ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) or nCoV-19-Beta (AZD2816) protect Syrian hamsters against Beta Delta and Omicron variants

Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron virus causes attenuated disease in mice and hamsters

Peter J. Halfmann et al.

Summary: The recent study by the SAVE/NIAID network shows that the B.1.1.529 Omicron variant causes milder lung disease in rodents, which is consistent with preliminary human clinical data.

NATURE (2022)

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Article Infectious Diseases

Neutralising antibody titres as predictors of protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants and the impact of boosting: a meta-analysis

Deborah Cromer et al.

Summary: By analyzing data on in-vitro neutralization and clinical protection, the study found that neutralizing activity against the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 is highly correlated with neutralization of variants of concern, and can still predict the vaccine's protection against these variants. Simulation results suggest that booster vaccination for previously infected individuals can provide higher levels of protection compared to primary vaccination. Although the protection may decrease within the first year after vaccination, the current vaccines can still offer robust protection in the medium term.

LANCET MICROBE (2022)

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Article Virology

OraSure InteliSwab™ Rapid Antigen Test Performance with the SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern-Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron

Zachary A. Weishampel et al.

Summary: This study investigated the sensitivity of the OraSure InteliSwab COVID-19 Rapid Test for various variants of SARS-CoV-2. Using different cultured strains and recombinant nucleocapsid protein, the limit of detection for each variant was determined. The results showed that the OraSure InteliSwab test demonstrated comparable performance in detecting different variants and did not show decreased sensitivity for any of the variants, including Omicron.

VIRUSES-BASEL (2022)

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Article Immunology

SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals: measurement, causes and impact

Marc Lipsitch et al.

Summary: The study evaluates the impact of breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 infections in vaccinated individuals and discusses the challenges in measuring breakthrough infections and determining the factors affecting vaccine effectiveness. The research also addresses key questions on transitioning to endemicity, tracking viral variants, identifying immune correlates of protection, and dealing with public health challenges in countering breakthrough infections amid global vaccine shortages.

NATURE REVIEWS IMMUNOLOGY (2022)

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Article Medicine, General & Internal

Safety and efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (AZD1222) against SARS-CoV-2: an interim analysis of four randomised controlled trials in Brazil, South Africa, and the UK

Merryn Voysey et al.

Summary: The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine has been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and effectiveness against symptomatic COVID-19, with higher efficacy observed in the group that received a low dose followed by a standard dose.

LANCET (2021)

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Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Evidence of escape of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.351 from natural and vaccine-induced sera

Daming Zhou et al.

Summary: The race to develop vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1, is ongoing as these variants have mutations in the spike protein, potentially leading to immune escape. A structure-function analysis of B.1.351 revealed tighter ACE2 binding and widespread evasion from monoclonal antibody neutralization, particularly driven by the E484K mutation.

CELL (2021)

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Article Medicine, General & Internal

Phase 3 Safety and Efficacy of AZD1222 (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) Covid-19 Vaccine

Ann R. Falsey et al.

Summary: The clinical trial in the United States, Chile, and Peru showed that the AZD1222 vaccine was both safe and effective in preventing symptomatic and severe Covid-19 cases, with an overall estimated efficacy of 74% and a higher efficacy of 83.5% in participants 65 years of age or older. The high vaccine efficacy was consistent across various demographic subgroups, and antibodies increased significantly after each dose.

NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE (2021)

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Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 spike 69/70 deletion, E484K and N501Y variants by BNT162b2 vaccine-elicited sera

Xuping Xie et al.

Summary: The study found that human sera from recipients of the BNT162b2 vaccine can neutralize SARS-CoV-2 viruses containing key spike mutations from the newly emerged UK and SA variants.

NATURE MEDICINE (2021)

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Letter Medicine, General & Internal

Neutralizing Activity of BNT162b2-Elicited Serum

Yang Liu et al.

NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) protects Syrian hamsters against SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 and B.1.1.7

Robert J. Fischer et al.

Summary: The study demonstrates the effectiveness of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine against clinical disease caused by B.1.1.7 or B.1.351 variants. Vaccinated hamsters did not experience weight loss or lung lesions compared to control animals after being challenged with the variants.

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2021)

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Article Microbiology

Neutralizing antibody activity in convalescent sera from infection in humans with SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern

Liane Dupont et al.

Summary: The design and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines should consider the durability and cross-neutralizing potential of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants. Studies on convalescent sera show that cross-neutralizing activity can last up to 305 days post onset of symptoms, with differences in neutralization potency against variants decreasing over time due to antibody maturation.

NATURE MICROBIOLOGY (2021)

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Article Medicine, General & Internal

Efficacy of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern 202012/01 (B.1.1.7): an exploratory analysis of a randomised controlled trial

Katherine R. W. Emary et al.

Summary: A post-hoc analysis was conducted on the efficacy of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine against the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the UK. The vaccine showed reduced neutralisation activity against the B.1.1.7 variant in vitro, but still demonstrated efficacy against the B.1.1.7 variant of the virus.

LANCET (2021)

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Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Neutralizing antibody levels are highly predictive of immune protection from symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection

David S. Khoury et al.

Summary: The level of neutralizing antibodies is closely related to immune protection against COVID-19, playing a crucial role in protecting against detected infection and severe infection. Studies have shown that neutralizing titers will decline over time after vaccination, leading to decreased protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

NATURE MEDICINE (2021)

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Article Immunology

Ad26.COV2.S protects Syrian hamsters against G614 spike variant SARS-CoV-2 and does not enhance respiratory disease

Joan E. M. van der Lubbe et al.

Summary: This study investigated the immunogenicity, protective efficacy, and potential for vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease (VAERD) mediated by Ad26.COV2.S in a Syrian hamster challenge model with the G614 spike SARS-CoV-2 variant. Results showed that higher vaccine doses elicited substantial neutralizing antibodies titers and provided complete protection against lung infection and pneumonia in over 80% of Syrian hamsters inoculated with SARS-CoV-2.

NPJ VACCINES (2021)

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Article Medicine, General & Internal

Reactogenicity and immunogenicity after a late second dose or a third dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 in the UK: a substudy of two randomised controlled trials (COV001 and COV002)

Amy Flaxman et al.

Summary: The study shows that an extended interval before the second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine leads to increased antibody titres, while a third dose significantly boosts antibody levels and enhances T-cell responses.

LANCET (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Protective efficacy of Ad26.COV2.S against SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 in macaques

Jingyou Yu et al.

Summary: The Ad26.COV2.S vaccine provides robust protection against the B.1.351 variant in rhesus macaques, despite generating lower neutralizing antibodies against B.1.351 compared to the WA1/2020 strain.

NATURE (2021)

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Article Immunology

mRNA-1273 protects against SARS-CoV-2 beta infection in nonhuman primates

Kizzmekia S. Corbett et al.

Summary: The mRNA-1273 vaccine from Moderna in a two-dose regimen provides strong protection against major variants of concern, particularly the B.1.351 variant. Higher neutralizing antibody responses and reduced viral replication in the upper and lower airways were observed after two doses, highlighting the importance of the full vaccine regimen for effective immunity.

NATURE IMMUNOLOGY (2021)

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Article Cell Biology

Immunity elicited by natural infection or Ad26.COV2.S vaccination protects hamsters against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Lisa H. Tostanoski et al.

Summary: This study explored how mutations in spike proteins of different SARS-CoV-2 variants affect natural and vaccine-induced immunity, finding that primary infection with the WA1/2020 strain provided strong protection, while antibodies induced by the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine showed reduced neutralizing activity against the B.1.351 strain but still offered effective protection.

SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE (2021)

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Article Biology

Production of Recombinant Replication-defective Lentiviruses Bearing the SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 Attachment Spike Glycoprotein and Their Application in Receptor Tropism and Neutralisation Assays

Nazia Thakur et al.

Summary: This study proposes a protocol based on pseudotyping to investigate the entry of SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2 in a lower-containment facility, providing important insights into viral biology.

BIO-PROTOCOL (2021)

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Article Infectious Diseases