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    • Aug 4, 2020
    • 7 min read

COVID-19 Resources

Updated: Oct 4, 2021

This blog post is no longer updated.


This blog post contains information related to COVID-19.


NEW UPDATE: 28-Feb-2021

  • Nice article explaining ACE2, CD147 and other factors that influence covid.

Article title: COVID-19, ARDS, ACOVCS, MIS-C, KD, PMIS, TSS, MIS-A: Connecting the Alphabet?

Author: Patrick William Chambers



NEW UPDATE: 30-Dec-2020

  • Astrazeneca / Oxford University vaccine for covid-19 gets approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in the UK. The vaccine will be rolled out on the 4th of January 2021.

  • New data on the new variant of concern 202012/01 published by Public Health England.


Link on the data on the

 

NEW UPDATE: 20-Dec-2020

A new covid-19 strain has been reported in England, which scientists believe is the reason for the increase in covid-19 infections in some parts of the UK. This led to several flight bans from various countries. The new viral strain is the N501Y mutation in the spike protein. It is believed to be more infectious than the previous variants however scientists are still currently studying this. The variant was detected by Covid-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium. The UK has already sequenced around 140,000 genomes of the covid-19 virus since the consortium was being set up in April 2020. For more information, please see the link below:


 

NEW UPDATE: 19-Dec-2020

  • Modern vaccine for covid-19 now approved in the US for emergency use.

 

NEW UPDATE: 10-Dec-2020:

  • US FDA considers the emergency approval of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine.


  • United Arab Emirates (UAE) approves the Sinopharm covid-19 vaccine from China. It is mentioned in the Sinopharm press release that the vaccine has been found to be 86% effective. A 99 percent seroconversion rate of neutralising antibody and 100 percent effectiveness in preventing moderate and severe cases of the disease according to their analysis.

UAE approves Sinopharm vaccine

for general use. Video from CGTN BizTalk (2020)


Link to Sinopharm Press Release: http://www.sinopharm.com/en/s/1395-4173-38728.html

 

NEW UPDATE: 09-Dec-2020:

  • Another historic moment! Health Canada approves the covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer. Vaccinations will probably start by next week.

News conference from Canadian

government officials. Video from CBC News (2020)

 

NEW UPDATE: 08-Dec-2020:

  • Astra Zeneca / Oxford University just published their their interm high-analysis of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2. Vaccine efficacy across groups was at 70.4%.


  • A historic moment. Mass covid-19 vaccination starts in the UK today

First person to receive the

Pfizer covid-19 vaccine outside clinical trials.

Video from BBC (2020)

 

NEW UPDATE: 02-Dec-2020:

  • UK MHRA approves the Pfizer/BioNTech covid-19 vaccine

UK approves Pfizer Covid vaccine

for rollout next week. News from BBC



 

NEW UPDATE: 24-Nov-2020:

  • Snapshot of the covid-19 vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna and Astra Zeneca:


NEW UPDATE: 19-Nov-2020:

  • Researchers at the University of Oxford just published their safety and immunogenicity data for the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (in phase 2/3) administered in a prime-boost regimen in young and old adults. According to the publsihed document from The Lancet, the vaccine "appears to be better tolerated in older adults than in younger adults and has similar immunogenicity across all age groups after a boost dose" and that "further assessment of the efficacy of this vaccine is warranted in all age groups and individuals with comorbidities.".

  • To check out the publication and their recent press release, visit the links below:


 

NEW UPDATE: 16-Nov-2020:

  • The first interim analysis of the mRNA-1273 vaccine for covid-19 in phase 3 revealed an efficacy of 94.5% (p <0.0001) according to Moderna, Inc. Ii is mentioned in their press release that the study (COVE study) has met its primary efficacy endpoint. Moderna intends to apply for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) from the US FDA. The mRNA-1273 vaccine, also known as the Moderna vaccine, is a novel lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated mRNA-based vaccine. To read more on their recent press release, check the link below:


 

NEW UPDATES: 10-Nov-2020:

  • The antibody bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555) from the Lilly Eli company receives authorisation from the FDA (United States) for emergency use for the treatment of recently diagnosed COVID-19. This biologic drug is the


Banlanivimab (LY-CoV555) clinical trial information: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04497987


  • Pfizer and their collaborator, BioNTech, announced that their Phase 3 study of COVID-19 vaccine had positive efficacy results. "The vaccine candidate was found to be more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19 in participants without evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in the first interim efficacy analysis" according to Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer.

 

NEW UPDATES: 08-Sep-2020

  • Published data for the safety and immunogenicity of Gam-COVID-Vac Lyo vaccine (from Russia) in phase 1/2 studies now available on The Lancet journal:

 

NEW UPDATES: 14-Aug-2020

  • Information and related links for the Russian Sputnik V covid-19 vaccine from Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology

  • Useful links for dexamethasone use in covid-19 patients

 

NEW UPDATES: 20-Jul-2020:

  • update on the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine:

The University of Oxford recently published their safety data on ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine. As of this writing, the vaccine already completed its phase 1 and phase 2 trials. It is now entering phase 3. According to their published document on safety in the Lancet, the preliminary findings show that the vaccine was safe and tolerated and no serious adverse reactions occurred. To read more of this article, the link is below:

Now that the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 has been established as safe according to its preliminary findings, we now await for the efficacy data which will probably be available in the next few months when the results for phase 3 becomes available for analysis. Initially implemented in the UK in April 2020 for phase1 / phase 2,  phase 3 studies for this vaccine have now began in South Africa.


Vaccinologist Professor Sara Gilbert is one of the scientists who developed the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine and also leads the project for its trials. According to Gilbert (2020), the technology behind the vaccine consist of using adenoviruses as its vector rather than using weakened covid-19 strains, which is usually the case in some flu vaccines. A genetic material from covid-19 is then integrated to the adenovirus. Once administered, the aim is then to stimulate the development of antibodies as well as for the T cells to recognise the covid-19 virus.

                                                                                                                                               

For more information on the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine clinical trials, please visit this link:


This interview of Professor Sara Gilbert talks more about technology used in the vaccine as well as the vaccine's progress in the trials:


 

Studies related to COVID-19:

To explore studies related to covid-19, the Lancet has established a covid-19 resource center page:

 

The Pathophysiolgy of COVID-19


COVID-19 is a coronavirus that is believed to have originated from bats or pangloin due to its genetic sequence having near resemblance to such animals. As the virus is novel, studies are still being conducted to understand its origin as well as on how it behaves.


As of this writing, patient zero hasn't been identified yet. Identifying the first person infected (patient zero) could be beneficial in understanding more about this virus.


Recent studies have shown that COVID-19 contains spikes that attach itself to the angiotensin converting enzyme - 2 (ACE2) receptors of the body. ACE2 receptors can be found in the lungs, the gastrointestinal tract, and in many parts of the body such as the eyes and mouth. Once the spikes come in contact with ACE2 receptors, it attaches itself through lock-and-key fashion which then enables itself (the virus) to enter the cell so it can replicate.


BioRender (2020). COVID-19 Safety Information. Retrieved from https://app.biorender.com/biorender-templates/figures/5e99f5395fd61e0028682c01/t-5e7cac8aa4038d00b05a8adb-covid-19-safety-information

BioRender (2020). COVID-19 Safety Information. Retrieved from https://app.biorender.com/biorender-templates/figures/5e99f5395fd61e0028682c01/t-5e7cac8aa4038d00b05a8adb-covid-19-safety-information



This webinar (dated 28th of June, 2020) from the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC) is one of the latest in the discussions about covid-19 pathophysiology. The webinar provides deep insights on some of the complications of covid-19 infection such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), thromboembolism, and cytokine storm:

 

Use of Dexamethasone in covid-19


On the 16th of June 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published a news release welcoming the preliminary results about dexamethasone use in treating critically ill covid-19 patients. This was after the results from the UK clinical trial study showed a reduction in mortality to about one third for those patients that required a ventilator. The study results also showed a reduction of mortality to patients requiring oxygen therapy.


Dexamethasone is a corticosteroid used to treat inflammation. It is not a vaccine and it is not a new drug. It is a steroid and thus must be used with extreme caution and under clinician supervision. As of this writing, it has been emphasized by clinicians that it should only be used in hospital settings for covid-19 patients. It is not a drug for preventing covid-19. Steroidal drugs lower one's immune system and in the case of hospitalised covid-19 patients, it is administered to prevent or further prevent the development of a phenomenon called cytokine storm, which is an exaggerated response of the immune system causing life-threatening complications.


To read more of the preliminary report published in The New England Journal of Medicine, please see link: https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2021436 .


There's also an interesting article from the British Medical Journal (intended for healthcare professionals only as specified on their website): https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2648.full

 

COVID-19 vaccines currently in phase 3:

updated: 10-Dec-2020

  • BNT162 by Pfizer; BioNTech; now received emergency authorisation by regulators in the UK and in Canada

  • Inactivated Vaccine (Sinopharm) by the Henan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (China); approved for use in China and the UAE; Phase 3 still to be completed

  • AZD1222 (ChadOx1 nCov-19) by The University of Oxford (UK)

  • mRNA-1273 (Moderna vaccine) by Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (USA)

  • Sputnik V by Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology (Russia). - approved for use in Russia; Phase 3 still to be completed.

According to their website, the vaccine has received a registration certificate from the Russian Ministry of Health and under emergency rules adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic can be used to vaccinate the population in Russia. Clinical Trial Gov website info: Gam-COVID-Vac; and Gam-COVID-Vac Lyo. Actual subject enrollment for trials in phase 1 and phase 2: 38 participants


  • CoronaVac by Sinovac Research and Development Co., Ltd. (China)

  • Ad5-nCoV by CanSino Biologics (China) - awaiting approval

  • Novavax by Novavax (NVX-CoV2373) - awaiting approval

  • Janssen (Ad26.COV2.S) by Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies - awaiting approval

  • Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) live-attenuated vaccine by University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute; Radboud University Medical Center; Faustman Lab at Massachusetts General HospitalMurdoch Children’s Research Institute (Australia)

 

Some useful covid-19 resources:

 

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