COVID-19 Clinical Trials and Expanded Access

The possibility to use widespread and simple chest X-ray (CXR) imaging for early screening of COVID-19 patients is attracting much interest from both the clinical and the Artificial intelligence community. In this study we provide insights and also raise warnings on what is reasonable to expect by applying deep learning to COVID classification of CXR images. We provide a methodological guide and critical reading of an extensive set of statistical results that can be obtained using currently available datasets. In particular, we take the challenge posed by current small size COVID data and show how significant can be the bias introduced by transfer-learning using larger public non- COVID CXR datasets. We also contribute by providing results on a medium size COVID CXR dataset, just collected by one of the major emergency hospitals in Northern Italy during the peak of the COVID pandemic. These novel data allow us to contribute to validate the generalization capacity of preliminary results circulating in the scientific community. Our conclusions shed some light into the possibility to effectively discriminate COVID using CXR.

The prevalence and typical patterns of neurological complications in hospitalized COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care units of the University Hospital Zurich will be investigated. The impact of neurological complications among COVID-19 patients on mortality, functional outcome, and organizational outcomes will be analyzed.

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic illness. It affects about 100,000 people in the United States. People with SCD have red blood cells that are sickle-shaped and impaired in their function. This results in a lifetime of complications that affect every organ system. People with SCD also are at greater risk for respiratory infections and lung problems. Researchers want to study how this population s stress, anxiety, fear, pain, sleep, and health care use are being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To study the extent and impact of life changes induced by the COVID-19 pandemic on people living with SCD in the U.S. Eligibility: People age 18 and older with SCD who live in the U.S. Design: Participants will complete a survey online. The questions will focus on the following: Medical history Mental and physical health Demographics Stress Resilience Health care use COVID-19 Beliefs about medical mistrust and participation in research. At the end of the survey, participants will be asked if they would like to take the survey again in the future. If they reply "yes," then they will be contacted by the study team in 6-9 months to take the survey again. They may complete the survey again in 6-8 months, 12-15 months, and 18-21 months. The survey should take less than 40 minutes to complete. Participants' data will be coded to protect their privacy. The coded data may be shared with other researchers.

Randomized, double-blind, of standard of care vs additional communication and factorial design of intervention letter vs. control letter and EHR vs mail delivery mechanism in patients who canceled visits and did not reschedule over a 90 day period starting March 9, 2020.

According to epidemiological models, the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Île-de-France as of 11 May was between 10 and 15%. Preliminary data on the number of professionals evicted from nurseries on suspicion of COVID-19 (on clinical grounds) seem to be of the same order of magnitude, but need to be confirmed by a biological technique. Children would be susceptible to infection but often asymptomatic.

Until now there is no vaccine or reliable treatment for the COVID-19 pandemic. The fundamental mechanisms of non-invasive low-level laser in photobiomodulation (PBM) and photodynamic therapy is to stimulate the mitochondrial respiratory chain where a transient release of non-cytotoxic levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) will lead to positive modulation of the immune response. As previous studies mentioned that the most important strategy for COVID-19 management is oxygenation and faster rehabilitation of the damaged tissue, antiviral effects, and, finally, reduction or controlling the cytokine storm by reducing inflammatory agents. PBM may be used as adjuvant therapy or even an alternative therapy in all these mechanisms without side effects and drug interactions. Objectives The objective of this clinical trial is to use the photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), and photodynamic therapy as adjuvant therapy or even an alternative therapy for Covide-19. Patients and methods A randomized controlled study will be conducted on 60 patients of positive COVID 19. The patients will be divided into 3 equal groups. Group, I will receive a low-level laser (diode laser 980nm) from laser watch for 30 minutes, 20 J for 3 to 5 days, and laser acupuncture. Group 2 will be treated with photodynamic therapy by injecting the methylene blue as a photosensitizer and irradiated with laser watch (diode laser 670 nm). Group 3 will serve as a control. Evaluation methods will include laboratory investigations and CT chest.

Based on findings of the interim analysis of the ACTIVATE study showing 53% decrease of the incidence of all new infections with BCG vaccination, a new trial is designed aiming to validate if BCG can protect against COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease-19).The aim of the study is to demonstrate in a double-blind, placebo-controlled approach if vaccination of participants susceptible to COVID-19 with BCG vaccine may modulate their disease susceptibility for COVID-19. This will be validated using both clinical and immunological criteria. At the same time, a sub-study will be conducted and the mechanism of benefit from BCG vaccination by assessing its effect on vascular endothelial function and mononuclear blood cells will be studied

This study intends to find out how a cloth mask may impact exercise capacity, to provide guidance for exercisers to adjust their expectations and training accordingly. The investigators plan to asses exercise capacity through estimated peak oxygen consumption (eVO2peak), oxygen saturation and level of perceived exertion during treadmill based exercise while wearing a cloth mask compared to exercising without a cloth mask. The potential significance of this study is to determine if subjects can exercise safely and if their exercise training needs to be adjusted while following the current recommendations of wearing a cloth mask in public. The degree of airflow limitation experienced will depend on the type and fit of the mask being worn, and inadequeate airflow could possibly result in CO2 re-breathing if all air was not fully discharged from the mask with each breath. This re-breathing of CO2 could potentially limit the workload leading to a detriment in performance, and increase in adverse symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, chest pain or shortness of breath that does not improve with rest.

The actual worldwide context (disease outbreak, confinements instaured in many countries) is a stressful factor for many people. It can have consequences on mental health : separation from loved ones, loss of freedom, uncertainty about infection status, boredom. Patients with mental disorders are especially vulnerable. On march 17th, the french government ordonned a national confinement to slow the progression of the COVID-19 outbreak, for 15 days at first then renewed several times. This situation has led to a reorganization of care as requested on March 22nd, 2020 in the recommendations applicable to the organization of care in psychiatric services : priority to telephone contacts and teleconsultation by multiplying contacts and assessments. By the time the reorganization of care became operational, the most vulnerable patients may have experienced a decompensation of their disease. It is important to know if the COVID-19 outbreak combined with the confinement increased the number of unvoluntary commitment the month after the announce of the confinement. This could help us understand which patients are more vulnerable is this context, and improve our organization (ambulatory and hospitalization care) if this situation occurs again.

This is a phase 3 clinical trial, randomized, single-center, opened, controlled, to evaluate efficacy and safety of early administration of colchicines in patients older than 60 years, with high risk of pulmonary complications due to coronavirus SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19). An approximately number of 954 subjects meeting all inclusion and none exclusion criteria will be randomized either to receive colchicines or symptomatic treatment with paracetamol during 21 days.