Vaccines (Nov 2022)

Clinical Presentation of COVID-19 and Antibody Responses in Bangladeshi Patients Infected with the Delta or Omicron Variants of SARS-CoV-2

  • Asish Kumar Ghosh,
  • Olfert Landt,
  • Mahmuda Yeasmin,
  • Mohiuddin Sharif,
  • Rifat Hossain Ratul,
  • Maruf Ahmed Molla,
  • Tasnim Nafisa,
  • Mymuna Binte Mosaddeque,
  • Nur Hosen,
  • Md. Rakibul Hassan Bulbul,
  • Rashid Mamunur,
  • Alimul Islam,
  • Shahjahan Siddike Shakil,
  • Marco Kaiser,
  • Md. Robed Amin,
  • Simon D. Lytton

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10111959
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 11
p. 1959

Abstract

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The clinical presentation of COVID-19 and the specific antibody responses associated with SARS-CoV-2 variants have not been investigated during the emergence of Omicron variants in Bangladesh. The Delta and Omicron variants were identified by post-PCR melting curve analysis of the spike (S) protein receptor binding domain amplicons. Anti-S-protein immunoglobulin-G anti-nucleocapsid (N)-protein immunoglobulin-G and immunoglobulin-A levels were measured by ELISA. The Delta variant was found in 40 out of 40 (100%) SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive COVID-19 patients between 13 September and 23 October 2021 and Omicron variants in 90 out of 90 (100%) RT-PCR positive COVID-19 patients between 9 January and 10 February 2022. The Delta variant associated with hospitalization (74%, 80%, and 40%) and oxygen support (60%, 57%, and 40%) in the no vaccine, dose-1, and dose-2 vaccinated cases, respectively, whereas the Omicron COVID-19 required neither hospitalization nor oxygen support (0%, p p p < 0.02). Anti-spike protein immunoglobulin-G and anti-N-protein immunoglobulin-G within 1 week post onset of Delta variant COVID-19 symptoms indicate prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. The Delta variant and Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 breakthrough infections in the Dhaka region, at 240 days post onset of COVID-19 symptoms, negatively correlated with the time interval between the second vaccine dose and serum sampling. The findings of lower anti-spike protein immunoglobulin-G reactivity after booster vaccination than after the second vaccine dose suggest that the booster vaccine is not necessarily beneficial in young Bangladeshi adults having a history of repeated SARS-CoV-2 infections.

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