Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• Leveraging COVID-era Practices to Robustly Integrate Inclusivity, Access, and Equity Into Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) -
  During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Stanford Summer Research Program - Amgen Scholars Program (SSRP) adapted to a remote program experience, gaining insights into maintaining inclusivity, access, and equity for its student participants. This paper outlines the transformative changes implemented by SSRP program staff and offers recommendations to promote equity while returning to in-person summer research programs, incorporating lessons learned in the COVID-19 era to center minoritized students.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Leveraging COVID-era Practices to Robustly Integrate Inclusivity, Access, and Equity Into Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs)
• Effectiveness of mRNA-1273 bivalent (Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5) COVID-19 vaccine in preventing hospitalizations for COVID-19, medically attended SARS-CoV-2 infections, and hospital death in the United States -

  The bivalent (original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5) mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine was authorized to offer broader protection against COVID-19. We conducted a matched cohort study to evaluate the effectiveness of the bivalent vaccine in preventing hospitalization for COVID-19 (primary outcome) and medically attended SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospital death (secondary outcomes). Compared to individuals who did not receive bivalent mRNA vaccination but received ≥2 doses of any monovalent mRNA vaccine, the relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) against hospitalization for COVID-19 was 70.3% (95% confidence interval, 64.0%-75.4%). rVE was consistent across subgroups and not modified by time since last monovalent dose or number of monovalent doses received. Protection was durable ≥3 months after the bivalent booster. rVE against SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring emergency department/urgent care and against COVID-19 hospital death was 55.0% (50.8%-58.8%) and 82.7% (63.7%-91.7%), respectively. The mRNA-1273 bivalent booster provides additional protection against hospitalization for COVID-19, medically attended SARS-CoV-2 infection, and COVID-19 hospital death.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Effectiveness of mRNA-1273 bivalent (Original and Omicron BA.4/BA.5) COVID-19 vaccine in preventing hospitalizations for COVID-19, medically attended SARS-CoV-2 infections, and hospital death in the United States
• Social inequalities in the misbelief of chloroquines protective effect against COVID-19: results from the EPICOVID-19 study in Brazil -

  Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the spread of denialist messages regarding COVID19 in Brazil, specifically examining how social inequalities contributed to the misconception of chloroquine having a protective effect against the virus. Study design: Three countrywide population-based studies were conducted in 2020 (May 14-21, June 4-7, and June 21-24), including 133 Brazilian cities (n=88,772). Methods: Participants were asked whether they believed in chloroquine protective effect against infection with the SARSCoV 2 virus (no/yes/do not know). A jeopardy index score to assess cumulative social deprivation was calculated based on gender, racial and socioeconomic variables. Descriptive analysis and inequality measures (Slope Index of Inequality, SII; and Concentration Index, CIX) were used to evaluate the main association under investigation. Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate 3 category outcome according to independent variables. Results: Overall, 47.9% of participants either believed that chloroquine prevented against COVID-19 or said, I do not know. Misbelief and lack of knowledge about chloroquine were greater among the most vulnerable (lowest levels of education and socioeconomic status). Absolute and relative inequalities were observed according to jeopardy index. Lack of knowledge was 2.49 greater among women than among men. Race/ethnicity minorities, those with low education and low socioeconomic status were more likely to erroneously believe that chloroquine prevented against COVID19. The highest absolute inequality was observed for the category I do not know (SII = -14.3). Conclusions: Misbelief of chloroquine protective effect against the SARS-CoV-2 virus was high in Brazil. People with greater social vulnerability were more likely to wrongly believe chloroquine prevented against COVID-19.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Social inequalities in the misbelief of chloroquines protective effect against COVID-19: results from the EPICOVID-19 study in Brazil
• Unveiling Women’s Experiences Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria: An Interpretive phenomenological analysis. -

  Background The past three years have seen an increasing gap in health inequalities in Nigeria’s health systems, with many women having trouble accessing health care due to persistent social determinants of health. Studies indicate that the amplified impact of the pandemic is due to the lack of contextual focus on response plans. This study used an interpretive phenomenological analysis to analyze women’s experiences with healthcare as the pandemic progressed in Nigeria. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted between August to November 2022. It was supplemented with three focus group discussions with mothers. The mothers were purposively recruited for their experiences with health care during the pandemic. The analysis of the interviews followed the interpretive phenomenological analysis approach. Results Twenty-four women aged 15 to 49 years with children between 0 and 5 years participated in this study. These women reported mixed experiences during the pandemic, with many attributing positive health behaviours to the pandemic. Following analysis, four themes emerged: i) Influence of diversity of Healthcare Practices and Beliefs on health-seeking behaviour; ii) Unpacking Systemic Barriers to Seeking Timely and Appropriate Health Care Services; iii) Women’s fear of contracting COVID-19; iv) Socioeconomic Burden for Holistic Health Care Delivery. Conclusion Health planners must examine contextual factors that drive health usage, especially potentially changing gender dynamics ahead of the next pandemic. This paper examined women’s decision to seek or not seek care, the type of care they received, and where they went for care. Women felt that the pandemic affected their decision to seek or not seek care. However, while they learned new behaviours that are now integrated into their daily lives, they also indicate that some behaviours are habitual and have persisted through the pandemic.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Unveiling Women’s Experiences Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria: An Interpretive phenomenological analysis.
• Carotid body dysregulation contributes to the enigma of long COVID -

  The symptoms of long COVID, which include fatigue, breathlessness, dysregulated breathing, and exercise intolerance, have unknown mechanisms. These symptoms are also observed in heart failure and are partially driven by increased sensitivity of the carotid chemoreflex. As the carotid body has an abundance of ACE2 (the cell entry mechanism for SARS-CoV-2), we investigated whether carotid chemoreflex sensitivity was elevated in participants with long COVID. During cardiopulmonary exercise testing, the VE/VCO2 slope (a measure of breathing efficiency) was higher in the long COVID group than in the controls, indicating excessive hyperventilation. The hypoxic ventilatory response, which measures carotid chemoreflex sensitivity, was increased in long COVID participants and correlated with the VE/VCO2 slope, suggesting that excessive hyperventilation may be related to carotid body hypersensitivity. Therefore, the carotid chemoreflex is sensitized in long COVID and may explain dysregulated breathing and exercise intolerance in these participants. Tempering carotid body excitability may be a viable treatment option for long COVID patients.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Carotid body dysregulation contributes to the enigma of long COVID
• Co-designing a theory-informed, multi-component intervention to increase vaccine uptake with Congolese migrants: a qualitative, community-based participatory research study -

  Introduction Inequitable uptake of routine and COVID-19 vaccinations has been documented among intersectionally marginalised populations, including migrants, and attributed to issues of mistrust, access, and low vaccine confidence. Novel approaches which seek to share power, build trust and co-design tailored interventions with marginalised or underserved communities must be explored, to promote equitable engagement with vaccination and other health interventions. Methods A theory-informed, qualitative, community-based participatory research study, designed and led by a community-academic partnership, which aimed to understand decision-making related to COVID-19 vaccination among Congolese migrants in the UK and co-design a tailored intervention to strengthen their vaccine uptake (2021-2022). Barriers and facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination, information and communication preferences, and intervention suggestions were explored through qualitative in-depth interviews with Congolese migrants, thematically analysed, and mapped to the theoretical domains framework (TDF) and the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour (COM-B) model to identify target behaviours and strategies to include in interventions. Workshops were done in partnership with Congolese migrants to co-design and tailor interventions. Results 32 Congolese adult migrants (foreign-born and living in UK; 24 (75%) women, mean 14.3 [SD 7.5] years in UK, mean age 52.6 [SD 11.0] years) took part in in-depth interviews and 16 (same sample) took part in co-design workshops. We identified 14 barriers and 10 facilitators to COVID-19 vaccination; most barrier data related to four TDF domains (beliefs about consequences; emotion; social influences; environmental context and resources), and the behavioural diagnosis concluded interventions should target improving psychological capability, reflective and automatic motivations, and social opportunities. Strategies included behaviour change techniques based on education, persuasion, modelling, enablement, and environmental restructuring, which resulted in a co-designed intervention comprising community-led workshops, COVID-19 vaccination plays and posters. Findings and interventions were disseminated through a community celebration event. Conclusions Our study demonstrates how behavioural theory can be applied to co-designing tailored interventions with marginalised migrant communities through a participatory research paradigm to address a range of health issues and inequalities. Future research should build on this empowering approach, with the goal of developing more sensitive vaccination services and interventions which respond to migrant communities unique cultural needs and realities.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Co-designing a theory-informed, multi-component intervention to increase vaccine uptake with Congolese migrants: a qualitative, community-based participatory research study
• Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) effectiveness against hospitalization and death in N3C: A target trial emulation study -

  Importance: COVID-19 has placed a monumental burden on the health care system globally. Although no longer a public health emergency, there is still a pressing need for effective treatments to prevent hospitalization and death. Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) is a promising and potentially effective antiviral that has received emergency use authorization by the U.S. FDA. Objective: Determine real world effectiveness of Paxlovid nationwide and investigate disparities between treated and untreated eligible patients. Design/Setting/Participants: Population-based cohort study emulating a target trial, using inverse probability weighted models to balance treated and untreated groups on baseline confounders. Participants were patients with a SARS-CoV-2 positive test or diagnosis (index) date between December 2021 and February 2023 selected from the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) database who were eligible for Paxlovid treatment. Namely, adults with at least one risk factor for severe COVID-19 illness, no contraindicated medical conditions, not using one or more strictly contraindicated medications, and not hospitalized within three days of index. From this cohort we identified patients who were treated with Paxlovid within 5 days of positive test or diagnosis (n = 98,060) and patients who either did not receive Paxlovid or were treated outside the 5-day window (n = 913,079 never treated; n = 1,771 treated after 5 days). Exposures: Treatment with Paxlovid within 5 days of positive COVID-19 test or diagnosis. Main Outcomes and Measures: Hospitalization and death in the 28 days following COVID-19 index date. Results: A total of 1,012,910 COVID-19 positive patients at risk for severe COVID-19 were included, 9.7% of whom were treated with Paxlovid. Uptake varied widely by geographic region and timing, with top adoption areas near 50% and bottom near 0%. Adoption increased rapidly after EUA, reaching steady state by 6/2022. Participants who were treated with Paxlovid had a 26% (RR, 0.742; 95% CI, 0.689-0.812) reduction in hospitalization risk and 73% (RR, 0.269, 95% CI, 0.179-0.370) reduction in mortality risk in the 28 days following COVID-19 index date. Conclusions/Relevance: Paxlovid is effective in preventing hospitalization and death in at-risk COVID-19 patients. These results were robust to a large number of sensitivity considerations.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir/ritonavir) effectiveness against hospitalization and death in N3C: A target trial emulation study
• Impact of reference design on estimating SARS-CoV-2 lineage abundances from wastewater sequencing data -
  Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 RNA from wastewater samples has emerged as a valuable tool for detecting the presence and relative abundances of SARS-CoV-2 variants in a community. By analyzing the viral genetic material present in wastewater, public health officials can gain early insights into the spread of the virus and inform timely intervention measures. The construction of reference datasets from known SARS-CoV-2 lineages and their mutation profiles has become state-of-the-art for assigning viral lineages and their relative abundances from wastewater sequencing data. However, the selection of reference sequences or mutations directly affects the predictive power. Here, we show the impact of a mutation- and sequence-based reference reconstruction for SARS-CoV-2 abundance estimation. We benchmark three data sets: 1) synthetic 'spike-in' mixtures, 2) German samples from early 2021, mainly comprising Alpha, and 3) samples obtained from wastewater at an international airport in Germany from the end of 2021, including first signals of Omicron. The two approaches differ in sub-lineage detection, with the marker-mutation-based method, in particular, being challenged by the increasing number of mutations and lineages. However, the estimations of both approaches depend on selecting representative references and optimized parameter settings. By performing parameter escalation experiments, we demonstrate the effects of reference size and alternative allele frequency cutoffs for abundance estimation. We show how different parameter settings can lead to different results for our test data sets, and illustrate the effects of virus lineage composition of wastewater samples and references. Here, we compare a mutation- and sequence-based reference construction and assignment for SARS-CoV-2 abundance estimation from wastewater samples. Our study highlights current computational challenges, focusing on the general reference design, which significantly and directly impacts abundance allocations. We illustrate advantages and disadvantages that may be relevant for further developments in the wastewater community and in the context of higher standardization.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Impact of reference design on estimating SARS-CoV-2 lineage abundances from wastewater sequencing data
• Civil society initiatives addressing COVID-19 in Rio de Janeiro (PT) -
  Handwashing is key for stemming COVID-19 transmission, but many communities around the world lack access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). This research investigated the work that civil society organizations (CSO) developed with vulnerable populations in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We interviewed 15 CSO leaders working in the region. This study had three research questions: 1. How do leaders of civil society organizations perceive the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations with limited access to safe WASH in Brazil? 2. What actions have CSOs implemented to support vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic? 3. What is the perceived level of success of these actions according to CSO leaders? Our key findings revealed that: 1. Vulnerable populations faced generalized fear and confusion, high rates of COVID-19 infections and income loss. Additionally, CSO leaders noted an increase and diversification in people seeking assistance, as well as rising police and domestic violence. 2. CSOs focused on providing relief aid by donating food, water, hygiene kits, and personal protection equipment (PPE). They invested too in partnering with other organizations and raising awareness about COVID-19, hygiene practices, and public health measures. 3. Initiatives perceived as successful included the construction of water infrastructure and fundraising. Compliance with public health measures, on the other hand, had significant limitations.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Civil society initiatives addressing COVID-19 in Rio de Janeiro (PT)
• Hospital vulnerability to spread of respiratory infections: close contact data collection and mathematical modelling -

  The transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 within hospitals can exceed that in the general community because of more frequent close proximity interactions. However, epidemic risk across wards is still poorly described. We measured CPIs directly using wearable sensors given to all those present in a clinical ward over a 36-hour period, across 15 wards in three hospitals in spring 2020. Data were collected from 2114 participants. These data were combined with a simple transmission model describing the arrival of a single index case to the ward to estimate the risk of an outbreak. Estimated epidemic risk ranged four-fold, from 0.12 secondary infections per day in an adult emergency to 0.49 per day in general paediatrics. The risk presented by an index case in a patient varied twenty-fold across wards. Using simulation, we assessed the potential impact on outbreak risk of targeting the most connected individuals for prevention. We found that targeting those with the highest cumulative contact hours was most impactful (20% reduction for 5% of the population targeted), and on average resources were better spent targeting patients. This study reveals patterns of interactions between individuals in hospital during a pandemic and opens new routes for research into airborne nosocomial risk.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Hospital vulnerability to spread of respiratory infections: close contact data collection and mathematical modelling
• Disruptiveness of COVID-19: Differences in Course Engagement, Self-appraisal, and Learning -
  We investigated how the transition to remote instruction amidst the COVID-19 pandemic affected students’ engagement, self-appraisals, and learning in advanced placement (AP) Statistics courses. Participants included 681 (Mage=16.7 years, SDage=.90; %female=55.4) students enrolled in the course during 2017-2018 (N=266), 2018-2019 (N=200), and the pandemic-affected 2019-2020 (N=215) year. Students enrolled during the pandemic-affected year reported a greater improvement in affective engagement but a decrease in cognitive engagement in the spring semester relative to a previous year. Females enrolled in the pandemic-affected year experienced a greater negative change in affective and behavioral engagement. Students enrolled during the pandemic-affected year reported a greater decrease in their anticipated AP exam scores and received lower scores on a practice exam aligned with the AP exam compared to a prior year. Though resilient in some respects, students’ self-appraisal and learning appeared negatively affected by pandemic circumstances.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Disruptiveness of COVID-19: Differences in Course Engagement, Self-appraisal, and Learning
• Socio-demographic characteristics associated with COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Switzerland: longitudinal analysis of the CoMix study -

  Background: Vaccination is an effective strategy to reduce morbidity and mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination has varied across and within countries. Switzerland has had lower levels of COVID-19 vaccination uptake in the general population than many other high-income countries. Understanding the socio-demographic factors associated with vaccination uptake can help to inform future vaccination strategies to increase uptake. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal online survey in the Swiss population, consisting of six survey waves from June to September 2021. Participants provided information on socio-demographic characteristics, history of testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), social contacts, willingness to be vaccinated, and vaccination status. We used a multivariable Poisson regression model to estimate the adjusted rate ratio (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Results: We recorded 6,758 observations from 1,884 adults. For the regression analysis, we included 3,513 observations from 1,883 participants. By September 2021, 600 (75%) of 806 study participants had received at least one vaccine dose. Participants who were older, male, and students, had a higher educational level, household income, and number of social contacts, and lived in a household with a medically vulnerable person were more likely to have received at least one vaccine dose. Female participants, those who lived in rural areas and smaller households, and people who perceived COVID-19 measures as being too strict were less likely to be vaccinated. We found no significant association between previous SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccination uptake. Conclusions: Our results suggest that socio-demographic factors as well as individual behaviours and attitudes played an important role in COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Switzerland. Therefore, appropriate communication with the public is needed to ensure that public health interventions are accepted and implemented by the population. Tailored COVID-19 vaccination strategies in Switzerland that aim to improve uptake should target specific subgroups such as women, people from rural areas or people with lower socio-demographic status. Keywords: Vaccine, COVID-19, contact survey, social contact, socio-demographic characteristics, Switzerland.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Socio-demographic characteristics associated with COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Switzerland: longitudinal analysis of the CoMix study
• Discovering Social Determinants of Health from Case Reports using Natural Language Processing: Algorithmic Development and Validation -

  Background: Social determinants of health are non-medical factors that influence health outcomes (SDOH). There is a wealth of SDOH information available via electronic health records, clinical reports, and social media, usually in free text format, which poses a significant challenge and necessitates the use of natural language processing (NLP) techniques to extract key information. Objective: The objective of this research is to advance the automatic extraction of SDOH from clinical texts. Setting and Data: The case reports of COVID-19 patients from the published literature are curated to create a corpus. A portion of the data is annotated by experts to create gold labels, and active learning is used for corpus re-annotation. Methods: A named entity recognition (NER) framework is developed and tested to extract SDOH along with a few prominent clinical entities (diseases, treatments, diagnosis) from the free texts. Results: The proposed NER implementation achieves an accuracy (F1-score) of 92.98% on our test set and generalizes well on benchmark data. A careful analysis of case examples demonstrates the superiority of the proposed approach in correctly classifying the named entities. Conclusions: NLP can be used to extract key information, such as SDOH from free texts. A more accurate understanding of SDOH is needed to further improve healthcare outcomes.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Discovering Social Determinants of Health from Case Reports using Natural Language Processing: Algorithmic Development and Validation
• Suspensions of prominent accounts minimally impact platform engagement -
  Health-related misinformation online poses threats to individual well-being and undermines public health efforts. In response, many social media platforms have temporarily or permanently suspended accounts that spread misinformation, at the risk of losing traffic vital to platform revenue. Here we examine the impact on platform engagement following removal of six prominent accounts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Focused on those who engaged with the removed accounts, we find that suspension did not meaningfully reduce activity on the platform. Moreover, we find that removal of the prominent accounts minimally impacted the diversity of information sources consumed.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Suspensions of prominent accounts minimally impact platform engagement
• Complex Adaptive Systems and Human Resource Management: Fostering a Thriving Workforce in the Post-Pandemic Era -
  The outbreak of COVID-19 has presented unparalleled difficulties for both companies and their staff, resulting in a state of emergency that jeopardizes the welfare of employees and the prosperity of organizations. The present article delves into the prospects of human resource management (HRM) in promoting a workforce that is sustainable and thrives in diverse situations or paradigms through the lens of complex adaptive systems. An examination of the current body of literature indicates deficiencies in comprehending the function of HRM in fostering employee thriving, particularly within the framework of broader and more remote organizational contexts. The article utilizes the framework of complex adaptive systems to suggest various human resource strategies, policies, practices, systems, and processes that can enhance the thriving of the workforce. These strategies include initiatives aimed at promoting employee well-being, flexible working arrangements, and leadership that fosters inclusivity. The significance of HR executives in steering organizations through periods of crisis and recuperation is underscored, along with the imperative to reevaluate the definition of thriving in the context of the pandemic and its enduring ramifications. The article’s final remarks entail the identification of potential avenues for future research and practice in the field of HRM. The significance of HRM in fostering a workforce that is capable of thriving sustainably, both during and post-pandemic, is underscored.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Complex Adaptive Systems and Human Resource Management: Fostering a Thriving Workforce in the Post-Pandemic Era

From Clinical Trials

• Extracorporeal Photopheresis as a Possible Therapeutic Approach to Adults With Severe and Critical COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Procedure: Extracorporeal photopheresis
  Sponsor:   Del-Pest Central Hospital - National Institute of Hematology and Infectious Diseases
  Recruiting

• A Clinical Trial on Booster Immunization of Two COVID-19 Vaccines Constructed From Different Technical Routes - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: Prototype and Omicron BA.4/5 Bivalent Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine(Adenovirus Type 5 Vector) For Inhalation;   Biological: Bivalent COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine;   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (Adenovirus Type 5 Vector) For Inhalation
  Sponsors:   Zhongnan Hospital;   Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, PLA of China
  Recruiting

• Evaluation of Safety, Tolerability, Reactogenicity, Immunogenicity of Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 2 as a Booster for COVID-19 - Conditions:   COVID-19 Vaccine;   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: 50 μg Baiya SARS-CoV-2 Vax 2;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsor:   Baiya Phytopharm Co., Ltd.
  Not yet recruiting

• The Effect of Special Discharge Training in the COVID-19 - Condition:   COVID-19 Pneumonia
  Intervention:   Other: COVID-19 Discharge Education
  Sponsor:   Kilis 7 Aralik University
  Completed

• Physiotherapy in Mutated COVID-19 Patients - Condition:   COVID-19 Pandemic
  Intervention:   Behavioral: Physiotherapy
  Sponsor:   Giresun University
  Completed

• Mitoquinone/Mitoquinol Mesylate as Oral and Safe Postexposure Prophylaxis for Covid-19 - Conditions:   SARS-CoV Infection;   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Mitoquinone/mitoquinol mesylate;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsor:   University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
  Not yet recruiting

• To Explore the Regulatory Effect of Combined Capsule FMT on the Levels of Inflammatory Factors in Peripheral Blood of Patients With COVID-19 During Treatment. - Conditions:   Fecal Microbiota Transplantation;   COVID-19 Infection
  Intervention:   Procedure: Fecal microbiota transplantation
  Sponsor:   Shanghai 10th People’s Hospital
  Completed

• Phase 3 Study of Novavax Vaccine(s) as Booster Dose After mRNA Vaccines - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: NVX-CoV2373;   Biological: SARS-CoV-2 rS antigen/Matrix-M Adjuvant
  Sponsor:   Novavax
  Active, not recruiting

• A Study to Learn About How Loss of Liver Function Affects the Blood Levels of the Study Medicine Called PF-07817883. - Condition:   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Drug: PF-07817883
  Sponsor:   Pfizer
  Not yet recruiting

• Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Monoclonal Antibodies for Long COVID (COVID-19) - Conditions:   Long COVID;   Post-Acute Sequela of COVID-19;   Post-Acute COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: AER002;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsors:   Michael Peluso, MD;   Aerium Therapeutics
  Not yet recruiting

• Dose Exploration Intramuscular/Intravenous Prophylaxis Pharmacokinetic Exposure Response Study - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: AZD3152;   Other: Placebo
  Sponsor:   AstraZeneca
  Recruiting

• COVID Frequent Antigen Testing - Condition:   COVID-19 Respiratory Infection
  Intervention:   Diagnostic Test: SARS CoV-2 antigen tests
  Sponsors:   IDX20 Inc;   National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
  Recruiting

• Study to Assess Safety, Reactogenicity and Immunogenicity of the repRNA(QTP104) Vaccine Against SARS-CoV-2(COVID-19) - Conditions:   COVID-19;   SARS-CoV-2
  Interventions:   Biological: QTP104 1ug;   Biological: QTP104 5ug;   Biological: QTP104 25ug
  Sponsor:   Quratis Inc.
  Active, not recruiting

• Effects of Individual Tailored Physical Exercise in Patients With POTS After COVID-19 - a Randomized Controlled Study - Conditions:   Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome;   COVID-19;   Post COVID-19 Condition;   Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
  Intervention:   Other: Individual tailored exercise
  Sponsors:   Karolinska Institutet;   Karolinska University Hospital
  Enrolling by invitation

• Modifying Adiposity Through Behavioral Strategies to Improve COVID-19 Rehabilitation - Conditions:   Post-COVID Conditions;   Obesity
  Interventions:   Behavioral: 12-weeks of Weight Loss;   Behavioral: 12-weeks of Weight Stability
  Sponsors:   VA Office of Research and Development;   South Texas Veterans Health Care System;   Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center
  Not yet recruiting

From PubMed

• Prospective evaluation of the efficacy, safety, and optimal biomarker enrichment strategy for nangibotide, a TREM-1 inhibitor, in patients with septic shock (ASTONISH): a double-blind, randomised, controlled, phase 2b trial - BACKGROUND: Activation of the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) pathway is associated with septic shock outcomes. Data suggest that modulation of this pathway in patients with activated TREM-1 might improve survival. Soluble TREM-1 (sTREM-1), a potential mechanism-based biomarker, might facilitate enrichment of patient selection in clinical trials of nangibotide, a TREM-1 modulator. In this phase 2b trial, we aimed to confirm the hypothesis that TREM1 inhibition might…

• Isolation of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Natural Products Extracted from Mentha canadensis and the Semi-synthesis of Antiviral Derivatives - Traditional herbal medicine offers opportunities to discover novel therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 mutation. The dried aerial part of mint (Mentha canadensis L.) was chosen for bioactivity-guided extraction. Seven constituents were isolated and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS). Syringic acid and methyl rosmarinate were evaluated in drug combination treatment. Ten amide derivatives of methyl rosmarinate were synthesized, and the dodecyl (13) and…

• Computational design of medicinal compounds to inhibit RBD-hACE2 interaction in the Omicron variant: unveiling a vulnerable target site - The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has globally affected both human health and economy. Several variants with a high potential for reinfection and the ability to evade immunity were detected shortly after the initial reported case of COVID-19. A total of 30 mutations in the spike protein (S) have been reported in the SARS-CoV-2 (BA.2) variant in India and South Africa, while half of these mutations are in the receptor-binding domain and have spread rapidly throughout the world. Drug…

• In silico screening, ADMET analysis and MD simulations of phytochemicals of Onosma bracteata Wall. as SARS CoV-2 inhibitors - Being attracted with their cardiotonic, antidiabetic, cough relieving activity, treatment of fever, absorbent, anti-asthmatic, etc. activities reported in ancient Ayurvedic literature, phytochemicals of Onosma bracteata wall should be evaluated for their activity against SARS-CoV-2 virus. The main objective of this study is to identify a hit molecule for the inhibition of entry, replication, and protein synthesis of SARS CoV-2 virus into the host. To achieve given objective, computational…

• In silico Antivirus Repurposing and its Modification to Organoselenium Compounds as SARS-CoV-2 Spike Inhibitors - <b>Background and Objective:</b> The COVID-19, which has been circulating since late 2019, is caused by SARS-CoV-2. Because of its high infectivity, this virus has spread widely throughout the world. Spike glycoprotein is one of the proteins found in SARS-CoV-2. Spike glycoproteins directly affect infection by forming ACE-2 receptors on host cells. Inhibiting glycoprotein spikes could be one method of treating COVID-19. In this study, the antivirus marketed as a database will be…

• PACT inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 through the blockage of GSK-3β-N-nsp3 cascade - The protein activator of protein kinase R (PKR) (PACT) has been shown to play a crucial role in stimulating the host antiviral response through the activation of PKR, retinoic acid-inducible gene I, and melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5. Whether PACT can inhibit viral replication independent of known mechanisms is still unrevealed. In this study, we show that, like many viruses, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) hijacks GSK-3β to facilitate its replication….

• Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 isolation in cell culture from nasal/nasopharyngeal swabs or saliva specimens of patients with COVID-19 - It has been revealed that SARS-CoV-2 can be efficiently isolated from clinical specimens such as nasal/nasopharyngeal swabs or saliva in cultured cells. In this study, we examined the efficiency of viral isolation including SARS-CoV-2 mutant strains between nasal/nasopharyngeal swab or saliva specimens. Furthermore, we also examined the comparison of viral isolation rates by sample species using simulated specimens for COVID-19. As a result, it was found that the isolation efficiency of…

• A Facile Strategy to Construct Anti-Swelling, Antibacterial and Antifogging Coatings for Protection of Medical Goggles - During the COVID-19 pandemic, traditional medical goggles are not only easy to attach bacteria and viruses in long-term exposure, but also easy to fogged up, which increases the risk of infection and affects productivity. Bacterial adhesion and fog can be significantly inhibited through the hydrogel coatings, owing to their super hydrophilic properties. But on the one hand, hydrophilic hydrogel coatings are easy to absorb water and swell in wet environment, resulting in reduced mechanical…

• Secreted ORF8 induces monocytic pro-inflammatory cytokines through NLRP3 pathways in patients with severe COVID-19 - Despite extensive research, the specific factor associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection that mediates the life-threatening inflammatory cytokine response in patients with severe COVID-19 remains unidentified. Herein we demonstrate that the virus-encoded Open Reading Frame 8 (ORF8) protein is abundantly secreted as a glycoprotein in vitro and in symptomatic patients with COVID-19. ORF8 specifically binds to the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) in CD14^(+) monocytes to…

• Nsp14 of SARS-CoV-2 inhibits mRNA processing and nuclear export by targeting the nuclear cap-binding complex - To facilitate selfish replication, viruses halt host gene expression in various ways. The nuclear export of mRNA is one such process targeted by many viruses. SARS-CoV-2, the etiological agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome, also prevents mRNA nuclear export. In this study, Nsp14, a bifunctional viral replicase subunit, was identified as a novel inhibitor of mRNA nuclear export. Nsp14 induces poly(A)+ RNA nuclear accumulation and the dissolution/coalescence of nuclear speckles. Genome-wide…

• In Silico Screening of Drugs That Target Different Forms of E Protein for Potential Treatment of COVID-19 - Recently the E protein of SARS-CoV-2 has become a very important target in the potential treatment of COVID-19 since it is known to regulate different stages of the viral cycle. There is biochemical evidence that E protein exists in two forms, as monomer and homopentamer. An in silico screening analysis was carried out employing 5852 ligands (from Zinc databases), and performing an ADMET analysis, remaining a set of 2155 compounds. Furthermore, docking analysis was performed on specific sites…

• Combination Therapy for the Treatment of Shingles with an Immunostimulatory Vaccine Virus and Acyclovir - Practically the entire global population is infected by herpesviruses that establish lifelong latency and can be reactivated. Alpha-herpesviruses, herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV-1/HSV-2) and varicella zoster virus (VZV), establish latency in sensory neurons and then reactivate to infect epithelial cells in the mucosa or skin, resulting in a vesicular rash. Licensed antivirals inhibit virus replication, but do not affect latency. On reactivation, VZV causes herpes zoster, also known as…

• Discovery of Polyphenolic Natural Products as SARS-CoV-2 M^pro Inhibitors for COVID-19 - The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has forced the development of direct-acting antiviral drugs due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The main protease of SARS-CoV-2 is a crucial enzyme that breaks down polyproteins synthesized from the viral RNA, making it a validated target for the development of SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics. New chemical phenotypes are frequently discovered in natural goods. In the current study, we used a fluorogenic assay to test a…

• Neutralizing antibody levels and epidemiological information of patients with breakthrough COVID-19 infection in Toyama, Japan - Breakthrough infection (BI) after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination has exploded owing to the emergence of various SARS-CoV-2 variants and has become a major problem at present. In this study, we analyzed the epidemiological information and possession status of neutralizing antibodies in patients with BI using SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped viruses (SARS-CoV-2pv). Analysis of 44 specimens diagnosed with COVID-19 after two or more vaccinations showed high inhibition of infection by 90% or…

• Circulating ACE2 level and zinc/albumin ratio as potential biomarkers for a precision medicine approach to COVID-19 - Highly mutable influenza is successfully countered based on individual susceptibility and similar precision-like medicine approach should be effective against SARS-COV-2. Among predictive markers to bring precision medicine to COVID-19, circulating ACE2 has potential features being upregulated in both severe COVID-19 and predisposing comorbidities. Spike SARS-CoVs were shown to induce ADAM17-mediated shedding of enzymatic active ACE2, thus accounting for its increased activity that has also been…

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