Insight into the Advances in Clinical Trials of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has thrown a challenge to the scientific community. Several interventions to stop or limit the spread of infection have failed, and every time the virus emerges, it becomes more contagious and more deadly. Vaccinating a significant proportion of the population is one of the established methods to achieve herd immunity. More than 100 COVID-19 vaccines have been designed and tested against the virus. The development of a new vaccine takes years of testing, but due to the pandemic, healthcare authorities have given emergency use authorization for a few vaccines. Among them are BioNTech and Moderna vaccines (mRNA based); ChAdOx1, Gam-COVID-Vac, Janssen vaccines (vector-based); CoronaVac, COVAXIN (virus inactivated); and EpiVacCorona vaccine (viral peptide). Mixtures of vaccines are also being tested to evaluate their efficacy against mutant strains of SARS-CoV-2. All these vaccines in clinical trials have shown robust production of neutralizing antibodies sufficient to prevent infection. Some of the vaccinated people reported serious complications. However, no definitive relationship could be established between vaccination administration and the occurrence of these complications. None of the COVID-19 vaccines approved to date have been found to be effective against all of the SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Satisfaction of patients with health care services in tertiary care facilities of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional approach.

As part of Saudi Vision 2030, the country's healthcare system is undergoing a significant makeover, with accessibility and effectiveness serving as the benchmarks for measuring patient care quality. This study's goal was to ascertain the degree of patient satisfaction with the medical care and services received in Riyadh's tertiary care facilities. The PSQ-18 (Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-18), a standardized validated questionnaire including areas of "overall satisfaction," "technical quality," "interpersonal aspect," "communication," "financial aspect," "time spent with the doctor," and "accessibility and convenience," was used in this cross-sectional study on 384 patients of two tertiary care facilities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, over a 6-month period. The degree to which sociodemographic characteristics and components of patient satisfaction are correlated was assessed using binary and multiple regression analysis. When the P-value was < 0.05, the results were considered significant and were presented as adjusted odds ratios (AOR). To ascertain how each PSQ-18 subscale affected other subscales, a Pearson Correlation analysis was conducted. The overall degree of satisfaction with all 18 items was 73.77%. The financial component received a rating of 81% compared to 77% for general satisfaction. Technical quality (75%) was followed by accessibility and convenience (73.5%), communication (73%), and interpersonal elements (72%). At 68%, the time spent in the doctor's domain received the lowest rating. The odds of satisfaction were increased by 3.87 times, 3.45 times, and 3.36 times among those who are employed, qualified by university education, and married compared to unemployed (P-value = 0.018), less qualified (P-value = 0.015) and singles (P-value = 0.026), respectively. The younger age group also made 1.78 times more of a difference in higher satisfaction ratings. The general satisfaction domain showed a positive association with other areas. Participants who were satisfied with the communication and accessibility and convenience domains of healthcare providers were the only ones who were typically satisfied with the domain of doctor time spent. The study's findings could act as a benchmark for Saudi Arabia's healthcare services as well as a starting point for quality assurance procedures.

A Patent Review on the Therapeutic Application of Monoclonal Antibodies in COVID-19.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) contains spike proteins that assist the virus in entering host cells. In the absence of a specific intervention, efforts are afoot throughout the world to find an effective treatment for SARS-CoV-2. Through innovative techniques, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are being designed and developed to block a particular pathway of SARS-CoV-2 infection. More than 100 patent applications describing the development of MAbs and their application against SARS-CoV-2 have been registered. Most of them target the receptor binding protein so that the interaction between virus and host cell can be prevented. A few monoclonal antibodies are also being patented for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. Some of them, like Regeneron® have already received emergency use authorization. These protein molecules are currently preferred for high-risk patients such as those over 65 years old with compromised immunity and those with metabolic disorders such as obesity. Being highly specific in action, monoclonal antibodies offer one of the most appropriate interventions for both the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2. Technological advancement has helped in producing highly efficacious MAbs. However, these agents are known to induce immunogenic and non-immunogenic reactions. More research and testing are required to establish the suitability of administering MAbs to all patients at risk of developing a severe illness. This patent study is focused on MAbs as a therapeutic option for treating COVID-19, as well as their invention, patenting information, and key characteristics.

Cytoprotective Potential of Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) and Its Active Constituent, S-allyl-l-cysteine, in Presence of Carvedilol during Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Disturbance and Metabolic Derangements in Rats.

This study was conducted to determine the potential interaction of aged garlic extract (AGE) with carvedilol (CAR), as well as to investigate the role of S-allyl-l-cysteine (SAC), an active constituent of AGE, in rats with isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial dysfunction. At the end of three weeks of treatment with AGE (2 and 5 mL/kg) or SAC (13.1 and 32.76 mg/kg), either alone or along with CAR (10 mg/kg) in the respective groups of animals, ISO was administered subcutaneously to induce myocardial damage. Myocardial infarction (MI) diagnostic predictor enzymes, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatinine kinase (CK-MB), were measured in both serum and heart tissue homogenates (HTH). Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) were estimated in HTH. When compared with other groups, the combined therapy of high doses of AGE and SAC given alone or together with CAR caused a significant decrease in serum LDH and CK-MB activities. Further, significant rise in the LDH and CK-MB activities in HTH was noticed in the combined groups of AGE and SAC with CAR. It was also observed that both doses of AGE and SAC significantly increased endogenous antioxidants in HTH. Furthermore, histopathological observations corroborated the biochemical findings. The cytoprotective potential of SAC and AGE were dose-dependent, and SAC was more potent than AGE. The protection offered by aged garlic may be attributed to SAC. Overall, the results indicated that a high dose of AGE and its constituent SAC, when combined with carvedilol, has a synergistic effect in preventing morphological and physiological changes in the myocardium during ISO-induced myocardial damage.