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<h1 data-aos="fade-down" id="covid-19-sentry">Covid-19 Sentry</h1>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" data-aos-anchor-placement="top-bottom" id="contents">Contents</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="#from-preprints">From Preprints</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-pubmed">From PubMed</a></li>
<li><a href="#from-patent-search">From Patent Search</a></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-preprints">From Preprints</h1>
<ul>
<li><strong>Evolution and neutralization escape of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 subvariant</strong> -
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Omicron BA.2.86 subvariant differs from Omicron BA.2 as well as recently circulating variants by over 30 mutations in the spike protein alone. Here we report on the first isolation of the live BA.2.86 subvariant from a diagnostic swab collected in South Africa which we tested for escape from neutralizing antibodies and viral replication properties in cell culture. BA.2.86 did not have significantly more escape than Omicron XBB.1.5 from neutralizing immunity elicited by infection of Omicron subvariants ranging from BA.1 to XBB, either by infection alone or as breakthrough infection in vaccinated individuals. Neutralization escape was present relative to earlier strains: BA.2.86 showed extensive escape both relative to ancestral virus in sera from pre-Omicron vaccinated individuals and relative to Omicron BA.1 in sera from Omicron BA.1 infected individuals. We did not observe substantial differences in viral properties in cell culture relative to XBB.1.5. Both BA.2.86 and XBB.1.5 produced infection foci of similar size, had similar cytopathic effect (both lower than ancestral SARS-CoV-2), and had similar replication dynamics. We also investigated the relationship of BA.2.86 to BA.2 sequences and found that the closest were BA.2 samples from Southern Africa circulating in early 2022. These observations suggest that BA.2.86 is more closely related to sequences from Southern Africa than other regions and so may have evolved there, and that evolution led to escape from neutralizing antibodies similar in scale to recently circulating strains of SARS-CoV-2.
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.08.23295250v1" target="_blank">Evolution and neutralization escape of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 subvariant</a>
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<li><strong>How immunity shapes the long-term dynamics of seasonal influenza</strong> -
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Since its emergence in 1968, influenza A H3N2 has caused yearly epidemics in temperate regions. While infection confers immunity against antigenically similar strains, new antigenically distinct strains that evade existing immunity regularly emerge (9antigenic drift9). Immunity at the individual level is complex, depending on an individual9s lifetime infection history. An individual9s first infection with influenza typically elicits the greatest response with subsequent infections eliciting progressively reduced responses (9antigenic seniority9). The combined effect of individual-level immune responses and antigenic drift on the epidemiological dynamics of influenza are not well understood. Here we develop an integrated modelling framework of influenza transmission, immunity, and antigenic drift to show how individual-level exposure, and the build-up of population level immunity, shape the long-term epidemiological dynamics of H3N2. Including antigenic seniority in the model, we observe that following an initial decline after the pandemic year, the average annual attack rate increases over the next 80 years, before reaching an equilibrium, with greater increases in older age-groups. Our analyses suggest that the average attack rate of H3N2 is still in a growth phase. Further increases, particularly in the elderly, may be expected in coming decades, driving an increase in healthcare demand due to H3N2 infections. We anticipate our findings and methodological developments will be applicable to other antigenically variable pathogens. This includes the recent pandemic pathogens influenza A H1N1pdm09, circulating since 2009, and SARS-CoV-2, circulating since 2019. Our findings highlight that following the short-term reduction in attack rates after a pandemic, if there is any degree of antigenic seniority then a resurgence in attack rates should be expected over the longer-term. Designing and implementing studies to assess the dynamics of immunity for H1N1pdm09, SARS-CoV-2, and other antigenically variable pathogens may help anticipate any long-term rises in infection and health burden.
</p>
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.08.23295244v1" target="_blank">How immunity shapes the long-term dynamics of seasonal influenza</a>
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<li><strong>Disease trajectories in hospitalized COVID-19 patients are predicted by clinical and peripheral blood signatures representing distinct lung pathologies.</strong> -
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Linking clinical biomarkers and lung pathology still is necessary to understand COVID-19 pathogenesis and the basis of progression to lethal outcomes. Resolving these knowledge gaps enables optimal treatment approaches of severe COVID-19. We present an integrated analysis of longitudinal clinical parameters, blood biomarkers and lung pathology in COVID-19 patients from the Brazilian Amazon. We identified core signatures differentiating severe recovered patients and fatal cases with distinct disease trajectories. Progression to early death was characterized by rapid and intense endothelial and myeloid activation, presence of thrombi, mostly driven by SARS-CoV-2 + macrophages. Progression to late death was associated with systemic cytotoxicity, interferon and Th17 signatures and fibrosis, apoptosis, and abundant SARS-CoV-2 + epithelial cells in the lung. Progression to recovery was associated with pro-lymphogenic and Th2-mediated responses. Integration of antemortem clinical and blood biomarkers with post-mortem lung-specific signatures defined predictors of disease progression, identifying potential targets for more precise and effective treatments.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.08.23295024v1" target="_blank">Disease trajectories in hospitalized COVID-19 patients are predicted by clinical and peripheral blood signatures representing distinct lung pathologies.</a>
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<li><strong>SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 modulates lung inflammation and clinical disease progression</strong> -
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The virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, is the causative agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic. It possesses a large 30 kilobase (kb) genome that encodes structural, non-structural, and accessory proteins. Although not necessary to cause disease, these accessory proteins are known to influence viral replication and pathogenesis. Through the synthesis of novel infectious clones of SARS-CoV-2 that lack one or more of the accessory proteins of the virus, we have found that one of these accessory proteins, ORF8, is critical for the modulation of the host inflammatory response. Mice infected with a SARS-CoV-2 virus lacking ORF8 exhibit increased weight loss and exacerbated macrophage infiltration into the lungs. Additionally, infection of mice with recombinant SARS-CoV-2 viruses encoding ORF8 mutations found in variants of concern reveal that naturally occurring mutations in this protein influence disease severity. Our studies with a virus lacking this ORF8 protein and viruses possessing naturally occurring point mutations in this protein demonstrate that this protein impacts pathogenesis.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.08.556788v1" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 ORF8 modulates lung inflammation and clinical disease progression</a>
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<li><strong>Early combination with remdesivir, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and sotrovimab for the treatment of COVID-19 in immunocompromised hosts</strong> -
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Background: Immunocompromised patients with COVID-19 have higher morbidity and mortality than general population. Some authors have successfully used antiviral combination, but never in the early phase of the infection. Methods: Retrospective cohort study to describe efficacy and safety of the combination of 2 antivirals, with or without a mAb, both in early (within 10 days from symptoms) and in later phase (after 10 days) of SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunocompromised patients admitted to our facility. Results: We treated 11 patients (7 in early phase and 4 in later phase of COVID-19) with 10 days of intravenous remdesivir plus 5 days of oral nirmatelvir/ritonavir, also combined with sotrovimab in 10/11 cases. Notably, 100% of the &lt;early&gt; patients reached virological clearance at day 30 from the end of the therapy and were alive and well at follow-up, whereas corresponding figures in the &lt;late&gt; patients were 50% and 75%. Patients in late group more frequently needed oxygen supplementation (p=0.015) and steroid therapy (p=0.045) during admission and reached higher a COVID-19 severity (p=0.017). Discussion: The combination of antiviral and sotrovimab in early phase of COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients is well tolerated and associated with 100% of virological clearance. Patients treated later have lower response rate and higher disease severity, but a causative role of the therapy in such finding is yet to be demonstrated.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.07.23295202v1" target="_blank">Early combination with remdesivir, nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and sotrovimab for the treatment of COVID-19 in immunocompromised hosts</a>
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<li><strong>Uncovering the implications of IFN-I in severe COVID-19 neutrophil inflammasome</strong> -
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Excessive inflammation defines COVID-19 pathophysiology. Neutrophils represent a critical arm of the innate immune response and are major mediators of inflammation. We conducted transcriptomic profiling of polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs), consisting mainly of mature neutrophils, which revealed a pronounced type I interferon (IFN-I) gene signature in severe COVID-19, compared to mild COVID-19 and healthy controls. Notably, low-density granulocytes (LDGs) from severe COVID-19 did not exhibit this signature and displayed a distinct immature neutrophil phenotype. PMNs from severe COVID-19 patients showed heightened nigericin-induced caspase1 activation but reduced responsiveness to exogenous inflammasome priming. Interestingly, while mature neutrophils efficiently released IL-1? upon inflammasome activation, they were poor producers of IL-18. Furthermore, IFN-I emerged as a priming stimulus for neutrophil inflammasomes, which was confirmed in a COVID-19 mouse model. Overall, these findings underscore the crucial role of neutrophil inflammasomes in driving inflammation during severe COVID-19 and opens promising avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions to mitigate the pathological processes associated with the disease.
</p>
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.07.23295190v1" target="_blank">Uncovering the implications of IFN-I in severe COVID-19 neutrophil inflammasome</a>
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<li><strong>Comparison of Different PCR Methods for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater Based on the Reported Incidence of COVID-19 in Finland</strong> -
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The spatial and temporal changes of the COVID19 pandemic have been monitored with wastewaterbased surveillance, which many countries have applied to their national public health monitoring measures. The most commonly used methods for the detection of SARSCoV2 in wastewater are RTqPCR and RTddPCR. Previous comparisons of the two methods have produced conflicting results; some found RTddPCR to be more sensitive, one found RTqPCR to be more sensitive, and others found them to be equal in sensitivity. This research was conducted to further study these two methods as well as two different RNA extraction methodologies and gene assays for the detection of SARSCoV2 in wastewater. We compared two RTqPCR kits and RTddPCR based on sensitivity, variability, and the correlation of SARSCoV2 gene copy numbers in wastewater with the incidence of COVID19. Our results indicate that the most sensitive and lowvariance method to detect SARSCoV2 in wastewater was RTddPCR. However, we obtained the best correlation between COVID-19 incidence and SARSCoV2 gene copy number in wastewater using RTqPCR (CC = 0.697, p &lt; 0.001). We found a significant difference in sensitivity between the two RTqPCR kits, one having a significantly lower limit of detection and a higher percentage of positive samples than the other. Furthermore, the CDC N1 primers and probe were the most sensitive for both RTqPCR kits, while there was no significant difference between the tested gene targets using RTddPCR. For the most sensitive RTqPCR, the use of different RNA extraction kits affected the result. All methods showed a trend between COVID19 incidence and SARSCoV2 gene copy numbers in wastewater. In addition, we tested an isothermal amplification method for the detection of SARSCoV2 RNA in wastewater. It proved to be a viable option if results are expected quickly, resources are limited, and presenceabsence information is sufficient.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.07.23295183v1" target="_blank">Comparison of Different PCR Methods for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in Wastewater Based on the Reported Incidence of COVID-19 in Finland</a>
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<li><strong>Effectiveness of BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccination in Children Aged 517 Years in the United States</strong> -
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Importance: COVID19 vaccines are authorized for use in children in the United States; realworld assessment of vaccine effectiveness in children is needed. Objective: To estimate the effectiveness of receiving a complete primary series of monovalent BNT162b2 (PfizerBioNTech) COVID-19 vaccine in US children. Design: A cohort study of children aged 5—17 years vaccinated with BNT162b2 matched with unvaccinated children. Setting: Participants identified in Optum and CVS Health insurance administrative claims databases were linked with Immunization Information System (IIS) COVID-19 vaccination records from 16 US jurisdictions between December 11, 2020, and May 31, 2022 (end date varied by database and IIS). Participants: Vaccinated children were followed from their first BNT162b2 dose and matched to unvaccinated children on calendar date, US county of residence, and demographic and clinical factors. Censoring occurred if vaccinated children failed to receive a timely dose 2 or if unvaccinated children received any dose. Exposure: BNT162b2 vaccinations were identified using IIS vaccination records and insurance claims. Main Outcomes and Measures: Two COVID19 outcome definitions were evaluated: COVID19 diagnosis in any medical setting and COVID19 diagnosis in hospitals/emergency departments (EDs). Propensity scoreweighted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated with Cox proportional hazards models, and vaccine effectiveness (VE) was estimated as 1 minus HR. VE was estimated overall, within age subgroups, and within variantspecific eras. Sensitivity, negative control, and quantitative bias analyses evaluated various potential biases. Results: There were 453,655 eligible vaccinated children onetoone matched to unvaccinated comparators (mean age 12 years; 50% female). COVID-19 hospitalizations/ED visits were rare in children, regardless of vaccination status (Optum, 41.2 per 10,000 person years; CVS Health, 44.1 per 10,000 person years). Overall, vaccination was associated with reduced incidence of any medically diagnosed COVID19 (metaanalyzed VE = 38% [95% CI, 36%40%]) and hospital/EDdiagnosed COVID-19 (metaanalyzed VE = 61% [95% CI, 56%65%]). VE estimates were lowest among children 5—11 years and during the omicron variant era. Conclusions and Relevance: Receipt of a complete BNT162b2 vaccine primary series was associated with overall reduced medically diagnosed COVID19 and hospital/EDdiagnosed COVID19 in children; observed VE estimates differed by age group and variant era.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.06.23294426v1" target="_blank">Effectiveness of BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccination in Children Aged 517 Years in the United States</a>
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<li><strong>Effect of the 2022 COVID-19 booster vaccination campaign in 50 year olds in England: regression discontinuity analysis in OpenSAFELY</strong> -
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Background: SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe COVID-19 but require boosting to maintain protection. Changes to circulating variants and prevalent natural immunity may impact on real-world effectiveness of boosters in different time periods and in different populations. Methods: With NHS England approval, we used linked routine clinical data from &gt;24 million patients to evaluate the effectiveness of the 2022 combined COVID-19 autumn booster and influenza vaccine campaign in non-clinically vulnerable 50-year-olds in England using a regression discontinuity design. Our primary outcome was a composite of 6-week COVID-19 emergency attendance, COVID-19 unplanned hospitalisation, or death. The secondary outcomes were: respiratory hospitalisations or death; any unplanned hospitalisation; and any death. Results: Our study included 1,917,375 people aged 45-54 years with no evidence of being in a high-risk group prioritised for vaccination. By 26 November 2022, booster vaccine coverage was 11.1% at age 49.75 years increasing to 39.7% at age 50.25 years. The estimated effect of the campaign on the risk of the primary outcome in 50-year-olds during weeks 7-12 after the campaign start was -0.4 per 100,000 (95% CI -7.8, 7.1). For the secondary outcomes the estimated effects were: -0.6 per 100,000 (95%CI -13.5, 12.3) for respiratory outcomes; 5.0 per 100,000 (95%CI -40.7, 50.8) for unplanned hospitalisations; and 3.0 per 100,000 (95%CI -2.7, 8.6) for any death. The results were similar when using different follow-up start dates, different bandwidths, or when estimating the effect of vaccination (rather than the campaign). Conclusion: This study found little evidence that the autumn 2022 vaccination campaign in England was associated with a reduction in severe COVID-19-related outcomes among non-clinically vulnerable 50-year-olds. Possible explanations include the low risk of severe outcomes due to substantial pre-existing vaccine- and infection-induced immunity. Modest booster coverage reduced the precision with which we could estimate effectiveness. The booster campaign may have had effects beyond those estimated, including reducing virus transmission and incidence of mild or moderate COVID-19.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.07.23295194v1" target="_blank">Effect of the 2022 COVID-19 booster vaccination campaign in 50 year olds in England: regression discontinuity analysis in OpenSAFELY</a>
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<li><strong>Epidemiological insight into the possible drivers of Lassa fever in an endemic area of Southwestern Nigeria from 2017 and 2021</strong> -
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Background Lassa fever (LF) is a viral disease transmitted between animals and humans, commonly found in West Africa, including Nigeria. The region experiences an estimated annual total of about 2 million LF cases in humans, leading to 5,000 to 10,000 deaths. Strikingly, up to 80% of LF-infected individuals show no symptoms, making its true incidence hard to determine in endemic populations. We investigated LF distribution, mortality, survival patterns, and contributing factors during a local outbreak in Nigeria, from 2017 to 2021. Method Data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response weekly line list for 2017 to 2021 were extracted. The survival pattern of LF patients was visualized with the Kaplan-Meier curve, binary logistic regression model was employed to explore LF-associated factors and level of statistical significance (α) was set at 5%. Result Overall, 4,554 participants were recruited between 2017 and 2021. Their average age varied from 31.82 ± 20.0 to 37.85 ± 17.89. LF-positive patients decreased from 26.9% in 2017 to 17.7% in 2021, paralleling the mortality trend. In 2021, patient survival ranged from 5 to 30 days. Male patients had lower survival odds in the initial 10 days of hospitalization, improved chances from days 10 to 20, and reduced probabilities beyond day 20. Residence location and age were significant factors (p&lt;0.05) associated with LF in Ondo State. Conclusion The decline in LF cases in 2021 could be attributed to the ongoing intervention by Nigerian Centre for Disease Control or the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. To address LF challenges in hotspot areas, we propose Community Action Networks that would operate using the One Health approach involving local stakeholders sustainably to promote Early Warning/Early Response system in high-risk settings and mitigate LF-related issues.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.06.23295111v1" target="_blank">Epidemiological insight into the possible drivers of Lassa fever in an endemic area of Southwestern Nigeria from 2017 and 2021</a>
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<li><strong>Predictors of SARS-CoV-2 anti-Spike IgG antibody levels following two COVID-19 vaccine doses among children and adults in the Canadian CHILD Cohort</strong> -
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Background: Vaccination helps prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19. However, vaccine-induced humoral immune responses vary among individuals and wane over time. We aimed to describe the SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike IgG antibody response to vaccination and identify health and demographic factors associated with this response among children and adults. Methods: We studied a subset of double-vaccinated children (n= 151; mean age: 12 ±1.5 years, 46% female) and adults (n= 995; 44 ±6.0 years, 60% female) from the Canadian CHILD Cohort. Dried blood spots were collected over two time periods (March 2021 to September 2021; October 2021 to January 2022). Antibody levels were quantified using automated chemiluminescent ELISAs. Demographic, vaccination, and health data were collected via online questionnaires. Associations were determined using multivariable regression. Results: Our cohort had SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike seropositivity rate of 97% following two COVID-19 vaccine doses. In both children and adults, the highest antibody levels were observed around three months post-vaccination and did not differ by biological sex. Higher antibody levels were associated with: prior SARS-CoV-2 infection (β=0.15 scaled luminescence units, 95%CI, 0.06-0.24), age &lt;18 years (β=0.15, 95%CI 0.05-0.26) and receiving the Moderna mRNA (β=0.23, 95%CI 0.11-0.34) or Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccines (β= 0.10, 95%CI, 0.02-0.18) vs. a combination of mRNA and Oxford-AstraZeneca viral vector vaccines. There were no differences in antibody levels when comparing a 3-8 vs. 9-16-week interval between vaccine doses. Interpretation: We identified key factors associated with post-vaccination antibody responses in children and adults, which could help improve future vaccine development and deployment among different population subgroups.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.06.23294696v1" target="_blank">Predictors of SARS-CoV-2 anti-Spike IgG antibody levels following two COVID-19 vaccine doses among children and adults in the Canadian CHILD Cohort</a>
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<li><strong>Computational Methods for Characterizing Research Outputs, Collaborative Networks and Thematic Concentration: a Case Study in Primary Care Research Evaluation</strong> -
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Objective: Research impact is difficult to measure, evaluate and report. This study aims to demonstrate how computational scientometric methods, including bibliometric, network analytic, and thematic summary measures can efficiently characterize complex scientific disciplines, such as primary care research. Methods: We used a retrospective cohort design. The study included N=17 international academic primary care research departments. A scientometric database was curated using a bottom-up methodology, which included peer-reviewed research articles/reviews, and associated meta-data, published between 01/01/2017 and 31/12/2022. Publication-level bibliometric information was queried from the Scopus application programming interface (API). The Altmetrics API was used to extract publication-level indicators of social engagement. Network analytic visualizations and statistics characterized research collaboration. Topic models and keyword mining characterized the main thematic areas of primary care research. At an author-level, we investigated correlations between bibliometric, altmetric, network analytic and topical summary measures. Results: Our analysis included N=591 primary care researchers (from 17 institutions) who produced 13,047 unique peer-reviewed articles over the study timeframe. These 13,047 research articles were published in 2,237 unique journal titles; cited 231,121 times; and received broad social uptake (605,349 Twitter tweets, 36,982 mainstream media mentions, 884 Wikipedia references, and 1,127 policy document citations). The 591 researchers collaborated with 35,585 unique co-authors resulting in 20,808,886 pair-wise collaborations. The median number of authors per publication was 7 (IQR: 4-10; min=1; max=3,391). Frequently occurring keywords/n-grams and latent topical vectors, highlighted the diversity of primary care research. Clinical research themes included: physical/mental health conditions, disease prevention and screening, issues in primary/obstetric/emergency/palliative-care, and public health. Methodological research themes included: research synthesis/appraisal, statistical/epidemiological inference, study design, qualitative research, mixed methods, health economics, medical education, and quality improvement. Many themes were stable over the study timeframe. COVID-19 emerged as an important research theme from 2020 through 2022. Topic vectors encoding clinical medicine were positively correlated with bibliometric, altmetric and network centrality measures, whereas, vectors encoding qualitative methods, medical education, and public health were negatively correlated with these same metrics. Conclusions: Multi-metric, computational scientometric methods offer an efficient, transparent, and reproducible means for characterizing the research output of complex scientific disciplines, such as primary care research.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.07.23295220v1" target="_blank">Computational Methods for Characterizing Research Outputs, Collaborative Networks and Thematic Concentration: a Case Study in Primary Care Research Evaluation</a>
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<li><strong>Systematical assessment of the impact of single spike mutations of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-variants on the neutralization capacity of post-vaccination sera</strong> -
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The evolution of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants significantly affects vaccine effectiveness. While these effects can only be studied retrospectively, neutralizing antibody titers are most used as correlates of protection. However, studies assessing neutralizing antibody titers often show heterogeneous data. To address this, we investigated assay variance and identified virus infection time and dose as factors affecting assay robustness. We next measured neutralization against Omicron sub-variants in cohorts with hybrid or vaccine induced immunity, identifying a gradient of immune escape potential. To evaluate the effect of individual mutations on this immune escape potential of Omicron variants, we systematically assessed the effect of each individual mutation specific to Omicron BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, and BA.4/5. We cloned a library of pseudo-viruses expressing spikes with single point mutations, and subjected it to pooled sera from vaccinated hosts, thereby identifying multiple mutations that independently affect neutralization potency. These data might help to predict antigenic features of novel viral variants carrying these mutations and support the development of broad monoclonal antibodies.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.09.08.23295177v1" target="_blank">Systematical assessment of the impact of single spike mutations of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-variants on the neutralization capacity of post-vaccination sera</a>
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<li><strong>ACE-2-like enzymatic activity is associated with immunoglobulin in COVID-19 patients</strong> -
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Many mechanisms responsible for COVID-19 pathogenesis are well-established, but COVID-19 includes features with unclear pathogenesis, such as autonomic dysregulation, coagulopathies, and high levels of inflammation. The receptor for SARS-CoV-2 spike protein9s receptor binding domain (RBD) is angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). We hypothesized that some COVID-19 patients may develop antibodies that have negative molecular image of RBD sufficiently similar to ACE2 to yield ACE2-like catalytic activity — ACE2-like abzymes. To explore this hypothesis, we studied patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who had plasma samples available obtained about 7 days after admission. ACE2 is a metalloprotease that requires Zn2+ for activity. However, we found that the plasma from some patients studied could cleave a synthetic ACE2 peptide substrate, even though the plasma samples were collected using disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) anticoagulant. When we spiked plasma with synthetic ACE2, no ACE2 substrate cleavage activity was observed unless Zn2+ was added or the plasma was diluted to decrease EDTA concentration. After processing samples by 100 kDa size exclusion columns and protein A/G adsorption, which depleted immunoglobulin by &gt;99.99%, the plasma samples did not cleave the ACE2 substrate peptide. The data suggest that some patients with COVID-19 develop antibodies with abzyme-like activity capable of cleaving synthetic ACE2 substrate. Since abzymes can exhibit promiscuous substrate specificities compared to the enzyme whose active site image they resemble, and since proteolytic cascades regulate many physiologic processes, anti-RBD abzymes may contribute to some otherwise obscure COVID-19 pathogenesis.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.19.22283685v3" target="_blank">ACE-2-like enzymatic activity is associated with immunoglobulin in COVID-19 patients</a>
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<li><strong>Assessing the importance of demographic risk factors across two waves of SARS-CoV-2 using fine-scale case data</strong> -
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For the long term control of an infectious disease such as COVID-19, it is crucial to identify the most likely individuals to become infected and the role that differences in demographic characteristics play in the observed patterns of infection. As high-volume surveillance winds down, testing data from earlier periods are invaluable for studying risk factors for infection in detail. Observed changes in time during these periods may then inform how stable the pattern will be in the long term. To this end we analyse the distribution of cases of COVID-19 across Scotland in 2021, where the location (census areas of order 5001,000 residents) and reporting date of cases are known. We consider over 450,000 individually recorded cases, in two infection waves triggered by different lineages: B.1.1.529 (“Omicron”) and B.1.617.2 (“Delta”). We use random forests, informed by measures of geography, demography, testing and vaccination. We show that the distributions are only adequately explained when considering multiple explanatory variables, implying that case heterogeneity arose from a combination of individual behaviour, immunity, and testing frequency. Despite differences in virus lineage, time of year, and interventions in place, we find the risk factors remained broadly consistent between the two waves. Many of the observed smaller differences could be reasonably explained by changes in control measures.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.08.03.22278013v4" target="_blank">Assessing the importance of demographic risk factors across two waves of SARS-CoV-2 using fine-scale case data</a>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A 2nd Generation E1/E2B/E3-Deleted Adenoviral COVID-19 Vaccine: The TCELLVACCINE TRIAL</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: hAd5-S-Fusion+N-ETSD;   Biological: Placebo (0.9% (w/v) saline)<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   ImmunityBio, Inc.<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Aerobic Training for Rehabilitation of Patients With Post Covid-19 Syndrome</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Post-COVID-19 Syndrome;   Long-COVID-19 Syndrome<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: Aerobic Exercise Training<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of Witten/Herdecke;   Institut für Rehabilitationsforschung Norderney<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Additional Recombinant COVID-19 Humoral and Cell-Mediated Immunogenicity in Immunosuppressed Populations</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Immunosuppression;   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: NVX-CoV2372<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of Wisconsin, Madison;   Novavax<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Comparative Immunogenicity of Concomitant vs Sequential mRNA COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccinations</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Influenza;   COVID-19;   Influenza Immunogencity;   COVID-19 Immunogenicity<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Biological: Simultaneous Vaccination (Influenza Vaccine and mRNA COVID booster);   Biological: Sequential Vaccination (Influenza vaccine then mRNA COVID booster);   Biological: Sequential Vaccination (mRNA COVID booster then Influenza vaccine)<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Duke University;   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;   Arizona State University;   University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center;   University of Pittsburgh;   Washington University School of Medicine;   Valleywise Health;   VA Northeast Ohio Health Care;   Senders Pediatrics<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Bronchoalveolar Lavage in Recovered From COVID-19 Pneumonia</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Bronchoalveolar Lavage<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Procedure: Bronchoalveolar Lavage<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Mohamed Abd Elmoniem Mohamed;   Marwa Salah Abdelrazek Ghanem;   Mohammad Khairy El-Badrawy;   Tamer Ali Elhadidy;   Dalia Abdellateif Abdelghany<br/><b>Completed</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Phase I Safety Study of B/HPIV3/S-6P Vaccine Via Nasal Spray in Adults</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   SARS-CoV-2 Infection<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: B/HPIV3/S-6P<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID);   Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health;   National Institutes of Health (NIH)<br/><b>Recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Effects of Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Nurses With Post Covid-19 Condition</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Cognitive Behavioral Therapy<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: cognitive behavioral therapy<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Tri-Service General Hospital<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Effectiveness of Natural Resources for Reducing Stress</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Distress, Emotional;   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Combination Product: Balneotherapy plus complex;   Combination Product: Combined nature resources treatment;   Other: Nature therapy procedure<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Klaipėda University;   Research Council of Lithuania<br/><b>Active, not recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Pre-probiotic Supplementation for Post-covid Fatigue Syndrome</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Long COVID<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Dietary Supplement: Dietary Supplement: Experimental;   Dietary Supplement: Dietary Supplement: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education<br/><b>Active, not recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Long COVID Immune Profiling</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Long COVID;   POTS - Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome;   Autonomic Dysfunction<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Diagnostic Test: IL-6;   Diagnostic Test: cytokines (IL-17, and IFN-ɣ);   Behavioral: Compass 31<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Vanderbilt University Medical Center;   American Heart Association<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>A Study of Healthy Microbiome, Healthy Mind</strong> - <b>Conditions</b>:   Critical Illness;   COVID-19;   PICS;   Cognitive Impairment;   Mental Health Impairment;   Weakness, Muscle;   Dysbiosis<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: Fermented Food Diet<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Mayo Clinic<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
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<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Effect of Cannabidiol Against Enveloped and Nonenveloped Viruses</strong> - Introduction: Cannabidiol (CBD), the main non-psychoactive cannabinoid of the Cannabis sativa plant, is a powerful antioxidant compound that in recent years has increased interest due to causes effects in a wide range of biological functions. Zika virus (ZIKV) is a virus transmitted mainly by the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which causes neurological diseases, such as microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Although the frequency of viral outbreaks has increased recently, no vaccinations or…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>SARS-CoV-2 Nsp15 suppresses type I interferon production by inhibiting IRF3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation</strong> - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), poses a significant threat to global public health security. Like other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 has developed various strategies to inhibit the production of interferon (IFN). Here, we have discovered that SARS-CoV-2 Nsp15 obviously reduces the expression of IFN-β and IFN-stimulated genes (ISG56, CXCL10), and also inhibits IRF3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation by…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Plasma tissue-type plasminogen activator is associated with lipoprotein(a) and clinical outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19</strong> - CONCLUSION: High Lp(a) concentration provides a possible explanation for low endogenous tPA enzymatic activity, and poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>The Power of Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Their Applications to Discover Cysteine Protease Inhibitors</strong> - A large family of enzymes with the function of hydrolyzing peptide bonds, called peptidases or cysteine proteases (CPs), are divided into three categories according to the peptide chain involved. CPs catalyze the hydrolysis of amide, ester, thiol ester, and thioester peptide bonds. They can be divided into several groups, such as papain-like (CA), viral chymotrypsin-like CPs (CB), papain-like endopeptidases of RNA viruses (CC), legumain-type caspases (CD), and showing active residues of His,…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Investigating the Superiority of Chitosan/ D-alpha-tocopheryl Polyethylene Glycol Succinate Binary Coated Bilosomes in Promoting the Cellular Uptake and Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity of Polyphenolic Herbal Drug Candidate</strong> - The evolution of a safe and effective therapeutic system to conquer SAR-CoV-2 infection deemed to be a crucial worldwide demand. Curcumin (CUR) is a phytomedicinal polyphenolic drug that exhibited a well-reported anti-SAR-CoV-2. However, the therapeutic activity of CUR is hindered by its poor intestinal permeability and diminished aqueous solubility. Therefore, this study strived to develop D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol succinate (TPGS) bilosomes (TPGS-Bs) adopting 2³ full factorial…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Activation of Nrf2/ARE pathway by Anisodamine (654-2) for Inhibition of cellular aging and alleviation of Radiation-Induced lung injury</strong> - CONCLUSION: 654-2 can activate the Nrf2/ARE pathway, enhance cellular antioxidant capacity, and inhibit cellular senescence, thereby exerting a protective effect against RILI.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Evidence of a Sjögrens disease-like phenotype following COVID-1 19 in mice and human</strong> - CONCLUSION: Overall, our study shows a direct association between SARS-CoV-2 and SjD. Hallmark features of SjD salivary glands were histologically indistinguishable from convalescent COVID-19 subjects.The results potentially implicate that SARS-CoV-2 could be an environmental trigger for SjD.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>DNase analysed by a novel competitive assay in patients with complications after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination and in normal unvaccinated blood donors</strong> - Increased levels of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been detected in individuals with vaccine complications after the ChAdOx1 nCov vaccine with a correlation between the severity of vaccine side effects and the level of NETosis. DNases may disrupt NETs by degrading their content of DNA, and a balance has been reported between NETs and DNases. Because of this and since the inflammatory marker NETs may be used as a confirmatory test in diagnosing VITT, it is of interest to monitor…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Extracts of <em>Thesium chinense</em> inhibit SARS-CoV-2 and inflammation <em>in vitro</em></strong> - CONCLUSION: T. chinense can be a potential candidate to fight SARS-CoV-2, and is becoming a traditional Chinese medicine candidate for treating COVID-19.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Primary exposure to SARS-CoV-2 via infection or vaccination determines mucosal antibody-dependent ACE2 binding inhibition</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides new insights into the relationship between antibody isotypes and neutralization by using a sensitive and high-throughput ACE2 binding inhibition assay. Key differences are highlighted between vaccination and infection at the mucosal level, showing that despite differences in the quantity of the response, post-infection and post-vaccination ACE2 binding inhibition capacity did not differ.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Outcomes of MIS-C patients treated with anakinra: a retrospective multicenter national study</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: In this retrospective cohort of severe MIS-C patients treated with anakinra we report favorable clinical outcomes with a low incidence of side effects. The simultaneous use of steroids ± IVIG in these patients hinders definitive conclusions regarding the need of IL-1 inhibition in MIS-C treatment.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Unleashing the link between the relaxation of the COVID-19 control policy and residents mental health in China: the mediating role of family tourism consumption</strong> - CONCLUSION: Based on the findings, the study proposes that government and policymakers should strengthen mental health intervention, improve access to mental health counseling, stimulate economic development, expand the employment of residents, and track the mutation of the novel coronavirus.</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Alpha-1 antitrypsin protects against phosgene-induced acute lung injury by activating the ID1-dependent anti-inflammatory response</strong> - Phosgene is widely used as an industrial chemical, and phosgene inhalation causes acute lung injury (ALI), which may further progress into pulmonary edema. Currently, an antidote for phosgene poisoning is not known. Alpha-1 antitrypsin (α1-AT) is a protease inhibitor used to treat patients with emphysema who are deficient in α1-AT. Recent studies have revealed that α1-AT has both anti-inflammatory and anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects. Herein, we aimed to investigate the role of α1-AT in phosgene-induced…</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of SARS-CoV-2 regulate host mRNA translation efficiency by hijacking eEF1A factors</strong> - The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NSP12) of COVID-19 plays a significant role in the viral infection process, which promotes viral RNA replication by cooperating with NSP7 and NSP8, but little is known about its regulation on the function of host cells. We firstly found that overexpression of NSP12 had little effect on host mRNAs transcription. Using iCLIP technology, we found that NSP12 can bind a series of host RNAs with the conserved binding motif G(C/A/G)(U/G/A)UAG, especially ribosomal RNA….</p></li>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Antiviral Activity of Cinchona officinalis, a Homeopathic Medicine, against COVID-19</strong> - CONCLUSION: Based on this in silico and in vitro evidence, we propose CO-MT as a promising antiviral medicine candidate for treating COVID-19. In vivo investigation is required to clarify the therapeutic potential of CO-MT in COVID-19.</p></li>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
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