Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38714122›Full record

ArticleJournal of infection and public health2024

Shift in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern from Delta to Omicron was associated with reduced hospitalizations, increased risk of breakthrough infections but lesser disease severity.

Fridah Mwendwa, Akbar Kanji, Ali Raza Bukhari, Unab Khan, Ayesha Sadiqa, Zain Mushtaq, Nosheen Nasir, Syed Faisal Mahmood, Uzma Bashir Aamir, Zahra Hasan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of infection and public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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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

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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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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4 · The record

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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

10 authors.

Fridah MwendwaDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Akbar KanjiDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Ali Raza BukhariDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Unab KhanDepartment of Family Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Ayesha SadiqaDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Zain MushtaqDepartment of Family Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Nosheen NasirDepartment of Family Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Syed Faisal MahmoodDepartment of Internal Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
Uzma Bashir AamirWorld Health Organization, Pakistan.
Zahra HasanDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Electronic address: zahra.hasan@aku.edu.

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCOVID-19 epidemiology changed with the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC). Pakistan administered mostly inactivated vaccines. We investigated the association between VOC and breakthrough infections in a mixed-vaccination-status population of Karachi.

methodsWe investigated SARS-CoV-2 VOC tested in 392 respiratory specimens collected between May and December 2021. Data for age, sex, hospital admission, vaccinations, together with CT values of the diagnostic PCR test were analyzed.

resultsThe median age of COVID-19 cases tested was 40 (27-57) years and 43.4% were female. Delta variants were most common (56.4%) followed by Alpha (15.9%), Omicron (12.2%), Beta/Gamma (11.3%), and others (4.3%). Eighteen percent of cases were hospitalized whereby, predominant VOC were Beta/Gamma (40.8%), Alpha (35.2%) and Delta (22.5%). Overall, 55.4% of individuals were fully vaccinated, 7.4% were partially vaccinated and 37.2% were unvaccinated. Most (74.6%) inpatients were unvaccinated. Vaccines comprised inactivated (85.34%), single-shot vector (8.62%), two-shot vector (3.02%) and mRNA (3.02%) types. Omicron variants showed lower viral loads as compared to Alpha, Beta/Gamma, and Delta (p = 0.017). The risk of infection with Delta and Omicron variants was higher, 8 weeks after vaccination. The majority of those with breakthrough infections after receiving inactivated vaccines acquired COVID-19 within 4 months of vaccination.

conclusionOur data highlights the shifting of VOC from Delta to Omicron during 2021 and that COVID-19 vaccinations reduced both hospitalizations and viral transmission. It informs on the increased risk of breakthrough infection within 8 weeks of vaccination, indicating the need for booster vaccinations.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesHospitalizationSARS-CoV-2AdultBreakthrough InfectionsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPakistanSeverity of Illness IndexVaccinationCOVID-19 VaccinesCOVID-19PakistanSARS-CoV-2VaccinationVariants of Concern

Identifiers

PMID38714122
PMCPMC11142923

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.