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Chen CS, Jian MJ, Chang CK, Chung HY, Li SY, Lin JC, Yeh KM, Yang YS, Chen CW, Hsieh SS, Tang SH, Perng CL, Chang FY, Shang HS. Monitoring algorithm of hospitalized patients in a medical center with SARS-CoV-2 (Omicron variant) infection: clinical epidemiological surveillance and immunological assessment. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14666. [PMID: 36710871 PMCID: PMC9879147 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a major healthcare threat worldwide. Since it was first identified in November 2021, the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of SARS-CoV-2 has evolved into several lineages, including BA.1, BA.2-BA.4, and BA.5. SARS-CoV-2 variants might increase transmissibility, pathogenicity, and resistance to vaccine-induced immunity. Thus, the epidemiological surveillance of circulating lineages using variant phenotyping is essential. The aim of the current study was to characterize the clinical outcome of Omicron BA.2 infections among hospitalized COVID-19 patients and to perform an immunological assessment of such cases against SARS-CoV-2. Patients and Methods We evaluated the analytical and clinical performance of the BioIC SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (Ig)M/IgG detection kit, which was used for detecting antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in 257 patients infected with the Omicron variant. Results Poor prognosis was noted in 38 patients, including eight deaths in patients characterized by comorbidities predisposing them to severe COVID-19. The variant-of-concern (VOC) typing and serological analysis identified time-dependent epidemic trends of BA.2 variants emerging in the outbreak of the fourth wave in Taiwan. Of the 257 specimens analyzed, 108 (42%) and 24 (9.3%) were positive for anti-N IgM and IgG respectively. Conclusion The VOC typing of these samples allowed for the identification of epidemic trends by time intervals, including the B.1.1.529 variant replacing the B.1.617.2 variant. Moreover, antibody testing might serve as a complementary method for COVID-19 diagnosis. The combination of serological testing results with the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold value has potential value in disease prognosis, thereby aiding in epidemic investigations conducted by clinicians or the healthcare department.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Sheng Chen
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Jr Jian
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Kai Chang
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Yi Chung
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Yi Li
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Chung Lin
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Ming Yeh
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Sung Yang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Wen Chen
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shan-Shan Hsieh
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sheng-Hui Tang
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cherng-Lih Perng
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Yee Chang
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Sheng Shang
- Division of Clinical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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