ABSTRACT
Introduction Vaccination is the primary pharmacological measure to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission and its complications. Timely information on vaccines effectiveness in a context of novel variants of concern (VOC) emergence is essential for public health policies. This study aimed to provide a measure of comparative vaccine effectiveness between Omicron (BA.1) and Delta (B.1.627.2) VOC according to vaccination exposure (complete primary regimen or booster dose) for Portuguese population aged 12 or more years old using routinely collected data from electronic health records. Methods We used a case-case study design linking national electronic vaccination registry and surveillance data on 13,134 SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR laboratory-confirmed cases notified in Portugal during weeks 49-51 of 2021. Notified cases were classified as Omicron or Delta based on whole-genome sequencing or S-gene Target Failure (SGTF) status using the RT-PCR TaqPath™ Covid 19 CE IVD Kit (Thermo Scientific™) assay. The odds of vaccination was compared between Omicron cases and Delta cases using logistic regression adjusted for age group, sex, region and week of diagnosis and laboratory of origin. Results The odds of vaccination were higher in laboratory-confirmed cases infected by Omicron (BA.1) VOC compared to Delta (B.1.627.2) VOC for both complete primary vaccination (Odds ratio (OR)=2.1;95% Confidence Interval (95%CI): 1.8 - 2.4) and booster dose (OR = 5.2;95%CI: 3.1 - 8.8), indicating vaccine effectiveness reduction against Omicron. Conclusions We found significantly higher odds of vaccination in Omicron cases compared to Delta, suggesting lower effectiveness of the primary vaccination and the booster dose in preventing infections by Omicron. Case-case study design has proven to be feasible approach to rapidly compare vaccine effectiveness between VOC in context of novel VOC emergence to timely inform public health stakeholders. Key messages • Reduction of vaccine-induced protection against SARS-COV-2 infection with the Omicron compared to Delta after primary and booster vaccination. • Continuous monitoring of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness is essential to support public health policies in context of novel VOC emergence.
ABSTRACT
Communication between the different actors present in the school ecosystem is an essential issue. However, in a busy world where parents do not have much time to visit schools regularly, it is crucial to create mechanisms to better monitor student success and school demands. The current pandemic situation caused by the coronavirus has highlighted the role that technologies have in supporting the mission of schools and communication between the various school actors. The interaction between school, students and parents presents a growing and complex challenge. Technology has, in recent years, shaped the concepts of support and monitoring of learning - at school and outside it - as well as the way in which information flows between all actors in the school ecosystem. Emergently, the evolution of mobile applications, combined with the evolution of the capabilities of mobile devices, has enabled the creation of new and more effective intercommunication mechanisms, with ubiquitous approaches and in a predictable scenario of less willingness for physical interaction of the different actors. Based on these premises, this article reflects on the potential of mobile devices and their applications to support new models of intercommunication between parents or school sponsors, students and teachers. In this sense, a conceptual model is proposed that represents a work in progress that aims at creating and evaluating a prototype system capable of improving intercommunication and the overall success of the societal challenges of the school learning system. © 2020 IBIMA Publishing. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Late in 2020, two genetically-distinct clusters of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with mutations of biological concern were reported, one in the United Kingdom and one in South Africa. Using a combination of data from routine surveillance, genomic sequencing and international travel we track the international dispersal of lineages B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 (variant 501Y-V2). We account for potential biases in genomic surveillance efforts by including passenger volumes from location of where the lineage was first reported, London and South Africa respectively. Using the software tool grinch (global report investigating novel coronavirus haplotypes), we track the international spread of lineages of concern with automated daily reports, Further, we have built a custom tracking website (cov-lineages.org/global_report.html) which hosts this daily report and will continue to include novel SARS-CoV-2 lineages of concern as they are detected.