S1 subunit in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), as well as to unpredictable, yet inevitable future coronavirus zoonoses.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Broad human and animal coronavirus neutralisation by SARS-CoV-2 S2-targeted vaccination
• SARS-CoV-2 variants impact RBD conformational dynamics and ACE2 accessibility -
  The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has killed over 5 million people and is causing a devastating social and economic impact all over the world. The rise of new variants of concern (VOCs) represents a difficult challenge due to the loss vaccine and natural immunity, and increased transmissibility. All circulating VOCs contain mutations in the spike glycoprotein, which mediates fusion between the viral and host cell membranes, via its receptor binding domain (RBD) that binds to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). In an attempt to understand the effect of RBD mutations in circulating VOCs, a lot of attention has been given to the RBD-ACE2 interaction. However, this type of analysis is limited, since it ignores more indirect effects, such as the conformational dynamics of the RBD itself. Observing that some VOCs mutations occur in residues that are not in direct contact with ACE2, we hypothesized that they could affect RBD conformational dynamics. To test this, we performed long atomistic (AA) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the structural dynamics of wt RBD, and that of three circulating VOCs (alpha, beta, and delta). Our results show that in solution, wt RBD presents two distinct conformations: an open conformation where it is free to bind ACE2; and a closed conformation, where the RBM ridge blocks the binding surface. The alpha and beta variants significantly impact the open/closed equilibrium, shifting it towards the open conformation by roughly 20%. This shift likely increases ACE2 binding affinity. Simulations of the currently predominant delta variant RBD were extreme in this regard, in that a closed conformation was never observed. Instead, the system alternated between the before mentioned open conformation and an alternative reversed one, with a significantly changed orientation of the RBM ridge flanking the RBD. This alternate conformation could potentially provide a fitness advantage not only due to increased availability for ACE2 binding, but also by aiding antibody escape through epitope occlusion. These results support the hypothesis that VOCs, and particularly the delta variant, impact RBD conformational dynamics in a direction that simultaneously promotes efficient binding to ACE2 and antibody escape.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: SARS-CoV-2 variants impact RBD conformational dynamics and ACE2 accessibility
• Association of subcutaneous or intravenous route of administration of casirivimab and imdevimab monoclonal antibodies with clinical outcomes in COVID-19. -

  Importance: Monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment decreases hospitalization and death in outpatients with mild to moderate COVID 19; however, only intravenous administration has been evaluated in randomized clinical trials of treatment. Subcutaneous administration may expand outpatient treatment capacity and qualified staff available to administer treatment, but association with patient outcomes is understudied. Objective: To evaluate whether or not, i.) subcutaneous casirivimab and imdevimab treatment is associated with reduced 28 days hospitalization/death than non- treatment among mAb-eligible patients, and ii.) subcutaneous casirivimab and imdevimab treatment is clinically and statistically similar to intravenous casirivimab and imdevimab treatment. Design, Setting, and Participants: Prospective cohort study of outpatients in a learning health system in the United States with mild to moderate COVID 19 symptoms from July 14 to October 26, 2021 who were eligible for mAb treatment under emergency use authorization. A nontreated control group of eligible patients was also selected. Intervention: Subcutaneous injection or intravenous administration of the combined single dose of casirivimab 600mg and imdevimab 600mg. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the 28 day adjusted risk ratio or adjusted risk difference for hospitalization or death. Secondary outcomes included 28 day adjusted risk ratios/differences of hospitalization, death, composite endpoint of ED admission and hospitalization, and rates of adverse events. Results: Among 1,956 matched adults with mild to moderate COVID 19, patients who received casirivimab and imdevimab subcutaneously had a 28-day rate of hospitalization/death of 3.4% (n=652) compared to 7.8% (n=1,304) in nontreated controls [risk ratio 0.44 (95% confidence interval: 0.28 to 0.68, p < .001)]. Among 2,185 patients treated with subcutaneous (n=969) or intravenous (n=1,216) casirivimab and imdevimab, the 28 day rate of hospitalization/death was 2.8% vs. 1.7%, respectively which resulted in an adjusted risk difference of 1.5% (95% confidence interval: -0.5% to 3.5%, p=.14). The 28 day adjusted risk differences (subcutaneous and intravenous) for death, ICU admission, and mechanical ventilation were 0.3% or less, although the 95% confidence intervals were wide. Conclusions and Relevance: Subcutaneously administered casirivimab and imdevimab is associated with reduced risk adjusted hospitalization or death amongst outpatients with mild to moderate COVID 19 compared to no treatment and indicates low adjusted risk difference compared to patients treated intravenously.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Association of subcutaneous or intravenous route of administration of casirivimab and imdevimab monoclonal antibodies with clinical outcomes in COVID-19.
• Trends and associated factors for Covid-19 hospitalisation and fatality risk in 2.3 million adults in England -

  Background The Covid-19 case fatality ratio varies between countries and over time but it is unclear whether variation is explained by the underlying risk in those infected. This study aims to describe the trends and risk factors for admission and mortality rates over time in England. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we included all adults (≥18 years) in England with a positive Covid-19 test result between 1st October 2020 and 30th April 2021. Data were linked to primary and secondary care electronic health records and death registrations. Our outcomes were i) one or more emergency hospital admissions and ii) death from any cause, within 28 days of a positive test. Multivariable multilevel logistic regression was used to model each outcome with patient risk factors and time. Results 2,311,282 people were included in the study, of whom 164,046 (7.1%) were admitted and 53,156 (2.3%) died within 28 days. There was significant variation in the case hospitalisation and mortality risk over time, peaking in December 2020-February 2021, which remained after adjustment for individual risk factors. Older age groups, males, those resident in more deprived areas, and those with obesity had higher odds of admission and mortality. Of risk factors examined, severe mental illness and learning disability had the highest odds of admission and mortality. Conclusions In one of the largest studies of nationally representative Covid-19 risk factors, case hospitalisation and mortality risk varied significantly over time in England during the second pandemic wave, independent of the underlying risk in those infected.

• AImmune: a new blood-based machine learning approach to improving immune profiling analysis on COVID-19 patients -

  A massive number of transcriptomic profiles of blood samples from COVID-19 patients has been produced since pandemic COVID-19 begins, however, these big data from primary studies have not been well integrated by machine learning approaches. Taking advantage of modern machine learning arthrograms, we integrated and collected single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data from three independent studies, identified genes potentially available for interpretation of severity, and developed a high-performance deep learning-based deconvolution model AImmune that can predict the proportion of seven different immune cells from the bulk RNA-seq results of human peripheral mononuclear cells. This novel approach which can be used for clinical blood testing of COVID-19 on the ground that previous research shows that mRNA alternations in blood-derived PBMCs may serve as a severity indicator. Assessed on real-world data sets, the AImmune model outperformed the most recognized immune profiling model CIBERSORTx. The presented study showed the results obtained by the true scRNA-seq route can be consistently reproduced through the new approach AImmune, indicating a potential replacing the costly scRNA-seq technique for the analysis of circulating blood cells for both clinical and research purposes.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: AImmune: a new blood-based machine learning approach to improving immune profiling analysis on COVID-19 patients
• Evaluation of Vaccination Strategies for the metropolitan area of Madrid -

  ● Background: This work analyses the impact of different vaccination strategies on the propagation of COVID-19 within the Madrid metropolitan area starting the 27th of December 2020 and ending in the Summer of 2021. The predictions are based on simulation using EpiGraph, an agent-based COVID-19 simulator. ● Methods: We briefly summarize the different interconnected models of EpiGraph and then we provide a comprehensive description of the vaccination model. We evaluate different vaccination strategies, and we validate the simulator by comparing the simulation results with real data from the metropolitan area of Madrid during the third wave. ● Results: We consider the different COVID-19 propagation scenarios on a social environment consisting of the ten largest cities in the Madrid metropolitan area, with 5 million individuals. The results show that the strategy that fares best is to vaccinate the elderly first with the two doses spaced 56 days apart; this approach reduces the final infection rate and the number of deaths by an additional 6% and 3% with respect to vaccinating the elderly first at the interval between doses recommended by the vaccine producer. ● Conclusion: Results show that prioritizing the vaccination of young individuals would significantly increase the number of deaths. On the other hand, spacing out the first and second dose by 56 days would result in a slight reduction in the number of infections and deaths. The reason is the increase in the number of vaccinated individuals at any time during the simulation.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Evaluation of Vaccination Strategies for the metropolitan area of Madrid
• Lifestyle behaviours of children and adolescents during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland and their relation to well-being: a population-based study -

  Background: Previous studies assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children9s and adolescent9s lifestyle focused mainly on the first wave in early 2020. We aimed to describe changes in adherence to recommendations for physical activity (PA), screen time (ST), and sleep duration over the first two waves of the pandemic (March-May 2020 and October 2020-January 2021) in Switzerland, and to assess the associations of these lifestyle behaviours with life satisfaction and overall health, as indicators of well-being. Methods: We included 3168 participants aged 5 to 18 years from four Swiss cantons. Participants or their parents completed repeated questionnaires and reported on their (child9s) PA, ST, sleep, life satisfaction, and overall health. We analysed lifestyle behaviours in terms of adherence to international recommendations. We used linear and logistic regression models to assess the associations of number of recommendations met and adherence patterns with well-being indicators. Findings: Compared to the pre-pandemic period, the percentage of participants meeting the recommendations for PA and ST decreased strikingly during March-May 2020, while there was a slight increase in those meeting recommendations for sleep. During October 2020-January 2021, the percentage of compliant children for PA and ST increased but remained lower than before the pandemic. Participants meeting all three recommendations were more likely to report excellent health (OR: 1.87 [1.15-3.08]) and a higher life satisfaction score (β: 0.59 [0.30-0.88]) than participants not meeting any recommendation. Adherence to recommendations for PA and sleep, PA and ST, and sleep and ST was similarly associated with both well-being indicators. Interpretation: We show a substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children9s and adolescents9 lifestyle behaviours with a partial recovery over time, and an association between lifestyle and well-being. Public health policies to promote children9s and adolescents9 well-being should target PA, ST, and sleep simultaneously. Funding: Corona Immunitas.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Lifestyle behaviours of children and adolescents during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland and their relation to well-being: a population-based study
• Google Trends as a predictive tool for COVID-19 vaccinations in Italy: a retrospective infodemiological analysis. -

  Abstract Background: Google Trends is an infoveillance tool widely used by the scientific community to investigate different user behaviors related to COVID-19. However, several limitations regarding its adoption are reported in the literature. Objective: This brief paper aims to provide an effective and efficient approach to investigating vaccine adherence against COVID-19 via Google Trends. Methods: Through the cross-correlational analysis of well-targeted hypotheses, we investigate the predictive capacity of web searches related to COVID-19 towards vaccinations in Italy from November 2020 to November 2021. The keyword “vaccine reservation” (VRQ) was chosen as it reflects a real intention of being vaccinated (V). Furthermore, the impact of the second-largest Italian national newspaper on vaccines-related web searches was investigated to evaluate the role of the mass media as a confounding factor. Results: Simple and generic keywords are more likely to identify the actual web interest in COVID-19 vaccines than specific and elaborated keywords. Cross-correlations between VRQ and V were very strong and significant (min r^2 = .460, P<.001, lag = 0 weeks; max r^2 = .903, P < .001, lag = 6 weeks). Cross-correlations between VRQ and news about COVID-19 vaccines have been markedly lower and characterized by greater lags (min r^2 = .190, P=.001, lag = 0 weeks; max r^2 = .493, P < .001, lag = -10 weeks). No correlation between news and vaccinations was sought since the lag would have been too high. Conclusions: This research provides strong evidence in favor of using Google Trends as a surveillance and prediction tool for vaccine adherence against COVID-19 in Italy. These findings prove that the search for suitable keywords is a fundamental step to reduce confounding factors. Additionally, targeting hypotheses helps diminish the likelihood of spurious correlations. It is recommended that Google Trends be leveraged as a complementary infoveillance tool by government agencies to monitor and predict vaccine adherence in this and future crises by following the methods proposed in this manuscript.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Google Trends as a predictive tool for COVID-19 vaccinations in Italy: a retrospective infodemiological analysis.
• Low ozone concentration and negative ions for rapid SARS-CoV-2 inactivation -
  Ozone is a powerful anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral agent, yet exposure to high levels of ozone can pose risks to human/animal health and, in the long term, corrode certain objects. In order to overcome these risks, we evaluated the potential of using a relatively short exposure of a low concentration of ozone to disinfect an indoor environment in the absence of individuals and animals. ICON3 by O3ZONO/M2L, a new disinfection device generating both ozone and negative ions, was selected to assess the potential of this strategy to inactivate different viral isolates of SARS-CoV-2. Tests under controlled laboratory conditions were performed in a system consisting of an ozone-proof airtight plastic box inside a biological safety cabinet, where suspensions of two strains of SARS-CoV-2 were exposed to ozone and negative ions and virucidal activity was measured by means of two complementary methodologies: viral replication capacity and viral titer determination. These studies revealed that low concentration ozone (average 3 ppm after the peak) inactivated up to >99% of SARS-CoV-2 within 20 minutes of exposure. Under controlled conditions, similar ozone exposure was recreated with ICON3 in different volume rooms (15, 30, 60 m3) where a linear relationship was observed between the room volume and the time of continuous ozone/ions flow required to reach and maintain the desired ozone levels used in the laboratory studies. These studies suggest that ICON3 may have the potential for use in the disinfection of SARS-CoV-2 in indoor environments in the absence of individuals and animals, under properly controlled and monitored safety conditions.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Low ozone concentration and negative ions for rapid SARS-CoV-2 inactivation
• Selfless or Selfish? The Impact of Message Framing and Egoistic Motivation on Narcissists’ Compliance with Preventive Health Behaviors during COVID-19 -
  COVID-19 is one of the greatest international health crises in recent years. Due to the highly contagious nature of the virus, the World Health Organization has recommended that people comply with a set of preventive measures to reduce the infection rate (e.g., social distancing, wearing a face mask, thorough personal hygiene). Such recommendations imply certain personal restrictions, with people typically differing in the extent to which they are willing to comply with said recommendations. The present large-sampled study (N = 800) aimed to investigate whether narcissism levels and message framing strategies affect individuals’ willingness to accept personal restrictions and, consequently, comply with a set of preventive health behaviors. Results reveal that people high (vs. low) in narcissism are less likely to accept personal restrictions and to comply with preventive health behaviors. However, negative (vs. positive) message framing increases narcissists’ willingness to comply with such behaviors. This effect can be explained through an increased willingness of narcissistic participants to accept personal restrictions to protect themselves (egoistic motivation) but not through a willingness to protect vulnerable people (altruistic motivation). These findings suggest that individuals who remain uncooperative during pandemics could be more effectively addressed with adapted message framing strategies and incentives tailor-made for their distinct personalities.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Selfless or Selfish? The Impact of Message Framing and Egoistic Motivation on Narcissists’ Compliance with Preventive Health Behaviors during COVID-19

From Clinical Trials

• GlowTest COVID-19 Antigen Home Test Kit QRI Use Study - Condition:   Covid 19
  Intervention:   Diagnostic Test: GlowTest COVID-19 Antigen Home Test
  Sponsors:   Arion Bio;   CSSi Life Sciences
  Not yet recruiting

• Study to Evaluate the Effects of RO7496998 (AT-527) in Non-Hospitalized Adult and Adolescent Participants With Mild or Moderate COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: RO7496998;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsor:  
  Hoffmann-La Roche
  Suspended

• Allogenic UCMSCs as Adjuvant Therapy for Severe COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   Covid 19
  Interventions:   Biological: Normoxic Allogenic UCMSC;   Other: Normal saline solution
  Sponsors:   Kementerian Riset dan Teknologi / Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional, Indonesia;   Dr. Moewardi General Hospital, Surakarta, Indonesia;   Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia;   Dr. Hasan Sadikin General Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia;   PT Bifarma Adiluhung
  Recruiting

• Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Extracellular Vesicles Infusion Treatment for Mild-to-Moderate COVID-19: A Phase II Clinical Trial - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Drug: ExoFlo
  Sponsor:   Direct Biologics, LLC
  Recruiting

• The South Proxa-Rescue AndroCoV Trial Against COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Proxalutamide;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Corpometria Institute;   Hospital da Brigada Militar de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil;   Hospital Arcanjo Sao Miguel, Gramado, Brazil;   Hospital Unimed Chapeco, Chapeco, Brazil
  Completed

• Physical Fitness in Young Healthy Adults After COVID-19 Infection - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Other: Physical Activity Level;   Other: Evaluation of knee extension and elbow flexion muscle strength;   Other: Evaluation of functional strength of trunk muscles;   Other: Muscle Endurance;   Other: Flexibility;   Other: Balance;   Other: Fatigue
  Sponsor:  
  Baskent University
  Enrolling by invitation

• Using MOST to Optimize an Intervention to Increase COVID-19 Testing for Frontline Essential Workers - Conditions:   COVID-19;   COVID-19 Testing
  Interventions:   Behavioral: Motivational interviewing

1001. counseling;   Behavioral: Text messages (TMs) and quiz questions (QQs);   Behavioral: Peer education;   Behavioral: Access to COVID testing
      Sponsor:   New York University
      Not yet recruiting

• Vitamin D Supplementation and Clinical Improvement in COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D3 10000 IU;   Dietary Supplement: Vitamin D3 1000 IU
  Sponsor:   Bumi Herman
  Completed

• Study to Evaluate the inHaled Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Adenovirus Type 5 Vector) On the Protective-Efficacy in Adults (SeiHOPE) - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (adenovirus type 5 vector) for Inhalation (Ad5-nCoV-IH);   Biological: Placebo
  Sponsors:   CanSino Biologics Inc.;   Beijing Institute of Biotechnology
  Not yet recruiting

• Inhaled Recombinant Non-immunogenic Staphylokinase vs Placebo in Patients With COVID-19 - FORRIF Trial - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Recombinant nonimmunogenic staphylokinase;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Supergene, LLC;   Russian Academy of Medical Sciences
  Not yet recruiting

• Safety and Immunogenicity of COVID-19 Vaccine, Inactivated in Healthy Population Aged From 3 to 11 Years - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: COVID-19 Vaccine,Inactivated
  Sponsor:   Sinovac Biotech Co., Ltd
  Not yet recruiting

• Nutritional Supplementation of Vitamin D, Quercetin and Curcumin With Standard of Care for Managing Mild Early Symptoms of COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Standard of care;   Dietary Supplement: Investigational treatment
  Sponsor:   King Edward Medical University
  Recruiting

• Usefulness of DORNASE in COVID-19 on HFNO - Condition:   COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Intervention:   Procedure: inhalations
  Sponsor:  
  University Medical Centre Ljubljana
  Not yet recruiting

• Anti-COVID19 VaccinaTion AKS-452 BOOSTER (ACT-BOOSTER Study) - Conditions:   COVID-19;   Booster Vaccine
  Intervention:   Biological: AKS-452X
  Sponsors:   University Medical Center Groningen;   Akston Biosciences Corp;   TRACER Europe BV;   PRA Health Sciences
  Not yet recruiting

• COVID-19 VACCINE SAFETY AND EFFECTIVENESS - Condition:   SARS-CoV-2 Infection
  Intervention:   Biological: ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222)
  Sponsors:   Federal University of Espirito Santo;   Instituto René Rachou/Fiocruz
  Recruiting

From PubMed

• A defective viral genome strategy elicits broad protective immunity against respiratory viruses - RNA viruses generate defective viral genomes (DVGs) that can interfere with replication of the parental wild-type virus. To examine their therapeutic potential, we created a DVG by deleting the capsid-coding region of poliovirus. Strikingly, intraperitoneal or intranasal administration of this genome, which we termed eTIP1, elicits an antiviral response, inhibits replication, and protects mice from several RNA viruses, including enteroviruses, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. While eTIP1 replication…

• C5a and C5aR1 are key drivers of microvascular platelet aggregation in clinical entities spanning from aHUS to COVID-19 - Unrestrained activation of the complement system till the terminal products, C5a and C5b-9, plays a pathogenetic role in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. In endothelial cells, complement hyperactivation may translate into cell dysfunction, favoring thrombus formation. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the C5a/C5aR1 axis as opposite to C5b-9 in inducing endothelial dysfunction and loss of anti-thrombogenic properties. In vitro and ex vivo assays with serum from patients…

• Metabolites with SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitory Activity Identified from Human Microbiome Commensals - The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to identify additional antiviral small molecules to complement existing therapies. Although increasing evidence suggests that metabolites produced by the human microbiome have diverse biological activities, their antiviral properties remain poorly explored. Using a cell-based SARS-CoV-2 infection assay, we screened culture broth extracts from a collection of phylogenetically diverse human-associated bacteria for the production of small molecules…

• Age-Dependent Reduction in Neutralization against Alpha and Beta Variants of BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine-Induced Immunity - Vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 have been introduced. To investigate the relationship between vaccine-induced humoral immunity and patient age, we measured antibody levels and neutralization in vaccinated sera. Sera from 13 to 17 days after the second dose of the BNT162b2 vaccine were collected from health care workers at the University of Toyama (n = 740). Antibody levels were measured by the anti-receptor binding domain antibody test (anti-RBD test), and…

• Plant-Derived Natural Non-Nucleoside Analog Inhibitors (NNAIs) against RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Complex (nsp7/nsp8/nsp12) of SARS-CoV-2 - The emergence of fast-spreading SARS-CoV-2 mutants has sparked a new phase of COVID-19 pandemic. There is a dire necessity for antivirals targeting highly conserved genomic domains on SARS-CoV-2 that are less prone to mutation. The nsp12, also known as the RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp), the core component of ‘SARS-CoV-2 replication- transcription complex’, is a potential well-conserved druggable antiviral target. Several FDA-approved RdRp ‘nucleotide analog inhibitors (NAIs)’ such as…

• Stable Long Cycling of Small Molecular Organic Acid Electrode Materials Enabled by Nonflammable Eutectic Electrolyte - Small molecule organic acids as electrode materials possess the advantages of high theoretical capacity, low cost, and good processability. However, these electrode materials suffer from poor cycling stability due to the inevitable dissolution of organic molecules in the electrolytes. Here, a eutectic mixture of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide and N-methylamine is employed as a eutectic electrolyte in Li-ion batteries with small molecule organic acids as electrodes. To enhance the…

• Structure-Activity Studies Reveal Scope for Optimisation of Ebselen-Type Inhibition of SARS-COV-2 Main Protease - The reactive organoselenium compound Ebselen is being investigated for treatment of COVID-19 and other diseases. We report structure-activity studies on sulfur analogues of Ebselen employing turnover and protein-observed mass spectrometry-based assays. The results reveal scope for optimisation of Ebselen-mediated inhibition of the SARS-COV-2 main protease, in particular with respect to improved selectivity.

• The SARS-CoV-2 RNA polymerase is a viral RNA capping enzyme - SARS-CoV-2 is a positive-sense RNA virus responsible for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which continues to cause significant morbidity, mortality and economic strain. SARS-CoV-2 can cause severe respiratory disease and death in humans, highlighting the need for effective antiviral therapies. The RNA synthesis machinery of SARS-CoV-2 is an ideal drug target and consists of non-structural protein 12 (nsp12), which is directly responsible for RNA synthesis, and numerous…

• Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus proliferation by designer antisense-circRNAs - Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are noncoding RNAs that exist in all eukaryotes investigated and are derived from back-splicing of certain pre-mRNA exons. Here, we report the application of artificial circRNAs designed to act as antisense-RNAs. We systematically tested a series of antisense-circRNAs targeted to the SARS-CoV-2 genome RNA, in particular its structurally conserved 5’-untranslated region. Functional assays with both reporter transfections as well as with SARS- CoV-2 infections revealed that…

• In silico analyses of major active constituents of Fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda) unveils inhibitory activities against SARS-CoV-2 main protease enzyme - Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf., commonly known as fingerroot is a perennial herb in the Zingiberaceae family with anticancer, anti-leptospiral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiulcer, and anti-herpes viral activities. While the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) inhibitory activity of B. rotunda extract has been recently found, the active compounds contributing to this activity are yet unknown. The main protease (M^(pro)) enzyme is one of the most well established…

• Effectiveness of Remdesivir, Lopinavir/Ritonavir, and Favipiravir for COVID-19 Treatment: A Systematic Review - CONCLUSION: This study provides an overview of the evidence-based role of remdesivir, favipiravir, and lopinavir/ritonavir in the management of COVID-19. A thorough assessment of the benefit-risk profile in COVID-19 patients is urgently needed. The current review was based on very limited available data; therefore, further well- designed clinical trials are required.

• A hydrated 2,3-diaminophenazinium chloride as a promising building block against SARS-CoV-2 - Phenazine scaffolds are the versatile secondary metabolites of bacterial origin. It functions in the biological control of plant pathogens and contributes to the producing strains ecological fitness and pathogenicity. In the light of the excellent therapeutic properties of phenazine, we have synthesized a hydrated 2,3-diaminophenazinium chloride (DAPH^(+)Cl(-)·3H(2)O) through direct catalytic oxidation of o-phenylenediamine with an iron(III) complex, [Fe(1,10-phenanthroline)(2)Cl(2)]NO(3) in…

• Chemical constituents and biological activities of Artemisia argyi H.Lév. & vaniot - Artemisia argyi is a widely distributed and inexpensive plant resource, and study on its chemical compositions and biological activities will provide an important basis for its food applications and pharmaceutical developments. In this study, fourteen known guaiane-type sesquiterpenes (1-14), four known eudesmane-type sesquiterpenes (15-18), two known germacranolide-type sesquiterpenes (19, 20), and eight other types of terpenoids (20-28) were isolated from the leaves of A. argyi by polyamide…

• In Vitro Metabolism, Pharmacokinetics and Drug Interaction Potentials of Emvododstat, a DHODH Inhibitor - Emvododstat was identified as a potent inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and is now in clinical development for the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia and COVID-19. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and drug interaction potentials of emvododstat.Emvododstat showed high binding to plasma protein with minimal distribution into blood cells in mouse, rat, dog, monkey, and human whole blood.O-Demethylation followed by glucuronidation appeared to be…

• Comparison of Antibody Response Elicited by ChAdOx1 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine - CONCLUSION: Both the ChAdOx1- and BNT162b2-vaccinated groups showed high seropositivity for anti-S and neutralizing antibodies. The SIR of neutralizing antibodies in the ChAdOx1 vaccine group was higher in women than in men. Enhanced antibody responses were observed in participants vaccinated with BNT162b2 compared to those vaccinated with the ChAdOx1 vaccine.

From Patent Search

• P2P 네트워크를 이용한 내장된 화상회의 시스템 - 본 발명은 P2P 네트워크를 이용한 내장된 화상회의 시스템에 관한 것으로, 상태표시부(1), 영상송출부(2), 제어부(3), 광고부(4), 입력부(5)를 포함한다. - link

• A DOORBELL SYSTEM FOR MONITORING AND RECORDING A PHYSIOLOGICAL DATA OF A PERSON - AbstractTitle: A doorbell system for monitoring and recording a physiological data of a person The present invention provides a doorbell system 500 for monitoring and recording a physiological data of a person. The doorbell system 500 having a transmitter module 100 and a receiving module 200. The transmitter module 100 is having a TOF sensor module 110, an ultrasound detector 120, and an infrared detector 130. Further, a speech recognition system 150, a facial recognition system 160, and a temperature detector 190 are provided for recognizing speech, face, and temperature of the person by comparing pre-stored data. A controlling module 180 is set with a predefined commands for communicating with the transmitter module 100 and receiving module 200. The collected facial and speech data is compared and matched with the pre-stored data then the temperature detector 190 triggers and the door opens when the captured body temperature of the person is matched within the predefined range of temperature.Figure 1 - link

• A study of contemporary trends in investing patterns, household savings, and economic investment. - Because household savings and household investments are intertwined and interdependent, they are discussed briefly in this paper. Household savings account for more than half of a country’s capital formation, which fluctuates due to a variety of economic factors such as inflation and interest rates. Households should gradually shift their savings and investments from physical assets to financial assets to avoid a sudden change in wealth. They should also save and invest using a variety of platforms. Trends in investing and saving will be easier to track and measure this way. This year’s domestic saving rate in India is 2.3 percent lower than last year’s and 1.2 percent lower than the year before. Since 2011, general domestic savings have been steadily declining, with the trend continuing into the following year. According to official data, the GDP in 2020 shrank by 23.9%, the least in previous years and the least since the Covid-19 pandemic in previous years. As a result, the information presented in this paper is drawn from and evaluated from other sources - link

• PROLIPOSOMAL DRY POWDER INHALER OF REMDESIVIR - The present invention is related to Proliposomal Dry Powder Inhaler of Remdesivir and its method thereof for the treatment of viral infections such Coronaviridae (including COVID-19 infection). - link

• Use of Diminazene Aceturate, Xanthenone, ACE 2 activators or analogs for the Treatment and therapeutic use of COVID-19 on human patients. - - link

• ACTIVE RIDER SAFETY SYSTEM FOR TWO WHEELERS - The present invention relates to an active rider safety system for two wheelers comprising, a protective case equipped by a user for riding, where the case is integrated with multiple piezoelectric sensor that determines fastening of the case by user, a processing unit linked to the sensor, where the unit detects absence of case upon fetching data from the sensor below a threshold value and thereby terminates operation of ignition by stopping a coupled motor operated via a radio frequency module, an alcohol detection sensor that detects presence of alcohol and send data to processing unit, a temperature sensor that measures temperature of the user, an accelerometer sensor that activates upon ignition us tuned on to determine presence of a crash and a navigation module that via communication module sends location of user to pre saved users and concerned authorities. - link

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

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

• Secured Health monitoring system using cloud computing - As used in public health surveillance, the invention generally relates to remote health monitoring systems with cloud computing. This is particularly relevant about a multi-user remote health monitoring system that can detect and gather data from healthcare professionals on the ground and systems in laboratories and hospitals to help the public health sector. It is possible to utilize the system for tracking, monitoring, and collecting patient data and for querying and collecting more information on the health of the people. - link

• Bst DNA聚合酶重组突变体、其编码DNA及超快磁珠LAMP检测方法 - 本发明在野生型Bst DNA聚合酶序列上进行了Ser358Asp、Thr480Asn、Asp533Glu、Ala539Gly几个点位的突变，然后将进行点突变后的Bst DNA聚合酶的292‑305的氨基酸EGLLKVVRPDTKKV替换成DPLPDLIHPRTLRL，在突变后Bst DNA聚合酶序列的C端融合了一个DNA结合蛋白，在突变后Bst DNA聚合酶序列的N端融合了一个HP47多肽序列（SEQ ID No.17），在HP47多肽序列前面融合了一个CL7‑SUMO‑Tag，得到一种具有高活性和热稳定性的Bst DNA聚合酶重组突变体Super‑Bst（SEQ ID No.16）。Super‑Bst在热稳定性、特异性、链置换能力、延伸能力和逆转录酶活性上得到了显著地提升，能够耐受高盐和各类抑制剂，且可以通过原核表达和亲和纯化大量获得。本发明还公开了其编码DNA，以及一种超快磁珠LAMP检测方法。 - link