1
|
Li D, Sun C, Zhuang P, Mei X. Revolutionizing SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant detection: Towards faster and more reliable methods. Talanta 2024; 266:124937. [PMID: 37481886 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has inflicted significant damage during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This new variant's significant sequence changes and mutations in both proteins and RNA have rendered many existing rapid detection methods ineffective in identifying it accurately. As the world races to control the spread of the virus, researchers are urgently exploring new diagnostic strategies to specifically detect Omicron variants with high accuracy and sensitivity. In response to this challenge, we have compiled a comprehensive overview of the latest reported rapid detection techniques. These techniques include strategies for the simultaneous detection of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants and methods for selectively distinguishing Omicron variants. By categorizing these diagnostic techniques based on their targets, which encompass protein antigens and nucleic acids, we aim to offer a comprehensive understanding of the utilization of various recognition elements in identifying these targets. We also highlight the advantages and limitations of each approach. Our work is crucial in providing a more nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities in detecting Omicron variants and emerging variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- College of Pharmacy, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, 121000, China.
| | - Cai Sun
- AECC Shenyang Liming Aero-Engine Co., Ltd., Shenyang, China
| | - Pengfei Zhuang
- College of Pharmacy, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, 121000, China
| | - Xifan Mei
- Key Laboratory of Medical Tissue Engineering of Liaoning Province, Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Krenn F, Dächert C, Badell I, Lupoli G, Öztan GN, Feng T, Schneider N, Huber M, Both H, Späth PM, Muenchhoff M, Graf A, Krebs S, Blum H, Durner J, Czibere L, Kaderali L, Keppler OT, Baldauf HM, Osterman A. Ten rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 widely differ in their ability to detect Omicron-BA.4 and -BA.5. Med Microbiol Immunol 2023; 212:323-337. [PMID: 37561225 PMCID: PMC10501931 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-023-00775-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Since late 2021, the variant landscape of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been dominated by the variant of concern (VoC) Omicron and its sublineages. We and others have shown that the detection of Omicron-BA.1 and -BA.2-positive respiratory specimens by rapid antigen tests (RATs) is impaired compared to Delta VoC-containing samples. Here, in a single-center retrospective laboratory study, we evaluated the performance of ten most commonly used RATs for the detection of Omicron-BA.4 and -BA.5 infections. We used 171 respiratory swab specimens from SARS-CoV-2 RNA-positive patients, of which 71 were classified as BA.4 and 100 as BA.5. All swabs were collected between July and September 2022. 50 SARS-CoV-2 PCR-negative samples from healthy individuals, collected in October 2022, showed high specificity in 9 out of 10 RATs. When assessing analytical sensitivity using clinical specimens, the 50% limit of detection (LoD50) ranged from 7.6 × 104 to 3.3 × 106 RNA copies subjected to the RATs for BA.4 compared to 6.8 × 104 to 3.0 × 106 for BA.5. Overall, intra-assay differences for the detection of these two Omicron subvariants were not significant for both respiratory swabs and tissue culture-expanded virus isolates. In contrast, marked heterogeneity was observed among the ten RATs: to be positive in these point-of-care tests, up to 443-fold (BA.4) and up to 56-fold (BA.5) higher viral loads were required for the worst performing RAT compared to the best performing RAT. True-positive rates for Omicron-BA.4- or -BA.5-containing specimens in the highest viral load category (Ct values < 25) ranged from 94.3 to 34.3%, dropping to 25.6 to 0% for samples with intermediate Ct values (25-30). We conclude that the high heterogeneity in the performance of commonly used RATs remains a challenge for the general public to obtain reliable results in the evolving Omicron subvariant-driven pandemic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Krenn
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Christopher Dächert
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany
| | - Irina Badell
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Gaia Lupoli
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Gamze Naz Öztan
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Tianle Feng
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Nikolas Schneider
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Melanie Huber
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Hanna Both
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Patricia M. Späth
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Muenchhoff
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany
- COVID-19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Graf
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Krebs
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Blum
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Lars Kaderali
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Oliver T. Keppler
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site, Munich, Germany
- COVID-19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Hanna-Mari Baldauf
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Osterman
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute & Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sakai-Tagawa Y, Yamayoshi S, Halfmann PJ, Wilson N, Bobholz M, Vuyk WC, Wei W, Ries H, O'Connor DH, Friedrich TC, Sordillo EM, van Bakel H, Simon V, Kawaoka Y. Sensitivity of rapid antigen tests for Omicron subvariants of SARS-CoV-2. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28788. [PMID: 37212288 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Diagnosis by rapid antigen tests (RATs) is useful for early initiation of antiviral treatment. Because RATs are easy to use, they can be adapted for self-testing. Several kinds of RATs approved for such use by the Japanese regulatory authority are available from drug stores and websites. Most RATs for COVID-19 are based on antibody detection of the SARS-CoV-2 N protein. Since Omicron and its subvariants have accumulated several amino acid substitutions in the N protein, such amino acid changes might affect the sensitivity of RATs. Here, we investigated the sensitivity of seven RATs available in Japan, six of which are approved for public use and one of which is approved for clinical use, for the detection of BA.5, BA.2.75, BF.7, XBB.1, and BQ.1.1, as well as the delta variant (B.1.627.2). All tested RATs detected the delta variant with a detection level between 7500 and 75 000 pfu per test, and all tested RATs showed similar sensitivity to the Omicron variant and its subvariants (BA.5, BA.2.75, BF.7, XBB.1, and BQ.1.1). Human saliva did not reduce the sensitivity of the RATs tested. Espline SARS-CoV-2 N showed the highest sensitivity followed by Inspecter KOWA SARS-CoV-2 and V Trust SARS-CoV-2 Ag. Since the RATs failed to detect low levels of infectious virus, individuals whose specimens contained less infectious virus than the detection limit would be considered negative. Therefore, it is important to note that RATs may miss individuals shedding low levels of infectious virus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Sakai-Tagawa
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seiya Yamayoshi
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Peter J Halfmann
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Nancy Wilson
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Max Bobholz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - William C Vuyk
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Wanting Wei
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Hunter Ries
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - David H O'Connor
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Thomas C Friedrich
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Emilia M Sordillo
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Harm van Bakel
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Viviana Simon
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Vaccine Research and Pandemic Preparedness (C-VaRPP), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- The Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Infection and Advanced Research Center, The University of Tokyo Pandemic Preparedness, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kam KQ, Maiwald M, Chong CY, Thoon KC, Nadua KD, Loo LH, Yelen, Tan NWH, Li J, Yung CF. SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid tests and universal screening for COVID-19 Omicron variant among hospitalized children. Am J Infect Control 2023; 51:255-260. [PMID: 36370867 PMCID: PMC9643321 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical utility of universal antigen rapid test (ART) in the pediatric setting is unknown. We aimed to assess the performance and utility of universal ART in hospitalized children (≥5-year-old) to prevent nosocomial COVID-19 transmission. METHODS Cross-sectional study involving all hospitalized pediatric patients aged ≥5-year-old from 2 periods during Omicron wave. Clinical data, ART and polymerase chain reaction test results were collected. RESULTS A total of 444 patients were included from the 2 study periods, and 416 patients (93.7%) had concordant results between ART and polymerase chain reaction. The overall sensitivity and specificity of ART were 83.3% (95% CI: 75.2-89.3) and 97.5% (95% CI: 95.0-98.8), respectively. Negative predictive values of ART between the Omicron emergence and Omicron peak periods for a probable case group were 71.4% and 66.7%, respectively, and for a suspect case group 91.4% and 75.0%, respectively. Negative predictive values for an unlikely case group was >95% in both periods. Positive predictive value of ART was >85% for probable and suspect case groups in both periods. Seventy-five percent of patients (n = 15) who were incorrectly classified as SARS-CoV-2 negative by ART had potentially viable virus. No large nosocomial transmission clusters were detected. CONCLUSIONS Universal ART screening may limit nosocomial outbreaks in hospitalized children. The performance can be optimized by considering clinical symptoms, exposure and periods within COVID waves.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Qian Kam
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Pediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore; Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College London, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
| | - Matthias Maiwald
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chia Yin Chong
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Pediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College London, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Koh Cheng Thoon
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Pediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College London, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Karen Donceras Nadua
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Pediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College London, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Liat Hui Loo
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
| | - Yelen
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Pediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
| | - Natalie Woon Hui Tan
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Pediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College London, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jiahui Li
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Pediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College London, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore,Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chee Fu Yung
- Infectious Disease Service, Department of Pediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore,Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College London, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Osterman A, Badell I, Dächert C, Schneider N, Kaufmann AY, Öztan GN, Huber M, Späth PM, Stern M, Autenrieth H, Muenchhoff M, Graf A, Krebs S, Blum H, Czibere L, Durner J, Kaderali L, Baldauf HM, Keppler OT. Variable detection of Omicron-BA.1 and -BA.2 by SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests. Med Microbiol Immunol 2023; 212:13-23. [PMID: 36370197 PMCID: PMC9660148 DOI: 10.1007/s00430-022-00752-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
During 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic has been dominated by the variant of concern (VoC) Omicron (B.1.1.529) and its rapidly emerging subvariants, including Omicron-BA.1 and -BA.2. Rapid antigen tests (RATs) are part of national testing strategies to identify SARS-CoV-2 infections on site in a community setting or to support layman's diagnostics at home. We and others have recently demonstrated an impaired RAT detection of infections caused by Omicron-BA.1 compared to Delta. Here, we evaluated the performance of five SARS-CoV-2 RATs in a single-centre laboratory study examining a total of 140 SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive respiratory swab samples, 70 Omicron-BA.1 and 70 Omicron-BA.2, as well as 52 SARS-CoV-2 PCR-negative swabs collected from March 8th until April 10th, 2022. One test did not meet minimal criteria for specificity. In an assessment of the analytical sensitivity in clinical specimen, the 50% limit of detection (LoD50) ranged from 4.2 × 104 to 9.2 × 105 RNA copies subjected to the RAT for Omicron-BA.1 compared to 1.3 × 105 to 1.5 × 106 for Omicron-BA.2. Overall, intra-assay differences for the detection of Omicron-BA.1-containing and Omicron-BA.2-containing samples were non-significant, while a marked overall heterogeneity among the five RATs was observed. To score positive in these point-of-care tests, up to 22-fold (LoD50) or 68-fold (LoD95) higher viral loads were required for the worst performing compared to the best performing RAT. The rates of true-positive test results for these Omicron subvariant-containing samples in the highest viral load category (Ct values < 25) ranged between 44.7 and 91.1%, while they dropped to 8.7 to 22.7% for samples with intermediate Ct values (25-30). In light of recent reports on the emergence of two novel Omicron-BA.2 subvariants, Omicron-BA.2.75 and BJ.1, awareness must be increased for the overall reduced detection rate and marked differences in RAT performance for these Omicron subvariants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Osterman
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Irina Badell
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Christopher Dächert
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Nikolas Schneider
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna-Yasemin Kaufmann
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Gamze Naz Öztan
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Melanie Huber
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Patricia M Späth
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Marcel Stern
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Hanna Autenrieth
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Maximilian Muenchhoff
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
- COVID-19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Graf
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Krebs
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Blum
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Jürgen Durner
- Labor Becker MVZ GbR, Munich, Germany
- Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital, LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Lars Kaderali
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Hanna-Mari Baldauf
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany.
| | - Oliver T Keppler
- Max Von Pettenkofer Institute and Gene Center, Virology, National Reference Center for Retroviruses, LMU München, Munich, Germany.
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany.
- COVID-19 Registry of the LMU Munich (CORKUM), University Hospital, LMU München, Munich, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Tiecco G, Storti S, Arsuffi S, Degli Antoni M, Focà E, Castelli F, Quiros-Roldan E. Omicron BA.2 Lineage, the "Stealth" Variant: Is It Truly a Silent Epidemic? A Literature Review. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:7315. [PMID: 35806320 PMCID: PMC9266794 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The epidemic curve of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is silently rising again. Worldwide, the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) is Omicron, and its virological characteristics, such as transmissibility, pathogenicity, and resistance to both vaccine- and infection-induced immunity as well as antiviral drugs, are an urgent public health concern. The Omicron variant has five major sub-lineages; as of February 2022, the BA.2 lineage has been detected in several European and Asian countries, becoming the predominant variant and the real antagonist of the ongoing surge. Hence, although global attention is currently focused on dramatic, historically significant events and the multi-country monkeypox outbreak, this new epidemic is unlikely to fade away in silence. Many aspects of this lineage are still unclear and controversial, but its apparent replication advantage and higher transmissibility, as well as its ability to escape neutralizing antibodies induced by vaccination and previous infection, are rising global concerns. Herein, we review the latest publications and the most recent available literature on the BA.2 lineage of the Omicron variant.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Eugenia Quiros-Roldan
- Unit of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (G.T.); (S.S.); (S.A.); (M.D.A.); (E.F.); (F.C.)
| |
Collapse
|