Delta Strain Research Articles

IMPACT OF COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS ON UPPER LIMB TRAUMA IN A TERTIARY TRAUMA CENTRE: 2021 SECOND WAVE

The second wave of COVID-19 infections in 2021 resulting from the delta strain had a significantly larger impact on the state of New South Wales, Australia and with it the government implemented harsher restrictions.This retrospective cohort study aims to explore how the increased restrictions affected hand trauma presentations and their treatment. Retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent hand surgery from the period of June 23 – August 31 in 2020 and 2021 at a level one trauma centre in Western Sydney.During the second-wave lockdown there was an 18.9% decrease in all hand trauma presentations. Despite widespread restrictions placed on the manufacturing, wholesale, retail and construction industries, there was an insignificant difference in work injuries.Stay-at-home orders and reduced availability of professional tradespersons likely contributed to an increase in DIY injuries. Significant reductions in metacarpal and phalangeal fractures coincided with significantly curtailed sporting seasons. The findings from this study can assist in predicting the case-mix of hand trauma presentations and resource allocation in the setting of future waves of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases.

An open, retrospective study on the duration of virus shedding for Shanghai patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants.

An open, retrospective study on the duration of virus shedding for Shanghai patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants.

Significant neutralizing escapes of Omicron and its sub-lineages in SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals vaccinated with inactivated vaccines.

In China, most SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals had been vaccinated with inactivated vaccines. However, little is known about their immune resistances to the previous variants of concerns (VOCs) and the current Omicron sub-lineages. Here, we collected convalescent serum samples from SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals during the ancestral, Delta and Omicron BA.1 waves, and evaluated their cross-neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against the previous VOCs and the current Omicron sub-lineages using VSV-based pseudoviruses. In the convalescents who had been unvaccinated and vaccinated with two doses of inactivated vaccines, we found infections from either the ancestral or the Delta strain elicited moderate cross-nAbs to previous VOCs, but very few cross-nAbs to the Omicron sub-lineages, including BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4/5. The individuals who had been vaccinated with two doses of inactivated vaccines before Omicron BA.1 infection had moderate nAbs to Omicron BA.1, but weak cross-nAbs to the other Omicron sub-lineages. While three doses of inactivated vaccines followed Omicron BA.1 infection induced elevated and still weak cross-nAbs to other Omicron sub-lineages. Our results indicate that the Omicron sub-lineages show significant immune escape in the previously SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals and thus highlights the importance of vaccine boosters in this population. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Immunogenicity of a fractional or full third dose of AZD1222 vaccine or BNT162b2 messenger RNA vaccine after two doses of CoronaVac vaccines against the Delta and Omicron variants

ObjectivesThe study aimed to compare the immunogenicity and safety of fractional (half) third doses of heterologous COVID-19 vaccines (AZD1222 or BNT162b2) to full doses after the two-dose CoronaVac and when boosting after three different extended intervals. MethodsAt 60-<90, 90-<120, or 120-180 days intervals after the two-dose CoronaVac, participants were randomized to full-dose or half-dose AZD1222 or BNT162b2, followed up at day 28, 60, and 90. Vaccination-induced immune responses to Ancestral, Delta, and Omicron BA.1 strains were evaluated by antispike, pseudovirus, and microneutralization and T cell assays. Descriptive statistics and noninferiority cut-offs were reported as geometric mean concentration or titer and concentration or titer ratios comparing baseline to day 28 and day 90 and different intervals. ResultsNo safety concerns were detected. All assays and intervals showed noninferior immunogenicity between full doses and half doses. However, full-dose vaccines and/or longer 120-180-day intervals substantially improved the immunogenicity (measured by antispike or measured by pseudotyped virus neutralizing titers 50; P <0.001). Seroconversion rates were over 90% against the SARS-CoV-2 strains by all assays. Immunogenicity waned more quickly with half doses than full doses but remained high against the Ancestral or Delta strains. Against Omicron, the day 28 immunogenicity increased with longer intervals than shorter intervals for full-dose vaccines. ConclusionImmune responses after day 28 when boosting at longer intervals after the two-dose CoronaVac was optimal. Half doses met the noninferiority criteria compared with the full dose by all the immune assays assessed.

VV-ECMO in severe COVID-19: multidimensional perspectives on the use of a complex treatment

VV-ECMO in severe COVID-19: multidimensional perspectives on the use of a complex treatment

Comparative outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for COVID-19 delivered in experienced European centres during successive SARS-CoV-2 variant outbreaks (ECMO-SURGES): an international, multicentre, retrospective cohort study

To inform future research and practice, we aimed to investigate the outcomes of patients who received extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to different variants of SARS-CoV-2. This retrospective study included consecutive adult patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who received ECMO for ARDS in 21 experienced ECMO centres in eight European countries (Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain) between Jan 1, 2020, and Sept 30, 2021. We collected data on patient characteristics, clinical status, and management before and after the initiation of ECMO. Participants were grouped according to SARS-CoV-2 variant (wild type, alpha, delta, or other) and period of the pandemic (first [Jan 1-June 30] and second [July 1-Dec 31] semesters of 2020, and first [Jan 1-June 30] and second [July 1-Sept 30] semesters of 2021). Descriptive statistics and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyse evolving characteristics, management, and patient outcomes over the first 2 years of the pandemic, and independent risk factors of mortality were determined using multivariable Cox regression models. The primary outcome was mortality 90 days after the initiation of ECMO, with follow-up to Dec 30, 2021. ECMO was initiated in 1345 patients. Patient characteristics and management were similar for the groups of patients infected with different variants, except that those with the delta variant had a younger median age and less hypertension and diabetes. 90-day mortality was 42% (569 of 1345 patients died) overall, and 43% (297/686) in patients infected with wild-type SARS-CoV-2, 39% (152/391) in those with the alpha variant, 40% (78/195) in those with the delta variant, and 58% (42/73) in patients infected with other variants (mainly beta and gamma). Mortality was 10% higher (50%) in the second semester of 2020, when the wild-type variant was still prevailing, than in other semesters (40%). Independent predictors of mortality were age, immunocompromised status, a longer time from intensive care unit admission to intubation, need for renal replacement therapy, and higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment haemodynamic component score, partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide, and lactate concentration before ECMO. After adjusting for these variables, mortality was significantly higher with the delta variant than with the other variants, the wild-type strain being the reference. Although crude mortality did not differ between variants, adjusted risk of death was highest for patients treated with ECMO infected with the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. The higher virulence and poorer outcomes associated with the delta strain might relate to higher viral load and increased inflammatory response syndrome in infected patients, reinforcing the need for a higher rate of vaccination in the population and updated selection criteria for ECMO, should a new and highly virulent strain of SARS-CoV-2 emerge in the future. Mortality was noticeably lower than in other large, multicentre series of patients who received ECMO for COVID-19, highlighting the need to concentrate resources at experienced centres. None.

Immunogenicity and safety of Biological E’s CORBEVAX™ vaccine compared to COVISHIELD™ (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) vaccine studied in a phase-3, single blind, multicentre, randomized clinical trial

ABSTRACT Optimum formulation of Biological-E’s protein subunit CORBEVAX™ vaccine was selected in phase-1 and -2 studies and found to be safe and immunogenic in healthy adult population. This is a phase-3 prospective, single-blinded, randomized, active controlled study conducted at 18 sites across India in 18–80 year-old subjects. This study has two groups; (i) immunogenicity-group, participants randomized either to CORBEVAX™ (n = 319) or COVISHIELD™ arms (n = 320). (ii) Safety-group containing single CORBEVAX™ arm (n = 1500) and randomization is not applicable. Healthy adults without a history of COVID-19 vaccination or SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled into immunogenicity arm and subjects seronegative to SARS-CoV-2 infection were enrolled into the safety arm. The safety profile of CORBEVAX™ vaccine was comparable to the comparator vaccine COVISHIELD™. Majority of reported AEs were mild in nature in both arms. The CORBEVAX™ to COVISHIELD™ GMT-ratios at day-42 time-point were 1·15 and 1·56 and the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval for the GMT-ratios was determined as 1·02 and 1·27 against Ancestral and Delta strains of SARS-COV-2 respectively. Both COVISHIELD™ and CORBEVAX™ vaccines showed comparable seroconversion post-vaccination against anti-RBD-IgG response. The subjects in CORBEVAX™ cohort also exhibited higher interferon-gamma secreting PBMC’s post-stimulation with SARS-COV-2 RBD-peptides than subjects in COVISHIELD™ cohort.

A Case Series of Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum With/Without Pneumothorax in COVID-19.

With the previous worldwide initial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a notable rise in spontaneous pneumomediastinum with/without pneumothorax (SPP) has been noted. Most cases were initially reported as complications secondary to barotrauma from mechanical ventilation (MV) with COVID-19. However, with the Delta strain, starting from December 2020, there have been multiple reports of SPP. The SPP is an uncommon complication outside use of assisted ventilation with either noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) or MV. COVID-19 has been linked to higher incidence of SPP without use of NIPPV or MV. We present a series of 5 cases with a polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID-19 diagnostic testing whose hospital course was complicated by SPP unrelated to the use of either NIPPV or MV.

How different strains of COVID-19 affect LUTS in BPH patients?

In late 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown etiology was reported in Wuhan (China). The causative agent was quickly identified as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although the impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) on various organs and symptoms has been studied, there is still a dearth of data regarding its effect on the genitourinary system. In this study, we investigated the impact of different COVID-19 strains on lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A total of 69 patients who had previously been infected with COVID-19 from August 2021 to October 2021 and January 2022 to May 2022 were assessed. The two periods were purposively selected based on the dominant COVID-19 variant: the Delta strain for the first period and Omicron for the second, respectively. All patients had BPH and were followed up in two outpatient practices. Demographic information was collected, and LUTS were assessed using the international prostate symptom score (IPSS) questionnaires before and after COVID-19. Ultrasound examinations were performed to determine the prostate gland volume and the post-voided residual (PVR) in each patient. All patients affected by COVID-19 exhibited a worsening of LUTS. The degree of deterioration differed between those infected with different COVID-19 strains. Patients infected with the Delta strain had more severe LUTS than those with the Omicron strain. There is currently limited information available regarding the emerging pathophysiological processes in the urogenital system related to COVID-19. This present study serves as a preliminary investigation into the impact of COVID-19 on LUTS in BPH patients and could serve as a basis for more extensive multicenter studies leading to fundamental discoveries.

Мукормикоз у пациентов с COVID-19

Rhinocerebral mucormycosis is characterized by a severe course and is one of the late complications in patients who have undergone COVID-19. For the successful treatment of this disease, the earliest possible diagnosis and the appointment of specific conservative therapy in combination with surgical intervention are necessary. Objective. To study the risk factors for the development of invasive mycoses, the clinical manifestations of this pathology, and the results of its treatment in patients who underwent SARS-CoV-2. Research methods. Retrospective analysis of the case histories of 25 patients with mucormycosis. Demographic, subjective, and objective data (medical history, complaints, endoscopic examination), radiological techniques (CT scans), histological, microscopic and cultural studies as well as the results of medical and surgical treatment were analyzed. Result of the study. Groups of patients with comorbid pathology, potentially predisposed to the development of this disease, as well as groups of drugs, the use of which predisposes to the risk of developing mucormycosis, were identified. Conclusion. The predisposing background to the development of mucormycosis is hyperglycemic conditions and the use of high doses of corticosteroids and broad-spectrum antibiotics as part of the COVID-19 treatment protocol. According to epidemiological data, the largest number of cases of invasive rhinocerebral mucormycosis coincided with the highly virulent SARS-CoV-2 delta strain. Early initiation of specific antifungal therapy combined with surgery results in more effective treatment.

Emergence of a unique SARS‐CoV‐2 Delta sub‐cluster harboring a constellation of co‐appearing non‐Spike mutations

Accumulation of diverse mutations across the structural and nonstructural genes is leading to rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2, altering its pathogenicity. We performed whole genome sequencing of 239 SARS-CoV-2 RNA samples collected from both adult and pediatric patients across eastern India (West Bengal), during the second pandemic wave in India (April-May 2021). In addition to several common spike mutations within the Delta variant, a unique constellation of eight co-appearing non-Spike mutations was identified, which revealed a high degree of positive mutual correlation. Our results also demonstrated the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants among unvaccinated pediatric patients. 41.4% of our studied Delta strains harbored this signature set of eight co-appearing non-Spike mutations and phylogenetically out-clustered other Delta sub-lineages like 21J, 21A, or 21I. This is the first report from eastern India that portrayed a landscape of co-appearing mutations in the non-Spike proteins, which might have led to the evolution of a distinct Delta subcluster. Accumulation of such mutations in SARS-CoV-2 may lead to the emergence of "vaccine-evading variants."Hence, monitoring of such non-Spike mutations will be significant in the formulation of any future vaccines against those SARS-CoV-2 variants that might evade the current vaccine-induced immunity, among both the pediatric and adult populations.

Vietnam and Other ASEAN Countries During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The author analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy of Vietnam and other ASEAN member states. Although the mentioned countries experienced an economic downturn for the first time in 22 years in 2020, growth rates of macroeconomic indicators quickly recovered. Vietnam was able to withstand the pandemic shock better than other ASEAN members, despite the fact that it had the largest number of cumulative COVID-19 cases within the Association. During the first year of the pandemic, ASEAN coped with it quite successfully. However, the situation in Vietnam and ASEAN as a whole has changed dramatically with the appearance of the Delta strain in 2021. Vaccination in most ASEAN countries is successful (Brunei and Singapore are the best, Myanmar is the worst; Vietnam and Laos share the 2nd place), allowing to gradually reduce restrictions. Despite the pandemic, in November 2020, 15 states of the region signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. According to experts, Vietnam will benefit the most among RCEP member states.

SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Unvaccinated Adults in Thailand in November 2021.

Between the first case of COVID-19 in January 2020 and the end of 2021, Thailand experienced four waves of the epidemic. The third and fourth waves were caused by the alpha and delta strains from April 2021 to November 2021. Serosurveillance studies provide snapshots of the true scale of the outbreak, including the asymptomatic infections that could not be fully captured by a hospital-based case detection system. We aimed to investigate the distribution of SARs-CoV-2 seroprevalence in unvaccinated adults after the delta wave outbreak. From November to December 2021, we conducted a cross-sectional survey study in 12 public health areas (PHAs) across Thailand. A total of 26,717 blood samples were collected and tested for SARs-CoV-2 antibodies (anti-S IgG) using a qualitative immunoassay. The results showed that seropositive prevalence in this cohort was 1.4% (95% CI: 1.24 to 1.52). The lowest prevalence was in the northern region (PHA 1) and in central Thailand (PHA 3) at 0.4% (95% CI: 0.15 to 0.95), while the highest was in the southern region of Thailand (PHA 12) at 5.8% (95% CI: 4.48 to 7.29). This seropositive prevalence was strikingly lower than the reports from other countries. Our serosurveillance results suggest that the vaccination of unvaccinated groups should be accelerated, especially in the public health areas with the lowest seroprevalence.

1071. Retrospective study evaluating the cytokine dynamics in COVID-19 patients who were treated with casirivimab/imdevimab

Abstract Background Neutralizing antibody therapy such as casirivimab/imdevimab is known to significantly reduce the viral load of SARS-CoV-2, but there is limited study on the clinical prognosis of neutralizing antibody therapy, especially in Asia, and the dynamics of cytokines is unknown worldwide. Several cytokines have been investigated as biomarkers to predict oxygen demand, among which CCL17 and INF3 have received approved and covered by the national health insurance in Japan. Methods Between July 2021 - December 2021, patient’s demographic, laboratory, radiological findings, prognosis, and cytokine kinetics (IFN-λ3, CCL17) at National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, were analyzed using medical charts and serum samples. Univariate analysis was performed using Fisher's exact probability test and Mann-Whitney U test to evaluate the clinical characteristics of the group with oxygen demand compared with those of the group without oxygen demand. Results Thirty-four patients were analyzed. The median age of the cohort was 57.5 years (IQR 52.8-67.3), and 25 (73.5%) were male. Eight patients (23.5%) had been fully vaccinated and three patients (8.8%) had been vaccinated once. The severity of disease before casirivimab/imdevimab was asymptomatic in two (5.9%), mild in 12 (35.3%), moderate in 20 (58.8%) cases. Of the 17 cases in which mutant strains were identified, 16 were delta strains. The IFN-λ3 level (pg/mL) before casirivimab/imdevimab was significantly higher (7.6 vs. 17.2, p = 0.005), while the CCL17 level (pg/mL) was significantly lower (148.8 vs. 64.2, p = 0.036) in the group with oxygen demand during the therapeutic course compared to those in the group without oxygen demand. After casirivimab/imdevimab was administered, the IFN-λ3 level decreased to a median of 0.0 (IQR 0.0-0.3), while the CCL17 level increased to median of 220.3 (IQR 135.8-304.8), with no statistically significant differences between both groups (Figure 1). None of the patients became seriously ill. Figure 1A and 1B show the changing of the cytokine dynamics in COVID-19 patients who were treated with casirivimab/imdevimab on IFN-λ3 level and CCL17 level, respectively. Conclusion There was a statistically significant difference between IFN-λ3 and CCL17 levels before casirivimab/imdevimab in both groups. Our results suggest that casirivimab/immudevimab may improve the clinical prognosis for COVID-19 patients with delta strains. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures.

Clinical characteristics of patients infected with novel coronavirus wild strain, Delta variant strain and Omicron variant strain in Quanzhou: A real‑world study.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of patients infected with novel coronavirus wild strains, Delta variant strains and Omicron variant strains to provide a reference for early clinical diagnosis and prognostic assessment. The demographic, clinical symptoms and ancillary examination data of 47 patients with novel coronavirus wild type strain infection, 18 with Delta variant infection and 20 with Omicron variant infection admitted to the First Hospital of Quanzhou affiliated with Fujian Medical University were collected and analyzed. The novel coronavirus wild strain and Delta strain were the predominant clinical types; patients infected with the Omicron strain were mainly asymptomatic. Fever and fatigue were the main clinical manifestations in the wild strain and Delta strain groups, whereas dry cough, nasal congestion, sore throat and fever were common clinical manifestations in the Omicron strain group. The Delta strain and Omicron variant groups had fewer comorbidities than the wild-type strain group, but no significant reduction was observed in the negative conversion time of nucleic acids. Significant differences were found in the neutrophil count/lymphocyte count ratio, lymphocyte count, eosinophil count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio and plasma D-dimer, PH, PaO2, lactic acid and albumin levels among the three groups. Patients infected with the Omicron strain in Quanzhou presented with mild symptoms of the upper respiratory tract as the primary clinical manifestation and had few comorbidities and a good prognosis; however, the negative conversion time of the new coronavirus nucleic acid was still considerably long.

COVID-19 vaccination boosts the potency and breadth of the immune response against SARS-CoV-2 among recovered patients in Wuhan.

The immunity of patients who recover from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be long lasting but persist at a lower level. Thus, recovered patients still need to be vaccinated to prevent reinfection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) or its mutated variants. Here, we report that the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine can stimulate immunity in recovered patients to maintain high levels of anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD) and anti-nucleocapsid protein (NP) antibody titers within 9 months, and high neutralizing activity against the prototype, Delta, and Omicron strains was observed. Nevertheless, the antibody response decreased over time, and the Omicron variant exhibited more pronounced resistance to neutralization than the prototype and Delta strains. Moreover, the intensity of the SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cell response was also increased in recovered patients who received COVID-19 vaccines. Overall, the repeated antigen exposure provided by inactivated COVID-19 vaccination greatly boosted both the potency and breadth of the humoral and cellular immune responses against SARS-CoV-2, effectively protecting recovered individuals from reinfection by circulating SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.

Containment of SARS-CoV-2 Delta strain in Guangzhou, China by quarantine and social distancing: a modelling study

China detected the first case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection with Delta variant in May 2021. We assessed control strategies against this variant of concern. We constructed a robust transmission model to assess the effectiveness of interventions against the Delta variant in Guangzhou with initial quarantine/isolation, followed by social distancing. We also assessed the effectiveness of alternative strategies and that against potentially more infectious variants. The effective reproduction number (Rt) fell below 1 when the average daily number of close contacts was reduced to ≤ 7 and quarantine/isolation was implemented on average at the same day of symptom onset in Guangzhou. Simulations showed that the outbreak could still be contained when quarantine is implemented on average 1 day after symptom onset while the average daily number of close contacts was reduced to ≤ 9 per person one week after the outbreak's beginning. Early quarantine and reduction of close contacts were found to be important for containment of the outbreaks. Early implementation of quarantine/isolation along with social distancing measures could effectively suppress spread of the Delta and more infectious variants.

Safety and efficacy of Chinese herbal tonics for the treatment of olfactory disorders caused by the Delta strain in COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infectious disease that makes breathing difficult and is often accompanied by olfactory disorders and distension. Chinese herbal tonics, a special external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine, has shown beneficial effects in the treatment of olfactory disorders. Currently, there is a lack of systematic reviews on Chinese herbal tonics for the treatment of olfactory disorders. We conduct this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal tonics in the treatment of olfactory disorders. This study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal tonics for olfactory disorders in COVID-19. Randomized controlled trials from December 2019 to September 2022. will be included, without restrictions on language or publication date. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Databases, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and VIP Database were searched. Two researchers will independently select studies, extract data, and evaluate study quality. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials will be used to assess the risk of bias in the included studies. Statistical analyses will be conducted using the Review Manager (RevMan 5.3, Cochrane Collaboration, Nordic Cochrane Center, Copenhagen, Denmark). This study aimed to prove the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal tonics for olfactory disorders in patients with COVID-19. Our study provides a more accurate treatment method for olfactory disorders during COVID-19.We will publish our results in a peer-reviewed journal.

Emulation of epidemics via Bluetooth-based virtual safe virus spread: Experimental setup, software, and data.

We describe an experimental setup and a currently running experiment for evaluating how physical interactions over time and between individuals affect the spread of epidemics. Our experiment involves the voluntary use of the Safe Blues Android app by participants at The University of Auckland (UoA) City Campus in New Zealand. The app spreads multiple virtual safe virus strands via Bluetooth depending on the physical proximity of the subjects. The evolution of the virtual epidemics is recorded as they spread through the population. The data is presented as a real-time (and historical) dashboard. A simulation model is applied to calibrate strand parameters. Participants' locations are not recorded, but participants are rewarded based on the duration of participation within a geofenced area, and aggregate participation numbers serve as part of the data. The 2021 experimental data is available as an open-source anonymized dataset, and once the experiment is complete, the remaining data will be made available. This paper outlines the experimental setup, software, subject-recruitment practices, ethical considerations, and dataset description. The paper also highlights current experimental results in view of the lockdown that started in New Zealand at 23:59 on August 17, 2021. The experiment was initially planned in the New Zealand environment, expected to be free of COVID and lockdowns after 2020. However, a COVID Delta strain lockdown shuffled the cards and the experiment is currently extended into 2022.

Relationship of Covid-19 Severity with SARS-CoV-2 NS8 Protein Mutations Depending on Virus Strain

In mid-2021, the Delta strain of SARS-CoV-2 caused the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Huge efforts have been devoted to studying the effect of its mutations on the effectiveness of neutralizing antibodies. Much less attention was paid to the individual features of the presentation of its peptides by molecules of the major histocompatibility complex class I (MCHC-I). In this study, the correlation of the HLA-I genotype of patients under the age of 60 years with the severity of COVID-19 caused by the two most common variants of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta strain in the summer of 2021: AY.122 and B.1.617.2 was studied. Analysis of the severity of the course of COVID-19 revealed a more severe course of the disease caused by the AY.122 variant. Comparison of the mutation profile of the two most common variants of the Delta strain showed that that the G8R mutation in the NS8 protein makes the greatest contribution to the ability of MHC-I to present viral peptides. Given that the NS8 protein is able to suppress the maturation of MHC-I molecules, the appearance of a mutation in one of its immunogenic epitopes could make a significant contribution to the prevalence of the AY.122 variant in the Russian population.