Epidemiology, clinical features and outcomes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 by vaccination status: a multicenter historical cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 disease resulted in over six million deaths worldwide. Although vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 demonstrated efficacy, breakthrough infections became increasingly common. There is still a lack of data regarding the severity and outcomes of COVID-19 among vaccinated compared to unvaccinated individuals. METHODS: This was a historical cohort study of adult COVID-19 patients hospitalized in five Ascension hospitals in southeast Michigan. Electronic medical records were reviewed. Vaccine information was collected from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry. Data were analyzed using Student's t-test, analysis of variance, the chi-squared test, the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Of 341 patients, the mean age was 57.9 ± 18.3 years, 54.8% (187/341) were female, and 48.7% (166/341) were black/African American. Most patients were unvaccinated, 65.7%, 8.5%, and 25.8% receiving one dose or at least two doses, respectively. Unvaccinated patients were younger than fully vaccinated (p = 0.001) and were more likely to be black/African American (p = 0.002). Fully vaccinated patients were 5.3 times less likely to have severe/critical disease (WHO classification) than unvaccinated patients (p < 0.001) after controlling for age, BMI, race, home steroid use, and serum albumin levels on admission. The case fatality rate in fully vaccinated patients was 3.4% compared to 17.9% in unvaccinated patients (p = 0.003). Unvaccinated patients also had higher rates of complications. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated had more in-hospital complications, severe disease, and death as compared to fully vaccinated patients. Factors associated with severe COVID-19 disease included advanced age, obesity, low serum albumin, and home steroid use.

Capillary leak syndrome was associated with more severe multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: This population-based study investigated the occurrence of capillary leak syndrome (CLS) in children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), associated with COVID-19. We also examined associations between CLS and MIS-C disease severity. METHODS: All eligible individuals aged 0-18 years, who were diagnosed with MIS-C in Skåne, southern Sweden, from 1 April 2020 to 31 July 2021, were studied. They were all included in the Pediatric Rheumatology Quality Register and clinical and laboratory data were compared between patients with and without CLS. RESULTS: We included 31 patients (61% male) with MIS-C in the study. The median age at diagnosis was 10.6 years (range 1.99-17.15) and 45% developed CLS. All six patients who required intensive care had CLS. Patients with CLS also had a higher incidence of reduced cardiac function, measured as low ejection fraction. The CLS group exhibited significantly higher C-reactive protein values (p < 0.001) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels (p < 0.001), as well as lower platelet counts (p = 0.03), during the first week of treatment. Individuals with CLS also received more intense immunosuppression. CONCLUSION: CLS was a common complication of MIS-C in our study and these patients had a more severe disease course that required more intensive treatment.

Comparison of the Risk of Hospitalization and Severe Disease Among Co-circulating Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variants.

BACKGROUND: We compare the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes among co-circulating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants between January 2021 and May 2022 in Navarra, Spain. METHODS: We compared the frequency of hospitalization and severe disease (intensive care unit admission or death) due to COVID-19 among the co-circulating variants. Variants analyzed were nonvariants of concern (non-VOCs), Alpha, Delta, Omicron BA.1, and Omicron BA.2. Logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratio (aOR). RESULTS: The Alpha variant had a higher risk of hospitalization (aOR, 1.86 [95 confidence interval {CI}, 1.282.71]) and severe disease (aOR, 2.40 [95 CI, 1.314.40]) than non-VOCs. The Delta variant did not show a significantly different risk of hospitalization (aOR, 0.73 [95 CI, .401.30]) and severe disease (aOR, 3.04 [95 CI, .5716.22]) compared to the Alpha variant. The Omicron BA.1 significantly reduced both risks relative to the Delta variant (aORs, 0.28 [95 CI, .16.47] and 0.23 [95 CI, .12.46], respectively). The Omicron BA.2 reduced the risk of hospitalization compared to BA.1 (aOR, 0.52 [95 CI, .29.95]). CONCLUSIONS: The Alpha and Delta variants showed an increased risk of hospitalization and severe disease, which decreased considerably with the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. Surveillance of variants can lead to important differences in severity.

Changing Severity and Epidemiology of Adults Hospitalized With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States After Introduction of COVID-19 Vaccines, March 2021-August 2022.

INTRODUCTION: Understanding the changing epidemiology of adults hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) informs research priorities and public health policies. METHODS: Among adults (≥18 years) hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed, acute COVID-19 between 11 March 2021, and 31 August 2022 at 21 hospitals in 18 states, those hospitalized during the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron-predominant period (BA.1, BA.2, BA.4/BA.5) were compared to those from earlier Alpha- and Delta-predominant periods. Demographic characteristics, biomarkers within 24 hours of admission, and outcomes, including oxygen support and death, were assessed. RESULTS: Among 9825 patients, median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 60 years (47-72), 47% were women, and 21% non-Hispanic Black. From the Alpha-predominant period (Mar-Jul 2021; N = 1312) to the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 sublineage-predominant period (Jun-Aug 2022; N = 1307): the percentage of patients who had ≥4 categories of underlying medical conditions increased from 11% to 21%; those vaccinated with at least a primary COVID-19 vaccine series increased from 7% to 67%; those ≥75 years old increased from 11% to 33%; those who did not receive any supplemental oxygen increased from 18% to 42%. Median (IQR) highest C-reactive protein and D-dimer concentration decreased from 42.0 mg/L (9.9-122.0) to 11.5 mg/L (2.7-42.8) and 3.1 mcg/mL (0.8-640.0) to 1.0 mcg/mL (0.5-2.2), respectively. In-hospital death peaked at 12% in the Delta-predominant period and declined to 4% during the BA.4/BA.5-predominant period. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to adults hospitalized during early COVID-19 variant periods, those hospitalized during Omicron-variant COVID-19 were older, had multiple co-morbidities, were more likely to be vaccinated, and less likely to experience severe respiratory disease, systemic inflammation, coagulopathy, and death.

Risk of severe disease and mortality of COVID-19 in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome: A population-based matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) is a rare and potentially life-threatening disorder characterized by obstruction of the hepatic outflow tract. It is unknown whether patients with BCS represent a high risk for severe disease and mortality from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Thus, we aimed to assess hospitalization rates, severe disease, all-cause mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) requirement and acute kidney injury (AKI) from COVID-19 diagnoses. METHODS & RESULTS: We identified 467 patients with BCS with COVID-19, 96 427 non-chronic liver disease (CLD) and 9652 non-BCS CLD. The BCS and non-CLD cohorts (n = 467 each) and BCS and non-BCS CLD (n = 440 each) were well balanced after propensity matching. When compared to the non-CLD cohort, the BCS group had a higher risk of all-cause mortality (5.1% vs. 2.4%, HR 2.18; 95% CI, 1.08-4.40), severe disease (6.0% vs. 2.4%, HR 2.20; 95% CI, 1.09-4.43), hospitalization (24.6% vs. 13.1%, HR 1.77; 95% CI, 1.30-2.42) and AKI (7.9% vs. 2.8%, HR 2.57; 95% CI, 1.37-4.85), but no significant differences in ICU requirements (2.4% vs. 2.1%, HR 0.75; 95% CI, 0.27-2.08) at 60-days time points. When compared to the non-BCS CLD cohort, the BCS group had a higher risk of all-cause mortality (3.6% vs. 2.5%, HR 3.94; 95% CI, 1.31-11.79), hospitalization (29.8% vs. 21.6%, HR 1.43; 95% CI, 1.09-1.86), but differences in ICU requirements (HR 0.90 (0.38-2.12)), AKI (HR 1.41 (0.86-2.30)) or severe disease (HR 1.92 (0.99-3.71)) did not reach statistical significance at 60-day follow up. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, COVID-19 infection in patients with BCS is associated with poor outcomes. Patients with BCS infected with COVID-19 carry a significantly higher risk of hospitalization and all-cause mortality and a possible effect on severe disease and AKI compared with COVID-19 patients without CLD or with non-BCS-CLD.

Clinical, molecular, and histological characteristics of severely necrotic and fatal mpox in HIV-infected patients.

BACKGROUND: This case series of 5 patients with severely necrotic mpox highlights the predominantly necrotic nature of lesions seen in cases of severe mpox as shown by skin and lung biopsy, as well as the extensive dissemination of the infection, as shown by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assessment in different body sites. CASE PRESENTATIONS: Patients were male, the median age was 37, all lived with HIV (2 previously undiagnosed), the median CD4+ cell count was 106 cells/mm3, and 2/5 were not receiving antiretroviral treatment. The most common complication was soft tissue infection. Skin and lung biopsies showed extensive areas of necrosis. Mpox PCR was positive in various sites, including skin, urine, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid. The initiation of antiretroviral treatment, worsened the disease, like that seen in immune reconstitution syndrome. Three patients died due to multiple organ failure, presumably associated with mpox since coinfections and opportunistic pathogens were ruled out. CONCLUSIONS: Severely necrotic manifestations of mpox in people living with advanced and untreated HIV are related to adverse outcomes.

Impact of Inflammation-Related Genes on COVID-19: Prospective Study at Turkish Cohort.

The pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a high mortality rate and poses a significant threat to the population. The disease may progress with mild symptoms or may cause the need for intensive care, depending on many factors. In this study, it was aimed to determine if there is a tendency due to genetic factors in COVID-19 patients. Ninety-four of 188 patients with mild clinical and 94 with severe clinical symptoms were included in the study. The targeted panel including coagulopathy (F2, F5), viral invasion (ACE2), and inflammation (CXCL8, IFNAR2, IFNL4, IL10, IL2, IL6, IRF7, TLR3, TLR7, TNF) related genes was performed sequenced by the next generation sequencing (NGS). The variants found were classified and univariate analyses were performed to select candidate variables for logistic model. Risk factors and variants were compared. It was revealed that the presence of 2 or more risk factors caused the disease to progress severely (p < 0.001). Heterozygous IRF7:c.1357-23dup variant had a 2.5 times higher risk for mild disease compared to severe disease. Other variants were found to be more significant in mild disease. Since polymorphic variants were not evaluated in the literature, the findings of our study could not be compared with the literature. However, as variants that may be effective in the severity of infections may differ according to ethnicity. This study has the feature of being a guide for subsequent studies to be carried out especially in Turkish population. Clinical course of the COVID-19 is likely to depend on a variety of risk factors, including age, sex, clinical status, immunology and genetic factors.

Severity, Criticality, and Fatality of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Beta Variant.

Beta (B.1.351)-variant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease was investigated in Qatar. Compared with the Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant, odds (95% confidence interval) of progressing to severe disease, critical disease, and COVID-19-related death were 1.24-fold (1.11-1.39), 1.49-fold (1.13-1.97), and 1.57-fold (1.03-2.43) higher, respectively, for the Beta variant.

COVID-19: impact on Public Health and hypothesis-driven investigations on genetic susceptibility and severity.

COVID-19 is a new complex multisystem disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In slightly over 2 years, it infected nearly 500 million and killed 6 million human beings worldwide, causing an unprecedented coronavirus pandemic. Currently, the international scientific community is engaged in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection as a basis of scientific developments for the future control of COVID-19. Global exome and genome analysis efforts work to define the human genetics of protective immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we review the current knowledge regarding the SARS-CoV-2 infection, the implications of COVID-19 to Public Health and discuss genotype to phenotype association approaches that could be exploited through the selection of candidate genes to identify the genetic determinants of severe COVID-19.

Comprehensive immune cell profiling depicts an early immune response associated with severe coronavirus disease 2019 in cancer patients.

Recent studies have highlighted multiple immune perturbations related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection-associated respiratory disease [coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)]. Some of them were associated with immunopathogenesis of severe COVID-19. However, reports on immunological indicators of severe COVID-19 in the early phase of infection in patients with comorbidities such as cancer are scarce. We prospectively studied about 200 immune response parameters, including a comprehensive immune-cell profile, inflammatory cytokines and other parameters, in 95 patients with COVID-19 (37 cancer patients without active disease and intensive chemo/immunotherapy, 58 patients without cancer) and 21 healthy donors. Of 95 patients, 41 had severe disease, and the remaining 54 were categorized as having a nonsevere disease. We evaluated the association of immune response parameters with severe COVID-19. By principal component analysis, three immune signatures defining characteristic immune responses in COVID-19 patients were found. Immune cell perturbations, in particular, decreased levels of circulating dendritic cells (DCs) along with reduced levels of CD4 T-cell subsets such as regulatory T cells (Tregs ), type 1 T helper (Th1) and Th9; additionally, relative expansion of effector natural killer (NK) cells were significantly associated with severe COVID-19. Compared with patients without cancer, the levels of terminal effector CD4 T cells, Tregs , Th9, effector NK cells, B cells, intermediate-type monocytes and myeloid DCs were significantly lower in cancer patients with mild and severe COVID-19. We concluded that severely depleted circulating myeloid DCs and helper T subsets in the initial phase of infection were strongly associated with severe COVID-19 independent of age, type of comorbidity and other parameters. Thus, our study describes the early immune response associated with severe COVID-19 in cancer patients without intensive chemo/immunotherapy.

Factors associated with severe or fatal clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection after receiving the third dose of vaccine.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about vulnerability to severe COVID-19 illness after vaccination completion with three doses of vaccine against COVID-19. OBJECTIVES: To identify individual features associated with increased risk of severe clinical manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 infections after receiving the third dose of vaccine against COVID-19. METHODS: We performed a nested case-control study based on 3,360,116 citizens from Lombardy, Italy, aged 12 years or older who received the third dose of vaccine against COVID-19 from 20 September through 31 December 2021. Individuals were followed from 14 days after vaccination completion until the occurrence of severe COVID-19 illness, death unrelated to COVID-19, emigration or 15 March 2022. For each case, controls were randomly selected to be 1:10 matched for the date of vaccination completion and municipality of residence. The association between candidate predictors and outcome was assessed through multivariable conditional logistic regression models. RESULTS: During 12,538,330 person-months of follow-up, 5171 cases of severe illness occurred. As age increased, a trend towards increasing odds of severe illness was observed. Male gender was a significant risk factor. As the number of contacts with the Regional Health Service increased, a trend towards increasing odds of severe illness was observed. Having had a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection was a significant protective factor. Having received the Moderna vaccine significantly decreased the odds of severe illness. Significant higher odds were associated with 42 diseases/conditions. Odds ratios ranged from 1.23 (diseases of the musculoskeletal system) to 5.00 (autoimmune disease). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides useful insights for establishing priority in fourth-dose vaccination programs.

Patients with severe COVID-19 do not have elevated autoantibodies against common diagnostic autoantigens.

OBJECTIVES: Infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative pathogen of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents occasionally with an aberrant autoinflammatory response, including the presence of elevated circulating autoantibodies in some individuals. Whether the development of autoantibodies against self-antigens affects COVID-19 outcomes remains unclear. To better understand the prognostic role of autoantibodies in COVID-19, we quantified autoantibodies against 23 markers that are used for diagnosis of autoimmune disease. To this end, we used serum samples from patients with severe [intensive care unit (ICU)] and moderate (ward) COVID-19, across two to six consecutive time points, and compared autoantibody levels to uninfected healthy and ICU controls. METHODS: Acute and post-acute serum (from 1 to 26 ICU days) was collected from 18 ICU COVID-19-positive patients at three to six time points; 18 ICU COVID-19-negative patients (sampled on ICU day 1 and 3); 21 ward COVID-19-positive patients (sampled on hospital day 1 and 3); and from 59 healthy uninfected controls deriving from two cohorts. Levels of IgG autoantibodies against 23 autoantigens, commonly used for autoimmune disease diagnosis, were measured in serum samples using MSD® U-PLEX electrochemiluminescence technology (MSD division Meso Scale Discovery®), and results were compared between groups. RESULTS: There were no significant elevations of autoantibodies for any of the markers tested in patients with severe COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Sample collections at longer time points should be considered in future studies, for assessing the possible development of autoantibody responses following infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Hemodialysis patients with coronavirus disease 2019: reduced antibody response.

BACKGROUND: Because patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) have an impaired immune response to pathogens, they are at higher risk of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, data on antibody production among HD patients with COVID-19 is scarce. Thus, we performed a retrospective cohort study evaluating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus two antibody (SARS-CoV-2) production within 1 month after COVID-19 onset in hospitalized patients on HD. METHODS: SARS-CoV-2-specific immunoglobulin (Ig) G levels were quantified using an iFlash 3000 Chemiluminescence Immunoassay analyzer (Shenzhen YHLO Biotech Co., Ltd.) to detect IgG antibodies specific for the S1 subunit of the spike protein (IgG-S1). Propensity score matching was used to balance covariate distribution in HD and non-HD patients. From April 2020 to February 2021, antibody testing was performed on 161 hospitalized patients with symptomatic COVID-19. Of them, 34 HD patients were matched to 68 non-HD patients. RESULTS: After propensity score matching, the median levels of IgG-S1 in the HD patients at 7-13 days after symptom onset were significantly lower than in non-HD patients, especially in those with severe disease. Among all patients, those with severe disease produced lower levels of IgG-S1 at 7-13 days compared with non-severe patients. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 patients with severe disease, especially those undergoing HD, had lower IgG-S1 production in the second week of the disease. Thus, the increased risk of severe COVID-19 in HD patients may be, in part, due to a slow and reduced antibody response.

Timing of REGEN-COV administration and progression to severe COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: Several clinical trials have demonstrated that REGEN-COV (casirivimab and imdevimab) decreases the risk of hospitalization and death among COVID-19 patients. However, these trials did not evaluate the optimal timing of its administration, and evidence is limited regarding the relationship between the timing of administration and progression to severe COVID-19 among patients who receive REGEN-COV in a real-world setting. We examined the association between the timing of REGEN-COV administration and progression to severe COVID-19 among patients who received REGEN-COV in Japan. METHODS: We included a total of 342 COVID-19 patients (37 hospitals) who received REGEN-COV between July 19 and September 30, 2021. We calculated the difference between the date of symptom onset and the date of administration as an indicator of the timing of REGEN-COV administration and determined progression to severe COVID-19 after REGEN-COV administration. We conducted a logistic regression analysis, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: The proportion of cases progressing to severe COVID-19 increased daily from symptom onset and sharply increased from day 5 of onset. The early administration (days 0-4) decreased the risk of progression to severity compared with late administration (after day 5), with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.29 (95% confidence interval: 0.11-0.56). CONCLUSIONS: The early administration of REGEN-COV was associated with a decreased risk of progression to severe COVID-19 when the delta variant was dominant. The present epidemiological findings indicate that this monoclonal antibody therapy should be implemented very early in the clinical course probably even for emerging variants such as omicron BA.2.

Milder disease trajectory among COVID-19 patients hospitalised with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant compared with the Delta variant in Norway.

Using individual-level national registry data, we conducted a cohort study to estimate differences in the length of hospital stay, and risk of admission to an intensive care unit and in-hospital death among patients infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant, compared with patients infected with Delta variant in Norway. We included 409 (38%) patients infected with Omicron and 666 (62%) infected with Delta who were hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as the main cause of hospitalisation between 6 December 2021 and 6 February 2022. Omicron patients had a 48% lower risk of intensive care admission (adjusted hazard ratios (aHR): 0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.34-0.80) and a 56% lower risk of in-hospital death (aHR: 0.44, 95%CI: 0.24-0.79) compared with Delta patients. Omicron patients had a shorter length of stay (with or without ICU stay) compared with Delta patients in the age groups from 18 to 79 years and those who had at least completed their primary vaccination. This supports growing evidence of reduced disease severity among hospitalised Omicron patients compared with Delta patients.

Risk and protective factors for SARS-CoV-2 reinfections, surveillance data, Italy, August 2021 to March 2022.

We explored the risk factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 reinfections in Italy between August 2021 and March 2022. Regardless of the prevalent virus variant, being unvaccinated was the most relevant risk factor for reinfection. The risk of reinfection increased almost 18-fold following emergence of the Omicron variant compared with Delta. A severe first SARS-CoV-2 infection and age over 60 years were significant risk factors for severe reinfection.

Vitamin D and morbidity in children with Multisystem inflammatory syndrome related to Covid-19.

Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) is a clinical presentation reported in children related to Coronavirus-19 infection who present with a toxic shock like syndrome. Vitamin D deficiency has been postulated to play a role with severity of coronavirus infection in adult patients and other viral respiratory infections. Objective: This study aims to investigate if severe vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased disease severity and cardiac involvement in MIS-C. Methods: This is a retrospective and single center study. We included hospitalized patients less than 18 years of age with diagnosis of MIS-C between March and July 2020. Severe vitamin D deficiency was defined as 25-OH vitamin D level < 10 ng/ml within 48 h of admission. The composite outcome severe disease included patients requiring inotropes, mechanical ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Results: Of the 31 patients with MIS-C, 45% were male and 58% were African American. The median age was 8 (1-13) years. Ten patients had severe vitamin D deficiency with a mean level of 7.2 ng/ml. Ninety percent of patients with severe vitamin D deficiency had severe disease (P < 0.001). Patients with severe vitamin D deficiency had an increased risk of cardiac involvement (P < 0.001). Conclusions: We describe a potential association between severe vitamin D deficiency and severe disease in children presenting with MIS-C. Severe vitamin D deficiency predisposes patients for cardiovascular involvement and may play a critical role in the host immune response to COVID-19 infection. Future prospective studies at the basic science and clinical level should be pursued to better delineate this association.

Severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection among vaccinated individuals: A hospital-based study.

Introduction: Post-vaccination infections impart the need for real-world data on protection conferred by the vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. We aimed to evaluate the severity of post-vaccination COVID-19 and the predictors of severe disease. Methods: This cross-sectional study analysed data from 307 patients admitted to the University Hospital KDU with confirmed COVID- 19 from March 1st to November 1st, 2021, after receiving at least a single dose of a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Vaccination status and the disease severity were classified using standard definitions. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to investigate severe/critical disease predictors. Results: Of the surveyed patients, 122(39.7%) were fully vaccinated, 127(41.4%) were partially vaccinated and 58 (18.9%) had developed the disease within 14 days of the first vaccine dose. Most were Sinopharm vaccine recipients (52.4 %). Non- severe disease was observed among 249(81.1%) patients and 47(15.3%) had severe disease, while 11(3.6%) needed ICU care (critical illness). Severe/critical disease was reported among 32(25.2%) partially vaccinated and 13(22.4%) patients who developed the disease within 14 days of the first vaccine dose. Of the patients deemed to have vaccine breakthrough infections (122 fully vaccinated patients), 13(10.6%) suffered severe/critical disease. Patients with comorbidity experienced more severe/critical illness (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]= 3.684, P=0.003) than those without pre-existing medical conditions. Disease progression to severe or critical illness was significantly higher among Sinopharm recipients than Covisheild recipients (AOR:2.064, P=0.048). Conclusions: Comorbidity was the most important predictor of severe COVID-19 irrespective of the vaccination status. Observed higher incidence of severe disease among Sinopharm recipients warrants more extensive population studies.

Public health, personalized medicine, and COVID-19 in the pre-vaccination phase: a narrative review of the literature on unfavorable prognostic factors in Italian patients.

OBJECTIVES: to provide an outline of the factors mainly influencing severe disease and fatal outcome among Italian COVID-19 patients in the pre-vaccination phase, also describing the impact of the scenarios driven by variants, vaccines, and available therapies. DESIGN: a literature search was carried out for peer-reviewed articles searching for COVID-19 and prognosis, including severe disease and death. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Italian patients with COVID-19. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: the association between risk factors and severe disease and death as the main outcomes was assessed through epidemiological measures, including relative risk, odds ratio, and hazard ratio. RESULTS: advanced age, obesity, overweight, non-0 blood group, and male gender were the factors more associated with severe disease. Fatal outcome mostly correlated with old age, non-0 blood group, and obesity, together with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, chronic kidney disease, and acute kidney injury. CONCLUSIONS: clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the Italian population, integrated with omics data, could be highly valuable to stratify risk of worse prognosis among patients, and to address targeted prevention and treatment interventions.

Evaluation of clinical and laboratory findings in severe group COVID-19 pregnants without comorbidity.

BACKGROUND: COVID - 19 disease may be seen with different clinical presentations in pregnant women. Comorbid diseases are important factors affecting the progression of this disease. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical and laboratory findings in pregnant women with COVID - 19 who had no comorbid disease. METHODS: This retrospective designed study included 217 patients with Covid PCR positive in typically COVID - 19 clinic. The patients were classified into asymptomatic, nonsevere, and severe disease groups. The symptoms, laboratory results, hospital followups and intensive care records of the patients and the findings of new borns are presented. RESULTS: Most of the patients (78%) were in the third trimester of pregnancy, and 103 patients in the study group had severe disease. Fever in the non-severe group and respiratory distress in the severe group were the most common symptoms in the patients. The severe clinical manifestations were specifically observed in the third trimester patients. In the severe group, neutrophil, lactat dehydrogenase, ferritin, CK - MB, IL - 6, and hospital stay were statistically higher than those in other groups (p < 0.05). Increase in BUN and creatine were the most predictive parameters in intensive care admission. While the intensive care unit (ICU) requirement was higher in patients in the severe group, premature birth was observed more frequently in the severe group (p < 0.05) .