#Omicron though the mildest avatar of #SARS2, but is the most transmissible VOC of the SARS2. The original WT variant had an Ro of ~2.5 & the currently dominant variant BA.2 has 12.5! So, there is marked variability in both transmissibility & severity of these VOCs. 1/
Will the next #VOC, whenever it emerges, be the mildest of all variants? A new #Scottish study concludes that it may not be the case, & severity associated with future SARS2 variants is inherently unpredictable. 2/
The principal findings of this study of the relative severity of #COVID19 cases caused by successive SARS2 variant waves in #Scotland was that, #Alpha was associated w/ more severe disease than B.1.177, #Delta was associated with more severe disease than Alpha…….3/
….non-AY.4.2 Delta and AY.4.2 Delta were associated with similar disease severity, & #Omicron was associated with much less severe disease than non-AY.4.2 Delta. 4/
These results were after accounting for comorbidities, changes in treatment & vaccine availability, and robust to epidemic phase bias and the possibility of coincidental SARS2 infection at admission to hospital. 5/
The direction of change in virulence of successively emerging VOCs was inconsistent. This heterogeneity in between variants, coupled w/ independent evolutionary emergence, demonstrates that severity ass w/ future VOCs is inherently unpredictable 6/

medrxiv.org/content/10.110…

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More from @vipintukur

Mar 28
Boosting with variant-matched or historical #mRNA vaccines protects against #Omicron infection in mice

➡️ Researchers evaluated in mice the protective efficacy of the #Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine against BA.1 before or after boosting. 1/ Image
Whereas 2 doses of mRNA-1273 vaccine induced high levels of neutralizing antibodies against WA1/2020 strains, lower levels against BA.1 were associated with breakthrough infection & inflammation in the lung. 2/ Image
A primary vaccination series with mRNA-1273.529, an Omicron-matched vaccine, potently neutralized BA.1 but inhibited historical or other SARS2 variants less effectively. 3/
Read 5 tweets
Mar 26
#Retinal involvement in #Covid19 and possibly also in Long-Covid

There is more to #SARS2 than meets the eye:

1-Coronavirus not only infects the human retina, but can also replicate in it!

2-The so-called ‘long-Covid’ symptoms may include degenerative retinal disease. 1/ Image
Which cells in the retinal organoids are affected?

The researchers analyzed the organoids under a fluorescence microscope. 2/
With the help of different immune markers for the different cell types of the retina & with a #fluorescent antibody against the #nucleoprotein (N-protein) of #SARS2, it was shown that mainly two cell layers of the retinal organoids were infected. 3/ Image
Read 7 tweets
Mar 26
#Covid becomes much more dreaded disease in company with other respiratory viruses!!

Clinical outcomes of co-infection with influenza viruses, respiratory syncytial virus, or adenoviruses in 212 466 adults with #SARS2 infection. 1/
Viral co-infection was detected in 583 (8·4%) patients: 227 patients had influenza viruses, 220 patients had RSV, and 136 patients had adenoviruses. 2/
Co-infection with influenaza viruses was associated with increased odds of receiving invasive mechanical ventilation compared with SARS2 monoinfection
SARS2 co-infections with influenza viruses & adenoviruses were each significantly associated with increased odds of death. 3/ Image
Read 4 tweets
Mar 26
A lot of noise is being generated in the media regarding recombinants, i.e. Deltacron. The later is a misnomer & shouldn’t be used.
@PeacockFlu took pain to discuss these issues in details.

What are the new recombinants, i.e. XD, XE & XF? Which could be the most concerning?
1/
#XD is French Delta x BA.1. It contains the Spike protein of BA.1 and the rest of the genome from Delta.
#XE is a large UK BA.1 x BA.2. It has the Spike & structural proteins from BA.2 but the 5' part of its genome from BA.1. 2/ Image
#XF is a UK Delta x BA.1. It has the Spike & structural proteins from BA.1 but the 5' part of its genome from Delta. 3/ Image
Read 8 tweets
Feb 20
Just learn few fascinating things regarding the evolution of #SARSCoV2, pathogenicity of common cold coronaviruses (CCC), and the development of a new live attenuated vaccine candidate 1/
Those who think that the #Spike protein of #SARSCoV2 has ‘exhausted’ all its options to surprise us owing to limited space to undertake infinite mutations need to rethink & revise their opinions. 2/
A comparatively old paper on human coronavirus CoV-229E hints that 25 of the 31 receptor-contacting RBD residues in HCoV-229E have varied during virus's evolution in humans over the past 50 yrs. @jbloom_lab 3/

elifesciences.org/articles/51230
Read 21 tweets
Feb 18
Let’s focus on a small communist country of 11 million people #Cuba. Let’s see what Cuba is doing with their multiple vaccines & on Covid front! All the COVID vaccines developed in Cuba are what are known as protein subunit conjugate vaccines. 1/
Cuba now has five vaccines in various stages. Soberana 1, Soberana 2 and Soberna Plus, Abdala and Mambisa.
One is a nasal spray still in clinical trials. 2/
Cuba didn’t want to rely on the whims of foreign governments or international pharmaceutical companies to immunize its people. Cuba didn’t even sign up for the #COVAX program. 3/
Read 8 tweets

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