Duration of infectious shedding of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and its relation with symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: SARS-CoV-2 infections with Omicron variants have a high capability of human-to-human transmission. Nevertheless, the duration of isolation for mild cases was shortened to 5 to 7 days. We aimed to detect the duration of viral shedding among healthcare workers (HCWs) with Omicron by using viral culture. METHODS: We prospectively included newly diagnosed nonsevere, symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 positive HCWs. Nasopharyngeal swab samples were obtained consecutively on days 5, 7,10, and 14 of onset of symptoms. The samples were examined by nucleic acid amplification test and viral culture. RESULTS: In total, 55 non-severe patients with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant were included. The mean age of the population was 34 years (range, 23 to 54) and 78% (43/55) were female. The PCR positivity rate on days 5, 7, 10, and 14 was 96.4% (53/55), 87.3% (48/55), 74.545% (41/55), and 41.8% (23/55) consecutively, whereas the viral culture positivity rates were 83% (44/53), 52% (26/50), 13.5% (7/52), and 8% (4/50). Among the patients who became symptom-free, the viral culture positivity rates were 100% (4/4), 58% (7/12), 11% (3/27), and 5% (2/41). DISCUSSION: We showed that among the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infected patients, viral shedding continues for ≥10 days in 13.5% of all cases and 11% in symptom-free cases. The decision for cessation of isolation according to the presence of symptoms could be reconsidered until further studies disapprove of our results. Meanwhile, the infected HCWs who give care to high-risk patients for severe COVID-19 might extend their isolations ≤10 days after the onset of symptoms, regardless of their symptoms.

Rapid and efficient ambient temperature X-ray crystal structure determination at Turkish Light Source.

High-resolution biomacromolecular structure determination is essential to better understand protein function and dynamics. Serial crystallography is an emerging structural biology technique which has fundamental limitations due to either sample volume requirements or immediate access to the competitive X-ray beamtime. Obtaining a high volume of well-diffracting, sufficient-size crystals while mitigating radiation damage remains a critical bottleneck of serial crystallography. As an alternative, we introduce the plate-reader module adapted for using a 72-well Terasaki plate for biomacromolecule structure determination at a convenience of a home X-ray source. We also present the first ambient temperature lysozyme structure determined at the Turkish light source (Turkish DeLight). The complete dataset was collected in 18.5 min with resolution extending to 2.39 Å and 100% completeness. Combined with our previous cryogenic structure (PDB ID: 7Y6A), the ambient temperature structure provides invaluable information about the structural dynamics of the lysozyme. Turkish DeLight provides robust and rapid ambient temperature biomacromolecular structure determination with limited radiation damage.

Cryogenic X-ray crystallographic studies of biomacromolecules at Turkish Light Source "Turkish DeLight".

X-ray crystallography is a robust and powerful structural biology technique that provides high-resolution atomic structures of biomacromolecules. Scientists use this technique to unravel mechanistic and structural details of biological macromolecules (e.g., proteins, nucleic acids, protein complexes, protein-nucleic acid complexes, or large biological compartments). Since its inception, single-crystal cryocrystallography has never been performed in Türkiye due to the lack of a single-crystal X-ray diffractometer. The X-ray diffraction facility recently established at the University of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Türkiye will enable Turkish and international researchers to easily perform high-resolution structural analysis of biomacromolecules from single crystals. Here, we describe the technical and practical outlook of a state-of-the-art home-source X-ray, using lysozyme as a model protein. The methods and practice described in this article can be applied to any biological sample for structural studies. Therefore, this article will be a valuable practical guide from sample preparation to data analysis.