Coronavirus (COVID-19) Collection
Post-acute symptoms 3-15 months after COVID-19 among unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals with a breakthrough infection
Vaccination represents the most important strategy to prevent infection, severe complications, and death caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Feikin et al., 2022). SARS-CoV-2 vaccination may also reduce the risk of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) (Antonelli et al., 2022; Azzolini et al., 2022; Kuodi et al., 2022), but conflicting results have been presented (Taquet et al., 2022). We aimed to describe self-reported PASC symptoms, including memory and concentration problems, changes in smell and taste, fatigue, and dyspnea, persisting 3-15 months after a positive test in SARS-CoV-2 unvaccinated and vaccinated participants with a breakthrough infection.Clinical outcomes associated with Mu variant infection during the third epidemic peak of COVID-19 in Colombia
By July 2022, four COVID-19 epidemic peaks and 210 lineages have been registered in Colombia, including several variants of interest and concern (INS, 2022). However, a higher number of cases and deaths occurred during the third epidemic peak, when the B.1.621 (Mu) variant was associated with 50% of the cases in the country (Álvarez-Díaz et al., 2022a). Although several factors in the clinical history of patients with COVID-19 have been associated with a severe or fatal outcome, including comorbidities, age, and smoking history (Zhang et al.Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 circulation using saliva testing in school children in Rome, Italy
Since October 2020, the identification of suspected cases and contact tracing in the Lazio region have been supported by active surveillance initiatives in schools through antigen tests performed mainly on saliva (Bordi et al., 2021; Iwasaki et al., 2020). For the school year 2021-2022, the National Plan implemented the “Plan for monitoring of the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in primary and lower secondary schools”. The Laboratory of Virology of the National Institute for Infectious Diseases “L. Spallanzani” was involved in the screening of saliva samples collected from students belonging to the local surveillance unit (ASL) RM3 of Rome.Validation of the NeuMoDx™ SARS-CoV-2 assay with COPAN eNAT® and E&O Viral PCR Sample Solution collection media types in comparison with other validated SARS-CoV-2 RNA assays
Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA are the gold standard for diagnosis because of their high sensitivity and specificity (Park et al., 2020). Assay validation during the pandemic was challenging because of the need for rapid implementation of novel tests (Vandenberg et al., 2021).Admissions to a large tertiary care hospital and Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction positivity: primary, contributing, or incidental COVID-19
Monitoring national hospitalization rates for COVID-19 has been essential throughout the pandemic to guide public health decision-making and to evaluate vaccine efficacy. However, with the rapid worldwide spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant of concern (associated with a decreased severity) and increasing immunity against SARS-CoV-2, interpreting the true impact of these hospitalization rates has been complicated (Viana et al., 2022; World Health Organization, 2021).Humoral and adaptive immune responses to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 prevent infection and adverse outcomes from SARS-CoV-2 (Olliaro et al., 2021). Elicitation of high affinity and durable protective antibody responses is a hallmark of a successful humoral immune response to vaccination (Turner et al., 2021). Antibody responses decline sharply at six months, particularly after SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines (Collier et al., 2021). A recent study showed that after 20 weeks or more, the vaccination with two doses is effective against COVID-19–related hospitalization and death with a waning of the clinical protection in older adults and fragile/co-morbid patients (Andrews et al., 2022).SARS-CoV-2 intra-host evolution during prolonged infection in an immunocompromised patient
During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several cases of prolonged infections were reported in immunosuppressed patients (Dolan et al., 2021). Most of these cases revealed an intra-host viral evolution, which allows the virus to accumulate mutations faster than during normal inter-host transmission (Avanzato et al., 2020; Leung et al., 2022). During these prolonged infections, SARS-CoV-2 can acquire mutations at key epitopes in the Spike (S) protein, potentially affecting virus replication, infectivity, and antigenicity, which are common to the variants of concern (VOCs) (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2022).Invasive Pneumococcal Disease diminish during the onset of COVID-19 in Japan between 2019 and 2022
Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) at a patient's sterile site, including the cerebrospinal fluid and blood, and commonly presents with septicemia, meningitis, and pneumonia (Dowell et al., 2003). In Japan, both children and older individuals receive public support for pneumococcal vaccination. Pneumococcal vaccine coverage has been increased since the launch of the vaccine program (Naito et al., 2020).Real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination among children in Italy
In this study, we analyzed the clinical efficacy of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines among Italian children aged 5 to 11 years, using data published by the National Institute of Health. Vaccination status was associated with a reduced risk of COVID-19–related hospitalizations and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, which were 41% (odds ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.46-0.77) and 68% (odds ratio, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.04-2.63), respectively, lower in children who completed the vaccination cycle <120 days than in the unvaccinated matched population.Real-world effectiveness of BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection among adolescents (12 to 17-year-olds) in Malaysia
Vaccinating against the SARS-CoV-2 virus to achieve high population immunity is essential to realise health and socio-economic goals driving the global COVID-19 vaccination strategy (World Health Organization. Strategy to achieve global COVID-19 vaccination by mid-2022.). In Malaysia, the national vaccination programme for COVID-19 began in February 2021 using a diverse platform of vaccines (Suah et al., 2021). It was demonstrated that they offer considerable protection, particularly against severe outcomes (Suah et al., 2022, 2021).Colorimetric detection of SARS-CoV-2 by uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG) reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP)
It has been more than two years since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Rapid diagnostic methods such as reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) (Notomi et al., 2000) are critically important to minimize the spread of the illness and protect the public.COVID-19 vaccines provide better protection against related pneumonia than previous symptomatic infection
The burden of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico has been high and by mid-October 2021, more than 3.7 million laboratory-confirmed cases have been registered, with more than 280 thousand deaths.Using SARS-CoV-2 anti-S IgG levels as a marker of previous infection: example from an Israeli healthcare worker cohort.
Detecting current or previous SARS-CoV-2 infection is an essential component of pandemic management. Beyond case ascertainment and contact tracing, previous infection knowledge determines reinfection risk, the number and timing of vaccine doses required (Abu Jabal et al., 2021; Hansen et al., 2021), and can serve as evidence to attribute postviral symptoms to infection. Determining acute infection status relies on detecting viral DNA through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or viral proteins through rapid antigen testing which has limited sensitivity (Wölfl-Duchek et al., 2022).Effect of a two-dose vs three-dose vaccine strategy in residential colleges using an empirical proximity network
When SARS-CoV-2 escalated to a pandemic in early 2020, universities and colleges were forced to pivot to virtual instruction. As of fall 2021, many institutions of higher education had reopened, adopting and often mandating mitigation measures like indoor masking, social distancing, regular testing, and vaccination. However, the emergence of the Omicron B.1.1.529 variant in November 2021 disrupted this new routine. The Omicron variant has been shown to be highly transmissible, with researchers estimating the effective reproduction number of Omicron as 3.19 times higher than that of the Delta strain (Ito et al., 2021).Genomic profiles of vaccine breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 strains from Odisha, India
In India, five COVID-19 vaccines are authorized for emergency use, of which the adenovirus-vector based vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca UK, marketed as COVISHIELD, and the indigenous inactivated virus vaccine COVAXIN by Bharat Biotech are majorly deployed through government and private healthcare centers. Both the vaccines pose tolerable safety outcomes and enhanced immune responses (Ella et al., 2021; Voysey et al., 2021). Recent in vitro studies showed that sera from the Pfizer- or the AstraZeneca-vaccinated individuals are less effective in neutralizing the Delta variant compared with the Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant (Planas et al., 2021).COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant: a light at the end of the tunnel?
We read with interest the recent article of Abdullah et al., who concluded that a significantly lower severity of illness associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron B.1.1.529 variant-driven epidemic wave had been observed in Tshwane, South Africa (Abdullah et al., 2021). This agrees with evidence recently published in other studies from South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom (Mahase, 2021), which also reported a similar suggestion of decreased pathogenicity associated with this new and highly mutated Omicron lineages (Lippi, Mattiuzzi and Henry, 2021).Revisiting SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination by patients with COVID-19: The Omicron variant does not differ from previous strains
SARS-CoV-2 was shown to be transmitted mainly by respiratory droplets and direct contact with contagious individuals. Previously, we characterized this transmissibility through contaminated inanimate surfaces, which is indirect contact (Ben-Shmuel et al., 2020). Recently, emergence of the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant caused a global surge in new cases, rapidly spreading while seemingly causing an altered, less severe disease (Araf et al., 2022; Kannan et al., 2021). The infection rate raised concerns regarding the variant's mode of spread in the populace.Comparison of the clinical sensitivity and specificity of two commercial RNA SARS-CoV-2 assays
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have developed several diagnostic assays for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the gold standard for diagnosis of active SARS-CoV-2 infections because of its high sensitivity and specificity (Park et al., 2020). Automation in molecular diagnostics enables scaling of testing capacity, which is critical for enabling a large number of tests (Eigner et al., 2019).Utilisation of SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen assays in screening asymptomatic hospital visitors: mitigating the risk in low-incidence settings
During the COVID-19 pandemic, while mandatory point-of-entry screening of hospital visitors for respiratory symptoms/fever has been widely implemented (Wee et al., 2021a), asymptomatic visitors may escape detection and have been implicated in nosocomial clusters (Passarelli et al., 2021). However, screening for COVID-19 among hospital visitors poses significant challenges. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is unsuitable for testing visitors, with long turnarounds preventing real-time processing of results (Passarelli et al., 2021).SARS-CoV-2 variants with T135I nucleocapsid mutations may affect antigen test performance
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), similar to other RNA viruses, continually mutates, and new variants appear and eventually become dominant. Several SARS-CoV-2 genes have a tendency to evolve, including those encoding the nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S) proteins (Dilucca et al., 2020) [Au?1]. By the end of December 2020, new SARS-CoV-2 variants with multiple accumulated mutations had emerged, and these variants of concern (VOCs) have reportedly been associated with increased transmissibility or decreased effectiveness of available diagnostic tools (Boehm et al., 2021) [Au?1].Emergence of B.1.1.318 SARS-CoV-2 viral lineage and high incidence of alpha B.1.1.7 variant of concern in the Republic of Gabon
SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) appear to spread more easily. Other emerging variants are also gaining attention, either known as a "variants of interest" (VOI) or "variants under investigation" (VUI), which increase transmission, warranting further studies. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 genomes have accumulated genetic diversity, leading to increased transmission with altered viral properties (Kraemer et al. 2021).Mutations in emerging variant of concern lineages disrupt genomic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 clinical specimens
Genomic sequencing of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has played a crucial role in managing the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This is especially true for variant of concern (VOC) lineages that have emerged globally since December 2020 (Chand et al., 2020; Cherian et al., 2021; Faria et al., 2021; Tegally et al., 2021a, 2021b; Rambault et al., 2020). Genomic sequencing has been instrumental in detecting and characterizing these lineages, tracking their global spread, and identifying local cases to control transmission.Performance and cost-effectiveness of a pooled testing strategy for SARS-CoV-2 using real-time polymerase chain reaction in Uganda
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to be an important global health problem with a significant impact on individual and global public health (Fauci et al., 2020). In the face of a rapidly spreading disease with a shortage of vaccines and/or effective treatment, rapid mass testing has been suggested as one of the measures to map, contain and mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic (Denny et al., 2020).Transient increase in plasma HIV RNA after COVID-19 vaccination with mRNA-1272
The latent viral reservoir is the main obstacle preventing HIV eradication, as the virus persists, integrated in long-lived quiescent cells. Immune stimulatory by their nature, vaccines have been evaluated as possible agents for ‘shock and kill’ strategies, which rely on using latency-reversing agents to activate HIV transcription and virion production in order to purge the reservoir.Antibody response to the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among healthcare workers, Indonesia
Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection due to increased occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (Nguyen et al., 2020). As well as being beneficial for the HCWs themselves, protecting HCWs from SARS-CoV-2 infection is important to prevent disease transmission in healthcare and community settings (Anonymous, 2020). In addition, protecting HCWs from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is crucial for the preservation and protection of national healthcare systems (Anonymous, 2020).
