UMONS
" The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is a public health emergency of international concern. Authorities and population are facing a global health crisis which pose a challenge to adapt quickly and effectively. The aim of this preliminary study was to survey the general public in Belgium to better understand their levels of psychological impact, anxiety and stress during the initial stage of containment. The data also explored tips and tricks immediately adopt by the population to manage containment. From 20 March to 28 March 2020, we conducted an online survey using snowball sampling techniques on social network. The online survey collected information on demographic data, stress level in the past 7 days, knowledge and concerns about COVID-19 and the impact of using technologies for taking information and stay connected to others, precautionary measures (tips and tricks) during the beginning of containment, and additional information required with respect to...

Read more: Jennifer Denis, PhD in psychology research and teaching associate

UMONS, ULB, Sciensano
" A new type of biosensor to characterize in details antibodies specific for antigens of SARS-COV-2. "
Funding: UMONS
Publication References: E. Gosselin, O Denis, A. Van Cauwenberge, J. Conti, JJ Vanden Eynde, K. Huygen, J. De Coninck, "Quantification of the trichothecene Verrucarin-A in environmental samples using an antibody-based spectroscopic biosensor", Sensor Actuat. B.-Chem., 2012, 166-167, 549-555.
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ULB, Faculty of Medicine, and Erasme Hospital
Suivi longitudinal de biomarqueurs sériques et urinaires de l'atteinte rénale aiguë associée au COVID-19 : impacts diagnostique et pronostique. " L'objectif principal de cette étude est de caractériser l'atteinte rénale aiguë par le virus SARS-COV2 chez des patients hospitalisés présentant une maladie COVID-19 à l'aide de biomarqueurs sériques et urinaires précoces et spécifiques à certains segments du néphron. L'objectif secondaire est d'établir une corrélation entre l'évolution de ces marqueurs observée durant la phase aiguë de l'insuffisance rénale et le passage éventuel à un stade chronique. "
Funding: Crédit Urgent de Recherche (CUR) sollicité auprès du FNRS
Publication References: BUNEL V, SOUARD F, ANTOINE M-H, STEVIGNY C, NORTIER JL. Nephrotoxicity of Natural Products: Aristolochic Acid and Fungal Toxins. In McQueen C.A., Comprehensive Toxicology, Third Edition. Vol 14, Oxford Elsevier Ltd (2018), pp 340-379. BUNEL V, TOURNAY Y...

Read more: Joëlle Nortier, Dr

EXO Biologics
" EXO Biologics plans to extend its research and development program towards the COVID-19 crisis by using its unique and disruptive technology based on Extracellular Vesicles. These nanometer size particles are gaining momentum in the scientific community as potential alternatives to stem cell and biologic drugs therapies in the fields of immunology, neurology, oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology among others. EXO Biologics has 12 years of experience in cell-based regenerative medicine and 8 years of experience in Extracellular Vesicles. Our advancements in research will play an important role for our company mission to provide affordable and accessible therapies to patients with unmet medical needs. "
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UMONS
" The UMONS Health Research Institute, on the initiative of Justine Gaugue, Laurence Ris and Mandy Rossignol, in collaboration with the MUMONS, have set up a user-friendly and pleasant website (www.home-stress-home.com) for children and young people, containing information, resources and a link to an online survey to assess anxiety levels. The data will be collected for research purposes to better understand the development of anxiety disorders in often neglected populations: the children and the young adults in school or early working life. This interface, based on the results of the survey, will make it possible to provide personalized feedback to the user, in order to direct him/her towards relaxation strategies or specialists if the level of anxiety measured is very high. Other surveys and tools will be added later on to allow longitudinal monitoring of the impact on mental and physical health of the stress generated by the current crisis. The objective is to develop this...

Read more: Justine Gaugue, Professor, Laurence Ris, Professor - Mandy Rossignol, Professor

ULiège
" Since SARS-CoV-2 testing began at the CHU of Liège we have been carrying out regular whole genome sequencing (WGS) of COVID-19 samples. At the time of writing we have uploaded 187 viral genomes to https://nextstrain.org/ (almost half of the 393 from Belgium). We have carried out regular WGS to monitor the evolution of viral haplotypes. Where possible we have concentrated on health care workers with the goal of identifying clusters of transmission. This included a cluster of seven individuals who were tested on the Roche cobas® instrument using the SARS-CoV-2 test, all were positive for the ORF1ab assay, but negative for the second E-gene assay. To date we have WGS data from four of these individuals, all share identical viral genomes and a SNP in the E-gene has been identified as the most probable cause of the test failure. This observation highlights the importance of redundancy in SARS-CoV-2 assays, especially as some testing regimes recommend an E-gene assay as a primary...

Read more: Keith Durkin, Dr - Maria Artesi, Dr - Sébastien Bontems, Dr - Marie-Pierre Hayette, Dr- Vincent...

Covartim
"In the global effort to help the healthcare professionals in the fight against the Covid pandemic, we are providing documents to help manufacturers that are not familiar with medical devices to properly document their work to help them in their product development and achieving compliance. These templates are derived from our technical file documentation and include some reference to guidances (mostly applicable in Belgium) for devices and accessories to answer to hospital products shortage."
Contact : Covartim www.covartim.be This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UCLouvain
" I have been asked by the IATDMCT to pilot a review sumarizing the potential interactions that it could have between investigational COVID antivirals and immunosuppressants (used to avoid rejection in solid organ transplantation) "
Publication References: PubMed ID=32304488 Pharmacologic treatment of transplant recipients infected with SARS-CoV-2: considerations regarding therapeutic drug monitoring and drug-drug interactions. Ther Drug Monit. 2020 Apr 15. doi: 10.1097/FTD.0000000000000761. [Epub ahead of print]
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ULiège, GIGA-Research
" Development of specific antigens to allow the detection of circulating antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Our aim is to contribute to the development of serological tests that could help identifying the people previously infected by SARS-CoV-2 and detect the presence of neutralizing antibodies, which would predict an individual protection against COVID-19. With the help of local renowned companies, we are currently testing various antigens and optimizing their production. "
Contact: Dr. Laurence Delacroix (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), Neurodevelopmental Biology, GIGA-Neurosciences and GIGA-Stem Cells, 15 avenue Hippocrate, CHU-B36, B-4000 Liège). Dr. Marielle Lebrun (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and Pr. Catherine Sadzot (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), laboratory of Immunology and Virology, GIGA-I3, 11 Avenue de l'hôpital, 4000 Liège.

ULiège
" The first objectives of our approach was to strongly increase the testing capacity for virus by using protocols that are as effective as possible and above all not very dependent on the external sources of consumables and reagents whose supply is threatened. The ULiege testing platform can analyse more than 3000 samples per day and is member on the National testing platform. "
Contact: Prof Fabrice BUREAU Vice-Recteur à la Recherche, Université de Liège Place du 20-Août, 7 B-4000, Liège Belgique Tél: +32 4 366 32 14 Prof Laurent GILLET Université de Liège Quartier Vallée, 2 Avenue de Cureghem, 10 B-4000, Liège Belgique Tél: +32 4 366 42 86

ULiège - FNRS - Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium
" Massive infiltration of activated macrophages is associated with the development of a cytokine storm that leads to severe acute respiratory syndrome induced by SARS-CoV-2. Based on our results demonstrating the key role exerted by epigenetic regulation in the activity of macrophages, we propose to study the methyltransferase EZH2 in the pathogenesis induced by SARS-CoV-2. We have also shown that the PD-1 immune checkpoint is responsible for the macrophage anergy induced by the absence of EZH2. The goal of the project is to temper the excessive inflammatory responses associated with macrophages by interfering on the EZH2-PD-1 axis. "
Funding: Decision pending (FNRS Crédit Urgent de Recherche 40002642)
Publication References: - Inhibition of EZH2 methyltransferase decreases immunoediting of mesothelioma cells by autologous macrophages through a PD-1-dependent mechanism. Malik Hamaidia, Hélène Gazon, Clotilde Hoyos, Gabriela...

Read more: Luc Willems, FNRS Research Director

ULB and CHU-Charleroi
" MAker Study for COVID-19 Patient follow-up in intensive Care Unit (MASC-19) Around 5-10 % of patients suffering from COVID-19 symptom aggravation require intensive care. Among them half will die. COVID-19 is often compared to sepsis however few are known about this pathology and physicians are unable to discriminate which patients will suffer from severe symptoms. For this reason, Mask-19 project, which gathers CHU-Charleroi, the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy (ULB) and CNRS (France), will investigate markers in sera of COVID-19 patients collected in March and April 2020. They will be compared to septic patients by metabolomics and molecular networks for a better follow up of this specific patients "
Funding: COVID-ULB
Contact: Prof. Dr Pierre Van Antwerpen Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy RD3- Pharmacognosy, Bioanalysis, Drug Discovery and Analytical Platform of the Faculty of Pharmacy This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +3226505263 +3226505249...

Read more: M. Piagnerelli, Professor, CHU-Charleroi-ULB - K. Zouaoui Boudjeltia, Professor, CHU-Charleroi-ULB...

Erasme Hopital
" Nutritional assessment and support for optimal rehabilitation following COVID 19 critical illness "
Funding: NA
Contact: NA

ULB - FNRS
" Computational analysis of the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the renin-angiotensin system. "
Funding: FNRS
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CHU-Liège 
" The University Hospital of Liège (CHULiège) has developed a diagnostic capability to detect the SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR in response to the need for more capacity testing in Belgium from March 2020. Indeed, from February 2020, clinical COVID-19 cases were already detected in Belgium thanks to the Reference laboratory for respiratory viruses in KULeuven (Reflab). However, it appeared rapidly evident that the capacity of the Reflab could not be further enhanced. Therefore Belgian university and non-university hospital laboratories started to develop RT-PCR assays which sensitivity were first validated by the Reflab. CHULiège developed an in house SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assay following an adapted version of the Charité Hospital (1) protocol with the aid of the Antwerp University Hospital Microbiology lab and the Reflab. We have chosen to include two targets: the E and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) genes. From the 6th March, we were able to run the test and since this date we run...

Read more: Marie-Pierre HAYETTE, The RT-PCR diagnostic platform of CHU Liège for the detection of SARS-CoV-2