Comparison of Antibody Levels Produced by Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Sinopharm Vaccination in COVID-19 Patients in Erbil City-Iraq.

In this study, early adverse impacts that emerged after vaccination with each dose of these vaccines were compared from previously infected participants. Ant-SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific IgG and IgA antibodies produced by these three vaccines have been assessed using ELISA method at different time periodsꓼ including pre-vaccination, 25 days after the first shot of vaccination and 30 days after the second shot of vaccination with Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Sinopharm vaccine. Overall, 150 previously infected cases were studied, 50 cases received Pfizer vaccine, 50 cases received AstraZeneca vaccine, and 50 cases received Sinopharm vaccine. The findings showed that a higher number of vaccinated participants with AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine had tired/fatigue/lethargy, headache, fever, and sore in arm at the first shot, but milder adverse effects, such as headaches, fever, and sore in arm, were detected in the data on the Sinopharm vaccine's adverse impacts. At the second dose, a lower number of vaccinated cases with AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine reported higher frequencies of the side effects. However, the results showed that the level of anti-spike-specific IgG and IgA antibodies produced by vaccinated patients with Pfizer vaccine increased compared to those who vaccinated with AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccine from 25 days after the first dose. From 30 days after the second dose, the IgG and IgA antibodies were significantly boosted in 97% of vaccinated patients with Pfizer vaccine compared to 92% of those who vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccines and 60% of those who vaccinated with Sinopharm. In conclusion, these results confirmed that two doses of the Pfizer, and AstraZeneca vaccine induce a higher response of IgG and IgA antibodies than that induced by Sinopharm vaccines.

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Genomic and Phylogenetic Analysis in Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

Omicron variants have been classified as Variants of Concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) ever since they first emerged as a result of a significant mutation in this variant, which showed to have an impact on transmissibility and virulence of the virus, as evidenced by the ongoing modifications in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As a global pandemic, the Omicron variant also spread among the Kurdish population. This study aimed to analyze different strains from different cities of the Kurdistan region of Iraq to show the risk of infection and the impact of the various mutations on immune responses and vaccination. A total of 175 nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal specimens were collected at West Erbil Emergency Hospital and confirmed for SARS-CoV-2 infection by RT-PCR. The genomes of the samples were sequenced using the Illumina COVID-Seq Method. The genome analysis was established based on previously published data in the GISAID database and compared to previously detected mutations in the Omicron variants, and that they belong to the BA.1 lineage and include most variations determined in other studies related to transmissibility, high infectivity and immune escape. Most of the mutations were found in the RBD (receptor binding domain), the region related to the escape from humoral immunity. Remarkably, these point mutations (G339D, S371L, S373P, S375F, T547K, D614G, H655Y, N679K and N969K) were also determined in this study, which were unique, and their impact should be addressed more. Overall, the Omicron variants were more contagious than other variants. However, the mortality rate was low, and most infectious cases were asymptomatic. The next step should address the potential of Omicron variants to develop the next-generation COVID-19 vaccine.