Association between live childhood vaccines and COVID-19 outcomes: a national-level analysis

We investigated whether countries with higher coverage of childhood live vaccines [BCG or measles-containing-vaccine (MCV)] have reduced risk of COVID-19 related mortality, accounting for known systems differences between countries. In this ecological study of 140 countries using publicly available national-level data, higher vaccine coverage, representing estimated proportion of people vaccinated during the last 15 years, was associated with lower COVID-19 deaths. The associations attenuated for both vaccine variables, and MCV coverage became no longer significant once adjusted for a validated summary score accounting for life expectancy and healthcare quality indicators, the Healthcare access and quality index (HAQI). The magnitude of association between BCG coverage and COVID-19 death rate varied according to HAQI, and MCV coverage had little effect on the association between BCG and COVID-19 deaths. While there are associations between live vaccine coverage and COVID-19 outcomes, the vaccine coverage variables themselves were strongly correlated with COVID-19 testing rate, HAQI, and life expectancy. This suggests that the population-level associations may be further confounded by differences in structural health systems and policies. Cluster randomized studies of booster vaccines would be ideal to evaluate the efficacy of trained immunity in preventing COVID-19 infections and mortality in vaccinated individuals and on community transmission.

Acute and Post-Acute COVID-19 Outcomes Among Immunologically Naïve Adults During Delta Versus Omicron Waves

II.ImportanceThe U.S. arrival of the Omicron variant led to a rapid increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections. While numerous studies report characteristics of Omicron infections among vaccinated individuals and/or persons with a prior history of infection, comprehensive data describing infections among immunologically naive adults is lacking. ObjectiveTo examine COVID-19 acute and post-acute clinical outcomes among a well-characterized cohort of unvaccinated and previously uninfected adults who contracted SARS-CoV-2 during the Omicron (BA.1/BA.2) surge, and to compare outcomes with infections that occurred during the Delta wave. DesignA prospective cohort undergoing high-resolution symptom and virologic monitoring between June 2021 and September 2022 SettingMultisite recruitment of community-dwelling adults in 8 U.S. states ParticipantsHealthy, unvaccinated adults between 30 to 64 years of age without an immunological history of SARS-CoV-2 who were at high-risk of infection were recruited. Participants were followed for up to 48 weeks, submitting regular COVID-19 symptom surveys and nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing. Exposure(s)Omicron (BA.1/BA.2 lineages) versus Delta SARS-CoV-2 infection, defined as a positive PCR that occurred during a period when the variant represented [≥]50% of circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants in the participants geographic region. Main Outcome(s) and Measure(s)The main outcomes examined were the prevalence and severity of acute ([≤]28 days post-onset) and post-acute ([≥]5 weeks post-onset) symptoms. ResultsAmong 274 immunologically naive participants, 166 (61%) contracted SARS-CoV-2. Of these, 137 (83%) and 29 (17%) infections occurred during the Omicron- and Delta-predominant periods, respectively. Asymptomatic infections occurred among 6.7% (95% CI: 3.1%, 12.3%) of Omicron cases and 0.0% (95% CI: 0.0%, 11.9%) of Delta cases. Healthcare utilization among Omicron cases was 79% (95% CI: 43%, 92%, P =0.001) lower relative to Delta cases. Relative to Delta, Omicron infections also experienced a 56% (95% CI: 26%, 74%, P =0.004) and 79% (95% CI: 54%, 91%, P <0.001) reduction in the risk and rate of post-acute symptoms, respectively. Conclusions and RelevanceThese findings suggest that among previously immunologically naive adults, few Omicron (BA.1/BA.2) and Delta infections are asymptomatic, and relative to Delta, Omicron infections were less likely to seek healthcare and experience post-acute symptoms. KEY POINTSO_ST_ABSQuestionC_ST_ABSWhat are acute and post-acute outcomes among previously uninfected and unvaccinated adults who contracted Omicron (BA.1/BA.2), and how do these compare with Delta infections? FindingsIn this prospective cohort of 274 immunologically naive adults, 166 (61%) contracted SARS-CoV-2, with 9 (5.5%) asymptomatic infections. Compared with Delta, Omicron infections experienced a 79% relative reduction in healthcare utilization, and 56% and 79% relative reductions in the risk and rate of post-acute symptoms ([≥]5-weeks), respectively. MeaningThese findings suggest among immunologically naive adults, few infections are asymptomatic, and relative to Delta, Omicron infections have lower likelihoods of severe illness and post-acute symptoms.

Reliability of self-sampling for accurate assessment of respiratory virus viral and immunologic kinetics

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic demonstrates the need for accurate and convenient approaches to diagnose and therapeutically monitor respiratory viral infections. We demonstrated that self-sampling with foam swabs is well-tolerated and provides quantitative viral output concordant with flocked swabs. Using longitudinal home-based self-sampling, we demonstrate nasal cytokine levels correlate and cluster according to immune cell of origin. Periods of stable viral loads are followed by rapid elimination, which could be coupled with cytokine expansion and contraction using mathematical models. Nasal foam swab self-sampling at home provides a precise, mechanistic readout of respiratory virus shedding and local immune responses.

Mapping the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants on a university campus

Novel variants continue to emerge in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. University testing programs may provide timely epidemiologic and genomic surveillance data to inform public health responses. We conducted testing from September 2021 to February 2022 in a university population under vaccination and indoor mask mandates. A total of 3,048 of 24,393 individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR; whole genome sequencing identified 209 Delta and 1,730 Omicron genomes of the 1,939 total sequenced. Compared to Delta, Omicron had a shorter median serial interval between genetically identical, symptomatic infections within households (2 versus 6 days, P=0.021). Omicron also demonstrated a greater peak reproductive number (2.4 versus 1.8) and a 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 0.58, 1.57; P<0.0001) higher mean cycle threshold value. Despite near universal vaccination and stringent mitigation measures, Omicron rapidly displaced the Delta variant to become the predominant viral strain and led to a surge in cases in a university population.

Interactions among 17 respiratory pathogens: a cross-sectional study using clinical and community surveillance data

BackgroundCo-circulating respiratory pathogens can interfere with or promote each other, leading to important effects on disease epidemiology. Estimating the magnitude of pathogen-pathogen interactions from clinical specimens is challenging because sampling from symptomatic individuals can create biased estimates. MethodsWe conducted an observational, cross-sectional study using samples collected by the Seattle Flu Study between 11 November 2018 and 20 August 2021. Samples that tested positive via RT-qPCR for at least one of 17 potential respiratory pathogens were included in this study. Semi-quantitative cycle threshold (Ct) values were used to measure pathogen load. Differences in pathogen load between monoinfected and coinfected samples were assessed using linear regression adjusting for age, season, and recruitment channel. Results21,686 samples were positive for at least one potential pathogen. Most prevalent were rhinovirus (33{middle dot}5%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (SPn, 29{middle dot}0%), SARS-CoV-2 (13.8%) and influenza A/H1N1 (9{middle dot}6%). 140 potential pathogen pairs were included for analysis, and 56 (40%) pairs yielded significant Ct differences (p < 0.01) between monoinfected and co-infected samples. We observed no virus-virus pairs showing evidence of significant facilitating interactions, and found significant viral load decrease among 37 of 108 (34%) assessed pairs. Samples positive with SPn and a virus were consistently associated with increased SPn load. ConclusionsViral load data can be used to overcome sampling bias in studies of pathogen-pathogen interactions. When applied to respiratory pathogens, we found evidence of viral-SPn facilitation and several examples of viral-viral interference. Multipathogen surveillance is a cost-efficient data collection approach, with added clinical and epidemiological informational value over single-pathogen testing, but requires careful analysis to mitigate selection bias.

Viral genomes reveal patterns of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Washington State

The rapid spread of SARS-CoV-2 has gravely impacted societies around the world. Outbreaks in different parts of the globe are shaped by repeated introductions of new lineages and subsequent local transmission of those lineages. Here, we sequenced 3940 SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes from Washington State to characterize how the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Washington State (USA) was shaped by differences in timing of mitigation strategies across counties, as well as by repeated introductions of viral lineages into the state. Additionally, we show that the increase in frequency of a potentially more transmissible viral variant (614G) over time can potentially be explained by regional mobility differences and multiple introductions of 614G, but not the other variant (614D) into the state. At an individual level, we see evidence of higher viral loads in patients infected with the 614G variant. However, using clinical records data, we do not find any evidence that the 614G variant impacts clinical severity or patient outcomes. Overall, this suggests that at least to date, the behavior of individuals has been more important in shaping the course of the pandemic than changes in the virus. One Sentence SummaryLocal outbreak dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in Washington State (USA) were driven by regionally different mitigation measures and repeated introductions of unique viral variants with different viral loads.