COVID-19 Clinical Trials and Expanded Access

The aim of this project is to evaluate the impact of pandemic and nonconfinement related to anxiety and eventual immune diseases with several standardized questionnaires : Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ) , Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire -9 (PHQ-9), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-8 (PTSD-8), and Experiences in Close Relationship Scale (ECRS).

Background. The recurrence of hemarthrosis in patients with congenital coagulopathies favors the development of a progressive, degenerative and intra-articular lesion (hemophilic arthropathy) that mainly affects the knees, ankles and elbows. Pain is one of the main clinical manifestations of hemophilic arthropathy. As a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Spain, among others, established a total confinement for two months, in order to avoid contagion of the population Objective. To assess the effect of COVID-19 confinement on bleeding frequency, pain perception, and range of motion in patients with hemophilic arthropathy. Study design. Prospective observational study. Method. 27 patients with hemophilia A and B will be included in this study. Patients will be recruited from the Spanish Hemophilia Federation (Fishemo) specialized center for hemophilia patients. The dependent variables will be: the frequency of bleeding (through a self-report), the perception of pain (measured with the visual analog scale and a pressure algometer), the joint state (with the Hemophilia Joint Health Score), and the range of joint movement (measured with a goniometer). Two evaluations will be carried out: pre-treatment (carried out in the month of February, as a periodic evaluation) and post-treatment (at the end of the period of confinement in Spain). Expected results. The aim is to observe the sequelae caused by confinement and a sedentary lifestyle in patients with hemophilic arthropathy, through changes in joint status, pain and range of motion.

The coronavirus pandemic has changed healthcare dramatically in a short time. Individuals with chronic illnesses and services for them have had to adapt and change to deal with requirements for shielding and social isolation to reduce infection risk and management of medication investigation and ongoing review. It is increasingly recognised that the pandemic and the changes to daily life will have had a series of impacts on patients and health care services, including impacts on patients psychological well-being and the opportunity to seek medical care for non-CoViD illness. Psychological symptoms such as depression, anxiety and hopelessness is well described in adults and young people with inflammatory bowel disease. Quarantine has also been associated with these psychological symptoms and also post-traumatic stress. It is important to identify the extent of and factors that influence negative psychological consequences of isolation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. This study will aim to assess what impact the isolation of patients during social isolation had in terms of psychological well-being - and what are the factors affecting this impact, particularly in younger and old age groups.

The purpose of this study is to ensure effective health management among community-living older adults during unprecedented times, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Contactless and widely available health monitoring technologies are of growing interest in the context of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Remote photoplethysmography (rPPG) is a well-studied technology that interprets variations in skin colour related to blood flow which, when analysed with complex mathematical algorithm, generates vital sign readings. This technology has been refined and embedded in a smartphone app designed to acquire heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation using a front-facing smartphone camera. Preliminary data comparing the accuracy of smartphone rPPG readings with conventional vital sign monitor readings are promising; however, less than 5% of the population studied in the app development phase had oxygen saturation levels below 95% making it impossible to ensure reliability in these populations. The goal of this study is to compare readings acquired using this rPPG app with the readings from hospital grade, Health Canada approved vital signs monitors used in healthcare settings with a focus on subject with low oxygen saturations. We will also study other sociodemographic and clinical features that may influence the accuracy of the readings. This will be achieved by recruiting consenting adults presenting to care in acute care settings and a designated COVID outpatient clinic. Vital signs will be acquired using the rPPG app and conventional hospital vital sign monitors simultaneously. Readings will be repeated within 2-5 minutes when time permits. Statistical analysis will be performed to analyze the findings and determine the accuracy and precision of the rPPG app readings. It is expected that the vital sign readings acquired with the rPPG app will be almost identical to those acquired using hospital-grade monitors for all subjects regardless of age, gender, skin colour, COVID status and relevant comorbidities.

Mental health concerns have been on the rise since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has worsened risk factors for suicide, including job loss, anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Timely and easy access to mental health services is a dire need, and this study will test the efficacy and feasibility of a brief clinical intervention, Brief Skills for Safer Living (Brief-SfSL), at reducing suicide risk. The goal of this study is to investigate whether Brief-SfSL, delivered online, is a suitable, acceptable and effective method for reducing suicide risk and providing timely mental health services. The results from this study will provide vital insight into effective interventions for suicide risk that are accessible and can be widely distributed.

This is a pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of a COVID-19 virtual Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) clinic (CoV-PICS). The findings from this study are the first steps in determining the feasibility and potential impact of a telehealth PICS clinic that is able to address the needs of patients with COVID-19 disease and potentially other patients that are unable to attend a brick and mortar clinic and require virtual care.

Preliminary reports have been received from several sources that the periodic inhaling of the nebulized mist from water that has a heightened level of kinetic activity has quickly (less than 2 days) lessened the severity of symptoms in Covid-19 infected patients. On at least several occasions, a repeat PCR test performed several after inhaling a particular water-based product was negative. There are no perceived adverse effects from inhaling the water mist by using a nebulizer or humidifier. It is important, however, to validate these preliminary findings and to include the inhaling of the mist from water, which does not have an elevated level of kinetic activity. This will be by performed in a patient-blinded manner by sequentially inhaling the two types of water over consecutive 2-day periods with Covid-19 testing at the end of each of the two day periods. Participants will be randomized as to whether they are to inhale the mist from the test or the control water.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a viral respiratory illness caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been shown to predispose patients to thrombotic diseases (venous and arterial) with reported rates in hospitalized patients between 17-40%. The influence of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the coagulation is hypothesized to be regulated by platelet activation, proinflammatory cytokines, endothelial cell injury and stasis. The elevated levels of d-dimer and fibrinogen and clinical signs of organ damage point to a significant hypercoagulable state. The latter induces a high risk for micro-thrombi and multi-organ ischemia. Therefore, early detection and a comprehensive understanding of the influence of the virus on the coagulation and platelet pathways are essential to address this epidemic. It is critical at this time to make all efforts possible to optimize our available technology to care for COVID-19 patients who are at risk for thrombotic disease through appropriate choice, dosing, and laboratory monitoring of antithrombotic therapy. The investigators hypothesize that COVID-19 is a heightened prothrombotic/hypercoagulability state that can be characterized using platelet function testing and thrombelastography. More information is required to study the effect of COVID-19 on coagulation and platelet pathways to develop effective antithrombotic treatment strategies. This is a multi-center center, non-interventional study enrolling patients who are COVID-19 positive or who have tested negative showing indication of the disease (high D-dimer and positive lung imaging). The study specific laboratory assessments will be obtained at baseline (closest to time of hospitalization), Day 3, and Day 8 from baseline and at hospital discharge. Laboratory measurements for TEG 6S , platelet aggregation, T-TAS, urinary thromboxane, genotyping, serum and plasma biomarkers will be analyzed . In-hospital and clinical follow-up data will be entered into a COVID registry Patients will be followed for clinical events during hospitalization, and up to 6 months after discharge. Patients (n=100) hospitalized with at least one of the following will be enrolled. 1. With a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 infection using a positive RT- PCR or a positive IgG antibody test prior to or during hospitalization or 2. With a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test but with symptoms of possible COVID-19 infection and: 1. an elevated D-dimer and/or 2. positive imaging results showing unilateral or bilateral pneumonia or ground-glass opacity in lungs.

Evidence has shown that COVID-19 infections can lead to an increased risk of blood clots. These blood clots can lead to individuals being admitted to hospital, or, unfortunately in severe cases, death. Enoxaparin is a blood-thinning drug which has been used by doctors and nurses in hospitals for many years to prevent the thickening of blood which may lead to a clot. It is easier for doctors to prevent new blood clots from forming than treating existing blood clots. Currently, there are no treatments for COVID-19. There is an urgent need to find a safe and effective treatment to prevent worsening of the disease that may lead to hospital admission and/or death. The ETHIC (Early Thromboprophylaxis in COVID-19) study aims to find out if giving enoxaparin in an early stage of the COVID-19 disease can prevent individuals being admitted to hospital and/or death. The study will take place in approximately 8 to 10 countries, in approximately 30 to 50 centres. Patients will be allowed to take part if they have had a confirmed COVID-19 infection, are ≥ 55 years of age and have at least two of the following additional risk factors; age ≥ 70 years, body mass index > 25 kg/m2, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or corticosteroid use. Half the patients in the study will receive the blood-thinning drug enoxaparin for three weeks, and half will receive no treatment. Individuals will be randomly allocated to one of these groups. After 21 days, the number of patients in each group who were either admitted to hospital, or died, will be compared. The number of patients in each group who developed a blood clot (venous thromboembolism) will also be compared. Further comparisons will be made at both 50 and 90 days after the beginning of the study.