{"messages":[{"status":"ok","cursor":0,"count":30,"total":31495}], "collection":[{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.05.06.723222","rel_title":"SARS-CoV-2 Nsp2 reprograms host immunity to drive pathogenic inflammation","rel_date":"2026-05-07","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.05.06.723222","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_no","type":"new results","category":"microbiology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.05.04.722688","rel_title":"The conserved QTQTX motif in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is dispensable for cleavage and lung cell entry of the emerging variant BA.3.2","rel_date":"2026-05-07","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.05.04.722688","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nc","type":"new results","category":"microbiology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.05.06.723231","rel_title":"Functional Landscape of Motifs within the Sarbecovirus Spike Cytoplasmic Tail","rel_date":"2026-05-07","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.05.06.723231","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_no","type":"new results","category":"microbiology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.30.721843","rel_title":"The redesign of the molecular scaffold of viral ion channel blockers","rel_date":"2026-05-06","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.30.721843","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_no","type":"new results","category":"pharmacology and toxicology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.05.04.722452","rel_title":"Longitudinal analysis reveals myeloid cell contributions to neuroPASC pathogenesis","rel_date":"2026-05-06","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.05.04.722452","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nc_nd","type":"new results","category":"immunology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.05.05.723025","rel_title":"Tocilizumab induces significant changes in longitudinal proteomes of blood serum from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia","rel_date":"2026-05-06","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.05.05.723025","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_no","type":"new results","category":"pharmacology and toxicology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.05.05.722935","rel_title":"Targeted metagenomic recovery of coronaviruses from wildlife samples","rel_date":"2026-05-05","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.05.05.722935","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nc_nd","type":"new results","category":"microbiology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.30.721889","rel_title":"Single-cell atlas of transcript usage remodelling in antiviral immune responses across human populations","rel_date":"2026-05-04","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.30.721889","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by","type":"new results","category":"immunology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.05.03.722459","rel_title":"SARS-CoV-2 (E)-protein induces rapid TLR2-mediated T cell activation in mouse lungs revealed by intravital lung microscopy","rel_date":"2026-05-04","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.05.03.722459","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nd","type":"new results","category":"immunology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.05.02.722415","rel_title":"Connecting Cryo-EM and Crystallographic Views of RNA Folding through Ionic Conditions and Structural Flexibility","rel_date":"2026-05-04","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.05.02.722415","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by","type":"new results","category":"biophysics"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.30.721971","rel_title":"Condensate-Like Organization in Respiratory Aerosols Modulates the Dynamics of an Airborne Virus","rel_date":"2026-05-04","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.30.721971","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by","type":"new results","category":"biophysics"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.30.26352163","rel_title":"Early functional maturation of anti-Spike antibodies predicts SARS-CoV-2 RNA clearance in mild infection","rel_date":"2026-05-03","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.30.26352163","rel_abs":"SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibits heterogeneous viral clearance kinetics even in individuals with mild disease. The immunological determinants underlying rapid versus prolonged viral RNA detection remain incompletely defined. Here, we performed a three-year longitudinal analysis of 77 healthcare professionals infected with the ancestral Wuhan strain. Participants were stratified according to viral RNA clearance kinetics into non-persistent ([&le;]21 days) and persistent (>21 days) groups. Non-persistent individuals exhibited accelerated seroconversion to Spike and receptor-binding domain (RBD) antigens during the first 11 days after symptom onset. Early antibody responses were characterized by higher functional activity, including significantly greater neutralizing activity against the ancestral strain. In contrast, persistent individuals displayed delayed seroconversion, prolonged IgM responses, and weaker coordination among IgG subclasses, with less synchronized subclass responses, during early infection. Importantly, total immunoglobulin levels did not distinguish the groups. Cross-variant antibody recognition during acute infection was limited and largely strain-focused in both groups. During convalescence, durable anti-Spike IgG responses were maintained independently of persistence status, without significant differences in cross-variant breadth. Vaccination robustly amplified antibody titers, enhanced variant recognition, and sustained high-affinity responses in both groups. Together, our findings demonstrate that the timing and functional quality of early humoral maturation, reflected by neutralizing antibody activity, rather than antibody magnitude or breadth, are key determinants of SARS-CoV-2 RNA clearance in mild infection. These results highlight the importance of early neutralizing antibody generation in shaping acute viral control and the long-term immune architecture.","rel_num_authors":22,"rel_authors":[{"author_name":"Danielle Rodrigues","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Barbara Araujo","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Julia Pestana","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Lendel da Costa","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Matheus Andrade","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Layla de Freitas","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Brenda Nery","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Vicente Bozza","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Luciana Conde","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Leticia Raposo","author_inst":"UNIRIO"},{"author_name":"Andreza Gama","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Vinicius Mendes","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Elena Cobos","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Luiza Higa","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Rafael Galliez","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Amilcar Tanuri","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Orlando Ferreira Jr.","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Leda Castilho","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Terezinha Castineiras","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Julia Echevarria","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Marcelo Bozza","author_inst":"UFRJ"},{"author_name":"Andre Macedo Vale","author_inst":"UFRJ"}],"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nd","type":"PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT","category":"infectious diseases"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.30.722013","rel_title":"Modeling healthy proteomic profiles for anomaly detection using subspace learning based one-class classification","rel_date":"2026-05-01","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.30.722013","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by","type":"new results","category":"bioinformatics"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.29.721712","rel_title":"Proof-of-concept of targeted degradation of p38\u03b1\/\u03b2 MAPK host-kinase as a potent inhibitor of coronaviruses.","rel_date":"2026-04-30","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.29.721712","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nc_nd","type":"new results","category":"microbiology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.29.26352072","rel_title":"Global burden of foreign bodies and impact of COVID-19 pandemic","rel_date":"2026-04-30","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.29.26352072","rel_abs":"BackgroundForeign bodies (FBs) can cause obstruction, infection, or injury, yet comprehensive global assessments remain limited. This study evaluated the burden of FBs from 1990-2021, projected trends to 2050, and identified high-risk populations.\n\nMethodsUsing Global Burden of Disease 2021 data, we estimated age-standardized incidence ratio (ASIR), death ratio (ASDR), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) by age, sex, and region. Temporal trends were assessed with estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) and Joinpoint regression; projections applied Bayesian age-period-cohort models; decomposition quantified the effects of aging, population, and epidemiological change.\n\nResultsFrom 1990-2021, global ASIR declined from 660.75 to 561.16 per 100,000 (EAPC: -0.84), ASDR from 2.11 to 1.41 (-1.47), and DALYs from 145.14 to 77.87 (- 2.13). Males had consistently higher burden (2021: 725.96 versus 394.11 per 100,000 in females). Children under 5 and adults over 80 bore the highest risks, with intraocular FBs dominating incidence and pulmonary aspiration\/airway FBs driving mortality. Western Europe had the highest ASIR, Andean Latin America the highest ASDR. Since 2019, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, intraocular FBs incidence has surged in East Asia, mainly China. Projections suggest ASIR will continue to rise through 2050, while ASDR and DALYs continue to decline, driven by global population growth (187.27%) and aging (46.82%) but offset by epidemiological improvements (-134.09%).\n\nConclusionsDespite long-term declines, FB incidence is rebounding, with marked disparities across sex, age, and region. Targeted interventions, including workplace safety, pediatric and geriatric care, and region-specific policies, are needed to mitigate risks and reduce inequalities.","rel_num_authors":1,"rel_authors":[{"author_name":"Feiruzi Simayi","author_inst":"The First Hospital of Jilin University"}],"version":"1","license":"cc_by","type":"PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT","category":"health policy"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.27.721205","rel_title":"T-cell repertoire response in individuals with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19","rel_date":"2026-04-29","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.27.721205","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nc","type":"new results","category":"immunology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.27.721131","rel_title":"Naturally occurring ACE2 stalk variants are differentially released from the cell.","rel_date":"2026-04-29","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.27.721131","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nc","type":"new results","category":"molecular biology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.28.26351994","rel_title":"COVID-19 onset, stay-at-home orders, and racialized inequities in homicide mortality across the US","rel_date":"2026-04-29","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.28.26351994","rel_abs":"We examined the impact of COVID-19 pandemic onset (2020 April) on homicide mortality in the United States.\n\nWe conducted a single interrupted time series analysis using homicide events from the National Vital Statistics System that occurred over six years (2017-2022), with COVID-19 onset as an interruption. Monthly homicide deaths rates were calculated per 100,000 person-years to create a monthly time series. We used autoregressive integrated moving average regression, adjusted for seasonality, to model the immediate and sustained trend changes in the homicide mortality rate ratios due to the pandemic. We stratified models by length of stay-at-home order, race and ethnicity, sex, age, and weapon used to examine effect measure modification.\n\nIn Jan 2017, the US homicide mortality rate was 5.9\/100,000 PY. While there were annual seasonal changes, the overall time trend before April 2020 was stable. However, with COVID-19 onset, the overall homicide mortality rate ratio increased by 32% (95% CI: 0.23, 0.41), which persisted through 2022 without additional trend changes, but with seasonal variations. Immediate increases with stable sustained trends in homicide rates were also observed in most stratified analyses.\n\nCOVID-19 pandemic onset is associated with US homicide mortality rates immediately increasing and remaining stable and higher afterwards.","rel_num_authors":8,"rel_authors":[{"author_name":"Maryam Tanveer","author_inst":"University of Washington"},{"author_name":"N. Jeanie Santaularia Gomez","author_inst":"University of Washington"},{"author_name":"Kate Vinita Fitch","author_inst":"University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill"},{"author_name":"George Mark Holmes","author_inst":"University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill"},{"author_name":"Kathryn E. Moracco","author_inst":"University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill"},{"author_name":"Mike Dolan Fliss","author_inst":"University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill"},{"author_name":"Naoko Fulcher","author_inst":"UNC Injury Prevention Research Center"},{"author_name":"Shabbar I Ranapurwala","author_inst":"University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill"}],"version":"1","license":"cc_no","type":"PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT","category":"epidemiology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.28.26351941","rel_title":"Detection and characterization of single SARS-CoV-2 viral particles by flow virometry","rel_date":"2026-04-29","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.28.26351941","rel_abs":"Virus infected cells release viral particles, which have variable protein content and are functionally diverse. Deciphering this heterogeneity remains a challenge. Here, we adapt flow virometry to detect and phenotype severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) particles. In supernatants of infected cells, we observe particles measuring 70-100 nm. The appearance of these particles is associated to the increase in viral RNA and infectivity. Sample inactivation using temperature or detergent leads to the disappearance of these particles. Using antibodies and dyes for lipid membranes and nucleic acids, we detect the spike protein, the lipid envelope and the RNA genome. We further confirm the presence of viral particles by electron microscopy. Analyzing different viral preparations demonstrate that spike detection in particles outcompetes particle concentration to predict infectivity. Antibodies against different spike epitopes enable probing of spike conformation changes in the presence of soluble ACE2. Lastly, we detect SARS-CoV-2 particles in PCR-confirmed patient nasal swabs without prior purification steps. In summary, we developed an efficient framework to detect and characterize single SARS-CoV-2 particles.","rel_num_authors":15,"rel_authors":[{"author_name":"Martin Jungbauer-Groznica","author_inst":"Insitut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"Pierre-Henri Commere","author_inst":"Institut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"Andrea Cottignies-Calamarte","author_inst":"Institut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"Alejandro De Cruz","author_inst":"Insitut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"Aura Fantin","author_inst":"Institut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"Cyril Planchais","author_inst":"Institut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"Florence Guivel-Benhassine","author_inst":"Institut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"Isabelle Staropoli","author_inst":"Institut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"Sandrine Schmutz","author_inst":"Institut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"Sophie Novault","author_inst":"Institut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"David Veyer","author_inst":"APHP"},{"author_name":"Helene Pere","author_inst":"APHP"},{"author_name":"Hugo Mouquet","author_inst":"Institut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"Olivier Schwartz","author_inst":"Institut Pasteur"},{"author_name":"Timoth\u00e9e Bruel","author_inst":"Institut Pasteur"}],"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nc_nd","type":"PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT","category":"infectious diseases"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.27.26351870","rel_title":"Changing COVID-19 vaccine eligibility could reshape disease burden for all","rel_date":"2026-04-29","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.27.26351870","rel_abs":"COVID-19 vaccine recommendations are evolving in the United States. While older adults are most at risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes and therefore experience the greatest direct benefits of vaccination, limiting vaccination to only this age group could worsen outcomes in this higher-risk population. Here, we leveraged data from a statewide survey in Illinois to inform transmission models accounting for contact and vaccination rates across age. Simulating a single season of COVID-19 transmission, we compared deaths under existing vaccination coverage against counterfactual scenarios where individuals under 5 or under 65 were never vaccinated. We find substantial indirect vaccine impacts for older adults. Our results suggest that existing vaccination coverage among younger people is mitigating COVID-19 mortality for older populations. These findings can provide insights into the long-term consequences of deprioritizing young adults and children from vaccination campaigns, and suggest that a lack of vaccine-induced immunity may impact outcomes in other age groups. This underscores the importance of considering indirect vaccine impacts when developing policy.","rel_num_authors":3,"rel_authors":[{"author_name":"Soren L Larsen","author_inst":"University of California, Berkeley"},{"author_name":"Pamela P. Martinez","author_inst":"University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign"},{"author_name":"Ayesha Mahmud","author_inst":"University of California, Berkeley"}],"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nc","type":"PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT","category":"epidemiology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.28.721328","rel_title":"Distinct virus-derived circular RNA molecule influences host response during SARS-CoV-2 infection","rel_date":"2026-04-28","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.28.721328","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc0","type":"new results","category":"microbiology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.27.26351858","rel_title":"A Deterministic-Stochastic Model for COVID-19 and Malaria Co-Infection with Malaria-Acquired Partial Immunity","rel_date":"2026-04-28","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.27.26351858","rel_abs":"Coinfection of COVID-19 and malaria in endemic regions may generate complex epidemiological interactions that influence susceptibility patterns, disease burden, and outbreak risk. Although malaria-acquired immunity has been hypothesized to modulate host responses to other infections, its population-level implications for COVID-19 transmission under uncertainty remain insufficiently understood. In this study, we develop a deterministic-stochastic compartmental model for the coupled dynamics of COVID-19, malaria, and their co-infection. Malaria-acquired partial immunity is incorporated through a relative susceptibility parameter that reduces the risk of COVID-19 infection among malaria-recovered individuals.\n\nFor the deterministic system, we establish positivity, boundedness, an invariant feasible region, and basic reproduction numbers for the COVID-19-only and malaria-only subsystems. We then use numerical simulations to examine how immunity-mediated reductions in susceptibility may influence COVID-19 incidence, peak burden, hospitalization, and cumulative mortality. To account for environmental and transmission variability, we extend the deterministic model to an Ito stochastic differential equation framework and use repeated realizations to characterize uncertainty in epidemic trajectories, peak distributions, and outbreak risk. In addition, global sensitivity analysis based on partial rank correlation coefficients (PRCCs) is performed to identify the parameters with the greatest influence on COVID-19 outcomes.\n\nOur results suggest that, under the assumed modeling framework, malaria-acquired partial immunity may reduce the peak infectious burden and cumulative mortality associated with COVID-19. The stochastic simulations further show substantial variability around deterministic trajectories and indicate a non-negligible probability of large outbreak events that are not fully captured by mean-field predictions alone. Overall, the proposed framework provides an uncertainty-aware, mechanistic basis for studying COVID-19-malaria co-dynamics and for assessing how interacting disease processes may shape epidemic outcomes in endemic settings.","rel_num_authors":2,"rel_authors":[{"author_name":"Kabir Oluwatobi Idowu","author_inst":"Purdue University"},{"author_name":"Guang Lin","author_inst":"Purdue University"}],"version":"1","license":"cc_by","type":"PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT","category":"epidemiology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.24.26351694","rel_title":"Disentangling Fatigue from Depression among Survivors of Severe COVID-19","rel_date":"2026-04-27","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.24.26351694","rel_abs":"PurposeSurvivors of severe COVID-19 commonly experience post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), which includes depression and fatigue. Fatigue is far more common and may inflate depression severity given overlapping symptoms. We sought to disentangle fatigue from depression in PICS.\n\nMethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the RAFT COVID study, a national multicenter longitudinal cohort of severe prolonged COVID-19 survivors. We included participants who completed validated surveys at 1-year from hospitalization for depression (PHQ-9) and fatigue (FACIT-Fatigue). We described correlation of FACIT-fatigue with the PHQ9, and separately with PHQ-2 and PHQ-7, which both omit the two items we hypothesized are influenced by fatigue--tiredness and sleeping. Using a MIMIC model, we performed differential item functioning to evaluate the impact of fatigue on depression directly through these two questions and indirectly with the latent depression construct. We then compared PHQ-7 to PHQ-9 scores by fatigue status.\n\nResultsAmong 82 participants, 61.0% reported fatigue (reverse-scored FACIT-Fatigue [&ge;]9), and 15.9% moderately severe depression (PHQ-9 [&ge;]10). FACIT-fatigue was strongly correlated with PHQ-9 (r=.87, p<.001), but less so for PHQ-2 (r=.76, p<.001) and PHQ-7 (r=.82, p<.001). The MIMIC model identified significant direct effects on tiredness ({lambda}=.89, p<.001) and sleep ({lambda}=.52, p<.001). Among fatigued participants, the rescaled PHQ-7 was lower than the PHQ-9 (median of 4.5, IQR 1.50-9.75, vs 7, IQR 4-9.75).\n\nConclusionsFatigue significantly inflated depression symptoms in severe COVID-19 survivors through tiredness and sleeping PHQ-9 items. PHQ-2 may better screen for true depressive symptoms in PICS, minimizing the risk of misdiagnosis and overtreatment.\n\nPLAIN ENGLISH SUMMARYSurvivors of severe COVID-19 illness commonly experience post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), which includes depression and fatigue. Fatigue is far more common and may inflate depression severity given overlapping symptoms. We sought to disentangle fatigue from depression in PICS. We found that the presence of fatigue inflated depression severity through symptoms of tiredness and difficulty sleeping, which are two of the nine items of a commonly used depression screening tool, known as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Depression screening tools that omit these two items, such as the PHQ-2, may better screen for depressive symptoms in PICS, minimizing the risk of overestimating depression symptoms and potentially misdiagnosis.","rel_num_authors":4,"rel_authors":[{"author_name":"Juan R Cabrera","author_inst":"University of California, Berkeley"},{"author_name":"Peter Pham","author_inst":"University of California,Berkeley"},{"author_name":"W John Boscardin","author_inst":"University of California, San Francisco"},{"author_name":"Anil N Makam","author_inst":"University of California, San Francisco"}],"version":"1","license":"cc_no","type":"PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT","category":"primary care research"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.27.721040","rel_title":"Inhibiting the interaction between the mitochondrial receptor Tom70 and SARS CoV 2 Orf9b with small molecules","rel_date":"2026-04-27","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.27.721040","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by","type":"new results","category":"biophysics"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.22.720035","rel_title":"Bacteriocin Diversity and Antiviral Potential of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus from Fermented Rice.","rel_date":"2026-04-24","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.22.720035","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by","type":"new results","category":"microbiology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.22.26351531","rel_title":"Identifying SARS-CoV-2 Lineages that Share the Same Relative Effective Reproduction Numbers","rel_date":"2026-04-24","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.22.26351531","rel_abs":"The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has continuously evolved since its emergence in the human population in 2019. As of 1st August 2025, more than 1,700 Omicron subvariants have been designated by the Pango nomenclature system. The Pango nomenclature system designates a new lineage based on genetic and epidemiological information of SARS-CoV-2 strains. However, there is a possibility that strains that have similar genetic backgrounds and the same phenotype are given different Pango lineage names. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm, called FindPart-w, which can identify groups of viral lineages that share the same relative effective reproduction numbers. We introduced a new lineage replacement model, called the constrained RelRe model, which constrains groups of lineages to have the same relative effective reproduction numbers. The FindPart-w algorithm searches the equality constraints that minimise the Akaike Information Criterion of constrained RelRe models. Using hypothetical observation count data created by simulation, we found that the FindPart-w algorithm can identify groups of lineages having the same relative effective reproduction number in a practical computational time. Applying FindPart-w to actual real-world data of time-stamped lineage counts from the United States, we found that the Pango lineage nomenclature system may have given different lineage names to SARS-CoV-2 strains even if they have the same relative effective reproduction number and similar genetic backgrounds. In conclusion, this study showed that viruses that had the same relative effective reproduction number were identifiable from temporal count data of viral sequences. These findings will contribute to the future development of lineage designation systems that consider both genetic backgrounds and transmissibilities of lineages.","rel_num_authors":4,"rel_authors":[{"author_name":"Richard Musonda","author_inst":"Hokkaido University"},{"author_name":"Koichi Ito","author_inst":"Doshisha University"},{"author_name":"Ryosuke Omori","author_inst":"Hokkaido University"},{"author_name":"Kimihito Ito","author_inst":"Hokkaido University"}],"version":"1","license":"cc_by","type":"PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT","category":"infectious diseases"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.21.26350610","rel_title":"Identifying clinician perceived priorities for a real-time wearable system for in-hospital monitoring: findings and evolutions following the COVID-19 pandemic","rel_date":"2026-04-24","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.21.26350610","rel_abs":"A Wearable Monitoring System (WMS), comprising a chest patch, wrist-worn pulse oximeter, and arm-worn blood pressure device, was developed in preparation for a pilot Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) on a UK surgical ward. The system was designed to support continuous physiological monitoring and early detection of deterioration.\n\nAn initial prototype user interface was developed by the research team based on prior clinical experience and engineering knowledge. To ensure suitability for clinical practice, iterative user-centred refinement was undertaken through a series of clinician focus groups and wearability assessments. Six focus groups were conducted between November 2019 and May 2021 involving multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. Feedback from these sessions informed successive interface and system modifications.\n\nSystem development spanned the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the WMS was rapidly adapted and deployed to support clinical care on isolation wards. Feedback obtained during this period was incorporated into later versions of the system and provided a unique opportunity to examine changes in clinician priorities under pandemic conditions.\n\nClinicians consistently prioritised alert visibility, alarm fatigue mitigation, parameter flexibility, and centralised monitoring. Notably, preferences regarding alert modality and access mechanisms evolved over time: early enthusiasm for mobile or smartphone-type devices shifted towards a preference for fixed, ward-based displays and audible alerts at the nurses station following pandemic deployment.\n\nBuilding on previous wearability testing in healthy volunteers, wearability testing using a validated questionnaire was completed by 169 patient participants during the RCT. The chest patch and pulse oximeter demonstrated high tolerability, whereas the blood pressure cuff showed poor wearability and was removed from the final system.\n\nThese findings demonstrate the importance of iterative, clinician-led design for wearable WMS and highlight how extreme clinical contexts such as the COVID-19 pandemic can significantly reshape perceived requirements for safety-critical monitoring technologies.","rel_num_authors":4,"rel_authors":[{"author_name":"Sarah Vollam","author_inst":"University of Oxford"},{"author_name":"Cristian Roman","author_inst":"University of Oxford"},{"author_name":"Elizabeth King","author_inst":"Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust"},{"author_name":"Lionel Tarassenko","author_inst":"University of Oxford"}],"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nc","type":"PUBLISHAHEADOFPRINT","category":"health systems and quality improvement"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.22.720112","rel_title":"Proximity proteomics reveals a role for IFI16 during human coronavirus infection","rel_date":"2026-04-23","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.22.720112","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by","type":"new results","category":"microbiology"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.21.719937","rel_title":"A High-Throughput Platform for Rapidly Adapting DNA Aptamers to SARS-CoV-2 Evolution","rel_date":"2026-04-22","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.21.719937","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_by_nc","type":"new results","category":"bioengineering"},{"rel_doi":"10.64898\/2026.04.20.719543","rel_title":"Long-range allosteric communication, double mutant cycles, and energetic coupling in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein","rel_date":"2026-04-22","rel_site":"medRxiv","rel_link":"https:\/\/medrxiv.org\/cgi\/content\/short\/10.64898\/2026.04.20.719543","rel_num_authors":0,"rel_authors":null,"version":"1","license":"cc_no","type":"new results","category":"biophysics"}]}