Covid-19 Sentry

Contents

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

From Preprints

• A cost-effectiveness analysis of Molnupiravir and Paxlovid in three African countries -

  Objective: To assess the cost-effectiveness of two COVID-19 oral antivirals (COAVs) Paxlovid and Molnupiravir compared to the standard of care, in Ghana, Rwanda and Zambia. Methods: We modelled costs (2022 US$) and health outcomes in the acute phase of the COVID-19 disease from a public payer9s perspective in three unvaccinated target populations (1) patients aged 65 years and above (elderly); (2) adult patients with at least one other underlying risk factors for disease severity; and (3) all adult patients. In addition, we conducted a series of sensitivity and scenario analyses. Results: In elderly patients, Paxlovid was less costly and more effective (i.e., dominated) than standard of care in all three study countries. Molnupiravir dominated standard of care in Rwanda and Zambia and an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was estimated at US$1023.58 per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted in Ghana. In adults with other underlying risk factors, Paxlovid dominated in Rwanda and Zambia while Molnupiravir dominated in Rwanda. Neither Paxlovid nor Molnupiravir were cost-effective in the all-adult group in any country context. Incremental net monetary benefit for Paxlovid was consistently higher than for Molnupiravir. In COVID-19 vaccinated patients, Paxlovid was cost-effective for elderly patients in Zambia and Rwanda but not in Ghana. Key determinants of cost-effectiveness were COAV price, likelihood of early treatment initiation, and hospitalization rates. Conclusion: In African settings similar to Zambia, Ghana or Rwanda, COAVs could be cost-effective in populations who are unvaccinated, and at high risk of progression to severe COVID-19. More evidence is needed to determine cost-effectiveness for patients that are unvaccinated but have previously been infected with COVID-19 and may have developed some immune protection.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: A cost-effectiveness analysis of Molnupiravir and Paxlovid in three African countries
• The receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein fused with the type IIb E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin A subunit as an intranasal booster after mRNA vaccination -
  The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infections had led to the COVID-19 pandemic which has a significant impact on global public health and the economy. The spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 contains the receptor binding domain (RBD) which binds to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor. Numerous RBD-based vaccines have been developed and recently focused on the induction of neutralizing antibodies against the immune evasive Omicron BQ.1.1 and XBB.1.5 subvariants. In this preclinical study, we reported the use of a direct fusion of the type IIb Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin A subunit with SARS CoV-2 RBD protein (RBD-LTA) as an intranasal vaccine candidate. The results showed that intranasal immunization with the RBD-LTA fusion protein in BALB/c mice elicited potent neutralizing antibodies against the Wuhan-Hu-1 and several SARS-CoV-2 variants as well as the production of IgA antibodies in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALFs). Furthermore, the RBD-LTA fusion protein was used as a second-dose booster after bivalent mRNA vaccination. The results showed that the neutralizing antibody titers elicited by the intranasal RBD-LTA booster were similar to the bivalent mRNA booster, but the RBD-specific IgA titers in sera and BALFs significantly increased. Overall, this preclinical study suggests that the RBD-LTA fusion protein could be a promising candidate as a mucosal booster COVID-19 vaccine.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: The receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein fused with the type IIb E. coli heat-labile enterotoxin A subunit as an intranasal booster after mRNA vaccination
• Discovering host protein interactions specific for SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome -
  SARS-CoV-2, a positive single-stranded RNA virus, interacts with host cell proteins throughout its life cycle. These interactions are necessary for the host to recognize and hinder the replication of SARS-CoV-2. For the virus, to translate, transcribe and replicate its genetic material. However, many details of these interactions are still missing. We focused on the proteins binding to the highly structured 5’ and 3’ end regions of SARS-CoV-2 RNA that were predicted by the catRAPID algorithm to attract numerous proteins, exploiting RNA-Protein Interaction Detection coupled with Mass Spectrometry (RaPID-MS) technology. The validated interactors, which agreed with our predictions, include pseudouridine synthase PUS7 that binds to both ends of the viral RNA. Nanopore direct-RNA sequencing confirmed that the RNA virus is heavily modified, and PUS7 consensus regions were found in both SARS-CoV-2 RNA end regions. Notably, a modified site was detected in the viral Transcription Regulatory Sequence - Leader (TRS-L) and can influence the viral RNA structure and interaction propensity. Overall, our data map host protein interactions within SARS-CoV-2 UTR regions, pinpointing to a potential role of pseudouridine synthases and post-transcriptional modifications in the viral life cycle. These findings contribute to understanding virus-host dynamics and may guide the development of targeted therapies.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Discovering host protein interactions specific for SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome
• Risk of COVID-19 death in adults who received booster COVID-19 vaccinations: national retrospective cohort study on 14.6 million people in England -

  Background: The emergence of the COVID-19 vaccination has been critical in changing the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, with estimates suggesting vaccinations have prevented millions of deaths worldwide. To ensure protection remains high in groups at high-risk, booster vaccinations in the UK have been targeted based on age and clinical vulnerabilities. We sought to identify adults at increased risk of COVID-19 death, and compared to non-COVID-19 risk, despite having received a booster dose as part of the 2022 autumn vaccination campaign in England. Methods: We undertook a national retrospective cohort study using data from the 2021 Census linked to electronic health records. We fitted cause-specific Cox regression to examine the association between a range of health conditions and the risk of COVID-19 death and all-other-cause death for adults aged 50-100-years in England vaccinated with a booster in autumn 2022. Findings: Our total population was 14,644,570 people; there were 6,800 COVID-19 deaths (52. and 150,075 non-COVID-19 deaths. Having learning disabilities or Down Syndrome (hazard ratio=5.07;conficence interval=3.69-6.98), pulmonary hypertension or fibrosis(2.88;2.43-3.40), motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia or Huntington9s disease (2.94, 1.82-4.74), cancer of blood and bone marrow (3.11;2.72-3.56), Parkinson9s disease (2.74;2.34-3.20), lung or oral cancer (2.57;2.04 to 3.24), dementia (2.64;2.46 to 2.83) or liver cirrhosis (2.65;1.95 to 3.59) was associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 death. Individuals with cancer of the blood or bone marrow, chronic kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypotension or fibrosis, or rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus had a significantly higher risk of COVID-19 death relative to other causes of death compared with individuals who did not have diagnoses of these comorbidities. Interpretation: We identify groups who are at increased risk of COVID-19 death relative to non-COVID-19 deaths. Vulnerable groups should continue to be prioritised for COVID-19 booster doses to minimise the risk of COVID-19 deaths.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Risk of COVID-19 death in adults who received booster COVID-19 vaccinations: national retrospective cohort study on 14.6 million people in England
• Evidence of prothrombotic factors associated with COVID-19 complications: a scoping review protocol -
  Objective: Scope review of the literature to assess the involvement of organs and systems and the existence of an association of prothrombotic factors with the complications of individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Introduction: The COVID-19 Syndrome in individuals who develop thromboembolic complications motivates this study. Understanding the phenotypic expression of these complications is motivating. The unknown cause-and-effect relationship of complications encourages the search for clarification through this literature scope review, hoping to find indicators of association between thromboembolic phenomena and complications in individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. Inclusion criteria: Primary studies on complications of COVID-19 associated with thrombosis, published as of January 2020 in English, will be the primary focus. I am expressing impairment of organs and systems by clinical complications of those infected with SARS-CoV-2. Methods: The proposed scope review will be guided by the J.B.I. (Joana Brigs Institute) Methodology and PRISMA-ScR protocol. The database will be MEDLINE via PubMed, and the population of selected articles will be divided into 3 phases (screening, filtering, and sampling) of data extraction and stored in sequenced worksheets with sorted data. Electronic tools will contribute to referencing sources (Software_EndNote), data selection (Software_Rayyan), classification, and database (Software_Excel). The results presented by diagrams should demonstrate the primary methodologies used in the studies under analysis, the clinical complications of COVID, and evidence on risk factors from the cohort studies.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Evidence of prothrombotic factors associated with COVID-19 complications: a scoping review protocol
• Gender and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Mental Health and Treatment Use amid the COVID-19 Pandemic -
  Objective: To investigate gender and racial/ethnic disparities in mental health and treatment use in college and graduate students amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: Based on a large-scale online survey (N = 1,415) administered during the weeks following a pandemic-related university-wide campus closure in March 2020, we examined gender and racial disparities in current internalizing severity and treatment use with t-tests and logistic regression models. Results: Specifically, we found that students with marginalized gender (e.g., woman [p < .001], non-binary gender [p < .001]) or Hispanic/Latinx identity (p = .002) reported higher levels of internalizing problem severity compared to their privileged counterparts (e.g., man, non- Hispanic/Latinx White). Regarding treatment use, Asian (p < .001) and multiracial students (p = .002) reported lower treatment use after controlling for internalizing problem severity. Internalizing severity was generally associated with higher treatment use (logit = 0.53, p = .001), indicating a match of objective needs with service use. However, this relationship was offset by a negative interaction between internalizing problem severity and Asian (logit = -0.49, p < .001) or Black identity (logit = -0.57, p = .03) in predicting treatment use. Conclusion: The findings revealed unique mental health challenges faced by different demographic groups and served as a call that specific actions to enhance mental health equity, such as continued mental health support for students with marginalized gender identities, additional COVID-related mental and practical support for Hispanic/Latinx students, and promotion of mental health awareness and trust in Asian/Black students, are desperately needed.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Gender and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Undergraduate and Graduate Students’ Mental Health and Treatment Use amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Vitamin S: Why is Social Contact, Even with Strangers, so Important to Well-Being? -
  Even before COVID-19, it was well-known in psychological science that our well-being is strongly served by the quality of our close relationships. But is our well-being also served by social contact with people we know less well? In this article, we discuss three propositions to support the conclusion that the benefits of social contact also derive from interactions with acquaintances and even strangers. The propositions state that most interaction situations with strangers are benign (Proposition 1), that most strangers are benign (Proposition 2), and that most interactions with strangers enhance well-being (Proposition 3). These propositions are supported, first, by recent research designed to illuminate the primary features of interaction situations, showing that situations with strangers often represent low conflict of interest. Second, in our interactions with strangers, most people exhibit high levels of low-cost cooperation (social mindfulness) and high-cost helping if help to strangers is urgent. We close by sharing research examples which show that even very subtle interactions with strangers yield short-term happiness. Broader implications for COVID-19 and urbanization are discussed.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Vitamin S: Why is Social Contact, Even with Strangers, so Important to Well-Being?
• Disparities in COVID-19-related trauma and internalizing symptoms across sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and their intersection during the pandemic -
  Sexual minority individuals face elevated risk for internalizing problems due to minority stress, and internalizing problems may have been exacerbated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined sexual orientation- and race/ethnicity-related mental health disparities during the first four months of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. We investigated disparities in COVID-19-related trauma (CRT) and internalizing symptoms (depression, anxiety) in a university community sample via surveys in March-April (Wave 1) and May-June 2020 (Wave 2) cross-sectionally using t-tests and longitudinally using residualized change score regressions. The analytic sample (N = 646; M age = 25.70, SD age = 10.16 at Wave 1) comprised 350 (54.2%) non-Hispanic White and 296 (45.8%) racial/ethnic minority participants; and 514 (79.6%) heterosexual and 132 (20.4%) sexual minority participants. Except for Wave 1 CRT, sexual minority individuals reported greater symptomatology than heterosexual individuals across all outcomes at each wave and racial/ethnic minority individuals reported no differences in outcomes compared to non-Hispanic White individuals. Longitudinally, sexual minority individuals reported less recovery from CRT compared to heterosexual individuals. No similar longitudinal disparities were identified across race/ethnicity. These findings build upon a growing body of literature of mental health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results highlight the importance of examining CRT to understand the effects of the pandemic on minoritized populations, particularly sexual minority individuals. Further work is needed to elucidate the potential exacerbating effects of minority stress on these disparities.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Disparities in COVID-19-related trauma and internalizing symptoms across sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, and their intersection during the pandemic
• Loss of Mental Health Support Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic -
  Purpose. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health concerns among college students. At the same time, pandemic response measures have made it more challenging for many students to access mental health support. However, little is known about the extent of mental health support loss among college students, or which students have lost support. This study investigated the scope of mental health support loss during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large university sample, as well as the factors associated with loss of support. Methods. Students completed an online questionnaire between March and May of 2020. Researchers examined the extent of mental health support loss in this sample and how support loss differed by a variety of demographic and mental health symptom variables. Methods were pre-registered at https://osf.io/m83hz. Results. Of n = 415 respondents, 62% reported loss of mental health support. Loss of support was associated with more severe depression symptoms (p < .001), more severe anxiety symptoms (p < .001), the presence of suicidal ideation (p < .001), and sexual minority identity (p = .017). Conclusions. Colleges and universities should be aware that many students have lost access to mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that students with more severe mental health symptoms, as well as sexual minority students, may be particularly vulnerable. Colleges and universities should make efforts to connect these students with sources of mental health support.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Loss of Mental Health Support Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• College student interest in teletherapy and self-guided mental health supports during the COVID-19 pandemic -
  Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened college students’ mental health while simultaneously creating new barriers to traditional in-person care. Teletherapy and online self-guided mental health supports are two potential avenues for addressing unmet mental health needs when face-to-face services are less accessible, but little is known about factors that shape interest in these supports. Participants: 1,224 U.S. undergraduate students (mean age=20.7; 72.5% female; 40.0% White) participated. Methods: Students completed an online questionnaire assessing interest in teletherapy and self-guided supports. Predictors included age, sex, ethnicity, sexual minority status, and anxiety and depression symptomatology. Results: Interest rates were 20% and 25% for at-cost supports and 70% and 72% for free supports. Older age, higher anxiety symptomatology, and identifying as Asian significantly predicted greater interest levels. Conclusions: Results may inform universities’ efforts to optimize students’ engagement with nontraditional, digital mental health supports, including teletherapy and self-guided programs.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: College student interest in teletherapy and self-guided mental health supports during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Honesty-Humility, beliefs, and prosocial behaviour: A test on stockpiling during the COVID-19 pandemic -
  Increasing evidence links personality to prosocial behaviour. HEXACO Honesty-Humility, in particular, has been linked to prosocial behaviour when it comes with a personal cost. Yet, evidence for such a link is mostly limited to the laboratory, although social dilemmas abound in daily life. Emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic pose salient conflicts of interests between individual and societal welfare. One example is the run on many basic goods in the anticipation of lockdowns. Such social dilemmas afford the expression of personality traits associated with individual differences in prosocial behaviour. Indeed, across two studies (N = 601), Honesty-Humility was positively, albeit weakly associated with refraining from stockpiling in the past and intentions to do so in the future. Causal mediation analysis shows that this was not due to differences in beliefs that others would refrain from stockpiling. Instead, results suggest that faced with a social dilemma, individuals high in Honesty-Humility may have been willing to forego individual benefit. This provides rare evidence on the relationship between Honesty-Humility and prosocial behaviour in a field setting.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Honesty-Humility, beliefs, and prosocial behaviour: A test on stockpiling during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Real-time forecasting of COVID-19-related hospital strain in France using a non-Markovian mechanistic model -

  Background Projects such as the European Covid-19 Forecast Hub publish forecasts on the national level for new deaths, new cases, and hospital admissions, but not direct measurements of hospital strain like critical care bed occupancy at the sub-national level, which is of particular interest to health professionals for planning purposes. Methods We present a sub-national French framework for forecasting hospital strain based on a non-Markovian compartmental model, its associated online visualisation tool and a retrospective evaluation of the real-time forecasts it provided from January to December 2021 by comparing to three standard statistical forecasting methods (auto-regression, exponential smoothing, and ARIMA). Results For anticipating risk of critical care unit overload, our model performed worse than pure statistical methods at the one- and two-week horizons, but had better point forecasts at the four-week horizon for 8 of the 13 regions considered. Our model also suffered from over-confidence with respect to its prediction intervals. Conclusions Online visualisation tools and consideration of how metrics can be affected by distortion from non-pharmaceutical government interventions are essential in the assessment of forecasting models for hospital strain.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Real-time forecasting of COVID-19-related hospital strain in France using a non-Markovian mechanistic model
• Is there an evolutionary advantage conferred by having a share of conspiracy theorists within a population? -
  This article is a reflection proposing an ecologically plausible motive and an epigenetically-controlled mechanism to explain the otherwise unexplainable behaviour that leads remarkably consistent fractions of the population to choose totally irrational standpoints irrespective of their level of intelligence or education. It stems from three independent pieces of evidence, each of which is ascertained common knowledge, and which are hereby linked together: #1: A non-negligible rate of the members of every nation’s population takes and keeps positions that are against mainstream opinions, also when such choice turns out to be totally detrimental for their own social life, credibility, employment, and/or health. The massive anti-vaccination coming-out in response to Covid-19 emergency has uncovered the extent of these phenomena and put in evidence the absence of correlation with education level and intellective qualities of people, involving even rather successful and bright individuals as Nobel laureates disregarding their loss of reputation, or top sport players missing chances to win trophies and to maintain sponsored contracts. #2: In biology, a given rate of mutant phenotypes involving a minority of the population, is at the basis of the Darwinian selection process. Although some mutations could affect the fitness of the individuals bearing them, the process can ensure species survival in the unlikely circumstance that a temporally and spatially unpredictable event would occur, for which the mutant trait would result the right match to avoid negative consequences. It is as if, once in a thousand times, an otherwise weird and self-harming choice would result the winning one. And, in order to avoid that all the progeny descending from the survivor would carry the ‘crimpled’ phenotype, in evolved lineages, mutation mechanisms can use epigenetic instead of genetic circuitries, allowing clean genome reset at reproduction. #3: Epigenetics has nowadays been shown to occur also at behavioural level, regulating human neurological expression, affecting social conduct, impulsive actions and connected beliefs. Putting the pieces together, # 2 is the motive and #3 is the mechanism that explain #1.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Is there an evolutionary advantage conferred by having a share of conspiracy theorists within a population?
• Production and performance assessment of a SARS-CoV-2 biomimetic in a verification program for pandemic readiness -

  During the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa, one of many challenges included availability of control material proficiency testing programs. Control material utilising live SARS-CoV-2 or RNA extracted from cell culture was either biohazardous and costly, particularly in resource limited settings. Here, we report the development and application of a non-infectious SARS-CoV-2 biomimetic Mycobacterium smegmatis strain that mimics a positive result in the GeneXpert SARS-CoV-2 Xpert Xpress cartridge. Nucleotide sequences located in genes encoding the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, the nucleocapsid and the envelope proteins were used. The resulting biomimetic was prepared as a Quality Control specimen and distributed to laboratories in South Africa for validation prior to testing of clinical specimens. Between April 2020 and December 2020, a total of 151 instruments were validated to bring Covid-19 mass testing online. These instruments capacitated the country to perform tests in 2532 modules. False negative or false positive findings reflected issues such as workflow/technician error or other related technical issues. This non-infectious, easily scalable control material became available within two months after the start of the pandemic in South Africa and represents a useful approach to consider for other diseases and future pandemics.

  🖺 Full Text HTML: Production and performance assessment of a SARS-CoV-2 biomimetic in a verification program for pandemic readiness
• Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine-Specific COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media: A Scoping Review -
  Background: The sharing of health-related information has become increasingly popular on social media. Unregulated information sharing has led to the spread of misinformation, especially regarding complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine (CAIM). This scoping review synthesized evidence surrounding the spread of CAIM-related misinformation on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This review was informed by a modified version of the Arksey and O’Malley scoping review framework. AMED, EMBASE, PsycINFO and MEDLINE databases were searched systematically from inception to January 2022. Eligible articles explored COVID-19 misinformation on social media and contained sufficient information on CAIM therapies. Common themes were identified using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Results: Twenty-eight articles were included. The following themes were synthesized: 1) misinformation prompts unsafe and harmful behaviours, 2) misinformation can be separated into different categories, 3) individuals are capable of identifying and refuting CAIM misinformation, 4) non-representative study samples have resulted in considerable generalizability issues, and 5) studies argue governments and social media companies have a responsibility to resolve the spread of COVID-19 misinformation. Conclusions: Misinformation can spread more easily when shared on social media. Our review suggests that misinformation about COVID-19 related to CAIM that is disseminated online contributes to unsafe health behaviours, however, this may be remedied via public education initiatives and stricter media guidelines. The results of this scoping review are crucial to understanding the behavioural impacts of the spread of COVID-19 misinformation about CAIM therapies, and can inform the development of public health policies to mitigate these issues.
  🖺 Full Text HTML: Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Medicine-Specific COVID-19 Misinformation on Social Media: A Scoping Review

From Clinical Trials

• Role of Ivermectin and Colchicine in Treatment of COVID-19: Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Drug: Ivermectin Tablets;   Drug: Colchicine 0.5 MG;   Drug: Standared managment
  Sponsor:   Ain Shams University
  Completed

• COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Counseling Intervention for Pharmacists - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Behavioral: Standard implementation webinar and online training;   Behavioral: Virtual facilitation
  Sponsors:   University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill;   University of Arkansas;   University of South Carolina;   National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
  Not yet recruiting

• LUSZ Treatment Efficacy in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients - Conditions:   COVID-19;   Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
  Interventions:   Drug: Lopinavir / Ritonavir;   Drug: Remdesivir (RDV);   Drug: Tocilizumab;   Other: Corticosteroid Therapy-enhanced Standard Care (CTSC)
  Sponsors:   Lebanese University;   Hospital Saydet Zgharta University Medical Center
  Recruiting

• Comprehensive Imaging Exam of Convalesced COVID-19 Patients - Conditions:   COVID-19;   COVID Long-Haul
  Interventions:   Other: Magnetic Resonance Imaging;   Other: Ultra-High Resolution Computed Tomography (CT) Scan
  Sponsors:   Johns Hopkins University;   Canon Medical Systems, USA
  Enrolling by invitation

• UNAIR Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine as Heterologue Booster (Immunobridging Study) - Conditions:   COVID-19 Pandemic;   COVID-19 Vaccines
  Interventions:   Biological: Vaksin Merah Putih - UA SARS-CoV-2 (Vero Cell Inactivated) 5 µg;   Biological: CoronaVac Biofarma COVID-1 9 Vaccine 3 µg
  Sponsors:   Dr. Soetomo General Hospital;   Indonesia-MoH;   Universitas Airlangga;   Biotis Pharmaceuticals, Indonesia
  Recruiting

• Immunogenicity and Safety Study of SCB-2023 Vaccine as a Booster in Adults - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: SCB-2023 vaccine (trivalent), a recombinant SARS-CoV-2 trimeric S-protein subunit vaccine for COVID-19; intramuscular injection;   Biological: SCB-2019 (monovalent), a recombinant SARS-CoV-2 trimeric S-protein subunit vaccine for COVID-19; intramuscular injection
  Sponsor:   Clover Biopharmaceuticals AUS Pty Ltd
  Not yet recruiting

• The Safety and Immunogenicity Following a Heterologous Booster Dose of Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine LYB002 - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: LYB002V14;   Biological: LYB002V14A;   Biological: LYB002CA
  Sponsors:   Guangzhou Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.;   Yantai Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.;   Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College
  Active, not recruiting

• Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of Different Booster Dose Levels of Monovalent and Bivalent SARS-CoV-2 rS Vaccines in Adults ≥ 50 Years - Condition:   COVID-19
  Interventions:   Biological: NVX-CoV2540 (5, 10, 25 μg);   Biological: NVX-CoV2373 (5 μg);   Biological: Bivalent BA.4/5 Omicron subvariant
  Sponsor:   Novavax
  Not yet recruiting

• Evaluating the Efficacy of Remdesivir for Long COVID Following a Confirmed COVID-19 Infection. - Conditions:   SARS-CoV-2 Infection;   COVID-19
  Intervention:   Drug: Remdesivir
  Sponsors:   University of Derby;   University of Exeter;   Peninsula Clinical Trials Unit;   University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust
  Not yet recruiting

• The Immunogenicity and Safety Following a Heterologous Booster Dose of Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine LYB001 - Conditions:   COVID-19;   Vaccine Reaction
  Interventions:   Biological: LYB001;   Biological: CoronaVac
  Sponsors:   Guangzhou Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.;   Yantai Patronus Biotech Co., Ltd.;   Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College
  Active, not recruiting

• Safety and Efficacy of Anakinra Treatment for Patients With Post Acute Covid Syndrome - Condition:   Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
  Interventions:   Drug: Placebo;   Drug: Anakinra 149 MG/ML Prefilled Syringe [Kineret]
  Sponsor:   Hellenic Institute for the Study of Sepsis
  Not yet recruiting

• The Effect of Smart Sensor Combined With APP for Individualized Precise Exercise Training in Long Covid-19 - Conditions:   Coronavirus Disease;   COVID-19;   Long Covid-19;   Telerehabilitation
  Interventions:   Device: KNEESUP smart knee assistive device + KNEESUP care APP;   Device: KNEESUP care APP;   Behavioral: Healthy consulation
  Sponsor:   Shang-Lin Chiang
  Recruiting

• Effects of Music Combined With Sports Games on Alleviating Psychological Stress, Anxiety and Mental Energy Among Adolescents During COVID-19 Pandemic in Lanzhou Gansu Province China - Conditions:   Stress;   Anxiety and Fear
  Interventions:   Behavioral: Music intervention only;   Behavioral: Sports games intervention only;   Behavioral: Music and sports games intervention
  Sponsor:   Wu Jiarun
  Completed

• Pandemic-Proofing Simulation-based Education - Condition:   COVID 19
  Interventions:   Device: VR Headset;   Other: Traditional Theatre-based simulation
  Sponsors:   Ottawa Hospital Research Institute;   Sunnybrook Research Institute
  Not yet recruiting

• Study on the Remote Diagnosis and Treatment Strategy of New-onset Insomnia Under the COVID-19 Epidemic - Conditions:   Insomnia;   CBT;   Depression;   Anxiety
  Intervention:   Device: CBTI online programe
  Sponsor:   Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
  Enrolling by invitation

From PubMed

• Conformational response to ligand binding of TMPRSS2, a protease involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection: Insights through computational modeling - Thanks to the considerable research which has been undertaken in the last few years to improve our understanding of the biology and mechanism of action of SARS-CoV-2, we know how the virus uses its surface spike protein to infect host cells. The transmembrane prosthesis, serine 2 (TMPRSS2) protein, located on the surface of human cells, recognizes the cleavage site in the spike protein, leading to the release of the fusion peptide and entry of the virus into the host cells. Because of its role,…

• Respiratory infections in children and adolescents in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic - CONCLUSIONS: While the measures taken were effective in inhibiting the number of respiratory infections for almost 1.5 years, moderately frequent but rather mild COVID-19 cases occurred when measures were lifted. When Omicron emerged in 2022 COVID-19 became moderately frequent but led predominantly to mild illnesses. For RSV and influenza, the measures resulted in changes in their annual timing and intensity.

• Maternal prenatal attachment during the COVID-19 pandemic: exploring the roles of pregnancy-related anxiety, risk perception, and well-being - Pregnant women have faced novel physical and mental health risks during the pandemic. This situation is remarkable because a parent’s emotional bond with their unborn baby (also known as prenatal attachment) is related to the parent’s mental state. Prenatal attachment helps parents psychologically prepare for the transition into parenthood. Moreover, it plays a pivotal role in the future parentchild relationship and psychosocial development of the baby. Based on the available literature, the…

• Molecular mechanism of ensitrelvir inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 main protease and its variants - SARS-CoV-2 poses an unprecedented threat to the world as the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among a handful of therapeutics developed for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, ensitrelvir is the first noncovalent and nonpeptide oral inhibitor targeting the main protease (M^(pro)) of SARS-CoV-2, which recently received emergency regulatory approval in Japan. Here we determined a 1.8-Å structure of M^(pro) in complex with ensitrelvir, which revealed that ensitrelvir…

• Intranasal VLP-RBD vaccine adjuvanted with BECC470 confers immunity against Delta SARS-CoV-2 challenge in K18-hACE2-mice - As the COVID-19 pandemic transitions into endemicity, seasonal boosters are a plausible reality across the globe. We hypothesize that intranasal vaccines can provide better protection against asymptomatic infections and more transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2. To formulate a protective intranasal vaccine, we utilized a VLP-based platform. Hepatitis B surface antigen-based virus like particles (VLP) linked with receptor binding domain (RBD) antigen were paired with the TLR4-based agonist…

• Synthesis and characterization of n-phosphonium chitosan and its virucidal activity evaluation against coronavirus - Despite the worldwide vaccination effort against COVID-19, the demand for biocidal materials has increased. One promising solution is the chemical modification of polysaccharides, such as chitosan, which can provide antiviral activity through the insertion of cationic terminals. In this study, chitosan was modified with (4-carboxybutyl) triphenylphosphonium bromide to create N-phosphonium chitosan (NPCS), a quaternized derivative. The resulting NPCS samples with three degrees of substitution…

• Identification of a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor CP-724714 inhibits SADS-CoV related swine diarrhea coronaviruses infection in vitro - The outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020 has caused unprecedented panic among all mankind, pointing the major importance of effective treatment. Since the emergence of the swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) at the end of 2017, multiple reports have indicated that the bat-related SADS-CoV possesses a potential threat for cross-species transmission. Vaccines and antiviral drugs development deserve more attention. In this study, we found that the HER2 phosphorylation…

• Immunogenicity and efficacy of a novel multi-patch SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 vaccine candidate - INTRODUCTION: While there has been considerable progress in the development of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, largely based on the S (spike) protein of the virus, less progress has been made with vaccines delivering different viral antigens with cross-reactive potential.

• The sesquiterpenes with the COVID-19 M^pro inhibitory activity from the Carpesium abrotanoides L - The extract of the whole plant of Carpesium abrotanoides L. yielded four new sesquiterpenes including a novel skeleton (claroguaiane A, 1), two guaianolides (claroguaianes B-C, 2-3), and one eudesmanolide (claroeudesmane A, 4), together with three known sesquiterpenoids (5-7). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis especially 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and HRESIMS data. Additionally, all the isolated compounds were preliminarily evaluated for the inhibitive…

• Antimicrobial efficiency of chlorine dioxide and its potential use as anti-SARS-CoV-2 agent: mechanisms of action and interactions with gut microbiota - Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is a disinfectant gas with strong antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral activities. Applied on hard non-porous surfaces as an aqueous solution or gas, the ClO2 exerts antimicrobial activity through its interaction and destabilization of cell membrane proteins, as well as through DNA/RNA oxidation, triggering cell death. As for viruses, the ClO2 promotes protein denaturalization mechanisms preventing the union between the human cells and the viral envelope. Currently,…

• MicroRNA 205-5p and COVID-19 adverse outcomes: Potential molecular biomarker and regulator of the immune response - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The uncontrolled systemic inflammatory response, resulting from the release of large amounts of pro-inflammatory cytokines, is the main mechanism behind severe acute respiratory syndrome and multiple organ failure, the two main causes of death in COVID-19. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as gene expression regulation by microRNAs (miRs), may be at the…

• Cytokine Storm in Acute Viral Respiratory Injury: Role of Qing-Fei-Pai-Du Decoction in Inhibiting the Infiltration of Neutrophils and Macrophages through TAK1/IKK/NF-[Formula: see text]B Pathway - COVID-19 has posed unprecedented challenges to global public health since its outbreak. The Qing-Fei-Pai-Du decoction (QFPDD), a Chinese herbal formula, is widely used in China to treat COVID-19. It exerts an impressive therapeutic effect by inhibiting the progression from mild to critical disease in the clinic. However, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. Both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses elicit similar pathological processes. Their severe manifestations, such as acute respiratory…

• ACE2-EGFR-MAPK signaling contributes to SARS-CoV-2 infection - SARS-CoV-2 triggered the most severe pandemic of recent times. To enter into a host cell, SARS-CoV-2 binds to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). However, subsequent studies indicated that other cell membrane receptors may act as virus-binding partners. Among these receptors, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was hypothesized not only as a spike protein binder, but also to be activated in response to SARS-CoV-2. In our study, we aim at dissecting EGFR activation and its major…

• ACP-Dnnel: anti-coronavirus peptides’ prediction based on deep neural network ensemble learning - The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused dramatic loss of human life. There is an urgent need for safe and efficient anti-coronavirus infection drugs. Anti-coronavirus peptides (ACovPs) can inhibit coronavirus infection. With high-efficiency, low-toxicity, and broad-spectrum inhibitory effects on coronaviruses, they are promising candidates to be developed into a new type of anti-coronavirus drug. Experiment is the traditional way of ACovPs’ identification, which is less efficient and more…

• Cell surface nucleocapsid protein expression: A betacoronavirus immunomodulatory strategy - We recently reported that SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein is abundantly expressed on the surface of both infected and neighboring uninfected cells, where it enables activation of Fc receptor-bearing immune cells with anti-N antibodies (Abs) and inhibits leukocyte chemotaxis by binding chemokines (CHKs). Here, we extend these findings to N from the common cold human coronavirus (HCoV)-OC43, which is also robustly expressed on the surface of infected and noninfected cells by binding heparan…

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