Covid19-Sources

The B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in November of 2021 in South Africa and Botswana as well as in a sample of a traveler from South Africa in Hong Kong.1,2 Since then, B.1.1.529 has been detected in many countries globally. This variant seems to be more infectious than B.1.617.2 (Delta), has already caused super spreader events3 and has outcompeted Delta within weeks in several countries and metropolitan areas. B.1.1.529 hosts an unprecedented number of mutations in its spike gene and early reports have provided evidence for extensive immune escape and reduced vaccine effectiveness.2,4-6 Here, we investigated the neutralizing and binding activity of sera from convalescent, mRNA double vaccinated, mRNA boosted as well as convalescent double vaccinated and convalescent boosted individuals against wild type, B.1.351 and B.1.1.529 SARS-CoV-2 isolates. Neutralizing activity of sera from convalescent and double vaccinated participants was undetectable to very low against B.1.1.529 while neutralizing activity of sera from individuals who had been exposed to spike three or four times was maintained, albeit at strongly reduced levels. Binding to the B.1.1.529 receptor binding domain (RBD) and N-terminal domain (NTD) was reduced in convalescent not vaccinated but was mostly retained in vaccinated individuals. ### Competing Interest Statement The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has filed patent applications relating to SARS-CoV-2 serological assays and NDV-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines which list Florian Krammer as co-inventor. Viviana Simon is also listed on the serological assay patent application as co-inventor. Mount Sinai has spun out a company, Kantaro, to market serological tests for SARS-CoV-2. Florian Krammer has consulted for Merck and Pfizer (before 2020), and is currently consulting for Pfizer, Third Rock Ventures, Seqirus and Avimex. The Krammer laboratory is also collaborating with Pfizer on animal models of SARS-CoV-2. ### Funding Statement This work is part of the PARIS/SPARTA studies funded by the NIAID Collaborative Influenza Vaccine Innovation Centers (CIVIC) contract 75N93019C00051. In addition, this work was also partially funded by the NIAID Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Response (CEIRR) contract and 75N93021C00014 by anonymous donors. This work is part of the NIAID SARS-CoV-2 Assessment of Viral Evolution (SAVE) program. ### 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: The study was reviewed and approved by the Mount Sinai Hospital Institutional Review Board (IRB-20-03374). 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 All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors

In this brief communication we are showing original research results with early estimates from Danish nationwide databases of vaccine effectiveness (VE) against the novel SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) up to five months after a primary vaccination series with the BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccines. Our study provides evidence of protection against infection with the Omicron variant after completion of a primary vaccination series with the BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccines; in particular, we found a VE against the Omicron variant of 55.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 23.5 to 73.7%) and 36.7% (95% CI: -69.9 to 76.4%) for the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines, respectively, in the first month after primary vaccination. However, the VE is significantly lower than that against Delta infection and declines rapidly over just a few months. The VE is re-established upon revaccination with the BNT162b2 vaccine (54.6%, 95% CI: 30.4 to 70.4%).

The emergence of novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants stresses the continued need for next-generation vaccines that confer broad protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We developed and evaluated an adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle (SpFN) vaccine in nonhuman primates (NHPs). High-dose (50 µ g) SpFN vaccine, given twice within a 28 day interval, induced a Th1-biased CD4 T cell helper response and a peak neutralizing antibody geometric mean titer of 52,773 against wild-type virus, with activity against SARS-CoV-1 and minimal decrement against variants of concern. Vaccinated animals mounted an anamnestic response upon high-dose SARS-CoV-2 respiratory challenge that translated into rapid elimination of replicating virus in their upper and lower airways and lung parenchyma. SpFN’s potent and broad immunogenicity profile and resulting efficacy in NHPs supports its utility as a candidate platform for SARS-like betacoronaviruses. One-Sentence Summary A SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein ferritin nanoparticle vaccine, co-formulated with a liposomal adjuvant, elicits broad neutralizing antibody responses that exceed those observed for other major vaccines and rapidly protects against respiratory infection and disease in the upper and lower airways and lung tissue of nonhuman primates. ### Competing Interest Statement M. Gordon Joyce and Kayvon Modjarrad are primary co-inventors on pending patents for material presented in this manuscript.

The emergence of variants of concern, some with reduced susceptibility to COVID-19 vaccines underscores consideration for the understanding of vaccine design that optimizes induction of effective cellular and humoral immune responses. We assessed a SARS-CoV-2 spike-ferritin nanoparticle (SpFN) immun …

On 26 November 2021 the World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution named the B.1.1.529 COVID-19 variant, first detected in Botswana and South Africa, as the Omicron variant of concern (1). This classification was based on a rapid increase in cases in South Africa, coinciding with an increase in detections of Omicron, a number of concerning mutations and early evidence suggesting an increased risk of reinfections. A large number of mutations have been identified in the Omicron variant, including multiple mutations to the receptor binding domain of the spike protein which have been associated with reduced antibody response (2). Emerging laboratory data indicate a reduced neutralising antibody response to Omicron compared to the original COVID-19 virus or the Delta variant in vaccinated individuals, though booster doses increased the antibody titres (3, 4). Neutralising antibody has been found to correlate with protection against reinfection and vaccine effectiveness against infection, therefore reduced vaccine effectiveness against Omicron is anticipated based on the early laboratory findings (5, 6, 7). COVID-19 vaccines have been found to be highly effective against symptomatic disease and, more so, against severe disease outcomes with the original COVID-19 virus as well as the Alpha variant that predominated in early 2021 (8-14). Modest reductions in vaccine effectiveness against infection and mild disease have been seen with the Beta variant and the Delta variant, though effectiveness against severe disease has remained high (15-18). Waning of protection several months after a primary course has been observed with the Delta variant, however, booster doses lead to a significant increase in protection against both mild and severe disease outcomes (18-23). Omicron cases identified through whole genome sequencing first began to be detected in the UK in specimens from mid-November 2021. Initially cases occurred primarily in travellers and their close contacts but there was evidence of community transmission from late November (24). The UK COVID-19 vaccination programme has been in place since December 2020 with primary courses of 2 doses of either BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech, Comirnaty®), ChAdOx1-S (Vaxzevria, AstraZeneca) or mRNA-1273 (Spikevax, Moderna). Coverage with 2 doses is over 60% in all cohorts over 20 years and over 80% in all cohorts over 50 years and vaccinations are now also being offered to children over the age of 12 years (25). Booster vaccination with either BNT162b2 or a half dose (50μg) of mRNA-1273 was introduced in September 2021 to adults over 50 years and those in risk groups, and later expanded to all adults. Initially boosters were offered 6 months after completion of the primary course. With the emergence of the Omicron variant, this interval was reduced to 3 months.

This meta-analysis examines the scale of the public health concern of COVID-19–related chronic olfactory dysfunction.

A study led by researchers from HKUMed provides the first information on how the novel Variant of Concern of SARS-CoV-2, the Omicron SARS-CoV-2, infect human respiratory tract.

Recent surveillance has revealed the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (BA.1/B.1.1.529) harboring up to 36 mutations in spike protein, the target of vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies. Given its potential to escape vaccine-induced humoral immunity, we measured neutralization potency of sera from 88 mRNA-1273, 111 BNT162b, and 40 Ad26.COV2.S vaccine recipients against wild type, Delta, and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses. We included individuals that were vaccinated recently (3 months), distantly (6- 12 months), or recently boosted, and accounted for prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. Remarkably, neutralization of Omicron was undetectable in most vaccinated individuals. However, individuals boosted with mRNA vaccines exhibited potent neutralization of Omicron only 4-6-fold lower than wild type, suggesting that boosters enhance the cross-reactivity of neutralizing antibody responses. In addition, we find Omicron pseudovirus is more infectious than any other variant tested. Overall, this study highlights the importance of boosters to broaden neutralizing antibody responses against highly divergent SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Seit Anfang April 2021 haben Tausende Facebook-User ein Bild geteilt, das eine Rechnung mit Zahlen der Europäischen Arzneimittel-Agentur (EMA) zu Verdachtsfällen von Covid-19-Impftoten zeigen soll. Demnach könnten 5943 Menschen an möglichen Impfreaktionen gestorben sein, heißt es in den Postings. Die Datenbank listet allerdings lediglich Reaktionen nach der Impfung auf, darunter auch tödliche. Weil in der Regel einzelne Verstorbene mehrere tödliche Symptome zeigten, tauchen diese auch mehrfach in der EMA-Liste auf. Die tatsächliche Zahl an Menschen, die in zeitlicher Nähe einer Impfung gestorben sind, ist kleiner. Einen kausalen Zusammenhang dieser Todesfälle mit einer Covid-Impfung stellen die Zahlen nach Angaben der EMA ausdrücklich nicht dar.

The variation in the speed and intensity of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and severity of the resulting COVID-19 disease are still imperfectly understood. We postulate a dose-response relationship in COVID-19, and that “the dose of virus in the initial ...

The Omicron surge is scary. But schools must stay open.

The frequency of the majority of reported persistent symptoms was similar in SARS-CoV-2 positive cases and controls. This systematic review and meta-analysis highlights the critical importance of a control group in studi7777es on CYP post SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A relationship between the infecting dose and the risk of disease severity has not been demonstrated for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we report three clusters of individuals that were potentially exposed to distinct inoculum in Madrid. Overall each group ...

COVID-19 OMICRON - The Omicron variant largely evades immunity from past infection or two vaccine doses according to the latest Imperial modelling.

In late November 2021, an outbreak of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 following a Christmas party with 117 attendees was detected in Oslo, Norway. We observed an attack rate of 74% and most cases developed symptoms. As at 13 December, none have been hospitalised. Most participants were 30–50 years old. Ninety-six percent of them were fully vaccinated. These findings corroborate reports that the Omicron variant may be more transmissible, and that vaccination may be less effective in preventing infection compared with Delta.

### What you need to know Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in December 2019, there has been an unparalleled global effort to characterise the virus and the clinical course of disease. Coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, follows a biphasic pattern of illness that likely results from the combination of an early viral response phase and an inflammatory second phase. Most clinical presentations are mild, and the typical pattern of covid-19 more resembles an influenza-like illness—which includes fever, cough, malaise, myalgia, headache, and taste and smell disturbance—rather than severe pneumonia (although emerging evidence about long term consequences is yet to be understood in detail).1 In this review, we provide a broad update on the emerging understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathophysiology, including virology, transmission dynamics, and the immune response to the virus. Any of the …

The recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant harbors 37 amino acid substitutions in the spike (S) protein, 15 of which are in the receptor-binding domain (RBD), thereby raising concerns about the effectiveness of available vaccines and antibody therapeutics. Here, we show that the Omicron RBD binds to human ACE2 with enhanced affinity relative to the Wuhan-Hu-1 RBD and acquires binding to mouse ACE2. Severe reductions of plasma neutralizing activity were observed against Omicron compared to the ancestral pseudovirus for vaccinated and convalescent individuals. Most (26 out of 29) receptor-binding motif (RBM)-directed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) lost in vitro neutralizing activity against Omicron, with only three mAbs, including the ACE2-mimicking S2K146 mAb[1][1], retaining unaltered potency. Furthermore, a fraction of broadly neutralizing sarbecovirus mAbs recognizing antigenic sites outside the RBM, including sotrovimab[2][2], S2X259[3][3] and S2H97[4][4], neutralized Omicron. The magnitude of Omicron-mediated immune evasion and the acquisition of binding to mouse ACE2 mark a major SARS-CoV-2 mutational shift. Broadly neutralizing sarbecovirus mAbs recognizing epitopes conserved among SARS-CoV-2 variants and other sarbecoviruses may prove key to controlling the ongoing pandemic and future zoonotic spillovers. ### Competing Interest Statement E.C., K.C., C.S., D.P., F.Z., A.D.M., A.L., L.P., M.S.P., D.C., H.K., J.N., N.F., J.diI., L.E.R., N.C., C.H.D., K.R.S., J.R.D., A.E.P., A.C., C.M., L.Y., D.S., L.S., L.A.P., C.H., A.T., H.W.V. and G.S. are employees of Vir Biotechnology Inc. and may hold shares in Vir Biotechnology Inc. L.A.P. is a former employee and shareholder in Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Regeneron provided no funding for this work. The Veesler laboratory has received a sponsored research agreement from Vir Biotechnology Inc. HYC reported consulting with Ellume, Pfizer, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Glaxo Smith Kline, and Merck. She has received research funding from Emergent Ventures, Gates Ventures, Sanofi Pasteur, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and support and reagents from Ellume and Cepheid outside of the submitted work. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #ref-2 [3]: #ref-3 [4]: #ref-4

Hospitals are struggling to hold on to nurses and other professionals, staff are traumatized and the influx of patients feels like it's coming out of a fire hose, doctors say.

Boris Reitschuster behauptet, es sei „Betrug“, wenn die Bundesregierung sage, ein Großteil der Covid-19-Patienten auf Intensivstationen sei ungeimpft. Das ist irreführend.

WHO ADR database

Ergebnisse aus dem wiederholten querschnittlichen Monitoring von Wissen, Risikowahrnehmung, Schutzverhalten und Vertrauen während des aktuellen COVID-19 Ausbruchsgeschehens Ein Gemeinschaftsprojekt von Universität Erfurt, Robert Koch Institut, Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung, Leibniz-Institut für Psychologie, Science Media Center, Bernhard Nocht Institut für Tropenmedizin und Yale Institute for Global Health

This cohort study uses data from a primary school in Belgium to examine the possible role of children in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2.

💡New VACCINE RANKING of ability to neutralize #Omicron—Moderna appears to be the strongest against Omicron in this study, but still big drop. Pfizer next best (but we know infection efficacy is 30-34%), AstraZeneca & Sinopharm poor. J&J & Sputnik = zero.🧵https://t.co/5xmnXH2XaJ https://t.co/eZq8jbMEsQ

In the last few days, the question of why more drug companies haven't been enlisted for vaccine production has come up. It's mostly due to this tweet:The problem is, as far as I can see, this is simply wrong. There are not

Bereits in den Anfängen der Corona-Epidemie in China deuteten erste Studien darauf hin, dass bei Kindern eine COVID-19-Erkrankung (Corona)1 im Allgemeinen weniger schwerwiegend ver- läuft als bei Erwachsenen. Diese Erkenntnis hat sich auch ein Jahr später nicht geändert. Kinder (älter als ein Jahr) erkranken im Durchschnitt weniger schwer, Krankheitsverläufe sind häufig asymptomatisch2. Hieraus kann jedoch nicht gefolgert werden, dass Kinder nur eine geringe oder gar keine Rolle im Infektionsgeschehen spielen. Ferner ist nicht geklärt, in welchem Ausmaß sie von Spätfolgenerkrankungen betroffen sind („Long Covid“). Um ihre Bedeutung für das Pande- miegeschehen beurteilen zu können, muss zum einen geklärt werden, in welchem Ausmaß sie sich selbst infizieren und zum anderen, wie effizient sie die Infektion weitergeben können. Ge- rade in Hinblick auf die Schließung von Kindergärten und Schulen ist es wichtig, diese Fragen zu beantworten. Hierzu sind in den vergangenen Monaten zwar zahlreiche Forschungsarbeiten erschienen, aber eine Reihe von Argumenten für und wider die Schließung/Öffnung von Schulen und Kindergärten wird nach wie vor kontrovers diskutiert. Dies liegt daran, dass verschiedene Erhebungen unter ganz spezifischen Voraussetzungen entstanden sind. Dadurch ist die Interpre- tation des Infektionsgeschehens nur unter spezifischen Einschränkungen möglich und die Aussa- gen können nur in begrenztem Umfang die Frage zur Rolle von Kindern im Corona-Pandemiege- schehen beantworten.

Antibody responses to virus reflect exposure and potential protection.We developed a highly specific and sensitive approach to measuring antibodies ag…

The majority of the Spanish population is seronegative to SARS-CoV-2 infection, even in hotspot areas. Most PCR-confirmed cases have detectable antibodies, but a substantial proportion of people with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 did not have a PCR test and at least a third of infections determined by serology were asymptomatic. These results emphasise the need for maintaining public health measures to avoid a new epidemic wave.