Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34603300›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology

Potential Cross-Reactive Immunity to COVID-19 Infection in Individuals With Laboratory-Confirmed MERS-CoV Infection: A National Retrospective Cohort Study From Saudi Arabia.

Anas A Khan, Ahmed A Alahmari, Yasir Almuzaini, Fahad Alamri, Yousef Mohammad Alsofayan, Alhanouf Aburas, Saleh Al-Muhsen, Maria Van Kerkhove, Saber Yezli, Gregory R Ciottone and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 25% 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

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  8. Evaluation of S- and M-Proteins Expressed inPathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022
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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

12 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Anas A KhanDepartment of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed A AlahmariGlobal Center of Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Yasir AlmuzainiGlobal Center of Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fahad AlamriGlobal Center of Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Yousef Mohammad AlsofayanGlobal Center of Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Alhanouf AburasGlobal Center of Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Saleh Al-MuhsenImmunology Research Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, King Saud University Medical City, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Maria Van KerkhoveInfectious Hazards Management, Health Emergencies Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Saber YezliGlobal Center of Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Gregory R CiottoneDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
Abdullah M AssiriDeputyship of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Hani A JokhdarDeputyship of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ministry of Health · SAKing Saud University · SAHarvard University · USWorld Health Organization · CH

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundA growing number of experiments have suggested potential cross-reactive immunity between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and previous human coronaviruses. We conducted the present retrospective cohort study to investigate the relationship between previous Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as the relationship between previous MERS-CoV and COVID-19-related hospitalization and mortality.

methodsStarting in March 2020, we prospectively followed two groups of individuals who tested negative for COVID-19 infection. The first group had a previously confirmed MERS-CoV infection, which was compared to a control group of MERS-negative individuals. The studied cohort was then followed until November 2020 to track evidence of contracting COVID-19 infection.

findingsA total of 82 (24%) MERS-positive and 260 (31%) MERS-negative individuals had COVID-19 infection. Patients in the MERS-positive group had a lower risk of COVID-19 infection than those in the MERS-negative group (Risk ratio [RR] 0.696, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.522-0.929; p =0.014). The risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization in the MERS-positive group was significantly higher (RR 4.036, 95% CI 1.705-9.555; p =0.002). The case fatality rate (CFR) from COVID-19 was 4.9% in the MERS-positive group and 1.2% in the MERS-negative group (p =0.038). The MERS-positive group had a higher risk of death than the MERS-negative group (RR 6.222, 95% CI 1.342-28.839; p =0.019). However, the risk of mortality was similar between the two groups when death was adjusted for age (p =0.068) and age and sex (p =0.057). After controlling for all the independent variables, only healthcare worker occupation and >1 comorbidity were independent predictors of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

interpretationIndividuals with previous MERS-CoV infection can exhibit a cross-reactive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our study demonstrated that patients with MERS-CoV infection had higher risks of COVID-19-related hospitalization and death than MERS-negative individuals.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overChildChild, PreschoolCOVID-19Cross ReactionsFemaleHospitalizationHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleMiddle AgedMiddle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronaviruscoronavirus disease 2019cross-immunityMiddle East respiratory syndrome coronavirusmortalitySaudi Arabia

Identifiers

PMID34603300
PMCPMC8484965
OpenAlexW3201045249

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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.