COVID-19 vaccination reduced severity of Omicron-led pandemic wave in Saudi Arabia

In a recent study published in Journal of Infectious Diseases and Public Healththe researchers analyzed all cases of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that occurred in one hospital in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) between 25 December 2021 and 30 February 2022. conducted a retrospective study.

They described the epidemiology and clinical features of COVID-19 patients during the third pandemic wave, in which severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) omicron variants predominated.

Background

KSA has largely succeeded in controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the country through its extensive vaccination program. It jumped from less than 100 to 4000.

Compared to Delta, Omicron caused less severe infections, hospitalizations, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and a significant reduction in mortality, but there is an urgent need to evaluate its effects in the general population. had.

About research

In the current study, researchers surveyed all COVID-19 cases from one of KSA’s medical centers and collected data to study patient characteristics of the Omicron wave. This data included demographics, clinical symptoms, pre-existing medical conditions, COVID-19 vaccination status, last vaccination date, and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, the researchers evaluated whether these her COVID-19 patients required hospitalization or admission to the ICU.

For statistical analysis, they first summarized the data as numbers and percentages. They used chi-square tests to compare data based on inpatients and non-hospitalized patients and gender with other covariates.

A binomial logistic regression analysis helped researchers model multiple covariates on hospitalization status and gender. In addition, they generated boxplots of SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) cycle threshold (CT) values ​​by COVID-19 vaccine dose. Finally, the team used his Kaplan-Meier curve analysis to determine the number of days from his last COVID-19 vaccine to the subsequent outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Survey results

The final study analysis included 400 Omicron-infected patients, 55% of whom were male and the rest were female. Diabetes and hypertension were the most common pre-existing conditions at 10.5% and 7.5%. The most striking feature of the Omicron wave was the significantly lower hospitalization rate (only 14%) compared to previous pandemic waves. Of the 400 Omicron-infected patients, only 3.5% and 2% required ICU admission and mechanical ventilation, respectively.

Furthermore, it was inversely related to the number of times the COVID-19 vaccine was administered. In a binary logistic analysis, hospitalization was significantly associated with headache and sore throat, whereas fever and diabetes mellitus were inversely associated with hospitalization.

The most common symptoms observed in studies of patients infected with Omicron were sore throat, cough, fever and headache, observed in 39.8%, 39.5%, 33% and 30.5% of patients respectively. Clinical manifestations and comorbidities did not change by patient gender during the Omicron-led pandemic wave. However, the incidence of sore throat in binary his logistic regression showed that it was higher in men with his OR of 2.014.

Sore throat was experienced by more Omicron-infected patients than Delta-infected patients (70.5% vs. 60.8%), regardless of vaccination status. Interestingly, these patients also had dysphagia. However, olfactory disturbances, a characteristic symptom of previous SARS-CoV-2 variants, were significantly lower in Omicron-infected patients.

Across male and female patients, the mean time from last vaccination to SARS-CoV-2 infection was 131.60 days. Mean CT values ​​were higher in those who received two or three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine than in those who received her one dose. However, this difference did not reach a statistical difference.

Observed differences between different COVID-19 pandemic waves may reflect differences in study populations or interactions between factors and vaccination.

Conclusion

The current study remarkably delineates the epidemiological and clinical features of COVID-19 patients during the Omicron wave in KSA. They had milder illness and fewer hospitalizations and ICU stays. Most patients had her COVID-19 vaccine, demonstrating the importance of her COVID-19 vaccination in reducing the severity of the disease and the need for hospitalization.