Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35522980›Full record

ArticleClinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America2023

Alpha Variant Coronavirus Outbreak in a Nursing Home Despite High Vaccination Coverage: Molecular, Epidemiological, and Immunological Studies.

Kathrin Zürcher, Irene A Abela, Madlen Stange, Carole Dupont, Catrina Mugglin, Adrian Egli, Alexandra Trkola, Matthias Egger, Lukas Fenner

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
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

9 authors.

Kathrin ZürcherInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Irene A AbelaInstitute of Medical Virology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Madlen StangeClinical Bacteriology and Mycology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Carole DupontInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Catrina MugglinInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Adrian EgliClinical Bacteriology and Mycology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Alexandra TrkolaInstitute of Medical Virology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Matthias EggerInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Lukas FennerInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland.

Funding

Observational Antiretroviral Studies In Southern Africa (OASIS) CollaborationU01AI069924 · NIAID · UNIVERSITAT BERN · PI Cleophas Chimbetete, Mary-Ann Davies · 2006 to 2026
$55.9M
NIAID NIH HHS U01 AI069924
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVaccination may control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, including in nursing homes where many high-risk people live. We conducted extensive outbreak investigations.

methodsWe studied an outbreak at a nursing home in Switzerland, where the uptake of messenger RNA vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was 82% among residents as of 21 January 2021. After diagnosis of COVID-19 in a vaccinated symptomatic healthcare worker (HCW) on 22 February, we performed outbreak investigations in house A (47 residents; 37 HCWs), using SARS-CoV-2-specific polymerase chain reaction testing of nasopharyngeal swab samples. We performed whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 and serological analyses.

resultsWe identified 17 individuals with positive polymerase chain reaction results, 10 residents (5 vaccinated) and 7 HCWs (3 vaccinated). The median age (interquartile range) was 86 (70-90) years among residents and 49 (29-59) years among HCWs. Of the 5 vaccinated residents, 3 had mild disease and 2 had no symptoms, whereas all 5 unvaccinated residents had mild to severe disease, and 2 died. Vaccine effectiveness for the prevention of infection among residents was 73.0% (95% confidence interval, 24.7%-90.1%). The 12 available genomes were all alpha variants. Neutralizing titers were significantly higher in vaccinated individuals on reexposure (>1 week after diagnosis) than in vaccinated, unexposed HCWs (P = .01). Transmission networks indicated 4 likely or possible transmissions from vaccinated to other individuals and 12 transmission events from unvaccinated individuals.

conclusionsCOVID-19 outbreaks can occur in nursing homes, including transmission from vaccinated persons to others. Outbreaks might occur silently, underlining the need for continued testing and basic infection control measures in these high-risk settings.

Indexed as

COVID-19Vaccination CoverageAged, 80 and overDisease OutbreaksHumansNursing HomesSARS-CoV-2VaccinationB.1.1.7COVID-19nursing homeOutbreakUK variantVaccine

Identifiers

PMID35522980
PMCPMC9129182

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.