Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-associated immune responses triggered by clinically relevant lipid nanoparticles in rats -
  With the large-scale vaccination of lipid nanoparticles (LNP)-based COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, elucidating the potential polyethylene glycol (PEG)-associated immune responses triggered by clinically relevant LNP has become imminent. However, inconsistent findings were observed across very limited population-based studies. Herein we initiated a study using LNP carrier of Comirnaty as a representative, and simulated real-world clinical practice covering a series of time points and various doses correlated with approved LNP-delivered drugs in a rat model. We demonstrated the time- and dose-dependency of LNP-induced anti-PEG antibodies in rats. As a thymus-independent antigen, LNP unexpectedly induced isotype switch and immune memory, leading to rapid enhancement and longer lasting time of anti-PEG IgM and IgG upon re-injection in rats. Importantly, initial LNP injection accelerated the blood clearance of subsequent dosing in rats. These findings refine our understandings on LNP and possibly other PEG derivatives, and may promote optimization of related premarket guidelines and clinical protocols.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-associated immune responses triggered by clinically relevant lipid nanoparticles in rats
• Germ aversion relates to negative attitudes towards people who violate COVID-19 health measures -
  How do individual differences in pathogen avoidance motivations relate outgroup prejudice? The current study is a re-analysis of survey data collected via Project Implicit during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic (March-May 2020). A large sample of American internet users (N = 2,258) completed measures of pathogen avoidance motivations (i.e., germ aversion) and reported their attitudes towards several social groups. The analysis showed that participants who had more germ aversion, perceived national groups (Britons, Italians, Chinese) as more infectious and reported slightly more negative attitudes towards these national groups. Germ aversion was not related to attitudes towards ethnic groups. In contrast, germ aversion had small-to-medium relations with attitudes towards people who did not engage in COVID-19 preventive measures and towards people who did not follow the advice of doctors and the government. Overall, the findings are not consistent with the notion that pathogen avoidance motivations have a broad effects on outgroup prejudice. Rather, the findings are consistent with proposals that pathogen avoidance motivations relate to a narrow range of variables, primarily avoidance of people or objects that are associated with ecologically-valid cues of infectious disease.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Germ aversion relates to negative attitudes towards people who violate COVID-19 health measures
• Viral respiratory epidemic modelling of societal segregation based on vaccination status -

  Background: Societal segregation of unvaccinated people from public spaces has been a novel and controversial COVID-era public health practice in many countries. Models exploring potential consequences of vaccination-status-based segregation have not considered how segregation influences the contact frequencies in the segregated groups. We systematically investigate implementing effects of segregation on population-specific contact frequencies and show this critically determines the predicted epidemiological outcomes, focusing on the attack rates in the vaccinated and unvaccinated populations and the share of infections among vaccinated people that were due to contacts with infectious unvaccinated people. Methods: We describe a susceptible-infectious-recovered (SIR) two-population model for vaccinated and unvaccinated groups of individuals that transmit an infectious disease by person-to-person contact. The degree of segregation of the two groups, ranging from zero to complete segregation, is implemented using the like-to-like mixing approach developed for sexually-transmitted diseases, adapted for presumed SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We allow the contact frequencies for individuals in the two groups to be different and depend, with variable strength, on the degree of segregation. Results: Segregation can either increase or decrease the attack rate among the vaccinated, depending on the type of segregation (isolating or compounding), and the contagiousness of the disease. For diseases with low contagiousness, segregation can cause an attack rate in the vaccinated, which does not occur without segregation. Interpretation: There is no predicted blanket epidemiological advantage to segregation, either for the vaccinated or the unvaccinated. Negative epidemiological consequences can occur for both groups.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Viral respiratory epidemic modelling of societal segregation based on vaccination status
• Nationwide population-based infection- and vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Germany at the end of 2021 -

  Background: The first wave of the Corona Monitoring Nationwide (RKI-SOEP) Study drawn from the German Socio-Economic Panel proved a low pre-vaccine SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in the German adult population of 2.1%. Methods: In this second wave of the study (RKI-SOEP-2, November 2021-March 2022), we used combined serological and self-reported data on infection and vaccination to estimate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2-specific anti-spike and/or anti-nucleocapsid IgG antibodies (combined seroprevalence), past infection, and basic immunization in individuals aged 14+. Findings: Combined seroprevalence was 90.7% (95% CI 89.7% - 91.6%) without correction for antibody waning and 94.6% (95% CI 93.6% - 95.7%) with correction. While 1 in 10 individuals had been infected (9.9%, 95% CI 9.0% - 10.9%), 9 in 10 had at least a basic immunization (90%, 95% CI 88.9%-90.9%). Population-weighted estimates differed by age, region, and socioeconomic deprivation. Infection-induced seroprevalence with correction for antibody waning was 1.55 (95% CI 1.3 - 1.8) times higher than the cumulative proportion based on national surveillance data. Interpretation: At the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2-Omicron wave, the vast majority of the population had been vaccinated, infected, or both. Our results show how large-scale vaccination, but not a high infection rate, was able to fill the immunity gap, especially in older individuals (aged 65+) who are known to be at higher risk of severe COVID-19. Our data point towards a targeted demographically and regionally stratified mitigation strategy, to optimize future pandemic mitigation efforts.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Nationwide population-based infection- and vaccine-induced SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Germany at the end of 2021
• The Heroization of Healthcare Workers Blinds the Public to Their Suffering and Encourages Their Exploitation -
  From the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers all over the world have been lauded as “heroes”. Despite intentions to show appreciation for healthcare workers, we offer evidence that the “hero” label can ironically and insidiously blind the public to their suffering and encourage their exploitation. The heroization of healthcare workers predicts beliefs that they: (1) must enjoy their jobs despite increasingly poor treatment, (2) can endure negative work-related health outcomes, and (3) would willingly volunteer for more work (without any additional pay) and take additional pay cuts. Heroizing healthcare workers also increased public support for new exploitative policies. These effects were specific to heroizing, and not just the result of more general positive attitudes toward healthcare workers. We discuss the implications of these effects for contemporary forms of exploitation and for how we can work to mitigate the suffering and unfair treatment of healthcare workers in difficult times.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: The Heroization of Healthcare Workers Blinds the Public to Their Suffering and Encourages Their Exploitation
• Analytic-Thinking Predicts Hoax Beliefs and Helping Behaviors in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic -
  The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was labeled a global pandemic by the WHO in March of 2020. During that same month, the number of confirmed cases and the death rate grew exponentially in the United States, creating a serious public-health emergency. Unfortunately, many Americans dismissed the pandemic as a hoax and failed to properly engage in helpful behaviors like social-distancing and increased hand-washing. Here, we examine a disposition—willingness to engage in analytic-thinking—that might predict beliefs that the pandemic is a hoax and failures to change behavior in positive ways. Our results indicate that individuals less willing to engage effortful, deliberative, and reflective cognitive processes were more likely to believe the pandemic was a hoax, and less likely to have recently engaged in social-distancing and hand-washing. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding and addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Analytic-Thinking Predicts Hoax Beliefs and Helping Behaviors in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Imagining a Personalized Scenario Selectively Increases Perceived Risk of Viral Transmission for Older Adults -
  The COVID-19 pandemic has created a serious and prolonged public-health emergency. Older adults have been at significantly greater risk of hospitalization, ICU admission, and death due to COVID-19; as of February 2021, over 81% of COVID-19-related deaths in the U.S. occurred for people over the age of 65. Converging evidence from around the world suggests that age is the most significant risk factor for severe COVID-19 illness and for the experience of adverse health outcomes. Therefore, effectively communicating health-related risk information requires tailoring interventions to older adults’ needs. Using a novel informational intervention with a nationally-representative sample of 546 U.S. residents, we found that older adults reported increased perceived risk of COVID-19 transmission after imagining a personalized scenario with social consequences. Although older adults tended to forget numerical information over time, the personalized simulations elicited increases in perceived risk that persisted over a 1-3 week delay. Overall, our results bear broad implications for communicating information about health risks to older adults, and suggest new strategies to combat annual influenza outbreaks.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Imagining a Personalized Scenario Selectively Increases Perceived Risk of Viral Transmission for Older Adults
• Pairing Facts with Imagined Consequences Improves Pandemic-Related Risk Perception -
  The COVID-19 pandemic reached staggering new peaks during a global resurgence more than a year after the crisis began. Although public health guidelines initially helped to slow the spread of disease, widespread pandemic fatigue and prolonged harm to financial stability and mental wellbeing contributed to this resurgence. In the late stage of the pandemic, it became clear that new interventions were needed to support long-term behavior change. Here, we examined subjective perceived risk about COVID-19, and the relationship between perceived risk and engagement in risky behaviors. In Study 1 (N = 303), we found that subjective perceived risk was likely inaccurate, but predicted compliance with public health guidelines. In Study 2 (N = 735), we developed a multi-faceted intervention designed to realign perceived risk with actual risk. Participants completed an episodic simulation task; we expected that imagining a COVID-related scenario would increase the salience of risk information and enhance behavior change. Immediately following the episodic simulation, participants completed a risk estimation task with individualized feedback about local risk levels. We found that information prediction error, a measure of surprise, drove beneficial change in perceived risk and willingness to engage in risky activities. Imagining a COVID-related scenario beforehand enhanced the effect of prediction error on learning. Importantly, our intervention produced lasting effects that persisted after a 1-3 week delay. Overall, we describe a fast and feasible online intervention that effectively changed beliefs and intentions about risky behaviors.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Pairing Facts with Imagined Consequences Improves Pandemic-Related Risk Perception
• Spatiotemporal dynamics and epidemiological impact of SARS-CoV-2 XBB lineages dissemination in Brazil in 2023 -

  The SARS-CoV-2 XBB is a group of highly immune-evasive lineages of the Omicron VOC that emerged by recombining BA.2-descendent lineages and spread worldwide during 2023. In this study, we combine SARS-CoV-2 genomic data (n = 11,065 sequences) with epidemiological data of Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) cases collected in Brazil between October 2022 and July 2023 to reconstruct the space-time dynamics and epidemiologic impact of XBB dissemination in the country. Our analyses revealed that the introduction and local emergence of lineages carrying convergent mutations within the Spike protein, especially F486P, F456L, and L455F, propelled the spread of XBB* lineages in Brazil. The average relative instantaneous reproduction numbers of XBB+F486P, XBB+F486P+F456L, and XBB+F486P+ F456L+L455F lineages in Brazil were estimated to be 1.24, 1.33, and 1.48 higher than that of other co-circulating lineages (mainly BQ.1/BE), respectively. Despite such a growth advantage, the dissemination of these XBB lineages had a reduced impact on Brazils epidemiological scenario concerning previous Omicron subvariants. The peak number of SARI cases from SARS-CoV-2 during the XBB wave was approximately 90%, 80%, and 70% lower than that observed during the previous BA.1, BA.5, and BQ.1* waves, respectively. These findings revealed the emergence of multiple XBB lineages with progressively increasing growth advantage, yet with relatively limited epidemiological impact in Brazil throughout 2023. The XBB*+F486P+F456L+L455F lineages stand out for their heightened transmissibility, warranting close monitoring in the months ahead.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Spatiotemporal dynamics and epidemiological impact of SARS-CoV-2 XBB lineages dissemination in Brazil in 2023
• Estimated transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants from wastewater are robust to differential shedding -

  The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development and adoption of wastewater-based epidemiology. Wastewater samples can provide genomic information for detecting and assessing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants in communities and for estimating important epidemiological parameters such as the growth advantage of the variant. However, despite demonstrated successes, epidemiological data derived from wastewater suffers from potential biases. Of particular concern are differential shedding profiles that different variants of concern exhibit, because they can shift the relationship between viral loads in wastewater and prevalence estimates derived from clinical cases. Using mathematical modeling, simulations, and Swiss surveillance data, we demonstrate that this bias does not affect estimation of the growth advantage of the variant and has only a limited and transient impact on estimates of the effective reproduction number. Thus, population-level epidemiological parameters derived from wastewater maintain their advantages over traditional clinical-derived estimates, even in the presence of differential shedding among variants.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Estimated transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants from wastewater are robust to differential shedding
• Menstrual cycle changes increased following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination: Social media validation and self-controlled case series analysis. -

  Objectives - To investigate if there was an increase in menstrual abnormality related presentation post COVID-19 vaccination. Design - BERTopic machine learning, with a guided topic modelling option was used to analyse mentions of menstrual change in relation to COVID-19 vaccination on the social media platform Reddit. Self-controlled case series (SCCS) analysis using general practice data collected via the POpulation Level Analysis and Reporting (POLAR) tool with permission from Primary Health Networks (PHNs) as the de-identified dataset owners in Victoria and New South Wales. Setting: Globally for social media analysis. Victoria and New South Wales (NSW), Australia for POLAR. Participants: For social media analysis, people who made a Reddit post about menstrual concerns post COVID-19 vaccine. For the SCCS analysis, people who presented to a POLAR GP registered practice with a new menstrual abnormality diagnosis. Exposures: COVID-19 vaccination with adenovirus vector [AstraZenecas Vaxzervria ChadOx1-S], mRNA [Pfizer-BioNTechs Comirnaty BNT162b2 and Modernas Spikevax] or protein-subunit [Novavaxs Nuvaxovid]). Outcomes and Measures: Scraped social media posts were pre-processed, analysed for positive, negative, and neutral sentiments and topic modelled. Menstrual abnormality presentations of interest were isolated from the general practice dataset aggregated by POLAR, by searching for relevant SNOMED CT codes. Similarly, relative incidence (RI) was calculated for all COVID-19 vaccine types. Results: Social media analysis saw peaks in menstrual change posts on Reddit since the global COVID-19 vaccine rollout. The SCCS analysis demonstrates an increase in general practice presentations of menstrual abnormality diagnosis following mRNA vaccines (RI= 1.14, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.22, P <0.001). Conclusions and Relevance: This study demonstrates an increase in menstrual abnormality presentations following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. Our findings validate the concerns raised on social media so people who are vaccinated or are considering future vaccines feel heard, supported, and validated. Our analysis highlights the importance of using large real-world datasets to gather reliable evidence for public health decision making.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Menstrual cycle changes increased following COVID-19 mRNA vaccination: Social media validation and self-controlled case series analysis.
• Systematic SARS-CoV-2 S Gene Sequencing in Wastewater Samples Enables Early Lineage Detection and Uncovers Rare Mutations in Portugal -

  As the COVID-19 pandemic reached its peak, many countries implemented genomic surveillance systems to track the evolution and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Transition from the pandemic to the endemic phase prioritized alternative testing strategies to maintain effective epidemic surveillance at the population level, with less intensive sequencing efforts. One such promising approach was Wastewater-Based Surveillance (WBS), which offers non-invasive, cost-effective means for analysing virus trends at the sewershed level. From 2020 onwards, wastewater has been recognized as an instrumental source of information for public health, with national and international authorities exploring options to implement national wastewater surveillance systems and increasingly relying on WBS as early warning of potential pathogen outbreaks. In Portugal, several pioneer projects joined the academia, water utilities and Public Administration around WBS. To validate WBS as an effective genomic surveillance strategy, it is crucial to collect long term performance data. In this work, we present one year of systematic SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance in Portugal, representing 35% of the mainland population. We employed two complementary methods for lineage determination - allelic discrimination by RT-PCR and S gene sequencing. This combination allowed us to monitor variant evolution in near-real-time and identify low-frequency mutations. Over the course of this year-long study, spanning from May 2022 to April 2023, we successfully tracked the dominant Omicron sub-lineages, their progression and evolution, which aligned with concurrent clinical surveillance data. Our results underscore the effectiveness of WBS as a tracking system for virus variants, with the ability to unveil mutations undetected via massive sequencing of clinical samples from Portugal, demonstrating the ability of WBS to uncover new mutations and detect rare genetic variants. Our findings emphasize that knowledge of the genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 at the population level can be extended far beyond via the combination of routine clinical genomic surveillance with wastewater sequencing and genotyping.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Systematic SARS-CoV-2 S Gene Sequencing in Wastewater Samples Enables Early Lineage Detection and Uncovers Rare Mutations in Portugal
• Two-years mothering into the pandemic: Impact of the three COVID-19 waves in the Argentinian postpartum women’s mental health -

  The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affects certain vulnerable groups, including postpartum women. Thus, this work aimed to analyze the mental health evolution in Argentinian postpartum women during the first three waves of COVID-19 and its determinants. In this repeated cross-sectional study, data were collected during the three waves of COVID-19: May-July/2020 (n=319), April-August/2021 (n=340), and December/2021- March/2022 (n=341). Postpartum depression (PDSS‐SF), insomnia (ISI), and perceived stress symptoms (PSS-C) were used. Statistical analyses included multivariate logistic regression, analysis of variance, and structural equation modeling to test for temporal trends in mental health indicators during the pandemic and to identify their determinants. The prevalence rates of postpartum depression and insomnia rose from 37% to 60% and 46% to 62%, respectively. In contrast, pandemic-related stress decreased. Certain factors increased maternal risk of mental symptoms: unemployment status, no medical support, reduced family size, remote working, advanced maternal age, late postpartum, multiparity, and living in the least developed region of Argentina. Structural equation modeling confirmed a process of pandemic-stress adaptation, although there is a persistent increment of postpartum depression and consequent increased insomnia. Postpartum women’s mental health was worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although women have become more able to cope and perceive less pandemic-related stress, its social and economic impact still persists and puts them at higher psychological risk. Thus, health systems must ensure the women’s well-being to deal with current and future consequences of this epidemiological scenario.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Two-years mothering into the pandemic: Impact of the three COVID-19 waves in the Argentinian postpartum women’s mental health
• To Sit Quietly in a Room Alone: The Psychology of Social, Material, and Sensation Seeking Input -
  External input is any kind of physical stimulation created by an individual’s surroundings that can be detected by the senses. The present research established a novel conceptualization of this construct by investigating it in relation to the needs for material, social, and sensation seeking input, and by testing the consequences of these needs for psychological functioning during long- and short-term input deprivation. It was established that the three needs constitute different dimensions of an overarching construct (i.e., need for external input), that the needs for social and sensation seeking input have negative consequences for people’s experiences of long-term input deprivation (i.e., COVID-19 restrictions), and that the need for material input negatively predicts the experiences of short-term input deprivation (i.e., sitting in a chair without doing anything else but thinking). Overall, this research established a novel construct that has fundamental implications for experiences and actions in a range of different contexts.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: To Sit Quietly in a Room Alone: The Psychology of Social, Material, and Sensation Seeking Input
• Projections of wastewater as an indicator of COVID-19 cases in corrections facilities: a modelling study -

  Background Although prison facilities are not fully isolated from the communities they are located within, the majority of the population is confined and requires high levels of health vigilance and protection. This study sought to examine the dynamic relationship between facility level wastewater viral RNA concentration and probability of at least one positive COVID-19 case within the facility. Methods The study period was January 11, 2021 through May 12, 2023. Wastewater samples were collected and analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 (N1) and pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) three times per week across 14 prison facilities in Kentucky (USA). Confirmed positive clinical case reports were also provided. A hierarchical Bayesian spatial-temporal model with a latent lagged process was developed. Findings We modeled a facility-specific SARS-CoV-2 (N1) normalized by PMMoV wastewater ratio associated with at least one COVID-19 facility case with an 80% probability. The ratio differs among facilities. Across the 14 facilities, our model demonstrates an average capture rate of 94.95% via the N1/PMMoV threshold with p_ts≥0.5. However, it is noteworthy as the p_ts threshold is set higher, such as at 0.9 or above, the model9s average capture rate reduces to 60%. This robust performance underscores the model9s effectiveness in accurately detecting the presence of positive COVID-19 cases of incarcerated people. Interpretation The findings of this study provide a correction facility-specific threshold model for public health response based on frequent wastewater surveillance.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Projections of wastewater as an indicator of COVID-19 cases in corrections facilities: a modelling study

From Clinical Trials

• SAFE Workplace Intervention for People With IDD - Conditions: Developement of Infectious Airborne Disease Prevention Workplace Curriclulm
  Interventions: Behavioral: SAFE Employment Training
  Sponsors: Temple University; National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
  Recruiting

• Effects of an EMDR Intervention on Traumatic and Obsessive Symptoms - Conditions: Adult ALL; Post-traumatic Stress Disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Disgust; Guilt; Shame
  Interventions: Behavioral: EMDR
  Sponsors: University of Pisa
  Completed

• Lithium Long COVID Dose-finding Study - Conditions: Long COVID
  Interventions: Dietary Supplement: Lithium
  Sponsors: State University of New York at Buffalo
  Not yet recruiting

• Preoperative Educational Videos on Maternal Stress Whose Children Received Congenital Heart Disease Surgery: During COVID-19 Panic - Conditions: COVID-19; Educational Videos; Maternal; Uncertainty; Anxiety; Depression; Congenital Heart Disease; Children
  Interventions: Other: Preoperative educational videos plus routine education; Other: Preoperative routine education
  Sponsors: Chung Shan Medical University
  Completed

• Pharmacokinetics and Safety of GST-HG171 Tablets in Subjects With Impaired and Normal Renal Function - Conditions: COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Interventions: Drug: GST-HG171 Tablets
  Sponsors: Fujian Akeylink Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
  Recruiting

• Pharmacokinetics and Safety of GST-HG171 Tablets in Subjects With Impaired and Normal Liver Function - Conditions: COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Interventions: Drug: GST-HG171 Tablets
  Sponsors: Fujian Akeylink Biotechnology Co., Ltd.
  Completed

• Evaluation of Concordance Between Exhaled Air Test (eBAM-CoV) and RT-PCR to Detect SARS-CoV-2 - Conditions: SARS-CoV-2 Infection; COVID-19; Coronavirus
  Interventions: Device: eBAM Cov Testing
  Sponsors: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes; University of Nimes; brains’ laboratory sas, FRANCE
  Not yet recruiting

• Study to Safety, Tolerability and Immunogenicity of EG-COVII in Healthy Adult - Conditions: COVID-19
  Interventions: Biological: EG-COVII
  Sponsors: EyeGene Inc.
  Recruiting

• Pharmacokinetics and Bioequivalence of Aterixen 100 mg Tablets and Aterixen 100 mg Film-coated Tablets in Healthy Volunteers - Conditions: Viral Infection COVID-19
  Interventions: Drug: Aterixen
  Sponsors: Valenta Pharm JSC
  Not yet recruiting

• Long COVID Brain Fog: Cognitive Rehabilitation Trial - Conditions: Long COVID; Brain Fog; Cognitive Impairment; Cognitive Dysfunction; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
  Interventions: Behavioral: Speed of Processing Training; Behavioral: In-lab Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Training; Behavioral: In-lab Brain Health Training; Behavioral: Transfer Package; Behavioral: Follow Up Phone Calls; Behavioral: Vocational Rehabilitation; Behavioral: Peer Mentoring
  Sponsors: University of Alabama at Birmingham; National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
  Not yet recruiting

• Paradoxical Response to Chest Wall Loading in Mechanically Ventilated Patients - Conditions: ARDS; COVID-19; Mechanical Ventilation Pressure High; Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury
  Interventions: Diagnostic Test: Manual loading of the chest wall
  Sponsors: HealthPartners Institute
  Withdrawn

• A Practical RCT of TCM in the Treatment of LCOVID and Analysis of Syndrome Types and Medication Characteristics. - Conditions: Long COVID
  Interventions: Drug: Traditional Chinese medicine treatment; Drug: Western medicine treatment
  Sponsors: Chinese University of Hong Kong
  Not yet recruiting

• Narrative Intervention for Long COVID-19 (NICO) - Conditions: Long COVID; Long Covid19
  Interventions: Behavioral: Narrative Intervention for Long COVID-19 (NICO)
  Sponsors: University of Colorado, Denver
  Active, not recruiting

• Inspiratory Muscle Training in People With Long COVID-19- A Pilot Investigation. - Conditions: Long COVID
  Interventions: Device: PrO2
  Sponsors: University of Bath; Swansea University
  Not yet recruiting

• Home-Based Respiratory Muscle Strength Training Program for Individuals With Post-COVID-19 Persistent Dyspnea - Conditions: Post-COVID-19 Syndrome; Dyspnea
  Interventions: Device: Respiratory Muscle Strength Trainers
  Sponsors: University of South Florida
  Not yet recruiting

From PubMed

• Potential PDE4B inhibitors as promising candidates against SARS-CoV-2 infection - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an RNA virus belonging to the coronavirus family responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It primarily affects the pulmonary system, which is the target of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), for which many new compounds have been developed. In this study, phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors are being investigated. The inhibition of PDE4 enzyme produces anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator effects in the lung…

• Proteomic analyses of smear-positive/negative tuberculosis patients uncover differential antigen-presenting cell activation and lipid metabolism - CONCLUSION: Our study provides valuable insights into the differential molecular mechanisms underlying SNPT and SPPT, reveals the critical role of antigen-presenting cell activation in SNPT for effectively clearing the majority of Mtb in bodies, and shows the possibility of APC activation as a novel TB treatment strategy.

• Antrodia cinnamomea May Interfere with the Interaction Between ACE2 and SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in vitro and Reduces Lung Inflammation in a Hamster Model of COVID-19 - CONCLUSION: AC shows potential as a nutraceutical for reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection by disrupting the interaction between ACE2 and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, and for preventing COVID-19-associated lung inflammation.

• Computational Screening Using a Combination of Ligand-Based Machine Learning and Molecular Docking Methods for the Repurposing of Antivirals Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease - CONCLUSION: Results demonstrated the efficiency of LBVS combined with MD. This combined strategy provided positive evidence showing that the top screened drugs, including CCX-140, which had the lowest MD score, can be reasonably advanced to the in vitro phase. This combined method may accelerate the discovery of therapies for novel or orphan diseases from existing drugs.

• Impact of influenza immunity on the mortality among older adults hospitalized with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study - It has been suggested that the outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are better in individuals having recently received an influenza vaccine than in non-vaccinated individuals. We hypothesized that this association depends on the humoral responses against influenza viruses. We aim to assess the relationship between the humoral immunity against influenza and the 3-month all-cause mortality among hospitalized older patients with COVID-19. We performed an exploratory retrospective study…

• Superior anti-pulmonary viral potential of Natrialba sp. M6-producing surfactin and C50 carotenoid pigment with unveiling its action modes - CONCLUSION: This study declared the promising efficacy of Sur as an efficient pharmacological treatment option for these pulmonary viruses and considered as guide for further in vivo research.

• Identifying the Potential of miRNAs in Houttuynia cordata-Derived Exosome-Like Nanoparticles Against Respiratory RNA Viruses - INTRODUCTION: Pathogenic respiratory RNA viruses, including influenza A virus (IAV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2, are major causes of causes of acute respiratory infection globally. Plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles containing miRNAs have shown substantial cross-kingdom regulatory effects on both viral and human transcripts. Houttuynia cordata (H. cordata), a traditional Chinese medicine frequently used to treat respiratory diseases. However, the role of H….

• Hypercapnia increases ACE2 expression and pseudo-SARS-CoV-2 entry in bronchial epithelial cells by augmenting cellular cholesterol - Patients with chronic lung disease, obesity, and other co-morbid conditions are at increased risk of severe illness and death when infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Hypercapnia, the elevation of CO(2) in blood and tissue, commonly occurs in patients with severe acute and chronic lung disease, including those with pulmonary infections, and is also associated with high mortality risk. We previously reported that hypercapnia increases viral replication and…

• Clinical and Immunological Impacts of Latent Toxoplasmosis on COVID-19 Patients - Background Parasites are well-known immune-modulators. They inhibit some aspects of the immune system to ensure persistence inside the host for a long time; meanwhile, they stimulate other immune aspects to assure the survival of the host. Wide variations in the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among developed and developing countries were reported during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parasitic infections, including Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), were claimed to contribute to such…

• IgG antibody levels against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in mother-child dyads after COVID-19 vaccination - CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines induce high anti-SARS-CoV-2 S titers in pregnant women, which can inhibit the binding of ACE2 to protein S and are efficiently transferred to the fetus. However, there was a rapid decrease in antibody levels at 2 to 3 months post-partum, particularly in infants.

• Neurotoxic effects of chloroquine and its main transformation product formed after chlorination - Pharmaceutical transformation products (TPs) generated during wastewater treatment have become an environmental concern. However, there is limited understanding regarding the TPs produced from pharmaceuticals during wastewater treatment. In this study, chloroquine (CQ), which was extensively used for treating coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) infections during the pandemic, was selected for research. We identified and fractionated the main TP produced from CQ during chlorine disinfection and…

• Development of Pan-Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Agents through Allosteric Inhibition of nsp14/nsp10 Complex - SARS-CoV-2 nsp14 functions both as an exoribonuclease (ExoN) together with its critical cofactor nsp10 and as an S-adenosyl methionine-dependent (guanine-N7) methyltransferase (MTase), which makes it an attractive target for the development of pan-anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs. Herein, we screened a panel of compounds (and drugs) and found that certain compounds, especially Bi(III)-based compounds, could allosterically inhibit both MTase and ExoN activities of nsp14 potently. We further demonstrated…

• Unraveling bioactive metabolites of mangroves as putative inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and RBD proteins: molecular dynamics and ADMET analysis - COVID-19 is a deadly pandemic caused by Corona virus leading to millions of deaths worldwide. Till today no medicine was available to cure this disease. This study selected 262 potential bioactive natural products derived from mangroves to inhibit the main protease (Mpro) and receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein of the COVID-19 virus. All the ligands were subjected to Adsorption Digestion Metabolism Excretion and Toxicity (ADMET) predictions and docking studies using AutodockVina. Among all the…

• Immunogenicity of Co-Administered Omicron BA.4/BA.5 Bivalent COVID-19 and Quadrivalent Seasonal Influenza Vaccines in Israel during the 2022-2023 Winter Season - Vaccination against COVID-19 and influenza provides the best defense against morbidity and mortality. Administering both vaccines concurrently may increase vaccination rates and reduce the burden on the healthcare system. This study evaluated the immunogenicity of healthcare workers in Israel who were co-administered with the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 bivalent COVID-19 vaccine and the 2022-2023 quadrivalent influenza vaccine. SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titers were measured via microneutralization…

• Longitudinal Analysis of SARS-CoV-2-Specific Cellular and Humoral Immune Responses and Breakthrough Infection following BNT162b2/BNT162b2/BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1/ChAdOx1/BNT162b2 Vaccination: A Prospective Cohort in Naive Healthcare Workers - Assessing immune responses post-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is crucial for optimizing vaccine strategies. This prospective study aims to evaluate immune responses and breakthrough infection in 235 infection-naïve healthcare workers up to 13-15 months after initial vaccination in two vaccine groups (108 BNT/BNT/BNT and 127 ChAd/ChAd/BNT). Immune responses were assessed using the interferon-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay, total immunoglobulin, and neutralizing activity through surrogate…

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