Coronavirus (COVID-19) Collection
SARS-CoV-2 vertical transmission in a twin-pregnant woman: a case report
SARS-CoV-2 represents one of the most threatening infections in the last century, affecting millions of people worldwide (World Health Organization, 2020) ( covid19.who.int ).Testing for COVID-19 during an outbreak within a large UK prison: an evaluation of mass testing to inform outbreak control
Since the first cases were identified in 2019, COVID-19 has caused a global pandemic which has disrupted economies and caused significant morbidity and mortality. With COVID-19 predominantly spread through aerosols and those in close contact at the highest risk, concern was voiced that institutions such as prisons would be at risk of large outbreaks (Burki, 2020), exacerbated by overcrowding and poor health of imprisoned people (Davies et al., 2020; Fazel et al., 2001). Coupled with difficulties implementing basic infection prevention and control measures because of limited access to handwashing points, crowded conditions, little control over social distancing, and movement of both staff and people, it was expected that prisons would become a hotspot for COVID-19 outbreaks (Burki, 2020).Immunogenicity and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines in people living with HIV: a systematic review and meta-analysis
The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 has led to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. By August 19, 2022, more than 590 million have had confirmed COVID-19 and more than 6 million have died worldwide (World Health Organization, 2022). The morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 and its complications and large-scale economic disruption have prompted an unprecedented pace in highly efficacious vaccine development (Berlin et al., 2020; Merad et al., 2022). As of August 19, 2022, a total of 12.4 billion vaccine doses have been administered (World Health Organization, 2022), and the most widely used are messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, including BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech, New York, NY, USA-Mainz, Germany) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna, Cambridge, MA, USA) vaccines and viral vector vaccines, such as Ad26.CoV2.S (Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ, USA), ChAdOx (AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK), Sputnik V (Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow, Russia), and the traditional inactivated virus alum-adjuvanted candidate vaccine CoronaVac (Sinovac, Beijing, China) (Piccaluga et al.Effects of COVID-19-targeted nonpharmaceutical interventions on children's respiratory admissions in China: a national multicenter time series study
COVID-19 has exerted a profound influence on everyday life and the healthcare system worldwide. Since the outburst of COVID-19 in Wuhan city, China, in January 2020, a series of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) have been conducted nationwide. The NPIs refer to the combination of mask-wearing, handwashing, and social distancing, such as closing schools and public places, quarantining infected patients and close contacts, and travel restrictions (Fricke et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2021a). These measures have effectively curbed the large-scale spread of the epidemic, keeping the number of people infected with COVID-19 in China under control (Tang and Abbasi, 2021).Effectiveness of messenger RNA vaccines against infection with SARS-CoV-2 during the periods of Delta and Omicron variant predominance in Japan: the Vaccine Effectiveness, Networking, and Universal Safety (VENUS) study
Vaccination against infection with SARS-CoV-2 in the general population of Japan began on April 12, 2021, and booster vaccination (the third dose) began on December 1, 2021. The Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant was gradually replaced by the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant beginning in June 2021, and the Delta variant accounted for approximately 80% of infections in Japan in August 2021 (National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 2021). The Delta variant predominated until the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant surged in January 2022 (National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 2022; Ode et al.Characteristics of long-COVID among older adults: a cross-sectional study
Long-COVID has been reported to affect a substantial portion of survivors of COVID-19, including those who experienced mild acute disease (Carter et al., 2022; Chen et al., 2022; Yan et al., 2021). In many of the cases, the affected individuals experience debilitating symptoms that affect their physical and cognitive function, impairing their quality of life. Recent longer-term follow-up studies show that many individuals do not experience full recovery even 1 year after infection (PHOSP-COVID Collaborative Group, 2022; Zhang et al.Effect of Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines and ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccination to Prevent COVID-19 in Thai Households (VacPrevent trial)
COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection and caused the pandemic with high mortality. Household transmission is the most common transmission source in the countries with COVID-19 outbreaks (Pollán et al., 2020). In England, the secondary infection rate is 4-6.4 per 100 households (Hall et al., 2021). The secondary attack rate (SAR) in other countries is 16.3-53% (Grijalva et al., 2020; Li et al., 2020; Singanayagam et al., 2022). The systematic review demonstrated an average of 17% secondary infections (4-45%), and the SAR was 31.1% during the B.1.617.2 outbreak, whereas the high transmissibility in Thai households was 56% (Madewell et al.A global epidemiological analysis of COVID-19 vaccine types and clinical outcomes
SARS-CoV-2 has led to more than 275 million cases of disease and 5 million deaths worldwide. COVID-19 vaccines deployed in many parts of the world since early 2021, albeit unevenly, have been shown to protect vaccinees against disease and mortality (Al Kaabi et al., 2021; Butt et al., 2021; Cheng et al., 2021; Fadlyana et al., 2021; Jara et al., 2021; Li et al., 2021; Rotshild et al., 2021; Sadoff et al., 2021; Tanriover et al., 2021). However, at the time this study was conducted, there was conflicting evidence about the quality and potency of immune protection afforded by COVID-19 messenger RNA (mRNA)-based and adenovirus-vectored vaccines (ADVV) compared with inactivated virus vaccines (IVV) against SARS-CoV-2 pre-Omicron variants (Cheng et al.Effectiveness of the neutralizing antibody sotrovimab among high-risk patients with mild-to-moderate SARS-CoV-2 in Qatar
Several monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 have been developed for the treatment of COVID-19 (Miguez-Rey et al., 2022). One of these is sotrovimab, which significantly reduced the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and death due to infection with pre-Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants in a randomized clinical trial (Gupta et al., 2021). The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency authorization to permit the use of sotrovimab for the treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in patients at high risk of progression to severe COVID-19 (US Food and Drug Administration, 2022).Diagnostic accuracy of a novel SARS CoV-2 rapid antigen test and usefulness of specimens collected from the anterior nasal cavity
Many health care providers are hopeful regarding COVID-19 testing programs that use accurate rapid antigen tests to reduce the burden on the health care system through early diagnosis of infection (Chen et al., 2021). If performed appropriately, these testing programs can support rapid and accurate decisions with respect to the isolation and treatment of patients with COVID-19 (World Health Organization, 2020a). Currently, various antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) for SARS-CoV-2 are commercially available (Brümmer et al.Non-severe COVID-19 complicated by cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum (mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with a reversible splenial lesion): a case report and literature review
Coronavirus disease 2019- (COVID-19-) associated cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum (CLOCCs) have been reported as a rare neurological abnormality in severe cases. Here, a case of CLOCCs in the early stages of mild COVID-19 infection during the Omicron BA.1 epidemic is reported along with a literature review.Spike-specific T-cell responses in patients with COVID-19 successfully treated with neutralizing monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2
Passive immunization by administering neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (moAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 is an effective therapeutic strategy in reducing both hospitalization and death related to COVID-19 (Dougan et al., 2021; Gupta et al., 2021; Montgomery et al., 2022; Weinreich et al., 2021). To date, the Food and Drug Administration has approved more than 30 SARS-CoV-2 moAbs for clinical trials. In Italy, five moAbs have been introduced into clinical practice for early treatment of COVID-19 following clearance by the Italian Drug Agency (AIFA) (AIFA, 2022).Seroprevalence of infection-induced SARS-CoV-2 antibodies among health care users of Northern Italy: results from two serosurveys (October-November 2019 and September-October 2021)
COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, was declared a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020. As of June 12, 2022, there have been 533,160,628 confirmed cases worldwide, including over 6 million deaths (WHO, 2022).Acute asthma exacerbation due to the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine [ComirnatyⓇ])
The most common adverse reactions of the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine (ComirnatyⓇ) were local reactions at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, and fever (Thomas et al., 2021). A serious allergic reaction involved anaphylaxis, but the incidence was very low, and other allergic reactions have been uncertain. We herein report a patient who developed acute asthma exacerbation after receiving the third dose of the BNT16b2 vaccine, who was considered likely to have been sensitized to the BNT16b2 vaccine during repeated vaccination.SARS-CoV-2 vertical transmission during the first trimester of pregnancy in asymptomatic women
It is now well established that in utero vertical SARS-CoV-2 transmission can occur during the late third trimester (Fenizia et al., 2020; Vivanti et al., 2020). A systematic review of the cases reported in the literature estimated that of all the newborns who were SARS-CoV-2-positive, congenital transmission ranged from 5.7 to possibly 12.2% (Raschetti et al., 2020). As specimens are easily accessible postpartum, many studies focused on the late third trimester to assess the risk of vertical transmission.The first case of meningitis associated with SARS-CoV-2 BA.2 variant infection with persistent viremia
Neurological symptoms of COVID-19 are highly frequent and disabling (Wan et al., 2021). Severe neurological disorders such as encephalitis, meningitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and vascular events have been described in anecdotal reports or in case series. Here, we describe the first case of a female patient infected with the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2 Omicron variant of concern (VoC) meningitis with newly diagnosed central demyelinating disease.Azithromycin use and outcomes in patients with COVID-19: an observational real-world study
COVID-19, caused by the new SARS-CoV-2, continues to be widespread, with nearly 600 million cases and >6 million deaths worldwide as of August 29, 2022 (World Health Organization, 2022). Most patients with COVID-19 have flu-like syndrome with a variety of mild symptoms including rhinitis, pharyngitis, cough, and fever. However, some patients experience a more life-threatening disease characterized by respiratory failure, a proinflammatory state, and arterial thromboembolism, which may require hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) admission (Bonaventura et al.Critical pediatric neurological illness associated with COVID-19 (Omicron BA.2.3.7 variant) infection in Taiwan: immunological assessment and viral genome analysis in tertiary medical center
Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, people all around the world have continued to fight it (Jian et al., 2022). However, as the virus evolves, more variants of concern have been reported (Chung et al., 2022). Patients with COVID-19 infection have also experienced neurological symptoms during the course of the infection (Nordvig et al., 2021). However, severe neurological complications have tended to be more common in children recently (Dilber et al., 2021; Valderas et al., 2022).Simultaneous co-infection with Omicron (B.1.1.529) and Delta (21A/478K.V1) SARS-CoV-2 variants confirmed by whole genome sequencing
The national data of the epidemiological survey of COVID-19 variants carried out in France has shown a predominance of the Delta variant (21A/478K.V1) since June 29, 2021 (Santé publique France 2021). Since the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) was first reported (WHO, 2021), it has rapidly spread worldwide. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant compared with other variants of concern (VOCs) (WHO, 2021) but no simultaneous co-infection. We described herein a case of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and Delta VOCs co-infection, confirmed by whole genome sequencing (WGS).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.Clinical cardiovascular emergencies and the cellular basis of COVID-19 vaccination: from dream to reality?
COVID-19 first emerged in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, resulting in a rapid spread in the outbreak of pneumonia. The pandemic has affected millions of individuals and claimed more than 6 million lives worldwide, leading to massive health, social, and economic issues (Cascella et al., 2022). Patients with COVID-19 often experience fatigue, fever, cough, pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome at the advanced stages (Shirani et al., 2020). Except for respiratory symptoms, COVID-19 might be directly or indirectly linked to severe cardiovascular complications, such as palpitation, chest pain, and acute cardiovascular injury (Driggin et al.SARS-CoV-2 dual infection with Delta and Omicron variants in an immunocompetent host: a case report
Dual infections (those caused by two different viral variants) have been described with RNA viruses but are rare among respiratory viral infections (Calistri et al., 2011; Myers et al., 2011). For SARS-CoV-2, few cases of dual infection have been reported, despite an extremely high number of persons being infected worldwide (Francisco et al., 2021; Pedro et al., 2021; Roychoudhury et al., 2022; Samoilov et al., 2021; Vankeerberghen et al., 2021). However, pinning down these cases is complicated; they can be identified with higher probability during the transition from dominance of one SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern to another in the population.Safety and immunogenicity of MVC-COV1901 vaccine in older adults: Phase 2 randomized dose-comparison trial
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the highest death rates have been consistently recorded among people older than 65 years old (World Health Organization, 2022). Although multiple countries prioritized older adults in the national vaccination strategies against SARS-CoV-2 (Our World in Data, 2022), an increase in breakthrough COVID-19 infections was found among older adults (Haas et al., 2021). Moreover, several studies identified older age as a substantial barrier for vaccine uptake due to lack of trust, which could constrain vaccination coverage of this vulnerable population (Jantzen et al., 2022; Siu et al., 2022; Tan et al., 2022).Comparison of antibody response durability of mRNA-1273, BNT162b2, and Ad26.COV2.S SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in healthcare workers
Vaccination with Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved/authorized COVID-19 vaccines is imperative to control the ongoing pandemic. Several studies have demonstrated robust similar or higher early anti-spike (anti-S), anti-S-receptor binding domain (RBD), and neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses after primary vaccination with mRNA-1273 compared with BNT162b2 and higher responses with both mRNA vaccines compared with Ad26.COV2.S (Collier et al., 2021; Debes et al., 2021; Naranbhai et al., 2022; Richards et al.
