Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions to cancer care by delaying diagnoses and treatment, presenting challenges and uncertainties for both patients and physicians. We conducted a nationwide online survey to investigate the effects of the pandemic and capture modifications, prompted by pandemic-related control measures, on cervical cancer screening-related activities from mid-March to mid-August 2020, across Canada. Methods: The survey consisted of 61 questions related to the continuum of care in cervical cancer screening and treatment: appointment scheduling, tests, colposcopy, follow-up, treatment of pre-cancerous lesions/cancer, and telemedicine. We piloted the survey with 21 Canadian experts in cervical cancer prevention and care. We partnered with the Society of Canadian Colposcopists, Society of Gynecologic Oncology of Canada, Canadian Association of Pathologists, and Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, which distributed the survey to their members via email. We reached out to family physicians and nurse practitioners via MDBriefCase. The survey was also posted on McGill Channels (Department of Family Medicine News and Events) and social media platforms. The data were analyzed descriptively. Results: Unique responses were collected from 510 participants (16 November 2020 - 28 February 2021), representing 418 fully- and 92 partially- completed surveys. Responses were from Ontario (41.0%), British Columbia (21.0%), and Alberta (12.8%), and mostly comprised family physicians/general practitioners (43.7%), and gynecologist/obstetrician professionals (21.6%). Cancelled screening appointments were mainly reported by family physicians/general practitioners (28.3%), followed by gynecologist/obstetrician professionals (19.8%), and primarily occurred in private clinics (30.5%). Decreases in the number of screening Pap tests and colposcopy procedures were consistently observed across Canadian provinces. About 90% reported that their practice/institution adopted telemedicine to communicate with patients. Conclusions: The area most severely impacted by the pandemic was appointment scheduling, with an important level of cancellations reported. Survey results may inform resumptions of various fronts in cervical cancer screening and management.
Background: Patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia experience longer durations of critical illness yet similar mortality rates compared to patients with severe pneumonia secondary to other etiologies. As secondary bacterial infection is common in SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, we hypothesized that unresolving ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) drives the apparent disconnect between length-of-stay and mortality rate among these patients. Methods: We analyzed VAP in a prospective single-center observational study of 585 mechanically ventilated patients with suspected pneumonia, including 190 patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. We developed CarpeDiem, a novel machine learning approach based on the practice of daily ICU team rounds to identify clinical states for each of the 12,495 ICU patient-days in the cohort. We used the CarpeDiem approach to evaluate the effect of VAP and its resolution on clinical trajectories. Findings: Patients underwent a median [IQR] of 4 [2,7] transitions between 14 clinical states during their ICU stays. Clinical states were associated with differential hospital mortality. The long length-of-stay among patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia was associated with prolonged stays in clinical states defined by severe respiratory failure and with a lower frequency of transitions between clinical states. In all patients, including those with COVID-19, unresolving VAP episodes were associated with transitions to unfavorable states and hospital mortality. Interpretation: CarpeDiem offers a machine learning approach to examine the effect of VAP on clinical outcomes. Our findings suggest an underappreciated contribution of unresolving secondary bacterial pneumonia to outcomes in mechanically ventilated patients with pneumonia, including due to SARS-CoV-2.
Background: Our previous analysis showed how in-hospital mortality of intubated COVID-19 patients in Greece is adversely affected by patient load and regional disparities. We aimed to update this analysis to include the large “delta” and “omicron” waves that affected Greece during 2021-2022, while also considering the effect of vaccination. Methods: Anonymized surveillance data were analyzed from all COVID-19 patients in Greece intubated between 1 September 2020 and 4 April 2022, and followed up until 17 May 2022. Poisson regression was used to estimate the hazard of dying as a function of fixed and time-varying covariates. Results: Mortality was significantly higher above 400 patients, with an adjusted Hazard Ratio of 1.22, 95% CI: 1.09-1.38), rising progressively up to 1.48 (95% CI: 1.31-1.69) for 800+ patients. Hospitalization away from Attica region was also independently associated with increased mortality, as was hospitalization after 1 September 2021 (HR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.09-1.36). Vaccination did not affect the mortality of these already severely ill patients. Conclusion: Our results confirm that in-hospital mortality of severely ill COVID-19 patients is adversely affected by high patient load and regional disparities, and point to a further significant deterioration after 1 September especially away from Attica and Thessaloniki. This highlights the need for urgent strengthening of healthcare services in Greece, ensuring equitable and high-quality care for all.
By August 1, 2022, the SARS-CoV-2 virus had caused over 90 million cases of COVID-19 and one million deaths in the United States. Since December 2020, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been a key component of US pandemic response; however, the impacts of vaccination are not easily quantified. Here, we use a dynamic county-scale metapopulation model to estimate the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths averted due to vaccination during the first six months of vaccine availability. We estimate that COVID-19 vaccination was associated with over 8 million fewer confirmed cases, over 120 thousand fewer deaths, and 700 thousand fewer hospitalizations during the first six months of the campaign.
Objective: To examine the associations of sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors with depression, anxiety, and self-reported health status during the COVID-19 lockdown in Ecuador. We also assessed the differences in these associations between women and men. Design, setting , and participants: We conducted a cross-sectional study of adults living in Ecuador between July and October 2020. All data were collected through an online survey. We ran descriptive and bivariate analyses and fitted sex-stratified multivariate logistic regression models to assess the association between explanatory variables and self-reported health status. Results: 1801 women and 1123 men completed the survey. Their median (IQR) age was 34 (27–44) years, most participants had a university education (84%) and a full-time public or private job (63%); 16% of participants had poor health self-perception. Poor self-perceived health was associated with severe depression, COVID-19 infection, and chronic diseases. For women, and self-employment, having cohabitants requiring care, having COVID-19 and having a chronic disease increased the likelihood of having poor self-reported health status. For men, poor self-reported health status was associated with perceived poor or inadequate housing and depression. Conclusion: Being female, having solely public healthcare system access, perceiving housing conditions as inadequate, living with cohabitants requiring care, perceiving difficulties in coping with work or managing household chores, COVID-19 infection, chronic disease, and depression symptoms were significantly and independently associated with poor self-reported health status in Ecuadorian population.
Background: Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an anti-inflammatory drug that has been proposed as a treatment for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Methods: This randomised, controlled, open-label platform trial (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy [RECOVERY]), is assessing multiple possible treatments in patients hospitalised for COVID-19. In this initial assessment of DMF, performed at 27 UK hospitals, eligible and consenting adults were randomly allocated (1:1) to either usual standard of care alone or usual standard of care plus DMF 120mg twice daily for 2 days followed by 240mg twice daily for 8 days, or until discharge if sooner. The primary outcome was clinical status on day 5 measured on a seven-point ordinal scale, assessed using a proportional odds model. Secondary outcomes were time to sustained improvement in clinical status, time to discharge, day 5 peripheral blood oxygenation, day 5 C-reactive protein, and improvement in day 10 clinical status. The trial is registered with ISRCTN (50189673) and clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04381936). Findings: Between 2 March 2021 and 18 November 2021, 713 patients were enrolled in the DMF evaluation, of whom 356 were randomly allocated to receive usual care plus DMF, and 357 to usual care alone. 95% of patients were receiving corticosteroids as part of routine care. There was no evidence of a beneficial effect of DMF on clinical status at day 5 (common odds ratio of unfavourable outcome 1.12; 95% CI 0.85-1.46; p=0.42). There was no significant effect of DMF on any secondary outcome. As expected, DMF caused flushing and gastrointestinal symptoms, each in around 6% of patients, but no new adverse effects were identified. Interpretation: In adults hospitalised with COVID-19, DMF was not associated with an improvement in clinical outcomes.
Background: Under CDCs guidance for mitigating healthcare worker (HCW) staffing shortages, COVID-positive HCW may return to work as early as five days after their initial positive test without a negative antigen test, if symptoms are improving. Recent studies suggest a robust correlation between a positive COVID-19 antigen test and infectiousness. Methods: From January to June 2022, HCW employed by a large health system who tested positive for COVID on a PCR test were instructed to isolate and return for a rapid antigen test on day 5 or later if they had been fever-free for 24 hours and their symptoms were improving. We conducted chi-squared tests and a multivariate logistic regression to assess the association between demographic characteristics, vaccination status, and days from the initial positive PCR test on RTW antigen test results. Results: Compared to day 5, HCW had a lower odds of a positive antigen result on day 7 (OR: 0.39, p<0.0001) and after at least 8 days (OR: 0.16, p<0.0001). Unexpectedly, a positive antigen result was more likely among HCW who were vaccinated (OR: 1.41, p <0.05), boosted for more than 90 days prior (OR: 2.21, p<0.0001), and boosted within 90 days (OR: 2.08, p < 0.01) compared to not being vaccinated. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that HCW returning to work before day 7 following a positive PCR test may still be infectious and future guidelines addressing contingency staffing should reflect these findings in order to minimize possible transmission in the healthcare setting. The finding that boosted individuals had over twice the odds of returning positive on the follow up antigen test compared to unvaccinated HCWs merits additional research.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread globally causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Rapidly and accurately identifying viral infections is an ongoing necessity. We used the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) technique to produce a DNA allonamer with two distinct binding domains made allosteric through a linker section; one domain binds SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, inducing a conformational change that allows the reporter domain to bind a fluorescent reporter molecule. We used bead-based fluorescence and immunofluorescence assays to confirm the allonamer9s affinity and specificity for S-protein and confirmed that the allonamer can bind to S-proteins with mutations corresponding to those of the alpha, beta, gamma, and delta variants. We then developed the allonamer-based Quantum-Logic Aptamer Analyte Detection (Q-LAAD) test, a rapid, high-throughput antigen test for qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical settings. We validated Q-LAAD against retrospective and prospective clinical anterior nasal swab samples collected from symptomatic patients suspected of having COVID-19. Q-LAAD showed 97% sensitivity and 100% specificity compared to the RT-qPCR assay. Q-LAAD has a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.88 TCID50/mL, is cost-effective and convenient, and requires only a common fluorescence plate reader. Q-LAAD may be a useful clinical diagnostic tool in the fight against SARS-CoV-2.
Wastewater SARS-CoV-2 surveillance has been deployed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to monitor dynamics in virus burden in local communities. Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater, particularly the efforts for whole genome sequencing for variant tracking or identification, are comparatively challenging due to low target concentration, complex microbial and chemical background, and lack of robust nucleic acid recovery experimental procedures. The intrinsic sample limitations are inherent to wastewater. In this study, we evaluated impacts from sample types, certain sample intrinsic features, and processing and sequencing methods on sequencing outcomes with a specific focus on the breadth of genome coverage. We collected 184 composite and grab wastewater samples from the Chicago area between March to October 2021 for SARS-CoV-2 quantification and genomic surveillance. Samples were processed using a mixture of processing methods reflecting different homogenization intensities (HA+Zymo beads, HA+glass beads, and Nanotrap), and were sequenced using two sequencing library preparation kits (the Illumina COVIDseq kit and the QIAseq DIRECT kit). A synthetic SARS-CoV-2 RNA experiment was performed to validate the potential impacts of processing methods on sequencing outcomes. Our findings suggested that 1) SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequencing outcomes were associated with sample types and processing methods 2) in less intensive method processed samples (HA+glass beads), higher genome breadth of coverage in sequencing (over 80%) was associated with N1 concentration > 105 cp/L, while in intensive method (HA+Zymo beads), qPCR results were inconsistent with sequencing outcomes, and 3) sample processing methods and sequencing kits, rather than the extraction methods or intrinsic features of wastewater samples, played important roles in wastewater SARS-CoV-2 amplicon sequencing. Overall, extra attention should be paid to wastewater sample processing (e.g., concentration and homogenization) for sufficient, good quality RNA yield for downstream sequencing.
Background: Recovery after SARS-CoV-2 infection is extremely variable, with some individuals recovering quickly, and others experiencing persistent long-term symptoms or developing new symptoms after the acute phase of infection, including fatigue, poor concentration, impaired attention, or memory deficits. Many existing studies reporting cognitive deficits associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection are limited by the exclusive use of self-reported measures or a lack of adequate comparison groups. Methods: Forty-five participants, ages 18-70, (11 Long-COVID, 14 COVID, and 20 No-COVID) underwent behavioral testing with the NIH Toolbox Neuro-Quality of Life survey and selected psychometric tests, including a flanker interference task and the d2 Test of Attention. Results: We found greater self-reported anxiety, apathy, fatigue, emotional dyscontrol, sleep disturbance and cognitive dysfunction in COVID compared No-COVID groups. After categorizing COVID patients according to self-reported concentration problems, we observed declining performance patterns in multiple attention measures across No-COVID controls, COVID and Long-COVID groups. COVID participants, compared to No-COVID controls, exhibited worse performance on NIH Toolbox assessments, including the Eriksen Flanker, Nine-Hole Pegboard and Auditory Verbal Learning tests. Conclusion: This study provides convergent evidence that previous SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with impairments in sustained attention, processing speed, self-reported fatigue and concentration. The finding that some patients have cognitive and visuomotor dysfunction in the absence of self-reported problems suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection can have unexpected and persistent subclinical consequences.
We investigate differences in protection from previous infection and/or vaccination against infection with Omicron BA.4/5 or BA.2. We observed a higher percentage of registered previous SARS-CoV-2 infections among 19836 persons infected with Omicron BA.4/5 compared to 7052 persons infected with BA.2 (31.3% vs. 20.0%) between 2 May and 24 July 2022 (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for testing week, age group and sex: 1.4 (95%CI: 1.3-1.5)). No difference was observed in the distribution of vaccination status between BA.2 and BA.4/5 cases (aOR: 1.1 for primary and booster vaccination). Among reinfections, those newly infected with BA4/5 had a shorter interval between infections and the previous infection was more often caused by BA.1, compared to those newly infected with BA.2 (aOR: 1.9 (1.5-2.6). This suggests immunity induced by BA.1 is less effective against a BA.4/5 infection than against a BA.2 infection.
Association Between Smell Training and Quality of Life in Patients With Impaired Sense of Smell Following COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Other: Olfactory training with essential oils; Other: Olfactory training with fragrance-free oils
Sponsor: Ditte Gertz Mogensen
Recruiting
The Efficacy and Safety of TADIOS as an Adjuvant Therapy in Patients Diagnosed With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: TADIOS; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: Helixmith Co., Ltd.
Completed
COVID-19 Fourth Dose Study in Australia - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: Tozinameran; Biological: Elasomeran; Biological: Bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech; Biological: Bivalent Moderna
Sponsors: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute; Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations; The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity
Not yet recruiting
Safety and Effects of an Investigational COVID-19 Vaccine as a Booster in Healthy People - Conditions: SARS-CoV-2 Infection; COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: BNT162b5 Bivalent or BNT162b2 Bivalent 30 µg; Biological: BNT162b4 5 µg; Biological: BNT162b4 10 µg; Biological: BNT162b4 15 µg
Sponsors: BioNTech SE; Pfizer
Not yet recruiting
Trial of 2nd Booster Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Other: Invitation to get a 2nd booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine
Sponsor: Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Not yet recruiting
PBI-0451 Phase 2 Study in Nonhospitalized Symptomatic Adults With COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Drug: PBI-0451; Drug: Placebo
Sponsor: Pardes Biosciences, Inc.
Recruiting
Evaluating the Safety and Efficacy of AD17002 Intranasal Spray in Treating Participants With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: AD17002 + Formulation buffer; Biological: Placebo
Sponsors: Advagene Biopharma Co. Ltd.; Gadjah Mada University
Not yet recruiting
Community-Based Health Education Programs for the Early Detection of, and Vaccination Against, COVID-19 and the Adoption of Self-Protective Measures of Hong Kong Residents - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Behavioral: Community-based Health Education based on core intervention package; Behavioral: Health Information Sharing Group
Sponsors: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Food and Health Bureau, Hong Kong
Recruiting
Simvastatin Nasal Rinses for the Treatment of COVID-19 Mediated Dysomsia - Conditions: Olfactory Disorder; COVID-19
Intervention: Drug: Simvastatin
Sponsors: Washington University School of Medicine; Duke University
Not yet recruiting
Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation in Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome - Condition: Post Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Interventions: Other: Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation; Other: Health education
Sponsor: Taipei Medical University Shuang Ho Hospital
Not yet recruiting
Engaging Church Health Ministries to Decrease Coronavirus Disease-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Underserved Populations - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Behavioral: Active Intervention Group
Sponsor: Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Not yet recruiting
Evaluation of the Efficacy of Mouth Rinses With Commercial Mouthwashes to Decrease Viral Load in Saliva in COVID-19 Patients - Condition: covid19
Interventions: Drug: Lacer Clorhexidina Colutorio; Drug: Lacer Clorhexidine 0.20% Colutorio; Drug: Gingilacer Encías Delicadas Colutorio; Drug: Distilled water
Sponsors: Fundación para el Fomento de la Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de la Comunitat Valenciana; Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz; Hospital Universitario Infanta Elena
Completed
Hydrogen-Oxygen Generator With Nebulizer for Adjuvant Treatment of COVID-19 Positive Patients - Conditions: Covid19; Hydrogen-oxygen Gas; AMS-H-03
Interventions: Device: Hydrogen-Oxygen Generator with Nebulizer, AMS-H-03; Device: the hospital routine oxygen supply equipment (wall oxygen or cylinder oxygen)
Sponsor: Ruijin Hospital
Active, not recruiting
Safety and Immunogenicity of COVID-19 Vaccine in Population Aged 18 Years and Above - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: low-dose LYB001; Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (CHO Cell); Biological: high-dose LYB001
Sponsors: Guangzhou Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.; Yantai Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.
Recruiting
Long COVID-19 Syndrome in Primary Care: A Novel Protocol of Exercise Intervention “CON-VIDA Clinical Trial” - Conditions: COVID-19; Long COVID; Post-COVID-19 Syndrome
Intervention: Behavioral: EXERCISE
Sponsor: Universidad San Jorge
Active, not recruiting
COVID-19, Overzealous Sanitizer Use, and Hair Discoloration: Case Reports - Proper hand hygiene is one of the top preventive measures against the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we report the cases of four patients who presented with blonde discoloration of hair of the dorsal hands and distal forearms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mean age of participants was 41.25±4.35 years, and 75% percent of them were men. Three patients were medical staff who had to use antiseptics frequently, and one of them was a housewife. In all participants, the primary…
Pathogen-Host Adhesion between SARS-CoV-2 Spike Proteins from Different Variants and Human ACE2 Studied at Single-Molecule and Single-Cell Levels - The binding of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein onto human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is considered as the first step for the virus to adhere onto the host cells during the infection. Here, we investigated the adhesion of spike proteins from different variants and ACE2 using single-molecule and single-cell force spectroscopy. We found that the unbinding force and binding probability of the spike protein…
MERS-CoV nsp1 regulates autophagic flux via mTOR signaling and dysfunctional lysosomes - Autophagy, a cellular surveillance mechanism, plays an important role in combating invading pathogens. However, viruses have evolved various strategies to disrupt autophagy and even hijack it for replication and release. Here, we demonstrated that Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) non-structural protein 1(nsp1) induces autophagy but inhibits autophagic activity. MERS-CoV nsp1 expression increased ROS and reduced ATP levels in cells, which activated AMPK and inhibited the…
Seroprevalence of influenza viruses in Shandong, Northern China during the COVID-19 pandemic - Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have been commonly deployed to prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), resulting in a worldwide decline in influenza prevalence. However, the influenza risk in China warrants cautious assessment. We conducted a cross-sectional, seroepidemiological study in Shandong Province, Northern China in mid-2021. Hemagglutination inhibition was performed to test antibodies against four influenza vaccine strains. A combination of…
SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants evade population antibody response by mutations in a single spike epitope - Population antibody response is thought to be important in selection of virus variants. We report that SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits a population immune response that is mediated by a lineage of VH1-69 germline antibodies. A representative antibody R1-32 from this lineage was isolated. By cryo-EM, we show that it targets a semi-cryptic epitope in the spike receptor-binding domain. Binding to this non-ACE2 competing epitope results in spike destruction, thereby inhibiting virus entry. On the basis…
Pediatric Residency Training amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring the Impact of Supervision and Clinical Practice Guidelines on Clinical and Financial Outcomes - CONCLUSION: Direct supervision inhibited the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on both clinical and financial outcomes of non-COVID-19 inpatient care by pediatric residents, while CPG only inhibited the negative impact on financial outcomes. Implication of This Study. In a disaster, the availability of CPG and direct supervision makes AMC hospitals able to inhibit the negative impact of disasters on clinical and financial outcomes.
Jian-Ti-Kang-Yi decoction alleviates poly(I:C)-induced pneumonia by inhibiting inflammatory response, reducing oxidative stress, and modulating host metabolism - Jian-Ti-Kang-Yi decoction (JTKY) is widely used in the treatment of COVID-19. However, the protective mechanisms of JTKY against pneumonia remain unknown. In this study, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), a mimic of viral dsRNA, was used to induce pneumonia in mice; the therapeutic effects of JTKY on poly(I:C)-induced pneumonia model mice were evaluated. In addition, the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative potentials of JTKY were also investigated. Lastly, the metabolic regulatory…
Structural Basis for the Inhibition of Coronaviral Main Proteases by a Benzothiazole-Based Inhibitor - The ongoing spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused hundreds of millions of cases and millions of victims worldwide with serious consequences to global health and economies. Although many vaccines protecting against SARS-CoV-2 are currently available, constantly emerging new variants necessitate the development of alternative strategies for prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Inhibitors that target the main protease (M^(pro)) of SARS-CoV-2, an…
Chemically Modified Bovine β-Lactoglobulin as a Broad-Spectrum Influenza Virus Entry Inhibitor with the Potential to Combat Influenza Outbreaks - Frequent outbreaks of the highly pathogenic influenza A virus (AIV) infection, together with the lack of broad-spectrum influenza vaccines, call for the development of broad-spectrum prophylactic agents. Previously, 3-hydroxyphthalic anhydride-modified bovine β-lactoglobulin (3HP-β-LG) was proven to be effective against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and it has also been used in the clinical control of cervical human…
The Bovine Seminal Plasma Protein PDC-109 Possesses Pan-Antiviral Activity - Mammalian seminal plasma contains a multitude of bioactive components, including lipids, glucose, mineral elements, metabolites, proteins, cytokines, and growth factors, with various functions during insemination and fertilization. The seminal plasma protein PDC-109 is one of the major soluble components of the bovine ejaculate and is crucially important for sperm motility, capacitation, and acrosome reaction. A hitherto underappreciated function of seminal plasma is its anti-microbial and…
SARS-CoV-2 RBD-Specific Antibodies Induced Early in the Pandemic by Natural Infection and Vaccination Display Cross-Variant Binding and Inhibition - The development of vaccine candidates for COVID-19 has been rapid, and those that are currently approved display high efficacy against the original circulating strains. However, recently, new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have emerged with increased transmission rates and less susceptibility to vaccine induced immunity. A greater understanding of protection mechanisms, including antibody longevity and cross-reactivity towards the variants of concern…
Broad-Spectrum Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike-ACE2 Protein-Protein Interaction from a Chemical Space of Privileged Protein Binders - Therapeutically useful small-molecule inhibitors (SMIs) of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) initiating the cell attachment and entry of viruses could provide novel alternative antivirals that act via mechanisms similar to that of neutralizing antibodies but retain the advantages of small-molecule drugs such as oral bioavailability and low likelihood of immunogenicity. From screening our library, which is focused around the chemical space of organic dyes to provide good protein binders, we…
Bacteriophage-Derived Double-Stranded RNA Exerts Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity In Vitro and in Golden Syrian Hamsters In Vivo - Bacteriophage-derived dsRNA, known as Larifan, is a nationally well-known broad-spectrum antiviral medication. This study aimed to ascertain the antiviral activity of Larifan against the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus. Larifan’s effect against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro was measured in human lung adenocarcinoma (Calu3) and primary human small airway epithelial cells (HSAEC), and in vivo in the SARS-CoV-2 infection model in golden Syrian hamsters. Larifan inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication both in vitro and in…
Quercetin in the Prevention and Treatment of Coronavirus Infections: A Focus on SARS-CoV-2 - The COVID-19 outbreak seems to be the most dangerous challenge of the third millennium due to its highly contagious nature. Amongst natural molecules for COVID-19 treatment, the flavonoid molecule quercetin (QR) is currently considered one of the most promising. QR is an active agent against SARS and MERS due to its antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and some other beneficial effects. QR may hold therapeutic potential against SARS-CoV-2 due to its inhibitory effects on…
Plant Metabolites as SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors Candidates: In Silico and In Vitro Studies - Since it acquired pandemic status, SARS-CoV-2 has been causing all kinds of damage all over the world. More than 6.3 million people have died, and many cases of sequelae are in survivors. Currently, the only products available to most of the world’s population to fight the pandemic are vaccines, which still need improvement since the number of new cases, admissions into intensive care units, and deaths are again reaching worrying rates, which makes it essential to compounds that can be used…