Background: SARS-CoV-2 is associated with significant mortality and morbidity in a subgroup of patients who develop cytokine releasing syndrome (CRS) and the related acute respiratory distress syndrome. Precedent evidence suggests that deficiency of the element zinc can be associated with similar complications as well as impaired antiviral response. Herein, beyond determining the zinc status, we explore the association between the plasma zinc concentration, the development of CRS, and the clinical outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Methods: We conducted a prospective, single-center, observational study in a tertiary university hospital (CUB-Hopital Erasme, Brussels). Hospitalized adult patients with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled within 72 hours of hospital admission. We assessed the presence and severity of COVID-19-associated hyperinflammatory syndrome (cHIS), an additive six-point clinical scale that we independently validated in the current study. We defined the clinical outcomes as the length of hospitalization, the incidence of mechanical ventilation, and mortality. We recorded the outcomes with a follow-up of 90 days from hospital admission. Results: One hundred and thirty-nine eligible patients were included between May 2020 and November 2020 (median age of 65 years [IQR, 54 to 77]). Our cohort9s mean plasma zinc concentration was 56.2 mcg/dL (standard deviation [SD], 14.8). The absolute majority of patients (96%) were zinc deficient (<80mcg/dL). The mean plasma zinc concentration was lower in patients with CRS (cHIS ≧ 2)compared to those without CRS (-5 mcg/dL; 95% CI, -10.5 to 0.051; p = 0.048). We observed that the plasma zinc concentration is weakly but significantly correlated with the length of hospital stay (rho = -0.19; p = 0.022). However, the plasma zinc concentration was not significantly associated with the risk of mortality or morbidity. Conclusions: Markedly, an absolute majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are zinc deficient. We found no significant association between zinc plasma concentration and cHIS. We find a weak (reverse) correlation between plasma zinc concentration and the length of hospital stay, but not with mortality or morbidity. As such, our findings do not support the role of zinc as a robust prognostic factor among hospitalized COVID-19 patients. We encourage further studies to explore the role of zinc as a biomarker for assessing the risk of developing a tissue-damaging CRS and predicting outcomes in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
Objectives: To estimate the effectiveness of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines against symptomatic infection and severe outcomes. Design: We applied a test-negative design study to linked laboratory, vaccination, and health administrative databases, and used multivariable logistic regression adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics associated with SARS-CoV-2 and vaccine receipt to estimate vaccine effectiveness (VE) against symptomatic infection and severe outcomes. Setting: Ontario, Canada between 14 December 2020 and 19 April 2021. Participants: Community-dwelling adults aged 16 years or older who had COVID-19 symptoms and were tested for SARS-CoV-2. Interventions: Pfizer-BioNTechs BNT162b2 or Modernas mRNA-1273 vaccine. Main outcome measures: Laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR; hospitalization/death associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: Among 324,033 symptomatic individuals, 53,270 (16.4%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 and 21,272 (6.6%) received 1 or more vaccine dose. Among test-positive cases, 2,479 (4.7%) had a severe outcome. VE against symptomatic infection 14 days or more after receiving only 1 dose was 60% (95%CI, 57 to 64%), increasing from 48% (95%CI, 41 to 54%) at 14-20 days after the first dose to 71% (95%CI, 63 to 78%) at 35-41 days. VE 7 days or more days after 2 doses was 91% (95%CI, 89 to 93%). Against severe outcomes, VE 14 days or more after 1 dose was 70% (95%CI, 60 to 77%), increasing from 62% (95%CI, 44 to 75%) at 14-20 days to 91% (95%CI, 73 to 97%) at 35 days or more, whereas VE 7 days or more after 2 doses was 98% (95%CI, 88 to 100%). For adults aged 70 years and older, VE estimates were lower for intervals shortly after receiving 1 dose, but were comparable to younger adults for all intervals after 28 days. After 2 doses, we observed high VE against E484K-positive variants. Conclusions: Two doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against symptomatic infection and severe outcomes. Single-dose effectiveness is lower, particularly for older adults shortly after the first dose.
Abstract Background Indomethacin has shown to be a broad spectrum anti-viral agent apart from it being a non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). This randomized clinical trial in a hospital setting is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of this drug in RT-PCR positive Covid patients. Materials and Methods RT-PCR positive Covid-19 patients, who gave the consent for the trial, were allotted to a control, or case, arm based on block randomization procedure. The control arm received the standard care consisting of paracetamol, ivermectin and other adjuvant therapy. The case arm had indomethacin instead of paracetamol, retaining the other medications. The endpoint was the development of hypoxia/desaturation. Secondary endpoints were time to become afebrile and time to resolution of cough and myalgia. The results of 210 patients were available at this point, with 102 patients in the indomethacin arm and 108 in the paracetamol arm. The complete patient profile along with everyday clinical parameters were monitored. Blood chemistry at the time of admission and discharge were also carried out. Results As no one required high-flow oxygen, desaturation with an SpO2 level of 93 and below was considered an important goal. In the indomethacin group, no one out of the 102 patients developed desaturation. On the other hand, 20 of the 108 patients in the paracetamol arm developed desaturation. Patients who received indomethacin also experienced more rapid symptomatic relief compared to those in the paracetamol arm, with most symptoms disappearing in half the time. A total of 56 patients out of 108 in the paracetamol arm had fever on the seventh day, while no one recorded fever in the indomethacin arm. No adverse event was reported in either arms. A fourteenth day follow up revealed that the paracetamol arm patients had several discomforts including myalgia, joint pain and tiredness while the indomethacin arm patients complained only of tiredness. Conclusion Indomethacin is a safe and effective drug for the treatment of mild and moderate Covid-19 patients.
INTRODUCTION: Within 2 months of first detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Honduras, its government promoted nationwide implementation of multi-drug COVID-19 inpatient and outpatient treatment protocols. This was associated with a case fatality rate decrease from 9.33% to 2.97%. No decrease was seen in Mexico, a similar Latin American country that did not introduce multi-drug treatment protocols at that time. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of the study was to use statistical process control to assess the likelihood that the decrease in case fatality rate in Honduras was due to chance, using Mexico as a control country. METHODS: Fourteen day running average COVID-19 case fatality rates in Honduras and Mexico were used to create Shewhart control charts during the first 6 months of the epidemic. The date of implementation in Honduras of the inpatient and outpatient multi-drug COVID-19 protocols were plotted on control charts, with a Mexican COVID-19 case fatality control chart for comparison. RESULTS: The case fatality rate for COVID-19 in Honduras dropped below the lower control limit 9 days after implementation of an inpatient and outpatient multi-drug therapeutic protocol, from an average 9.33% case fatality rate to 5.01%. The Honduran COVID-19 case fatality rate again dropped below the lower control limit to 2.97%, 17 days after launching a substantial government program to make the protocol medications accessible to underserved areas. Shewhart control chart plots of case fatality rates in Honduras suggest a plausible temporal association between the implementation dates of both the initial protocol implementation on May 3, 2020, and the outreach effort on June 10, 2020, and statistically significant control chart anomalies. No control chart anomalies were seen during that time in Mexico. CONCLUSION: Decreases in COVID-19 case fatality rates in Honduras were associated with both the initial publication a multi-drug COVID-19 therapeutic protocol and a subsequent outreach program.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a range of unprecedented disruptions to the delivery of maternity care globally and has been associated with regional changes in perinatal outcomes such as stillbirth and preterm birth. Metropolitan Melbourne endured one of the longest and most stringent lockdowns in 2020. This paper presents the protocol for a collaborative maternity dashboard project to monitor perinatal outcomes in Melbourne, Australia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: De-identified maternal and newborn outcomes will be collected monthly from all public maternity services in Melbourne, allowing rapid analysis of a multitude of perinatal indicators. Weekly outcomes will be displayed as run charts according to established methods for detecting non-random (signals) in health care. A pre-pandemic median for all indicators will be calculated for the period of January 2018 to March 2020. A significant shift is defined as > six consecutive weeks, all above or below the pre-pandemic median. Additional statistical analyses such as regression, time-series, and survival analyses will be performed for an in-depth examination of maternal and perinatal outcomes of interests. Ethics and Dissemination: This study has been registered as an observational study with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12620000878976).
Background: We examined the relationship between socioeconomic and health status, and lifestyle habits and sickness presenteeism among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study using Internet monitors was conducted in December, 2020 in Japan. Of 33,302 survey participants, we analysed 27,036 (13,814 males and 13,222 females) who reported experience with sickness presenteeism. Results: The OR of sickness presenteeism associated with unmarried versus married status was 1.15. Respective figures for other variables were 1.11 for manual laboring work compared to desk work; 1.79 and 2.29 for loss of employment at the time the pandemic began and continuation of unemployment compared to maintaining employment during the pandemic; and 3.34 for a feeling of financial instability compared to stability. Conclusion: The issue of sickness presenteeism has been highlighted by COVID-19.
There is a critical need for improved infectious disease diagnostics to enable rapid case identification in a viral pandemic and support targeted antimicrobial prescribing. Here we use high-resolution liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry to compare the admission serum metabolome of patients attending hospital with a range of viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2, to those with bacterial infections, non-infected inflammatory conditions and healthy controls. We demonstrate for the first time that 39-Deoxy-39,49-didehydro-cytidine (ddhC), a free base of the only known human antiviral small molecule ddhC-triphosphate (ddhCTP), is detectable in serum. ddhC acts as an accurate biomarker for viral infections, generating an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.954 (95% confidence interval 0.923-0.986) when comparing viral to non-viral cases. Gene expression of viperin, the enzyme responsible for ddhCTP synthesis, is highly correlated with ddhC, providing a biological mechanism for its increase during viral infection. These findings underline a key future diagnostic role of ddhC in the context of pandemic preparedness and antimicrobial stewardship.
Objectives: To identify the specific challenges of self-isolation experienced by population sub-groups to better target and tailor support. Design: The Contact Adherence Behavioural Insights Study (CABINS) was a 15-minute telephone survey of confirmed contacts of cases of COVID-19 identified through the national NHS Wales Test Trace Protect (TTP) database. Methods: Confirmed contacts of cases of COVID-19 reached by TTP completed a 15-minute telephone survey (N = 2,027). Binary logistic regression models adjusted for age, gender, living alone, survey round, deprivation quintile (defined by the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation) and income precarity (financial security) determined which population sub-groups were more likely to experience challenges during self-isolation. Results: Younger people (aged 18-29 years) were 3 times more likely to report mental health concerns (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR]: 3.16, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 2.05-4.86) and 2 times more likely to report loneliness (aOR: 1.96, CI: 1.37-2.81) compared to people aged over 60 years. Women were 1.5 times more likely to experience mental health concerns (aOR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.20-1.92) compared to men. People with high/very high levels of income precarity were 8 times more likely to report financial challenges (aOR: 7.73, CI: 5.10-11.74) and 3 times more likely to report mental health concerns than their more financially secure counterparts (aOR: 3.08, CI: 2.22-4.28). Conclusions: Self-isolation is particularly challenging for those with younger people, women and precarious incomes. Providing enhanced emotional, financial and social support and signposting to these groups is required to minimise the harms of self-isolation.
Background: Several recent studies reported that Covid-19 pandemic induces significant mental distress. It remains unknown, however, whether mental distress persists or undergoes extinction in response to consecutive Covid-19 waves. We here examine mental distress prior to and across the three Covid-19 waves. Methods: We measured stress and depressive symptoms prior to and across the three Covid-19 waves in a well-established population-based sample. A total of 330 participants completed e-questionnaires prior to and during the Covid-19 waves. Friedman9s repeated-measures and Wilcoxon rank sum pairwise test with Bonferroni correction were used to investigate repeated-measure differences, while the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess the effect of behavioral and physiological parameters on mental health. Results: We found significantly increased mental distress during each of the Covid-19 waves compared with the pre- Covid-19 period. Increased mental distress was more common in women and most pronounced during the 1st and in particular, the 3rd Covid-19 wave. The stress and depressive symptoms increased during pandemic compared with the pre- Covid-19 period by a maximum of 1.58 and 3.63 times, respectively. Negative emotions and loneliness were identified as the most significant risk factors of Covid-19-induced mental distress, while resilience was found to be protective. Conclusions: Mental distress surged during all the Covid-19 waves without showing extinction. This pattern is mechanistically reminiscent of the post-traumatic stress disorder. Our results suggest that the Covid-19 pandemic underlies development of a novel chronic mental health disorder and do not exclude possible further deterioration of mental health in case of future Covid-19 waves.
Background. The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected food systems including food security. Understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted food security is important to provide support, and identify long-term impacts and needs. Objective. Our team- the National Food Access and COVID research Team (NFACT) was formed to assess food security over different U.S. study sites throughout the pandemic, using common instruments and measurements. Here we present results from 18 study sites across 15 states and nationally over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. A validated survey instrument was developed and implemented in whole or part across the sites throughout the first year of the pandemic, representing 22 separate surveys. Sampling methods for each study site were convenience, representative, or high-risk targeted. Food security was measured using the USDA six-item module. Food security prevalence was analyzed using analysis of variance by sampling method to statistically significant differences. Results. In total, more than 27,000 people responded to the surveys. We find higher prevalence of food insecurity (low or very low food security) since the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to before the pandemic. In nearly all study sites, we find higher prevalence of food insecurity among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), households with children, and those with job disruptions. We also demonstrate lingering food insecurity, with high or increased prevalence over time in sites with repeat surveys. We find no statistically significant differences between convenience and representative surveys, but statistically higher prevalence of food insecurity among high-risk compared to convenience surveys. Conclusions. This comprehensive multi-study site effort demonstrates higher prevalence of food insecurity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which in multiple survey sites continues throughout the first year of the pandemic. These impacts were prevalent for certain demographic groups, and most pronounced for surveys targeting high-risk populations.
Background As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, reports on disparities in vaccine roll out alongside reinfection and reactivation from previously recovered cases have been emerging. With newer waves and variants of COVID-19, we conducted a systematic review to assess the determinants and disease spectrum of COVID-19 reinfection. Methods A comprehensive search covering relevant databases was conducted for observational studies reporting Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) confirmed infection and reinfection cases. Quality assessment tool developed by the National Institute of Health (NIH) for assessment of case series was used. Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan 5.3 for pooled proportions of findings in first infection and reinfection with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Eighty-one studies reporting 577 cases were included from 22 countries. The mean age of patients was 46.2±18.9 years with males accounting for 45.8% of the study population while 179 (31.0%) cases of comorbidities were reported. The average time duration between first infection and reinfection was 63.6±48.9 days. During first infection and reinfection, fever was the most common symptom (41.4% and 36.4%,respectively) whilst anti-viral therapy was the most common treatment regimen administered (44.5% and 43.0%, respectively). Overall, comparable odds of symptomatic presentation and management were reported in the two infections. However, a higher Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission rate was observed in reinfection compared to first infection (10 vs 3). Ten deaths were reported with 565 patients fully recovering. Respiratory failure was the most common cause of death (7/10 deaths). Seventy-two studies were determined to be of good quality whilst nine studies were of fair quality. Conclusion As the first global-scale systematic review of its kind, our findings support immunization practices given increased ICU admissions and mortality in reinfections. Our cohort serves as a guide for clinicians and authorities for devising an optimal strategy for controlling the pandemic.
Background: COVID-19 has become a global pandemic with a high growth rate of confirmed cases. In Bangladesh, both mortality and affected rates are increasing at an alarming rate. Therefore, more comprehensive studies of the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 are required to control this pandemic. Purpose: The present study aimed to compare and analyze the sex-specific epidemiological, clinical characteristics, comorbidities, and other information of confirmed COVID-19 patients from the southeast region in Bangladesh for the first time. Methods: 385 lab- confirmed cases were studied out of 2,471 tested samples between 5 June and 10 September 2020. RT-PCR was used for COVID-19 identification and SPSS (version 25) for statistical data analysis. Results: We found that male patients were roughly affected compared to female patients (male 74.30% vs. female 25.7%) with an average age of 34.86 +/- 15.442 years, and B (+ve) blood group has been identified as a high-risk factor for COVID-19 infection. Workplace, local market, and bank were signified as sex-specific risk zone (p < 0.001). Pre-existing medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases were identified among the patients. Less than half of the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the southeast region were asymptomatic (37.73%) and more prevalent among females than males (male vs. female: 36.84% vs. 40.51%, p = 0.001). Conclusions: The findings may help health authorities and the government take necessary steps for identification and isolation, treatment, prevention, and control of this global pandemic. Keywords: COVID-19, Coronavirus disease, Epidemiological, Clinical features, Asymptomatic, Comorbidities
Individual variation in susceptibility and exposure is subject to selection by force of infection, accelerating the natural acquisition of immunity, and reducing herd immunity thresholds and epidemic final sizes. This is a manifestation of a wider population phenomenon known as “frailty variation” in demography. Despite this theoretical understanding, public health policies continue to be guided by mathematical models that leave out most of the relevant variation and as a result inflate projected infection burdens. Here we focus on the trajectories of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in England and Scotland. We fit models to series of daily deaths and estimate relevant epidemiological parameters, including coefficients of variation which we find in agreement with direct measurements based on published contact surveys. Our estimates are robust to whether the data series encompass one or two pandemic waves. We conclude that herd immunity thresholds are being reached with a larger contribution of vaccination in Scotland than in England, where naturally acquired immunity is higher. These results are relevant to global vaccination policies.
The emergence and rapid rise in prevalence of three independent SARS-CoV-2 9501Y lineages9, B.1.1.7, B.1.351 and P.1, in the last three months of 2020 has prompted renewed concerns about the evolutionarily capacity of SARS-CoV-2 to adapt to both rising population immunity and public health interventions such as vaccines and social distancing. Viruses giving rise to the different 501Y lineages have, presumably under intense natural selection following a shift in host environment, independently acquired multiple unique and convergent mutations. As a consequence all have gained epidemiological and immunological properties that will likely complicate the control of COVID-19. Here, by examining patterns of mutations that arose in SARS-CoV-2 genomes during the pandemic we find evidence of a major change in the selective forces acting on immunologically important SARS-CoV-2 genes (such as N and S) that likely coincided with the emergence of the 501Y lineages. In addition to involving continuing sequence diversification, we find evidence that a significant portion of the ongoing adaptive evolution of the 501Y lineages also involves further convergence between the lineages. Our findings highlight the importance of monitoring how members of these known 501Y lineages, and others still undiscovered, are convergently evolving similar strategies to ensure their persistence in the face of mounting infection and vaccine induced host immune recognition.
A Study of PF-07321332/Ritonavir in Nonhospitalized High Risk Adult Participants With COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: PF-07321332; Drug: Ritonavir; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: Pfizer
Not yet recruiting
Phase II/III Study of AZD2816, for the Prevention of COVID-19 in Adults - Conditions: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2
Interventions: Biological: AZD1222; Biological: AZD2816
Sponsor: AstraZeneca
Recruiting
Building Resiliency and Vital Equity (BRAVE) Project: Understanding Native Americans’ Perceptions/Beliefs About COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Study - Condition: Covid19 Virus Infection
Intervention: Behavioral: Protect Your Elders Campaign
Sponsors: North Carolina Central University; Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina; University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Recruiting
Effects of Respiratory Muscle Training in Patients With Post COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Other: Exercise training group; Other: Control training group
Sponsor: Gazi University
Completed
Vaccination for Recovered Inpatients With COVID-19 (VATICO) - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Biological: Moderna mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine; Biological: Pfizer BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine
Sponsors: International Network for Strategic Initiatives in Global HIV Trials (INSIGHT); University of Minnesota; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); University of Copenhagen; Kirby Institute; Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center; AIDS Clinical Trials Group; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); US Department of Veterans Affairs; Prevention and Early Treatment of Acute Lung Injury (PETAL); Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network (CTSN); Medical Research Council
Not yet recruiting
Internet-based Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation for Longterm COVID-19 Syndrome - Condition: Long COVID-19
Intervention: Behavioral: Multidisciplinary Rehabilitation
Sponsors: Danderyd Hospital; St Göran Hospital, Stockholm
Recruiting
Enabling Family Physicians to Reduce Vaccine Hesitancy and Increase Covid-19 Vaccine Uptake - Conditions: Covid19; COVID-19 Vaccine
Interventions:
Behavioral: Tailored COVID-19 vaccine messages; Other: Other health messages
Sponsors:
Hopital Montfort; Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC); Eastern Ontario Health Unit
Not yet recruiting
COVID-19 and Lung Ultrasound Utility - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Device: Device: Butterfly iQ
Sponsor:
Rocket Doctor Inc.
Recruiting
Saliva-based COVID-19 DNA Aptamer Test - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Device: AptameX
Sponsors: Achiko AG; Udayana University
Recruiting
Reconditioning Exercise for COVID-19 Patients Experiencing Residual sYmptoms - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Other: Exercise Therapy
Sponsor:
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Not yet recruiting
Lipid Emulsion Infusion and COVID-19 Patients - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: SMOFlipid; Other: 0.9% saline
Sponsor: Assiut University
Recruiting
Baricitinib in Hospitalized Covid-19 Patients With Diabetes Mellitus - Condition: COVID-19 Pneumonia
Interventions: Drug: Baricitinib; Drug: Dexamethasone; Drug: Remdesivir
Sponsor: Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
Recruiting
Evaluation of the RD-X19 Treatment Device in Individuals With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: COVID19
Interventions: Device: RD-X19; Device: Sham
Sponsor:
EmitBio Inc.
Recruiting
Evaluation of The Efficacy of Triazavirin Versus Oseltamivir in Egyptian Patients Infected With COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Drug: standard treatment COVID-19 + Triazavirin
Sponsor: Ain Shams University
Recruiting
Coenzyme Q10 as Treatment for Long Term COVID-19 - Conditions: Covid19; Long Term Covid19
Interventions: Drug: Coenzyme Q10; Drug: Placebo
Sponsors: Aarhus University Hospital; University of Aarhus; Pharma Nord
Recruiting
Dysregulation of host cell calcium signaling during viral infections: Emerging paradigm with high clinical relevance - Viral infections are one of the leading causes of human illness. Viruses take over host cell signaling cascades for their replication and infection. Calcium (Ca^(2+)) is a versatile and ubiquitous second messenger that modulates plethora of cellular functions. In last two decades, a critical role of host cell Ca^(2+) signaling in modulating viral infections has emerged. Furthermore, recent literature clearly implicates a vital role for the organellar Ca^(2+) dynamics (influx and efflux across…
Repurposing nonnucleoside antivirals against SARS-CoV2 NSP12 (RNA dependent RNA polymerase): In silico-molecular insight - The pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 has necessitated expedited research efforts towards finding potential antiviral targets and drug development measures. While new drug discovery is time consuming, drug repurposing has been a promising area for elaborate virtual screening and identification of existing FDA approved drugs that could possibly be used for targeting against functions of various proteins of SARS-CoV-2 virus. RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is an important enzyme for the virus that…
Sulfated polysaccharides effectively inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in vitro - No abstract
Synthesis, Biological and In Silico Studies of a Tripodal Schiff Base Derived from 2,4,6-Triamino-1,3,5-triazine and Its Trinuclear Dy(III), Er(III), and Gd(III) Salen Capped Complexes - A tripodal Schiff base ligand, 2,4,6-Tris(4-carboxybenzimino)-1,3,5-triazine (MT) and its trinuclear Dy(III), Er(III), and Gd(III) complexes were synthesized. These were characterized using UV-visible, IR, ¹H, and ^(13)C NMR spectroscopies, elemental analysis, and molar conductivity measurements. The spectral studies indicate that the ligand is hexadentate and coordinates to the Ln(III) ions through the oxygen atoms of the carboxylic group. The trinuclear complexes were characterized as being…
Variable Induction of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines by Commercial SARS CoV-2 Spike Protein Reagents: Potential Impacts of LPS on In Vitro Modeling and Pathogenic Mechanisms In Vivo - Proinflammatory cytokine production following infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS CoV-2) is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Like SARS CoV-1, SARS CoV-2 enters host cells via its spike protein, which attaches to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As SARS CoV-1 spike protein is reported to induce cytokine production, we hypothesized that this pathway could be a shared mechanism underlying pathogenic immune responses. We herein compared the capabilities…
The role of thymoquinone, a major constituent of Nigella sativa, in the treatment of inflammatory and infectious diseases - Nigella sativa (N. sativa) is an annual flowering plant that has been used as a traditional remedy for many centuries. The seed possesses a large variety of compounds with thymoquinone (TQ) considered its major but not sole bioactive constituent. Supercritical fluid extraction, geographical location, and oxidative status of N. sativa produces the highest yield of essential oil content including TQ. Thymoquinone is lipophilic, heat and light sensitive with low oral bioavailability and rapid…
Structural Decoding of a Small Molecular Inhibitor on the Binding of SARS-CoV-2 to the ACE 2 Receptor - Inhibition of the interaction of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein and the human angiotensin- converting enzyme 2 (ACE 2) receptor is the most effective therapeutic formulation to restrict the contagious respiratory illness and multiple organ failure caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus. Based on the structural decoding of the RBD of the spike protein, here we have generated a new set of small molecules that have strong inhibiting properties on the binding of the spike…
Epigenetic and transcriptional control of interferon-β - The three classes of interferons (IFNs) share the ability to inhibit viral replication, activating cell transcriptional programs that regulate both innate and adaptive responses to viral and intracellular bacterial challenge. Due to their unique potency in regulating viral replication, and their association with numerous autoimmune diseases, the tightly orchestrated transcriptional regulation of IFNs has long been a subject of intense investigation. The protective role of early robust IFN…
SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid suppresses host pyroptosis by blocking Gasdermin D cleavage - SARS-CoV-2 is an emerging coronavirus that causes dysfunctions in multiple human cells and tissues. Studies have looked at the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells mediated by the viral spike protein and human receptor ACE2. However, less is known about the cellular immune responses triggered by SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins. Here, we show that the nucleocapsid of SARS-CoV-2 inhibits host pyroptosis by blocking Gasdermin D (GSDMD) cleavage. SARS-CoV-2-infected monocytes show enhanced cellular…
Are statins beneficial for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection? - Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious, rapidly spreading viral disease and has emerged as a public health emergency of international concern. As of this time, there are no specific antiviral therapies available for the treatment of COVID-19. However, it is possible that some existing drugs, usually used for other conditions, may have some benefits. Statins have been widely reported to exert antiviral activity against many enveloped viruses by inhibiting the cholesterol…
Research Progress on the Antiviral Activity of Glycyrrhizin and its Derivatives in Liquorice - Liquorice is a traditional medicine. Triterpenoids such as glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid are the main active constituents of liquorice. Studies have revealed that these compounds exert inhibitory effects on several viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. The main mechanisms of action of these compounds include inhibition of virus replication, direct inactivation of viruses, inhibition of inflammation mediated by HMGB1/TLR4, inhibition of β-chemokines, reduction in the binding of HMGB1 to DNA to…
Effectiveness of Tocilizumab with and without Dexamethasone in Patients with Severe COVID-19: A Retrospective Study - CONCLUSION: In patients with severe course of COVID-19, particularly those developing cytokine storm, administration of TCZ provides a significantly better effect than DEX regarding survival, clinical improvement, and hospital discharge rate. The combination of TCZ and DEX does not improve therapy effectiveness in patients with severe COVID-19 compared to the administration of TCZ alone.
Discovery of SARS-CoV-2-E channel inhibitors as antiviral candidates - Lack of efficiency has been a major problem shared by all currently developed anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapies. Our previous study shows that SARS-CoV-2 structural envelope (2-E) protein forms a type of cation channel, and heterogeneously expression of 2-E channels causes host cell death. In this study we developed a cell-based high throughput screening (HTS) assay and used it to discover inhibitors against 2-E channels. Among 4376 compounds tested, 34 hits with cell protection activity were found….
Genome-wide analysis of protein-protein interactions and involvement of viral proteins in SARS-CoV-2 replication - CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provided a basis for understanding the functions of coronavirus proteins and supported the potential of interactions as the target for antiviral drug development.
Neurotransmitters and Neuropeptides decrease PD-1 in T cells of healthy subjects and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and increase their proliferation and eradication of HCC cells - T cells of aged people, and of patients with either cancer or severe infections (including COVID-19), are often exhausted, senescent and dysfunctional, leading to increased susceptibilities, complications and mortality. Neurotransmitters and Neuropeptides bind their receptors in T cells, and induce multiple beneficial T cell functions. Yet, T cells of different people vary in the expression levels of Neurotransmitter and Neuropeptide receptors, and in the magnitude of the corresponding effects….
A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COVID- 19 DIAGNOSIS USING DETECTION RESULTS FROM CHEST X- RAY IMAGES - - link
Advanced Machine Learning System combating COVID-19 virus Detection, Spread, Prevention and Medical Assistance. - - link
Differential detection kit for common SARS-CoV-2 variants in COVID-19 patients - - link
一种新型冠状病毒的mRNA疫苗 - 本发明公开了一种新型冠状病毒的mRNA疫苗。本发明提供的疫苗，其活性成分为mRNA，如序列表的序列6所示。本发明还保护TF‑RBD蛋白，如序列表的序列2所示。本发明的发明人通过一系列序列设计和序列优化得到了特异DNA分子，进一步构建了特异重组质粒，将特异重组质粒进行体外转录，可以得到多聚化TF‑RBD mRNA。进一步的，发明人制备了负载TF‑RBD mRNA的脂质纳米粒。本发明对于新型冠状病毒的防控具有重大的应用推广价值。 - link
新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因及其应用 - 本发明属于生物技术领域，具体涉及新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因及其应用。本发明的新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因，其核苷酸序列如SEQ ID NO.1或SEQ ID NO.6所示。本发明通过优化野生型新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因序列，并结合筛选确定了相对最佳序列，优化后序列产生的克隆表达效率比野生型新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD序列表达效率大幅提高，从而，本发明的新型冠状病毒B．1．1．7英国突变株RBD的基因更有利于用于制备新型冠状病毒疫苗。 - link
SARS-CoV-2 anti-viral therapeutic - - link
一种基于联邦学习的多用户协同训练人流统计方法及系统 - 本发明提供一种基于联邦学习的多用户协同训练人流统计方法，旨在利用联邦学习框架搭建一个新颖的人群计数模型，达到让多用户多设备同时训练的目的。各个客户端利用图像数据集对图像分类网络进行本地训练以获取本地模型；在各经过至少一次本地训练后，中心服务器从客户端获取本地模型的权值及附加层参数并进行聚合处理；中心服务器利用聚合处理后的权值及附加层参数更新全局模型，并将聚合处理后的权值参数及附加层参数返回给各个客户端；各个客户端利用中心服务器返回的权值以及ground truth值进行贝叶斯估计，计算loss值，并利用返回的权值参数及附加层参数更新本地模型；重复执行直至所有客户端的loss值均收敛，则完成人流统计全局模型和本地模型的训练。 - link
A POLYHERBAL ALCOHOL FREE FORMULATION FOR ORAL CAVITY - The present invention generally relates to a herbal composition. Specifically, the present invention relates to a polyherbal alcohol free composition comprising of Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract, Ocimum sanctum leaf extract, Elettaria cardamomum fruit extract, Mentha spicata (Spearmint) oil and Tween 80 and method of preparation thereof. The polyherbal alcohol free composition of the present invention possesses excellent antimicrobial properties and useful for oral cavity. - link
新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因及其应用 - 本发明属于生物技术领域，具体涉及新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因及其应用。本发明的新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因，其核苷酸序列如SEQIDNO.1或SEQIDNO.6所示。本发明通过优化野生型新型冠状病毒南非B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因序列，并结合筛选确定了相对最佳序列，优化后序列产生的克隆表达效率比野生型新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD序列表达效率大幅提高，从而，本发明的新型冠状病毒B.1.351南非突变株RBD的基因可以用于制备新型冠状病毒疫苗。 - link
检测新型冠状病毒中和抗体的试剂盒及其应用 - 本发明涉及生物技术领域，具体而言，提供了一种检测新型冠状病毒中和抗体的试剂盒及其应用。本发明提供的检测新型冠状病毒中和抗体试剂盒，具体包括（a）或（b）两种方案：（a）示踪物标记的RBD三聚体抗原，包被在固体支持物上的ACE2，以及，含有0.2‑10mg/mL十二烷基二甲基甜菜碱的工作液；（b）示踪物标记的ACE2，包被在固体支持物上的RBD三聚体抗原，以及，含有0.2‑10mg/mL十二烷基二甲基甜菜碱的工作液；其中，RBD三聚体抗原利用二硫键将刺突蛋白的RBD与S2亚基完全交联得到。十二烷基二甲基甜菜碱会显著提高RBD三聚体抗原与新冠中和性抗体结合速度，提升阳性样本平均发光强度，缩短检测时间。 - link