Covid19-Sources

Do masks work?Recently, some ppl have started claiming it's proven that they don't. Is this true? I dove into the details, went to the sources, and what I found was so ridiculous it was FUNNY: pic.twitter.com/VTSFjPW6mM— Tomas Pueyo (@tomaspueyo) February 27, 2023

Molnupiravir, an antiviral medication that has been widely used against SARS-CoV-2, acts by inducing mutations in the virus genome during replication. Most random mutations are likely to be deleterious to the virus, and many will be lethal. Molnupiravir-induced elevated mutation rates have been shown to decrease viral load in animal models. However, it is possible that some patients treated with molnupiravir might not fully clear SARS-CoV-2 infections, with the potential for onward transmission of molnupiravir-mutated viruses. We set out to systematically investigate global sequencing databases for a signature of molnupiravir mutagenesis. We find that a specific class of long phylogenetic branches appear almost exclusively in sequences from 2022, after the introduction of molnupiravir treatment, and in countries and age-groups with widespread usage of the drug. We calculate a mutational spectrum from the AGILE placebo-controlled clinical trial of molnupiravir and show that its signature, with elevated G-to-A and C-to-T rates, largely corresponds to the mutational spectrum seen in these long branches. Our data suggest a signature of molnupiravir mutagenesis can be seen in global sequencing databases, in some cases with onwards transmission. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement TS was supported by the Wellcome Trust (210918/Z/18/Z) and the Francis Crick Institute which receives its core funding from Cancer Research UK (FC001043), the UK Medical Research Council (FC001043), and the Wellcome Trust (FC001043). This research was funded in whole, or in part, by the Wellcome Trust [210918/Z/18/Z, FC001043]. For the purpose of Open Access, the authors have applied a CC-BY public copyright licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript resulting from this preprint. ID-B is supported by PhD funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections at University of Liverpool in partnership with Public Health England (PHE) (now UKHSA), in collaboration with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the University of Oxford (award 200907). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Department of Health and Social Care or NIHR. Neither the funders or trial sponsor were involved in the study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, nor the preparation of the manuscript. TP was funded by the G2P-UK National Virology Consortium funded by the MRC (MR/W005611/1). CR was supported by a Fondation Botnar Research Award (Programme grant 6063) and UK Cystic Fibrosis Trust (Innovation Hub Award 001). ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: No new data were generated for this study. Source global sequencing data were available from GISAID ([epicov.org][1]) and the INSDC via GenBank: . AGILE2 genomic data was published in and deposited at from which we analysed it. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes No new primary data was generated for this study. We used data from international sequencing databases (GISAID and INSDC), and from the AGILE clinical trial, where genomic data were obtained from BioProject PRJNA854613 at the SRA. Our GitHub repository is available at . [1]: https://epicov.org

On August 31, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the Moderna and Pfizer–BioNTech bivalent Covid-19 vaccines, each containing equal amounts of mRNA encoding the spike protein from the ancestral strain and the spike protein from the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of the B.1.1.529 (omicron) variant, for emergency use as a single booster dose at least 2 months after primary or booster vaccination.1 The FDA authorizations were based on nonclinical data for these two bivalent vaccines, safety and immunogenicity data for bivalent vaccines containing mRNA from the BA.1 lineage of the omicron variant, and safety and effectiveness data for the monovalent mRNA Covid-19 vaccines.1 Since September 1, these two bivalent mRNA vaccines have replaced their monovalent counterparts as booster doses for persons 12 years of age or older in the United States and in other countries. Here, we report data from a large cohort study on the effectiveness of these two bivalent vaccines against severe infection with omicron BA.4.6, BA.5, BQ.1, and BQ.1.1.

The way in which Cochrane produces its reviews is a boon to pharma, says Tom Jefferson We do not know how the pharmaceutical industry viewed the birth of the Cochrane [...]More...

COVID-19 has had a substantial impact globally. It spreads readily, particularly in enclosed and crowded spaces, such as public transport carriages, yet there are limited studies on how this risk can be reduced. We developed a tool for exploring the potential impacts of mitigation strategies on public transport networks, called the Systems Analytics for Epidemiology in Transport (SAfE Transport). SAfE Transport combines an agent-based transit assignment model, a community-wide transmission model, and a transit disease spread model to support strategic and operational decision-making. For this simulated COVID-19 case study, the transit disease spread model incorporates both direct (person-to-person) and fomite (person-to-surface-to-person) transmission modes. We determine the probable impact of wearing face masks on trains over a seven day simulation horizon, showing substantial and statistically significant reductions in new cases when passenger mask wearing proportions are greater than 80%. The higher the level of mask coverage, the greater the reduction in the number of new infections. Also, the higher levels of mask coverage result in an earlier reduction in disease spread risk. These results can be used by decision makers to guide policy on face mask use for public transport networks.

OBJECTIVES. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, masking has been a widely used mitigation practice in kindergarten through 12th grade (K–12) school districts to limit within-school transmission. Prior studies attempting to quantify the impact of masking have assessed total cases within schools; however, the metric that more optimally defines effectiveness of mitigation...

In February 2022, Massachusetts rescinded a statewide universal masking policy in public schools, and many Massachusetts school districts lifted masking requirements during the subsequent weeks. In the greater Boston area, only two school districts — the Boston and neighboring Chelsea districts — sustained masking requirements through June 2022. The staggered lifting of masking requirements provided an opportunity to examine the effect of universal masking policies on the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in schools.

Masks are effective at limiting transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 (1), but the impact of poli- cies requiring masks in school settings has not been widely evaluated (2–4). During fall 2021, some school districts in Arkansas implemented policies requiring masks for students in kindergarten through grade 12 (K–12). To identify any association between mask policies and COVID-19 incidence, weekly school-associated COVID-19 incidence in school districts with full or partial mask requirements was compared with incidence in districts without mask requirements during August 23–October 16, 2021. Three analyses were performed: 1) incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated comparing districts with full mask requirements (universal mask require- ment for all students and staff members) or partial mask requirements (e.g., masks required in certain settings, among certain populations, or if specific criteria could not be met) with school districts with no mask requirement; 2) ratios of observed-to-expected numbers of cases, by district were calcu- lated; and 3) incidence in districts that switched from no mask requirement to any mask requirement were compared before and after implementation of the mask policy. Mean weekly district-level attack rates were 92–359 per 100,000 persons in the community* and 137–745 per 100,000 among students and staff members; mean student and staff member vaccination coverage ranged from 13.5% to 18.6%. Multivariable adjusted IRRs, which included adjustment for vaccination coverage, indicated that districts with full mask requirements had 23% lower COVID-19 incidence among students and staff members compared with school districts with no mask requirements.

The causes of long COVID, which disables millions, may come together in the brain and nervous system

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is linked to high levels of inflammatory cytokines and prolonged immobilization; furthermore, corticosteroid treatment leads to increased bone loss and resorption. We aimed to study the change in bone mineral density (BMD) after COVID-19 infection in osteoporotic and osteopenic patients. One hundred osteoporotic or osteopenic patients were selected in this single-center retrospective study; the patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 included 56 patients who got COVID-19 infection. Group 2 included 44 patients who did not get COVID-19 infection. BMD was assessed at baseline, after 9 months of COVID infection, and then after 1 year follow-up using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. Results There was no significant difference between two groups regarding demographic data (p  0.05); there was a significant decrease in BMD of the lumbar region and femur at 9 months as compared to baseline in group1 (p

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2) and has infected more than 650 million people worldwide. Approximately 23% of these patients developed lasting “long-haul” COVID symptoms, including fatigue, joint pain, and systemic hyperinflammation. However, the direct clinical impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the skeletal system including bone and joint health has not been deter- mined. Utilizing a humanized mouse model of COVID-19, this study provides the first direct evidence that SARS-CoV- 2 infection leads to acute bone loss, increased osteoclast number, and thinner growth plates. This bone loss could decrease whole-bone mechanical strength and increase the risk of fragility fractures, particularly in older patients, while thinner growth plates may create growth disturbances in younger patients. Evaluating skeletal health in patients that have recovered from COVID-19 will be crucial to identify at-risk populations and develop effective countermeasures.

The consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the musculoskeletal system represent a dangerous knowledge gap. Aging patients are at added risk for SARS-…

Silver Spring/Maryland – Die US-Arzneimittelbehörde FDA hat auf einer Beratertagung Pläne zur Vereinheitlichung der COVID-19-Impfungen vorgestellt. Künftig...

This cohort study compares in-hospital outcomes among patients hospitalized with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant vs those hospitalized with influenza A or B in Switzerland.

FastStats is an official application from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and puts access to topic-specific statistics at your fingertips.

Protection from past infection against re-infection from pre-omicron variants was very high and remained high even after 40 weeks. Protection was substantially lower for the omicron BA.1 variant and declined more rapidly over time than protection against previous variants. Protection from severe disease was high for all variants. The immunity conferred by past infection should be weighed alongside protection from vaccination when assessing future disease burden from COVID-19, providing guidance on when individuals should be vaccinated, and designing policies that mandate vaccination for workers or restrict access, on the basis of immune status, to settings where the risk of transmission is high, such as travel and high-occupancy indoor settings.

One mechanism that cancer cells use to evade natural killer cell immune surveillance is by expressing high levels of sialoglycans, which bind to Siglec-9, a glyco-immune checkpoint molecule on NK cells. This binding inhibits NK cell cytotoxicity.

In April 2020, 36 experts alerted the WHO about the importance of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. WHO dismissed this advice until it was published in an in

Bay-VOC - Bayerische Plattform zur Überwachung von SARS-CoV-2 (Corona) Varianten

This cohort study compares the risk of new-onset hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes before and after COVID-19 infection among patients who were vaccinated vs unvaccinated before infection.

This cohort study compares the risk of new-onset hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes before and after COVID-19 infection among patients who were vaccinated vs unvaccinated before infection.

A total of 536 individuals (mean age 45 years, 73% female, 89% white, 32% healthcare workers, 13% acute COVID-19 hospitalisation) completed baseline assessment (median: 6 months post COVID-19); 331 (62%) with organ impairment or incidental findings had follow-up, with reduced symptom burden from baseline (median number of symptoms 10 and 3, at 6 and 12 months, respectively). Extreme breathlessness (38% and 30%), cognitive dysfunction (48% and 38%) and poor health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L  0.7; 57% and 45%) were common at 6 and 12 months, and associated with female gender, younger age and single-organ impairment. Single- and multi-organ impairment were present in 69% and 23% at baseline, persisting in 59% and 27% at follow-up, respectively.

Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma - Family responses to crises such as COVID-19 are driven by parents’ experiences. Parental history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) might play...

Novel SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants, including BM.1.1.1, BQ.1.1, and XBB.1, continue to emerge at an unprecedented rate, evading pre-existing immunity from vaccination and previous infection. Quantifying the antigenic diversity of variants might assist in selecting future vaccine strains. To determine the antigenic relationships between emerging SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants, we and others1–4 used antigenic cartography, whereby multidimensional scaling is used to generate antigenic maps in which the positions of antigens and antiserum samples directly correspond to neutralising titres.

Cases of adolescents and young adults developing myocarditis after vaccination with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)–targeted mRNA vaccines have been reported globally, but the underlying immunoprofiles of these individuals have not been described in detail. METHODS: From January 2021 through February 2022, we prospectively collected blood from 16 patients who were hospitalized at Massachusetts General for Children or Boston Children’s Hospital for myocarditis, presenting with chest pain with elevated cardiac troponin T after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. We performed extensive antibody profiling, including tests for SARS-CoV-2–specific humoral responses and assessment for autoantibodies or antibodies against the human-relevant virome, SARS-CoV-2–specific T-cell analysis, and cytokine and SARS-CoV-2 antigen profiling. Results were compared with those from 45 healthy, asymptomatic, age-matched vaccinated control subjects. RESULTS: Extensive antibody profiling and T-cell responses in the individuals who developed postvaccine myocarditis were essentially indistinguishable from those of vaccinated control subjects, despite a modest increase in cytokine production. A notable finding was that markedly elevated levels of full-length spike protein (33.9±22.4 pg/mL), unbound by antibodies, were detected in the plasma of individuals with postvaccine myocarditis, whereas no free spike was detected in asymptomatic vaccinated control subjects (unpaired t test; P0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Immunoprofiling of vaccinated adolescents and young adults revealed that the mRNA vaccine–induced immune responses did not differ between individuals who developed myocarditis and individuals who did not. However, free spike antigen was detected in the blood of adolescents and young adults who developed post-mRNA vaccine myocarditis, advancing insight into its potential underlying cause.

Boston – Die Ursache der impfstoffassoziierten Myokarditis, zu der es in sehr seltenen Fällen nach einer COVID-19-Impfung kommen kann, war bisher völlig unklar.... #COVID19 #Impfen #Studienzusammenfassung

Nature Cardiovascular Research - Through analysis of the electronic medical records of 284,592 vaccinated patients, using a sequence–symmetry analysis, Kwan et al. show that the risk of...

RNA vaccines are efficient preventive measures to combat the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. High levels of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are an important component of vaccine-induced immunity. Shortly after the initial two mRNA vaccine doses, the immunoglobulin G (IgG) response mainly consists of the proinflammatory subclasses IgG1 and IgG3. Here, we report that several months after the second vaccination, SARS-CoV-2–specific antibodies were increasingly composed of noninflammatory IgG4, which were further boosted by a third mRNA vaccination and/or SARS-CoV-2 variant breakthrough infections. IgG4 antibodies among all spike-specific IgG antibodies rose, on average, from 0.04% shortly after the second vaccination to 19.27% late after the third vaccination. This induction of IgG4 antibodies was not observed after homologous or heterologous SARS-CoV-2 vaccination with adenoviral vectors. Single-cell sequencing and flow cytometry revealed substantial frequencies of IgG4-switched B cells within the spike-binding memory B cell population [median of 14.4%; interquartile range (IQR) of 6.7 to 18.1%] compared with the overall memory B cell repertoire (median of 1.3%; IQR of 0.9 to 2.2%) after three immunizations. This class switch was associated with a reduced capacity of the spike-specific antibodies to mediate antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis and complement deposition. Because Fc-mediated effector functions are critical for antiviral immunity, these findings may have consequences for the choice and timing of vaccination regimens using mRNA vaccines, including future booster immunizations against SARS-CoV-2.

Long Covid Support and Long Covid Kids publish the first data on the effect of COVID reinfections on adults and children living with Long Covid. Long Covid Kids recommends reading this article in combination with our child-specific infection analysis blog which runs from the beginning of the pandemic to 1st April 2022 when final protections in England were removed. Prof Daniel M Altmann, Professor of Immunology, Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine and