Covid19-Sources

Prime-boost vaccinations can enhance immune responses,1 whereas chronic antigen exposure can cause immune tolerance.2 In humans, the benefits, limitations, and risks of repetitive vaccination remain poorly understood. Here, we report on a 62-year-old male hypervaccinated individual from Magdeburg, Germany (HIM), who deliberately and for private reasons received 217 vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 within a period of 29 months (figure A; appendix 1 tab 1). HIM's hypervaccination occurred outside of a clinical study context and against national vaccination recommendations. Evidence for 130 vaccinations in a 9 month period was collected by the public prosecutor of Magdeburg, Germany, who opened an investigation of this case with the allegation of fraud, but criminal charges were not filed. 108 vaccinations are individually recorded and partly overlap with the total of 130 prosecutor-confirmed vaccinations (appendix 2 p 12). To investigate the immunological consequences of hypervaccination in this unique situation, we submitted an analysis proposal to HIM via the public prosecutor. HIM then actively and voluntarily consented to provide medical information and donate blood and saliva. This procedure was approved by the local Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Erlangen, Germany. Throughout the entire hypervaccination schedule HIM did not report any vaccination-related side effects. From November 2019, to October 2023, 62 routine clinical chemistry parameters showed no abnormalities attributable to hypervaccination (appendix 1 tab 2). Furthermore, HIM had no signs of a past SARS-CoV-2 infection, as indicated by repeatedly negative SARS-CoV-2 antigen tests, PCRs and nucleocapsid serology (figure A; appendix 1 tab 1).

Lockdowns imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the gut microbiome development of babies born during these periods according to new research. Our gut microbiome, an ecosystem of microbes that live in our digestive tract, plays an essential role in human health. The study reveals significant differences in the microbiome development of babies born during lockdown periods when compared to pre-pandemic babies.

The COVID-19 pandemic renewed interest in airborne transmission of respiratory infections, particularly in congregate indoor settings, such as schools. We modeled transmission risks of tuberculosis (caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mtb) and COVID-19 (caused by SARS-CoV-2) in South African, Swiss and Tanzanian secondary schools. We estimated the risks of infection with the Wells-Riley equation, expressed as the median with 2.5% and 97.5% quantiles (credible interval [CrI]), based on the ventilation rate and the duration of exposure to infectious doses (so-called quanta). We computed the air change rate (ventilation) using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a tracer gas and modeled the quanta generation rate based on reported estimates from the literature. The share of infectious students in the classroom is determined by country-specific estimates of pulmonary TB. For SARS-CoV-2, the number of infectious students was estimated based on excess mortality to mitigate the bias from country-specific reporting and testing. Average CO2 concentration (parts per million [ppm]) was 1,610 ppm in South Africa, 1,757 ppm in Switzerland, and 648 ppm in Tanzania. The annual risk of infection for Mtb was 22.1% (interquartile range [IQR] 2.7%-89.5%) in South Africa, 0.7% (IQR 0.1%-6.4%) in Switzerland, and 0.5% (IQR 0.0%-3.9%) in Tanzania. For SARS-CoV-2, the monthly risk of infection was 6.8% (IQR 0.8%-43.8%) in South Africa, 1.2% (IQR 0.1%-8.8%) in Switzerland, and 0.9% (IQR 0.1%-6.6%) in Tanzania. The differences in transmission risks primarily reflect a higher incidence of SARS-CoV-2 and particularly prevalence of TB in South Africa, but also higher air change rates due to better natural ventilation of the classrooms in Tanzania. Global comparisons of the modeled risk of infectious disease transmission in classrooms can provide high-level information for policy-making regarding appropriate infection control strategies.

During the pandemic, perceived COVID-19-related discrimination aggravated children’s stress levels. The remaining question is to evaluate the individual variability in these effects and to identify vulnerable or resilient populations and why. Using the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development dataset ( N = 1,116) and causal machine learning approach – Generalized Random Forest, we examined the average and individual treatment effects of perceived discrimination on stress levels immediately and six months later. Their variability and key factors were also assessed. We observed significant variability in the acute effects of perceived discrimination across children and pinpointed the frontotemporal cortical volume and white matter connectivity (streamline counts) as key factors of stress resilience and vulnerability. The variability of these neurostructural factors partially originated from the environmental and genetic attributes. The finding was replicated in held-out samples ( N = 2,503). Our study has the potential for personalized prescriptive modeling to prevent children’s future psychopathology after the pandemic. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. 2021R1C1C1006503, 2021K1A3A1A2103751212, 2021M3E5D2A01022515, RS-2023-00250759, RS-2023-00266787, RS-2023-00265406), by Creative-Pioneering Researchers Program through Seoul National University (No. 200- 20230058), by Semi-Supervised Learning Research Grant by SAMSUNG (No. A0426- 20220118), by Identify the network of brain preparation steps for concentration Research Grant by LooxidLabs (No. 339-20230001), by Institute of Information & communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) [NO.2021-0-01343, Artificial Intelligence Graduate School Program (Seoul National University)] and by the National Supercomputing Center with supercomputing resources including technical support (KSC-2022- CRE-0505). ### 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: The study used ONLY openly available human data that were originally located at The Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study release 4.0 (http://abcdstudy.org). 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, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All data produced are available online at

A group of scientists from Trinity have published novel research further explaining neurological reasons behind COVID-related “brain fog”. The team of researchers, jointly-led by Professor Matthew Campbell of the Trinity department of genetics, and Professor Colin Doherty, head of the school of medicine, is working within FutureNeuro, a research centre for chronic and rare neurological […]

The COVID-19 pandemic was a significant shock to United States mortality, and it is important to understand how the pandemic impacted other causes of death. We estimated monthly excess mortality in the US by cause of death, age, and sex, for official deaths at ages 15 and older. Data come from the CDC Wonder Multiple Cause of Death database. We used a compositionally robust Generalized Additive Model (GAM) to estimate expected mortality counts in March 2020-December 2022 for eight causes of death: accidents, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, substance-related (drugs and alcohol), suicide, and residual (including COVID-19 related deaths). Analyses were stratified by sex and 15-year age groups from 15-29 to 75+. Excess mortality was calculated as observed deaths minus expected deaths. From March 2020 to December 2022, we estimated 1 298 763 total excess deaths (95% CI: 1 226 542 to 1 370 804). While there were fewer deaths than expected due to some causes like flu/pneumonia and suicide, the largest number of excess deaths, excluding COVID-19, were attributed to cardiovascular diseases (115 765 deaths, 95% CI: 98 697 to 133 783) and substance use (86 637 deaths, 95% CI: 79 273 to 93 690). Percent excess substance-related mortality was high across all ages, while percent excess from cardiovascular diseases was highest at midlife ages. Some of these excess cardiovascular deaths were likely due to undercounted COVID-19 deaths, but others may reflect indirect impacts of the pandemic on healthcare utilization or longer-term effects of COVID-19 infections. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The COVID-19 pandemic increased mortality directly due to COVID-19 deaths, but also changed the pattern of deaths due to other causes in the United States. We estimated excess cause-specific mortality in the US and present several findings. We estimated nearly 1.3 million total excess deaths in the US from March 2020 to December 2022. Deaths from suicide and influenza and pneumonia were lower than expected based on previous trends, but deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, accidents, and substance-related causes (drug and alcohol) were higher. Cancer deaths were generally unchanged. By quantifying both the direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on US mortality, we highlight areas of on-going vulnerability in the US. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement We acknowledge funding from the Leverhulme Trust (Grant RC-2018-003) for the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science (ED, AMT, JD), the European Research Council grant ERC-2021-CoG-101002587 (ED, AMT, JD), the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK government Horizon Europe funding guarantee EP-X027678-1 (AMT). Previous versions of this manuscript benefited from feedback provided by the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science Health Inequality Working Group. The content of this manuscript is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the ERC, the UKRI, or the Leverhulme Trust. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes 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, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes Materials for reproduction, including metadata and scripts, will be available at peer review and upon publication.

Nature Communications - Shi and Li et al. show that SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants have increased capacity to infect primary human nasal tissue using a distinct entry route that depends on matrix...

Babies exposed to Sars 1/Covid before they are born found to have higher risk for neurological disorders: including in the mild: none of Mum's studied had severe disease: 3x increase in in key predictors of neurological disease such as cerebral palsy: — Chris Turnbull (@EnemyInAState)

This report describes vaccine effectiveness for the updated COVID-19 vaccine in preventing symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Virus World provides a daily blog of the latest news in the Virology field and the COVID-19 pandemic. News on new antiviral drugs, vaccines, diagnostic tests, viral outbreaks, novel viruses and milestone discoveries are curated by expert virologists. Highlighted news include trending and most cited scientific articles in these fields with links to the original publications. Stay up-to-date with the most exciting discoveries in the virus world and the last therapies for COVID-19 without spending hours browsing news and scientific publications. Additional comments by experts on the topics are available in Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanlama/detail/recent-activity/)

The billionaire who wants to live forever just admitted he has long covid. Specifically, covid wrecked his lungs. If you haven’t come across him, Bryan Johnson is a 46-year-old tech bro who cashed out a few years ago and now spends all his time trying not to die.

460 kids were treated for type 1 diabetes in 2022, a 62% increase from 2018; study points to the Covid-19 pandemic as a reason.

Kaum etwas ist wohl so sehr Geschmacksache wie Lakritz – doch für Liebhaber kann die Leckerei sogar gefährlich werden. Wie steht es im Gegenzug mit den gesundheitlichen Benefits?

Abstract. We demonstrated in this study that blood group O subjects attracted more Aedes albopictus than other blood groups (B, AB, and A) but were only si

Nature Human Behaviour - Using propensity score matching, Kim et al. find evidence of higher short- and long-term risk of adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes in Korean and Japanese cohorts of...

Background This thematic scoping review of publications sought to understand the global impact of COVID-19 on tuberculosis (TB), interpret the scope of resonating themes, and offer policy recommendations to stimulate TB recovery and future pandemic preparedness. Data Sources Publications were captured from three search engines, PubMed, EBSCO, and Google Scholar, and applicable websites written in English from January 1, 2020, to April 30, 2023. Study Selection Our scoping review was limited to publications detailing the impact of COVID-19 on TB. Original research, reviews, letters, and editorials describing the deleterious and harmful––yet sometimes positive–– impact of COVID-19 (sole exposure) on TB (sole outcome) were included. The objective was to methodically categorize the impacts into themes through a comprehensive review of selected studies to provide significant health policy guidance. Data Extraction Two authors independently screened citations and full texts, while the third arbitrated when consensus was not met. All three performed data extraction. Data Synthesis/Results Of 1,755 screened publications, 176 (10%) covering 39 countries over 41 months met the inclusion criteria. Ten principal themes were established, which encompassed TB’s care cascade, patient-centered care, psychosocial issues, and health services: 1) case-finding and notification (n=45; 26%); 2) diagnosis and laboratory systems (n=19; 10.7%) 3) prevention, treatment, and care (n=22; 12.2%); 4) telemedicine/telehealth (n=12; 6.8%); 5) social determinants of health (n=14; 8%); 6) airborne infection prevention and control (n=8; 4.6%); 7) health system strengthening (n=22; 13%); 8) mental health (n=13; 7.4%); 9) stigma (n=11; 6.3%); and 10) health education (n=10; 5.7%). Limitations Heterogeneity of publications within themes. Conclusions We identified ten globally generalizable themes of COVID-19’s impact on TB. These thematic areas will guide evidence-informed policies to strengthen comprehensive global responses, recovery for TB, and future airborne pandemic preparedness. Primary Funding Source United States Agency for International Development ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Clinical Protocols ### Funding Statement The source of funding (e.g., salary) for the three authors was from the TB Division in the Bureau for Global Health at USAID. The funders played no role in the content. No grants or special funding was obtained. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Not Applicable The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: There were no necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals as this scoping review does not contain any human subject data. 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. Not Applicable 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). Not Applicable I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Not Applicable For our scoping review, we have documented for reproducibility the search terms employed in the three search engines (PubMed, EBSCO, Google Scholar) in "Appendix 1a: Search Strategy"

Recently, in this journal, Wu et al. (1) and Gao et al. (2) have both indicated that host genetic variation related to COVID-19 might be associated to endometrial cancer. We here add evidence from gene expression analysis supporting that the connection of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and cancer could be more general, in line with several other viral infections that represent serious risks for carcinogenesis in humans. The SARS-CoV-2 has developed similar strategies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and hepatitis B virus (HSV1) to control p53 by hijacking the protein via virus antigens, and ultimately leading to its degradation (3, 4).

They also have a worse memory than those who have not had Covid-19.

The SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2) virus and the resulting COVID-19 pandemic have had devastating and lasting impact on the global population. Although the main target of the disease is the respiratory tract, clinical outcomes, and research have also shown significant effects of infection on other organ systems. Of interest in this review is the effect of the virus on the cardiovascular system. Complications, including hyperinflammatory syndrome, myocarditis, and cardiac failure, have been documented in the context of COVID-19 infection. These complications ultimately contribute to worse patient outcomes, especially in patients with pre-existing conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease (CVD). Importantly and interestingly, reports have demonstrated that COVID-19 also causes myocardial injury in adults without pre-existing conditions and contributes to systemic complications in pediatric populations, such as the development of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Although there is still a debate over the exact mechanisms by which such complications arise, understanding the potential paths by which the virus can influence the cardiovascular system to create an inflammatory environment may clarify how SARS-CoV-2 interacts with human physiology. In addition to describing the mechanisms of disease propagation and patient presentation, this review discusses the diagnostic findings and treatment strategies and the evolution of management for patients presenting with cardiovascular complications, focusing on disease treatment and prevention.

Report a case series of new onset small fiber neuropathy (SFN) after COVID-19 treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). SFN is a critical objective finding in long COVID and amenable to treatment. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients seen in the NeuroCOVID Clinic at Yale who developed new-onset SFN after a documented COVID-19 illness. We documented demographics, symptoms, treatments, diagnostics, and clinical response to treatment. Results Sixteen patients were diagnosed with length dependent or independent SFN on skin biopsy (median age 47, 75% female, 75% Caucasian). Among the nine patients tested for autoantibodies, six were positive for either trisulfated heparin disaccharide (TS-HDS) or fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3). Eight patients underwent treatment with IVIG and experience significant clinical improvement in their neuropathic symptoms. 92% of patients reported post-exertional malaise characteristic of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and six patients underwent invasive cardiopulmonary exercise testing (iCPET), which demonstrated neurovascular dysregulation and dysautonomia consistent with ME/CFS.

Since SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged, it is constantly evolving into multiple sub-variants, including BF.7, BQ.1, BQ.1.1, XBB, XBB.1.5 and the recently emerged BA.2.86 and JN.1. Receptor binding and immune evasion are recognized as two major drivers for evolution of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein. However, the underlying mechanism of interplay between two factors remains incompletely understood. Herein, we determined the structures of human ACE2 complexed with BF.7, BQ.1, BQ.1.1, XBB and XBB.1.5 RBDs. Based on the ACE2/RBD structures of these sub-variants and a comparison with the known complex structures, we found that R346T substitution in the RBD enhanced ACE2 binding upon an interaction with the residue R493, but not Q493, via a mechanism involving long-range conformation changes. Furthermore, we found that R493Q and F486V exert a balanced impact, through which immune evasion capability was somewhat compromised to achieve an optimal receptor binding. We propose a “two-steps-forward and one-step-backward” model to describe such a compromise between receptor binding affinity and immune evasion during RBD evolution of Omicron sub-variants.

An in-depth look at what Long COVID is, what symptoms you may experience, and how RTHM is working to help those living with the condition.

The Global COVID Vaccine Safety (GCoVS) Project, established in 2021 under the multinational Global Vaccine Data Network™ (GVDN®), facilitates compreh…

A notable increase in severe cases of COVID-19, with significant hospitalizations due to the emergence and spread of JN.1 was observed worldwide in late 2023 and early 2024. During the study period (November 2022-January 2024), 56 JN.1- and 126 XBB-infected patients were prospectively enrolled in 40 French intensive care units. JN.1-infected patients were more likely to be obese (35.7% vs 20.8%; p=0.033) and less frequently immunosuppressed than others (20.4% vs 41.4%; p=0.010). JN.1-infected patients required invasive mechanical ventilation support in 29.1%, 87.5% of them received dexamethasone, 14.5% tocilizumab and none received monoclonal antibodies. Day-28 mortality of JN.1-infected patients was 14.6%. ### Competing Interest Statement S.F. has served as a speaker for GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, MSD, Pfeizer, Cepheid and Moderna; J.-M.P. has served as an advisor or speaker for Abbvie, Arbutus, Assembly Biosciences, Gilead and Merck; E.A. has received fees for lectures from Alexion, Sanofi, Gilead and Pfizer. His hospital has received research grant from Pfizer, MSD and Alexion. D.D. served as an advisor for Gilead-Sciences, ViiV Health care, and Merck. N.D.P has served as an advisor or speaker for Moderna and AstraZeneca. Other authors and investigators have no conflict of interest to disclose. ### Funding Statement This work was supported by the EMERGEN consortium ANRS Maladies Infectieuses Emergentes (ANRS0153). This study has been labeled as a National Research Priority by the National Orientation Committee for Therapeutic Trials and other researches on Covid-19 (CAPNET). The investigators would like to acknowledge ANRS Emerging infectious diseases for their scientific support, the French Ministry of Health and Prevention and the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation for their funding and support. ### 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: The study was approved by the Comite de Protection des Personnes Sud-Mediterranee I (N EudraCT/ID-RCB: 2021-A02914-37). 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, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors

ML2006a4 has improved affinity for SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and reduced sensitivity to mutations conferring resistance to nirmatrelvir or ensitrelvir.

Background A recurrent feature of infectious diseases is the observation that different individuals show different levels of secondary transmission. This inter-individual variation in transmission potential is often quantified by the dispersion parameter k. Low values of k indicate a high degree of variability and a greater probability of superspreading events. Understanding k for COVID-19 across contexts can assist policy makers prepare for future pandemics. Methods A literature search following a systematic approach was carried out in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, medRxiv, bioRxiv and arXiv to identify publications containing epidemiological findings on superspreading in COVID-19. Study characteristics, epidemiological data, including estimates for k and R0, and public health recommendations were extracted from relevant records. Results The literature search yielded 28 peer-reviewed studies. The mean k estimates ranged from 0.04 to 2.97. Among the 28 studies, 93% reported mean k estimates lower than one, which is considered as marked heterogeneity in inter-individual transmission potential. Recommended control measures were specifically aimed at preventing superspreading events. The combination of forward and backward contact tracing, timely confirmation of cases, rapid case isolation, vaccination and preventive measures were suggested as important components to suppress superspreading. Conclusions Superspreading events were a major feature in the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2. On the one hand, this made outbreaks potentially more explosive but on the other hand also more responsive to public health interventions. Going forward, understanding k is critical for tailoring public health measures to high-risk groups and settings where superspreading events occur.

Testing effectiveness estimates the fraction by which testing and behavior can reduce transmission potential across pathogens.

Argentina authorized COVID-19 vaccination for adolescents 12 years and older in August 2021, and then for children three years and older in October 20…