Covid19-Sources

A subset of PCS patients display evidence for ED shown by a diminished RHI and altered endothelial biomarkers. Different associations of the RHI with clinical parameters as well as varying biomarker profiles may suggest distinct pathomechanisms among patient subgroups.

Nature Medicine - New data confirm that the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose is crucial for the generation of neutralizing antibody responses against Omicron, while better therapeutic antibodies are...

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, reports on disparities in vaccine roll out alongside COVID-19 reinfection have been emerging. We conducted a systematic review to assess the determinants and disease spectrum of COVID-19 reinfection.A comprehensive search ...

The world is suffering from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 uses its spike protein to enter the host cells. Vaccines that introduce the spike protein into ...

Repository for suggesting new lineages that should be added to the current scheme - pango-designation/lineage_notes.txt at master · cov-lineages/pango-designation

Mediziner warnen übereinstimmend davor, dass Sportler nach einer Infektion mit dem Coronavirus sofort zurückkehren, nur weil sie negativ getestet sind. Eine neue Studie beim DEL-Klub Iserlohn Roosters hat erschreckende Ergebnisse hervorgebracht.

An essential precondition for successful "herd immunity" strategies for the control of SARS-CoV-2 is that reinfection with the virus be relatively rare. Some infection control, prioritization, and testing strategies for SARS-CoV-2 were designed on the premise of rare re-infection. The U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) includes 171 medical centers and 1,112 outpatient sites of care, with widespread SARS-CoV-2 test availability. We used the VHA's unified, longitudinal electronic health record to measure the frequency of re-infection with SARS-CoV-2 at least 90 days after initial diagnosis We identified 308,051 initial cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosed in VHA between March 2020 and January 2022; 58,456 (19.0%) were associated with VHA hospitalizations. A second PCR-positive test occurred in 9,203 patients in VA at least 90-days after their first positive test in VHA; 1,562 (17.0%) were associated with VHA hospitalizations. An additional 189 cases were identified as PCR-positive a third time at least 90-days after their second PCR-positive infection in VHA; 49 (25.9%) were associated with VHA hospitalizations. The absolute number of re-infections increased from less than 500 per month through November 2021, to over 4,000 per month in January 2022. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This work was supported by VA HSR&D C19-21-278 and C19-21-279. ### 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: These analyses were given ethical approval for this work under expedited review by the institutional review boards of the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers of Puget Sound, Portland, Ann Arbor, and Durham. 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 All data are available in partnership with VA investigators via VA data approval processes.

med to determine whether mandatory mask use influenced the case fatality rate in Kansas, USA between August 1st and October 15th 2020. This study applied secondary data on case updates, mask mandates, and demographic status related to Kansas State, USA. A parallelization analysis based on county-level data was conducted on these data. Results were controlled by performing multiple sensitivity analyses and a negative control. A parallelization analysis based on county-level data showed that in Kansas, counties with mask mandate had significantly higher case fatality rates than counties without mask mandate, with a risk ratio of 1.85 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.51–2.10) for COVID-19-related deaths. Even after adjusting for the number of “protected persons,” that is, the number of persons who were not infected in the mask-mandated group compared to the no-mask group, the risk ratio remained significantly high at 1.52 (95% CI: 1.24–1.72). By analyzing the excess mortality in Kansas, this study determines that over 95% of this effect can solely be attributed to COVID-19. These findings suggest that mask use might pose a yet unknown threat to the user instead of protecting them, making mask mandates a debatable epidemiologic intervention. The cause of this trend is explained herein using the “Foegen effect” theory; that is, deep re-inhalation of hypercondensed droplets or pure virions caught in facemasks as droplets can worsen prognosis and might be linked to long-term effects of COVID-19 infection. While the “Foegen effect” is proven in vivo in an animal model, further research is needed to fully understand it....

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications - Evaluation of science advice during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden

Corona ist noch lange nicht vorbei. Trotzdem beendet Christian Drosten seinen Podcast. Hier erklärt er, warum – und wie wir uns auf den Herbst vorbereiten müssen.

Multiple COVID-19 vaccines, representing diverse vaccine platforms, successfully protect against symptomatic COVID-19 cases and deaths. Head-to-head comparisons of T cell, B cell, and antibody responses to diverse vaccines in humans are likely to be informative for understanding protective immunity against COVID-19, with particular interest in immune memory. Here, SARS-CoV-2-spike-specific immune responses to Moderna mRNA-1273, Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162b2, Janssen Ad26.COV2.S and Novavax NVX-CoV2373 were examined longitudinally for 6 months. 100% of individuals made memory CD4+ T cells, with cTfh and CD4-CTL highly represented after mRNA or NVX-CoV2373 vaccination. mRNA vaccines and Ad26.COV2.S induced comparable CD8+ T cell frequencies, though memory CD8+ T cells were only detectable in 60-67% of subjects at 6 months. Ad26.COV2.S was not the strongest immunogen by any measurement, though the Ad26.COV2.S T cell, B cell, and antibody responses were relatively stable over 6 months. A differentiating feature of Ad26.COV2.S immunization was a high frequency of CXCR3+ memory B cells. mRNA vaccinees had substantial declines in neutralizing antibodies, while memory T cells and B cells were comparatively stable over 6 months. These results of these detailed immunological evaluations may also be relevant for vaccine design insights against other pathogens. ### Competing Interest Statement A.S. is a consultant for Gritstone Bio, Flow Pharma, ImmunoScape, Avalia, Moderna, Fortress, Repertoire, Gerson Lehrman Group, RiverVest, MedaCorp, and Guggenheim. SC has consulted for GSK, JP Morgan, Citi, Morgan Stanley, Avalia NZ, Nutcracker Therapeutics, University of California, California State Universities, United Airlines, Adagio, and Roche. LJI has filed for patent protection for various aspects of T cell epitope and vaccine design work. All other authors declare no conflict of interest

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of long COVID in children and adolescents and identify the full spectrum of signs and symptoms present after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: Two independent investigators searched PubMed and Embase in order to identify observational studies that met the following criteria: 1) a minimum of 30 patients, 2) ages ranged from 0 to 18 years, 3) published in English, 4) published before February 10th, 2022, and 5) meets the National Institute for Healthcare Excellence (NICE) definition of long COVID, which consists of both ongoing (4 to 12 weeks) and post COVID 19 (≥12 weeks) symptoms. For COVID symptoms reported in two or more studies, random-effects meta-analyses were performed using the MetaXL software to estimate the pooled prevalence, and Review Manager (RevMan) software 5.4 was utilized to estimate the Odds Ratios (ORs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviewers and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) reporting guideline was followed (registration PROSPERO CRD42021275408). Results: The literature search yielded 68 articles for long COVID in children and adolescents. After screening, 21 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review and meta-analyses. A total of 80,071 children and adolescents with COVID-19 were included. The prevalence of long COVID was 25.24% (95% CI 18.17-33.02), and the most prevalent clinical manifestations were mood symptoms (16.50%; 95% CI 7.37-28.15), fatigue (9.66%; 95% CI 4.45-16.46), and sleep disorders (8.42%; 95% CI 3.41-15.20). When compared to controls, children infected by SARS-CoV-2 had a higher risk of persistent dyspnea (OR 2.69 95%CI 2.30-3.14), anosmia/ageusia (OR 10.68, 95%CI 2.48, 46.03), and/or fever (OR 2.23, 95%CI 1.22-4.07). The main limitation of these meta-analyses is the probability of bias, which includes lack of standardized definitions, recall, selection, misclassification, nonresponse and/or loss of follow-up, and the high level of heterogeneity. Conclusion: These meta-analyses provide an overview of the broad symptomatology of long COVID in minors, which may help improve management, rehabilitation programs, and future development of guidelines and therapeutic research for COVID-19. ### Competing Interest Statement SLL is an employee of Novartis Pharmaceutical Company; the statements presented in the paper do not necessarily represent the position of the company. The remaining authors have no competing interests to declare ### Funding Statement This work was supported by funds from Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX. ### 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 and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information. In addition, the datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Freiburg – Die Prävalenzen zu Long COVID bei Erwachsenen variieren in Studien von etwa 2 % bis hin zu mehr als 60 %. Die Nachbeobachtungszeit der meisten... #EPILOC #LongCOVID

Safety data from more than 298 million doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine administered in the first 6 months of the US vaccination programme show that most reported adverse events were mild and short in duration.

Background: Mandatory use of face covering masks (FCM) had been established for children aged six and above in Catalonia (Spain), as one of the non-pharmaceutic

AbstractBackground. The role of SARS-CoV-2 in the pathogenesis of testicular damage is uncertain.Methods. We investigated the virological, pathological, and imm

With a response rate of 78% of Dutch pediatric departments, we identified 89 children, aged 2–18 years, suspected of long-COVID with various complaints. Of these children, 36% experienced severe limitations in daily function. The most common complaints were fatigue, dyspnea, and concentration difficulties with 87%, 55%, and 45% respectively. Our case series emphasizes the nonspecific and broad clinical manifestations seen in post-COVID complaints.

There is increasing evidence that adult patients diagnosed with acute COVID-19 suffer from Long COVID initially described in Italy.1 A recent large cohort of 1733 patients from Wuhan found persistent symptoms in 76% of patients 6 months after initial diagnosis.2 To date, data on Long COVID in children are scarce, with the exception of an earlier description of five children with Long COVID in Sweden.3 We assessed persistent symptoms in paediatric patients previously diagnosed with COVID-19.

Nature - Genetic variants that are linked to immune signalling, mucus production and other functions increase the risk of critical COVID-19.

Nature - Genome studies have discovered some genetic risk factors for disease — and could point to treatments.

Darf ich wieder ins Training zurückkehren? Wie steht es um meine körperliche Belastbarkeit? Worauf sollte ich beim Wiedereinstieg achten? Eine Sporttauglichkeitsuntersuchung nach einer Covid-19-Infektion verschafft Ihnen Gewissheit über Ihren Gesundheitsstatus und eventuelle Risiken. Unsere Experten beraten Sie individuell hinsichtlich Ihres Trainings. Herzliche Grüße, Ihr Team der Präventiven Sportmedizin und Sportkardiologie der TU München

We used daily real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) results from 67 cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a household transmission study to examine the trajectory of cycle threshold (Ct) values, an inverse correlate of viral RNA concentration, from nasal specimens collected between April 2020 and May 2021. Ct values varied over the course of infection, across RT-PCR platforms, and by participant age. Specimens collected from children6 and adolescents showed higher Ct values and adults aged ≥50 years showed lower Ct values than adults aged 18-49 years. Ct values were lower on days when participants reported experiencing symptoms.

Nature Communications - While cross-reactive immunity between human coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2 may contribute to host protection, validating evidences are still scarce. Here the authors assess a...

Persistent symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 are prevalent weeks to months following the infection. To date, it is difficult to disentangle the direct from the indirect effects of SARS-CoV-2, including lockdown, social and economic factors. Objective: The study aims to characterize the prevalence of symptoms, functional capacity and quality of life at 12 months in outpatient symptomatic individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared to individuals tested negative. Methods: From April 23 to July 27, 2021, outpatient symptomatic individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2 at the Geneva University Hospitals were followed up 12 months after their test date. Results: At 12 months, out of the 1,447 participants (mean age 45.2 years, 61.2% women), 33.4% reported residual mild to moderate symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to 6.5% in the control group. Symptoms included fatigue (16% vs. 3.1%); dyspnea (8.9% vs. 1.1%); headache (9.8% vs. 1.7%); insomnia (8.9% vs. 2.7%) and difficulty concentrating (7.4% vs. 2.5%). When compared to the control group, 30.5% of SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals reported functional impairment at 12 months versus 6.6%. SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with the persistence of symptoms (aOR 4.1; 2.60-6.83) and functional impairment (aOR 3.54; 2.16-5.80) overall, and in subgroups of women, men, individuals younger than 40 years, between 40–59 years, and in individuals with no past medical or psychiatric history. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to persistent symptoms over several months including in young healthy individuals, in addition to the pandemic effects, and potentially more than other common respiratory infections. Symptoms impact functional capacity up to 12 months post-infection.

Bethesda/Maryland – Ein gut funktionierendes angeborenes Immunsystem kann eine Erstinfektion mit SARS-CoV-2 bereits nach wenigen Tagen beenden, lange bevor die... #Studie #COVID19 #Science

Background The elderly are highly vulnerable to severe Covid-19. Waning immunity and emergence of Omicron have caused concerns about reduced effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines. The objective was to estimate vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe Covid-19 among the elderly. Methods This nationwide, register-based cohort study included all residents aged 70 years and over in Finland. The follow-up started on December 27, 2020, and ended on February 19, 2022. The study outcomes were Covid-19-related hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) admission timely associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. VE was estimated as 1 minus the hazard ratio comparing the vaccinated and unvaccinated and taking into account time since vaccination. Omicron-specific VE was evaluated as the effectiveness observed since January 01, 2022. Results The cohort included 897932 individuals. Comirnaty (BioNTech/Pfizer) VE against Covid-19-related hospitalization was 93% (95% confidence interval [CI], 90%–95%) and 87% (84%–89%) 14–90 and 91–180 days after the second dose; VE increased to 96% (95%–97%) 14–60 days after the third dose. VE of other homologous and heterologous 3-dose series was similar. Protection against severe Covid-19 requiring ICU treatment was even better. Since January 01, 2022, Comirnaty VE was 91% (95% CI, 79%–96%) and 76% (56%–86%) 14–90 and 91–180 days after the second and 95% (94%–97%) 14–60 days after the third dose. Conclusions VE against severe Covid-19 is high among the elderly. It waned slightly after 2 doses, but a third restored the protection. VE against severe Covid-19 remained high even after the emergence of Omicron. ### Competing Interest Statement No financial conflicts related to the current work. Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) conducts Public-Private Partnership with vaccine manufacturers and has received research funding from Sanofi Inc., Pfizer Inc., and GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA for non-COVID-19-related studies. AAP has been an investigator in these studies but has received no personal remuneration. ### Funding Statement No external funding. This study was funded by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). ### 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: A waiver of ethical approval was received from Professor Mika Salminen, Director of the Department for Health Security Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (see supplement material). 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 By Finnish law, the authors are not permitted to share individual-level register data. The computing code is available upon request.

Diese Aussage von Herrn #Kubicki macht derzeit ja die Runde. Die Einschätzung von Herrn @Heilrath teile ich vollumfänglich und ergänze, dass ein ganz frisches Preprint aus Dänemark eindrücklich zeigt, dass das für #Omikron schlicht falsch ist! Und Südafrika!#COVID19 #SARSCoV2 https://t.co/f4hDdYQMh8 pic.twitter.com/Ea8JuSSLNv— The Binder Lab (@TheBinderLab) March 15, 2022

Here, we provide two methods for monitoring reinfection trends in routine surveillance data to identify signatures of changes in reinfection risk and apply these approaches to data from South Africa’s SARS-CoV-2 epidemic to date. While we found no evidence of increased reinfection risk associated with circulation of Beta (B.1.351) or Delta (B.1.617.2) variants, we find clear, population-level evidence to suggest immune evasion by the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant in previously infected individuals in South Africa. Reinfections occurring between 01 November 2021 and 31 January 2022 were detected in individuals infected in all three previous waves, and there has been an increase in the risk of having a third infection since mid-November 2021.

Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy - ACE2-independent infection of T lymphocytes by SARS-CoV-2