Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38938013›Full record

SynthesisImmunity, inflammation and disease2024

New variants of COVID-19 (XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16, the "Arcturus"): A review of highly questioned concerns, a brief comparison between different peaks in the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focused systematic review on expert recommendations for prevention, vaccination, and treatment measures in the general population and at-risk groups.

Homa Pourriyahi, Nima Hajizadeh, Mina Khosravi, Homayoun Pourriahi, Sanaz Soleimani, Nastaran Sadat Hosseini, Arash Pour Mohammad, Azadeh Goodarzi

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Immunity, inflammation and disease, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

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

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. 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

8 authors.

Homa PourriyahiStudent Research Committee, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0001-5393-0875
Nima HajizadehSchool of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0001-6323-9252
Mina KhosraviSchool of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0001-8250-9385
Homayoun PourriahiStudent Research Committee, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0001-6025-8722
Sanaz SoleimaniStudent Research Committee, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0002-1393-1432
Nastaran Sadat HosseiniSchool of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.ORCID 0000-0001-7705-7783
Arash Pour MohammadSchool of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0003-3064-4299
Azadeh GoodarziDepartment of Dermatology, Rasool Akram Medical Complex Clinical Research Development Center (RCRDC), School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.ORCID 0000-0002-1249-4429

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has taken many forms and continues to evolve, now around the Omicron wave, raising concerns over the globe. With COVID-19 being declared no longer a "public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)," the COVID pandemic is still far from over, as new Omicron subvariants of interest and concern have risen since January of 2023. Mainly with the XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16 subvariants, the pandemic is still very much "alive" and "breathing."

methodsThis review consists of five highly concerning questions about the current state of the COVID Omicron peak. We searched four main online databases to answer the first four questions. For the last one, we performed a systematic review of the literature, with keywords "Omicron," "Guidelines," and "Recommendations."

resultsA total of 31 articles were included. The main symptoms of the current Omicron wave include a characteristically high fever, coughing, conjunctivitis (with itching eyes), sore throat, runny nose, congestion, fatigue, body ache, and headache. The median incubation period of the symptoms is shorter than the previous peaks. Vaccination against COVID can still be considered effective for the new subvariants.

conclusionGuidelines recommend continuation of personal protective measures, third and fourth dose boosters, along with administration of bivalent messenger RNA vaccine boosters. The consensus antiviral treatment is combination therapy using Nirmatrelvir and Ritonavir, and the consensus for pre-exposure prophylaxis is Tixagevimab and Cilgavimab combination. We hope the present paper raises awareness for the continuing presence of COVID and ways to lower the risks, especially for at-risk groups.

Indexed as

COVID-19COVID-19 VaccinesSARS-CoV-2Antiviral AgentsCOVID-19 Drug TreatmentHumansPandemicsVaccinationAntiviral AgentsCOVID-19 VaccinesBA.5Cilgavimabconsensus opinionCOVID‐19guidelinesNirmatrelvirOmicronpre‐exposure prophylaxisrecommendationsRitonavirSARS‐CoV‐2TixagevimabXBB.1.16XBB.1.5

Identifiers

PMID38938013
PMCPMC11211615

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.