COVID-19 Clinical Trials and Expanded Access

Until the first half of April, Colombia has more than 2,800 infected cases and a hundred deaths as a result of COVID-19, with Antioquia being the third department with the highest number of cases. Official records indicate that, in Colombia, the first case was diagnosed on March 6, 2020, corresponding to a patient from Italy. However, in conversations with several infectologists and intensivists from Medellín, it was agreed that clinical cases similar to the clinical presentation that is now recognized as COVID-19 had arisen since the end of 2019 when it was still unknown to everyone. The previous suggests that the virus was already circulating in the country since before March 6, 2020. But at that moment, there were no tools to make a clinical identification, nor to diagnose it from the laboratory's point of view. Considering as real the hypothesis that the infection has been circulating in the country since before the first official diagnosis, the question arises: Why does not the country still has the same healthcare and humanitarian chaos that countries such as Italy and Spain are suffering at this time? To answer this question may be that there are differences in vaccination rates with BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin or tuberculosis vaccine), which is significantly higher in Latin America compared to those in Europe. This finding could explain to some extent the situation in the country, since previous studies have shown the influence that this vaccine can have on the immune response against various other pathogens, including viruses. Among the population at risk of infection, health-care workers due to their permanent contact with patients are the population group with the highest risk of contracting SARS-Cov-2 and developing COVID-19 in any of its clinical manifestations, and currently there are no vaccines or proven preventive interventions available to protect them. For this reason, this research study aims to demonstrate whether the centennial vaccine against tuberculosis (BCG), a bacterial disease, can activate the human immune system in a broad way, allowing it to better combat the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 and, perhaps, prevents the complications that lead the patient to the intensive care unit and death. In the future, and if these results are as expected, they may be the basis for undertaking a population vaccination campaign that improves clinical outcomes in the general population.

The aim of this study is to verify if patients admitted to hospital in a medical division and in the intensive care unit for a COVID-19 infection are at higher risk of developing a VTE complication and if they actually present an increased hypercoagulable state.

The performance of 3 different sampling methods (2 nasopharyngeal swabs, 1 oropharyngeal swab) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 with real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction will be compared.

Spectrum of skin lesions may arise during Covid-19 virus infection. It includes non-specific urticaria, aphtoids lesions, but also acrosyndromes, in particular suggestive of chilblains. Pathological findings showed thrombocytic lymphocytic vasculitis. Chilblains are sometimes associated with Raynaud's phenomenon or acrocyanosis. Dermatological features may present pathophysiological similarities with the inflammatory and respiratory vascular disturbances, which makes all the gravity of this disease, or even with other organs. Indeed, genetic conditions such as familial lupus chilblains, linked to a mutation of TREX1 gene, and SAVI (Sting associated vasculopathy with onset on infancy) have similar clinical presentations. In particular, SAVI associates both acral skin and lung damage, and auto-antibodies. They have recently been identified as type I interferonopathies. Hallmark is interferon signature, i.e. hyperexpression of type I interferon in the blood. The investigators hypothesize Covid-19 may lead to similar skin involvement as in type I interferonopathies. The interferon pathway is involved in anti-viral defense. Covid-19 could cause excessive activation of this pathway. In addition, hyperactivation of the type I interferon pathway leads to modulation of the adaptive immune response. Production of autoantibodies, in particular antiphospholipid antibodies, have thrombogenic properties. Searching for acquired hemostasis disorders and high level of interferon secondary Covid-19 virus infection, could explain this new and misunderstood skin disorder. Then, targeted therapies, both treating and preventing, could be considered.

Objectives: To determine whether blockade of IL-6R is beneficial in patients with COVID-19 infection of moderate severity. Research Design: Randomized, controlled trial. Two-arm trial comparing standard care alone to standard care with addition of sarilumab (anti-IL6R). The trial will use a randomized play-the-winner design, in which randomization becomes weighted toward the arm that was more effective in previous subjects in the trial. Methodology Hospitalized patients meeting clinical criteria for moderate disease and testing positive for coronavirus infection. Interventions: sarilumab, 400 mg subcutaneous injection. Standard care is not pre-specified, may vary among patients, and may include agents with anti-viral activity, such as remdesivir or hydroxychloroquine, among others. Up to 120 patients, primary outcome intubation or death within 14 days. All data will be extracted remotely from the electronic health record (EHR). Clinical Implications: The study has potential to establish IL-6R blockade, delivered subcutaneously, as standard of care in reducing progression to critical illness in patients with moderate COVID-19 disease.

A lot of people suffer from phobias. Phobias concerning certain diseases are not rare. This study will examine whether the COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease) crisis was able to rise phobias in people and if those with preexisting phobias or fears were more likely to develop a phobia concerning COVID. It will look at different subtypes - physicians, medical staff, general public (not medically affiliated) and patients with psychiatric disorders.

In this study, investigators will determine whether the early addition of HT-CCP to standard treatment improves the clinical outcome (as assessed by the Modified WHO Ordinal Scale) of patients with COVID-19 who are hospitalized but not yet in moderate or severe ARDS.

There is very little data so far to determine whether people living with HIV (PLWHIV) are at greater risk of COVID-19 acquisition or severe disease. HIV infection is associated with deficiencies in both humoral and cell-mediated immunity that could potentially alter the course and severity of common infections. The investigators will study the correlation between clinical and immunovirological data. The singularity of this work is to have an in-depth immunovirological approach linked to the clinical characteristics in COVID-19 HIV co-infected patients. COVIDHIV is the only study to date to offer this combined approach in PLWHIV. This protocol is a historical and prospective cohort study of PLWHIV presenting COVID-19 The primary objectives are to describe the course of COVID-19 disease in patients infected with HIV

This prospective, randomized, open-label, multi-center interventional study is designed to compare the safety and efficacy of two LMWH dosing protocols in patients admitted to the University of Iowa Hospitals with COVID-19 who meet the modified ISTH Overt DIC criteria score ≥3. Patients will be randomized to standard prophylactic dose LMWH (standard of care arm) or intermediate-dose LMWH (intervention arm).

This is a single arm, prospective, observational, single center study to assess the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and soluble interleukin 6 receptor (sIL-6R) as predictors of efficacy and safety outcomes in patients with severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pneumonia treated with tocilizumab. At least 30 patients will be enrolled who are diagnosed with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and meet the entry criteria.