ABSTRACT
The new Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2). It is a highly communicable infectious disease [1]. Clinical manifestations of COVID-19 vary from asymptomatic to ARDS leading to death, it is important to differentiate between severe and non-severe cases. Early warning signs can be identified by several laboratory tests which are often expensive, time taking. Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), Creactive protein (CRP) are two simple tests that can be used as markers for clinical outcome in COVID-19 patients. The aim and objectives of the study were to correlate patients clinical severity and CRP, NLR levels and to assess direct correlation between CRP levels and NLR. 101 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were taken into the study. Patients are divided into mild, moderate severity based on WHO criteria and CBP, CRP were sent on the 6th/ 7th day of illness. Among the 101 patients, 93 were in mild group, 8 were in moderate group. The study group included subjects who aged between 18 years to 80 years of age. Plasma CRP levels were higher in moderate cases than in mild cases, and this difference was significant (p < 0.001). The mean NLR of moderate severity were significantly higher than those of mild cases (p-0.00003). Results showed that NLR was positively correlated with CRP levels.NLR and CRP are potential, reliable and easy-to-use predictors for deteriorating covid-19 infection. The integration of NLR and CRP may lead to improved predictions and help to triage patients at the time of hospital admission. [ FROM AUTHOR]
ABSTRACT
Passive immunization using monoclonal antibodies will play a vital role in the fight against COVID-19. The recent emergence of viral variants with reduced sensitivity to some current antibodies and vaccines highlights the importance of broad cross-reactivity. This study describes deep-mining of the antibody repertoires of hospitalized COVID-19 patients using phage display technology and B cell receptor (BCR) repertoire sequencing to isolate neutralizing antibodies and gain insights into the early antibody response. This comprehensive discovery approach has yielded a panel of potent neutralizing antibodies which bind distinct viral epitopes including epitopes conserved in SARS-CoV-1. Structural determination of a non-ACE2 receptor blocking antibody reveals a previously undescribed binding epitope, which is unlikely to be affected by the mutations in any of the recently reported major viral variants including B.1.1.7 (from the UK), B.1.351 (from South Africa) and B.1.1.28 (from Brazil). Finally, by combining sequences of the RBD binding and neutralizing antibodies with the B cell receptor repertoire sequencing, we also describe a highly convergent early antibody response. Similar IgM-derived sequences occur within this study group and also within patient responses described by multiple independent studies published previously.