Comparison of AstraZeneca and sinopharm vaccines as boosters in protection against COVID-19 infection

Background As the global number of confirmed cases rises past 640 million, vaccination remains the most effective measure in controlling COVID-19. Studies have shown that two doses of vaccination can significantly reduce hospitalization and mortality rates among patients, but the effectiveness of booster doses is also important. We aimed to evaluate the role played by the type of the 3rd dose of vaccination by comparing the safety and efficacy of two common vaccination histories differing only in the 3rd received dose. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study on patients with respiratory symptoms suspected of having SARS-CoV-2 infection using Real-time PCR. We also collected information on the age, gender, and type of vaccine received for the third dose. Results Out of 346 cases with respiratory symptoms, 120 cases tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and had received two doses of Sinopharm and a different booster dose of either AZD1222 (AstraZeneca) or BIBP (Sinopharm). Among these 120 patients, vaccination with AZD1222 as a booster dose resulted in fewer symptoms compared to those vaccinated with three doses of BIBP. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that booster doses can help reduce hospitalization and the severity of infection, and it appears that a combination of different vaccines may be effective against severe COVID-19 infection.

Comparison of AstraZeneca and sinopharm vaccines as boosters in protection against COVID-19 infection.

BACKGROUND: As the global number of confirmed cases rises past 640 million, vaccination remains the most effective measure in controlling COVID-19. Studies have shown that two doses of vaccination can significantly reduce hospitalization and mortality rates among patients, but the effectiveness of booster doses is also important. We aimed to evaluate the role played by the type of the 3rd dose of vaccination by comparing the safety and efficacy of two common vaccination histories differing only in the 3rd received dose. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study on patients with respiratory symptoms suspected of having SARS-CoV-2 infection using Real-time PCR. We also collected information on the age, gender, and type of vaccine received for the third dose. RESULTS: Out of 346 cases with respiratory symptoms, 120 cases tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and had received two doses of Sinopharm and a different booster dose of either AZD1222 (AstraZeneca) or BIBP (Sinopharm). Among these 120 patients, vaccination with AZD1222 as a booster dose resulted in fewer symptoms compared to those vaccinated with three doses of BIBP. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that booster doses can help reduce hospitalization and the severity of infection, and it appears that a combination of different vaccines may be effective against severe COVID-19 infection.

3D printed chitosan/polycaprolactone scaffold for lung tissue engineering: hope to be useful for COVID-19 studies.

To prevent or reduce mortality from lung diseases, new biological materials and scaffolds are needed to conduct more accurate research and support lung tissue regeneration. On the other hand, the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus and its targeting of the human lung has caused many deaths worldwide. The main aim of this study was to provide a biologically and mechanically suitable 3D printed scaffold using chitosan/polycaprolactone bioink for lung tissue engineering. Design-Expert software was employed for studying various compositions for 3D printing. The selected scaffolds underwent physiochemical, biological and mechanical studies to evaluate if they are capable of MRC-5 cell line growth, proliferation, and migration. Based on the results, the average diameter of the chitosan/polycaprolactone strands was measured at 360 µm. Chitosan concentration controlled the printability, while changes in polycaprolactone content did not affect printability. The scaffolds showed excellent potential in swelling, degradation, and mechanical behavior, although they can be modified by adjusting the polycaprolactone content. The scaffolds also revealed notable cell adhesion, nontoxicity, low apoptosis, high proliferation, and cell biocompatibility in vitro. To sum up, scaffold 3 (chitosan/polycaprolactone ratio: 4 : 1) revealed better activity for MRC-5 cell culture. Thereby, this scaffold can be a good candidate for lung tissue engineering and may be applicable for more studies on the COVID-19 virus.