Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection

Epidemiological and clinical features of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection in China: A retrospective study (preprint)

Background: A rapid increase in incidence of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant occurred in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China, in March 2022. This study investigated the epidemiological and clinical features of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (BA.2)-infected patients.  Methods: Epidemiological and clinical data of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infected patients admitted to three designated hospitals in Quanzhou were collected and analyzed.  Results: Overall, 2,541 patients infected with BA.2, comprising 1,060 asymptomatic, 1,287 mild, and 194 moderate infections, were enrolled in this study. The percentage of moderate infections was higher in those aged ≥60 than in those aged <18 and 18-59. The median hospitalization duration was 17 (14-20) days. Among the 2,541 patients, 43.52% had a clear history of close contact. The vaccination rate for coronavirus disease was 87.92%, and the percentage of asymptomatic infections was higher in vaccinated patients than in unvaccinated patients. Moreover, 10.82% with underlying diseases, such as hypertension (5.94%) and diabetes mellitus (3.12%), had a higher percentage of moderate infections than those without underlying diseases. The three most common clinical manifestations among the patients were fever (27.47%), dry cough (25.19%), and sore throat (15.31%). The albumin-to-globulin (A/G) ratio and lymphocyte count decreased in the cases of mild and moderate infections, while procalcitonin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, interleukin-6, D-dimer, and C4 levels increased. The pulmonary computed tomography findings for moderate infections were generally patchy and ground-glass opacities.  Conclusions: Advanced age, non-vaccination, and underlying comorbid disease are high-risk factors for disease progression in Omicron variant-infected patients, while dynamic monitoring of blood routine parameters, A/G ratio, and inflammatory indicators facilitate the prediction of disease progression.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes in COVID-19 patients with chronic kidney disease in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron wave: a case-control study (preprint)

Background Since March 2022, the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, mainly the BA.2 sub-lineage, has swept throughout Shanghai, China and caused a wide range of infections. Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are particularly vulnerable to the subvariant and have unique clinical manifestations and outcomes, which have not been studied yet.Methods We retrospective collected data from 2140 hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection from March 29, 2022, to May 17, 2022. Demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, ancillary examination results, and treatments were described respectively. Presence of COVID-19 pneumonia, disease severity (according to WHO), composite outcome (critical COVID-19 and death), and negative conversion time were defined as primary outcomes. Multivariate analyses were used to evaluate risk factors affecting the primary outcomes.Results The main clinical types of CKD group were severe and critical. Negative conversion time varies according to the stage of CKD patients. The CKD group was more likely to have pneumonia, respiratory and circulatory support, severe disease and death, as compared to the non-CKD group. CKD and the number of comorbidities were found to be risk factors for pneumonia, critical COVID-19and composite outcome among Omicron patients.Conclusion We provided the first snapshot of clinical characteristics and outcomes of CKD patients in the Omicron wave, highlighting the vulnerability of CKD population and providing clues for future studies in special or immunocompromised populations.

Establishing emergency medical system of classified treatment to alleviate the overload medical needs after the community outbreak of corona virus disease 2019 in Wuhan City / 中华传染病杂志

Wuhan is the city with the most serious outbreak of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. The outbreak of community has exhausted the current medical resources. With integrating local and support medical resources from other province, Wuhan City has rapidly rebuilt a new emergency medical system of classified treatment, and effectively responded to the overload medical demand after the outbreak in the community.