COVID-19 Vaccination Status Among Healthcare Workers and Its Effect on Disease Manifestations: A Study From Northeast India.

Background and objective Since being declared a global pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to millions of cases and deaths worldwide. Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to wreak havoc on individuals, healthcare systems, and economies, the intensive vaccination strategies adopted by several countries have significantly slowed the progress and the severity of the disease. In this study, we aimed to determine the COVID-19 vaccination status among healthcare workers (HCWs) and examine the effects of vaccination on disease manifestations. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at a teaching hospital in Northeast India from April 2021 to September 2021, during the second phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. HCWs employed in the hospital who were laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 based on semiquantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) on oropharyngeal samples were included in the study. Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019, Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA) Results A total of 178 HCWs reported positive for COVID-19 infection during the study period. Of these, 42 (23.59%) were males and 136 were females (76.40%). Among them, 86 (48.32%) HCWs were fully vaccinated, 58 (32.58%) were partially vaccinated, and 34 (19.10%) were not vaccinated. Most of the HCWs experienced mild disease (145, 81.46%), and only four (2.24%) reported moderate to severe disease. Compared with unvaccinated HCWs, individuals who have had either one or two doses of vaccines were less likely to have moderate to severe disease or seek treatment at the hospital. On symptoms analysis, shortness of breath was found to be more common in unvaccinated individuals than in vaccinated patients, and anosmia and loss of taste were more common in vaccinated than in unvaccinated individuals. No deaths were reported among the participants included in this study. Conclusions Following the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, a substantial proportion of HCWs were infected with SARS-CoV-2, likely as a result of the acquisition of the virus in the community during the early phase of local spread. Fully vaccinated individuals with COVID-19 were more likely to be completely asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic compared to unvaccinated HCWs.

COVID-19 Vaccination Status Among Healthcare Workers and Its Effect on Disease Manifestations: A Study From Northeast India

Background and objective Since being declared a global pandemic, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has led to millions of cases and deaths worldwide. Although severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to wreak havoc on individuals, healthcare systems, and economies, the intensive vaccination strategies adopted by several countries have significantly slowed the progress and the severity of the disease. In this study, we aimed to determine the COVID-19 vaccination status among healthcare workers (HCWs) and examine the effects of vaccination on disease manifestations. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at a teaching hospital in Northeast India from April 2021 to September 2021, during the second phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. HCWs employed in the hospital who were laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 based on semiquantitative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) on oropharyngeal samples were included in the study. Data analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019, Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA) Results A total of 178 HCWs reported positive for COVID-19 infection during the study period. Of these, 42 (23.59%) were males and 136 were females (76.40%). Among them, 86 (48.32%) HCWs were fully vaccinated, 58 (32.58%) were partially vaccinated, and 34 (19.10%) were not vaccinated. Most of the HCWs experienced mild disease (145, 81.46%), and only four (2.24%) reported moderate to severe disease. Compared with unvaccinated HCWs, individuals who have had either one or two doses of vaccines were less likely to have moderate to severe disease or seek treatment at the hospital. On symptoms analysis, shortness of breath was found to be more common in unvaccinated individuals than in vaccinated patients, and anosmia and loss of taste were more common in vaccinated than in unvaccinated individuals. No deaths were reported among the participants included in this study. Conclusions Following the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, a substantial proportion of HCWs were infected with SARS-CoV-2, likely as a result of the acquisition of the virus in the community during the early phase of local spread. Fully vaccinated individuals with COVID-19 were more likely to be completely asymptomatic or only mildly symptomatic compared to unvaccinated HCWs.

Effectiveness of an inactivated virus-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, BBV152, in India: a test-negative, case-control study.

BACKGROUND: BBV152 is a whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that has been deployed in India. The results of the phase 3 trial have shown clinical efficacy of BBV152. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of BBV152 against symptomatic RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: We conducted a test-negative, case-control study among employees of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi, India), who had symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and had an RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 during the peak of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India between April 15 and May 15, 2021. Cases (test-positives) and controls (test-negatives) were matched (1:1) on the basis of age and gender. The odds of vaccination with BBV152 were compared between cases and controls and adjusted for level of occupational exposure (to COVID-19), previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, and calendar time, using conditional logistic regression. The primary outcome was effectiveness of two doses of BBV152 (with the second dose received at least 14 days before testing) in reducing the odds of symptomatic RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, expressed as (1 - odds ratio) × 100%. FINDINGS: Between April 15 and May 15, 2021, 3732 individuals had an RT-PCR test. Of these, 2714 symptomatic employees had data on vaccination status, and 1068 matched case-control pairs were available for analysis. The adjusted effectiveness of BBV152 against symptomatic COVID-19 after two doses administered at least 14 days before testing was 50% (95% CI 33-62; p<0·0001). The adjusted effectiveness of two doses administered at least 28 days before testing was 46% (95% CI 22-62) and administered at least 42 days before testing was 57% (21-76). After excluding participants with previous SARS-CoV-2 infections, the adjusted effectiveness of two doses administered at least 14 days before testing was 47% (95% CI 29-61). INTERPRETATION: This study shows the effectiveness of two doses of BBV152 against symptomatic COVID-19 in the context of a huge surge in cases, presumably dominated by the potentially immune-evasive delta (B.1.617.2) variant of SARS-CoV-2. Our findings support the ongoing roll-out of this vaccine to help control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, while continuing the emphasis on adherence to non-pharmacological measures. FUNDING: None. TRANSLATION: For the Hindi translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Pilot study on burden of fungal contamination in face masks: need for better mask hygiene in the COVID-19 era.

Risk factors which led to the outbreak of COVID-19 associated Mucormycosis still remains elusive. Face masks can become contaminated by fungal spores that are present ubiquitously in the environment. However the exact burden of such contamination is not known. Fifty masks of patients who attended the Employees Health Scheme COVID-19 facility of a tertiary healthcare centre in India were sampled by direct impression smears on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar. Agar plates were screened for any growth within five days after incubation. Growth was identified by microscopy on the Lactophenol Cotton Blue mount. Mask hygiene practices of participants was assessed using a pre-designed proforma. Out of 50 masks, fungal contamination was seen in 35/50 (70%) masks, with Aspergillus sp. being isolated from 26/50 (52%) masks and Mucorales being isolated from 9/50 (18%) of the masks. Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus a rrhizus and Syncephalastrum sp. were the most common species isolated. Same mask was worn for a median duration of 8 days (2-30 days) at a stretch with or without washing. Thirty one patients washed and re-wore their masks, with median time duration since last wash being 12 hours (4-72 hours). None of the factors assessed for mask hygiene were associated with fungal contamination. High rates of fungal contamination observed in our study emphasizes the need for better mask hygiene in the COVID-19 era.

Genome Sequences of Five SARS-CoV-2 Variants from Mumbai, India, Obtained by Nanopore Sequencing.

We report here the genome sequences of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants from five coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in Mumbai, India. Viral genomic RNA was isolated from nasopharyngeal swabs and/or respiratory particles from the masks of the patients. Genomic variant analysis determined 8 to 22 mutations, and the variants belong to lineages previously associated with Indian variants.