Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• The Cauldron Has Cooled Down: A Systematic Literature Review on Home Advantage in Football during the COVID-19 Pandemic from a Socio- Economic and Psychological Perspective -
  The phenomenon of home advantage (home bias) is well-analyzed in the scientific literature. But only the COVID-19 pandemic enabled studies on this phenomenon - for the first time in history - on a global scale. Thus, several studies to date examined the effects of empty stadiums by comparing regular matches (with supporters) before the COVID-19 restrictions with so-called ghost games (games without supporters) during the pandemic. To synthesize the existing knowledge and offer an overview regarding the effects of ghost games on home advantage we provide a systematic literature review on this topic. Our findings - based on 26 primary studies - indicate that ghost games have a considerable impact on the phenomenon of home advantage. Deeper analysis further indicates that this effect is based on a reduced “referee bias” and a lack of “emotional support from the ranks”. From a psychological perspective, we argue that our conclusions are highly relevant by emphasizing decision making under pressure and crowd-induced motivation in sports. From a socio-economic perspective, we argue that our findings legitimize a discussion regarding compensation of fans after sporting success as plausible and worth considering. Thus, our results are significant for scientists, sports and team managers, media executives, fan representatives and other persons responsible in the football industry.

• Modeling the dynamics of within-host viral infection and evolution predicts quasispecies distributions and phase boundaries separating distinct classes of infections -
  We use computational modeling to study within-host viral infection and evolution. In our model, viruses exhibit variable binding to cells, with better infection and replication countered by a stronger immune response and a high rate of mutation. By varying host conditions (permissivity to viral entry T and immune clearance intensity A) for large numbers of cells and viruses, we study the dynamics of how viral populations evolve from initial infection to steady state and obtain a phase diagram of the range of cell and viral responses. We find three distinct replicative strategies corresponding to three physiological classes of viral infections: acute, chronic, and opportunistic. We show similarities between our findings and the behavior of real viral infections such as common flu, hepatitis, and SARS- CoV-2019. The phases associated with the three strategies are separated by a phase transition of primarily first order, in addition to a crossover region. Our simulations also reveal a wide range of physical phenomena, including metastable states, periodicity, and glassy dynamics. Lastly, our results suggest that the resolution of acute viral disease in patients whose immunity cannot be boosted can only be achieved by significant inhibition of viral infection and replication.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Modeling the dynamics of within-host viral infection and evolution predicts quasispecies distributions and phase boundaries separating distinct classes of infections
• Neutralization and Stability of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant -
  The SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529/Omicron variant was first characterized in South Africa and was swiftly designated a variant of concern. Of great concern is its high number of mutations, including 30-40 mutations in the virus spike (S) protein compared to 7-10 for other variants. Some of these mutations have been shown to enhance escape from vaccine- induced immunity, while others remain uncharacterized. Additionally, reports of increasing frequencies of the Omicron variant may indicate a higher rate of transmission compared to other variants. However, the transmissibility of Omicron and its degree of resistance to vaccine-induced immunity remain unclear. Here we show that Omicron exhibits significant immune evasion compared to other variants, but antibody neutralization is largely restored by mRNA vaccine booster doses. Additionally, the Omicron spike exhibits reduced receptor binding, cell-cell fusion, S1 subunit shedding, but increased cell-to-cell transmission, and homology modeling indicates a more stable closed S structure. These findings suggest dual immune evasion strategies for Omicron, due to altered epitopes and reduced exposure of the S receptor binding domain, coupled with enhanced transmissibility due to enhanced S protein stability. These results highlight the importance of booster vaccine doses for maintaining protection against the Omicron variant, and provide mechanistic insight into the altered functionality of the Omicron spike protein.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Neutralization and Stability of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant
• Single Amino Acid Change Mutation in the Hydrophobic Core of the N-terminal Domain of P22 TSP affects the Proteins Stability. -
  The emergence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has significantly shifted the attention of researchers to critically investigate most viruses to understand specific characteristics that impart their virulence. For instance, the SARS-CoV-2 has undergone several mutations, with some variants classified as variants of concern, e.g., the Omicron and Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 are known for their rapid transmission and antigenicity due to mutation in the Spike protein. P22 bacteriophage is a bacterial virus that has a tailspike protein (TSP) that performs similar functions as the Spike protein of SARS-COV-2. We previously carried out a site-directed mutagenesis of the P22 TSP to bear disruptive mutations in the hydrophobic core of the N-terminal Domain (NTD), then partially characterized the properties of the mutant TSPs. In this process, the valine patch (triple valine residues that formed a hydrophobic core) was replaced with charged amino acids (Asp or lysine) or hydrophobic amino acids (Leucine or isoleucine). Some of the mutant TSPs characterized showed significant differences in migration in both native and SDS- PAGE. Mutants with such disruptive mutation are known to show non-native properties, and as expected, most of these mutants obtained showed significantly different properties from the WT P22 TSP. In this work, we further characterized these mutant species by computational and in vitro assays to demonstrate the validity of our previous inference that the valine patch is a critical player in the stability of the N-terminal domain of the P22 TSP.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Single Amino Acid Change Mutation in the Hydrophobic Core of the N-terminal Domain of P22 TSP affects the Proteins Stability.
• In vitro and computational analysis of the putative furin cleavage site (RRARS) in the divergent spike protein of the rodent coronavirus AcCoV-JC34 (sub-genus luchacovirus) -
  The Coronaviridae is a highly diverse virus family, with reservoir hosts in a variety of wildlife species that encompass bats, birds and small mammals, including rodents. Within the taxonomic group alphacoronavirus, certain sub- genera (including the luchacoviruses) have phylogenetically distinct spike proteins, which remain essentially uncharacterized. Using in vitro and computational techniques, we analyzed the spike protein of the rodent coronavirus AcCoV-JC34 from the sub-genus luchacovirus, previously identified in Apodemus chevrieri (Chevriers field mouse). We show that AcCoV-JC34, unlike the other luchacoviruses, has a putative furin cleavage site (FCS) within its spike S1 domain, close to the S1/S2 interface. The pattern of basic amino acids within the AcCoV-JC34 FCS (-RR-R-) is identical to that found in pre-variant SARS-CoV-2, which is in itself atypical for an FCS, and suboptimal for furin cleavage. Our analysis shows that, while containing an -RR-R- motif, the AcCoVJC34 spike FCS is not cleaved by furin (unlike for SARS-CoV-2), suggesting the possible presence of a progenitor sequence for viral emergence from a distinct wildlife host.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: In vitro and computational analysis of the putative furin cleavage site (RRARS) in the divergent spike protein of the rodent coronavirus AcCoV-JC34 (sub- genus luchacovirus)
• Conspiracy Beliefs and Generosity across 52 Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic -
  Previous research has demonstrated that higher levels of belief in conspiracy theories are related to higher levels of distrust toward others, greater antisocial tendencies, and more self-centeredness. These findings suggest that conspiracy believers may also be less likely to be generous. However, very little research has thus far investigated this possibility. In the current study, we examined the association between COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs and generosity across a sample of 45,073 participants from 52 countries. We found that participants with higher COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs were less likely to donate to national and international charities, and that this negative association was stronger for donations to national charities. Exploratory analyses revealed that the discrepancy between national and international charity donations was more salient in countries with high levels of corruption, suggesting that conspiracy believers might be more suspicious of ingroups, rather than outgroups, in more corrupt countries.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Conspiracy Beliefs and Generosity across 52 Countries during the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Stress and Sleep Across the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact of Distance Learning on U.S. College Students’ Health Trajectories -
  Study Objectives. This study examined associations between average and intraindividual trajectories of stress, sleep duration, and sleep quality in college students before, during, and after transitioning to online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. One hundred and sixty-four first-year college students answered twice-weekly questionnaires assessing stress exposure and perception, sleep duration, and sleep quality from January until May, 2020 (N=4,269 unique observations). Results. Multilevel growth modeling revealed that prior to distance learning, student stress was increasing and sleep duration and quality were decreasing. After transitioning online, students’ stress exposure and perception trajectories immediately and continuously decreased; sleep quality initially increased but decreased over time; and sleep duration increased but then plateaued for the remainder of the semester. Days with higher stress exposure than typical for that student were associated with lower sleep quality, and both higher stress exposure and perception at the transition were linked with simultaneous lower sleep quality. Specific groups (e.g., females) were identified as at-risk for stress and sleep problems. Conclusion. Although transitioning to remote learning initially alleviated college students’ stress and improved sleep, these effects plateaued, and greater exposure to academic, financial, and interpersonal stressors predicted worse sleep quality on both daily and average levels. Environmental stressors may particularly dictate sleep quality during times of transition, but adaptations in learning modalities may help mitigate short-term detrimental health outcomes during global emergencies, even during a developmental period with considerable stress vulnerability. Future studies should examine longer-term implications of these trajectories on mental and physical health.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Stress and Sleep Across the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact of Distance Learning on U.S. College Students’ Health Trajectories
• The impact of diet and lifestyle on wellbeing during COVID-19-lockdown -
  A healthy diet and lifestyle may protect against adverse mental health outcomes, which is especially crucial during stressful times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This preregistered longitudinal online study explored whether diet and lifestyle (physical activity, sleep, and social interactions) could predict wellbeing and mood during a light lockdown in Germany. Participants (N = 117, 72 males; 28  9 years old) answered mental health and lifestyle questionnaires (social connections, sleep, activity) followed by submitting one week of food and mood-lifestyle diary (food intake, positive and negative mood, mental wellbeing, sleep quality, physical activity level, quantity and quality of social interactions) via a smartphone app. We used multivariate linear and mixed-effects models to predict mood and wellbeing by using dietary components and lifestyle factors. Inter-individual analyses revealed that sleep and social interaction significantly impacted mood and wellbeing. Interestingly, fruit and vegetable intake predicted wellbeing, even when controlling for all lifestyle factors. Fruit and vegetable intake also significantly predicted daily fluctuations in wellbeing within individuals next to sleep, physical activity, and social interactions. We observed gender differences in fruit and vegetable intake and anxiety levels. Our results emphasize the importance of diet contributing to individual wellbeing, even in the challenging times of a pandemic.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: The impact of diet and lifestyle on wellbeing during COVID-19-lockdown
• Carbon dioxide, COVID-19 and the importance of restaurant ventilation: a case study from Spain approaching Christmas 2021 -

  Restaurants present an especial challenge in the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 via exhalatory bioaerosols because customers are unprotected by facemasks while eating, so that ventilation protocols in such establishments become particularly important. However, despite the fact that this pandemic airborne disease has been with us for two full years, many restaurants are still not successfully prioritising air renovation as a key tool for reducing infection risk. We demonstrate this in the run-up to the 2021 Christmas celebrations by reporting on CO2 concentration data obtained from a hotel breakfast room and restaurants during the 5-day Spanish holiday period of 4th-8th December. In the case of the breakfast room, inadequate ventilation resulted in average CO2 levels ranging from 868 to 1237ppm on five consecutive days, with the highest levels coinciding with highest occupancy numbers. Inside the five restaurants, three of these were well ventilated, maintaining stable average CO2 concentrations below 700ppm. In contrast, two restaurants failed to keep average CO2 levels below 1000ppm, despite sporadic, but ineffective, attempts by one of them to ventilate the establishment. More effort needs to be made to foster in both restaurant managers and the general public an improved awareness of the value of CO2 concentrations as an infection risk proxy and the relevance of ventilation issues to the propagation of respiratory diseases.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Carbon dioxide, COVID-19 and the importance of restaurant ventilation: a case study from Spain approaching Christmas 2021
• Incorporating the mutational landscape of SARS-COV-2 variants and case-dependent vaccination rates into epidemic models -

  Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), which began as a small outbreak in Wuhan, China in December 2019, became a global pandemic within months due to its high transmissibility. In the absence of pharmaceutical treatment, various non- pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to contain the spread of COVID-19 brought the entire world to a halt. After almost a year of seemingly returning to normalcy with the world9s quickest vaccine development, the advent of more infectious and vaccine-resistant coronavirus variants is bringing the situation back to where it was a year ago. In the light of this new situation, we conducted a study to portray the possible scenarios based on the three key factors: impact of interventions (pharmaceutical and NPIs), vaccination rate, and vaccine efficacy. In our study, we assessed two of the most crucial factors, transmissibility and vaccination rate, in order to reduce the spreading of COVID in a simple but effective manner. In order to incorporate the time-varying mutational landscape of COVID-19 variants, we estimated weighted transmissibility composed of the proportion of existing strains that naturally vary over time. Additionally, we consider time-varying vaccination rates based on the number of daily new cases. Our method for calculating the vaccination rate from past active cases is an effective approach in forecasting probable future scenarios as it actively tracks people9s attitudes toward immunization as active cases change. Our simulations show that if a large number of individuals cannot be vaccinated in a short period of time, adopting NPIs is the best approach to manage disease transmission with the emergence of new vaccine breakthrough variants and more infectious variants.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Incorporating the mutational landscape of SARS-COV-2 variants and case-dependent vaccination rates into epidemic models
• SARS-CoV-2 transmission potential and rural-urban disease burden disparities across Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, March 2020 — May 2021 -

  Purpose: To quantify and compare SARS-CoV-2 transmission potential across Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi and selected counties with populations in the 50th, 75th, and 100th percentile. Methods: To determine the time-varying reproduction number R_t of SARS-CoV-2, we applied the R package EpiEstim to the time series of daily incidence of confirmed cases. Median R_t percentage change when policies changed was determined. Linear regression was performed between log₁₀-transformed cumulative incidence and log₁₀-transformed population size at four time points. Results: Stay-at-home orders, face mask mandates, and vaccinations were associated with the most significant reductions in SARS-CoV-2 transmission in the three southern states. R_t across the three states decreased significantly by 20% following stay-at-home orders. We observed varying degrees of reductions in R_t across states following other policies. Rural Alabama counties experienced higher per capita cumulative cases relative to urban ones as of June 17 and October 17, 2020. Meanwhile, Louisiana and Mississippi saw the disproportionate impact of SARS-CoV-2 in rural counties compared to urban ones throughout the study period. Conclusion: State and county policies had an impact on local pandemic trajectories. The rural-urban disparities in case burden call for evidence- based approaches in tailoring health promotion interventions and vaccination campaigns to rural residents.

• COVID-19 endgame: from pandemic to endemic? Vaccination, reopening and evolution in a well-vaccinated population -

  COVID-19 remains a major public health concern, with large resurgences even where there has been widespread uptake of vaccines. Waning immunity and the emergence of new variants will shape the long-term burden and dynamics of COVID-19. We explore the transition to the endemic state, and the endemic incidence, using a combination of modelling approaches. We compare gradual and rapid reopening and reopening at different vaccination levels. We examine how the eventual endemic state depends on the duration of immunity, the rate of importations, the efficacy of vaccines and the transmissibility. These depend on the evolution of the virus, which continues to undergo selection. Slower reopening leads to a lower peak level of incidence and fewer overall infections: as much as a 60% lower peak and a 10% lower total in some illustrative simulations; under realistic parameters, reopening when 70% of the population is vaccinated leads to a large resurgence in cases. The long-term endemic behaviour may stabilize as late as January 2023, with further waves of high incidence occurring depending on the transmissibility of the prevalent variant, duration of immunity, and antigenic drift. We find that long term endemic levels are not necessarily lower than current pandemic levels: in a population of 100,000 with representative parameter settings (Reproduction number 5, 1-year duration of immunity, vaccine efficacy at 80% and importations at 3 cases per 100K per day) there are over 100 daily incident cases in the model. The consequent burden on health care systems depends on the severity of infection in immunized or previously infected individuals.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: COVID-19 endgame: from pandemic to endemic? Vaccination, reopening and evolution in a well-vaccinated population
• A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the global data involving 61,532 cancer patients with SARS- CoV-2 infection. -

  Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 have been shown to be associated with more severe disease and death in cancer patient. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine the risk by age, tumour type and treatment of infection with SARS-CoV-2 in cancer patients. Methods Systematic review by searching PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus for articles published in English up to June 14, 2021 of SARS-CoV-2 infection in >10 patients with malignant disease. Outcomes included factors in patients with malignant disease that may predict a poor outcome from COVID-19 compared to patients without malignant disease, including patient demographics, tumour subtype and cancer treatments. A meta- analysis was performed using random effects model. Results 81 studies were included, totalling 61,532 cancer patients. Haematological malignancies comprised 22.1% (9,672 of 43,676) of cases. Relative risk (RR) of mortality when age and sex matched was 1.69 (95% CI, 1.46-1.95; p<0.001; I2=51%). RR of mortality, versus non-cancer patients, was associated with decreasing age (exp(b)0.96; 95% CI, 0.922-0.994; p=0.028) but not male sex (exp(b)1.89; 95% CI, 0.222-6.366; p=0.83). RR of mortality in those with haematological malignancies versus non-cancer control was 1.81 (95% CI, 1.53-2.95; I2=0.0%). Compared to other cancers, increased risk of death was seen for lung (RR 1.68, 95% CI, 1.45-1.94; p<0.001), genitourinary (RR 1.11; 95% CI, 1.00-1.24; p=0.059) and haematological malignancies (RR 1.42; 95% CI, 1.31-1.54; p<0.001). Breast (RR 0.51; 95% CI, 0.36-0.71; p<0.001) and gynaecological cancers (RR 0.76; 95% CI, 0.62-0.93; p=0.009) had lower risk of death. Receipt of chemotherapy had greatest overall pooled mortality risk of 30% (95% CI, 25-36%; I2=86.97%) and endocrine therapy the lowest at 11% (95% CI, 6-16%; I2=70.7%). Conclusions Cancer patients, particularly younger cancer patients, appear at increased risk of mortality from COVID-19 compared to non-cancer patients. Differences in outcomes were seen based on tumour types and treatment.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the global data involving 61,532 cancer patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• Carbon dioxide, COVID-19 and the importance of restaurant ventilation: a case study from Spain approaching Christmas 2021 -

  Restaurants present an especial challenge in the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 via exhalatory bioaerosols because customers are unprotected by facemasks while eating, so that ventilation protocols in such establishments become especial important. However, despite the fact that this pandemic airborne disease has been with us for two full years, many restaurants are still not successfully prioritising air renovation as a key tool for reducing infection risk. We demonstrate this in the run-up to the 2021 Christmas celebrations by reporting on CO2 concentration data obtained from a hotel breakfast room and restaurants during the 5-day Spanish holiday period of 4th-8th December. In the case of the breakfast room, poor ventilation resulted in average CO2 levels ranging from 868 to 1237 on five consecutive days, with the highest levels coinciding with highest occupancy numbers. Inside the five restaurants, three of these were well ventilated, maintaining stable average CO2 concentrations below 700ppm. In contrast, two restaurants failed to keep average CO2 levels below 1000ppm, despite sporadic, but ineffective, attempts by one of them to ventilate the establishment. More effort needs to be made to foster in both restaurant managers and the general public an improved awareness of the value of CO2 concentrations as an infection risk proxy and the relevance of ventilation issues to the propagation of respiratory diseases.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Carbon dioxide, COVID-19 and the importance of restaurant ventilation: a case study from Spain approaching Christmas 2021
• Measurement of the extent of Anxiety and Depression that has occurred in college students due to the COVID 19 pandemic: An Survey based cross-sectional study. -

  OVERVIEW: The ongoing Pandemic because of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused all the educational institutes including colleges to be closed for a very long time. As a result the students are compelled to remain in their homes for this time. Prolonged stay at home along with excess use of social media and other modes to kill the time are quite famous to cause certain health issues in a person, specially the teenagers and adolescents. Mental wellbegin, being a dimension of health as per WHO should not be ignored at all specially in these situations. METHOD OF STUDY: A Online Questionnaire is prepared based of the ZUNG Self Rating Anxiety and Self Rating Depression Scale (Pre-validated Scales). The Form is circulated digitally among the people and then we have collected the data in excel. Based on the result we have prepared our statistical chart RESULT: Quite a significant number of candidates were suffering due to the pandemic situation. 17.091% were suffering from mild to moderate anxiety, 1.785% had marked to severe anxiety levels, (Constituting approximately 18.9% of the total). On the other hand, 8.673% of the students had mild depression, while 1 candidate (0.255%) had moderate depression and 1 (0.255%) had severe depression, (Constituting approximately 9.20% of the total). We found that candidates in the age group of 23-24 years had the maximum prevalence of depression. It was followed by candidates with ages between 21-22 years. We found that the candidates with age between 23 to 24 years were having highest prevalence of significant anxiety levels which is closely followed by candidates having age which lies between 22 years to 23 years.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Measurement of the extent of Anxiety and Depression that has occurred in college students due to the COVID 19 pandemic: An Survey based cross- sectional study.

From Clinical Trials

• Trial to Evaluate Nitazoxanide for Treatment of Mild COVID-19 in Subjects Not at High Risk of Severe Illness - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Nitazoxanide;   Drug: Placebo;   Dietary Supplement: Vitamin Super-B Complex
  Sponsor:   Romark Laboratories L.C.
  Not yet recruiting

• Trial to Evaluate Nitazoxanide for Treatment of Mild or Moderate COVID-19 in Subjects at High Risk of Severe Illness - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Nitazoxanide;   Dietary Supplement: Vitamin Super-B Complex;   Drug: Placebo;   Other: Standard of Care
  Sponsor:  
  Romark Laboratories L.C.
  Not yet recruiting

• A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial of Ivermectin With Favipiravir in Mild-to-moderate COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Ivermectin Tablets;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Mahidol University;   Prince of Songkla University
  Not yet recruiting

• Australian Phase 2/3b Study to Assess Effectiveness of a Protein-based Covid-19 Vaccine (Spikogen) - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: Spikogen/Covax-19
  Sponsors:  
  Vaxine Pty Ltd;   Australian Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Institute;   Cinnagen
  Not yet recruiting

• Study of GRT-R910 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Boost Vaccine in Healthy Volunteers - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: GRT-R910 booster 113 days after prime;   Biological: GRT-R910 booster 28 days after prime
  Sponsor:   Gritstone Oncology, Inc.
  Recruiting

• A Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy Study of IBI314 in Ambulatory Patients With COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: IBI314;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsor:   Innovent Biologics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• Adrecizumab (HAM8101) to Improve Prognosis and Outcomes in COVID-19 Trial - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: Adrecizumab (HAM 8101);   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsor:   Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
  Not yet recruiting

• Immunogenicity Study of the Covid-19 (Recombinante) Vaccine With a 4 or 8 Week Interval Between the First Doses. - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: Covid-19 (recombinante) vaccine
  Sponsor:   The Immunobiological Technology Institute (Bio-Manguinhos) / Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz)
  Active, not recruiting

• A Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety of the Combination of SCTA01 & SCTA01C in Outpatients With COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: SCTA01 and SCTA01C;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsor:   Sinocelltech Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• Efficacy,Immunogenicity and Safety of COVID-19 Vaccine , Inactivated Booster Dose in Adults Aged 18 Years and Above - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: Medium-dosage COVID-19 Vaccine,Inactivated;   Biological: High-dosage COVID-19 Vaccine,Inactivated;   Biological: Placebo-comparator group
  Sponsor:  
  Sinovac Research and Development Co., Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• Communities Fighting COVID-19! - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Other: COVID-19 Testing Home-based (Aim 1);   Other: COVID-19 Testing Mobile (Aim 1);   Other: COVID-19 Testing Mobile Approach 1 (Aim 2);   Other: COVID-19 Testing Mobile Approach 2 (Aim 2)
  Sponsors:   San Diego State University;   National Cancer Institute (NCI)
  Recruiting

• Clinical Trial for Oral Formula of Vanillin and Wheat Germ Oil for Treatment of Mild and Moderate COVID-19 Viral Disease - Condition:   Mild-to-moderate COVID-19
  Intervention:   Drug: Oral Capsule
  Sponsors:  
  Alexandria University;   Assoc. Prof. Ayman Baeis;   Dr. Noha Alaa Eldine Hassan Hamdy;   Ph. Hanya Hesham Sweilam
  Recruiting

• Combination Assessment Trial of COVID-19 Vaccines (COMBAT-COVID) - Condition:   COVID 19 Vaccine
  Interventions:   Biological: BIBP (CNBG, Sinopharm) WIV;   Biological: CanSinoBIO;   Biological: AstraZeneca ChAdOx
  Sponsors:  
  Aga Khan University Hospital, Pakistan;   Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations;   University of Oxford;   International Vaccine Institute;   Harvard Medical School (HMS and HSDM);   Chughtai Lab;   National Institute of Health, Pakistan
  Not yet recruiting

• Oral Neutralizing Antibody Booster for Post-vaccinated People With COVID19 Vaccine - Condition:   COVID-19 Pandemic
  Intervention:   Dietary Supplement: Bacillus subtilis spore extract
  Sponsors:   DreamTec Research Limited;   Hong Kong Metropolitan University;   DreamTec Cytokine Limited
  Recruiting

• Transplantation of Deceased Donors With COVID-19 Into COVID-19 Negative Recipients Utilizing Casirivimab and Imdevimab Antibody Cocktail - Conditions:   COVID-19;   Organ Transplant
  Intervention:  
  Drug: Casirivimab and Imdevimab Antibody Cocktail
  Sponsors:   Northwell Health;   Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
  Not yet recruiting

From PubMed

• Structural Analysis on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Non-structural Protein 13 Mutants Revealed Altered Bonding Network With TANK Binding Kinase 1 to Evade Host Immune System - Mutations in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have made this virus more infectious. Previous studies have confirmed that non-structural protein 13 (NSP13) plays an important role in immune evasion by physically interacting with TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1) to inhibit IFNβ production. Mutations have been reported in NSP13; hence, in the current study, biophysical and structural modeling methodologies were adapted to dissect the influence of major mutations in NSP13,…

• Network Pharmacology and Experimental Assessment to Explore the Pharmacological Mechanism of Qimai Feiluoping Decoction Against Pulmonary Fibrosis - Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is one of the pathologic changes in COVID-19 patients in convalescence, and it is also a potential long-term sequela in severe COVID-19 patients. Qimai Feiluoping decoction (QM) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula recommended in the Chinese national medical program for COVID-19 convalescent patients, and PF is one of its indications. Through clinical observation, QM was found to improve the clinical symptoms and pulmonary function and reduce the degree of PF of…

• In-Silico Design of a Novel Tridecapeptide Targeting Spike Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern - Several mutations in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have increased the transmission and mortality rate of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) across the globe. Although many vaccines have been developed, a large proportion of the global population remains at high risk of infection. The current study aims to develop an antiviral peptide capable of inhibiting the interaction of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its six major variants with the host cell angiotensin-converting…

• Systemic corticosteroids for management of COVID-19: Saving lives or causing harm? - The underlying cause of many complications associated with severe COVID-19 is attributed to the inflammatory cytokine storm that leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which appears to be the leading cause of death in COVID-19. Systemic corticosteroids have anti-inflammatory activity through repression of pro-inflammatory genes and inhibition of inflammatory cytokines, which makes them a potential medical intervention to diminish the upregulated inflammatory response. Early in the…

• Recovery of SARS-CoV-2 from large volumes of raw wastewater is enhanced with the inuvai R180 system - Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) for severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a powerful tool to complement syndromic surveillance. Although detection of SARS-CoV-2 in raw wastewater may be prompted with good recoveries during periods of high community prevalence, in the early stages of population outbreaks concentration procedures are required to overcome low viral concentrations. Several methods have become available for the recovery of SARS-CoV-2 from raw wastewater,…

• Effect of Jinzhen granule on two coronaviruses: The novel SARS-CoV-2 and the HCoV-229E and the evidences for their mechanisms of action - CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, JZ (gallic acid 1.97 mg/g, baicalin 20.69 mg/g, glycyrrhizic acid 4.92 mg/g, hyodeoxycholic acid 4.86 mg/g, cholic acid 4.07 mg/g) exhibited antiviral activities against SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-229E by regulating the NF-κB/MAPK pathway and the mitochondria-mediated apoptotic pathway. These findings demonstrated the efficacy of JZ against CoVs and suggested JZ treatment as a novel clinical therapeutic strategy for COVID-19.

• SARS-CoV-2 ferritin nanoparticle vaccines elicit broad SARS coronavirus immunogenicity - The need for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) next-generation vaccines has been highlighted by the rise of variants of concern (VoCs) and the long-term threat of emerging coronaviruses. Here, we design and characterize four categories of engineered nanoparticle immunogens that recapitulate the structural and antigenic properties of the prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike (S), S1, and receptor-binding domain (RBD). These immunogens induce robust S binding, ACE2 inhibition, and…

• Possible mechanistic insights into iron homeostasis role of the action of 4-aminoquinolines (chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine) on COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) infection - CONCLUSIONS: This study aims to show the functional role of CQ and HCQ, as well as to provide possible mechanistic insight on the role of iron on viral infection, iron starvation and its downstream cellular pathways involving hepcidin and proinflammatory cytokines. The overall aim of providing possible mode of action of CQ and HCQ in the management of COVID-19 infection is exhibited via its anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic activities.

• Cannabidiol Inhibits In Vitro Human Liver Microsomal Metabolism of Remdesivir: A Promising Adjuvant for COVID-19 Treatment - Introduction: The year 2020 began with the world being flounced with a wave of novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2]) disease, named COVID-19. Based on promising pre-clinical and clinical data, remdesivir (RDV) was the first drug to receive FDA approval and so far, it is the most common therapy for treatment of SARS-CoV-2/MERS-CoV. However, following intravenous administration, RDV metabolizes majorly by human liver carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) and…

• The Triangle Relationship Between Long Noncoding RNA, RIG-I-like Receptor Signaling Pathway, and Glycolysis - Long noncoding RNA (LncRNA), a noncoding RNA over 200nt in length, can regulate glycolysis through metabolic pathways, glucose metabolizing enzymes, and epigenetic reprogramming. Upon viral infection, increased aerobic glycolysis providzes material and energy for viral replication. Mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) is the only protein- specified downstream of retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) that bridges the gap between antiviral immunity and glycolysis. MAVS binding to RIG-I…

• Active Life for Brain Health: A Narrative Review of the Mechanism Underlying the Protective Effects of Physical Activity on the Brain - A growing body of evidence clearly indicates the beneficial effects of physical activity (PA) on cognition. The importance of PA is now being reevaluated due to the increase in sedentary behavior in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although many studies in humans have revealed that PA helps to preserve brain health, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. In this review, which mainly focuses on studies in humans, we comprehensively summarize the mechanisms…

• Dexmedetomidine does not directly inhibit neutrophil extracellular trap production - No abstract

• A qualitative exploration of the impact of COVID-19 on food decisions of economically disadvantaged families in Northern Ireland - CONCLUSIONS: The restrictions put in place to inhibit the spread of COVID-19 influenced all aspects of dietary decisions of low-income families. Changes observed during this period included frequent consumption of homemade meals, but also increased unhealthy snacking. Infrequent food shopping encouraged good meal planning, but was also a barrier to securing adequate fresh food. Food-related support including school meal assistance contributed to families’ food security, particularly those of…

• In vitro interaction of potential antiviral TMPRSS2 inhibitors with human serum albumin and cytochrome P 450 isoenzymes - The interactions of four sulfonylated Phe(3-Am)-derived inhibitors (MI-432, MI-463, MI-482 and MI-1900) of type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSP) such as transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) were examined with serum albumin and cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes. Complex formation with albumin was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy. Furthermore, microsomal hepatic CYP1A2, 2C9, 2C19 and 3A4 activities in presence of these inhibitors were determined using fluorometric assays….

• RNA polymerization actuating nucleic acid membrane (RANAM)-based biosensing for universal RNA virus detection - The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has shown the importance of early disease diagnosis in preventing further infection and mortality. Despite major advances in the development of highly precise and rapid detection approaches, the time-consuming process of designing a virus-specific diagnostic kit has been a limiting factor in the early management of the pandemic. Here, we propose an RNA polymerase activity-sensing strategy utilizing an RNA polymerization actuating nucleic acid membrane…

From Patent Search

• METHODS OF TREATING SARS-COV-2 INFECTION - - link

• REAL-TIME REST BREAK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR WORKPLACE - The present invention relates to a real-time rest break management system for workplace that comprises of a work desk, wherein first portion is incorporated with a biometric unit 4 for authenticating first user, and a second portion with a telescopic panel 2 associated with a weight sensor 6 and timer unit 7 calculating weight of head/hand manifesting user presence and their resting time period is mounted with an inflated cushion 5, an interactive primary display unit 1 attached over desk enables user to set first/second threshold time for sleeping/taking break, further linked with a tracking interface keeping track of activities and a vibrating unit crafted inside the cushion 5 which is linked to a secondary display unit 8 of second user, giving them access to actuate vibrating unit generating impulses to wake first user when threshold time period is exceeded by the first user. - link

• 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

• 小分子化合物肌醇六磷酸酯钠水合物在制备抗SARS-CoV-2药物中的应用 - 本发明公开了小分子化合物肌醇六磷酸酯钠水合物在制备抗严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2(SARS‑CoV‑2)药物中的应用，所述抗SARS‑CoV‑2药物是以肌醇六磷酸酯钠水合物为唯一的活性成份，或包含肌醇六磷酸酯钠水合物的药物组合物，所述抗SARS‑CoV‑2药物是指预防或治疗SARS‑CoV‑2感染的药物。本发明利用SARS‑CoV‑2的易感细胞系，包括非洲绿猴肾细胞Vero

E6以及人肺腺癌细胞Calu‑3，检测肌醇六磷酸酯钠水合物的抗SARS‑CoV‑2活性。实验结果显示，肌醇六磷酸酯钠水合物能有效抑制SARS‑CoV‑2对上述易感细胞的感染，且细胞毒性较小，有希望作为有效抗SARS‑CoV‑2感染的药物，具有应用前景。 - 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

• 靶向刺激体液免疫和细胞免疫的新冠病毒mRNA疫苗 - 本发明公开了一种靶向刺激体液免疫和细胞免疫的新冠病毒mRNA疫苗。本申请的第一方面提供一种分离的DNA分子组合，该DNA分子组合包括第一DNA分子和第二DNA分子和第三DNA分子中的至少一种。通过第一DNA分子以及第二DNA分子和/或第三DNA分子的组合，利用第一DNA分子最终合成的mRNA诱导高滴度的交叉中和抗体，利用第二DNA分子和/或第三DNA分子最终合成的mRNA诱导新冠病毒特异性的细胞毒性T淋巴细胞，从而高效地同时激活相对独立的体液免疫应答和细胞免疫应答，应对新冠病毒在流行传播过程中产生的突变毒株所引发的突破性感染。 - link

• 跨膜丝氨酸蛋白酶2抑制剂在制备治疗和/或预防冠状病毒感染药物中的用途 - 本发明公开了跨膜丝氨酸蛋白酶2抑制剂在制备治疗和/或预防冠状病毒感染药物中的用途。本发明通过亲和垂钓及活性导向分离获得3种化合物，证实该类化合物可以直接地与跨膜丝氨酸蛋白酶2结合，KD<13μM，且能够显著抑制跨膜丝氨酸蛋白酶2的催化活性。在细胞水平上可以有效的抑制新型冠状病毒SARS‑CoV‑2假病毒入侵，表明该类化合物对于制备治疗和/或预防病毒感染药物具有非常积极的作用。化合物1 化合物2 化合物3。 - 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