Effectiveness of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and BBIBP-CorV vaccines against COVID-19-associated hospitalisation and death in the Seychelles infected adult population.

BACKGROUND: The Seychelles COVID-19 vaccination campaign was initiated using two different vaccines during the first wave of the pandemic in 2021. This observational study estimated vaccine effectiveness against severe outcomes (hospitalisation and/or death) from individuals infected with COVID-19 in the Seychelles adult population during Beta and Delta variant transmission. METHODS: This nationwide retrospective cohort study included all Seychellois residents aged ≥ 18 years who tested positive by RT-PCR or rapid antigen test for COVID-19 between January 25, 2021, and June 30, 2021. We measured the relative risk (RR) of laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 hospitalisation and/or death among individuals partially or fully vaccinated with ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (SII Covishield) or BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm) vaccines compared to unvaccinated individuals using modified Poisson regression. Controlling for age, gender and calendar month, vaccine effectiveness was estimated as 1-RR ≥14 days after the first dose and ≥7 days after the second dose for each available vaccine versus an unvaccinated control group. RESULTS: A total of 12,326 COVID-19 infections were reported in adult Seychellois residents between January 25, 2021, and June 30, 2021. Of these, 1,287 individuals received one dose of either BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm) or ChAdOx1-nCoV-19 (SII Covishield) vaccine, and 5,225 individuals received two doses. Estimated adjusted effectiveness of two doses of either Sinopharm or SII Covishield was high, at 70% (95% CI 58%-78%) and 71% (95% CI 62%-78%) respectively. Sinopharm maintained high levels of protection against severe outcomes in partially vaccinated individuals at 61% (95% CI 36%-76%), while the effectiveness of one dose of SII Covishield was low at 29% (95% CI 1%-49%). CONCLUSIONS: This observational study demonstrated high levels of protection of two doses of two vaccine types against severe outcomes of COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic driven by Beta (B.1.351) and Delta (B.1.617.2) variant predominance. One dose of ChAdOx1-nCoV-19 (Covishield SII) was found to be inadequate in protecting the general adult population against hospitalisation and/or death from COVID-19.

Erratum to: The prevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV, and HIV-related risk-taking behaviors among Palestinian injecting drug users in the East Jerusalem Governorate.

The objective of the study was to determine HIV, HBV, HCV seroprevalence and to assess HIV risks among Palestinian injecting drug users (IDUs) in the East Jerusalem Governorate. Following formative research, a bio-behavioral survey using respondent-driven sampling was carried out in 2010 among 199 IDUs aged 19-56 years (M = 41.33, SD = 8.09). Venous blood was drawn for biological testing. Data on drug abuse and sexual behaviors were collected by face-to-face interviewing. No HIV + cases were found. Five participants were infected with Hepatitis B and 84 participants (estimated population proportion of 40.3%) tested positive for Hepatitis C. A great majority of the surveyed IDUs (90.4%) reported using sterile injecting equipment the last time they injected. In a multivariate assessment, age (OR = 2.52, p < .05), education (OR = 6.67, p < .01), personal network size (OR = .18, p < .001), and the frequency of drug injecting in the past month (OR = .20, p < .001) were associated with using sterile injecting equipment in the past week. Condom use at most recent sexual intercourse was reported by about a third (34.2%) of IDUs. The study documented substantial exposure to HIV risks among Palestinian IDUs whose vulnerability is inseparable from sociopolitic and socioeconomic characteristics of their social environment.

The prevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV, and HIV-related risk-taking behaviors among Palestinian injecting drug users in the East Jerusalem Governorate.

The objective of the study was to determine HIV, HBV, HCV seroprevalence and to assess HIV risks among Palestinian injecting drug users (IDUs) in the East Jerusalem Governorate. Following formative research, a bio-behavioral survey using respondent-driven sampling was carried out in 2010 among 199 IDUs aged 19-56 years(M=41.33, SD=8.09). Venous blood was drawn for biological testing. Data on drug abuse and sexual behaviors were collected by face-to-face interviewing. No HIV+cases were found. Five participants were infected with Hepatitis B and 84 participants(estimated population proportion of 40.3 %) tested positive for Hepatitis C. A great majority of the surveyed IDUs (90.4 %) reported using sterile injecting equipment the last time they injected. In a multivariate assessment, age (OR=2.52, pG.05), education(OR=6.67, pG.01), personal network size (OR=.18, pG.001), and the frequency of drug injecting in the past month (OR=.20, pG.001) were associated with using sterile injecting equipment in the past week. Condom use at most recent sexual intercourse was reported by about a third (34.2 %) of IDUs. The study documented substantial exposure to HIV risks among Palestinian IDUs whose vulnerability is inseparable from sociopolitic and socioeconomic characteristics of their social environment [corrected].

HIV type 1 diversity in the Seychelles.

Subtype determination and drug resistance-associated mutations (DRM) detection were performed on 40 HIV-1 Western blot-positive sera detected, obtained from consecutive patients resident in the Seychelles and consulting the Communicable Disease Control Unit, HIV reference center, in Victoria Hospital (Mahe) from October 2005 to June 2006. Amplification and sequencing of at least two of the partial reverse transcriptase, protease, and partial envelope genes were successful for all strains. All three genes sequences were obtained for 39 strains. A high degree of subtype or circulating recombinant forms (CRF) was observed for these 39 strains: A-A1 (17 cases), C (10 cases), B (8 cases), CRF02_AG (2 cases), D (1 case) and CRF01_AE (1 case). According to the ANRS 2006 DRM list and algorithm, none of the 40 isolates was found to be resistant to any protease or reverse transcriptase inhibitors.