Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 antibody response after Moderna vaccine booster on healthcare providers.

INTRODUCTION: As an endeavor to control SARS-CoV-2 infection, the Moderna vaccine booster was given to healthcare workers to prevent reinfection and reduce the risk of complications from COVID-19. A heterologous booster vaccine is also thought to provide better protection against the current SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. However, research that evaluates the effectiveness of the Moderna vaccine booster and the resulting SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentration is needed. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies after the Moderna vaccine booster and the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection before and after the Moderna vaccine booster. RESULTS: A total of 93 healthcare providers who received Moderna vaccine booster were included in the study. Examination of antibody concentration 3 months after the booster showed an average concentration of 10081.65 U/mL. There was an increase in antibody concentration before the booster and 3 months after, from a median of 1.7 U/mL to 9540 U/mL. Every subject showed a statistically significant increment of antibody concentration 3 months after the booster (p < 0.01). Thirty-seven (39.8%) subjects received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine and were confirmed to have COVID-19 with the Delta variant. After the booster, 26 (28%) subjects were infected with the Omicron Variant. Among the subjects who received two doses of the Sinovac vaccine and were confirmed with COVID-19, 36 (30.1%) had mild symptoms, and 1 (1.1%) was asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: Heterologous Moderna vaccine booster effectively increases antibody response against SARS-CoV-2 variants and shows mild symptoms of COVID-19 infection.

Clinical characteristics and quality of life of persistent symptoms of COVID-19 syndrome in Indonesia.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) manifests in a broad clinical spectrum. COVID-19 survivors report various symptoms up to several months after being infected. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of persistent COVID-19 syndrome in Indonesia, the factors that influence the incidence, and the quality of life. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with an online questionnaire conducted in January 2021. Inclusion criteria were: adult Indonesian citizens who had recovered from COVID-19, and were confirmed negative by RT-PCR of nasal swabs or had undergone an isolation period for a minimum of 14 days. Data analysis was performed by the Chi-square test, followed by multivariate analysis with the backward likelihood ratio method. Results: From a total of 385 respondents, 256 (66.5%) experienced persistent COVID-19 syndrome. The most prevalent symptoms were fatigue (29.4%), cough (15.5%), and muscle pain (11.2%). Of the five aspects of quality of life, the most commonly reported aspects were pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. The risk of persistent COVID-19 syndrome was significantly higher in subjects with older age, comorbidities, higher clinical severity, previous treatment in hospital, presence of pneumonia, and those who had required oxygen therapy. In the multivariate analysis, the most influential factor for the incidence of persistent COVID-19 syndrome was pneumonia (aOR 2.31, 95% CI 1.29-4.11, p<0.002). Conclusions: The prevalence of the persistent COVID-19 syndrome in Indonesia was high, which affects the quality of life of COVID-19 survivors. Pneumonia was the main factor that influenced the incidence of persistent COVID-19 syndrome. Further research with a larger sample size and a longer study time is recommended to control COVID-19 and its impact on the health and quality of life of COVID-19 survivors.

Interleukin-6 dan potensi terapi inhibisi interleukin-6 dalam tata laksana COVID-19

Infeksi SARS-CoV-2 dapat menyebabkan disregulasi respons imunitas tubuh yang menimbulkan sekresi sitokin proinflamasi yang berlebihan menyebabkan kondisi yang disebut sebagai badai sitokin. Badai sitokin ini memiliki peran penting dalam progresi penyakit COVID-19 karena dapat menyebabkan disfungsi multi organ gangguan koagulasi dan kematian. Sitokin proinflamasi yang paling banyak mengalami peningkatan selama badai sitokin pada pasien COVID-19 adalah IL-6. Dari pengetahuan ini peneliti mulai mencari tahu kemungkinan digunakannya terapi inhibisi IL-6 sebagai bagian dari tata laksana COVID-19. Tiga macam terapi inhibisi IL-6 yang sedang diteliti adalah inhibitor reseptor IL-6 antagonis IL-6 dan inhibitor JAK. Ketiga agen terapi inhibisi IL-6 ini terbukti dapat memperbaiki klinis dan mengurangi mortalitas pasien COVID-19 dengan gejala berat. Akan tetapi pemberian terapi inhibisi IL-6 masih belum memberikan hasil yang konsisten pada pasien COVID-19 yang disertai dengan gejala kritis sehingga pemberian pada kelompok ini harus lebih hati-hati. Oleh karena itu penelitian lebih lanjut mengenai efektivitas dan keamanan terapi ini harus tetap dilakukan.