Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• The Phenomenon of Amelioration Usage as Food Business Development Strategy -
  Human life’s needs and patterns evolve over time. The culinary field is one of the primary needs that have emerged due to the “trend.” Companies can use trends to develop marketing strategies. According to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (2021), culinary is the most significant contributor to GDP from the creative economy, accounting for approximately 43 percent of total creative economy GDP on an annual basis. The Covid-19 pandemic, on the other hand, which has been ravaging Indonesia since March 2020, has significantly reduced the income of food industry players. It requires a strategy for promoting the products they have, one of which is viral marketing. This study aims to project the phenomenon of amelioration that triggers virality in the community, identify the impact of viral marketing on the development of the food business, and describe the splendor of the viral word usage that undergoes amelioration so that it can be used as a marketing strategy. This study uses descriptive qualitative methods with data collection techniques through literature reviews, observation instruments, and interviews with related parties. It is hoped that this research will serve as a resource for food industry professionals in developing product marketing strategies.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: The Phenomenon of Amelioration Usage as Food Business Development Strategy
• How has academia responded to the urgent needs created by COVID-19? – A multi-level global, regional and national analysis -
  In the context of the most challenging health crisis since World War II that is COVID-19, gaining insights into how academia has responded to this urgent challenge is of great significance. This paper presents academic response patterns at a global, regional, and national level from an analysis of publication volume versus reported cases of COVID-19, scientific collaboration, and research focus. We also compare academic activity associated with this newly- emerging infection to that related to long-standing infections. Our results show that the research community has responded quickly to COVID-19. The highly developed countries, which have the highest number of confirmed cases, are also the major academic contributors. National-level analysis reveals diverse response patterns from different countries. Specifically, academic research in the UK remained at a relatively constant level throughout the whole year (2020), while the global share of China’s research output was prone to shift as its domestic pandemic status changed. Strong alliances have formed among countries with academic capabilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The distribution of disciplines is relatively decentralized, indicating that a diverse and broad knowledge base contributes to the COVID-19 literature. Most of the analyzed countries show dynamic patterns of research focus that vary over time as the pandemic evolves, except India. As one of the world’s biggest suppliers of vaccines, India makes consistent efforts on vaccine research, especially those related to pharmaceutical preparations. Our findings may serve as resources for fostering strategies to respond to future threats of pandemics.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: How has academia responded to the urgent needs created by COVID-19? – A multi-level global, regional and national analysis
• Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in a university community: insights into tracking variants, transmission, and spread of Gamma (P.1) variant -

  Using a combination of data from routine surveillance, genomic sequencing, and phylogeographic analysis we tracked the spread and introduction events of SARS-CoV-2 variants focusing on a large university community. Here, we sequenced and analyzed 677 high-quality SARS-CoV-2 genomes from positive RNA samples collected from Purdue University students, faculty, and staff who tested positive for the virus between January 2021 and May 2021, comprising an average of 32% of weekly cases across the time frame. Our analysis of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants over time revealed periods when Variant of Concern (VOC) Alpha (B.1.1.7) and Iota (B.1.526) reached rapid dominance and documented that VOC Gamma (P.1) was increasing in frequency as campus surveillance was ending. Phylodynamic analysis of Gamma genomes from campus alongside a subsampling of >20,000 previously published P.1 genomes revealed ten independent introductions of this variant into the Purdue community, predominantly from elsewhere in the United States, with introductions from within the state of Indiana and from Illinois, and possibly Washington and New York, suggesting a degree of domestic spread. We conclude that a robust and sustained active and passive surveillance program coupled with genomic sequencing during a pandemic offers important insights into the dynamics of pathogen arrival and spread in a campus community and can help guide mitigation measures.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in a university community: insights into tracking variants, transmission, and spread of Gamma (P.1) variant
• Comparison of Rapid Antigen Tests′ Performance between Delta (B.1.61.7; AY.X) and Omicron (B.1.1.529; BA1) Variants of SARS-CoV-2: Secondary Analysis from a Serial Home Self-Testing Study -

  Background: There is a need to understand the performance of rapid antigen tests (Ag-RDT) for detection of the Delta (B.1.61.7; AY.X) and Omicron (B.1.1.529; BA1) SARS-CoV-2 variants. Methods: Participants without any symptoms were enrolled from October 18, 2021 to January 24, 2022 and performed Ag-RDT and RT-PCR tests every 48 hours for 15 days. This study represents a non-pre-specified analysis in which we sought to determine if sensitivity of Ag-RDT differed in participants with Delta compared to Omicron variant. Participants who were positive on RT-PCR on the first day of the testing period were excluded. Delta and Omicron variants were defined based on sequencing and date of first RT-PCR positive result (RT-PCR+). Comparison of Ag-RDT performance between the variants was based on proportion of participants with Ag-RDT+ results in relation to their first RT-PCR+ result. Subsample analysis was performed based on the result of participants′ second RT-PCR test within 48 hours of the first RT-PCR+ test. Results: From the 7,349 participants enrolled in the parent study, 5,506 met the eligibility criteria for this study. A total of 153 participants were RT-PCR+ (61 Delta, 92 Omicron); among this group, 36 (23.5%) tested Ag-RDT+ on the same day and 36 (23.5%) tested Ag-RDT+ within 48 hours as first RT-PCR+. The differences between variants were not statistically significant (same-day: Delta 16.4% [95% CI: 8.2-28.1] vs Omicron 28.2% [95% CI: 19.4-38.6; 48-hours: Delta 45.9% [33.1-59.2] vs. Omicron 60.9% [50.1-70.9]). This trend continued among the 86 participants who had consecutive RT-PCR+ result (Delta: 79.3% [60.3-92.1] vs. Omicron: 89.5% [78.5-96.0]). Conversely, the 38 participants who had an isolated positive RT-PCR remained consistently negative on Ag-RDT, regardless of the variant. Conclusions: The performance of Ag-RDT is not inferior among Omicron variant in comparison to the Delta variant. The improvement in sensitivity of Ag-RDT with serial testing is consistent between Delta and Omicron variant. Performance of Ag-RDT varies based on duration of RT-PCR+ results and more studies are needed to understand the clinical and public health significance of individuals who are RT-PCR+ for less than 48 hours.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Comparison of Rapid Antigen Tests′ Performance between Delta (B.1.61.7; AY.X) and Omicron (B.1.1.529; BA1) Variants of SARS-CoV-2: Secondary Analysis from a Serial Home Self-Testing Study
• Study on the usefulness of Direct Saliva sample Collection (DiSC) by polyester swab -

  Saliva sample can be self-collected and used in testing of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) test in Japan. However, this may have difficulty collecting a proper specimen when collecting for the first time. We compared 2 collection methods, conventional methods and Direct Saliva Sample Collection method (DiSC) from 44 asymptomatic or symptomatic individuals who were in quarantine in Toho university hospital. RT-PCR by DiSC method showed about 70 % positive percent agreement compared to RT-PCR by conventional methods. In addition, comparing RT-PCR and TMA by DiSC method, TMA showed about 90 % positive percent agreement compared to RT-PCR. DiSC method is easy to perform by every person, does not have complicated restrictions/instructions and can be used in RT-PCR and TMA. This method allows for ease of saliva collection in certain patient populations.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Study on the usefulness of Direct Saliva sample Collection (DiSC) by polyester swab
• Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 Macrodomain -
  A series of amino acid based 7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines were designed and synthesized to discern the structure activity relationships against the SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 macrodomain (Mac1), an ADP-ribosylhydrolase that is critical for coronavirus replication and pathogenesis. Structure activity studies identified compound 15c as a low-micromolar inhibitor of Mac1 in two ADP-ribose binding assays. This compound also demonstrated inhibition in an enzymatic assay of Mac1 and displayed a thermal shift comparable to ADPr in the melting temperature of Mac1 supporting binding to the target protein. A structural model reproducibly predicted a binding mode where the pyrrolo pyrimidine forms a hydrogen bonding network with Asp22 and the amide backbone NH of Ile23 in the adenosine binding pocket and the carboxylate forms hydrogen bonds to the amide backbone of Phe157 and Asp156, part of the oxyanion subsite of Mac1. Compound 15c also demonstrated notable selectivity for coronavirus macrodomains when tested against a panel of ADP-ribose binding proteins. Together, this study identified several low MW, low micromolar Mac1 inhibitors to use as small molecule chemical probes for this potential anti-viral target and offers starting points for further optimization.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 Macrodomain
• Different efficacies of neutralizing antibodies and antiviral drugs on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants, BA.1 and BA.2 -
  The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron subvariant BA.2 has spread in many countries, replacing the earlier Omicron subvariant BA.1 and other variants. Here, using a cell culture infection assay, we quantified the intrinsic sensitivity of BA.2 and BA.1 compared with other variants of concern, Alpha, Gamma, and Delta, to five approved-neutralizing antibodies and antiviral drugs. Our assay revealed the diverse sensitivities of these variants to antibodies, including the loss of response of both BA.1 and BA.2 to casirivimab and of BA.1 to imdevimab. In contrast, EIDD-1931 and nirmatrelvir showed a more conserved activities to these variants. The viral response profile combined with mathematical analysis estimated differences in antiviral effects among variants in the clinical concentrations. These analyses provide essential evidence that gives insight into the impact of variant emergence on choosing optimal drug treatment.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Different efficacies of neutralizing antibodies and antiviral drugs on SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants, BA.1 and BA.2
• Efficient Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Other VOCs by a Broad Spectrum Antibody 8G3 -
  Numerous mutations in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 Omicron variant pose a crisis for antibody-based immunotherapies. The efficacy of emergency use authorized (EUA) antibodies that developed in early SARS-CoV-2 pandemic seems to be in flounder. In this work, we examined the Omicron variant neutralization using an early B cell antibody repertoire as well as several EUA antibodies in pseudovirus and authentic virus systems. More than half of the antibodies in the repertoire that showed good activity against WA1/2020 previously had completely lost neutralizing activity against Omicron, while antibody 8G3 from our early B cell repertoire displayed non-regressive activity. EUA antibodies Etesevimab, Casirivimab, Imdevimab and Bamlanivimab neutralized authentic WA1/2020 virus with low half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values, but were entirely desensitized by Omicron. Only Sotrovimab targeting the non-ACE2 overlap epitope showed activity but with a dramatic decrease. Interestingly, antibody 8G3 efficiently neutralized Omicron in pseudovirus and authentic virus systems. 8G3 also showed excellent activity against other variants of concern (VOCs). Collectively, our results suggest that neutralizing antibodies with breadth remains broad neutralizing activity in tackling SARS-CoV-2 infection despite the universal evasion from EUA antibodies by Omicron variant.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Efficient Neutralization of SARS- CoV-2 Omicron and Other VOCs by a Broad Spectrum Antibody 8G3
• A strategy to optimize the peptide-based inhibitors against different mutants of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 -
  SARS-CoV-2 virus has caused high-priority health concerns at a global level. Vaccines have stalled the proliferation of viruses to some extent. Yet, the emergence of newer, potentially more infectious, and dangerous mutants such as delta and omicron are among the major challenges in finding a more permanent solution for this pandemic. The effectiveness of antivirals Molnupiravir and Paxlovid, authorized for emergency use by the FDA, are yet to be assessed at larger populations. Patients with a high risk of disease progression or hospitalization have received treatment with a combination of antibodies (antibody-cocktail). Most of the mutations leading to the new lineage of SARS-CoV-2 are found in the spike protein of this virus that plays a key role in facilitating host entry. The current study has investigated how to modify a promising peptide-based inhibitor of spike protein, LCB3, against common mutations in the target protein so that it retains its efficacy against the spike protein. LCB3 being a prototype for protein-based inhibitors is an ideal testing system to learn about protein-based inhibitors. Two common mutations N501Y and K417N are considered in this work. Using a structure-based approach that considers free energy decomposition of residues, distance, and the interactions between amino acids, we propose the substitutions of amino acid residues of LCB3 inhibitors. Our binding free energy calculations suggest a possible improvement in the binding affinity of existing inhibitor LCB3 to the mutant forms of the S-protein using simple substitutions at specific positions of the inhibitor. This approach, being general, can be used in different inhibitors and other mutations and help in fighting against SARS- CoV-2.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: A strategy to optimize the peptide- based inhibitors against different mutants of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2
• An immunoPET probe to SARS-CoV-2 reveals early infection of the male genital tract in rhesus macaques -
  Because of the recognized systemic nature of SARS-CoV-2 infection, a non-invasive and unbiased method is needed to clarify its spatiotemporal dynamics in vivo after transmission. We recently developed a probe based on the anti-SARS- CoV-2 spike antibody CR3022 to study SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis in vivo. Herein, we describe its use in immunoPET to investigate SARS-CoV-2 infection of rhesus macaques. Using PET/CT imaging of macaques at different times post-SARS-CoV-2 inoculation, we demonstrate that the 64Cu-labelled CR3022-F(ab’)2 probe targeting the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 can be used to study the dynamics of infection within the respiratory tract and uncover novel sites of infection. Differences in lung pathology between infection with the WA1 isolate and the delta variant were readily observed using immunoPET and corroborated CT lung pathology. The ability of the probe to illuminate lung-associated pathology demonstrates its specificity and function to detect infection in PET scan. The 64Cu-CR3022-probe also demonstrated dynamic changes occurring between 1- and 2-weeks post-infection. Remarkably, a robust signal was seen in the male genital tract (MGT) of all three animals studied. Infection of the MGT was validated by immunofluorescence imaging of infected cells in the testicular and penile tissue and severe pathology was observed in the testes of one animal at 2-weeks post-infection. The results presented here underscore the utility of using immunoPET to study the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection to understand its pathogenicity and discover new anatomical sites of viral replication. We provide direct evidence for SARS-CoV-2 infection of the MGT in rhesus macaques revealing the possible pathologic outcomes of viral replication at these sites.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: An immunoPET probe to SARS-CoV-2 reveals early infection of the male genital tract in rhesus macaques
• Exposing Limitations of Clinical Laboratory Tests in COVID-19 and the Promise of Immunological Biomarkers -

  Background: Almost two years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic no predictive algorithm has been generally adopted, nor new tests identified to improve the prediction and management of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: Retrospective observational analysis of the predictive performance of clinical parameters and laboratory tests in hospitalised patients with COVID-19. Outcomes were 28-day survival and maximal severity in a cohort of 1,579 patients and two validation cohorts of 598 and 434 patients. A pilot study conducted in a patient subgroup measured 17 cytokines and 27 lymphocyte phenotypes to explore additional predictive laboratory tests. Findings: 1) Despite a strong association of 22 clinical and laboratory variables with the outcomes, their joint prediction power was limited due to redundancy. 2) Eight variables: age, comorbidity index, oxygen saturation to fraction of inspired oxygen ratio, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein, aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio, fibrinogen, and glomerular filtration rate captured most of the statistical predictive power. 3) The interpretation of clinical and laboratory variables was improved by grouping them in categories. 4) Age and organ damage-related tests were the best predictors of survival, and inflammatory-related tests were the best predictors of severity. 5) The pilot study identified several immunological tests (including chemokine ligand 10, chemokine ligand 2, and interleukin 1 receptor antagonist), that performed better than currently used tests. Conclusions: Currently used tests for clinical management of COVID 19 patients are of limited predictive value due to redundancy, as all measure aspects of two major processes: inflammation, and organ damage. There are no independent predictors based on the quality of the nascent adaptive immune response. Understanding the limitations of current tests would improve their interpretation and simplify clinical management protocols. A systematic search for better biomarkers is urgent and feasible.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Exposing Limitations of Clinical Laboratory Tests in COVID-19 and the Promise of Immunological Biomarkers
• Warning “Don’t spread” vs. “Don’t be a spreader” to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic -
  The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is threatening not only health but also life worldwide. It is important to encourage citizens to voluntarily practise infection prevention (IP) behaviours such as social distancing and self-restraint. Previous research on social cognition suggested that emphasising self-identity is key to changing a person’s behaviour. The present study investigated whether reminders that highlight self-identity would be effective in changing intention and behaviour related to the COVID-19 outbreak, and hypothesised that those who read reminders highlighting self-identity (‘Don’t be a spreader’) would change IP intention and behaviour better than those who read ‘Don’t spread’ or no reminder. We conducted a two-wave survey of the same participants with a one-week interval, during which we assigned one of three reminder conditions to the participants: ‘Don’t spread’ (spreading condition), ‘Don’t be a spreader’ (spreader condition), and no reminder (control condition). Participants marked their responses to IP intentions and actual behaviours each week based on the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare guidelines. While the results did not show significant differences between the conditions, the post-hoc analyses showed significant equivalence in either IP intentions or behavioural scores. We discussed the results from the perspective of the effect size, ceiling effects, and ways of manipulation checks as future methods with more effective persuasive messaging. Following in-principle acceptance, the approved Stage 1 version of this manuscript was preregistered on the OSF at https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/KZ5Y4. This preregistration was performed prior to data collection and analysis.

• Changing health compliance through message repetition based on the extended parallel process model in the COVID-19 pandemic -
  When people are confronted with health proposals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it has been suggested that fear of COVID-19 can serve protective functions and ensure public health compliance. However, health proposal repetition and its perceived efficacy also influence the behavior intention toward the proposal, which has not yet been confirmed in the COVID-19 context. The present study aims to examine whether the extended parallel process model (EPPM) can be generalized to a naturalistic context like the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we will explore how repetition of a health proposal is involved with the EPPM. In this study, two groups of participants are exposed to the same health proposal related to COVID-19, where one group is exposed once and another group twice. They then fill out a questionnaire consisting of items concerning behavior intention and adapted from the Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale. Structural equation modeling will be used to determine the multivariate associations between the variables. We predict that repetition of the health proposal will associate with response efficacy (i.e., a belief about the effectiveness of the health proposal in deterring the threat) and perceived susceptibility (i.e., a belief about the risk of experiencing the threat). It is also predicted that following the EPPM, behavior intention will associate with both perceived efficacy of the health proposal, which will underlie response efficacy, and perceived threat of COVID-19, which will underlie perceived susceptibility. We will discuss the process, based on the model, where health message repetition affects behavior intention during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Changing health compliance through message repetition based on the extended parallel process model in the COVID-19 pandemic
• The pandemic threatens the Registered Reports system as well as human lives -
  A Registered Reports system is key to preventing questionable research practices. Under this system, manuscripts, including their detailed protocols (i.e., hypothesis, experimental design, sample size, and methods of statistical analysis), are reviewed prior to data collection. If a protocol manuscript is accepted, publication of the full manuscript including the results and discussion is guaranteed in principle regardless of whether the collected data support the registered hypothesis. However, this assurance of publication might be broken under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The present paper reports the first author’s real-life experience related to the collapse of the assurance of publication in the Registered Reports system and discusses the disbenefits of this collapse. Furthermore, we propose the implementation of a journal section specific to protocol manuscripts as a solution to the crisis of the Registered Reports system.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: The pandemic threatens the Registered Reports system as well as human lives
• Stage 2 registered report: Changing health compliance through message repetition based on the extended parallel process model in the COVID-19 pandemic -
  When people are confronted with health proposals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it has been suggested that fear of COVID-19 can serve protective functions and ensure public health compliance. However, health proposal repetition and its perceived efficacy also influence the behavior intention toward the proposal, which has not yet been confirmed in the COVID-19 context. The present study examined whether the extended parallel process model (EPPM) could be generalized to a naturalistic context like the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, we explored how repetition of a health proposal is involved with the EPPM. In this study, two groups of participants were exposed to the same health proposal related to COVID-19, where one group was exposed once and another group twice. They then filled out a questionnaire consisting of items concerning behavior intention and adapted from the Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale. Structural equation modeling was used to determine the multivariate associations between the variables. Although the results showed that behavior intention is predicted by perceived efficacy, no significant influence of perceived threat was detected. Furthermore, no significant effect of repetition was found toward either response efficacy or perceived susceptibility. These findings indicate that to promote health compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more efficient to focus on the perceived efficacy of effective health proposals rather than on the perceived threat of the disease. For future health communication research, the present study suggests improved methods for analysis strategies and repeated manipulation of messages.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Stage 2 registered report: Changing health compliance through message repetition based on the extended parallel process model in the COVID-19 pandemic

From Clinical Trials

• Pulmonary Rehabilitation Implemented With VR for Post-COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Procedure: Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program
  Sponsor:   The Opole University of Technology
  Recruiting

• Pulmonary Rehabilitation Implemented With Virtual Reality for Post-COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Procedure: Pulmonary rehabilitation
  Sponsor:  
  The Opole University of Technology
  Not yet recruiting

• Anti-inflammatory Drug Algorithm for COVID-19 Home Treatment - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Recommended treatment schedule;   Drug: Usual care
  Sponsors:   Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research;   Family physicians
  Not yet recruiting

• A Phase II Study of the Immunogenicity and Safety of SCTV01C in Population Aged ≥12 Years and Previously Vaccinated With Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV2 Infection
  Interventions:   Biological: SCTV01C;   Biological: Comirnaty
  Sponsor:   Sinocelltech Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• A Phase II Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Immunogenicity and Safety of SCTV01C and SCTV01E in Population Aged ≥12 Years Previously Fully Vaccinated With Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2 Infection
  Interventions:   Biological: SCTV01C;   Biological: SCTV01E;   Biological: Sinopharm inactivated COVID-19 vaccine
  Sponsor:   Sinocelltech Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• Transcranial Direct Stimulation for Persistent Fatigue Treatment Post-COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Device: Active tDCS;   Device: Sham tDCS
  Sponsor:   Hospital San Carlos, Madrid
  Not yet recruiting

• COVID19 Oral Vaccine Consisting of Bacillus Subtilis Spores - Condition:   COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Intervention:   Biological: Bacillus subtilis
  Sponsors:   DreamTec Research Limited;   Middle East Cell and Gene Therapy;   National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
  Completed

• Effect of Combined Use of Ivermectin and Colchicine in COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Ivermectin + colchicine;   Drug: Colchicine
  Sponsor:   Ain Shams University
  Recruiting

• A Phase III, Randomised, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of TD0069 Capsule as a Combination Regimen With Standard Treatment for Patients With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: TD0069 hard capsule;   Drug: TD0069 Placebo
  Sponsors:   Sao Thai Duong Joint Stock Company;   Clinical Training Company
  Recruiting

• Nebulised Heparin in Patients With COVID-19 Pneumonia - Condition:   COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Intervention:   Drug: Unfractionated heparin
  Sponsor:   Lady Reading Hospital, Pakistan
  Not yet recruiting

• Nutrition and LOComotoric Rehabilitation in Long COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Other: Intervention group
  Sponsors:  
  Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel;   Vrije Universiteit Brussel
  Not yet recruiting

• Immuno-bridging and Broadening Study of a Whole, Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine BBV152 in Healthy Adults - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: BBV152
  Sponsor:   Ocugen
  Active, not recruiting

• Vale+ Tu Salud: Corner-Based Randomized Trial to Test a Latino Day Laborer Program Adapted to Prevent COVID 19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Behavioral: COVID-19 Group Problem Solving;   Behavioral: Control Group-standard of care
  Sponsors:   The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston;   National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
  Not yet recruiting

• JT001 (VV116) for the Early Treatment of COVID-19 - Condition:   Mild to Moderate COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: JT001;   Combination Product: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Shanghai JunTop Biosciences Co., LTD;   Sponsor GmbH
  Not yet recruiting

• BetaShield: A Phase II, Randomized Trial to Test the Effect of Povidone-iodine 0.5% as Mouthwash/Gargle on SARS- CoV-2 Load (COVID 19) as an Adjuvant Infection Control Measure in Dental Practice - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Drug: Mouth rinse
  Sponsors:  
  University of Pennsylvania;   Purdue Pharma LP
  Recruiting

From PubMed

• Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors Using a Novel Cell-Based Assay - As an essential enzyme of SARS-CoV-2, main protease (M^(Pro)) triggers acute toxicity to its human cell host, an effect that can be alleviated by an M^(Pro) inhibitor. Using this toxicity alleviation, we developed an effective method that allows a bulk analysis of the cellular potency of M^(Pro) inhibitors. This novel assay is advantageous over an antiviral assay in providing precise cellular M^(Pro) inhibition information to assess an M^(Pro) inhibitor. We used this assay to analyze 30 known…

• Psychological distress related to Covid-19 in healthy public (CORPD): A statistical method for assessing the validation of scale - Using the empirically statistical method, such as Cronbach’s alpha, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis, to assess the validation of the scales, which reflected the psychological distress related to Covid-19. The scale of covid-19 related psychological distress in healthy public, developed by Feng et al. (2020), has been measured by two factors, including anxiety and fear of being inflected by covid-19 (AF) and suspicious of being inflected by covid-19 (SU). Common…

• Eco-pharma research aimed at developing COVID-19 therapeutic agent - Novel coronavirus infection disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an emerging infectious disease that has been rampant worldwide since its onset was confirmed in Wuhan, China in 2019. An effective therapy has not yet been established, and there is an urgent need to establish a breakthrough therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 aggravation. The main route of infection is that the Spike protein (S protein) on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 binds to its recognition receptor, angiotensin…

• Role of ACE2 in COVID-19 - In the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), angiotensin II (AngII) converted by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) exerts a strong physiological activity via the AT1 receptor (AT1R). Thus, the ACE-AngII-AT1R axis positively regulates RAS. On the other hand, angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is known to negatively regulate RAS by degrading AngII into angiotensin 1-7 (Ang1-7). In the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is characterized by pulmonary hyperinflammation, the AngII-AT1R…

• De novo design of novel spike glycoprotein inhibitors using e-pharmacophore modeling, molecular hybridization, ADMET, quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics studies for COVID-19 - The pandemic COVID-19, caused by SARS-COV-2, has been a global concern and burden since April 2020 due to high contagiousness and pathogenesis. A great effort is being devoted to identify and investigate different druggable targets for SARS-COV-2 drug discovery. At least three targets have been identified among them is the spike glycoprotein which facilitates viral entry by binding to angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE-2 receptor) in host cell. In the current study, different computational tools…

• False positive Herpes Simplex IgM serology in COVID-19 patients correlates with SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG seropositivity - Differentiating COVID-19 from other causes of viral pneumonia, like herpes simplex (HSV), can be complicated by shared clinical and laboratory features. Viral pneumonia is mostly diagnosed based on molecular or serological techniques. Serological immunoassay interferences, often attributed to concurrent appearance of heterologous (viral) immunoglobulins, is well-known, but has not been studied in COVID-19 patients. Following false positive HSV immunoglobulin M (IgM) results in our index patient,…

• Successful Treatment of a Severe COVID-19 Patient Using an Integrated Approach Addressing Mast Cells and Their Mediators - SARS-CoV-2 infects cells leading to a complex immune response that involves the release of mediators, most of which are released from mast cells, leading to lung edema, fibrosis, inflammation, and micro thromboses, hallmarks of COVID-19. Here we report on a patient who was initially hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia, as well as physical and mental fatigue. In spite of her having been treated with albuterol, azithromycin, ceftriaxone, convalescent plasma and dexamethasone, she continued…

• Understanding the influence of political orientation, social network, and economic recovery on COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Americans - The COVID-19 pandemic poses unprecedented risks to the well-being of Americans. To control the pandemic, a sufficient proportion of the population needs to be vaccinated promptly. Despite the proven efficacy and widespread availability, vaccine distribution and administration rates remain low. Thus, it is important to understand the public behavior of COVID-19 vaccination. This study aims to identify determinants at multiple levels that promote or inhibit one’s vaccine uptake. We combine…

• The prevalence of pulmonary embolism in non-hospitalised de-isolated patients diagnosed with mild COVID-19 disease - CONCLUSIONS: We confirm a high prevalence of PE in non-hospitalised patients diagnosed with mild COVID-19 who presented with raised D-dimer levels and persistent or new-onset cardiopulmonary symptoms. We recommend that irrespective of disease severity, hospitalised and non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19 presenting with persistent or new-onset cardiopulmonary symptoms and raised D-dimer levels should be investigated further for PE.

• Thymosin-alpha1 binds with ACE and downregulates the expression of ACE2 in human respiratory epithelia - CONCLUSION: The bioinformatic findings of network pharmacology and the corresponding pharmacological validations have revealed that thymosin-α1 treatment could decrease ACE2 expression in human lung epithelial cells, which strengthens the potential clinical applications of thymosin-α1 to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection.

• Thinking More About Inhibition of Breast Milk on the Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2-Reply - No abstract

• Thinking More About Inhibition of Breast Milk on the Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 - No abstract

• Assessment on anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain antibodies among CoronaVac-vaccinated Indonesian adults - The immunogenicity of CoronaVac among Indonesian adults at the academic premises was investigated. Two doses of CoronaVac vaccine induced a complete seroconversion on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) naïve adults with titers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibodies ranging from 9.1 to 151.9 U/mL. The median value was lower than the one observed in recovered adults with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (38.7 vs. 114.5 U/mL). Nonetheless, 93.6% of the…

• FNC: An Advanced Anticancer Therapeutic or Just an Underdog? - Azvudine (FNC) is a novel cytidine analogue that has both antiviral and anticancer activities. This minireview focuses on its underlying molecular mechanisms of suppressing viral life cycle and cancer cell growth and discusses applications of this nucleoside drug for advanced therapy of tumors and malignant blood diseases. FNC inhibits positive-stand RNA viruses, like HCV, EV, SARS-COV-2, HBV, and retroviruses, including HIV, by suppressing their RNA-dependent polymerase enzymes. It may also…

• Identification of Hypericin as a Candidate Repurposed Therapeutic Agent for COVID-19 and Its Potential Anti-SARS- CoV-2 Activity - The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the global economy and public health. Its etiologic agent, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is highly transmissible, pathogenic and has a rapid global spread. Currently, the increase in the number of new confirmed cases has been slowed down due to the increase of vaccination in some regions of the world. Still, the rise of new variants has influenced the detection of additional waves of rising cases that…

From Patent Search

• METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING IMPROVED GENERALIZED FUZZY PEER GROUP WITH MODIFIED TRILATERAL FILTER TO REMOVE MIXED IMPULSE AND ADAPTIVE WHITE GAUSSIAN NOISE FROM COLOR IMAGES - ABSTRACTMETHOD AND SYSTEM FOR IMPLEMENTING IMPROVED GENERALIZED FUZZY PEER GROUP WITH MODIFIED TRILATERAL FILTER TO REMOVE MIXED IMPULSE AND ADAPTIVE WHITE GAUSSIAN NOISE FROM COLOR IMAGESThe present invention provides a new approach is proposed that includes fuzzy-based approach and similarity function for filtering the mixed noise. In a peer group, the similarity function was adaptive to edge information and local noise level, which was utilized for detecting the similarity among pixels. In addition, a new filtering method Modified Trilateral Filter (MTF) with Improved Generalized Fuzzy Peer Group (IGFPG) is proposed to remove mixed impulse and Adaptive White Gaussian Noise from Color Images. The modified trilateral filter includes Kikuchi algorithm and loopy belief propagation to solve the inference issues on the basis of passing local message. In this research work, the images were collected from KODAK dataset and a few real time multimedia images like Lena were also used for testing the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. - link

• A METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS WITH PALMITOYLETHANOLAMIDE - - link

• A STUDY ON MENTAL HEALTH, STRESS AND ANXIETY AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS DURING COVID-19 - SARS-Cov-2 virus causes an infectious disease coronavirus(COVID-19).The Students life is made harder by COVID-19.The human reaction that happens normally to everyone through physical or emotional tension is stress. Feeling of angry, nervous and frustration caused through any thought or events leads to stress. As college closures and cancelled events, students are missing out on some of the biggest moments of their young lives as well as everyday moments like chatting with friend, participating in class and cultural programme. For students facing life changes due to the outbreak are feeling anxious, isolated and disappointed which lead them to feel all alone. We like to take the help of expert adolescent psychologist to find out the techniques to practice self-care and look after their mental health. We would like to find out whether techniques used reduce the anxiety and stress among Engineering Students. - link

• A CENTRAL TRANSACTION AUTHENTIC SYSTEM FOR OTP VERIFICATION - The present invention relates to a central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification. The system (100) comprises one or more user display units (102), one or more financial units (104), an account deposit unit (106), an OTP authentication unit (108) and a service server unit (110). The central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification work as Anti-money laundering measure. The system (100) also helpful for minimizing rate of cybercrime. The central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification that can neutralize digital financial fraud. The present invention provides a central transaction authentic system (100) for OTP verification that can monitor and analyze every transaction and customer interaction across its customer base for suspicious and potentially criminal activity. - link

• FORMULATIONS AND METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF HERBAL MEDICATED TRANSPARENT SOAP - ABSTRACTFORMULATIONS AND METHOD FOR PREPARATION OF HERBAL MEDICATED TRANSPARENT SOAPThe present invention provides formulations for herbal medicated transparent soaps and method of preparation of the same. Transparent soaps are prepared by saponification of mixture of non-edible oils to get the desired consistency and cleaning action. Nonvolatile alcohols and other transparency promoters are used to get good transparency and binding properties. Herbal extracts of different herbs are added to get medicated properties. - link

• SOCIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR MOBILE ROBOTS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT TECHNOLOGY - The emergency department (ED) is a safety-critical environment in which healthcare workers (HCWs) are overburdened, overworked, and have limited resources, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. One way to address this problem is to explore the use of robots that can support clinical teams, e.g., to deliver materials or restock supplies. However, due to EDs being overcrowded, and the cognitive overload HCWs experience, robots need to understand various levels of patient acuity so they avoid disrupting care delivery. In this invention, we introduce the Safety-Critical Deep Q-Network (SafeDQN) system, a new acuity-aware navigation system for mobile robots. SafeDQN is based on two insights about care in EDs: high-acuity patients tend to have more HCWs in attendance and those HCWs tend to move more quickly. We compared SafeDQN to three classic navigation methods, and show that it generates the safest, quickest path for mobile robots when navigating in a simulated ED environment. We hope this work encourages future exploration of social robots that work in safety-critical, human-centered environments, and ultimately help to improve patient outcomes and save lives. Figure 1. - link

• A MACHINE LEARNING BASED SYSTEM FOR DETECTING OMICRON VARIANT FROM A GENOME SEQUENCE AND METHOD THEREOF - The present invention discloses a machine learning based system for detecting omicron variant from a genome sequence and method thereof. The system includes, but not limited to, a processing unit having a memory unit and a machine learning interface embedded on it for validating a variant-induced changes in the one or more condition-specific cell variables are combined to output a single numerical variant score for each of the one or more variants, the variant score computed by one of outputting the score for a fixed condition; summing the variant-induced changes across conditions; computing the maximum of the absolute variant-induced changes across conditions. - link

• A SYSTEM BASED ON DEEP LEARNING FOR ANALYZING DELAYED ENHANCEMENT MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING TO IDENTIFY COVID 19 AND METHOD THEREOF - The present invention discloses a system based on deep learning for analyzing delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging to identify COVID 19 and method thereof. The method and system include, but not limited to, a processing unit adapted to process the data based on deep learning data modelling in the magnetic resonance imaging associated with the digital image scanning system for diagnosis COVID 19 with the spatial resolution that each frame is deposited is 256 * 256, and being creating that level and vertical resolution respectively are 256 pixels (pixel), the read/write address that the read/write address of each image element, which is controlled by processing unit and forms circuit and finishes; And the data that will be stored in memory are input to a real-time microcontroller, it is characterized in that: analyze and compare by the Multi-source Information Fusion analytical system by using the real-time microcontroller to deliver the D/A changer then, digital signal is become analogue signal output. - link

• 用于体外诊断的新型冠状病毒核衣壳蛋白抗体 - 本发明提供了一种用于体外诊断的新型冠状病毒核衣壳蛋白抗体或抗原结合片段。所提供的抗体包括重链可变区和轻链可变区，重链可变区包括SEQ ID NO:11、12和13所示的CDR序列，轻链可变区包括SEQ ID NO:14、15和16所示的CDR序列。所提供的抗体用于新型冠状病毒的体外检测，具有极高的灵敏度和特异性。 - link

• 用于体外诊断的新型冠状病毒核衣壳蛋白抗体 - 本发明提供了一种用于体外诊断的新型冠状病毒核衣壳蛋白抗体或抗原结合片段。所提供的抗体包括重链可变区和轻链可变区，重链可变区包括SEQ ID NO:1、2和3所示的CDR序列，轻链可变区包括SEQ ID NO:4、5和6所示的CDR序列。所提供的抗体用于新型冠状病毒的体外检测，具有极高的灵敏度和特异性。 - link