Characterization of Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents from 2017–2022 in China: A Single-center Analysis (preprint)

OBJECTIVE This study investigated the characteristics of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) related to autoimmunity and the frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in children and adolescents from 2017–2022 in China.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Single-center regional data from the Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Tongji Hospital, were used to compare 88 children and adolescents newly diagnosed with T1DM from 2020 to 2022 (i.e. during the COVID-19 pandemic in China) and 76 children and adolescents diagnosed with T1DM from 2017 to 2019. Auto-antibodies, including glutamic acid decarboxylase-65 and insulin auto-antibodies, were detected by enzyme-linked immunoassays. DKA was defined as a pH < 7.3 and/or a bicarbonate level < 15 mmol/L.RESULTS The median age of the 164 children and adolescents newly diagnosed with T1DM from 2017 to 2022 was 7.0 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 3.8–10.0 years; 51.83% male). The mean annual incidence of T1DM was 4.25/100,000. The estimated frequency of auto-antibody positivity was 51.22% (n = 84), and there was no difference between the 2020–2022 group and 2017–2019 group (55.68% [n = 49] vs. 46.5% [n = 35]; p = 0.219). The incidence of DKA among the entire cohort was 57.93% (n = 95). The frequency of DKA was not significantly higher in the 2020–2022 group compared with the 2017–2019 group (60.23% [n = 53] vs. 55.26% [n = 42]; p = 0.521). We found no significant difference in the frequency of DKA between patients who were negative vs. positive for auto-antibodies in the 2020–2022 group (64.10% [n = 25] vs. 57.14% [n = 28], p > 0.05). The C-peptide level and HbA1c (%) were positively correlated with onset age (R1 = 0.389, p < 0.01; R2 = 0.371, p < 0.01), and the estimated mean C-peptide level was 0.26 ng/ml (IQR: 0.2–0.4 ng/ml) in patients with DKA and 0.370 ng/ml (IQR: 0.2–0.6 ng/ml) in patients without DKA (p = 0.044).CONCLUSIONS This study showed the annual incidence of T1DM was 4.25/100,000, gradually increased over the study period, and there was no significant increase in T1DM with auto-antibody positivity in children and adolescents newly diagnosed from 2020–2022 in China compared with the previous 3 years. Furthermore, the frequencies of DKA were not significantly different between patients who were negative vs. positive for auto-antibodies.

Potential Mechanism of Curcumin and Resveratrol against SARS-CoV-2 (preprint)

Recently, World Health Organization predicted a near end of COVID-19 pandemic. However, the prediction should be interpreted cautiously. Due to SARS-CoV-2 continuous mutation-evolve, limited durability of infection-acquired protection in individuals with hybrid immunity, and the effects of long COVID-19 or Post-COVID-19 syndrome, COVID-19 may continue to be a worldwide threat. Alternative therapeutics are incorporated into some countries’ health guidelines for COVID-19. Qiannan herbal, an ancient medical book of Yi Nationality in China, recorded that grapes and turmeric were often used to treat respiratory diseases. Curcumin and resveratrol are the primary bioactive compounds in turmeric and grapes, respectively. The clinical trials confirmed that curcumin or resveratrol supplementation could cause moderate or marked improvements in COVID-19 patients. Exploring the potential mechanisms is of great significance. This study found that curcumin and resveratrol could effectively inhibit SARS-CoV-23CLpro activity and spike protein-mediated cell entry. Curcumin and resveratrol could significantly alleviate spike protein-mediated cytokine storm via inhibiting over-activation of NFKB, and effectively ameliorate spike protein-mediated oxidative stress through scavenging ROS and enhancing function of antioxidation system. The combined treatment showed a better effect than alone treatment. Therefore, curcumin and resveratrol could inhibit SARS-CoV-23C-like proteinase activity and Spike protein-mediated cell entry, cytokine storm, and oxidative stress.

Dynamic changes in the respiratory tract and gut antibiotic resistome of patients with COVID-19 and its association with disease severity (preprint)

Background The antibiotic resistome is the collection of all the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) present in an individual. Whether an individual’s susceptibility to infection and the eventual severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is influenced by their respiratory tract antibiotic resistome is unknown. Additional, whether a relationship exists between the respiratory tract and gut antibiotic resistance genes composition has not been fully explored. Method We recruited 66 patients with COVID-19 at three disease stages (admission, progression and recovery) and conducted a metagenome sequencing analysis of 143 sputum and 97 fecal samples obtained from them. Respiratory tract, gut metagenomes, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) transcriptomes are analyzed to compare the gut and respiratory tract ARGs of intensive care unit (ICU) and non-ICU (nICU) patients and determine relationships between ARGs and immune response. Results Among the respiratory tract ARGs, we found that Aminoglycoside, Multidrugand Vancomycin are increased in ICU patients compared with nICU patients. In the gut, we found that Multidrug, Vancomycin and Fosmidomycinwere increased in ICU patients. Upon further investigation a significantly positive correlation was found between the relative abundance in ARGs (i.e., subtypes of the Aminoglycoside and Tetracyclinetypes) in the respiratory tract and gut. We discovered that the relative abundances of Multidrug were significantly correlated with clinical indices, and there was a significantly positive correlation between ARGs and microbiota in respiratory tract and gut. We found that immune related pathways in PBMC were enhanced, and they were significantly correlated with the relative abundance of Multidrug, Vancomycin and Tetracycline ARGs. Based on the relative abundance of ARG types, we built a respiratory tract-gut ARG combined random-forest classifier to distinguish ICU COVID-19 patients from nICU patients with an AUC of 0.969. The level of Aminoglycoside and Vancomycinin the gut was regarded as the most prominent biomarker. Conclusions Cumulatively, our findings provide some of the first insights into the dynamic alterations of respiratory tract and gut antibiotic resistome in the progression of COVID-19 and disease severity. They also provide a better understanding of how this disease affects different cohorts of patients. As such, these findings should contribute to better diagnosis and treatment scenarios.

The role of digital transformation in improving collaborative planning to address unexpected crisis

Unexpected crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic considerably influence business operations and supply chains worldwide. Therefore, many companies have adopted digitalization to address the rapidly changing environment. However, few studies have explored the mediating mechanism between digitalization and collaborative planning. Based on structural equation modeling, this study examines how digital transformation can improve collaborative planning through the mediating roles of management participation and information sharing. The results indicate that digital transformation significantly affects management and information sharing. Additionally, management participation and information sharing positively affect collaborative planning. However, this study reveals that digital transformation does not directly influence collaborative planning. Overall, owing to a lack of research exploring the mediating mechanism between digital transformation and collaborative planning, this study contributes to digitalization and manufacturing and provides valuable suggestions. Fundamentally, companies that want to develop digitalization and encourage collaborative planning should consider the effects of management participation and information sharing. [ FROM AUTHOR]

The similarities and differences between SARS-CoV-2 and Human immunodeficiency virus

Both coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS) are known as category B infectious diseases, which were caused respectively by SARS-CoV-2 and human immunodeficiency virus(HIV). Although HIV infection is not a risk factor for COVID-19, latest clinical studies have shown that HIV-positive COVID-19 patients experience longer disease course and are more likely to have severe COVID-19 compared with HIV-negative COVID-19 patients, especially those with low CD4+ T cells count or with no antiretroviral therapy(ART).In this review, we aim to compare the etiological and pathogenetic differences between COVID-19 and AIDS, and to elucidate the immunological and virologic characteristics of HIV-positive COVID-19 patients, which helps for a better understanding of SARS-CoV-2 and HIV co-infections.

Party Identification, Ambivalence, and the Issue of Vaccine Procurement in Taiwan

After the Covid-19 pandemic began to wreak havoc around the world in January 2020, Taiwan managed to stay mostly Covid-free due to swift and efficient action taken by the government to contain the outbreak. However, after the country experienced its first significant wave of domestically transmitted cases in May 2021, vaccines became a highly salient issue because Taiwan did not have enough doses to immunize all its citizens. In this study, we investigate how Taiwanese appraise the government’s overall efforts to acquire vaccines. We hypothesize that, apart from a partisan divergence of opinions, some citizens would hold ambivalent attitudes toward the way the government handled the vaccine procurement process. Results from multivariate regression analysis indicate that the effect of party identification on evaluations of government is conditionally dependent on citizens’ level of ambivalence. Specifically, increased ambivalence offsets the strong effect of party affiliation on government evaluation, especially for political independents and supporters of opposition parties. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Six-month humoral immune response to inactivated COVID-19 vaccine among people living with HIV

Longitudinal humoral immune response to inactivated COVID-19 vaccines among people living with HIV (PLWH) have not yet been systematically investigated. We conducted a 6-month longitudinal study among vaccinated PLWH and HIV-Negative Controls (HNC) to determine whether the humoral immune response effects of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine are different between the two groups of people. Totally, 46 PLWH and 38 HNC who received the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine on days 0 and 28 were enrolled. The SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) and total specific IgM and IgG antibodies were examined on Day 0-Day190. The level and positive seroconversion rate of nAbs peaked on Day 42 in HNC while peaked on Day 70 in PLWH, then decreased gradually with the extension of the vaccination period after the peaks. The peak level of nAbs in PLWH on Day 70, (GMC 8.07 BAU/mL, 95% CI 5.67-11.48) was significantly lower than in HNC on Day 42 (GMC 18.28 BAU/mL, 95% CI 10.33-32.33, P =0.03). The decrease in the geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of nAbs was observed as 42.9% in PLWH after peak level, which decreased from 8.07 BAU/mL [95% CI: 5.67-11.48] on Day 70 to 4.61 BAU/mL [95% CI: 3.35-6.34] on Day 190 (p = 0.02). On Day 190, only seven (18%, [95% CI: 6-40]) HNC and five (11%, [95% CI: 4-25]) PLWH maintained positive nAbs response respectively. The geometric mean ELISA units (GMEUs) and positive seroconversion rate of IgG in PLWH dropped significantly from Day 70 (GMEUs, 0.20 EU/mL, [95% CI: 0.13-0.34];seroconversion, 52%, [95% CI: 34-69]) to Day 190 (GMEUs, 0.05 EU/mL, [95% CI: 0.03-0.08], P<0.001;seroconversion, 18%, [95% CI: 8-33], P<0.001). There was no significant difference in levels and seroconversion rates of nAbs and IgG between the two groups on Day 190. The peak immunogenicity of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine was delayed and inferior in PLWH compared to HNC, while no significant difference was found in six-month immunogenicity between the two groups.

Forecasting the end time of global COVID-19 infection with the effects of adaptive behaviors and vaccination (preprint)

We developed a deterministic model with multiple compartments by a system of differential equations, which allows for simulating novel coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission dynamics with human adaptive behaviors and vaccine effects, aiming at predicting the end time of COVID-19 infection in global scale. Based on the surveillance information (reported cases and vaccination data) between January 22, 2020 and July 18, 2022, we validated the model by MCMC fitting method. We found that (1) if without protective and control behaviors, the epidemic could sweep the world in 2022 and 2023, causing 3.098 billion of human infections, which is 5.39 times of the current number; (2) there could be 645 million people avoided from infection due to vaccine; (3) if following current scenarios of protective/control behaviors and vaccine rate, the cumulative number of cases would increase slowly, leveling off around 2023, and the epidemic would end completely in June 2025, causing 1.024 billion infections. Our findings suggest that collective protection behavior and vaccination remain the key determinants of the global process of COVID-19 transmission.

Optimizing variant-specific therapeutic SARS-CoV-2 decoys using deep-learning-guided molecular dynamic simulations. (preprint)

Treatment of COVID-19 with a soluble version of ACE2 that binds to SARS-CoV-2 virions before they enter host cells is a promising approach, but it needs to be optimized and adapted to emerging viral variants. The computational workflow presented here consists of molecular dynamics simulations for RBD-ACE2 binding affinity assessments of ACE2 or RBD variants and a novel convolutional neural network architecture working on pairs of voxelized force-fields for efficient search-space reduction. We identified hACE2-Fc K31W along with multi-mutation variants as high-affinity candidates, which we also validated in vitro with virus neutralization assays. We evaluated binding affinities of these ACE2 variants with the RBDs of Omicron BA.3, Omicron BA.4/BA.5, and Omicron BA.2.75 in silico. In addition, candidates produced in Nicotiana benthamiana, an expression organism for potential large-scale production, showed a 4.6-fold reduction in half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) compared with the same variant produced in CHO cells and an almost six-fold IC50 reduction compared with wild-type hACE2-Fc.

Dual functionalisation of polyurethane foam for unprecedented flame retardancy and antibacterial properties using layer-by-layer assembly of MXene chitosan with antibacterial metal particles

Antibacterial surfaces in healthcare settings are an important tool for combating the increasing threat of antibacterial drug resistance, which the global Covid-19 pandemic has further exacerbated. Herein, we report a new method to achieve dual antibacterial and flame retardant functionalities in flexible polyurethane foam (PUF) by synthesising a multifunctional coating using a layer-by-layer assembly technique. The coating consists of Ti3C2 nanosheets and chitosan as the flame retardant and metal particles (copper or silver) for the antibacterial property. Results show that the multilayer Ti3C2/CH/Ag coating possesses excellent antibacterial performance with reductions of 99.97% in gram-negative bacteria (P. aeruginosa) and 88.9% in gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus) compared with the unmodified counterpart. Compared with the pristine PUF, the multifunctional coating yielded 66.3% reductions in the PHRR, and demonstrated outstanding smoke suppression performance with a PSPR reduction of 51.6% and a TSR decline of 65.5%. Moreover, Raman spectroscopy revealed an increased graphitisation level in the residual char of the coated foam, indicating the coating's remarkable charring performance. This exceptional multifunctional performance endows the coating technology with a great potential for eradicating the fire risks of antibacterial surfaces in healthcare settings and providing furniture, interior walls and building panels with antibacterial properties.

Blood biomarkers representing maternal-fetal interface tissues used to predict early-and late-onset preeclampsia but not COVID-19 infection (preprint)

Background: A well-known blood biomarker (soluble fms-like tyrosinase-1 [sFLT-1]) for preeclampsia, i.e., a pregnancy disorder, was found to predict severe COVID-19, including in males. True biomarker may be masked by more-abrupt changes related to endothelial instead of placental dysfunction. This study aimed to identify blood biomarkers that represent maternal-fetal interface tissues for predicting preeclampsia but not COVID-19 infection. Methods: The surrogate transcriptome of the tissues was determined by that in maternal blood, utilizing four datasets (n=1,354) which were collected before the COVID-19 pandemic. Applying machine learning, a preeclampsia prediction model was chosen between those using blood transcriptome (differentially expressed genes [DEGs]) and the blood-derived surrogate for the tissues. We selected the most predictive model by the area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) using a dataset for developing the model, and well-replicated in datasets either with or without intervention. To identify eligible blood biomarkers that predicted any-onset preeclampsia from the datasets but did not predict positives in the COVID-19 dataset (n=47), we compared several methods of predictor discovery: (1) the best prediction model; (2) gene sets by standard pipelines; and (3) a validated gene set for predicting any-onset preeclampsia during the pandemic (n=404). We chose the most predictive biomarkers from the best method with the significantly largest number of discoveries by a permutation test. The biological relevance was justified by exploring and reanalyzing low- and high-level, multi-omics information. Results: A prediction model using the surrogates developed for predicting any-onset preeclampsia (AUROC of 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77 to 0.93) was the only that was well-replicated in an independent dataset with no intervention. No model was well-replicated in datasets with a vitamin D intervention. None of the blood biomarkers with high weights in the best model overlapped with blood DEGs. Blood biomarkers were transcripts of integrin-5 (ITGA5), interferon regulatory factor-6 (IRF6), and P2X purinoreceptor-7 (P2RX7) from the prediction model, which was the only method that significantly discovered the eligible blood biomarkers (n=3/100 combinations, 3.0%; P=.036). Most of the predicted events (73.70%) among any-onset preeclampsia were cluster A as defined by ITGA5 (Z-score [≥]1.1), but were only a minority (6.34%) among positives in the COVID-19 dataset. The remaining were the predicted events (26.30%) among any-onset preeclampsia or those among COVID-19 infection (93.66%) if IRF6 Z-score was [≥]-0.73 (clusters B and C), in which none was the predicted events among either late-onset preeclampsia (LOPE) or COVID-19 infection if P2RX7 Z-score was <0.13 (cluster B). Greater proportion of predicted events among LOPE were cluster A (82.85% vs. 70.53%) compared to early-onset preeclampsia (EOPE). The biological relevance by multi-omics information explained the biomarker mechanism, polymicrobial infection in any-onset preeclampsia by ITGA5, viral co-infection in EOPE by ITGA5-IRF6, a shared prediction with COVID-19 infection by ITGA5-IRF6-P2RX7, and non-replicability in datasets with a vitamin D intervention by ITGA5. Conclusions: In a model that predicts preeclampsia but not COVID-19 infection, the important predictors were maternal-blood genes that were not extremely expressed, including the proposed blood biomarkers. The predictive performance and biological relevance should be validated in future experiments.

Structural basis of a two-antibody cocktail exhibiting highly potent and broadly neutralizing activities against SARS-CoV-2 variants including diverse Omicron sublineages (preprint)

SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), especially the latest Omicron, have exhibited severe antibody evasion. Broadly neutralizing antibodies with high potency against Omicron are urgently needed for understanding working mechanisms and developing therapeutic agents. In this study, we characterized previously reported F61, which was isolated from convalescent patients infected with prototype SARS-CoV-2, as a broadly neutralizing antibody against all VOCs including Omicron BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4 sublineages by utilizing antigen binding and cell infection assays. We also identified and characterized another broadly neutralizing antibody D2 with epitope distinct from that of F61. More importantly, we showed that a combination of F61 with D2 exhibited synergy in neutralization and protecting mice from SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron BA.1 variants. Cryo-EM structures of the spike-F61 and spike-D2 binary complexes revealed the distinct epitopes of F61 and D2 at atomic level and the structural basis for neutralization. Cryo-EM structure of the Omicron-spike-F61-D2 ternary complex provides further structural insights into the synergy between F61 and D2. These results collectively indicated F61 and F61-D2 cocktail as promising therapeutic antibodies for combating SARS-CoV-2 variants including diverse Omicron sublineages.

Prevalence of psychological distress in Hawai'i during the COVID-19 pandemic: exploring disparities using 11 waves of data from the Household Pulse Survey

Utilizing 11 waves of data from the Household Pulse Survey collected between April and November 2020, this study examines disparities in psychological distress (defined as having symptoms of anxiety/depression) among adult residents of Hawai'i during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results showed that 36.4% of the respondents reported symptoms of distress. Younger age, female, and lower household income were associated with higher levels of psychological distress than older age, male, and higher household income. The prevalence ratios of distress for those aged 18-24, 25-34, 35-44 and females were 43.1%, 47.3%, 44.1%, and 39.3% respectively. Asians experienced lower prevalence compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Two practical implications are offered. First, the economic sequelae of COVID-19 impact psychological distress even when the community infection rate is stable. Second, disparities in psychosocial distress demonstrate that social and economic resources are needed by social groups such as young adults, females, and racial/ethnic minorities that have experienced the highest impact. Strategies need to be developed to mitigate the unavoidable local consequences of a pandemic.

Research progress on the etiological characteristics of novel coronavirus and human immunodeficiency virus and their co-infection

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, AIDS) both belong to Class B infectious diseases, and their pathogens are novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although HIV infection is not a risk factor for COVID-19, recent clinical studies have shown that compared with HIV-negative COVID-19 patients, HIV-positive COVID-19 patients have a longer clinical course, especially with higher CD4 + T lymphocyte counts. Patients on low or no antiretroviral therapy (ART) were more severely ill. Therefore, this paper will compare the differences between the two viruses in terms of etiology and infection pathogenesis, and describe the immunological and virological characteristics of HIV-positive COVID-19 patients, which will be helpful for SARS-CoV-2 and HIV infection. have a clearer understanding.

Open Reading Frame-3a gene of the 2019 novel coronavirus inhibits the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer.

Intestinal microecology is composed of bacteria, fungi and viruses. As a part of intestinal microecology, viruses participate in the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer. The 2019-nCoV was detected in stool samples from patients during COVID-19, suggesting that the 2019-nCoV may be associated with intestinal microecology. However, the relationship of the 2019-nCoV and CRC is unclear. The aim of this study is to explore the role of Open Reading Frame-3a (ORF3a) of the 2019-nCoV in CRC. After the pCDH-CMV-MCS-EF1-Puro vector that provides high expression of ORF3a was transfected into the SW480 CRC cell line, immunofluorescence was used to determine the localization of ORF3a in SW480 cells. The proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression of SW480 cells were measured using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), wound healing, Transwell assay, flow cytometry, the TUNEL assay, and propidium iodide single staining. The results showed that ORF3a inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of SW480 cells and induced their apoptosis after 24, 48, 72 h. Meanwhile, ORF3a inhibited the cell cycle and blocked SW480 CRC cells in the G1 phase. In in vivo experiments, high ORF3a expression was associated with decreased tumor volume, tumor weight, relative tumor volume, and tumor activity. ORF3a inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis and necrosis of tumor tissues. Based on this, we demonstrated that ORF3a might play a role in CRC, providing a new direction for the prevention and treatment of CRC.

A Novel βSA Ensemble Model for Forecasting the Number of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in the US

In December 2019, Severe Special Infectious Pneumonia (SARS-CoV-2)–the novel coronavirus (COVID-19)– appeared for the first time, breaking out in Wuhan, China, and the epidemic spread quickly to the world in a very short period time. According to WHO data, ten million people have been infected, and more than one million people have died;moreover, the economy has also been severely hit. In an outbreak of an epidemic, people are concerned about the final number of infections. Therefore, effectively predicting the number of confirmed cases in the future can provide a reference for decision-makers to make decisions and avoid the spread of deadly epidemics. In recent years, the α-Sutte indicator method is an excellent predictor in short-term forecasting;however, the α-Sutte indicator uses fixed static weights. In this study, by adding an error-based dynamic weighting method, a novel β-Sutte indicator is proposed. Combined with ARIMA as an ensemble model (βSA), the forecasting of the future COVID-19 daily cumulative number of cases and the number of new cases in the US are evaluated from the experiment. The experimental results show that the forecasting accuracy of βSA proposed in this study is better than other methods in forecasting with metrics MAPE and RMSE. It proves the feasibility of adding error-based dynamic weights in the β-Sutte indicator in the area of forecasting.

Cell-cell communication analysis for single-cell RNA sequencing and its applications in carcinogenesis and COVID-19

Cell-cell communication is the basis of physiological processes and cell signals. The disease occurs when the cells do not adequately communicate and the messages are blocked. With ligand-receptor interaction databases and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) databases, we can detect intercellular signaling and reconstruct the cell-cell communications among different cell types. This review summarized the computational approaches for analyzing the cell-cell communication based on scRNA-seq data and discussed its applications in carcinogenesis and COVID-19. We believe that this review will accelerate the scRNA-seq data deciphering and facilitate the cell-cell communication studies for complex physiological processes, such as carcinogenesis and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Alterations in the Composition of Intestinal DNA Virome in Patients With COVID-19

Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection mainly present with respiratory issues and related symptoms, in addition to significantly affected digestive system, especially the intestinal tract. While several studies have shown changes in the intestinal flora of patients with COVID-19, not much information is available on the gut virome of such patients. In this study, we used the viromescan software on the latest gut virome database to analyze the intestinal DNA virome composition of 15 patients with COVID-19 and investigated the characteristic alternations, particularly of the intestinal DNA virome to further explore the influence of COVID-19 on the human gut. The DNA viruses in the gut of patients with COVID-19 were mainly crAss-like phages (35.48%), Myoviridae (20.91%), and Siphoviridae (20.43%) family of viruses. Compared with healthy controls, the gut virome composition of patients with COVID-19 changed significantly, especially the crAss-like phages family, from the first time of hospital admission. A potential correlation is also indicated between the change in virome and bacteriome (like Tectiviridae and Bacteroidaceae). The abundance of the viral and bacterial population was also analyzed through continuous sample collection from the gut of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19. The gut virome is indeed affected by the SARS-CoV-2 infection, and along with gut bacteriome, it may play an important role in the disease progression of COVID-19. These conclusions would be helpful in understanding the gut-related response and contribute to the treatment and prevention strategies of COVID-19.

Effectiveness of a Health Intervention using theory of planned behavior on Hand Washing Among residents receiving the COVID-19 vaccine: Randomized Controlled Trial (preprint)

Introduction: Hand washing is of key importance among residents to prevent life-threatening infections such as severe pneumonia or other microbial infection. Residents received coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine at vaccination station are obliged to stay in the vaccination station at least 30 minutes. The period of post-vaccination observation is an ideal time for hand washing intervention. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a health intervention on hand washing among residents, who received the COVID-19 vaccine, by using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Methods: This randomized controlled trial was carried out between March 2021 and May 2021 in Wuhan, China. Participants were recruited using randomized cluster sampling and divided into intervention group and control group by random allocation. Data were collected using a self-administered researcher-made questionnaire based on TPB and Hand washing Questionnaire. Validity (content validity index = 0.87; content validity ratio = 0.89) and reliability of the questionnaires were confirmed (α = 0.96). Intervention was implemented during the observation period post-vaccinated (lasting 15 min) using videos and live training based on TPB constructs. Results: A total of 448 residents were participated with a response rate of 71.9% (322). The mean age of the participants was 46 (53% females). Compared with the control group, the scores of subjective norm ( P = 0.009) and perceived behavioral control ( P < 0.001) in intervention group were higher after one time intervention. Mean scores of attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavior control and intention of intervention group was significantly higher than the control group after twice intervention ( P < 0.001). Moreover, participants in the intervention group performed better than those in the control group on daily hand-washing times ( P = 0.044), hand sanitizer use ( P = 0.003), rub time ( P < 0.001), following the six-step technique ( P < 0.001) after intervention. Conclusions: The findings suggested that applying TPB based intervention is suggested to improve hand washing behavior in residents.