#Coronavirus Disease Research #References (by AMEDEO, Nov. 16 ’24)
Antiviral Res
BMJ
Br J Anaesth
Clin Infect Dis
Emerg Infect Dis
Int J Infect Dis
Intensive Care Med
J Infect
J Med Virol
J Virol
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Lancet
Lancet Infect Dis
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
N Engl J Med
Nature
Science
Source: npj Vaccines, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-024-01016-6
Abstract
We report SARS-CoV-2 KP.1, KP.1.1, KP.2 and KP.3 neutralizing antibody titers. They displayed increased immune evasion compared to JN.1, especially KP.1 and KP.3, for participants who experienced BF.7/BA.5.2 breakthrough infection or received bivalent (delta/BA.5) vaccine boosting. Second XBB sub-variants breakthrough infection enhanced the neutralization responses. HK.3-JN.1 RBD-heterodimer induced balanced and potent neutralizing responses against recently-circulating SARS-CoV-2 sub-variants in mice, supporting to replace the COVID-19 antigen containing JN.1 or its sub-variants.
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BMJ
Clin Infect Dis
Int J Infect Dis
Intensive Care Med
J Infect
J Virol
Life Sci
Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi
BMJ
Clin Infect Dis
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol
J Med Virol
J Virol
JAMA
Lancet Infect Dis
Life Sci
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
N Engl J Med
Nature
Science
https://etidioh.wordpress.com/2024/11/03/coronavirus-disease-research-references-by-amedeo-nov-3-24/
Source: Journal of Virology, https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jvi.01305-24
ABSTRACT
Human-to-human transmission of the highly pathogenic Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is currently inefficient. However, there is concern that the virus might mutate and thereby increase its transmissibility and thus pandemic potential. The pandemic SARS-CoV-2 depends on a highly cleavable furin motif at the S1/S2 site of the viral spike (S) protein for efficient lung cell entry, transmission, and pathogenicity. Here, by employing pseudotyped particles, we investigated whether augmented cleavage at the S1/S2 site also increases MERS-CoV entry into Calu-3 human lung cells. We report that polymorphism T746K at the S1/S2 cleavage site or optimization of the furin motif increases S protein cleavage but not lung cell entry. These findings suggest that, unlike what has been reported for SARS-CoV-2, a highly cleavable S1/S2 site might not augment MERS-CoV infectivity for human lung cells.
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Emerg Infect Dis
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol
Int J Infect Dis
J Virol
JAMA
Life Sci
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
Source: Lancet Infectious Diseases, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(24)00574-7/fulltext?rss=yes
Summary
Background
Existing studies on SARS-CoV-2 infection have mainly focused on severe clinical outcomes; understanding of the clinical severity profile of general community infections is poor. We aimed to assess and compare the clinical profiles of infections with SARS-CoV-2 omicron (B.1.1.529) subvariants in a representative community cohort in Hong Kong during periods of BA.2, BA.4/5, and XBB dominance.
Methods
In this prospective cohort study in Hong Kong, a representative community cohort of individuals aged at least 5 years were recruited by random-digit dialling and underwent weekly rapid antigen testing for SARS-CoV-2, irrespective of symptoms, during three periods from March 1, 2022, to Oct 31, 2023, in which the BA.2, BA.4/5, or XBB subvariants were dominant. We analysed the likelihood of symptoms, as well as the patterns, severity, and duration of symptoms and their associations with participant demographics and vaccination and infection histories.
Findings
1126 (11·0%) of 10 279 participants in the BA.2 period, 830 (6·6%) of 12 588 in the BA.4/5 period, and 633 (11·1%) of 5690 during the XBB period tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection on rapid antigen tests. Community infections were generally mild, with asymptomatic infections comprising 22·0–25·0% of infections. No hospitalisations or deaths occurred as a direct result of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the study period. Compared with children aged 5–17 years, a higher likelihood of being symptomatic on infection was found for adults aged 18–59 years during the period of BA.2 dominance and adults aged 60 years or older during XBB dominance. Most (>90·0%) participants with symptomatic infections reported respiratory and systemic symptoms. Up-to-date vaccination with a regimen containing the BNT162b2 vaccine, compared with those without an up-to-date vaccine, was associated with a reduced likelihood of symptoms on infection during the period of BA.2 dominance and of severe symptoms causing substantial disturbance to daily life (grade 3 symptoms) during periods of BA.2 and BA.4/5 dominance, whereas no association was observed during the period of XBB dominance. Previous SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a reduced likelihood of symptoms on infection during BA.4/5 and XBB dominance and of severe symptoms during XBB dominance. Reports of severe symptoms increased over the three periods, from 236 (27·7%) of 852 symptomatic participants during BA.2 dominance to 176 (37·1%) of 475 during XBB dominance. The duration of symptoms was longest in the BA.2 period (median 10·0 days [95% CI 9·0–10·0]) and similar in the other two periods (8·0 [8·0–9·0] during BA.4/5 dominance and 8·0 [8·0–9·0] during XBB dominance). A symptom duration of 60 days or longer was reported only during the period of BA.2 dominance, in six (0·7%) of 824 infections.
Interpretation
SARS-CoV-2 infections were generally mild, but not increasingly so, along the evolution of omicron subvariants in this highly vaccinated population. About a third of participants with symptomatic infections reported that the symptoms severely affected daily life even if they were not admitted to hospital, resulting in morbidity, absence from work or school due to illness, productivity loss, and increased medicoeconomic burden. A gradual reduction in the association of vaccines and increase in the association of previous infection with the symptom profile, possibly reflecting the effects of immune escape and waning, were observed over the study period.
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Source: Nature Communications, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-52808-2
Abstract
Since 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has undergone mutations, resulting in pandemic and epidemic waves. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, crucial for cellular entry, binds to the ACE2 receptor exclusively when its receptor-binding domain (RBD) adopts the up-conformation. However, whether ACE2 also interacts with the RBD in the down-conformation to facilitate the conformational shift to RBD-up remains unclear. Herein, we present the structures of the BA.2.86 and the JN.1 spike proteins bound to ACE2. Notably, we successfully observed the ACE2-bound down-RBD, indicating an intermediate structure before the RBD-up conformation. The wider and mobile angle of RBDs in the up-state provides space for ACE2 to interact with the down-RBD, facilitating the transition to the RBD-up state. The K356T, but not N354-linked glycan, contributes to both of infectivity and neutralizing-antibody evasion in BA.2.86. These structural insights the spike-protein dynamics would help understand the mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection and its neutralization.
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BMJ
Clin Infect Dis
Emerg Infect Dis
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol
Int J Infect Dis
J Infect
J Med Virol
J Virol
JAMA
Lancet
Lancet Infect Dis
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep
Nature
#Universal subunit #vaccine protects against multiple #SARS-CoV-2 #variants and SARS-CoV, npj Vaccines: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-024-00922-z
Overall, the designed vaccine has potential for development as a universal #COVID19 vaccine and/or a pan - #sarbecovirus subunit vaccine that will prevent current and future outbreaks caused by SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-related CoVs.
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Clin Infect Dis
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