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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>Defining Cities in the New Normal: A Conjoint Experiment of Livability Attributes</strong> -
<div>
This paper examines attributes of cities that people prefer to live in after the outbreak of the COVID-19. Using an online survey of approximately 700 respondents in the Philippines conducted from December 2020 to March 2021 that incorporated conjoint experiments, we investigate the relative importance of various attributes of a city such as neighborhood, healthcare, infrastructure, and governance in influencing peoples willingness to live in the city under the new normal.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/socarxiv/a7ezj/" target="_blank">Defining Cities in the New Normal: A Conjoint Experiment of Livability Attributes</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Population genetics in the early emergence of the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant in the provinces of South Africa.</strong> -
<div>
Population genetic analyses of viral genome populations provide insight into the emergence and evolution of new variants of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we use a population genetic approach to examine the evolution of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in four provinces of South Africa (Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga) during the first months before emergence and after early spread. Our results show that Omicron polymorphisms increase sharply from September to November. We found differences between SARS-CoV-2 populations from Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal and viruses from the Eastern Cape, where allele frequencies were higher, suggesting that natural selection may have contributed to the increase in frequency or that this was the site of origin. We found that the frequency of variants N501Y, T478K, and D614G increased in the spike in November compared with other mutations, some of which are also present in other animal hosts. Gauteng province was the most isolated, and most genetic variation was found within populations. Our population genomic approach is useful for small-scale genomic surveillance and identification of novel allele-level variants that can help us understand how SARS-CoV-2 will continue to adapt to humans and other hosts.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.09.527920v1" target="_blank">Population genetics in the early emergence of the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant in the provinces of South Africa.</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Effect of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta-associated G15U mutation on the s2m element dimerization and its interactions with miR-1307-3p</strong> -
<div>
The stem loop 2 motif (s2m), a highly conserved 41-nucleotide hairpin structure in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome, serves as an attractive therapeutic target that may have important roles in the virus life cycle or interactions with the host. However, the conserved s2m in Delta SARS-CoV-2, a previously dominant variant characterized by high infectivity and disease severity, has received relatively less attention than that of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. The focus of this work is to identify and define the s2m changes between Delta and SARS-CoV-2 and subsequent impact of those changes upon the s2m dimerization and interactions with the host microRNA miR-1307-3p. Bioinformatics analysis of the GISAID database targeting the s2m element reveals a greater than 99% correlation of a single nucleotide mutation at the 15th position (G15U) in Delta SARS-CoV-2. Based on 1H NMR assignments comparing the imino proton resonance region of s2m and the G15U at 19{degrees}C, we find that the U15-A29 base pair closes resulting in a stabilization of the upper stem without overall secondary structure deviation. Increased stability of the upper stem did not affect the chaperone activity of the viral N protein, as it was still able to convert the kissing dimers formed by s2m G15U into a stable duplex conformation, consistent with the s2m reference. However, we find that the s2m G15U mutation drastically reduces the binding affinity of the host miR-1307-3p. These findings demonstrate that the observed G15U mutation alters the secondary structure of s2m with subsequent impact on viral binding of host miR-1307-3p, with potential consequences on the immune response.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.10.528014v1" target="_blank">Effect of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta-associated G15U mutation on the s2m element dimerization and its interactions with miR-1307-3p</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Antagonistic pleiotropy plays an important role in governing the evolution and genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
Analyses of the genomic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 found that some sites across the genome appear to have mutated independently multiple times with frequency significantly higher than four-fold sites, which can be either due to mutational bias, i.e., elevated mutation rate in some sites of the genome, or selection of the variants due to antagonistic pleiotropy, a condition where mutations increase some components of fitness at a cost to others. To examine how different forces shaped evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in 2020-2021, we analyzed a large set of genome sequences (~ 2 million). Here we show that while evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic was largely mutation-driven, a group of nonsynonymous changes is probably maintained by antagonistic pleiotropy. To test this hypothesis, we studied the function of one such mutation, spike M1237I. Spike I1237 increases viral assembly and secretion, but decreases efficiency of transmission in vitro. Therefore, while the frequency of spike M1237I may increase within hosts, viruses carrying this mutation would be outcompeted at the population level. We also discuss how the antagonistic pleiotropy might facilitate positive epistasis to promote virus adaptation and reconcile discordant estimates of SARS-CoV-2 transmission bottleneck sizes in previous studies.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.10.527437v1" target="_blank">Antagonistic pleiotropy plays an important role in governing the evolution and genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation, and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2</strong> -
<div>
Long COVID (LC), a type of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), occurs after at least 10% of SARS-CoV-2 infections, yet its etiology remains poorly understood. Here, we used multiple omics assays (CyTOF, RNAseq, Olink) and serology to deeply characterize both global and SARS-CoV-2-specific immunity from blood of individuals with clear LC and non-LC clinical trajectories, 8 months following infection and prior to receipt of any SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Our analysis focused on deep phenotyping of T cells, which play important roles in immunity against SARS-CoV-2 yet may also contribute to COVID-19 pathogenesis. Our findings demonstrate that individuals with LC exhibit systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation. This is evidenced by global differences in T cell subset distribution in ways that imply ongoing immune responses, as well as by sex-specific perturbations in cytolytic subsets. Individuals with LC harbored increased frequencies of CD4+ T cells poised to migrate to inflamed tissues, and exhausted SARS-CoV-2-specific CD8+ T cells. They also harbored significantly higher levels of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and in contrast to non-LC individuals, exhibited a mis-coordination between their SARS-CoV-2-specific T and B cell responses. Collectively, our data suggest that proper crosstalk between the humoral and cellular arms of adaptive immunity has broken down in LC, and that this, perhaps in the context of persistent virus, leads to the immune dysregulation, inflammation, and clinical symptoms associated with this debilitating condition.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.09.527892v1" target="_blank">Long COVID manifests with T cell dysregulation, inflammation, and an uncoordinated adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>SARS-CoV-2 NSP5 Antagonizes the MHC II Antigen Presentation Pathway by Hijacking Histone Deacetylase 2</strong> -
<div>
The clearance of SARS-CoV-2 requires a multi-faceted immune response that is initiated by innate immune cells, with infection ultimately resolved by adaptive immune mechanisms. Induction of adaptive immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is dependent on the presentation of viral antigens on MHC II by professional antigen presenting cells such as dendritic cells and macrophages, to induce robust activation of CD4+ T cells. SARS-CoV-2 interferes with antigen presentation by downregulating MHC II on the antigen presenting cells of COVID-19 patients, but the molecular mechanism mediating this process is unelucidated. In this study, analysis of protein and gene expression in human antigen presenting cells reveals that the expression of MHC II is inhibited by the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, NSP5. Suppression of MHC II expression occurs via downregulation of the transcription factor CIITA, which is required for MHC II expression. This downregulation of CIITA is independent of NSP5s proteolytic activity, and rather, NSP5 delivers HDAC2 to the CIITA promoter via interactions with IRF3, Here, HDAC2 deacetylates and inactivates the CIITA promoter. This loss of CIITA expression prevents further expression of MHC II, with this suppression alleviated by ectopic expression of CIITA or knockdown of HDAC2. These results identify a novel mechanism by which SARS-CoV-2 can limit antigen presentation on MHC II, thereby delaying or weakening the subsequent adaptive immune response.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.10.528032v1" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2 NSP5 Antagonizes the MHC II Antigen Presentation Pathway by Hijacking Histone Deacetylase 2</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Comparing the evolutionary dynamics of predominant SARS-CoV-2 virus lineages co-circulating in Mexico</strong> -
<div>
Over 200 different SARS-CoV-2 lineages have been observed in Mexico by November 2021. To investigate lineage replacement dynamics, we applied a phylodynamic approach and explored the evolutionary trajectories of five dominant lineages that circulated during the first year of local transmission. For most lineages, peaks in sampling frequencies coincided with different epidemiological waves of infection in Mexico. Lineages B.1.1.222 and B.1.1.519 exhibited similar dynamics, constituting clades that likely originated in Mexico and persisted for &gt;12 months. Lineages B.1.1.7, P.1 and B.1.617.2 also displayed similar dynamics, characterized by multiple introduction events leading to a few successful extended local transmission chains that persisted for several months. For the largest B.1.617.2 clades, we further explored viral lineage movements across Mexico. Many clades were located within the south region of the country, suggesting that this area played a key role in the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Mexico.
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.05.498834v3" target="_blank">Comparing the evolutionary dynamics of predominant SARS-CoV-2 virus lineages co-circulating in Mexico</a>
</div></li>
<li><strong>Age-specific severity of SARS-CoV-2 in February 2020 - June 2021 in the Netherlands</strong> -
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Background: Severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection may vary over time. Here, we estimate age-specific risks of hospitalization, ICU admission and death given infection in the Netherlands from February 2020 - June 2021. Methods: A nationwide longitudinal serology study was used to estimate numbers of infections in three epidemic periods (February 2020 - June 2020, July 2020 - February 2021, March 2021 - June 2021). We accounted for reinfections and, as vaccination started in January 2021, breakthrough infections among vaccinated persons. Severity estimates were inferred by combining numbers of infections with aligned numbers of hospitalizations and ICU admissions from a national hospital-based registry, and aligned numbers of deaths based on national excess all-cause mortality estimates. Results: In each period there was a nearly consistent pattern of accelerating, almost exponential, increase in severity of infection with age. The rate of increase with age was highest for death and lowest for hospitalization. In the first period, the overall risk of hospitalization, ICU admission and death were 1.5% (95%-confidence interval [CI] 1.3-1.8%), 0.36% (95%-CI: 0.31-0.42%) and 1.2% (95%-CI: 1.0-1.4), respectively. The risk of hospitalization was higher in the following periods, while the risk of ICU admission remained stable. The risk of death decreased over time, with a substantial drop among ≥70-years-olds in February 2021 - June 2021. Conclusion: The accelerating increase in severity of SARS-CoV-2 with age remained intact during the first three epidemic periods in the Netherlands. The substantial drop in risk of death among elderly in the third period coincided with the introduction of COVID-19 vaccination.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.09.23285703v1" target="_blank">Age-specific severity of SARS-CoV-2 in February 2020 - June 2021 in the Netherlands</a>
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<li><strong>Divergence of wastewater SARS-CoV-2 and reported laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 incident case data coincident with wide-spread availability of at-home COVID-19 antigen tests</strong> -
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Concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater settled solids from publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) historically correlated strongly with laboratory confirmed incident COVID-19 case data. With the increased availability of at-home antigen tests since late 2021 and early 2022, laboratory test availability and test seeking behavior has decreased. In the United States, the results from at-home antigen tests are not typically reportable to public health agencies and thus are not counted in case reports. As a result, the number of reported laboratory-confirmed incident COVID-19 cases has decreased dramatically, even during times of increased test positivity rates and wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Herein, we tested whether the correlative relationship between wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA and reported laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 incidence rate has changed since 1 May 2022, a point in time immediately before the onset of the BA.2/BA.5 surge, the first surge to begin after at-home antigen test availability was high in the region. We used daily data from three POTWs in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA for the analysis. We found that although there is a significant positive association between wastewater measurements and incident rate data collected after 1 May 2022, the parameters describing the relationship are different than those describing the relationship between the data collected prior to 1 May 2022. If laboratory test seeking or availability continues to change, the relationship between wastewater and reported case data will continue to change. Results suggests that, assuming SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding remains relatively stable among those infected with the virus as different variants emerge, that wastewater concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 RNA can be used to estimate COVID-19 cases as they would have been during the time when laboratory testing availability and test seeking behavior were at a high (here, before 1 May 2022) using the historical relationship between SARS-CoV-2 RNA and COVID-19 case data.
</p>
</div>
<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.09.23285716v1" target="_blank">Divergence of wastewater SARS-CoV-2 and reported laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 incident case data coincident with wide-spread availability of at-home COVID-19 antigen tests</a>
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<li><strong>Social deprivation and SARS-CoV-2 testing: a population-based analysis in a highly contrasted Southern France region</strong> -
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<b>Background</b>&lt;br&gt; Testing was the cornerstone of the COVID-19 epidemic response in most countries until vaccination became available for the general population. Social inequalities generally affect access to healthcare and health behaviours, and COVID-19 was rapidly shown to impact deprived population more drastically. In support of the regional health agency in Provence-Alpes-Cote d9Azur (PACA) in South-Eastern France, we analysed the relationship between testing rate and socio-demographic characteristics of the population, to identify gaps in testing coverage and improve targeting of response strategies. &lt;/br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <b>Methods</b>&lt;/br&gt;&lt;br&gt; We conducted an ecological analysis of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 testing rate in the PACA region, based on data aggregated at the finest spatial resolution available in France (IRIS) and by periods defined by public health implemented measures and major epidemiological changes. Using general census data, population density, and specific deprivation indices, we used principal component analysis followed by hierarchical clustering to define profiles describing local socio-demographic characteristics. We analysed the association between these profiles and testing rates in a generalized additive multilevel model, adjusting for access to healthcare, presence of a retirement home, and the age profile of the population. &lt;/br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <b>Results</b>&lt;/br&gt;&lt;br&gt; We identified 6 socio-demographic profiles across the 2,306 analysed IRIS spatial units: privileged, remote, intermediate, downtown, deprived and very deprived (ordered by increasing social deprivation index). Profiles also ranged from rural (remote) to high density urban areas (downtown, very deprived). From July 2020 to December 2021, we analysed SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 testing rate over 10 periods. Testing rates fluctuated strongly but were highest in privileged and downtown areas, and lowest in very deprived ones. The lowest adjusted testing rate ratios (aTRR) between privileged (reference) and other profiles occurred after implementation of a mandatory healthpass for many leisure activities in July 2021. Periods of contextual testing near Christmas displayed the largest aTRR, especially during the last periods of 2021 after the end of free convenience testing for unvaccinated individuals.&lt;/br&gt; &lt;br&gt; <b>Conclusions</b>&lt;/br&gt;&lt;br&gt; We characterized in-depth local heterogeneity and temporal trends in testing rates and identified areas and circumstances associated with low testing rates, which the regional health agency targeted specifically for the deployment of health mediation activities.
</p>
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.09.23285721v1" target="_blank">Social deprivation and SARS-CoV-2 testing: a population-based analysis in a highly contrasted Southern France region</a>
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<li><strong>Real-world effectiveness of molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir among COVID-19 community, highly vaccinated patients with high risk for severe disease: Evidence that both antivirals reduce the risk for disease progression and death</strong> -
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Besides the significant benefits of vaccination against COVID-19, the risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19 among highly vulnerable populations remains of concern. Implementation of oral antiviral treatment has shown significant benefits for outpatients with high risk for severe disease, however, their effectiveness remains to be evaluated in real-life settings and in the presence of new Omicron subvariants. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir using a retrospective cohort design with outcomes hospital admission and death from COVID-19, in Greece. The effectiveness of each drug was estimated through a comparison of the antiviral9s recipients with an age-matched control group of non-recipients, adjusted for age, previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccination status, and vaccination recency. Our analysis showed that molnupiravir significantly reduced the risk for hospitalization (OR = 0.40, p &lt; 0.001) and death from COVID-19 (OR = 0.31, p &lt; 0.001), with the effect being more intense among elderly patients (&gt;=75 years old). The effectiveness was higher among those with full adherence. Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was found also to significantly reduce the risk of hospital admission (OR = 0.31, p &lt; 0.001) and death (OR = 0.28, p &lt; 0.001) and, similarly to molnupiravir, effectiveness was stronger among elderly patients and those with the highest levels of adherence. Analysis of the relative effectiveness of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir versus molnupiravir suggested that nirmatrelvir/ritonavir was associated with a reduced risk for hospital admission (OR = 0.58, p &lt; 0.001) compared to molnupiravir, adjusted for age, previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccination status, and co-morbidities. Our real-world study provides evidence about the reduced risk of hospitalization and death in highly vaccinated patients with a high risk for severe disease in Greece. These findings highlight that although the hospitalization and mortality risk has been reduced mainly due to vaccination and the emergence of Omicron variants, antivirals provide significant additional benefits in highly vulnerable patients and therefore their use is documented and strongly indicated.
</p>
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<div class="article-link article-html-link">
🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.09.23285737v1" target="_blank">Real-world effectiveness of molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir/ritonavir among COVID-19 community, highly vaccinated patients with high risk for severe disease: Evidence that both antivirals reduce the risk for disease progression and death</a>
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<li><strong>Assessing the Effect of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in the Prevention of Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19</strong> -
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Importance: Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) produce significant morbidity, prompting evaluation of interventions that might lower risk. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) potentially could modulate risk of PASC via their central, hypothesized immunomodulatory, and/or antiplatelet properties and therefore may be postulated to be of benefit in patients with PASC, although clinical trial data are lacking. Objectives: The main objective was to evaluate whether SSRIs with agonist activity at the sigma-1 receptor lower the risk of PASC, since agonism at this receptor may serve as a mechanism by which SSRIs attenuate an inflammatory response. A secondary objective was to determine whether potential benefit could be traced to sigma-1 agonism by evaluating the risk of PASC among recipients of SSRIs that are not S1R agonists. Design: Retrospective study leveraging real-world clinical data within the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C), a large centralized multi-institutional de-identified EHR database. Presumed PASC was defined based on a computable PASC phenotype trained on the U09.9 ICD-10 diagnosis code to more comprehensively identify patients likely to have the condition, since the ICD code has come into wide-spread use only recently. Setting: Population-based study at US medical centers. Participants: Adults (≥ 18 years of age) with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis date between October 1, 2021 and April 7, 2022 and at least one follow up visit 45 days post-diagnosis. Of the 17 933 patients identified, 2021 were exposed at baseline to a S1R agonist SSRI, 1328 to a non-S1R agonist SSRI, and 14 584 to neither. Exposures: Exposure at baseline (at or prior to COVID-19 diagnosis) to an SSRI with documented or presumed agonist activity at the S1R (fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, escitalopram, or citalopram), an SSRI without agonist activity at S1R (sertraline, an antagonist, or paroxetine, which does not appreciably bind to the S1R), or none of these agents. Main Outcome and Measurement: Development of PASC based on a previously validated XGBoost-trained algorithm. Using inverse probability weighting and Poisson regression, relative risk (RR) of PASC was assessed. Results: A 26% reduction in the RR of PASC (0.74 [95% CI, 0.63-0.88]; P = 5 x 10-4) was seen among patients who received an S1R agonist SSRI compared to SSRI unexposed patients and a 25% reduction in the RR of PASC was seen among those receiving an SSRI without S1R agonist activity (0.75 [95% CI, 0.62 - 0.90]; P = 0.003) compared to SSRI unexposed patients. Conclusions and Relevance: SSRIs with and without reported agonist activity at the S1R were associated with a significant decrease in the risk of PASC. Future prospective studies are warranted.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.09.22282142v3" target="_blank">Assessing the Effect of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors in the Prevention of Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19</a>
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<li><strong>Dynamics of non-household contacts during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 in the Netherlands</strong> -
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The COVID-19 pandemic was in 2020 and 2021 for a large part mitigated by reducing contacts in the general population. To monitor how these contacts changed over the course of the pandemic in the Netherlands, a longitudinal survey was conducted where participants reported on their at-risk contacts every two weeks, as part of the European CoMix survey. The survey included 1659 participants from April to August 2020 and 2514 participants from December 2020 to September 2021. We categorized the number of unique contacted persons excluding household members, reported per participant per day into six activity levels, defined as 0, 1, 2, 3-4, 5-9 and 10 or more reported contacts. After correcting for age, vaccination status, risk status for severe outcome of infection, and frequency of participation, activity levels increased over time, coinciding with relaxation of COVID-19 control measures.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.19.22281248v2" target="_blank">Dynamics of non-household contacts during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 in the Netherlands</a>
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<li><strong>Sensitivity of Rapid Antigen Tests Against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta Variants</strong> -
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Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) have become an invaluable tool for combating the COVID-19 pandemic. However, concerns have been raised regarding the ability of existing RATs to effectively detect emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. We compared the performance of eight commercially available, emergency use authorized RATs against the Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants using individual patient and serially diluted pooled clinical samples. The RATs exhibited lower sensitivity for Omicron samples when using PCR Cycle threshold (C<sub>T</sub>) value (a proxy for RNA concentration) as the comparator. Interestingly, however, they exhibited similar sensitivity for Omicron and Delta samples when using quantitative antigen concentration as the comparator. We further found that the Omicron samples had lower ratios of antigen to RNA, which offers a potential explanation for the apparent lower sensitivity of RATs for that variant when using C<sub>T</sub> value as a reference. Our findings underscore the complexity in assessing RAT performance against emerging variants and highlight the need for ongoing evaluation in the face of changing population immunity and virus evolution.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.09.23285583v1" target="_blank">Sensitivity of Rapid Antigen Tests Against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta Variants</a>
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<li><strong>Mental health, gender, and care-seeking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden: An exploratory study</strong> -
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Objective To explore the prevalence of care-seeking avoidance behavior in relation to gender and to describe the effect of (and potential interaction between) gender and care-seeking on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study among 27,562 participants of the Omtanke2020 Study, using data collected at three time points concerning sociodemographic factors, mental health symptoms, and care-seeking behavior. Network analysis and prevalence ratios calculated from modified Poisson regressions were used to explore the relationship between gender, care-seeking behavior, and mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and COVID-19-related distress). Results In our study, women reported a higher prevalence of mental health symptoms and avoidance of care-seeking due to COVID-19, compared to men. At baseline and six months thereafter, female gender was positively associated with COVID-19-related distress and previous mental health diagnosis. At 12 months after baseline, female gender was positively associated with anxiety and avoidance of care-seeking for mental health. However, previous mental health diagnosis and care avoidance were more strongly associated with a higher prevalence of mental health symptoms among men, compared to women. Conclusion This study highlights gender differences in mental health outcomes and care-seeking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.
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🖺 Full Text HTML: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.02.08.23285645v1" target="_blank">Mental health, gender, and care-seeking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden: An exploratory study</a>
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<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-clinical-trials">From Clinical Trials</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>MG Granules Improve COVID-19 Efficacy and Safety of Convalescent Exercise Tolerance</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Manzi Guben granules<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University;   The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University;   Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine;   Suzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine<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>Phase Clinical Trial of a Candidate COVID-19 Vaccine</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine (chimpanzee adenovirus vector) for Inhalation<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Wuhan BravoVax Co., Ltd.;   National University Hospital, Singapore;   Shanghai BravoBio Co., Ltd.<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>Plitidepsin Versus Control in Immunocompromised Adult Participants With Symptomatic COVID-19 Requiring Hospital Care</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: Plitidepsin<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   PharmaMar<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>Improving Adherence to COVID-19 Prevention Behaviours: Test of Persuasive Messages</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: Persuasive Appeal<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   University of Calgary<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>Incidence of COVID-19 Following Vaccination in Botswana Against SARS CoV 2</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Drug: AZD 1222<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership;   AstraZeneca;   Botswana Ministry of Health<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>Study Evaluating GS-5245 in Nonhospitalized Participants With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: GS-5245;   Drug: GS-5245 Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Gilead Sciences<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 To Assess The Efficacy and Safety of HH-120 Nasal Spray for the Treatment of Mild COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: HH-120 nasal spray;   Drug: Placebo Comparator<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Huahui Health<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>Study for Efficacy and Safety Assessment of the Drug RADAMIN®VIRO for COVID-19 Postexposure Prophylaxis</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Double-Stranded RNA sodium salt;   Drug: Placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Promomed, LLC<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>Study of Flonoltinib Maleate Tablets in the Treatment of Severe Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Infection</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: VV116+SOC;   Drug: SOC<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Chengdu Zenitar Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd<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>Study to Access the Efficacy and Safety of STI-1558 in Adult Subjects With Mild or Moderate (COVID-19)</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: STI-1558;   Drug: STI-1558 placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Zhejiang ACEA Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.<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>Effects of Pilates in Patients With Post- -COVID-19 Syndrome: Controlled and Randomized Clinical Trial</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Procedure: Pilates Exercises<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Michele de Aguiar Zacaria<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>Pirfenidone in Adult Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Pneumonia<br/><b>Interventions</b>:   Drug: Pirfenidone Oral Product;   Drug: Pirfenidone placebo<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Capital Medical University<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>Efficacy and Safety of Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Long COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   Long COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Biological: UC-MSCs<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Shanghai East 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>INFLUENCE OF HIGH FREQUENCY CHEST WALL OSCILLATION IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS WITH COVID-19</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Device: HIGH FREQUENCY CHEST WALL OSCILLATION<br/><b>Sponsor</b>:   Cairo University<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>CONFIDENCE: A Pilot Randomized Control Trial With Waitlist Condition to Test a Multicomponent Clinic-based Intervention to Promote COVID-19 Vaccine Intention and Uptake Among Diverse Youth and Adolescents</strong> - <b>Condition</b>:   COVID-19 Vaccination<br/><b>Intervention</b>:   Behavioral: CONFIDENCE<br/><b>Sponsors</b>:   University of Massachusetts, Worcester;   Merck Sharp &amp; Dohme LLC;   Baystate Health<br/><b>Not yet recruiting</b></p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-pubmed">From PubMed</h1>
<ul>
<li data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><p data-aos="fade-left" data-aos-anchor-placement="bottom-bottom"><strong>Metagenomic insights into the effects of benzyl dodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (BDAB) shock on bacteria-driven nitrogen removal in a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR)</strong> - The use of disinfectants made from quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) has greatly increased since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. However, the effect of QACs on wastewater treatment performance is still unclear. In this study, a commonly used QAC, i.e., benzyl dodecyl dimethyl ammonium bromide (BDAB), was added to a moving-bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) to investigate BDABs effect on nutrient removal. When the BDAB concentration was increased to 50 mg L^(-1), the ammonia removal efficiency (ARE)…</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>SS148 and WZ16 inhibit the activities of nsp10-nsp16 complexes from all seven human pathogenic coronaviruses</strong> - Seven coronaviruses have infected humans (HCoVs) to-date. SARS-CoV-2 caused the current COVID-19 pandemic with the well-known high mortality and severe socioeconomic consequences. MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV caused epidemic of MERS and SARS, respectively, with severe respiratory symptoms and significant fatality. However, HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-HKU1, and HCoV-OC43 cause respiratory illnesses with less severe symptoms in most cases. All coronaviruses use RNA capping to evade the immune systems of…</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>Structure-Based Design of Potent Iminosugar Inhibitors of Endoplasmic Reticulum α-Glucosidase I with Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity</strong> - Enveloped viruses depend on the host endoplasmic reticulum (ER) quality control (QC) machinery for proper glycoprotein folding. The endoplasmic reticulum quality control (ERQC) enzyme α-glucosidase I (α-GluI) is an attractive target for developing broad-spectrum antivirals. We synthesized 28 inhibitors designed to interact with all four subsites of the α-GluI active site. These inhibitors are derivatives of the iminosugars 1-deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ) and valiolamine. Crystal structures of ER…</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>Computational investigation on the antioxidant activities and on the M<sup>pro</sup> SARS-CoV-2 non-covalent inhibition of isorhamnetin</strong> - In the present work, we report a computational study on some important chemical properties of the flavonoid isorhamnetin, used in traditional medicine in many countries. In the course of the study we determined the acid-base equilibria in aqueous solution, the possible reaction pathways with the •OOH radical and the corresponding kinetic constants, the complexing capacity of copper ions, and the reduction of these complexes by reducing agents such as superoxide and ascorbic anion by using…</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 main protease of SARS-CoV-2 cleaves histone deacetylases and DCP1A, attenuating the immune defense of the interferon-stimulated genes</strong> - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), constitutes an emerging human pathogen of zoonotic origin. A critical role in protecting the host against invading pathogens is carried out by interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), the primary effectors of the type I interferon (IFN) response. All coronaviruses studied thus far have to first overcome the inhibitory effects of the IFN/ISG system before establishing efficient viral…</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>Antibacterial and antiviral chitosan oligosaccharide modified cellulosic fibers with durability against washing and long-acting activity</strong> - The worldwide outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has attracted extensive attention to antibacterial and antivirus materials. Cellulose is the most potential candidate for the preparation of green, environmentally friendly antibacterial and antiviral materials. Herein, modified cellulosic fibers with sustained antibacterial and antiviral performance was prepared by introducing chitosan oligosaccharide onto the fibers. The two-step method is proved to be more effective than the one-step method for enhanced…</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>Suppression of angiotensin converting enzyme 2, a host receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection, using 5-aminolevulinic acid in vitro</strong> - Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), an entry receptor found on the surface of host cells, is believed to be detrimental to the infectious capability of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Scientists have been working on finding a cure since its outbreak with limited success. In this study, we evaluated the potential of 5-aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride (ALA) in suppressing ACE2 expression of host cells. ACE2 expression and the production of intracellular…</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>Alkyne Derivatives of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors Including Nirmatrelvir Inhibit by Reacting Covalently with the Nucleophilic Cysteine</strong> - Nirmatrelvir (PF-07321332) is a nitrile-bearing small-molecule inhibitor that, in combination with ritonavir, is used to treat infections by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Nirmatrelvir interrupts the viral life cycle by inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M^(pro)), which is essential for processing viral polyproteins into functional nonstructural proteins. We report studies which reveal that derivatives of nirmatrelvir and other M^(pro) inhibitors with a…</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>Identification of structural scaffold from interbioscreen (IBS) database to inhibit 3CLpro, PLpro, and RdRp of SARS-CoV-2 using molecular docking and dynamic simulation studies</strong> - A novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has caused a worldwide pandemic and remained a severe threat to the entire human population. Researchers worldwide are struggling to find an effective drug treatment to combat this deadly disease. Many FDA-approved drugs from varying inhibitory classes and plant-derived compounds are screened to combat this virus. Still, due to the lack of structural information and several mutations of this virus, initial drug discovery efforts have limited success. A…</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>Mini-review: Angiotensin- converting enzyme 1 (ACE1) and the impact for diseases such as Alzheimers disease, sarcopenia, cancer, and COVID-19</strong> - Ageing has been associated with comorbidities, systemic low-grade of inflammation, and immunosenescence. Hypertension is the most common morbidity and anti-hypertensives are used for more than 50%. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 1 inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) control blood pressure but also seem to play a role in comorbidities such as Alzheimers disease, sarcopenia and cancer. The impact of anti-hypertensives in comorbidities is due to the expression of…</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>Role of innate and acquired resilience in behavioral system, mental health, and internet addiction among Japanese adolescents in the COVID-19 pandemic</strong> - BACKGROUND: This study examines mediation models in which behavioral inhibition and activation systems (BIS/BAS) impact internet addiction through mental health and the moderating roles of innate and acquired resilience in the models.</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>Aloin A inhibits SARS CoV-2 replication by targeting its binding with ACE2 - Evidence from modeling-supported molecular dynamics simulation</strong> - The current study aimed to expand on the recently published results and assess the inhibitory efficacy of aloin A against SARS CoV-2. In vitro testing of aloin A against SARS CoV-2 proteases (i.e., M^(Pro) and PL^(Pro)) showed weak to moderate activity (IC(50) = 68.56 ± 1.13 µM and 24.77 ± 1.57 µM, respectively). However, aloin A was able to inhibit the replication of SARS CoV-2 in Vero E6 cells efficiently with an IC(50) of 0.095 ± 0.022 µM. Depending on the reported poor permeability of aloin…</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 NSP7 inhibits type I and III IFN production by targeting the RIG-I/MDA5, TRIF, and STING signaling pathways</strong> - SARS-CoV-2 is a poor inducer of innate antiviral immunity, and the underlying mechanism still needs further investigation. Here, we reported that SARS-CoV-2 NSP7 inhibited the production of type I and III IFNs by targeting the RIG-I/MDA5, TLR3-TRIF, and cGAS-STING signaling pathways. SARS-CoV-2 NSP7 suppressed the expression of IFNs and IFN-stimulated genes induced by poly (I:C) transfection and infection with Sendai virus or SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles. NSP7 impaired type I and III IFN…</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>Modulation of transient receptor potential (TRP) channels by plant derived substances used in over-the-counter cough and cold remedies</strong> - CONCLUSIONS: The literature suggests that these plant derived substances have multifaceted actions and can interact with the TRP cough receptors. The plant derived substances used in cough and cold medicines have the potential to target multiple symptoms experienced during a cold.</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>Potential antiviral effects of pantethine against SARS-CoV-2</strong> - SARS-CoV-2 interacts with cellular cholesterol during many stages of its replication cycle. Pantethine was reported to reduce total cholesterol levels and fatty acid synthesis and potentially alter different processes that might be involved in the SARS-CoV-2 replication cycle. Here, we explored the potential antiviral effects of pantethine in two in vitro experimental models of SARS-CoV-2 infection, in Vero E6 cells and in Calu-3a cells. Pantethine reduced the infection of cells by SARS-CoV-2 in…</p></li>
</ul>
<h1 data-aos="fade-right" id="from-patent-search">From Patent Search</h1>
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