-
Increased expression of hypoxia-induced factor 1α mRNA and its related genes in myeloid blood cells from critically ill COVID-19 patients
28 Dec, 2020AbstractBackground
COVID-19 counts 46 million people infected and killed more than 1.2 million. Hypoxaemia is one of the main clinical manifestations, especially in severe cases. HIF1α is a master transcription factor involved in the cellular response to oxygen levels. The immunopathogenesis of this severe form of COVID-19 is poorly understood.
Methods
We performed scRNAseq from leukocytes from five critically ill COVID-19 patients and characterized the expression of hypoxia-inducibl... -
Defining the features and duration of antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with disease severity and outcome
16 Dec, 2020Abstract
SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies, particularly those preventing viral spike receptor binding domain (RBD) interaction with host angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor, can neutralize the virus. It is, however, unknown which features of the serological response may affect clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients. We analyzed 983 longitudinal plasma samples from 79 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 175 SARS-CoV-2-infected outpatients and asymptomatic individuals. Within this c... -
Digital Health Surveillance Strategies for Management of Coronavirus Disease 2019
15 Dec, 2020AbstractObjective
To describe the design, implementation and utilization of Electronic Health Record (EHR) based digital health surveillance strategies used to manage the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and ensure delivery of high quality clinical care such as case identification, remote monitoring, telemedicine services, and recruitment to clinical trials at Mayo Clinic.
Setting
Mayo Clinic, a large multistate integrated health care system with over 1.5 million annual patien... -
Simultaneous detection and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A virus and influenza B virus by one-step quadruplex real-time RT-PCR in patients with clinical manifestations
15 Dec, 2020AbstractObjectives:In order to develop a novel method based on the quadruplex assay which is a valuable diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, differential diagnosis and detection of coinfections. Methods: A one-step quadruplex real-time reverse transcription-PCR (rRT-PCR) assay was developed for simultaneous detection and differenation of SARS-CoV-2 ORF1ab and N genes, influenza A virus (hIAV) and influenza B virus (hIBV).Results: The results showed that the quadruple... -
Therapeutically administered ribonucleoside analogue MK-4482/EIDD-2801 blocks SARS-CoV-2 transmission in ferrets
6 Dec, 2020Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having a catastrophic impact on human health1. Widespread community transmission has triggered stringent distancing measures with severe socio-economic consequences. Gaining control of the pandemic will depend on the interruption of transmission chains until vaccine-induced or naturally acquired protective herd immunity arises. However, approved antiviral treatments such as remdesivir and reconvalescent serum cannot b... -
-
Focus shifts to antibody cocktails for COVID-19 cytokine storm
24 Nov, 2020Emerging clinical trial data suggest that individual immunomodulatory drugs can dampen the hyperactive immune system in severe COVID-19, but polytherapy is the way forward.
On June 5 the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation registered Biocad’s Ilsira (levilimab) as a treatment for severe COVID-19. Ilsira is one of several monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) and a host of other inflammatory cytokines currently in clinical testing against coronavirus... -
Post-lockdown SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid screening in nearly ten million residents of Wuhan, China
24 Nov, 2020Abstract
Stringent COVID-19 control measures were imposed in Wuhan between January 23 and April 8, 2020. Estimates of the prevalence of infection following the release of restrictions could inform post-lockdown pandemic management. Here, we describe a city-wide SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid screening programme between May 14 and June 1, 2020 in Wuhan. All city residents aged six years or older were eligible and 9,899,828 (92.9%) participated. No new symptomatic cases and 300 asymptomatic cases (... -
New saliva-based antibody test for SARS-COV-2 highly accurate in initial study
24 Nov, 2020
The test could prove useful for large-scale screening and epidemiological surveys and cuts down on reliance on blood draws
A new saliva-based test developed by a team at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has been found to accurately detect the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from small samples of saliva. Such tests, the results of which can be obtained in a matter of hours, are seen as potential alternatives to blood-sampl... -
Telemedicine Usage Among Urologists During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional StudyTelemedicine Usage Among Urologists During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study
10 Nov, 2020Abstract
Background: Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, urology was one of the specialties with the lowest rates of telemedicine and videoconferencing use. Common barriers to the implementation of telemedicine included a lack of technological literacy, concerns with reimbursement, and resistance to changes in the workplace. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic declared in March 2020, the delivery of urological services globally has quickly shifted to telemedicine to account for the mass clini... -
Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of COVID-19-Infected Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
10 Nov, 2020Background
Previous studies have indicated Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with cancer have a high fatality rate.
Methods
We conducted a systematic review of studies that reported fatalities in COVID-19 patients with cancer. A comprehensive meta-analysis that assessed the overall case fatality rate and associated risk factors was performed. Using individual patient data, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for e... -
COVID-19-associated gastrointestinal and liver injury: clinical features and potential mechanisms
9 Nov, 2020Abstract
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The infection is spreading globally and poses a huge threat to human health. Besides common respiratory symptoms, some patients with COVID-19 experience gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. SARS-CoV-2 might infect the gastrointestinal tract through its viral receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and there is increa...