Dataset Information

Relevance of immune response and vaccination strategies of SARS-CoV-2 in the phase of viral red queen dynamics.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Following a relatively mild first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in India, a deadly second wave of the pandemic overwhelmed the healthcare system due to the emergence of fast-transmitting SARS-CoV-2 genetic variants. The emergence and spread of the B.1.617.2/Delta variant considered to be driving the devastating second wave of COVID-19 in India. Currently, the Delta variant has rapidly overtaken the previously circulating variants to become the dominant strain. Critical mutations in the spike/RBD region of these variants have raised serious concerns about the virus's increased transmissibility and decreased vaccine effectiveness. As a result, significant scientific and public concern has been expressed about the impact of virus variants on COVID-19 vaccines.

Objectives

The purpose of this article is to provide an additional explanation in the context of the evolutionary trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 variants in India, the vaccine-induced immune response to the variants of concern (VOC), and various vaccine deployment strategies to rapidly increase population immunity.

Content

Phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 isolates circulating in India suggests the emergence and spread of B.1.617 variant. The immunogenicity of currently approved vaccines indicates that the majority of vaccines elicit an antibody response and some level of protection. According to current data, vaccines in the pre-fusion configuration (2p substitution) have an advantage in terms of nAb titer, but the duration of vaccine-induced immunity, as well as the role of T cells and memory B cells in protection, remain unknown. Since vaccine efficacy on virus variants is one of the major factors to be considered for achieving herd immunity, existing vaccines need to be improved or effective next-generation vaccines should be developed to cover the new variants of the virus.

SUBMITTER: Jacob JJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8387243 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Since March of 2020, over 210 million SARS-CoV-2 cases have been reported and roughly five billion doses of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine have been delivered. The rise of the more infectious delta variant has recently indicated the value of reinstating previously relaxed non-pharmacological and test-driven preventative measures. These efforts have been met with resistance, due, in part, to a lack of site-specific quantitative evidence which can justify their value. As vaccination rates continue to increase, a gap in knowledge exists regarding appropriate thresholds for escalation and de-escalation of COVID-19 preventative measures. We conducted a series of simulation experiments, trialing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus in a hypothesized working environment that is subject to COVID-19 infections from the surrounding community. We established cohorts of individuals who would, in simulation, work together for a set period of time. With these cohorts, we tested the rates of workplace and community acquired infections based on applied isolation strategies, community infection rates (CIR), scales of testing, non-pharmaceutical interventions, variant predominanceâ€™s and testing strategies, vaccination coverages, and vaccination efficacies of the members included. Permuting through each combination of these variables, we estimated expected case counts for 33,462 unique workplace scenarios. When the CIR is 5 new confirmed cases per 100,000 or fewer, and at 50% of the workforce is vaccinated with a 95% efficacious vaccine, then testing daily with an antigen-based or PCR based test in only unvaccinated workers will result in less than one infection through 4,800 person weeks. When the community infection rate per 100,000 persons is less than or equal to 60, and the vaccination coverage of the workforce is 100% with 95% vaccine efficacy then no masking or routine testing + isolation strategies are needed to prevent workplace acquired infections regardless of variant predominance. Identifying and isolating workers with antigen-based SARS-CoV-2 testing methods results in the same or fewer workplace acquired infections than testing with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Specific scenarios exist in which preventative measures taken to prevent SARS-CoV-2 spread, including masking, and testing plus isolation strategies can safely be relaxed. Further, efficacious testing with quarantine strategies exist for implementation in only unvaccinated cohorts in a workplace. Due to shorter turnaround time, antigen-based testing with lower sensitivity is more effective than PCR testing with higher sensitivities in comparable testing strategies. The general reference interactive heatmap we provide can be used for site specific, immediate, parameter-based case count predictions to inform appropriate institutional policy making.