Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• An institutional analysis of gender (in)equalities, covid-19 and governance of elite women’s football in Australia, England and USA. -
  Purpose – Women’s football faces an existential threat from COVID-19. Using case studies, the authors explore the COVID-19 responses of three highly ranked national football associations (Australia, England and the USA) and their professional women’s football leagues to (a) compare and shed new insights into the wide range of phased responses and

2. establish recommendations for other nations to navigate major crises with their social and ethical responsibilities to women’s football. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on institutional theory, a framework analysis was undertaken examining 71 articles to analyse the gendered global impacts of COVID-19 on women’s football. Findings – Results highlight several important recommendations for nations to consider during the pandemic: (1) maintain active communication with the community to allay worries about the future of women’s football, (2) gather support from health and government officials, (3) seek out commercial and broadcasting partnerships to drive revenue, and (4) the interests of women’s football are best served when responsibility for the elite women’s league does not rest (solely) with national football associations. Social implications – The authors argue that sport is an interwoven part of society and cannot be separated from gender equality issues irrespective of the pandemic. Originality/value – The study is first to explore institutional pressures and football governing bodies during COVID-19 and provides a framework for nations to manage major crises.
   🖺 Full Text HTML: An institutional analysis of gender (in)equalities, covid-19 and governance of elite women’s football in Australia, England and USA.

• Young adults view smartphone tracking technologies for COVID-19 as acceptable: the case of Taiwan -
  Taiwan has been successful in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, without a vaccine the threat of a second outbreak remains. Young adults who show few-to-no symptoms when infected have been identified in many countries as driving the virus’ spread through unidentifiable community transmission. Mobile tracking technologies register nearby contacts of a user and notifies them if one later tests positive to the virus, potentially solving this issue; however, the effectiveness of these technologies depends on their acceptance by the public. The current study assessed attitudes towards three tracking technologies (telecommunication network tracking, a government app, and Apple and Google’s Bluetooth exposure notification system) among four samples of young Taiwanese adults (aged 25 years or younger). Using Bayesian methods, we find high acceptance for all three tracking technologies (> 75%), with acceptance for each technology surpassing 90% if additional privacy measures were included. We consider the policy implications of these results for Taiwan and similar cultures.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Young adults view smartphone tracking technologies for COVID-19 as acceptable: the case of Taiwan
• Public acceptance of Privacy-Encroaching Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United Kingdom -
  The nature of the COVID-19 pandemic may require governments to use privacy-encroaching technologies to help contain its spread. One technology involves co-location tracking through mobile Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth to permit health agencies to monitor people’s contact with each other, thereby triggering targeted social-distancing when a person turns out to be infected. The effectiveness of tracking relies on the willingness of the population to support such privacy encroaching measures. We report the results of two large surveys in the United Kingdom, conducted during the peak of the pandemic, that probe people’s attitudes towards various tracking technologies. The results show that by and large there is widespread acceptance for co-location tracking. Acceptance increases when the measures are explicitly time-limited and come with opt-out clauses or other assurances of privacy. Another possible future technology to control the pandemic involves “immunity passports”, which could be issued to people who carry antibodies for the COVID-19 virus, potentially implying that they are immune and therefore unable to spread the virus to other people. Immunity passports have been considered as a potential future step to manage the pandemic. We probe people’s attitudes towards immunity passports and find considerable support overall, although around 20% of the public strongly oppose passports.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Public acceptance of Privacy-Encroaching Policies to Address the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United Kingdom
• The acceptability and uptake of smartphone tracking for COVID-19 in Australia -
  In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Governments are instituting mobile tracking technologies to perform rapid contact tracing. However, these technologies are only effective if the public is willing to use them, implying that their perceived public health benefits must outweigh personal concerns over privacy and security. The Australian federal government recently launched the `COVIDSafe’ app, designed to anonymously register nearby contacts. If a contact later identifies as infected with COVID-19, health department officials can rapidly followup with their registered contacts to stop the virus’ spread. The current study assessed attitudes towards three tracking technologies (telecommunication network tracking, a government app, and Apple and Google’s Bluetooth exposure notification system) in two representative samples of the Australian public prior to the launch of COVIDSafe. We compared these attitudes to usage of the COVIDSafe app after its launch in a further two representative samples of the Australian public. Using Bayesian methods, we find widespread acceptance for all tracking technologies, however, observe a large intention- behaviour gap between people’s stated attitudes and actual uptake of the COVIDSafe app. We consider the policy implications of these results for Australia and the world at large.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: The acceptability and uptake of smartphone tracking for COVID-19 in Australia
• EFL Students’ Self-Regulated Learning Strategies during the Covid-19 Pandemic -
  In the current contexts of Vietnam, college students are taking entirely or partially online courses due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, students should develop and optimally employ self-regulated learning strategies for effective learning outcomes. Research also indicates that self-regulation among students is linked to the 21st century skills. With this in mind, the present study attempts to investigate the self-regulated learning strategies of English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students from a local university in Vietnam. The study aims to identify EFL students’ self-regulation level, correlation between their two cognition knowledge and cognition regulation, and the correlation between their self-regulation level and GPA. Data is collected via a survey questionnaire encompassing two core components of cognition knowledge and cognition regulation. The results show a high level of the involved students’ self-regulation, a correlation between their cognition knowledge and cognition regulation, but a gap between their self-regulation level and GPA. On the obtained findings, pedagogical implications are addressed, and further research is suggested.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: EFL Students’ Self-Regulated Learning Strategies during the Covid-19 Pandemic
• The Reshaping of Professional Discourse among Young Military Leaders during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ukraine -
  The research aimed to outline the features of “new normal” communication behavior of young military leaders due to the COVID-19 pandemic influence. To study this critical problem we used some general scientific and empirical methods like literature analysis, synthesis and theoretical modelling, pedagogical experience, statistical data processing. The author found that the changes include development of closed and indirect forms, introduction of new lexical, grammatical, and stylistic units, fake information spread, misuse of information and communication technologies (ICT), periodical refusal to message with non-verbal tools. The findings show that professional discourse among young military leaders changes fast because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And the transformations involve different communication behavior, the more significant role of leaders in study group especially in the context of peer-to-peer learning, critical thinking development, independent production and comprehension of professional utterances, higher responsibility of a speaker. The experiment demonstrates that military officers and cadets are likely to cope with new “rules of the game” and they continue to carry out security tasks prioritizing discipline, considerable motivation, psychological readiness to high-risk conditions and adaptability to counteract dramatic challenges. The article is one of the early researches reviewing the features of young military leaders’ discourse and describing its current transformations. The research can contribute to developement of recommendations for professional discourse improvements and, consequently, to enhance the efficiency of professional activities of military officers.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: The Reshaping of Professional Discourse among Young Military Leaders during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ukraine
• Good work in the COVID-19 recovery: priorities and changes for the future -

  Employment is a wider determinant of health, and the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted working lives, with individuals having to adapt to new ways of working. These new experiences may shape what kind of work people want in future. This research used a sample of working adults in Wales to identify the workforce9s priorities for future work, and the employment changes that they have considered making since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data was collected at two time-points (May-June 2020; December 2020-January 2021) in a nationally-representative longitudinal household survey across Wales. Work priorities remained largely stable throughout the pandemic, however the desire to work close to home increased as the pandemic progressed. Those in poorer health prioritised flexibility, and were more likely to consider retiring than their healthier counterparts. Becoming self-employed was more likely to be considered by those with limiting pre-existing conditions or low mental well-being. Over 20% of the total sample had considered retraining, with those with low mental well-being, younger individuals and those experiencing financial insecurity being more likely to consider doing so. Furloughed individuals were more likely to consider retraining, becoming self-employed, securing permanent employment and compressing their working hours. Those prone to facing insecurity within their working lives (those that were furloughed, those experiencing financial insecurity, and those in ill-health) were all more likely to consider changing their employment conditions - these groups may require additional support in accessing secure and flexible work. Action is needed to ensure that good work, that is good for health, is equally accessible for all.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Good work in the COVID-19 recovery: priorities and changes for the future
• The course of COVID-19 in allergic rhinitis patients receiving allergen-specific immunotherapy -

  Introduction: The aims of presenting study were trying to expose the course of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus) in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR), to compare the prevalence of SARS- CoV-2 infection, hospitalization and pneumonia rates in patients with AR receiving allergen immunotherapy (AIT) and patients did not receive AIT (non-receivers) and to define possible risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 positivity in patients with AR. Materials and Methods: A total of 419 patients with AR who were being followed up in a tertiary allergy clinic between 1 June 2020 and 31 December 2020, were selected for the study. Only patients who were receiving active- continuous treatment for allergic rhinitis during the study period, were included in the study. Results: Seventy-nine patients (18.9%) became infected with the SARS-CoV-2 [32 patients (19.6%) in AR patients with AIT and 47 patients (19.0%) in non-receivers] and the rate of pneumonia was 2.4% [12.7% of SARS-CoV-2 (+) patients]. There was no significant difference was determined between the AR patients with AIT and the non-receivers in regard to the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection, pneumonia, and hospitalization (p: 0.864, p: 0.081, p: 0.113). There was a significant difference between the groups in terms of gender, duration of disease, sensitivity to allergens (atopy), and serum IgE levels (p: 0.009, p: 0.001, p: 0.001, and p: 0.001). The accompanying comorbidities, eosinophil count, AIT, and duration of AIT were not found to be associated with an increased risk SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity. However, the female gender was shown to be associated with a decreased risk for SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity (OR, 0.571; 95% confidence interval, 0.330-0.987; p: 0.045) Conclusion: The course of SARS-CoV-2 is similar in patients with AR who underwent AIT and patients with AR who did not undergo AIT, and AIT does not seem to increase the risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: The course of COVID-19 in allergic rhinitis patients receiving allergen-specific immunotherapy
• Quantitative risk assessment of COVID-19 and serious illness among spectators at mass gathering events with vaccine- testing package implementation -

  While mass gathering events have resumed in conjunction with vaccine-testing (VT) packages, their effects on reducing COVID-19 risk remain unclear. Here, we used an environmental exposure model to analyze the effects of vaccinations and proof of negative test results on reducing infection risk and serious illness among spectators at mass gathering events. We then analyzed the difference in risk with and without VT and regular seat zoning. Risk of infection and serious illness were quantified using a model incorporating parameters such as vaccination coverage, vaccine prevention effectiveness, and sensitivity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or qualitative antigen tests. When vaccine prevention effectiveness was 50% (corresponding to 4 months for the delta variant and 1-2 months for the omicron variant after the second vaccine dose), the risk of infection and serious illness among vaccinated spectators were 0.32-0.40 and 0.13-0.16 times of those who tested negative, respectively. In contrast, the risks of infection and serious illness among vaccinated spectators without measures such as mask wearing were 4.0 and 1.6 times higher than those among unvaccinated spectators with such measures, respectively. The risk of infection with an 80% vaccination coverage and a vaccine prevention effectiveness of 20% (corresponding to 5-6 months for the delta variant or 3-4 months for the omicron variant after the second vaccine dose) was comparable to that of a 20% vaccine coverage and a vaccine prevention effectiveness of 80% (corresponding to 1-3 months for delta variant after the second vaccine dose). Regarding zoning, there was little difference in risk with a vaccination coverage of ≥80%. Adherence to individual measures after vaccination and maintenance of high vaccine effectiveness among spectators at stadiums are important for reducing risk of infection and serious illness. Furthermore, seat zoning did not affect overall infection risk reduction.

• Remote parent-implemented intervention for young children on the autism spectrum during the COVID-19 home confinement period in Geneva, Switzerland: the experience of parents and therapists. -

  In the spring of 2020, autism intervention programs in Geneva, Switzerland, were forced to close during a state- mandated home confinement period, in the response to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therapists from three programs were asked to move early, intensive intervention sessions to an online video-conferencing format, providing primarily remote parent-implemented intervention sessions over a two-month period. In this study, we assessed the participation and satisfaction of 45 families from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, with 43 young children on the autism spectrum, and 5 toddlers who were suspected of having autism, as they experienced intervention services via telehealth for the first time. We provided questionnaires, to both the parents and the therapists working with them. Parents, regardless of socioeconomic status or cultural background, were highly motivated and engaged to learn the intervention strategies, with most families reporting high levels of satisfaction with the intensive, remote parent coaching model. The majority of parents reported that they progressed more in their interaction skills with their child with the daily remote coaching sessions, compared to services they received prior to the pandemic. Additionally, parents reported a positive experience with a much higher frequency of coaching sessions than has previously been studied. In our monitoring of child developmental progress, we observed a pattern of continued significant improvement across domains, without any stagnation of progress during the telehealth period. Our findings support previous studies that have demonstrated the benefits of telehealth services for young families with children on the autism spectrum, and go further to demonstrate high levels of satisfaction and motivation with caregivers from diverse cultural and socio- economic backgrounds, when provided with a high frequency of remote parent-implemented intervention.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Remote parent-implemented intervention for young children on the autism spectrum during the COVID-19 home confinement period in Geneva, Switzerland: the experience of parents and therapists.
• Significant Broad Spectrum Antiviral activity of Bi121 Against Different Variants of SARS-CoV-2 -
  The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic infected 343 million people with over 5.59 million deaths. New mutated lineages of SARS- CoV-2 such as Omicron are evolving faster. Broad-spectrum viral inhibitors that block the initial stage of infection by reducing virus proliferation and disease severity is an unmet global medical need. We studied Bi121, a standardized polyphenolic-rich compound isolated from Pelargonium sideodes, against recombinant Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (rVSV)-pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2S (spike) that represent mutations in the spike protein of six different variants of SARS- CoV-2. Bi121 was effective in neutralizing all six rVSV-{Delta}G-SARS-CoV-2S variants expressing different mutations. The antiviral activity of Bi121 was then assessed against three variants of SARS-CoV-2 (USA WA1/2020, Hongkong/VM20001061/2020, B.1.167.2 (Delta)) using RT-qPCR and plaque assays in two different cell lines (Vero cells and HEK-ACE2). Bi121 showed significant activity toward all the three variants tested, suggesting a broad-spectrum activity.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Significant Broad Spectrum Antiviral activity of Bi121 Against Different Variants of SARS-CoV-2
• High Frequencies of PD-1+TIM3+TIGIT+CTLA4+ Functionally Exhausted SARS-CoV-2-Specific CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells Associated with Severe Disease in Critically ill COVID-19 Patients -
  SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cells that cross-react with common cold coronaviruses (CCCs) are present in both healthy donors and COVID-19 patients. However, whether these cross-reactive T cells play a role in COVID-19 pathogenesis versus protection remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we characterized cross-reactive SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, targeting genome-wide conserved epitopes in a cohort of 147 non-vaccinated COVID-19 patients, divided into six groups based on the degrees of disease severity. We compared the frequency, phenotype, and function of these SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells between severely ill and asymptomatic COVID-19 patients and correlated this with alpha-CCCs and beta-CCCs co-infection status. Compared with asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, the severely ill COVID-19 patients and patients with fatal outcomes: (i) Presented a broad leukocytosis and a broad CD4+ and CD8+ T cell lymphopenia; (ii) Developed low frequencies of functional IFN-gamma-producing CD134+CD138+CD4+ and CD134+CD138+CD8+ T cells directed toward conserved epitopes from structural, non-structural and regulatory SARS-CoV-2 proteins; (iii) Displayed high frequencies of SARS-CoV-2-specific functionally exhausted PD-1+TIM3+TIGIT+CTLA4+CD4+ and PD-1+TIM3+TIGIT+CTLA4+CD8+ T cells; and (iv) Displayed similar frequencies of co-infections with beta-CCCs strains but significantly fewer co- infections with alpha-CCCs strains. Interestingly, the cross-reactive SARS-CoV-2 epitopes that recalled the strongest CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in unexposed healthy donors (HD) were the most strongly associated with better disease outcome seen in asymptomatic COVID-19 patients. Our results demonstrate that, the critically ill COVID-19 patients displayed fewer co-infection with alpha-CCCs strain, presented broad T cell lymphopenia and higher frequencies of cross reactive exhausted SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. In contrast, the asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, appeared to present more co-infections with alpha-CCCs strains, associated with higher frequencies of functional cross-reactive SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. These findings support the development of broadly protective, T-cell-based, multi-antigen universal pan-Coronavirus vaccines.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: High Frequencies of PD-1+TIM3+TIGIT+CTLA4+ Functionally Exhausted SARS-CoV-2-Specific CD4+ and CD8+ T Cells Associated with Severe Disease in Critically ill COVID-19 Patients
• Differences between Omicron SARS-CoV-2 RBD and other variants in their ability to interact with cell receptors and monoclonal antibodies -
  SARS-CoV-2 has caused immeasurable damage worldwide and available treatments with high efficacy are still scarce. With the continuous emergence of new variants of the virus, such as Omicron, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta - the so- called variants of concern, the available therapeutic and prevention strategies had to return to the experimental trial to verify their effectiveness against them. This work aims to expand the knowledge about the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) interactions with cell receptors and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Special attention is given to the Omicron variant and its comparison with the others, including its sublineage BA.2 and two new ones (B.1.640.1 and B.1.640.2/IHU) recently found in France. By using constant-pH Monte Carlo simulations, the free energy of interactions between the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) from different variants and several partners (Angiotensin- Converting Enzyme-2 (ACE2) polymorphisms and several mAbs) were calculated. It was evaluated both the impact of mutations for the RBD-ACE2 and how strongly each of mAb can bind to the virus RBD, which can indicate their therapeutic potential for neutralization. RBD-ACE2-binding affinities were higher for two ACE2 polymorphisms typically found in Europeans (rs142984500 and rs4646116), indicating that these types of polymorphisms may be related to genetic susceptibility to COVID-19. The antibody landscape was computationally investigated with the largest set of mAbs so far in the literature. From the 33 studied binders, groups of mAbs were identified with weak (e.g. S110 and Ab3b4), medium (e.g. CR3022), and strong binding affinities (e.g. P01prime, S2K146 and S230). All the mAbs with strong binding capacity could also bind to the RBD from SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2 wt, and all studied variants. These mAbs and especially their combination are amenable to experimentation and clinical trials because of their high binding affinities and neutralization potential for current known virus mutations and a universal coronavirus.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Differences between Omicron SARS-CoV-2 RBD and other variants in their ability to interact with cell receptors and monoclonal antibodies
• In silico analysis of predicted differential MHC binding and CD8+ T-cell immune escape of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 variant mutant epitopes -
  Introduction: The B.1.1.529 (Omicron) SARS-CoV-2 variant has raised global concerns due to its high number of mutations and its rapid spread. It is of major importance to understand the impact of this variant on the acquired and induced immunity. Several preliminary studies have re-ported the impact of antibody binding and to this date, there are few studies on Omicron CD8+ T-cell immune escape. Methods: We first assessed the impact of Omicron and B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 spike epitopes submitted to the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB) with positive outcome on MHC ligand or T-cell assays (n=411). From those epitopes modified by a mutation, we found the corresponding homologous epitopes in Omicron and Delta. We then ran the netMHCpan computational MHC binding prediction on the pairs of IEDB epitopes and matching homologous epitopes over top 5 MHC I alleles on some selected populations. Lastly, we applied a Fisher test to find mutations enriched for homologous epitopes with decreased predicted binding affinity. Results: We found 31 and 78 IEDB epitopes modified by Delta and Omicron mutations, respectively. The IEDB spike protein epitopes redundantly cover the protein sequence. The WT pMHC with a strong predicted binding tend to have homologous mutated pMHC with decreased binding. A similar trend is observed in Delta over all HLA genes, while in Omicron only for HLA-B and HLA-C. Finally, we obtained one and seven mutations enriched for homologous mutated pMHC with decreased MHC binding affinity in Delta and Omicron, respectively. Three of the Omicron mutations, VYY143-145del, K417N and Y505H, are replacing an aromatic or large amino acid, which are reported to be enriched in immunogenic epitopes. K417N is common with Beta variants, while Y505H and VYY143-145del are novel Omicron mutations. Conclusion: In summary, pMHC with Delta and Omicron mutations show decreased MHC binding affinity, which results in a trend specific to SARS- CoV-2 variants. Such epitopes may decrease overall presentation on different HLA alleles suggesting evasion from CD8+ T-cell responses in specific HLA alleles. However, our results show B.1.1.529 (Omicron) will not totally evade the immune system through a CD8+ immune escape mechanism. Yet, we identified mutations in B.1.1.529 (Omicron) introducing amino acids associated with increased immunogenicity.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: In silico analysis of predicted differential MHC binding and CD8+ T-cell immune escape of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 variant mutant epitopes
• Virucidal activity and mechanism of action of cetylpyridinium chloride against SARS-CoV-2 -
  Objective: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the pathogen causing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. Recent studies have shown the importance of the throat and salivary glands as sites of virus replication and transmission. The viral host receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), is broadly enriched in epithelial cells of the salivary glands and oral mucosae. Oral care products containing cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) as a bactericidal ingredient are known to exhibit antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. However, the exact mechanism of action remains unknown. Methods: This study examined the antiviral activity of CPC against SARS-CoV-2 and its inhibitory effect on the interaction between the viral spike (S) protein and ACE2 using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: CPC (0.05%, 0.1% and 0.3%) effectively inactivated SARS-CoV-2 within the contact times (20 and 60 s) in directions for use of oral care products in vitro. The binding ability of both the S protein and ACE2 were reduced by CPC. Conclusions: Our results suggest that CPC inhibits the interaction between S protein and ACE2, and thus, reduces infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and suppresses viral adsorption.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Virucidal activity and mechanism of action of cetylpyridinium chloride against SARS-CoV-2

From Clinical Trials

• Quantifying Viral Load in Respiratory Particles That Are Generated by Children and Adults With COVID-19 Infection - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Device: COVID-19 Aerosol Collection
  Sponsor:  
  Massachusetts General Hospital
  Recruiting

• A Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of Booster With AZD1222, mRNA-1273, or MVC-COV1901 Against COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19 Vaccine
  Interventions:   Biological: Half dose of MVC-COV1901;   Biological: Full dose of MVC-COV1901;   Biological: AZD1222;   Biological: Half dose of mRNA-1273
  Sponsors:   Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.;   Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
  Not yet recruiting

• Efficacy of Breathox Device Inhalation Therapy in the Treatment of Acute Symptoms Associated With COVID-19 and in the Prevention of the Use of Health Resources - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: BREATHOX 5 sessions;   Drug: BREATHOX 10 sessions
  Sponsors:   UPECLIN HC FM Botucatu Unesp;   Liita Holdings LTD
  Recruiting

• A Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of MVC-COV1901 or MVC-COV1901(Beta) Against COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19 Vaccine
  Interventions:   Biological: MVC-COV1901(Beta);   Biological: MVC- COV1901
  Sponsor:   Medigen Vaccine Biologics Corp.
  Not yet recruiting

• Exercise Fatigue Parameters and Endothelial Function in Pediatric Patients With a History of COVID-19 Infection or MIS-C - Conditions:   COVID-19;   MIS-C Associated With COVID-19
  Interventions:  
  Device: Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET);   Device: Peripheral Arterial Tonography (PAT) using the EndoPAT™ device;   Diagnostic Test: Endothelin
  Sponsors:   Rambam Health Care Campus;   The Baruch Padeh Medical Center, Poriya
  Recruiting

• Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of TF0023 in Treatments for COVID-19 in Hospitalized Adults - Condition:   COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Intervention:   Drug: TF0023
  Sponsor:  
  Techfields Inc
  Not yet recruiting

• Immunogenicity of an Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Biological: Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine
  Sponsor:   Sinovac Research and Development Co., Ltd.
  Recruiting

• Short Daily Versus Conventional Hemodialysis for COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Other: Short daily dialysis
  Sponsor:  
  Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
  Completed

• Non-inferiority Trial on Monoclonal Antibodies in COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Bamlanivimab Etesevimab;   Drug: Sotrovimab;   Drug: Casirivimab-Imdevimab
  Sponsors:   Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona;   Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco;   Azienda Sanitaria-Universitaria Integrata di Udine
  Recruiting

• Efficacy and Safety of Ingavirin®, 90 mg Capsules in Patients With COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Ingavirin®, 90 mg capsules;   Drug: Placebo
  Sponsor:   Valenta Pharm JSC
  Recruiting

• Availability and Advice on Test Uptake During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Vignette Study. - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Behavioral: Customised testing advice;   Behavioral: Regular testing advice;   Behavioral: LFT available;   Behavioral: No LFT available
  Sponsor:  
  National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)
  Completed

• A Prospective, Phase II Study to Evaluate Safety of 101-PGC-005 (’005) for Moderate to Severe COVID-19 Disease Along With Standard of Care - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: 101-PGC-005 (’005) + SOC;   Drug: Placebo + SOC
  Sponsor:   101 Therapeutics
  Recruiting

• To Evaluate Safety & Immunogenicity of DelNS1-2019-nCoV-RBD-OPT1 for COVID-19 in Healthy Adults Received 2 Doses of BNT162b2 - Condition:   Covid19
  Interventions:   Biological: DelNS1-2019-nCoV-RBD-OPT1;   Biological: Matching placebo
  Sponsor:   The University of Hong Kong
  Not yet recruiting

• Increasing COVID-19 Testing in Chicago’s African American Testing Desserts - Condition:   COVID-19 Pandemic
  Intervention:   Behavioral: COVID-19 Testing
  Sponsor:   Rush University Medical Center
  Recruiting

• Phase 2b Booster Vaccination (TURKOVAC) Against COVID-19 - Conditions:   COVID-19;   Sars-CoV-2 Infection
  Interventions:   Biological: TURKOVAC-Dollvet;   Biological: TURKOVAC-Koçak
  Sponsor:   Health Institutes of Turkey
  Recruiting

From PubMed

• Molecular Mechanism of SARS-CoVs Orf6 Targeting the Rae1-Nup98 Complex to Compete With mRNA Nuclear Export - The accessory protein Orf6 is uniquely expressed in sarbecoviruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) which is an ongoing pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 Orf6 antagonizes host interferon signaling by inhibition of mRNA nuclear export through its interactions with the ribonucleic acid export 1 (Rae1)-nucleoporin 98 (Nup98) complex. Here, we confirmed the direct tight binding of Orf6 to the Rae1-Nup98 complex, which competitively inhibits RNA binding. We determined the…

• ACE2 Shedding and the Role in COVID-19 - Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a transmembrane glycoprotein, is an important part of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). In the COVID-19 epidemic, it was found to be the receptor of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2). ACE2 maintains homeostasis by inhibiting the Ang II-AT1R axis and activating the Ang I (1-7)-MasR axis, protecting against lung, heart and kidney injury. In addition, ACE2 helps transport amino acids across the membrane. ACE2 sheds from the…

• A persistent high ambient temperature waned the community spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 in Pakistan - The recent pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has increased the global concern over its transmission and prevention. Since there was an incontrovertible perception that environmental conditions might affect the spread of SARS-CoV-2, we analyzed the environmental variables impact on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Pakistan. Our analytical study revealed that when the temperature remained high for consecutive 10 to 15-days, a significant decrease is…

• Epigenetic Changes and Functions in Pneumoconiosis - Pneumoconiosis is one of the most common occupational diseases in the world, and specific treatment methods of pneumoconiosis are lacking at present, so it carries great social and economic burdens. Pneumoconiosis, coronavirus disease 2019, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis all have similar typical pathological changes-pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic lung disease characterized by excessive deposition of the extracellular matrix and remodeling of the lung tissue structure….

• Spike-Dependent Opsonization Indicates Both Dose-Dependent Inhibition of Phagocytosis and That Non-Neutralizing Antibodies Can Confer Protection to SARS-CoV-2 - Spike-specific antibodies are central to effective COVID19 immunity. Research efforts have focused on antibodies that neutralize the ACE2-Spike interaction but not on non-neutralizing antibodies. Antibody-dependent phagocytosis is an immune mechanism enhanced by opsonization, where typically, more bound antibodies trigger a stronger phagocyte response. Here, we show that Spike-specific antibodies, dependent on concentration, can either enhance or reduce Spike-bead phagocytosis by monocytes…

• In Silico Studies on Psilocybin Drug Derivatives Against SARS-CoV-2 and Cytokine Storm of Human Interleukin-6 Receptor - Various metabolites identified with therapeutic mushrooms have been found from different sources and are known to have antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer properties. Over thousands soil growth-based mushroom metabolites have been discovered, and utilized worldwide to combat malignancy. In this study, psilocybin-mushroom that contains the psychedelic compounds such as psilacetin, psilocin, and psilocybine were screened and found to be inhibitors of SARS- CoV-2 Mprotease. It has been found…

• Effect of glycyrrhizic acid on phospholipid membranes in media with different pH - Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is the active ingredient in licorice root, which exhibits a wide range of biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. In particular, the virus-inhibiting effect of GA on SARS- associated coronavirus was demonstrated. In addition, GA was found to be capable of increasing bioaccessibility of other drugs when used together. All these effects can be based on the ability of GA to incorporate into cell membranes and change their physical and…

• The perils of hotel technology: The robot usage resistance model - The COVID-19 outbreak has accelerated the development of service robots. However, service robots in some hotels have been put aside despite successful adoption. This study thus focuses on hotel employees’ inhibited continuous usage intention by examining the challenges of benefiting from service robots. A robot usage resistance model (RURM) has been proposed based on the results. In this model, lack of authentic anthropomorphous features and low usability as technological characteristics could…

• Anti-mycobacterial activity of heat and pH stable high molecular weight protein(s) secreted by a bacterial laboratory contaminant - CONCLUSIONS: The present study highlights the anti-mycobacterial activity of high molecular weight protein(s) present in culture filtrate of LC-1, which may be tested further to target M. tuberculosis. The heat and pH stability of these proteins add to their characteristics as therapeutic proteins and may contribute to their long shelf life. LC-1 being a human commensal can be tested in future for its potential as a probiotic to treat tuberculosis.

• Combinatorial approach of vitamin C derivative and anti-HIV drug-darunavir against SARS-CoV-2 - CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the present work suggests that bioinformatics tools are suitable for recognizing potential candidates in an emergency, and herein the selected ‘anti-HIV-drug-vitamin c derivatives’ cocktails may potential-cum- fewer toxic regimens against COVID-19 treatment.

• UV-4B potently inhibits replication of multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains in clinically relevant human cell lines - CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight UV-4B’s antiviral potential against several strains of SARS-CoV-2.

• COVID-19 and Preeclampsia: Overlapping Features in Pregnancy - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global respiratory disease with unique features that have placed all medical professionals in an alarming situation. Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy affecting 8%-10% of India’s pregnant population. Assuming that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) enters host cells through the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, the resulting symptoms are due to vasoconstriction, caused by disturbances in the…

• In-silico investigation of some recent natural compounds for their potential use against SARS-CoV-2: a DFT, molecular docking and molecular dynamics study - Since its first appearance in December 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has infected many people all over the world, causing serious health problems in many people and causing many deaths, but no specific drug has been developed yet. SARS-CoV-2 main protease (SARS-CoV-2 M^(pro)) has an important role in viral replication and transcription, so inhibition of this enzyme is proposed to be an attractive route for the treatment of COVID-19. Natural compounds have been used in the treatment of many diseases…

• Antiviral and anti-inflammatory drugs to combat COVID-19: Effects on cardiac ion channels and risk of ventricular arrhythmias - Introduction: Drugs with no indication for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (e.g., drugs employed to treat COVID-19) can increase the risk of arrhythmias. Of interest, a six-fold increase in the number of arrhythmic events was reported in patients with severe COVID-19. In this study, we reviewed (i) the pro-arrhythmic action of drugs given to patients with COVID-19 infection, and (ii) the effects of inflammatory cytokines on cardiac ion channels and possible generation of arrhythmias….

• Inactivation of plant and animal viruses by proanthocyanidins from Alpinia zerumbet extract - Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B.L. Burtt and R.M. Smith belongs to the Alpinia genus in the Zingiberaceae family. In East Asia, Alpinia zerumbet has been widely used as food and traditional medicine. Previously, we identified proanthocyanidins (PACs), an anti-plant-virus molecule in A. zerumbet, using Nicotiana benthamiana and tomato mosaic virus (ToMV). Here, we found that PACs from A. zerumbet, apple, and green tea effectively inhibited ToMV infection. Additionally, the PACs from A. zerumbet…

From Patent Search

• IDENTIFICATION AND ALARM SYSTEM FOR FACIAL CORONA MASK USING CNN BASED IMAGE PROCESSING - tThe covid-19 epidemic is the world’s largest wake-up call for people to pay attention to their own and society’s health. One thing to keep in mind is that there is a segment of the population that has been exposed to the covid-19 virus and has generated antibodies without developing any significant illnesses and is continuing to be healthy. This indicates that a significant section of the population, even excluding the elderly, lacks the necessary bodily immunity to combat a Viral infection. As terrible as covid-19 is on a global scale, developing personal health standards and preventative measures for any pathogenic virus as a community would have spared many lives. In’this work, a camera is combined with an image processing system to recognise facial masks, which may be improved in a variety of ways. First and foremost, this method is meant to identify masks on a single person’s face. While this method is efficient in identifying someone has a mask, it does not ensure that they will wear it all of the time. The most effective update for this task is to install a camera with a wide field of view so that many individuals can be seen in the frame, and the faces of those who aren’t wearing markings can be identified, as well as the number of people and the timing. - link

• ANTIMICROBIAL SANITIZING FORMULATION - An antimicrobial sanitizing formulation, comprising, i) isopropyl alcohol in the range of 0.1%- 80% w/w, ii) an emollient in the range of 0.1%-15% w/w, iii) hydrogen peroxide in the range of 0.1 0.13% w/w, iv) citric acid in the range of 0.1% to 2.0% w/w, v) silver nitrate in the range of 0.1% to 0.5% w/w, and vi) a fragrance imparting agent in the range of 0.1% to 2.0% w/w. - link

• A HEALTH BAND WITH A BIOMETRIC MODULE AND WORKING METHOD THEREOF - The present invention discloses a health band with a biometric module and method thereof. The assembly includes, but not limited to, a plurality of sensors configured to gather health data associated with a predefined symptom of a medical condition of a user; a memory unit configured to store the data and an interface, which is configured to determine the medical condition using the data;a processing unit configured to execute the application; and a notification facility configured to provide a notification upon receiving from the interface an instruction associated with the notification, wherein the notification is associated with a drug reminder and the like. - link

• RNA 검출 방법 - 본 발명은 RNA의 분석 및 검출 방법에 관한 것이다. 특히, 본 발명은 특히, 본 발명은 짧은 염기서열의 RNA까지 분석이 가능하면서도 높은 민감도 및 정확도로 정량적 검출까지 가능하여 감염증, 암 등 여러 질환의 진단 용도로도 널리 활용될 수 있다. - link

• REUNION OF PHOTOTHERMAL THERAPY WITH MXENE ADSORBED UREMIC TOXINS AND CYTOKINES: A SHILED FOR COVID-19 PATENTS - The COVID-19 pandemic has created havoc throughout the world. The disease has proved to be more fatalfor patients having comorbidities like diabetics, lungs and kidney infections, etc. In the case of COVID-19 patientsI having kidney injury, the. removal of uremic toxins from the blood is hindered and there is a rapid surge in the levelj of cytokine hormone resulting in the death of the patient in a short interval of time. To resolve this issue,iI; researchers have examined that the immediate removal of these toxins can improve the condition of the patient to a |greater extent. Studies have also found the presence of SARS CoV-2 viral RNAs in the blood of COVID-19patients, which risks their life as well as impacts the blood transfusion process, especially in the case ofasymptomatic patients. Hence it is required to control the surge of cytokines and uremic toxins as well as disinfectthe blood of the patient from the virus. MXenes, having a foam-like porous structure and hydrophilic negativesurface functionalization have greater adsorption efficiency as well as superior photothermal activity. Utilizingthese properties of MXenes, the MXene membranes can be used in the dialyzer that can help in the efficient andBiuick removal of the uremic toxins, cytokines, and other impurities from the blood. Along with this the greaterTJAdsorption efficiency of MXenes to amino acids result in the trapping of the SARS CoV-2 viruses on the surface J)3>f the MXene. Many researchers as well as the WHO have proved the efficient reduction of the viral copy numbersjjvith the increase of temperature. Hence, followed by the trapping of the viruses, the implementation of"Zphotothermal Therapy can result in the inactivation and denaturation of the viruses and their respective viral RNAsBJlby the produced heat. The same process can be repeated several times to get better results. This whole process canr>oQ-esult in impurity-free and infection-free blood, that can be returned back to the body of the patient or can be!— I Sitilized for the blood transfusion process without any risk of infection.IM - link

• REDUCING AND STOPPING OXYGEN WASTAGE IN HOSPITAL - In an aspect, the present invention discloses a system (200) for prevention and reduction of oxygen wastage from oxygen mask (202). The system (200) includes the oxygen mask (202) having straps; a tension sensor (204), the tension sensor being sensitive towards tension produced in the straps as the oxygen gets leakage through sides of the mask (202); a processor configured in alignment with the tension sensor (204); and a buzzer (206) in alignment with processor. - link

• 编码SARS-COV-2病毒C.37突变株抗原的DNA分子、DNA疫苗及应用 - 本发明涉及生物技术领域，具体而言，提供了一种编码SARS‑COV‑2病毒C.37突变株抗原的DNA分子、DNA疫苗及应用。本发明提供的SEQ ID NO：1核酸序列在真核表达系统中能够高效转录和表达，而且具有免疫原性，表现在体液免疫和细胞免疫应答中，以此作为活性成分的核酸疫苗同样具有良好的免疫原性。 - link

• SARS-COV-2病毒B.1.617.2突变株DNA疫苗及应用 - 本发明涉及生物技术领域，具体而言，提供了一种编码SARS‑COV‑2病毒B.1.617.2突变株抗原的DNA分子、DNA疫苗及应用。本发明提供的SEQ ID NO：1核酸序列在真核表达系统中能够高效转录和表达，而且具有免疫原性，表现在体液免疫和细胞免疫应答中，以此作为活性成分的核酸疫苗同样具有良好的免疫原性。 - link

• Hung Thanh Phan COVID-19 NEW SOLUTION - - link

• A METHOD TO REVEAL MOTIF PATTERNS OF COVID-19 USING MULTIPLE SEQUENCE ALIGNMENT - This present invention consists of different levels of computation and work in a pipeline manner i.e., input of one will be output of another and it is sequential process. Input data given in form of nucleotide sequence (DNA) of different COVID-19 patients (1). Using these nucleotide sequence perform mutation if possible and arrange them in a sequential order (2). Arrange number of nucleotide sequences of different patients in row wise and also compute number of characters in each row. (3). Compute frequency of occurrence of character in column wise and create a matrix having 4 rows and maximum sequence length will be the column size (4). Find the character like A, T, C, and G which one has maximum score and similarly find for each column to produce a final sequence (5). - link