2021-04-27

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India.; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India.; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India.; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India. Electronic address: vb.patravale@ictmumbai.edu.in.

BACKGROUND: The rapid spread of novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 or nCoV has caused countries all over the world to impose lockdowns and undertake stringent preventive measures. This new positive-sense single-stranded RNA strain of coronavirus spreads through droplets of saliva and nasal discharge. PURPOSE: US FDA has authorized the emergency use of Remdesivir looking at the increasing number of cases of COVID-19, however there is still no drug approved to treat COVID-19. An alternative way of treatment could be the use of naturally derived molecules with known antiviral properties. METHOD: We reviewed the antiviral activities of two polyphenols derived from tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) from green tea and theaflavins from black tea. Both green tea and black tea polyphenols have been reported to exhibit antiviral activities against various viruses, especially positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses. RESULTS: Recent studies have revealed the possible binding sites

2021-11-15

Biogenix Lab G42, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; G42 Healthcare, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; Biogenix Lab G42, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; Biogenix Lab G42, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; Biogenix Lab G42, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; G42 Healthcare, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; G42 Healthcare, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.; College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Serological assays for measuring severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies have crucial applications in the control and surveillance of the current COVID-19 pandemic. A large number of such assays have been developed and are now commercially available. However, there are limited studies evaluating the performance of these tests. We evaluated the performances of the following six commercially available serological assays for detecting SARS-CoV-2 antibodies: (i) Genscript cPass surrogate virus neutralization test (Genscript cPass), (ii) Diasorin-SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG detection (Diasorin-S1/S2 IgG), (iii) Alinity SARS-CoV-2 IgG II (Alinity IgG II), (iv) Diasorin-SARS-CoV-2 TrimericS IgG (Diasorin-TrimericS IgG), (v) Roche Elecsys anti-SARS-CoV-2-cobas (Roche Elecsys), and (vi) AESKU enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (AESKULISA). The results of these tests were compared against the gold standard plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT). Roche Elecsys had

2021-08-12

Department of Infectious Diseases, Northwick Park Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, UK.; Department of Acute Medicine, Northwick Park Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, UK.; School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.; School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.; School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.; School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.; School of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.; Department of Infectious Diseases, Northwick Park Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, UK.; Transformation Programme Director, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.; Emergency Department, Northwick Park Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, UK.; Department of Pathology, Northwick Park Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, UK.; Department of Acute Medicine, Northwick Park Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, UK.; Department of Microbiology, Northwick Park Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, UK.; Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.; Department of Microbiology, Northwick Park Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, UK.; Institute for Global Health, University College London, London, UK a.gupta-wright@ucl.ac.uk.; Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.; Department of Infectious Diseases, Northwick Park Hospital, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Harrow, UK.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate a triage algorithm used to identify and isolate patients with suspected COVID-19 among medical patients needing admission to hospital using simple clinical criteria and the FebriDx assay. DESIGN: Retrospective observational cohort. SETTING: Large acute National Health Service hospital in London, UK. PARTICIPANTS: All medical admissions from the emergency department between 10 August 2020 and 4 November 2020 with a valid SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR result. INTERVENTIONS: Medical admissions were triaged as likely, possible or unlikely COVID-19 based on clinical criteria. Patients triaged as possible COVID-19 underwent FebriDx lateral flow assay on capillary blood, and those positive for myxovirus resistance protein A (a host response protein) were managed as likely COVID-19. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity and predictive values) of the algorithm and the FebriDx assay using SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs as the reference

2021-07-20

Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Vyriad, Inc., Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Vyriad, Inc., Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Mayo Clinic Department of Molecular Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Vyriad, Inc., Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.; World Reference Center for Emerging Viruses and Arboviruses, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.; Vyriad, Inc., Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, New York, USA.; Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, New York, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Vyriad, Inc., Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Mayo Clinic Department of Molecular Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Vyriad, Inc., Rochester, Minnesota, USA.; Mayo Clinic Department of Molecular Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

Neutralizing antibodies are key determinants of protection from future infection, yet well-validated high-throughput assays for measuring titers of SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies are not generally available. Here, we describe the development and validation of IMMUNO-COV v2.0, a scalable surrogate virus assay, which titrates antibodies that block infection of Vero-ACE2 cells by a luciferase-encoding vesicular stomatitis virus displaying SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins (VSV-SARS2-Fluc). Antibody titers, calculated using a standard curve consisting of stepped concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 spike monoclonal antibody, correlated closely (P < 0.0001) with titers obtained from a gold standard 50% plaque-reduction neutralization test (PRNT50%) performed using a clinical isolate of SARS-CoV-2. IMMUNO-COV v2.0 was comprehensively validated using data acquired from 242 assay runs performed over 7 days by five analysts, utilizing two separate virus lots, and 176 blood samples. Assay performance