Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34423834›Full record

ArticleClinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America2022

Clinical and Virological Features of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Variants of Concern: A Retrospective Cohort Study Comparing B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), and B.1.617.2 (Delta).

Sean Wei Xiang Ong, Calvin J Chiew, Li Wei Ang, Tze Minn Mak, Lin Cui, Matthias Paul H S Toh, Yi Ding Lim, Pei Hua Lee, Tau Hong Lee, Po Ying Chia and 6 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 273 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
273citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
25.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

273 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 417 citations in OpenAlex.

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  19. Quasi-species prevalence and clinical impact of evolving SARS-CoV-2 lineages in European COVID-19 cohorts, January 2020 to February 2022.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2025
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213 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

16 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Sean Wei Xiang OngNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID 0000-0002-8570-436X
Calvin J ChiewNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Li Wei AngNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Tze Minn MakNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Lin CuiNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Matthias Paul H S TohNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Yi Ding LimMinistry of Health, Singapore, Singapore.
Pei Hua LeeNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Tau Hong LeeNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Po Ying ChiaNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Sebastian Maurer-StrohYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Raymond T P LinNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Yee Sin LeoNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Vernon J LeeMinistry of Health, Singapore, Singapore.
David Chien LyeNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
Barnaby Edward YoungNational Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, Singapore.
National University of Singapore · SGMinistry of Health · SGNational Centre for Infectious Diseases · SGNanyang Technological University · SGTan Tock Seng Hospital · SGAgency for Science, Technology and Research · SG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) on disease severity is unclear. In this retrospective study, we compared the outcomes of patients infected with B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and B.1.617.2 with wild-type strains from early 2020.

methodsNational surveillance data from January to May 2021 were obtained and outcomes in relation to VOCs were explored. Detailed patient-level data from all patients with VOC infection admitted to our center between December 2020 and May 2021 were analyzed. Clinical outcomes were compared with a cohort of 846 patients admitted from January to April 2020.

resultsA total of 829 patients in Singapore in the study period were infected with these 3 VOCs. After adjusting for age and sex, B.1.617.2 was associated with higher odds of oxygen requirement, intensive care unit admission, or death (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.90; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.43-30.78). Of these patients, 157 were admitted to our center. After adjusting for age, sex, comorbidities, and vaccination, the aOR for pneumonia with B.1.617.2 was 1.88 (95% CI: .95-3.76) compared with wild-type. These differences were not seen with B.1.1.7 and B.1.351. Vaccination status was associated with decreased severity. B.1.617.2 was associated with significantly lower polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold (Ct) values and longer duration of Ct value ≤30 (median duration 18 days for B.1.617.2, 13 days for wild-type).

conclusionsB.1.617.2 was associated with increased severity of illness, and with lower Ct values and longer viral shedding. These findings provide impetus for the rapid implementation of vaccination programs.

Indexed as

COVID-19SARS-CoV-2Cohort StudiesHumansRetrospective StudiesB.1.617.2COVID-19SARS-CoV-2severityvariants of concern

Identifiers

PMID34423834
PMCPMC8522361
OpenAlexW3193641425

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.