The BA.2 assessment has not been made public and I don't know whether it is completed. There was a reassuring news item on the 19th stating that hospitalization rates seem identical. https://t.co/Bc4pp4mLMTNext meeting is on the 27th, so I guess some info will be ready by then.— Uffe Poulsen (@uffe1974) January 23, 2022
A statistical model for the dynamics of COVID‐19 infections and their case detection ratio in 2020
The case detection ratio of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections varies over time due to changing testing capacities, different testing strategies, and the evolving underlying number of inf...
On assessing excess mortality in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic
AStA Wirtschafts- und Sozialstatistisches Archiv - Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with a very high number of casualties in the general population. Assessing the exact...
Nach Studie aus SA ist intrinsischer Schweregrad von Omikron gegenüber Delta um 25% reduziert. Deckt sich genau mit @imperialcollege Daten (24%) und bedeutet dass Omikron ziemlich genau zwischen Alpha und Delta liegt. (Alpha 1.4x WT, Delta 1.9x Alpha)https://t.co/httBsSvKLX pic.twitter.com/RFoJixKxtP— Jan Hartmann (@pelagicbird) January 13, 2022
Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 exhibits an increased resilience to the antiviral type I interferon response
The new variant of concern (VOC) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Omicron (B.1.1.529), is genetically very different from other VOCs. We compared Omicron with the preceding VOC Delta (B.1.617.2) and the wildtype strain (B.1) with respect to their interactions with the antiviral type I interferon (IFN-alpha/beta) response in infected cells. Our data indicate that Omicron has gained an elevated capability to suppress IFN-beta induction upon infection and to better withstand the antiviral state imposed by exogenously added IFN-alpha. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.
Together, our results indicate that Omicron has an increased capability to- suppress IFN production- evade the IFN antiviral stateAs IFNs belong to the innate immune system, this is a kind of immune evasion9/11— Friedemann Weber (@Friedemann1) January 22, 2022
BNT162b2 (Pfizer–Biontech) mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Against Omicron-Related Hospital and Emergency Department Admission in a Large US Health System: A Test-Negative Design
Background: Vaccine effectiveness (VE) against omicron is not well-characterized. We evaluated the effectiveness of two and three doses of BNT162b2 against hosp
Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 COVID-19 boosters against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) infection in Qatar
BACKGROUND: Waning of COVID-19 vaccine protection and emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant have expedited efforts to scale up booster vaccination. This study compared protection afforded by booster doses of the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccines, compared to the primary series of only two doses in Qatar, during a large, rapidly growing Omicron wave. METHODS: In a population of 2,232,224 vaccinated persons with at least two doses, two matched, retrospective cohort studies were implemented to investigate effectiveness of booster vaccination against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and against COVID-19 hospitalization and death, up to January 9, 2022. Association of booster status with infection was estimated using Cox proportional-hazards regression models. RESULTS: For BNT162b2, cumulative symptomatic infection incidence was 2.9% (95% CI: 2.8-3.1%) in the booster-dose cohort and 5.5% (95% CI: 5.3-5.7%) in the primary-series cohort, after 49 days of follow-up. Adjusted hazard ratio for symptomatic infection was 0.50 (95% CI: 0.47-0.53). Booster effectiveness relative to primary series was 50.1% (95% CI: 47.3-52.8%). For mRNA-1273, cumulative symptomatic infection incidence was 1.9% (95% CI: 1.7-2.2%) in the booster-dose cohort and 3.5% (95% CI: 3.2-3.9%) in the primary-series cohort, after 35 days of follow-up. The adjusted hazard ratio for symptomatic infection was 0.49 (95% CI: 0.43-0.57). Booster effectiveness relative to primary series was 50.8% (95% CI: 43.4-57.3%). There were fewer cases of severe COVID-19 in booster-dose cohorts than in primary-series cohorts, but cases of severe COVID-19 were rare in all cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: mRNA booster vaccination is associated with modest effectiveness against symptomatic infection with Omicron. The development of a new generation of vaccines targeting a broad range of variants may be warranted. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement The authors are grateful for institutional salary support from the Biomedical Research Program and the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Biomathematics Research Core, both at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, as well as for institutional salary support provided by the Ministry of Public Health, Hamad Medical Corporation, and Sidra Medicine. The authors are also grateful for the Qatar Genome Programme and Qatar University Biomedical Research Center for institutional support for the reagents needed for the viral genome sequencing. The funders of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the article. Statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Hamad Medical Corporation and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar Institutional Review Boards approved this retrospective study with waiver of informed consent. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes The dataset of this study is a property of the Qatar Ministry of Public Health that was provided to the researchers through a restricted-access agreement that prevents sharing the dataset with a third party or publicly. Future access to this dataset can be considered through a direct application for data access to Her Excellency the Minister of Public Health (https://www.moph.gov.qa/english/Pages/default.aspx). Aggregate data are available within the manuscript and its Supplementary information.
kinetics of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies over time. Results of 10 month follow up in over 300 seropositive Health Care Workers
The kinetics of the antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) needs to be evaluated since long-term duration of antibody remains largely unknown, particularly in infected healthcare workers (HCW).Prospective study, ...
Corona-Entwicklung - Drosten: Es ist keinesfalls sicher, dass Omikron im abgemilderten Zustand bleiben wird
Es gebe verschiedene Möglichkeiten, wie sich Omikron von einer eher milden Variante in eine stärker krankmachende entwickeln könnte, sagte der Virologe Christian Drosten. Man müsse derzeit befürchten, dass eine Rekombination aus Omikron und Delta passiere, sagte Drosten im Dlf.
CovRadar is a tool for the molecular surveillance of the Corona spike protein. The spike protein allows the virus to enter the host cell and is therefore an important target for antibodies and vaccines.
Differences in environmental stability among SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: Omicron has higher stability
We analyzed the differences in viral environmental stability between the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain and all variants of concern (VOCs). On plastic and skin surfaces, Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants exhibited more than two-fold longer survival than the Wuhan strain and maintained infectivity for more than 16 h on skin surfaces. The high environmental stability of these VOCs could increase the risk of contact transmission and contribute to their spread. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.
Heidelberger Pathologe pocht auf mehr Obduktionen von Geimpften
Stuttgart/Heidelberg – Der Chefpathologe der Uni Heidelberg, Peter Schirmacher, drängt zu viel mehr Obduktionen von Geimpften. Neben Coronatoten müssten auch... #COVID-19 #Impfen
Risk of Myocarditis from COVID-19 Infection in People Under Age 20: A Population-Based Analysis
Myocarditis (or pericarditis or myopericarditis) from primary COVID19 infection occurred at a rate as high as 450 per million in young males. Young males infected with the virus are up 6 times more likely to develop myocarditis as those who have received the vaccine.
Painful muscles and joints, shortness of breath and lack of energy are all unwanted gifts of a disease that keeps on giving, say researchers. In addition, many victims suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
New: Remarkable 90% and durable protection (3 months) with booster vs Omicron vs hospital admission, the 1st US data, confirms + extends @UKHSA data👍https://t.co/5MgpcQp06Y pic.twitter.com/dkaJIma3H4— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) January 20, 2022
On Jan 6, 2022, the UK Government's Office of National Statistics (ONS) published their latest report on the prevalence of long COVID in the UK from a representative survey. As of Dec 6, 2021, around 1·266 million people living in the UK had self-reported long COVID (95% CI 1·228–1·304; 2% of the total population), defined as symptoms persisting for more than 4 weeks after the first confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. Of these individuals, 892 000 (70%) had confirmed or suspected COVID-19 at least 12 weeks previously.
Long COVID umfasst Symptome, die nach einer akuten COVID-19-Erkrankung neu auftreten und Wochen oder Monate nach Erkrankungsbeginn anhalten. Die Symptome können mit der Zeit abklingen oder sich zu einem anhaltenden Beschwerdebild entwickeln, das mit einer starken Einschränkung der Lebensqualität einhergeht. Eine Subgruppe von Menschen mit Long COVID hat eine große…
Frequency of Adverse Events in the Placebo Arms of COVID-19 Vaccine Trials
This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the frequency of adverse events in placebo groups compared with that in vaccine groups in COVID-19 vaccine trials.
