Background: For young people, just as in the general population, COVID-19 caused many changes in their lives, including an increased risk for mental illness symptoms. We aimed to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in anxiety and depression symptoms in a cohort of university students. Methods: This study is part of broader longitudinal research on university students9 mental health with data of the Portuguese version of The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Portuguese version of the Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) with evaluations on January, May and October 2019 and June 2020, as well as socio-demographic information. Results: 341 university students (257 females and 84 males) were included, with a mean age of 19.91 (SD=1.58). In June 2020, the mean for perceived wellbeing loss was 60.47% (SD=26.56) and 59.54% (SD=28.95) for mental health loss. The proportion of students with scores equal to or above 15 in the PHQ-9 ranged between 22.6% and 25.5% in 2019 and 37.0% in June 2020. The proportion of GAD-7 scores above cut-off ten ranged between 46.0% and 47.8% in 2019 and 64.5% in 2020. Compared with preceding trends, PHQ-9 scores were 3.11 (CI=2.40-3.83) higher than expected, and GAD-7 scores were 3.56 (CI=2.75-5.37) higher. Discussion: COVID-19 impacted negatively depressive and anxiety symptoms, confirming previous studies and young people9s vulnerability in such uncertain times.
Objectives: In spring 2020, Northern Italy was the first area outside China to be involved in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This observational study depicts SARS-CoV-2 prevalence and serological curves among first-line healthcare workers (HCWs) at Padua University Hospital (PdUH), North-East Italy. Method: 344 HCWs, working at the PdUH Emergency Department and Infectious Disease Unit, underwent a SARS-CoV-2 RNA nasopharyngeal swab with paired IgM and IgG antibody detection for 4 consecutive weeks. At every session, a questionnaire recorded symptoms, signs and recent contacts with SARS-CoV-2 patients. Positive cases were followed up for 5 months. Results: Twenty-seven HCWs (7.84%) had positive serology (Abs) with 12 positive swabs during the study period. Two additional HCWs were positive by swab but without Abs. Fourteen cases (4%) had SARS-CoV-2 infection before the beginning of the study. An HCW with autoimmune disease showed false Ab results. 46% of individuals with Abs reported no symptoms, in accordance with previous population studies. Fever, nasal congestion, diarrhoea and contacts with SARS-CoV-2 individuals correlated to SARS-CoV-2 infection. 96% of Abs+ cases showed persistent positive antibodies 5 months later and none was re-infected. Discussion: Correct use of PPEs and separate paths for positive/negative patients in the hospital can result in a low percentage of SARS-CoV-2 infections among HCWs, even in high risk settings. Frequent testing for SARS-CoV-2 with nasopharyngeal swabs is worthwhile, irrespective of HCWs9 symptoms, due to the lack of specificity together with the high percentage of asymptomatic cases. Further studies are needed to elucidate the neutralizing effect of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
Towards eradicating COVID19, developing vaccines that induce high levels of neutralizing antibodies is a main goal. As counter measurements, viral escape mutants rapidly emerge and potentially compromise vaccine efficiency. Herein we monitored ability of convalescent or Pfizer-BTN162b2 post-vaccination sera to neutralize wide-type SARS- CoV2 or its UK-B.1.1.7 and SA-B.1.351 variants. Relative to convalescent sera, post- vaccination sera exhibited higher levels of neutralizing antibodies against wild-type or mutated viruses. However, while SARS-CoV2 wild-type and UK-N501Y were similarly neutralized by tested sera, the SA-N501Y/K417N/E484K variant moderately escaped neutralization. Significant contribution to infectivity and sensitivity to neutralization was attributed to each of the variants and their single or combined mutations, highlighting alternative mechanisms by which prevalent variants with either N501Y or E484K/K417N mutations spread. Our study validates the clinical significance of currently administered vaccines, but emphasizes that their efficacy may be compromised by circulated variants, urging the development of new ones with broader neutralization functions.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a global impact that has been unevenly distributed amongst and, even within countries. Multiple demographic and environmental factors have been associated with the risk of COVID-19 spread and fatality, including age, gender, ethnicity, poverty, and air quality among others. However, specific contributions of these factors are yet to be understood. Here, we attempted to explain the variability in infection, death, and fatality rates by understanding the contributions of a few selected factors. We compared the incidence of COVID-19 in New York State (NYS) counties during the first wave of infection and analyzed how different demographic and environmental variables associate with the variation observed across the counties. We observed that the two important COVID-19 metrics of infection rates and death rates to be well correlated, and both metrics being highest in counties located near New York City, considered one of the epicenters of the infection in the US. In contrast, disease fatality was found to be highest in a different set of counties despite registering a low infection rate. To investigate this apparent discrepancy, we divided the counties into three clusters based on COVID-19 infection, death rate, or fatality, and compared the differences in the demographic and environmental variables such as ethnicity, age, population density, poverty, temperature, and air quality in each of these clusters. Furthermore, a regression model built on this data reveals PM2.5 and distance from the epicenter are significant risk factors for high infection rate, while disease fatality has a strong association with age and PM2.5. Our results demonstrate, for the NYS, distinct contributions of old age, PM2.5, ethnicity these factors to the overall COVID-19 burden and highlight the detrimental impact of poor air quality. These results could help design and direct location-specific control and mitigation strategies.
The double dose regimen for mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 presents both a hope and a challenge for global efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. With supply chain logistics impacting the rollout of population-scale vaccination programs, increasing attention has turned to the potential efficacy of single versus double dose vaccine administration for select individuals. To this end, we examined response to Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine in a large cohort of healthcare workers including those with versus without prior COVID-19 infection. For all participants, we quantified circulating levels of SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike (S) protein IgG at baseline prior to vaccine, after vaccine dose 1, and after vaccine dose 2. We observed that the anti-S IgG antibody response following a single vaccine dose in persons who had recovered from confirmed prior COVID-19 infection was similar to the antibody response following two doses of vaccine in persons without prior infection (P>0.57). Patterns were similar for the post-vaccine symptoms experienced by infection recovered persons following their first dose compared to the symptoms experienced by infection naive persons following their second dose (P=0.66). These results support the premise that a single dose of mRNA vaccine could provoke in COVID-19 recovered individuals a level of immunity that is comparable to that seen in infection naive persons following a double dose regimen. Additional studies are needed to validate our findings, which could allow for public health programs to expand the reach of population wide vaccination efforts.
After the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first identified in China in late 2019, a pandemic evolved that has claimed millions of lives so far. While about 80 % of infections cause mild or moderate COVID-19 disease, some individuals show a severe progression or even die. Most countries are far from achieving herd-immunity, however, the first approved vaccines offer hope for containment of the virus. Although much is known about the virus, there is a lack of information on the immunity of convalescent individuals. We here evaluate the humoral and cellular immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in 41 COVID-19 convalescents. As previous studies mostly included younger individuals, one advantage of our study is the comparatively high mean age of the convalescents included in the cohort considered (54 ± 8.4 years). While anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were still detectable in 95 % of convalescents up to 8 months post infection, an antibody-decay over time was generally observed in most donors. Using a multiplex assay, our data additionally reveal that most convalescents exhibit a broad humoral immunity against different viral epitopes. We demonstrate by flow cytometry that convalescent donors show a significantly elevated number of natural killer cells when compared to healthy controls, while no differences were found concerning other leucocyte subpopulations. We detected a specific long-lasting cellular immune response in convalescents by stimulating immune cells with SARS-CoV-2-specific peptides, covering domains of the viral spike, membrane and nucleocapsid protein, and measuring interferon-γ (IFN-γ) release thereafter. We modified a commercially available ELISA assay for IFN-γ determination in whole-blood specimens of COVID-19 convalescents. One advantage of this assay is that it does not require special equipment and can, thus, be performed in any standard laboratory. In conclusion, our study adds knowledge regarding the persistence of immunity of convalescents suffering from mild to moderate COVID-19. Moreover, our study provides a set of simple methods to characterize and confirm experienced COVID-19.
Objective Acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine will impart a pivotal role in eradicating the virus. In Pakistan, health care workers (HCWs) are the first group to receive vaccination. This survey aimed at the level of acceptance to the COVID-19 vaccine and predictors of non-acceptance in HCWs. Method This was a cross-sectional study design and data were collected through 3rd December 2020 and February 14th, 2021. An English questionnaire was distributed through social media platforms and administration of affiliate hospitals along with snowball sampling for private hospitals. Results Out of 5,237 responses, 3,679 (70.25%) accepted COVID-19 vaccination and 1,284 (24.51%) wanted to delay until more data was available. Only 0.05% of HCWs rejected being vaccinated. Vaccine acceptance was more in young (76%) and female gender (63.3%) who worked in a tertiary care hospital (51.2%) and were direct patient care providers (61.3%). The reason for rejection in females was doubtful vaccine effectiveness (31.48%) while males rejected due to prior COVID-19 exposure (42.19%) and side effect profile of the vaccine (33.17%). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated age between 51-60 years, female gender, Pashtuns, those working in the specialty of medicine and allied, taking direct care of COVID-19 patients, higher education, and prior OCVID-19 infection as the predictors for acceptance or rejection of COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion A high overall acceptance rate was observed among HCWs, favoring a successful nationwide vaccination program in Pakistan.
We utilize functional data analysis techniques to investigate patterns of COVID-19 positivity and mortality in the US and their associations with Google search trends for COVID-19 related symptoms. Specifically, we represent state-level time series data for COVID-19 and Google search trends for symptoms as smoothed functional curves. Given these functional data, we explore the modes of variation in the data using functional principal component analysis (FPCA). We also apply functional clustering analysis to identify patterns of COVID-19 confirmed case and death trajectories across the US. Moreover, we quantify the associations between Google COVID-19 search trends for symptoms and COVID-19 confirmed case and death trajectories using dynamic correlation. Finally, we examine the dynamics of correlations for the top nine Google search trends of symptoms commonly associated with COVID-19 confirmed case and death trajectories. Our results reveal and characterize distinct patterns for COVID-19 spread and mortality across the US. The dynamics of these correlations suggest the feasibility of using Google queries to forecast COVID-19 cases and mortality for up to three weeks in advance. Our results and analysis framework set the stage for the development of predictive models for forecasting COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths using historical data and Google search trends for nine symptoms associated with both outcomes.
Mortality among patients with COVID-19 and respiratory failure is high and there are no known lower airway biomarkers that predict clinical outcome. We investigated whether bacterial respiratory infections and viral load were associated with poor clinical outcome and host immune tone. We obtained bacterial and fungal culture data from 589 critically ill subjects with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation. On a subset of the subjects that underwent bronchoscopy, we also quantified SARS-CoV-2 viral load, analyzed the microbiome of the lower airways by metagenome and metatranscriptome analyses and profiled the host immune response. We found that isolation of a hospital-acquired respiratory pathogen was not associated with fatal outcome. However, poor clinical outcome was associated with enrichment of the lower airway microbiota with an oral commensal (Mycoplasma salivarium), while high SARS-CoV-2 viral burden, poor anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody response, together with a unique host transcriptome profile of the lower airways were most predictive of mortality. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that 1) the extent of viral infectivity drives mortality in severe COVID-19, and therefore 2) clinical management strategies targeting viral replication and host responses to SARS-CoV-2 should be prioritized.
Epidemiological models can provide the dynamic evolution of a pandemic but they are based on many assumptions and parameters that have to be adjusted over the time when the pandemic lasts. However, often the available data are not sufficient to identify the model parameters and hence infer the unobserved dynamics. Here, we develop a general framework for building a trustworthy data-driven epidemiological model, consisting of a workflow that integrates data acquisition and event timeline, model development, identifiability analysis, sensitivity analysis, model calibration, model robustness analysis, and forecasting with uncertainties in different scenarios. In particular, we apply this framework to propose a modified susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) model, including new compartments and model vaccination in order to forecast the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 in New York City (NYC). We find that we can uniquely estimate the model parameters and accurately predict the daily new infection cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, in agreement with the available data from NYC9s government9s website. In addition, we employ the calibrated data-driven model to study the effects of vaccination and timing of reopening indoor dining in NYC.
Objective: Measure the effects of the Tier system on the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK between the first and second national lockdowns, before the emergence of the B.1.1.7 variant of concern. Design: Modelling study combining estimates of the real-time reproduction number Rt (derived from UK case, death and serological survey data) with publicly available data on regional non-pharmaceutical interventions. We fit a Bayesian hierarchical model with latent factors using these quantities, to account for broader national trends in addition to subnational effects from Tiers. Setting: The UK at Lower Tier Local Authority (LTLA) level. Primary and secondary outcome measures: Reduction in real-time reproduction number Rt. Results: Nationally, transmission increased between July and late September, regional differences notwithstanding. Immediately prior to the introduction of the tier system, Rt averaged 1.3 (0.9-1.6) across LTLAs, but declined to an average of 1.1 (0.86-1.42) two weeks later. Decline in transmission was not solely attributable to Tiers. Tier 1 had negligible effects. Tiers 2 and 3 respectively reduced transmission by 6% (5%-7%) and 23% (21%-25%). 93% of LTLAs would have begun to suppress their epidemics if every LTLA had gone into Tier 3 by the second national lockdown, whereas only 29% did so in reality. Conclusions: The relatively small effect sizes found in this analysis demonstrate that interventions at least as stringent as Tier 3 are required to suppress transmission, especially considering more transmissible variants, at least until effective vaccination is widespread or much greater population immunity has amassed.
Background: The restructuring of healthcare systems to cope with the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a reduction in clinical services such as cancer screening and diagnostics. Methods: Data from the four Northern Ireland pathology labs was used to assess trends in pathological cancer diagnoses from 1st March to 12th September 2020 overall and by cancer site, gender and age. These trends were compared to the same timeframe from 2017-2019. Results: Between 1st March and 12th September 2020 there was a 23% reduction in cancer diagnoses compared to the same time period in the preceding three years. Although some recovery occurred in August and September 2020, this revealed inequalities across certain patient groups. Pathological diagnoses of lung, prostate and gynaecological malignancies remained well below pre-pandemic levels. Males and younger/middle-aged adults, particularly the 50-59 year old patient group, also lagged behind other population demographic groups in terms of returning to expected numbers of pathological cancer diagnoses. Conclusions: There is a critical need to protect cancer diagnostic services in the ongoing pandemic to facilitate timely investigation of potential cancer cases. Targeted public health campaigns may be needed to reduce emerging inequalities in cancer diagnoses as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Over 200,000 whole-genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 have been determined for viruses isolated from around the world. These sequences have been critical for understanding the spread and evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Using global phylogenomics, we show that mutations frequently occur in the C-terminal end of ORF7a. We have isolated one of these mutant viruses from a patient sample and used viral challenge experiments to demonstrate that Δ115 mutation results in a growth defect. ORF7a has been implicated in immune modulation, and we show that the C-terminal truncation results in distinct changes in interferon-stimulated gene expression. Collectively, this work indicates that ORF7a mutations occur frequently and that these changes affect viral mechanisms responsible for suppressing the immune response.
Protecting Native Families From COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Behavioral: Motivational Interviewing; Behavioral: COVID-19 Symptom Monitoring System; Behavioral: Motivational Interviewing and COVID-19 Symptom Monitoring System; Other: Supportive Services
Sponsor: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Not yet recruiting
COVID Antithrombotic Rivaroxaban Evaluation - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Drug: Rivaroxaban 10 mg
Sponsors: Hospital Alemão Oswaldo Cruz; Bayer; Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein; Hospital do Coracao; Hospital Sirio-Libanes; Hospital Moinhos de Vento; Brazilian Research In Intensive Care Network; Brazilian Clinical Research Institute
Recruiting
Efficacy and Safety of Tofacitinib in Patients With COVID-19 Pneumonia - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Drug: Tofacitinib
Sponsor: I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University
Completed
Improvement of the Nutritional Status Regarding Nicotinamide (Vitamin B3) and the Disease Course of COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Dietary Supplement: Nicotinamide; Dietary Supplement: Placebo
Sponsor: University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein
Recruiting
A Study to Assess the Safety and Immunogenicity of the Coronavac Vaccine Against COVID-19 - Condition: COVID-19
Intervention: Biological: Adsorbed COVID-19 (inactivated) Vaccine
Sponsors: D’Or Institute for Research and Education; Butantan Institute
Not yet recruiting
COVID-19 Treatment Cascade Optimization Study - Condition: COVID-19 Testing
Interventions: Behavioral: Navigation Services; Behavioral: Critical Dialogue; Behavioral: Brief Counseling; Behavioral: Referral and Digital Brochure
Sponsors: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; North Jersey Community Research Initiative; National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD); University of Michigan
Recruiting
COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Therapy - Conditions: SARS-CoV-2 Infection; COVID-19 Infection
Intervention: Biological: Convalescent plasma
Sponsors: Angelica Samudio; Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y Tecnología, Paraguay; Ministerio de Salud Pública y Bienestar Social, Paraguay; Centro de información y recursos para el desarrollo, Paraguay
Completed
Adoptive SARS-CoV-2 Specific T Cell Transfer in Patients at Risk for Severe COVID-19 - Condition: Moderate COVID-19-infection
Interventions: Drug: IMP 1,000 plus SoC; Drug: IMP 5,000 plus SoC; Drug: IMP RP2D plus SoC; Drug: SoC
Sponsors: Universitätsklinikum Köln; ZKS Köln; MMH Institute for Transfusion Medicine; Miltenyi Biomedicine GmbH
Not yet recruiting
A Safety and Immunogenicity Study of Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cells) in Healthy Population Aged 18 Years and Above(COVID-19) - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: medium dosage inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine; Biological: high dosage inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine; Biological: Placebo
Sponsors: Beijing Minhai Biotechnology Co., Ltd; Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., LTD; Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Active, not recruiting
A Study to Evaluate Safety and Immunogenicity of Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (Vero Cells) in Healthy Population Aged 18 Years and Above(COVID-19) - Condition: COVID-19
Interventions: Biological: medium dosage inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine; Biological: high dosage inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine; Biological: Placebo
Sponsors: Beijing Minhai Biotechnology Co., Ltd; Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products Co., LTD; Jiangsu Province Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Active, not recruiting
Safety & Efficacy of Low Dose Aspirin / Ivermectin Combination Therapy for Treatment of Covid-19 Patients - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Drug: 3-dayIVM 200 mcg/kg/day/14-day 75mgASA/day + standard of care (intervention 1)
Sponsors: Makerere University; Ministry of Health, Uganda; Mbarara University of Science and Technology; Joint Clinical Research Center
Not yet recruiting
An Effectiveness Study of the Sinovac’s Adsorbed COVID-19 (Inactivated) Vaccine - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Biological: Adsorbed COVID-19 (Inactivated) Vaccine
Sponsor: Butantan Institute
Enrolling by invitation
The Safety and Efficacy of FB2001 in Healthy Subjects and Patients With COVID-19 Infection - Condition: Covid19
Interventions: Drug: FB2001; Drug: FB2001 Placebo
Sponsor: Frontier Biotechnologies Inc.
Not yet recruiting
Study of the Kinetics of COVID-19 Antibodies for 24 Months in Patients With Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection - Conditions: Covid19; SARS-CoV 2
Intervention: Other: Sampling by venipuncture
Sponsor: Centre Hospitalier Régional d’Orléans
Recruiting
Effect of Prone Position onV/Q Matching in Non-intubated Patients With COVID-19 - Condition: Covid19
Intervention: Other: prone position
Sponsor: Southeast University, China
Not yet recruiting
Autophagosome maturation stymied by SARS-CoV-2 - Many pathogens are capable of disrupting autophagy within host cells. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Miao et al. discover that the SARS-CoV-2 protein ORF3a inhibits autophagosome-lysosome fusion by dysregulating the HOPS complex.
Applying the CiPA Approach to Evaluate Cardiac Proarrhythmia Risk of some Antimalarials Used Off-label in the First Wave of COVID-19 - We applied a set of in silico and in vitro assays, compliant with the CiPA (Comprehensive In Vitro Proarrhythmia Assay) paradigm, to assess the risk of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine-mediated QT prolongation and Torsades de Pointes (TdP), alone and combined with erythromycin and azithromycin, drugs repurposed during the first wave of COVID-19. Each drug or drug combination was tested in patch clamp assays on 7 cardiac ion channels, in in silico models of human ventricular electrophysiology…
Tetracycline as an inhibitor to the SARS-CoV-2 - The coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains an extant threat against public health on a global scale. Cell infection begins when the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 binds with the human cell receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Here, we address the role of tetracycline as an inhibitor for the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. Targeted molecular investigation show that tetracycline binds more favorably to the RBD (-9.40 kcal/mol)…
Probing the SAM Binding Site of SARS-CoV-2 nsp14 in vitro Using SAM Competitive Inhibitors Guides Developing Selective bi-substrate Inhibitors - The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly brought the healthcare systems world-wide to a breaking point along with devastating socioeconomic consequences. The SARS-CoV-2 virus which causes the disease uses RNA capping to evade the human immune system. Non-structural protein (nsp) 14 is one of the 16 nsps in SARS-CoV-2 and catalyzes the methylation of the viral RNA at N7-guanosine in the cap formation process. To discover small molecule inhibitors of nsp14 methyltransferase (MT) activity, we developed…
Antibody affinity maturation and plasma IgA associate with clinical outcome in hospitalized COVID-19 patients - Hospitalized COVID-19 patients often present with a large spectrum of clinical symptoms. There is a critical need to better understand the immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 that lead to either resolution or exacerbation of the clinical disease. Here, we examine longitudinal plasma samples from hospitalized COVID-19 patients with differential clinical outcome. We perform immune-repertoire analysis including cytokine, hACE2-receptor inhibition, neutralization titers, antibody epitope repertoire,…
Therapeutic potential of C1632 by inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication and viral-induced inflammation through upregulating let-7 - No abstract
Potential therapeutic road for targeting the SARS-CoV-2 at throat - CONCLUSION: In view of the fact that the mouth and nose have higher number of ACE2 expressed cells, they serve as a gateway for the virus to enter. Thus, blocking the gate could be a good choice to reduce or even prevent the transmission. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are double-stranded RNA molecules and could be designed easily and directed against many strains of a virus. Due to their features, siRNAs can provide a potential strategy to interfere with the replication of viral diseases. We…
Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using gum Arabic: Evaluation of its inhibitory action on Streptococcus mutans causing dental caries and endocarditis - CONCLUSION: The potent antibiotic action over S. mutans seen with the synthesized NPs, paves the way for the development of novel dental care products. Also, the small-sized NPs promote its applicability in COVID-19 pandemic containment.
In silico identification of available drugs targeting cell surface BiP to disrupt SARS-CoV-2 binding and replication: Drug repurposing approach - AIMS: Cell surface binding immunoglobin protein (csBiP) is predicted to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 binding. With a substrate-binding domain (SBD) that binds to polypeptides and a nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) that can initiate extrinsic caspase-dependent apoptosis, csBiP may be a promising therapeutic target for COVID-19. This study aims to identify FDA-approved drugs that can neutralize viral binding and prevent viral replication by targeting the functional domains of csBiP.
Selective targeting of the inactive state of hematopoietic cell kinase (Hck) with a stable curcumin derivative - Hck, a Src family non-receptor tyrosine kinase (SFK), has recently been established as an attractive pharmacological target to improve pulmonary function in COVID-19 patients. Hck inhibitors are also well known for their regulatory role in various malignancies and autoimmune diseases. Curcumin has been previously identified as an excellent DYRK-2 inhibitor, but curcumin’s fate is tainted by its instability in the cellular environment. Besides, small molecules targeting the inactive states of a…
DNA Nanostructures in the Fight Against Infectious Diseases - Throughout history, humanity has been threatened by countless epidemic and pandemic outbreaks of infectious diseases, from the Justinianic Plague to the Spanish flu to COVID-19. While numerous antimicrobial and antiviral drugs have been developed over the last 200 years to face these threats, the globalized and highly connected world of the 21st century demands for an ever-increasing efficiency in the detection and treatment of infectious diseases. Consequently, the rapidly evolving field of…
Antibacterial and Antiviral Functional Materials: Chemistry and Biological Activity toward Tackling COVID-19-like Pandemics - The ongoing worldwide pandemic due to COVID-19 has created awareness toward ensuring best practices to avoid the spread of microorganisms. In this regard, the research on creating a surface which destroys or inhibits the adherence of microbial/viral entities has gained renewed interest. Although many research reports are available on the antibacterial materials or coatings, there is a relatively small amount of data available on the use of antiviral materials. However, with more research geared…
Nanotechnology: an emerging approach to combat COVID-19 - The recent outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has challenged the survival of human existence in the last 1 year. Frontline healthcare professionals were struggling in combating the pandemic situation and were continuously supported with literature, skill set, research activities, and technologies developed by various scientists/researchers all over the world. To handle the continuously mutating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) requires amalgamation of…
Stapled ACE2 peptidomimetics designed to target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein do not prevent virus internalization - COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Virus cell entry is mediated through a protein-protein interaction (PPI) between the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). A series of stapled peptide ACE2 peptidomimetics based on the ACE2 interaction motif were designed to bind the coronavirus S-protein RBD and inhibit binding to the human ACE2 receptor. The peptidomimetics were assessed for antiviral…
The Perspectives of Biomarkers based Electrochemical Immunosensors, Artificial intelligence and the Internet of Medical Things towards COVID-19 Diagnosis and Management - The WHO has declared the COVID-19 an international health emergency due to the severity of infection progression which become more severe due to its continuous spread globally and the unavailability of appropriate therapy and diagnostics systems. Thus, there is a need for efficient devices to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection at an early stage. Nowadays, the RT-PCR technique is being applied for detecting this virus around the globe; however, factors such as stringent expertise, long diagnostic times,…
SARS-COV-2 BINDING PROTEINS - - link
Compositions and methods for detecting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein - - link
稳定的冠状病毒重组蛋白二聚体及其表达载体 - 本发明公开了稳定的冠状病毒重组蛋白二聚体及其表达载体，冠状病毒重组蛋白，由冠状病毒S蛋白S‑RBD、冠状病毒N蛋白的CTD区N‑CTD和将二者偶联的连接子构成。本发明一些实例的冠状病毒重组蛋白，可以形成并维持稳定的二聚体结构，避免单体S‑RBD降解，有利于提高冠状病毒重组蛋白的免疫原性，有望用于制备检测试剂原料、疫苗、抗体、预防或治疗性药物。本发明一些实例的冠状病毒重组蛋白二聚体，具有很好的免疫原性。在疫苗开发领域具有广阔的应用前景。本发明一些实例的表达载体，易于表达冠状病毒重组蛋白二聚体且表达量高。 - link
SELF-CLEANING AND GERM-KILLING REVOLVING PUBLIC TOILET FOR COVID 19 - - link
Deep Learning Based System for the Detection of COVID-19 Infections - - link
新冠病毒疫苗表达抗原蛋白的电化学发光免疫检测试剂盒 - 本发明提供一种新冠病毒疫苗表达抗原蛋白的电化学发光免疫检测试剂盒，所述试剂盒至少包含：包被有链霉亲和素的孔板、生物素标记的抗新冠棘突蛋白抗体1、SULFO标记的抗新冠棘突蛋白抗体2、洗涤液、读数液、新冠病毒S蛋白标准品和新冠病毒RBD蛋白标准品。本发明以生物素标记的抗新冠棘突蛋白的抗体1与链霉亲和素板进行连接作为固定相，以新冠S蛋白、RBD蛋白作为参照品，可被SULFO标记的抗体2识别，从而检测新冠抗原的表达情况。该试剂盒能准确灵敏地定量检测不同基质中的新冠S蛋白、RBD蛋白，样品的前处理过程简单，耗时少，可同时检测大量样品。本发明对于大批量样品的新冠病毒疫苗表达抗原的检测具有重要意义。 - link
陶瓷复合涂料、杀毒陶瓷复合涂料及其制备方法和涂层 - 本发明是关于一种陶瓷复合涂料、杀毒陶瓷复合涂料及其制备方法和涂层。该涂料包括3099.9%无机树脂、0.170%氮化硅、010%功能助剂、018%无机颜料和02%其他功能助剂；无机树脂由有机烷氧基硅烷、有机溶剂和硅溶胶混合、反应，抽醇，添加去离子水获得；有机烷氧基硅烷、有机溶剂和硅溶胶的质量比为11.6：0.5~0.8：1。所要解决的技术问题是如何制备一种贮存稳定性好、可常温固化且膜层的物理化学性能优异的涂料；该涂料VOC含量低，具有良好的安全生产性，且涂料成膜过程中的VOC排放很低，利于环保；该膜层的硬度高、柔韧性好，不易开裂，且可以接触性杀灭病毒和细菌；该涂料既可常温固化，也可加热固化，无需现场两个剂型调配，施工方便，成本节约，从而更加适于实用。 - link
SARS-CoV-2 antibodies - - link
利用BLI技术检测新型冠状病毒中和性抗体的方法 - 本发明提供一种利用BLI技术检测新型冠状病毒中和性抗体的方法，先将同一浓度的人ACE2蛋白捕获到生物传感器表面上，再将新型冠状病毒棘突蛋白RBD分别与不同浓度的待测中和性抗体预混，再将各混合液分别与捕获到生物传感器表面上的人ACE2蛋白接触，根据基于BLI技术的分子互作仪器检测到的干涉光谱的相对位移强度变化计算抑制率，绘制抑制曲线，计算IC50。本发明操作简单，快速高效，检测全过程无需包被和反复加样、洗板，15min内即可得到实验结果。检测反应在黑色孔板中进行，可实现大批量样品的新冠中和抗体的检测，与传统定性检测不同，通过计算IC50值，可以快速比较不同新冠中和性抗体的抑制能力。 - link
SARS-CoV-2 antibodies - - link