This version of BIP! Finder aims to ease the exploration of COVID-19-related literature by enabling ranking articles based on various impact metrics.
Last Update: 18 - 01 - 2023 (628506 entries)
Popularity: Citation-based measure reflecting the current impact.
Influence: Citation-based measure reflecting the total impact.
Reader Attention: The current number of Mendeley readers.
Social Media Attention: The number of recent tweets related to this article.
*More details on these impact measures can be found here.
Exceptional score (in top 0.01%).
Substantial score (in top 1%).
Average score (in bottom 99%).
Score not available.
CORD-19 dataset(1) (list of papers)
LitCovid hub(2) (list of papers)
PMC & PubMed (citations)
Mendeley (number of readers)
COVID-19-TweetIDs(3) (tweets)
| Title | Venue | Year | Impact | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7951 | Identification of chymotrypsin-like protease inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 via integrated computational approach N/A | J Biomol Struct Dyn | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7952 | Detection and infectivity potential of SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination in isolation units and quarantine facilities OBJECTIVES: Environmental surfaces have been suggested as likely contributors to the transmission of COVID-19. This study assessed the infectivity of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) contamination on surfaces and objects in hospital isolation units and a quarantine hotel. METHODS: SARS-CoV-2 virus stability and infectivity on non-porous surfaces was tested under controlled laboratory conditions. Surfaces and air sampling was conducted at two COVID-19 isolation units and in a quarantine hotel. Viral RNA detected by RT-PCR and infectivity was assessed by VERO E6 CPE test. RESULTS: In laboratory-controlled conditions, SARS-CoV-2 gradually lost its infectivity completely at day 4 at ambient temperature and the decay rate of viral viability on surfaces directly correlated with increase in temperature. Viral RNA detected in 29/55 (52.7%) and 16/42 (38%) surface samples from the surrounding of symptomatic COVID-19 patients in isolation units of two hospitals and in a quarantine hotel for asymptomatic and very mild COVID-19 patients. None of the surface and air samples from all three sites (0/97) were found to contain infectious titers SARS-Cov-2 in tissue culture assay. CONCLUSIONS: Despite prolonged viability of SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory-controlled conditions, uncultivable viral contamination on inanimate surfaces might suggest low feasibility for indirect fomite transmission. | Clin Microbiol Infect | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7953 | Impaired humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccine in kidney transplant recipients and dialysis patients N/A | Sci Immunol | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7954 | English as a foreign language teachers' perceptions regarding their pedagogical-technological knowledge and its implementation in distance learning during COVID-19 With the educational revolution driven by COVID-19, traditional face-to-face teaching methods have rapidly been transformed into accessible, reliable online distance education. This has meant revisiting and reinventing existing technology-based educational processes and models. This study investigates whether teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) are confident that they have the requisite knowledge of how particular technologies are used for remote teaching, both during COVID-19 and as they look to the future. By adopting a mixed-method approach, this paper investigates teacher practices and perceptions regarding teaching online during Covid-19's emergency remote teaching. One hundred and twenty-nine participants were recruited through an online survey. All analyses were carried out using SPSS version 25. Data was based on ranking and non-parametric tests were used. Qualitative data from the open-ended question were analyzed using data-driven thematic analysis. Teachers reported significantly increased reliance on self-teaching, colleagues' knowledge, staff tutorials, and online school support. The gap between knowledge and usage of digital tools was found to be associated with the challenges facing EFL teachers with distance learning. Teachers who reported knowing more or roughly the same about the tools compared to their usage of them knew how to incorporate their knowledge into their practical teaching, took control over the management of their instruction, and had higher pupil engagement and motivation. However, teachers whose knowledge of digital tools was lower than their usage encountered technological difficulties that impaired their teaching. Some implications can be drawn from the study, such as the need for teacher education programs to improve teacher awareness of new pedagogical-technological learning methods, and the importance of providing opportunities to acquire digital competence and encourage teachers to adapt personally to new digital technologies within specific disciplinary contexts. Our findings have both theoretical and practical implications for pre- and in-service teacher training. | Heliyon | 2022 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7955 | COVID-19 associated pulmonary aspergillosis OBJECTIVES: Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to viral infection are at risk for secondary complications like invasive aspergillosis. Our study evaluates coronavirus disease 19 (COVID‐19) associated invasive aspergillosis at a single centre in Cologne, Germany. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all patients with COVID‐19 associated ARDS admitted to the medical or surgical intensive care unit at the University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. RESULTS: COVID‐19 associated invasive pulmonary aspergillosis was found in five of 19 consecutive critically ill patients with moderate to severe ARDS. CONCLUSION: Clinicians caring for patients with ARDS due to COVID‐19 should consider invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and subject respiratory samples to comprehensive analysis to detect co‐infection. | Mycoses | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7956 | Does vitamin D deficiency increase the severity of COVID-19? N/A | Clin Med (Lond) | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7957 | Medical Insurance Information Systems in China: Mixed Methods Study BACKGROUND: Since the People’s Republic of China (PRC), or China, established the basic medical insurance system (MIS) in 1998, the medical insurance information systems (MIISs) in China have effectively supported the operation of the MIS through several phases of development; the phases included a stand-alone version, the internet, and big data. In 2018, China’s national medical security systems were integrated, while MIISs were facing reconstruction. We summarized China’s experience in medical insurance informatization over the past 20 years, aiming to provide a reference for the building of a new basic MIS for China and for developing countries. OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to sort out medical insurance informatization policies throughout the years, use questionnaires to determine the status quo of provincial MIIS-building in China and the relevant policies, provide references and suggestions for the top-level design and implementation of the information systems in the transitional period of China’s MIS reform, and provide a reference for the building of MIISs in developing countries. METHODS: We conducted policy analysis by collecting the laws, regulations, and policy documents—issued from 1998 to 2020—on China's medical insurance and its informatization; we also analyzed the US Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and other relevant policies. We conducted a questionnaire survey by sending out questionnaires to 31 Chinese, provincial, medical security bureaus to collect information about network links, system functions, data exchange, standards and specifications, and building modes, among other items. We conducted a literature review by searching for documents about relevant laws and policies, building methods, application results, and other documents related to MIISs; we conducted searches using PubMed, Elsevier, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and other major literature databases. We conducted telephone interviews to verify the results of questionnaires and to understand the focus issues concerning the building of China’s national MIISs during the period of integration and transition of China's MIS. RESULTS: In 74% (23/31) of the regions in China, MIISs were networked through dedicated fiber optic lines. In 65% (20/31) of the regions in China, MIISs supported identity recognition based on both ID cards and social security cards. In 55% (17/31) of the regions in China, MIISs at provincial and municipal levels were networked and have gathered basic medical insurance data, whereas MIISs were connected to health insurance companies in 35% (11/31) of the regions in China. China’s MIISs are comprised of 11 basic functional modules, among which the modules of business operation, transregional referral, reimbursement, and monitoring systems are widely applied. MIISs in 83% (20/24) of Chinese provinces have stored data on coverage, payment, and settlement compensation of medical insurance. However, in terms of data security and privacy protection, pertinent policies are absent and data utilization is not in-depth enough. Respondents to telephone interviews universally reflected on the following issues and suggestions: in the period of integration and transition of MISs, close attention should be paid to the top-level design, and repeated investment should be avoided for the building of MIISs; MIISs should be adapted to the health care reform, and efforts should be made to strengthen the informatization support for the reform of payment methods; and MIISs should be adapted for the widespread application of mobile phones and should provide insured persons with more self-service functions. CONCLUSIONS: In the future, the building of China’s basic MIISs should be deployed at the national, provincial, prefectural, and municipal levels on a unified basis. Efforts should be made to strengthen the development of standard codes, data exchange, and data utilization. Work should be done to formulate the rules and regulations for security and privacy protection and to balance the right to be informed with the mining and utilization of big data. Efforts should be made to intensify the interconnectivity between MISs and other health systems and to strengthen the application of medical insurance information in public health monitoring and early warning systems; this would ultimately improve the degree of trust from stakeholders, including individuals, medical service providers, and public health institutions, in the basic MIISs. | JMIR Med Inform | 2020 | CORD-19 | |
| 7958 | Two-Component Nanoparticle Vaccine Displaying Glycosylated Spike S1 Domain Induces Neutralizing Antibody Response against SARS-CoV-2 Variants Vaccines pave the way out of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Besides mRNA and adenoviral vector vaccines, effective protein-based vaccines are needed for immunization against current and emerging variants. We have developed a virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccine using the baculovirus-insect cell expression system, a robust production platform known for its scalability, low cost, and safety. Baculoviruses were constructed encoding SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins: full-length S, stabilized secreted S, or the S1 domain. Since subunit S only partially protected mice from SARS-CoV-2 challenge, we produced S1 for conjugation to bacteriophage AP205 VLP nanoparticles using tag/catcher technology. The S1 yield in an insect-cell bioreactor was ∼11 mg/liter, and authentic protein folding, efficient glycosylation, partial trimerization, and ACE2 receptor binding was confirmed. Prime-boost immunization of mice with 0.5 μg S1-VLPs showed potent neutralizing antibody responses against Wuhan and UK/B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 variants. This two-component nanoparticle vaccine can now be further developed to help alleviate the burden of COVID-19. | mBio | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7959 | The efficacy and safety of Ivermectin in patients with mild and moderate COVID-19: A structured summary of a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial OBJECTIVES: We will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ivermectin in patients with mild and moderately severe COVID-19. TRIAL DESIGN: This is a phase 3, single-center, randomized, open-label, controlled trial with a 2-arm parallel-group design (1:1 ratio). PARTICIPANTS: The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Departments of the Shahid Mohammadi Hospital, Bandar Abbas, Iran, will screen for patients age ≥ 20 years and weight ≥35 kg for the following criteria: Inclusion criteria for patients with mild COVID-19 symptoms (outpatients): 1. Diagnosed mild pneumonia using computed tomography (CT) and/or chest X-ray (CX-R) imaging, not requiring hospitalization. 2. Signing informed consent. Inclusion criteria for patients with moderate COVID-19 symptoms (inpatients): 1. Confirmed infection using PCR. 2. Diagnosed moderate pneumonia using CT and/or CXR imaging, requiring hospitalization. 3. Hospitalized ≤ 48 hours. 4. Signing informed consent. : 1. Severe and critical pneumonia due to COVID-19. 2. Underlying diseases, including AIDS, asthma, loiasis, and severe liver and kidney disease. 3. Use of anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin) and ACE inhibitors (e.g., captopril). 4. History of drug allergy to Ivermectin. 5. Pregnancy or breastfeeding. INTERVENTION AND COMPARATOR: Intervention groups: Outpatient and inpatient groups will receive the standard treatment regimen for mild and moderate COVID-19, based on the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education's protocol, along with oral Ivermectin (MSD Company, France) at a single dose of 0.2 mg/kg. Control groups: The outpatient group will receive hydroxychloroquine sulfate (Amin Pharmaceutical Company, Iran) at a dose of 400 mg twice a day for the first day and 200 mg twice a day for seven subsequent days. The inpatient group will receive 200/50 mg Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Heterd Company, India) twice a day for the seven days, plus five doses of 44 mcg Interferon beta-1a (CinnaGen, Iran) every other day. Other supportive and routine care will be the same in both outpatient and inpatient groups. MAIN OUTCOME: The primary outcomes are composite and include the improvement of clinical symptoms and need for hospitalization for outpatient groups, and the length of hospital stay until discharge, the need for ICU admission until discharge, and the need for mechanical ventilation for inpatient groups within seven days of randomization. The secondary outcome is the incidence of serious adverse drug reactions within seven days of randomization. RANDOMIZATION: Patients in both outpatient (mild) and inpatient (moderate) groups will be randomized into the treatment and control groups based on the following method. A simple randomization method and table of random numbers will be used. If the selected number is even, the patient is allocated to the treatment group, and if it is odd, the patient is allocated to the control group in a 1:1 ratio. BLINDING (MASKING): This is an open-label study, and there is not blinding. Numbers to be randomized (sample size) A total number of 120 patients (60 outpatients and 60 patients) will be randomized into two groups (30 patients in each of the intervention groups and 30 patients in each of the control groups). TRIAL STATUS: The protocol is Version 1.0, November 17, 2020. Recruitment began November 25, 2020, and is anticipated to be completed by February 25, 2021. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This clinical trial has been registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT). The registration number is “IRCT20200506047323N6”. The registration date is November 17, 2020. FULL PROTOCOL: The full protocol is attached as an additional file, accessible from the Trials website (Additional file 1). In the interest in expediting the dissemination of this material, the familiar formatting has been eliminated; this letter serves as a summary of the key elements of the full protocol. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-020-04988-7. | Trials | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7960 | Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Very Preterm Birth and Preterm Birth Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic IMPORTANCE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may exacerbate existing racial/ethnic inequities in preterm birth. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether racial/ethnic disparities in very preterm birth (VPTB) and preterm birth (PTB) increased during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study included 8026 Black, Latina, and White women who gave birth during the study period. A difference-in-differences (DID) analysis of Black vs White disparities in VPTB or PTB in a pandemic cohort was compared with a prepandemic cohort by using electronic medical records obtained from 2 hospitals in New York City. EXPOSURES: Women who delivered from March 28 to July 31, 2020, were considered the pandemic cohort, and women who delivered from March 28 to July 31, 2019, were considered the prepandemic cohort. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction tests for the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were performed using samples obtained via nasopharyngeal swab at the time of admission. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Clinical estimates of gestational age were used to calculate VPTB (<32 weeks) and PTB (<37 weeks). Log binomial regression was performed to estimate Black vs White risk differences, pandemic cohort vs prepandemic cohort risk difference, and an interaction term representing the DID estimator. Covariate-adjusted models included age, insurance, prepregnancy body mass index, and parity. RESULTS: Of 3834 women in the pandemic cohort, 492 (12.8%) self-identified as Black, 678 (17.7%) as Latina, 2012 (52.5%) as White, 408 (10.6%) as Asian, and 244 (6.4%) as other or unspecified race/ethnicity, with approximately half the women 25 to 34 years of age. The prepandemic cohort comprised 4192 women with similar sociodemographic characteristics. In the prepandemic cohort, VPTB risk was 4.4% (20 of 451) and PTB risk was 14.4% (65 of 451) among Black infants compared with 0.8% (17 of 2188) VPTB risk and 7.1% (156 of 2188) PTB risk among White infants. In the pandemic cohort, VPTB risk was 4.3% (21 of 491) and PTB risk was 13.2% (65 of 491) among Black infants compared with 0.5% (10 of 1994) VPTB risk and 7.0% (240 of 1994) PTB risk among White infants. The DID estimators indicated that no increase in Black vs White disparities were found (DID estimator for VPTB, 0.1 additional cases per 100 [95% CI, −2.5 to 2.8]; DID estimator for PTB, 1.1 fewer case per 100 [95% CI, −5.8 to 3.6]). The results were comparable in covariate-adjusted models when limiting the population to women who tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. No change was detected in Latina vs White PTB disparities during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study of women who gave birth in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic, no evidence was found for increased racial/ethnic disparities in PTB, among women who tested positive or tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. | JAMA Netw Open | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7961 | The impact of COVID-19 related lockdown on ophthalmology training programs in India-Outcomes of a survey PURPOSE: In 2020, in response to the emergence and global spread of the disease COVID-19, caused by a new variant of coronavirus 2019-nCoV, the government of India ordered a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, which was then extended to a total of over 50 days. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of the lockdown on ophthalmic training programs across India. METHODS: An online survey was sent across to trainee ophthalmologists across India through various social media platforms. RESULTS: In all, 716 trainees responded; the average age was 29.1 years. Results showed that majority of the respondents were enrolled in residency programs (95.6%; 685/716) and the others were in fellowship programs. About 24.6% (176/716) of the trainees had been deployed on 'COVID-19 screening' duties. Nearly 80.7% (578/716) of the trainees felt that the COVID-19 lockdown had negatively impacted their surgical training. Furthermore, 54.8% (392/716) of the trainees perceived an increase in stress levels during the COVID-19 lockdown and 77.4% (554/716) reported that their family members had expressed an increased concern for their safety and wellbeing since the lockdown began. In all, 75.7% (542/716) of the respondents felt that online classes and webinars were useful during the lockdown period. CONCLUSION: Our survey showed that majority ophthalmology trainees across the country felt that the COVID-19 lockdown adversely affected their learning, especially surgical training. While most found online classes and webinars useful, the trainees' perceived stress levels were higher than normal during the lockdown. Training hospitals should take cognizance of this and reassure trainees; formulate guidelines to augment training to compensate for the lost time as well as mitigate the stress levels upon resumption of regular hospital services and training. Going ahead, permanent changes such as virtual classrooms and simulation-based training should be considered. | Indian J Ophthalmol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7962 | Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, children can be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Clinical symptoms of children with COVID from China, where the disease was first reported, generally were less severe than adults. However, at the end of April 2020 in Europe, it was observed that some children with SARS-CoV-2 infection developed fever, abdominal pain, shock, myocardial insufficiency and they needed to be taken care of in intensive care unit. This new disease has been called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Although the pathogenesis of MIS-C is unclear, it progresses with signs of multiorgan involvement as a result of uncontrolled inflammation of the immune system and even causes death. Therefore, the diagnosis and treatment of patients with MIS-C should be managed quickly. In this review, the pathophysiology, clinical and laboratory findings, diagnostic methods, and treatment regimens of MIS-C were discussed. | Turk J Med Sci | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7963 | Qualitative Assessment of Early Adverse Effects of Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinopharm COVID-19 Vaccines by Telephone Interviews Vaccines are considered the best approach for countering the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we compared early side effects associated with vaccination with the Sinopharm and Pfizer–BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. Participants of this observational cohort were interviewed based on semi-structured telephone interviews, with enquiries about side effects that developed after vaccination with each dose of these vaccines. Overall, 1004 participants were enrolled, of which 51.1% received Sinopharm vaccine and 48.9% received the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine. After the first dose, 46.3% of participants had an adverse reaction, with injection site pain most commonly being reported (33.2%). Participants who received the Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine had significantly higher frequencies of all types of adverse reactions (p < 0.01), with no significant differences in the duration of adverse reactions between the two vaccines. Regarding the second dose, 48.6% of participants had adverse reactions, with injection site pain being most commonly reported (29%). Those who received the Pfizer vaccine reported higher frequencies of all adverse reactions (p < 0.01). However, a longer duration of adverse reactions was seen among Sinopharm vaccine recipients as compared to Pfizer–BioNTech vaccine recipients (p = 0.01). In conclusion, early adverse effects are reported following all types of vaccines but these are more likely to be encountered following the administration of new-generation vaccines. These side effects are mostly mild and treatable. | Vaccines (Basel) | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7964 | From science to politics: COVID-19 information fatigue on YouTube OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic is the first pandemic where social media platforms relayed information on a large scale, enabling an “infodemic” of conflicting information which undermined the global response to the pandemic. Understanding how the information circulated and evolved on social media platforms is essential for planning future public health campaigns. This study investigated what types of themes about COVID-19 were most viewed on YouTube during the first 8 months of the pandemic, and how COVID-19 themes progressed over this period. METHODS: We analyzed top-viewed YouTube COVID-19-related videos in English from December 1, 2019 to August 16, 2020 with an open inductive content analysis. We coded 536 videos associated with 1.1 billion views across the study period. East Asian countries were the first to report the virus, while most of the top-viewed videos in English were from the US. Videos from straight news outlets dominated the top-viewed videos throughout the outbreak, and public health authorities contributed the fewest. Although straight news was the dominant COVID-19 video source with various types of themes, its viewership per video was similar to that for entertainment news and YouTubers after March. RESULTS: We found, first, that collective public attention to the COVID-19 pandemic on YouTube peaked around March 2020, before the outbreak peaked, and flattened afterwards despite a spike in worldwide cases. Second, more videos focused on prevention early on, but videos with political themes increased through time. Third, regarding prevention and control measures, masking received much less attention than lockdown and social distancing in the study period. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that a transition of focus from science to politics on social media intensified the COVID-19 infodemic and may have weakened mitigation measures during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended that authorities should consider co-operating with reputable social media influencers to promote health campaigns and improve health literacy. In addition, given high levels of globalization of social platforms and polarization of users, tailoring communication towards different digital communities is likely to be essential. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13151-7. | BMC Public Health | 2022 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7965 | Interleukin-1 blockade with high-dose anakinra in patients with COVID-19, acute respiratory distress syndrome and hyperinflammation: a retrospective cohort study BACKGROUND: Mortality of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and systemic inflammation is high. In areas of pandemic outbreak, the number of patients can exceed maximum capacity of intensive care units (ICUs), and, thus, these individuals often receive non-invasive ventilation outside of the ICU. Effective treatments for this population are needed urgently. Anakinra is a recombinant interleukin-1 receptor antagonist that might be beneficial in this patient population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy. We included consecutive patients (aged ≥18 years) with COVID-19, moderate-to-severe ARDS, and hyperinflammation (defined as serum C-reactive protein ≥100 mg/L, ferritin ≥900 ng/mL, or both) who were managed with non-invasive ventilation outside of the ICU and who received standard treatment of 200 mg hydroxychloroquine twice a day orally and 400 mg lopinavir with 100 mg ritonavir twice a day orally. We compared survival, mechanical ventilation-free survival, changes in C-reactive protein, respiratory function, and clinical status in a cohort of patients who received additional treatment with anakinra (either 5 mg/kg twice a day intravenously [high dose] or 100 mg twice a day subcutaneously [low dose]) with a retrospective cohort of patients who did not receive anakinra (referred to as the standard treatment group). All outcomes were assessed at 21 days. This study is part of the COVID-19 Biobank study, which is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04318366. FINDINGS: Between March 17 and March 27, 2020, 29 patients received high-dose intravenous anakinra, non-invasive ventilation, and standard treatment. Between March 10 and March 17, 2020, 16 patients received non-invasive ventilation and standard treatment only and comprised the comparison group for this study. A further seven patients received low-dose subcutaneous anakinra in addition to non-invasive ventilation and standard treatment; however, anakinra treatment was interrupted after 7 days because of a paucity of effects on serum C-reactive protein and clinical status. At 21 days, treatment with high-dose anakinra was associated with reductions in serum C-reactive protein and progressive improvements in respiratory function in 21 (72%) of 29 patients; five (17%) patients were on mechanical ventilation and three (10%) died. In the standard treatment group, eight (50%) of 16 patients showed respiratory improvement at 21 days; one (6%) patient was on mechanical ventilation and seven (44%) died. At 21 days, survival was 90% in the high-dose anakinra group and 56% in the standard treatment group (p=0·009). Mechanical ventilation-free survival was 72% in the anakinra group versus 50% in the standard treatment group (p=0·15). Bacteraemia occurred in four (14%) of 29 patients receiving high-dose anakinra and two (13%) of 16 patients receiving standard treatment. Discontinuation of anakinra was not followed by inflammatory relapses. INTERPRETATION: In this retrospective cohort study of patients with COVID-19 and ARDS managed with non-invasive ventilation outside of the ICU, treatment with high-dose anakinra was safe and associated with clinical improvement in 72% of patients. Confirmation of efficacy will require controlled trials. FUNDING: None. | Lancet Rheumatol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7966 | Universal screening of high-risk neonates, parents and staff at a neonatal intensive care unit during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic Since February 21, 2020, SARS-CoV-2 has spread exponentially worldwide. Neonatal patients needing intensive care are considered a vulnerable population. To report the results of a policy based on multi-timepoint surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 of all neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), their parents, and all healthcare providers in a part of Italy with a high prevalence of the infection. Observational study conducted from 21 February to 21 April 2020. Intervention consisted of (a) parental triage on arrival at the neonatal ward; (b) universal testing with nasopharyngeal swabs and blood testing for SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies; (c) use of continuous personal protective equipment at the NICU by parents and staff. A total of 6726 triage procedures were performed on 114 parents, and 954 nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 226 individuals. Five (2.2%) asymptomatic individuals (2 parents and 3 healthcare providers) tested positive on nasopharyngeal swabs and were kept isolated for 14 days. Of 75 admitted newborn, no one tested positive on nasopharyngeal swabs or antibody tests. Three parents presented with fever or flu-like symptoms at triage; they tested negative on swabs. Conclusion: With universal screening of neonates, parents, and staff, there were no cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the neonates admitted to a NICU in an area with a high incidence of SARS-CoV-2. Our experience could be usefully compared with other strategies with a view to developing future evidence-based guidelines for managing high-risk neonates in case of new epidemics. | Eur J Pediatr | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7967 | Professional and Ethical Issues in United States Acute Care Physical Therapists Treating Patients With COVID-19: Stress, Walls and Uncertainty Objective: No peer-reviewed research has explored professional and ethical issues encountered by physical therapists in treating patients with COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of physical therapists regarding the professional and ethical issues they encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The current study used reflexive thematic analysis, a qualitative research design developed by Braun and Clarke, to analyze individual interviews. Results: Analysis of the coded interviews produced 6 primary themes (uncertainty, physical therapist’s role, ethical dilemmas and moral distress, emotions, providing care and working conditions, and management and leadership influence) and associated subthemes. Conclusions: Physical therapists reported numerous professional and ethical issues across the individual, organizational, and societal realms during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlights the need for education and resources to prepare physical therapists for professional and ethical issues encountered during pandemics. Specifically, there is a need to define the physical therapist’s role in pandemics and prepare the physical therapy personnel for dealing with ethical issues, stress, uncertainty, and organizational changes associated with pandemics. Ethical guidelines would support organizations in delineating fair processes for triage and allocation of scarce resources for acute care physical therapy during healthcare emergencies. Impact: The COVID-19 pandemic has produced significant changes in healthcare and physical therapist practice. This study reports results of the first research study focusing on professional and ethical issues experienced by physical therapists in acute care during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the US faces an unprecedented spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths, results of this study may contribute to physical therapists’ preparation for and response to professional and ethical issues encountered in acute care during the pandemic. | Phys Ther | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7968 | Viral RNA Load and Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in Paired Respiratory and Oral Specimens from Symptomatic, Asymptomatic, or Postsymptomatic Individuals N/A | Microbiol Spectr | 2022 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7969 | Azithromycin added to hydroxychloroquine for patients admitted to intensive care due to COVID-19-protocol of randomised controlled trial AZIQUINE-ICU BACKGROUND: Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is known to be susceptible in vitro to exposure to hydroxychloroquine and its effect has been found to be potentiated by azithromycin. We hypothesise that early administration of hydroxychloroquine alone or in combination with azithromycin can prevent respiratory deterioration in patients admitted to intensive care due to rapidly progressive COVID-19 infection. METHODS: Design: Prospective, multi-centre, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial (RCT). Participants: Adult (> 18 years) within 24 h of admission to the intensive care unit with proven or suspected COVID-19 infection, whether or not mechanically ventilated. Exclusion criteria include duration symptoms of febrile disease for ≥ 1 week, treatment limitations in place or moribund patients, allergy or intolerance of any study treatment, and pregnancy. Interventions: Patients will be randomised in 1:1:1 ratio to receive Hydroxychloroquine 800 mg orally in two doses followed by 400 mg daily in two doses and azithromycin 500 mg orally in one dose followed by 250 mg in one dose for a total of 5 days (HC-A group) or hydroxychloroquine + placebo (HC group) or placebo + placebo (C-group) in addition to the best standard of care, which may evolve during the trial period but will not differ between groups. Primary outcome is the composite percentage of patients alive and not on end-of-life pathway who are free of mechanical ventilation at day 14. Secondary outcomes: The percentage of patients who were prevented from needing intubation until day 14, ICU length of stay, and mortality (in hospital) at day 28 and 90. DISCUSSION: Although both investigational drugs are often administered off label to patients with severe COVID-19, at present, there is no data from RCTs on their safety and efficacy. In vitro and observational trial suggests their potential to limit viral replication and the damage to lungs as the most common reason for ICU admission. Therefore, patients most likely to benefit from the treatment are those with severe but early disease. This trial is designed and powered to investigate whether the treatment in this cohort of patients leads to improved clinical patient-centred outcomes, such as mechanical ventilation-free survival. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trials.gov: NCT04339816 (Registered on 9 April 2020, amended on 22 June 2020); Eudra CT number: 2020-001456-18 (Registered on 29 March 2020). | Trials | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7970 | Highlight of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development against COVID-19 pandemic N/A | J Chin Med Assoc | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7971 | SARS-CoV-2 variants and effectiveness of vaccines: a review of current evidence The SARS-CoV-2 virus is rapidly evolving via mutagenesis, lengthening the pandemic, and threatening the public health. Until August 2021, 12 variants of SARS-CoV-2 named as variants of concern (VOC; Alpha to Delta) or variants of interest (VOI; Epsilon to Mu), with significant impact on transmissibility, morbidity, possible reinfection and mortality, have been identified. The VOC Delta (B.1.617.2) of Indian origin is now the dominant and the most contagious variant worldwide as it provokes a strong binding to the human ACE2 receptor, increases transmissibility and manifests considerable immune escape strategies after natural infection or vaccination. Although the development and administration of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, based on different technologies (mRNA, adenovirus carrier, recombinant protein, etc.), are very promising for the control of the pandemic, their effectiveness and neutralizing activity against VOCs varies significantly. In this review, we describe the most significant circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, and the known effectiveness of currently available vaccines against them. | Epidemiol Infect | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7972 | Prevalence of Loss of Smell and/or Taste and other Otorhinolaryngology Symptoms in COVID-19 Patients N/A | Kathmandu Univ Med J (KUMJ) | 2021 | LitCov | |
| 7973 | Children's psychological well-being and problem behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: An online study during the lockdown period in Germany As COVID-19 dramatically changes human social life, restrictive lockdown periods to slow the spread of the virus have been suggested to particularly affect the psychological well-being of children and their families. To capture lockdown-related effects on a large scale, the present study used an online questionnaire completed by parents of 3-10-year-olds during the most restrictive lockdown period in Germany thus far (N = 2,672). Parents reported their stress level, their child’s well-being, and their child’s problem behaviors among others. Results showed that most parents and children experienced lockdown-related stress. Concerning children, not being able to meet with friends and family members outside the household emerged as the primary challenge. Older children (7–10 years) evidenced more emotional symptoms as well as less conduct problems and hyperactivity than younger children (3–6 years). Children’s own and their parents’ stress level, the degree to which children missed other children, and children’s age all showed to be negatively related to children’s general life satisfaction. Single parenthood and being an only child were associated with higher levels of child problems. Taken together, these findings shed light on the psychological well-being of children and their families during governmental lockdown measures, as well as on relations between children’s coping and demographic background. They have implications for possible avenues for interventions, inter alia by encouraging policies that facilitate the maintenance of social relationships and focus particularly on children from single parent families, on only children as well as on families in challenging housing situations. | PLoS One | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7974 | Serological Response to the BNT162b2 COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine in Adolescent and Young Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients BACKGROUND. Initial reports in adult kidney transplant recipients (KTR) indicate low immunogenicity after 2 doses of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. We describe the immunogenicity of this vaccine compared to the serologic response in naturally infected COVID-19 positive adolescent and young adult KTR. METHODS. For this prospective observational study, the study group included 38 KTR who received 2 doses of the tested vaccine, and the control group included 14 KTR who had a previous polymerase chain reaction–confirmed COVID-19 infection. RESULTS. The mean age was 18 ± 3 y. Positive serologic responses were observed in 63% and 100% of the study and control groups, respectively (P = 0.01). Antibody titers were almost 30-fold higher in the control than the study group (median [interquartile range (IQR)]: 2782 [1908–11 000] versus 100.3 [4.7–1744] AU/mL, P < 0.001), despite the longer time from the COVID-19 infection to serologic testing compared to time from vaccination (median [IQR]: 157.5 [60–216] versus 37 [20.5–53] d, P = 0.011). Among vaccinated patients, higher proportions of those seronegative than seropositive were previously treated with rituximab (50% versus 8%, P = 0.01). Time from the second vaccine dose to serologic testing was longer in seropositive than seronegative patients (median [IQR]: 24.5 [15–40] versus 46 [27–56] d, P = 0.05). No patient developed symptomatic COVID-19 disease postvaccination. CONCLUSIONS. The BNT162b2 COVID-19 mRNA vaccine yielded higher positive antibody response in adolescent and young adult KTR than previously reported for adult KTR. Antibody titers after vaccination were significantly lower than following COVID-19 infection. Longer time may be required to mount appropriate humoral immunity to vaccination in KTR. | Transplantation | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7975 | Peripheral immunophenotypes in children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection N/A | Nat Med | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7976 | Telehealth as a Bright Spot of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Recommendations From the Virtual Frontlines ("Frontweb") The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has accelerated the telehealth tipping point in the practice of family medicine and primary care in the United States, making telehealth not just a novel approach to care but also a necessary one for public health safety. Social distancing requirements and stay-at-home orders have shifted patient care from face-to-face consultations in primary care offices to virtual care from clinicians’ homes or offices, moving to a new frontline, which we call the “frontweb.” Our telehealth workgroup employed the Clinical Transformation in Technology implementation framework to accelerate telehealth expansion and to develop a consensus document for clinician recommendations in providing remote virtual care during the pandemic. In a few weeks, telehealth went from under 5% of patient visits to almost 93%, while maintaining high levels of patient satisfaction. In this paper, we share clinician recommendations and guidance gleaned from this transition to the frontweb and offer a systematic approach for ensuring “webside” success. | JMIR Public Health Surveill | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7977 | SARS-CoV-2 associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: clinical manifestations and the role of infliximab treatment This study was conducted to assess the clinical spectrum, management, and outcome of SARS-CoV-2-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). We reviewed medical records of children with MIS-C diagnosis seen at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit between April and June 2020. Thirty-three children were identified including 22 who required critical care (group 1) and 11 with less intense inflammation (group 2). Children in group 1 were older (median 7.0 years) than those in group 2 (median 2.0 years). Abdominal pain was present in 68% of patients in group 1. Hypotension or shock was present in 17/22 patients in group 1. Thirteen (39.4%) had Kawasaki disease (KD)–like manifestations. Five developed coronary artery dilatation; All resolved on follow-up. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was given to all patients in group 1 and 7/11 in group 2. Second-line therapy was needed in 13/22 (group 1) for persisting inflammation or myocardial dysfunction; 12 received infliximab. All patients recovered. Conclusion: MIS-C clinical manifestations may overlap with KD; however, MIS-C is likely a distinct inflammatory process characterized by reversible myocardial dysfunction and rarely coronary artery dilatation. Supportive care, IVIG, and second-line therapy with infliximab were associated with a favorable outcome. | Eur J Pediatr | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7978 | Infectious disease pandemic and permanent volatility of international stock markets: A long-term perspective Understanding the impact of infectious disease pandemic on stock market volatility is of great concerns for investors and policy makers, especially during recent new coronavirus spreading period. Using an extended GARCH-MIDAS model and a newly developed Infectious Disease Equity Market Volatility Tracker (EMV-ID), we investigate the effects of infectious disease pandemic on volatility of US, China, UK and Japan stock markets through January 2005 to April 2020. The empirical results show that, up to 24-month lag, infectious disease pandemic has significant positive impacts on the permanent volatility of international stock markets, even after controlling the influences of past realized volatility, global economic policy uncertainty and the volatility leverage effect. At different lags of eruptions in infectious disease pandemic, EMV-ID has distinct effects on various stock markets while it has the smallest impact on permanent volatility of China's stock market. | Financ Res Lett | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7979 | Microfluidic Magneto Immunosensor for Rapid, High Sensitivity Measurements of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein in Serum [Image: see text] The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance and urgent need for rapid and accurate diagnostic tests for COVID-19 detection and screening. The objective of this work was to develop a simple immunosensor for rapid and high sensitivity measurements of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein in serum. This assay is based on a unique sensing scheme utilizing dually-labeled magnetic nanobeads for immunomagnetic enrichment and signal amplification. This immunosensor is integrated onto a microfluidic chip, which offers the advantages of minimal sample and reagent consumption, simplified sample handling, and enhanced detection sensitivity. The functionality of this immunosensor was validated by using it to detect SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein, which could be detected at concentrations as low as 50 pg/mL in whole serum and 10 pg/mL in 5× diluted serum. We also adapted this assay onto a handheld smartphone-based diagnostic device that could detect SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein at concentrations as low as 230 pg/mL in whole serum and 100 pg/mL in 5× diluted serum. Lastly, we assessed the capability of this immunosensor to diagnose COVID-19 infection by testing clinical serum specimens, which revealed its ability to accurately distinguish PCR-positive COVID-19 patients from healthy, uninfected individuals based on SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein serum levels. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first demonstration of rapid (<1 h) SARS-CoV-2 antigen quantification in whole serum samples. The ability to rapidly detect SARS-CoV-2 protein biomarkers with high sensitivity in very small (<50 μL) serum samples makes this platform a promising tool for point-of-care COVID-19 testing. | ACS Sens | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7980 | Intestinal microbiota composition of children with infection with SARS-CoV-2 and multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) Microbiota composition may play a role in the development, prognosis, or post-infection of COVID-19. There are studies evaluating the microbiota composition at the time of diagnosis and during the course of COVID-19, especially in adults, while studies in children are limited and no study available in children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). This study was planned to compare intestinal microbiota composition in children diagnosed with MIS-C and acute COVID-19 infection with healthy children. In this prospective multicenter study, 25 children diagnosed with MIS-C, 20 with COVID-19 infection, and 19 healthy children were included. Intestinal microbiota composition was evaluated by 16 s rRNA gene sequencing. We observed changes of diversity, richness, and composition of intestinal microbiota in MIS-C cases compared to COVID-19 cases and in the healthy controls. The Shannon index was higher in the MIS-C group than the healthy controls (p < 0.01). At phylum level, in the MIS-C group, a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and lower abundance of Firmicutes was found compared to the control group. Intestinal microbiota composition changed in MIS-C cases compared to COVID-19 and healthy controls, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii decreased; Bacteroides uniformis, Bacteroides plebeius, Clostridium ramosum, Eubacterium dolichum, Eggerthella lenta, Bacillus thermoamylovorans, Prevotella tannerae, and Bacteroides coprophilus were dominant in children with MIS-C. At species level, we observed decreased Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, and increased Eubacterium dolichum, Eggerthella lenta, and Bacillus thermoamylovorans in children with MIS-C and increased Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Dorea formicigenerasus in the COVID-19 group. Our study is the first to evaluate the microbiota composition in MIS-C cases. There is a substantial change in the composition of the gut microbiota: (1) reduction of F. prausnitzii in children with MIS-C and COVID-19; (2) an increase of Eggerthella lenta which is related with autoimmunity; and (3) the predominance of E. dolichum is associated with metabolic dysfunctions and obesity in children with MIS-C. Conclusions: Alterations of the intestinal microbiota might be part of pathogenesis of predisposing factor for MIS-C. It would be beneficial to conduct more extensive studies on the cause-effect relationship of these changes in microbiota composition and their effects on long-term prognosis. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT: [Image: see text] | Eur J Pediatr | 2022 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7981 | Estimation of Excess Deaths Associated With the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States, March to May 2020 N/A | JAMA Intern Med | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7982 | Facial diplegia, a possible atypical variant of Guillain-Barré Syndrome as a rare neurological complication of SARS-CoV-2 We present a case of facial diplegia after 10 days of SARS-CoV-2 confirmed infection symptoms in a 61 year old patient without prior clinically relevant background. There are few known cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) related to SARS-CoV-2 infection; we propose this case as a rare variant of GBS in COVID-19 infection context, due to Its chronology, clinical manifestations and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings. | J Clin Neurosci | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7983 | The Importance of Considering Olfactory Dysfunction During the COVID-19 Pandemic and in Clinical Practice The emergence of a worldwide pandemic due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and frequent reports of smell loss in COVID-19 infected patients has brought new attention to this very important sense. Data is emerging that smell impairment is a prominent symptom in COVID-19 and that this coronavirus behaves differently in causing olfactory dysfunction compared to other respiratory viruses. Anosmia and hyposmia, the complete and partial loss of smell, respectively, can result from many causes, most commonly from viral infections, sinonasal disease, and head trauma. Olfactory dysfunction negatively impacts quality of life, as sense of smell is important for flavor perception and the enjoyment of food. Olfaction is also important for the detection of warning smells, such as smoke, natural gas leaks, and spoiled food. Allergists and immunologists frequently encounter anosmia and hyposmia in patients with severe chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, and will likely see more infection-induced olfactory dysfunction in the era of COVID-19. Therefore, now more than ever, is crucial that we understand this impairment, how to evaluate and how to measure it. In this review, we offer a clinically relevant primer for the allergist and immunologist on olfactory dysfunction subtypes, exploring the pathophysiology, appropriate clinical assessment, objective smell testing, and management. We will also focus on the emerging literature on COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction, its unique features, and its important implications for this pandemic. | J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7984 | Axes of alienation: applying an intersectional lens on the social contract during the pandemic response to protect sexual and reproductive rights and health While economic inequalities have been a key focus of attention through the COVID 19 pandemic, gendered relations of power at every level have undermined health rights of women, girls and gender diverse individuals. Sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) have always been sites of power contestations within families, societies, cultures, and politics; these struggles are exacerbated by economic, racial, religious, caste, citizenship status, and other social inequities, especially in times of crisis such as these. Policy responses to the COVID pandemic such as lockdown, quarantine, contact tracing and similar measures are premised on the existence of a social contract between the government and the people and among people, with the health sector playing a key role in preventive and curative care. We propose the use of an intersectional lens to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social contract, drawing on our field experiences from different continents particularly as related to SRHR. Along with documenting the ways in which the pandemic hinders access to services, we note that it is essential to interrogate state-society relations in the context of vulnerable and marginalized groups, in order to understand implications for SRHR. Intersectional analysis takes on greater importance now than in non-pandemic times as the state exercises more police or other powers and deploys myriad ways of ‘othering’. We conclude that an intersectional analysis should not limit itself to the cumulative disadvantages and injustices posed by the pandemic for specific social groups, but also examine the historical inequalities, structural drivers, and damaged social contract that underlie state-society relationships. At the same time, the pandemic has questioned the status quo and in doing so it has provided opportunities for disruption; for re-imagining a social contract that reaches across sectors, and builds community resilience and solidarities while upholding human rights and gender justice. This must find place in future organizing and advocacy around SRHR. | Int J Equity Health | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7985 | Estimated SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in the US as of September 2020 Importance Case-based surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection likely underestimates the true prevalence of infections. Large-scale seroprevalence surveys can better estimate infection across many geographic regions. Objective To estimate the prevalence of persons with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using residual sera from commercial laboratories across the US and assess changes over time. Design, Setting, and Participants This repeated, cross-sectional study conducted across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico used a convenience sample of residual serum specimens provided by persons of all ages that were originally submitted for routine screening or clinical management from 2 private clinical commercial laboratories. Samples were obtained during 4 collection periods: July 27 to August 13, August 10 to August 27, August 24 to September 10, and September 7 to September 24, 2020. Exposures Infection with SARS-CoV-2. Main Outcomes and Measures The proportion of persons previously infected with SARS-CoV-2 as measured by the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 by 1 of 3 chemiluminescent immunoassays. Iterative poststratification was used to adjust seroprevalence estimates to the demographic profile and urbanicity of each jurisdiction. Seroprevalence was estimated by jurisdiction, sex, age group (0-17, 18-49, 50-64, and ≥65 years), and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan status. Results Of 177 919 serum samples tested, 103 771 (58.3%) were from women, 26 716 (15.0%) from persons 17 years or younger, 47 513 (26.7%) from persons 65 years or older, and 26 290 (14.8%) from individuals living in nonmetropolitan areas. Jurisdiction-level seroprevalence over 4 collection periods ranged from less than 1% to 23%. In 42 of 49 jurisdictions with sufficient samples to estimate seroprevalence across all periods, fewer than 10% of people had detectable SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Seroprevalence estimates varied between sexes, across age groups, and between metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas. Changes from period 1 to 4 were less than 7 percentage points in all jurisdictions and varied across sites. Conclusions and Relevance This cross-sectional study found that as of September 2020, most persons in the US did not have serologic evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, although prevalence varied widely by jurisdiction. Biweekly nationwide testing of commercial clinical laboratory sera can play an important role in helping track the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the US. | JAMA Intern Med | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7986 | Considering how biological sex impacts immune responses and COVID-19 outcomes A male bias in mortality has emerged in the COVID-19 pandemic, which is consistent with the pathogenesis of other viral infections. Biological sex differences may manifest themselves in susceptibility to infection, early pathogenesis, innate viral control, adaptive immune responses or the balance of inflammation and tissue repair in the resolution of infection. We discuss available sex-disaggregated epidemiological data from the COVID-19 pandemic, introduce sex-differential features of immunity and highlight potential sex differences underlying COVID-19 severity. We propose that sex differences in immunopathogenesis will inform mechanisms of COVID-19, identify points for therapeutic intervention and improve vaccine design and increase vaccine efficacy. | Nat Rev Immunol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7987 | Effectiveness of a Third Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Vaccines in Preventing COVID-19 Hospitalization Among Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised Adults-United States, August-December 2021 N/A | MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep | 2022 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7988 | Perceived barriers to the practice of preventive measures for COVID-19 pandemic among health professionals in public health facilities of the Gamo zone, southern Ethiopia: a phenomenological study BACKGROUND: Novel coronavirus is a global pandemic and killed many individuals, including health care professionals. It caused stress on the health care system of all countries. Presently, studies are emerging regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in different aspects. However, a few have explored barriers that affecting the practice of preventive measures for the COVID-19. As such, the study aimed to fill these research gaps in the study setting. METHODS: A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct this phenomenological study among 16 key informants. Key informants were recruited by the purposive sampling method. To analyze that data, thematic content analysis was employed by using an inductive approach in NVivo 12 Pro software. RESULTS: In this study, six main themes were identified with the sub-themes. Overview of COVID-19 pandemic (with the six sub-themes), consequences (with the two sub-themes), perceived practice (with four sub-themes), perceived barriers (with four sub-themes), newfangled activities (with three sub-themes), and suggestion for improvement (with seven sub-themes) were the major themes. The participants perceived the influence of shortage of personal protective equipment and solutions for hand hygiene, negligence and ignorance, inadequate infrastructure, lack of training, and lack of attention and recognition for the staff on the practice of preventive measures. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a gap in preventive measure practices for the COVID-19 in the health care system. Community influences, health care provider related barriers, institutional barriers, and lack of communication and support affect the practice. Hence, attention should give to fulfill the necessary supplies in the health facilities, improve the infrastructures, and equip health professionals by providing capacity-building activities. Besides, health care workers must recognize, and attention is needed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-021-10256-3. | BMC Public Health | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7989 | Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies 6 months into the vaccination campaign in Geneva, Switzerland, 1 June to 7 July 2021 BACKGROUND: Up-to-date seroprevalence estimates are critical to describe the SARS-CoV-2 immune landscape and to guide public health decisions. AIM: We estimate seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies 15 months into the COVID-19 pandemic and 6 months into the vaccination campaign. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional serosurvey between 1 June and 7 July 2021, recruiting participants from age- and sex-stratified random samples of the general population. We tested participants for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies targeting the spike (S) or nucleocapsid (N) proteins using the Roche Elecsys immunoassays. We estimated the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies seroprevalence following vaccination and/or infection (anti-S antibodies), or infection only (anti-N antibodies). RESULTS: Among 3,355 individuals (54.1% women; 20.8% aged < 18 years and 13.4% aged ≥ 65 years), 2,161 (64.4%) had anti-S antibodies and 906 (27.0%) had anti-N antibodies. The total seroprevalence was 66.1% (95% credible interval (CrI): 64.1–68.0). We estimated that 29.9% (95% Crl: 28.0–31.9) of the population developed antibodies after infection; the rest having developed antibodies via vaccination. Seroprevalence estimates differed markedly across age groups, being lowest among children aged 0–5 years (20.8%; 95% Crl: 15.5–26.7) and highest among older adults aged ≥ 75 years (93.1%; 95% Crl: 89.6–96.0). Seroprevalence of antibodies developed via infection and/or vaccination was higher among participants with higher educational level. CONCLUSION: Most of the population has developed anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, despite most teenagers and children remaining vulnerable to infection. As the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant spreads and vaccination rates stagnate, efforts are needed to address vaccine hesitancy, particularly among younger individuals and to minimise spread among children. | Euro Surveill | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7990 | Depressive symptoms associated with COVID-19 preventive practice measures, daily activities in home quarantine and suicidal behaviors: Findings from a large-scale online survey in Bangladesh BACKGROUND: The world is facing a public health emergency situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological wellbeing among individuals worldwide has been negatively affected by the pandemic especially in low- and middle-income countries such as Bangladesh. The present study aimed to assess the estimate of depressive symptoms and investigated its associations with COVID-19 preventive practice measures, daily activities in home quarantine, and suicidal behaviors in a large-scale Bangladeshi online survey. METHODS: An online-based cross-sectional survey was widely distributed to Bangladeshi citizens. A total of 13,654 participants (61.0% male; mean age = 24.0 years [SD = 6.0]; age range 18–65 years) completed the survey between May and June (2020). The survey included socio-demographics and COVID-19-related questions, along with lifestyle, suicidal, and psychometric measures. Hierarchical regression was performed to determine significant associations between depression and examined variables. RESULTS: The estimate of depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic was 43.5%. Based on hierarchical regression analysis, depression was significantly associated with not engaging in COVID-19 preventive measures, daily activities in home quarantine (e.g., playing videogames), and suicidal behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Depressive symptoms appeared to be high during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. To fight against the pandemic, mental health issues as well as physical health issues need to be taken into consideration. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12888-021-03246-7. | BMC Psychiatry | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7991 | Antibody response to a single dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases N/A | Ann Rheum Dis | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7992 | Vaccine effectiveness of heterologous CoronaVac plus BNT162b2 in Brazil There is considerable interest in the waning of effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines and vaccine effectiveness (VE) of booster doses. Using linked national Brazilian databases, we undertook a test-negative design study involving almost 14 million people (~16 million tests) to estimate VE of CoronaVac over time and VE of BNT162b2 booster vaccination against RT–PCR-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes (hospitalization or death). Compared with unvaccinated individuals, CoronaVac VE at 14–30 d after the second dose was 55.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 54.3–55.7) against confirmed infection and 82.1% (95% CI: 81.4–82.8) against severe outcomes. VE decreased to 34.7% (95% CI: 33.1–36.2) against infection and 72.5% (95% CI: 70.9–74.0) against severe outcomes over 180 d after the second dose. A BNT162b2 booster, 6 months after the second dose of CoronaVac, improved VE against infection to 92.7% (95% CI: 91.0−94.0) and VE against severe outcomes to 97.3% (95% CI: 96.1−98.1) 14–30 d after the booster. Compared with younger age groups, individuals 80 years of age or older had lower protection after the second dose but similar protection after the booster. Our findings support a BNT162b2 booster vaccine dose after two doses of CoronaVac, particularly for the elderly. | Nat Med | 2022 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7993 | Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children Associated with COVID-19: A Review with an Emphasis on Mucocutaneous and Kawasaki Disease-Like Findings BACKGROUND: COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects children with less severe symptoms than adults. However, severe COVID-19 paediatric cases are increasingly reported, including patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) or a multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) that can present with features resembling KD. SUMMARY: MIS-C is an emerging severe paediatric syndrome associated with COVID-19 that can show overlapping features of KD, KD shock syndrome, and toxic shock syndrome. MIS-C might be an inflammatory disease distinct from KD resulting from an exaggerated immune response. A high prevalence of mucocutaneous manifestations − in addition to gastrointestinal and cardiovascular involvements − was found in MIS-C. The most frequent mucocutaneous findings were conjunctivitis and rash, often described as macular and/or papular or polymorphous. In this article, we present a brief overview of MIS-C with an emphasis on mucocutaneous findings and the relationship with KD. | Dermatology | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7994 | Description of a Multi-faceted COVID-19 Pandemic Physician Workforce Plan at a Multi-site Academic Health System BACKGROUND: The evolving COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to present a threat to health system capacity. Rapidly expanding an existing acute care physician workforce is critical to pandemic response planning in large urban academic health systems. INTERVENTION: The Medical Emergency-Pandemic Operations Command (MEOC)—a multi-specialty team of physicians, operational leaders, and support staff within an academic Department of Medicine in Calgary, Canada—partnered with its provincial health system to rapidly develop a comprehensive, scalable pandemic physician workforce plan for non-ventilated inpatients with COVID-19 across multiple hospitals. The MEOC Pandemic Plan comprised seven components, each with unique structure and processes. METHODS: In this manuscript, we describe MEOC’s Pandemic Plan that was designed and implemented from March to May 2020 and re-escalated in October 2020. We report on the plan’s structure and process, early implementation outcomes, and unforeseen challenges. Data sources included MEOC documents, health system, public health, and physician engagement implementation data. KEY RESULTS: From March 5 to October 26, 2020, 427 patients were admitted to COVID-19 units in Calgary hospitals. In the initial implementation period (March–May 2020), MEOC communications reached over 2500 physicians, leading to 1446 physicians volunteering to provide care on COVID-19 units. Of these, 234 physicians signed up for hospital shifts, and 227 physicians received in-person personal protective equipment simulation training. Ninety-three physicians were deployed on COVID-19 units at four large acute care hospitals. The resurgence of cases in September 2020 has prompted re-escalation including re-activation of COVID-19 units. CONCLUSIONS: MEOC leveraged an academic health system partnership to rapidly design, implement, and refine a comprehensive, scalable COVID-19 acute care physician workforce plan whose components are readily applicable across jurisdictions or healthcare crises. This description may guide other institutions responding to COVID-19 and future health emergencies. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11606-020-06543-1. | J Gen Intern Med | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7995 | Acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination and influencing factors among people living with HIV in Guangxi, China: a cross-sectional survey BACKGROUND: Vaccination has been proven to be an effective approach against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study aimed to determine the acceptance rate and factors influencing acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Guangxi, China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in five cities in Guangxi, China from May 7 to June 1, 2021. Questionnaires on the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination and the related factors were conducted among PLWH recruited by simple random sampling. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. RESULTS: Of all valid respondents (n = 903), 72.9% (n = 658) were willing to receive COVID-19 vaccination. Fear of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was the main reason for being willing to receive vaccination (76.0%), while the main reasons for not willing were the concerns about vaccine safety (54.7%) and the vaccination’s effect on antiretroviral therapy (ART) (50.6%). The most important factors influencing acceptance were the perception that vaccination is unsafe for HIV-infected people (aOR = 0.082, 95% CI = 0.024–0.282) and the poor efficacy in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in HIV-infected people (aOR = 0.093, 95% CI = 0.030–0.287). Other factors associated with acceptance included Zhuang ethnicity (aOR = 1.653, 95% CI = 1.109–2.465), highest education level of middle school, high school or above (aOR = 1.747, 95% CI = 1.170–2.608; aOR = 2.492, 95% CI = 1.326–4.682), and the vaccination having little effect on ART efficacy (aOR = 2.889, 95% CI = 1.378–6.059). CONCLUSIONS: Acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccination is relatively low among PLWH compared to the general population in China, although some patients refused vaccination due to concerns about vaccine safety and vaccination affecting ART efficacy. More research is needed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 vaccines on ART efficacy and the effectiveness in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection among PLWH. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12879-022-07452-w. | BMC Infect Dis | 2022 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7996 | Accuracy of rapid point-of-care antigen-based diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis with meta-regression analyzing influencing factors N/A | PLoS Med | 2022 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7997 | Phenotypic characteristics and prognosis of inpatients with COVID-19 and diabetes: the CORONADO study AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a life-threatening infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. Diabetes has rapidly emerged as a major comorbidity for COVID-19 severity. However, the phenotypic characteristics of diabetes in COVID-19 patients are unknown. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide multicentre observational study in people with diabetes hospitalised for COVID-19 in 53 French centres in the period 10–31 March 2020. The primary outcome combined tracheal intubation for mechanical ventilation and/or death within 7 days of admission. Age- and sex-adjusted multivariable logistic regressions were performed to assess the prognostic value of clinical and biological features with the endpoint. ORs are reported for a 1 SD increase after standardisation. RESULTS: The current analysis focused on 1317 participants: 64.9% men, mean age 69.8 ± 13.0 years, median BMI 28.4 (25th–75th percentile: 25.0–32.7) kg/m(2); with a predominance of type 2 diabetes (88.5%). Microvascular and macrovascular diabetic complications were found in 46.8% and 40.8% of cases, respectively. The primary outcome was encountered in 29.0% (95% CI 26.6, 31.5) of participants, while 10.6% (9.0, 12.4) died and 18.0% (16.0, 20.2) were discharged on day 7. In univariate analysis, characteristics prior to admission significantly associated with the primary outcome were sex, BMI and previous treatment with renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) blockers, but not age, type of diabetes, HbA(1c), diabetic complications or glucose-lowering therapies. In multivariable analyses with covariates prior to admission, only BMI remained positively associated with the primary outcome (OR 1.28 [1.10, 1.47]). On admission, dyspnoea (OR 2.10 [1.31, 3.35]), as well as lymphocyte count (OR 0.67 [0.50, 0.88]), C-reactive protein (OR 1.93 [1.43, 2.59]) and AST (OR 2.23 [1.70, 2.93]) levels were independent predictors of the primary outcome. Finally, age (OR 2.48 [1.74, 3.53]), treated obstructive sleep apnoea (OR 2.80 [1.46, 5.38]), and microvascular (OR 2.14 [1.16, 3.94]) and macrovascular complications (OR 2.54 [1.44, 4.50]) were independently associated with the risk of death on day 7. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATIONS: In people with diabetes hospitalised for COVID-19, BMI, but not long-term glucose control, was positively and independently associated with tracheal intubation and/or death within 7 days. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov NCT04324736. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00125-020-05180-x) contains peer-reviewed but unedited supplementary material, which is available to authorised users. | Diabetologia | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7998 | Remodeling of the Immune Response With Aging: Immunosenescence and Its Potential Impact on COVID-19 Immune Response Elderly individuals are the most susceptible to an aggressive form of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2. The remodeling of immune response that is observed among the elderly could explain, at least in part, the age gradient in lethality of COVID-19. In this review, we will discuss the phenomenon of immunosenescence, which entails changes that occur in both innate and adaptive immunity with aging. Furthermore, we will discuss inflamm-aging, a low-grade inflammatory state triggered by continuous antigenic stimulation, which may ultimately increase all-cause mortality. In general, the elderly are less capable of responding to neo-antigens, because of lower naïve T cell frequency. Furthermore, they have an expansion of memory T cells with a shrinkage of the T cell diversity repertoire. When infected by SARS-CoV-2, young people present with a milder disease as they frequently clear the virus through an efficient adaptive immune response. Indeed, antibody-secreting cells and follicular helper T cells are thought to be effectively activated in young patients that present a favorable prognosis. In contrast, the elderly are more prone to an uncontrolled activation of innate immune response that leads to cytokine release syndrome and tissue damage. The failure to trigger an effective adaptive immune response in combination with a higher pro-inflammatory tonus may explain why the elderly do not appropriately control viral replication and the potential clinical consequences triggered by a cytokine storm, endothelial injury, and disseminated organ injury. Enhancing the efficacy of the adaptive immune response may be an important issue both for infection resolution as well as for the appropriate generation of immunity upon vaccination, while inhibiting inflamm-aging will likely emerge as a potential complementary therapeutic approach in the management of patients with severe COVID-19. | Front Immunol | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 7999 | Factors Associated With COVID-19 Vaccine Receipt by Healthcare Personnel at a Major Academic Hospital During the First Months of Vaccine Availability IMPORTANCE: Several COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized in the US, yet preliminary evidence suggests high levels of vaccine hesitancy and wide racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in uptake. OBJECTIVE: To assess COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among health care personnel (HCP) during the first 4 months of availability in a large academic hospital, compare acceptance with previously measured vaccine hesitancy, and describe racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in vaccine uptake. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study included 12 610 HCP who were offered COVID-19 vaccination at a major academic hospital in Philadelphia between December 16, 2020, and April 16, 2021. EXPOSURES: For each HCP, data were collected on occupational category, age, sex, race and ethnicity (Asian or Pacific Islander, Black or African American [Black], Hispanic, White, and multiracial), and social vulnerability index (SVI) at the zip code of residence. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Vaccine uptake by HCP at the employee vaccination clinic. RESULTS: The study population included 4173 men (34.8%) and 7814 women (65.2%) (623 without data). A total of 1480 were Asian or Pacific Islander (12.4%); 2563 (21.6%), Black; 452 (3.8%), Hispanic; 7086 (59.6%), White; and 192 (1.6%), multiracial; 717 had no data for race and ethnicity. The mean (SD) age was 40.9 (12.4) years, and 9573 (76.0%) received at least 1 vaccine dose during the first 4 months of vaccine availability. Adjusted for age, sex, job position, and SVI, Black (relative risk [RR], 0.69; 95% CI, 0.66-0.72) and multiracial (RR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.73-0.89) HCP were less likely to receive vaccine compared with White HCP. When stratified by job position, Black nurses (n = 189; 62.8%), Black HCP with some patient contact (n = 466; 49.9%), and Black HCP with no patient contact (n = 636; 56.3%) all had lower vaccine uptake compared with their White and Asian or Pacific Islander counterparts. Similarly, multiracial HCP with some (n = 26; 52.0%) or no (n = 48; 58.5%) patient contact had lower vaccine uptake. In contrast, Black physicians were just as likely to receive the vaccine as physicians of other racial and ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study, more than two-thirds of HCP at a large academic hospital in Philadelphia received a COVID-19 vaccine within 4 months of vaccine availability. Although racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities were seen in vaccine uptake, no such disparities were found among physicians. Better understanding of factors driving these disparities may help improve uptake. | JAMA Netw Open | 2021 | LitCov and CORD-19 | |
| 8000 | Exposure to COVID-19 pandemic stress: Associations with depression and anxiety in emerging adults in the United States N/A | Depress Anxiety | 2020 | LitCov and CORD-19 |
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(3) Currently tweets of June 23rd to June 29th 2022 have been considered.