@article{nokey,

title = {Editorial: Unconventional animal models in infectious disease research, volume II},

author = {Salma Younes Nouran Zein Shaden Abunasser Layla Kamareddine Natalia V. Kirienko Gheyath K. Nasrallah,},

url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1225129/full},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1225129},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-06-14},

urldate = {2023-06-14},

journal = {Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology},

volume = {13},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Abdullah2023,

title = {ZnO-Doped gC 3 N 4 Nanocapsules for Enhancing the Performance of Electroless NiP Coating─Mechanical, Corrosion Protection, and Antibacterial Properties},

author = {Fatma Nabhan Eman M. Fayyad Mostafa H. Sliem Farah M. Shurrab Kamel Eid Gheyath Nasrallah Aboubakr M. Abdullah,},

url = {https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsomega.2c07288},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.2c07288},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-06-13},

urldate = {2023-06-13},

journal = {ACS Omega},

volume = {8},

issue = {25},

abstract = {A carbon nitride (C3N4) nanomaterial has superior mechanical, thermal, and tribological properties, which make them attractive for various applications, including corrosion-resistant coatings. In this research, newly synthesized C3N4 nanocapsules with different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 wt %) of ZnO as a dopant were incorporated into the NiP coating using an electroless deposition technique. The nanocomposite coatings either ZnO-doped (NiP-C3N4/ZnO) or undoped (NiP-C3N4) were heat-treated at 400 °C for 1 h. The as-plated and heat-treated (HT) nanocomposite coatings were characterized by their morphology, phases, roughness, wettability, hardness, corrosion protection, and antibacterial properties. The results indicated that the microhardness of as-plated and heat-treated nanocomposite coatings was significantly improved after the incorporation of 0.5 wt % ZnO-doped C3N4 nanocapsules. The outcomes of electrochemical studies revealed that the corrosion resistance of the HT coatings is higher than the corresponding as-plated ones. The highest corrosion resistance is achieved on the heat-treated NiP-C3N4/1.0 wt % ZnO coatings. Although the presence of ZnO in the C3N4 nanocapsules increased its surface area and porosity, the C3N4/ZnO nanocapsules prevented localized corrosion by filling the microdefects and pores of the NiP matrix. Furthermore, the colony-counting method used to evaluate the antibacterial behavior of the different coatings demonstrated superior antibacterial properties, namely, after heat treatment. Therefore, the novel perspective C3N4/ZnO nanocapsules can be utilized as a reinforcement nanomaterial in improving the mechanical and anticorrosion performance of NiP coatings in chloride media, together with providing superior antibacterial properties.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Al-Dewik2023b,

title = {Management of chronic myeloid leukaemia: current treatment options, challenges, and future strategies},

author = {Salma Younes Mohamed A Ismail Rana Al-Jurf Ayah Ziyada Gheyath K Nasrallah Palli Valapila Abdulrouf Mohamed Nagy Hatem Zayed Thomas Farrell Claudio Sorio Hisham Morsi Walid Qoronfleh Nader I Al-Dewik,},

url = {https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16078454.2023.2196866},

doi = {10.1080/16078454.2023.2196866},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-03-28},

urldate = {2023-03-28},

journal = {Hematology},

volume = {28},

issue = {1},

abstract = {ABSTRACTSmall molecule therapy is a critical component of targeted anticancer treatment, with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) being the first compounds to treat the clonal Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia (CML) translocation t (9;22) (q34; q11) effectively since 2001. TKIs, such as imatinib, have improved the 10-year survival rate of CML patients to 80%. They bind the BCR::ABL1 kinase and inhibit downstream signaling pathways. However, therapy failure may be seen in 20-25% of CML patients due to intolerance or inadequacy related to BCR::ABL1 dependent or independent mechanisms. This review aimed to summarize current treatment options involving TKIs, resistance mechanisms and the prospective approaches to overcome TKI resistance. We highlight BCR::ABL1-dependent mechanisms of TKI resistance by reviewing clinically-documented BCR::ABL1 mutations and their consequences for TKI binding. In addition, we summarize BCR::ABL1 independent pathways, including the relevance of drug efflux, dysregulation of microRNA, and the involvement of alternative signaling pathways. We also discuss future approaches, such as gene-editing techniques in the context of CML, as potential therapeutic strategies.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nasrallah2023,

title = {Performance Evaluation of a New Fluorescent-Based Lateral Flow Immunoassay for Quantification of Hemoglobin A1c (HBA1c) in Diabetic Patients},

author = {Nadin Younes Mahmoud M. Al Ghwairi Sahar Isa Da'as Eiman Al Zaabi Amin F. Majdalawieh Nader Al-Dewik Gheyath K. Nasrallah,},

url = {https://www.imrpress.com/journal/FBL/28/3/10.31083/j.fbl2803060},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-03-25},

urldate = {2023-03-25},

journal = {Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark},

volume = {28},

issue = {3},

abstract = {Background: Rapid hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) level monitoring is essential in slowing the progression of diabetes. This need becomes challenging in low resources countries where the social burden of the disease is overwhelming. Recently, fluorescent-based lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) gained wide attention for small laboratories and population surveillance. Aim: We aim to evaluate the performance of Finecare™ HbA1c Rapid Test, certified by CE, NGSP, and IFCC, for the quantitative measurement of hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) along with its reader. Methods: A total of 100 (fingerstick and venepuncture whole blood) samples were analyzed by Wondfo Finecare™ HbA1c Rapid Quantitative Test and the results were compared with the reference assay Cobas Pro c503. Results: A strong correlation was observed between Finecare™/Cobas Pro c503 with fingerstick (r 

>

>

 0.93, p 

<

<

 0.0001) and venous (r 

>

>

 0.97, p 

<

<

 0.0001) blood samples. Finecare™ measurements showed excellent agreement and compliance with Roche Cobas Pro c503 as the mean bias was negligible; 0.05 (Limits-of-agreement: –0.58–0.68) with fingerstick and 0.003 (Limits-of-agreement: –0.49–0.50) with venous blood. Interestingly, a very small mean bias (0.047) was also shown between the fingerstick and the venepuncture data, indicating that the type of sample used does not affect the results and the high reproducibility of the assay. Finecare™ showed 92.0% (95% CI: 74.0–99.0) sensitivity and 94.7% (95% CI: 86.9–98.5) specificity compared to the Roche Cobas Pro c503 using fingerstick whole blood samples. Finecare™ showed 100% (95% CI: 86.3–100) sensitivity and 98.7% (95% CI: 92.8–100) specificity compared to the Cobas Pro c503 using venepuncture samples. Cohen’s Kappa denoted excellent agreement with Cobas Pro c503; 0.84 (95% CI: 0.72–0.97) and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.92–1.00) using fingerstick and venous blood samples, respectively. Most importantly, Finecare™ showed a significant difference between normal, pre-diabetic, and diabetic samples (p < 0.0001). Similar results were obtained when an additional 47 samples (from different participants; mainly diabetic) were analyzed in a different lab using different Finecare™ analyzer and different kit lot number. Conclusions: Finecare™ is a reliable and rapid assay (5 min) which can be easily implemented for long-term monitoring of HbA1c in diabetic patients, particularly in small laboratory settings.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Thomas2023,

title = {Influenza Prevalence and Vaccine Efficacy among Diabetic Patients in Qatar},

author = {Swapna Thomas Mohamed M Emara Allal Ouhtit Joanne D Nader Gheyath K Nasrallah Peter V Coyle Asmaa A Althani Muna A Al Maslamani Hadi M Yassine,},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876034123000928},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-03-14},

urldate = {2023-03-14},

journal = {Journal of Infection and Public Health},

abstract = {Seasonal influenza viruses may lead to severe illness and mortality in patients with comorbidities, including Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Vaccination against influenza in DM patients may reduce influenza incidence and severity. Before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, influenza infections were the most prevalent respiratory infections in Qatar. Still, reports about influenza prevalence and vaccine efficacy in DM patients have not been reported. This study aimed to analyze influenza prevalence among other respiratory infections and assess influenza vaccine efficacy in DM patients in Qatar. Statistical analysis was performed on data obtained from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) database for patients that visited the emergency department (ED) with respiratory-like illnesses. The analysis was done for the period between January 2016 to December 2018. Among 17,525 patients who visited HMC-ED with clinical symptoms of respiratory infections, 2,611(14.9%) were reported to have DM. Among DM patients, influenza was the most prevalent respiratory pathogen at 48.9%. Influenza virus A (IVA) was the most circulating type, contributing to 38.4%, followed by IVB contributing to 10.4% of total respiratory infections. Among the typed IVA-positive cases, 33.4% were H1N1, and 7.7% were H3N2. A significant decrease in influenza infections was reported in vaccinated DM patients (14.5%) when compared to non-vaccinated patients (18.9%) (p-value = 0.006). However, there was no significant relaxation in the clinical symptoms among vaccinated DM patients compared to their non-vaccinated counterparts.



In conclusion, influenza was the most common etiology for respiratory viral infection among diabetic patients at the leading healthcare provider in Qatar. Although vaccination reduced the incidence rate among DM patients, it was less effective in preventing symptoms. Further studies on a larger cohort and for a more extended period are required to investigate influenza prevalence and vaccine efficacy among DM patients.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Chemaitelly2023,

title = {BNT162b2 antigen dose and SARS-CoV-2 omicron infection in adolescents},

author = {Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H Ayoub Peter Coyle Patrick Tang Hadi M Yassine Asmaa A Al Thani Hebah A Al-Khatib Mohammad R Hasan Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Ali Nizar Latif Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Hanan F Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K Nasrallah Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi Adeel A Butt Mohamed H Al-Thani Abdullatif Al-Khal Roberto Bertollini Laith J Abu-Raddadad,},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-03-08},

journal = {Lancet Infectious disease},

volume = {23},

issue = {3},

pages = {276–277.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Mathew2023,

title = {Vaccine evaluation and genotype characterization in children infected with rotavirus in Qatar},

author = {Shilu Mathew Hebah A. Al Khatib Malak Al Ibrahim Khalid Al Ansari Maria K. Smatti Gheyath K. Nasrallah Emad Ibrahim Asmaa A. Al Thani Hassan Zaraket Hadi M. Yassine,},

url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41390-023-02468-7},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-03-07},

urldate = {2023-03-07},

journal = {Pediatric Research },

abstract = {Background

We characterized and identified the genetic and antigenic variations of circulating rotavirus strains in comparison to used rotavirus vaccines.



Methods

Rotavirus-positive samples (n = 231) were collected and analyzed. The VP7 and VP4 genes were sequenced and analyzed against the rotavirus vaccine strains. Antigenic variations were illustrated on the three-dimensional models of surface proteins.



Results

In all, 59.7% of the hospitalized children were vaccinated, of which only 57.2% received two doses. There were no significant differences between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups in terms of clinical outcome. The G3 was the dominant genotype (40%) regardless of vaccination status. Several amino acid changes were identified in the VP7 and VP4 antigenic epitopes compared to the licensed vaccines. The highest variability was seen in the G3 (6 substitutions) and P[4] (11 substitutions) genotypes in comparison to RotaTeq®. In comparison to Rotarix®, G1 strains possessed three amino acid changes in 7-1a and 7-2 epitopes while P[8] strains possessed five amino acid changes in 8-1 and 8-3 epitopes.



Conclusions

The current use of Rotarix® vaccine might not be effective in preventing the infection due to the higher numbers of G3-associated cases. The wide range of mutations in the antigenic epitopes compared to vaccine strains may compromise the vaccine’s effectiveness.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{nokey,

title = {Prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of major congenital anomalies: A population-based register study},

author = {Nader Al-Dewik Muthanna Samara Salma Younes Rana Al-jurf Gheyath Nasrallah Sawsan Al-Obaidly Husam Salama Tawa Olukade Sara Hammuda Neil Marlow Mohamed Ismail Taghreed Abu Nada M. Walid Qoronfleh Binny Thomas Ghassan Abdoh Palli Valapila Abdulrouf Thomas Farrell Mai Al Qubaisi Hilal Al Rifai,},

url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-27935-3},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-02-23},

urldate = {2023-02-23},

journal = {Scientific reports },

volume = {13},

pages = {2198},

abstract = {Congenital anomalies (CAs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in early life. We aimed to assess the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of major CAs in the State of Qatar. A population-based retrospective data analysis of registry data retrieved from the Perinatal Neonatal Outcomes Research Study in the Arabian Gulf (PEARL-Peristat Study) between April 2017 and March 2018. The sample included 25,204 newborn records, which were audited between April 2017 and March 2018, of which 25,073 live births were identified and included in the study. Maternal risk factors and neonatal outcomes were assessed for association with specific CAs, including chromosomal/genetic, central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular system (CVS), facial, renal, multiple congenital anomalies (MCAs) using univariate and multivariate analyses. The incidence of any CA among live births was 1.3% (n = 332). The most common CAs were CVS (n = 117; 35%), MCAs (n = 69, 21%), chromosomal/genetic (51; 15%), renal (n = 39; 12%), CNS (n = 20; 6%), facial (14, 4%), and other (GIT, Resp, Urogenital, Skeletal) (n = 22, 7%) anomalies. Multivariable regression analysis showed that multiple pregnancies, parity ≥ 1, maternal BMI, and demographic factors (mother’s age and ethnicity, and infant’s gender) were associated with various specific CAs. In-hospital mortality rate due to CAs was estimated to be 15.4%. CAs were significantly associated with high rates of caesarean deliveries (aOR 1.51; 95% CI 1.04–2.19), Apgar < 7 at 1 min (aOR 5.44; 95% CI 3.10–9.55), Apgar < 7 at 5 min (aOR 17.26; 95% CI 6.31–47.18), in-hospital mortality (aOR 76.16; 37.96–152.8), admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or perinatal death of neonate in labor room (LR)/operation theatre (OT) (aOR 34.03; 95% CI 20.51–56.46), prematurity (aOR 4.17; 95% CI 2.75–6.32), and low birth weight (aOR 5.88; 95% CI 3.92–8.82) before and after adjustment for the significant risk factors. This is the first study to assess the incidence, maternal risk factors, and neonatal outcomes associated with CAs in the state of Qatar. Therefore, a specialized congenital anomaly data registry is needed to identify risk factors and outcomes. In addition, counselling of mothers and their families may help to identify specific needs for pregnant women and their babies.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Chemaitelly2023b,

title = {Protection against Reinfection with the Omicron BA.2.75 Subvariant},

author = {Hiam Chemaitelly

Patrick Tang

Peter Coyle

Hadi M. Yassine

Hebah A. Al-Khatib

Maria K. Smatti

Mohammad R. Hasan

Houssein H. Ayoub

Heba N. Altarawneh

Zaina Al-Kanaani

Einas Al-Kuwari

Andrew Jeremijenko

Anvar H. Kaleeckal

Ali N. Latif

Riyazuddin M. Shaik

Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim

Gheyath K. Nasrallah

Mohamed G. Al-Kuwari

Adeel A. Butt

Hamad E. Al-Romaihi

Mohamed H. Al-Thani

Abdullatif Al-Khal

Roberto Bertollini

Laith J. Abu-Raddad,},

url = {https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2214114},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-02-16},

journal = {The New England Journal of Medicine},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Rifai2023,

title = {Prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of major congenital anomalies: A population-based register study},

author = {Nader Al-Dewik Muthanna Samara Salma Younes Rana Al-Jurf Gheyath Nasrallah Sawsan Al-Obaidly Husam Salama Tawa Olukade Sara Hammuda Neil Marlow Mohamed Ismail Taghreed Abu Nada M Walid Qoronfleh Binny Thomas Ghassan Abdoh Palli Valapila Abdulrouf Thomas Farrell Mai Al Qubaisi Hilal Al Rifai},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-023-27935-3.},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-02-08},

journal = {Scientific Reports},

abstract = {Congenital anomalies (CAs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in early life. We aimed to assess the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of major CAs in the State of Qatar. A population-based retrospective data analysis of registry data retrieved from the Perinatal Neonatal Outcomes Research Study in the Arabian Gulf (PEARL-Peristat Study) between April 2017 and March 2018. The sample included 25,204 newborn records, which were audited between April 2017 and March 2018, of which 25,073 live births were identified and included in the study. Maternal risk factors and neonatal outcomes were assessed for association with specific CAs, including chromosomal/genetic, central nervous system (CNS), cardiovascular system (CVS), facial, renal, multiple congenital anomalies (MCAs) using univariate and multivariate analyses. The incidence of any CA among live births was 1.3% (n = 332). The most common CAs were CVS (n = 117; 35%), MCAs (n = 69, 21%), chromosomal/genetic (51; 15%), renal (n = 39; 12%), CNS (n = 20; 6%), facial (14, 4%), and other (GIT, Resp, Urogenital, Skeletal) (n = 22, 7%) anomalies. Multivariable regression analysis showed that multiple pregnancies, parity ≥ 1, maternal BMI, and demographic factors (mother's age and ethnicity, and infant's gender) were associated with various specific CAs. In-hospital mortality rate due to CAs was estimated to be 15.4%. CAs were significantly associated with high rates of caesarean deliveries (aOR 1.51; 95% CI 1.04-2.19), Apgar < 7 at 1 min (aOR 5.44; 95% CI 3.10-9.55), Apgar < 7 at 5 min (aOR 17.26; 95% CI 6.31-47.18), in-hospital mortality (aOR 76.16; 37.96-152.8), admission to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or perinatal death of neonate in labor room (LR)/operation theatre (OT) (aOR 34.03; 95% CI 20.51-56.46), prematurity (aOR 4.17; 95% CI 2.75-6.32), and low birth weight (aOR 5.88; 95% CI 3.92-8.82) before and after adjustment for the significant risk factors. This is the first study to assess the incidence, maternal risk factors, and neonatal outcomes associated with CAs in the state of Qatar. Therefore, a specialized congenital anomaly data registry is needed to identify risk factors and outcomes. In addition, counselling of mothers and their families may help to identify specific needs for pregnant women and their babies.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nasrallah,2023,

title = {Screening and diagnostic testing protocols for HIV and Syphilis infections in health care setting in Qatar: Evaluation and recommendations},

author = {Gheyath K. Nasrallah

Raniya Al-Buainain

Nadin Younes

Soha R. Dargham

Duaa W. Al-Sadeq

Mohamed Elhassan

Ibrahim Al-Shaar

Hadi M. Yassine

LaithJ. Abu-Raddad

Mohamed M. Emara

Ahmed Ismail,},

url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0278079},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0278079},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-02-08},

urldate = {2023-02-08},

journal = {PLoS ONE },

volume = {18},

issue = {2},

pages = {e0278079},

abstract = {Background: HIV and Syphilis are common STIs, which have become a concern and burden on healthcare systems, as many infections go untreated and lead to potentially serious complications. HIV is usually diagnosed with Western blot, PCR, and p24 antigen testing. Whereas, Syphilis is mainly diagnosed through clinical findings and serologic testing. The Medical Commission Department (MC) under MOPH is responsible for screening all newcomers to Qatar, aiming to keep the country free from serious infectious diseases. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the protocols used in the MC for screening HIV and Syphilis infections. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of samples analyzed by 4th Generation ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo and Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) between January to December 2019. ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo positive samples were confirmed by INNO-LIA™ HIVI/II and RT-PCR. RPR-reactive samples were confirmed by ARCHITECT® Syphilis Treponema pallidium Antibody (Syphilis TPA) assay. Results: For HIV, data were collected from 585,587 individuals, of which 595 (0.1%) were positive by the ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo (Analyzer A). When all initially positive sera were re-tested on newly collected blood samples using different ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo analyzer (analyzer B), 99.8% (594/595) of samples were also positive, suggesting high reproducibility. The positive predictive value (PPV) between ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo and the INNO-LIA™ HIVI/II confirmatory assay was 31.8%. The PPV between ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo and HIV-PCR assay was 26.8%. Retrospective data for Syphilis were collected from a total of 97,298 individuals who visited the MC, of which 198 (0.20%) were initially positive by RPR. The PPV between RPR and Syphilis TPA confirmatory assay was 36.6%. Conclusion: Despite the high rate of false positivity using ARCHITECT® HIV Ag/Ab Combo and RPR screening assays, both assays have proven to be highly effective as screening testing methods.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Abu-Raddad2023i,

title = {Protection against Reinfection with the Omicron BA. 2.75 Subvariant},

author = {Hiam Chemaitelly Patrick Tang Peter Coyle Hadi M Yassine Hebah A Al-Khatib Maria K Smatti Mohammad R Hasan Houssein H Ayoub Heba N Altarawneh Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar H Kaleeckal Ali N Latif Riyazuddin M Shaik Hanan F Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K Nasrallah Mohamed G Al-Kuwari Adeel A Butt Hamad E Al-Romaihi Mohamed H Al-Thani Abdullatif Al-Khal Roberto Bertollini Laith J Abu-Raddad},

doi = {10.1056/NEJMc2214114},

year  = {2023},

date = {2023-02-02},

journal = {New England Journal of Medicine},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Chemaitelly2022b,

title = {Protection from previous natural infection compared with mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 in Qatar: a retrospective cohort study},

author = {Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H Ayoub Sawsan AlMukdad Peter Coyle Patrick Tang Hadi M Yassine Hebah A Al-Khatib Maria K Smatti Mohammad R Hasan Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Ali Nizar Latif, Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Hanan F Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K Nasrallah Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari Adeel A Butt Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi Mohamed H Al-Thani Abdullatif Al-Khal Roberto Bertollini Laith J Abu-Raddad},

url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36375482/},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-12-03},

urldate = {2022-12-03},

journal = {The Lancet Microbe},

volume = {3},

abstract = {Background: Understanding protection conferred by natural SARS-CoV-2 infection versus COVID-19 vaccination is important for informing vaccine mandate decisions. We compared protection conferred by natural infection versus that from the BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccines in Qatar.



Methods: We conducted two matched retrospective cohort studies that emulated target trials. Data were obtained from the national federated databases for COVID-19 vaccination, SARS-CoV-2 testing, and COVID-19-related hospitalisation and death between Feb 28, 2020 (pandemic onset in Qatar) and May 12, 2022. We matched individuals with a documented primary infection and no vaccination record (natural infection cohort) with individuals who had received two doses (primary series) of the same vaccine (BNT162b2-vaccinated or mRNA-1273-vaccinated cohorts) at the start of follow-up (90 days after the primary infection). Individuals were exact matched (1:1) by sex, 10-year age group, nationality, comorbidity count, and timing of primary infection or first-dose vaccination. Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19-related hospitalisation and death in the natural infection cohorts was compared with incidence in the vaccinated cohorts, using Cox proportional hazards regression models with adjustment for matching factors.



Findings: Between Jan 5, 2021 (date of second-dose vaccine roll-out) and May 12, 2022, 104 500 individuals vaccinated with BNT162b2 and 61 955 individuals vaccinated with mRNA-1273 were matched to unvaccinated individuals with a documented primary infection. During follow-up, 7123 SARS-CoV-2 infections were recorded in the BNT162b2-vaccinated cohort and 3583 reinfections were recorded in the matched natural infection cohort. 4282 SARS-CoV-2 infections were recorded in the mRNA-1273-vaccinated cohort and 2301 reinfections were recorded in the matched natural infection cohort. The overall adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for SARS-CoV-2 infection was 0·47 (95% CI 0·45-0·48) after previous natural infection versus BNT162b2 vaccination, and 0·51 (0·49-0·54) after previous natural infection versus mRNA-1273 vaccination. The overall adjusted HR for severe (acute care hospitalisations), critical (intensive care unit hospitalisations), or fatal COVID-19 cases was 0·24 (0·08-0·72) after previous natural infection versus BNT162b2 vaccination, and 0·24 (0·05-1·19) after previous natural infection versus mRNA-1273 vaccination. Severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19 was rare in both the natural infection and vaccinated cohorts.



Interpretation: Previous natural infection was associated with lower incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, regardless of the variant, than mRNA primary-series vaccination. Vaccination remains the safest and most optimal tool for protecting against infection and COVID-19-related hospitalisation and death, irrespective of previous infection status.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Chemaitelly2022,

title = {Covid-19 Vaccine Protection among Children and Adolescents in Qatar},

author = {Hiam Chemaitelly Sawsan AlMukdad Houssein H. Ayoub Heba N. Altarawneh Peter Coyle Patrick Tang Hadi M. Yassine Hebah A. Al-Khatib Maria K. Smatti Mohammad R. Hasan, Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar H. Kaleeckal, Ali N. Latif Riyazuddin M. Shaik Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K. Nasrallah Mohamed G. Al-Kuwari Hamad E. Al-Romaihi Adeel A. Butt Mohamed H. Al-Thani Abdullatif Al-Khal Roberto Bertollini Laith J. Abu-Raddad},

url = {https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2210058},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-11-17},

urldate = {2022-11-17},

journal = {New England Journal of Medicine},

abstract = {BACKGROUND

The BNT162b2 vaccine against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) has been authorized for use in children 5 to 11 years of age and adolescents 12 to 17 years of age but in different antigen doses.

METHODS

We assessed the real-world effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine against infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) among children and adolescents in Qatar. To compare the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the national cohort of vaccinated participants with the incidence in the national cohort of unvaccinated participants, we conducted three matched, retrospective, target-trial, cohort studies — one assessing data obtained from children 5 to 11 years of age after the B.1.1.529 (omicron) variant became prevalent and two assessing data from adolescents 12 to 17 years of age before the emergence of the omicron variant (pre-omicron study) and after the omicron variant became prevalent. Associations were estimated with the use of Cox proportional-hazards regression models.

RESULTS

Among children, the overall effectiveness of the 10-μg primary vaccine series against infection with the omicron variant was 25.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.0 to 38.6). Effectiveness was highest (49.6%; 95% CI, 28.5 to 64.5) right after receipt of the second dose but waned rapidly thereafter and was negligible after 3 months. Effectiveness was 46.3% (95% CI, 21.5 to 63.3) among children 5 to 7 years of age and 16.6% (95% CI, −4.2 to 33.2) among those 8 to 11 years of age. Among adolescents, the overall effectiveness of the 30-μg primary vaccine series against infection with the omicron variant was 30.6% (95% CI, 26.9 to 34.1), but many adolescents had been vaccinated months earlier. Effectiveness waned over time since receipt of the second dose. Effectiveness was 35.6% (95% CI, 31.2 to 39.6) among adolescents 12 to 14 years of age and 20.9% (95% CI, 13.8 to 27.4) among those 15 to 17 years of age. In the pre-omicron study, the overall effectiveness of the 30-μg primary vaccine series against SARS-CoV-2 infection among adolescents was 87.6% (95% CI, 84.0 to 90.4) and waned relatively slowly after receipt of the second dose.

CONCLUSIONS

Vaccination in children was associated with modest, rapidly waning protection against omicron infection. Vaccination in adolescents was associated with stronger, more durable protection, perhaps because of the larger antigen dose. (Funded by Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar and others.)},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Abou-Saleh2022,

title = {Neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are higher but decline faster in mRNA vaccinees compared to individuals with natural infection},

author = {Haissam Abou-Saleh Bushra Y Abo-Halawa Salma Younes Nadin Younes Duaa W Al-Sadeq Farah M Shurrab Na Liu Hamda Qotba Nader Al-Dewik Ahmed Ismail Hadi M Yassine Laith J Abu-Raddad Gheyath K Nasrallah, },

url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36342115/},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-11-07},

urldate = {2022-11-07},

journal = {Journal of Travel Medicine},

pages = {130},

abstract = {Background: Waning protection against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants by pre-existing antibodies elicited due to current vaccination or natural infection is a global concern. Whether this is due to the waning of immunity to SARS-COV-2 remains unclear.



Aim: We aimed to investigate the dynamics of antibody isotype responses among vaccinated naïve (VN) and naturally infected (NI) individuals.



Methods: We followed up antibody levels in COVID-19 mRNA-vaccinated subjects without prior infection (VN, n = 100) in two phases: phase-I (P-I) at ~ 1.4 and phase-II (P-II) at ~ 5.3 months. Antibody levels were compared to those of unvaccinated and naturally infected subjects (NI, n = 40) at ~ 1.7 (P-1) and 5.2 (P-II) months post-infection. Neutralizing antibodies (NTAb), anti-S-RBD-IgG, -IgM, and anti-S-IgA isotypes were measured.



Results: The VN group elicited significantly greater antibody responses (p < 0.001) than the NI group at P-I, except for IgM. In the VN group, a significant waning in antibody response was observed in all isotypes. There was about ~ a 4-fold decline in NTAb levels (p < 0.001), anti-S-RBD-IgG (~5-folds, p < 0.001), anti-S-RBD-IgM (~6-folds, p < 0.001), and anti-S1-IgA (2-folds, p < 0.001). In the NI group, a significant but less steady decline was notable in S-RBD-IgM (~2-folds, p < 0.001), and a much smaller but significant difference in NTAb (<2-folds, p < 0.001) anti-S-RBD IgG (<2-folds, p = 0.005). Unlike the VN group, the NI group mounted a lasting anti-S1-IgA response with no significant decline. Anti-S1-IgA, which were ~ 3 folds higher in VN subjects compared to NI in P-1 (p < 0.001), dropped to almost the same levels, with no significant difference observed between the two groups in P-II.



Conclusion: While double-dose mRNA vaccination boosted antibody levels, vaccinated individuals' 'boost' was relatively short-lived.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Chemaitelly2022c,

title = {Immune Imprinting and Protection against Repeat Reinfection with SARS-CoV-2},

author = {Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H Ayoub Patrick Tang Mohammad R Hasan Peter Coyle Hadi M Yassine Hebah A Al-Khatib Maria K Smatti Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar H Kaleeckal Ali N Latif Riyazuddin M Shaik Hanan F Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K Nasrallah Mohamed G Al-Kuwari Adeel A Butt Hamad E Al-Romaihi Mohamed H Al-Thani Abdullatif Al-Khal Roberto Bertollini Laith J Abu-Raddad,},

url = {https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2211055},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-11-03},

urldate = {2022-11-03},

journal = {New England Journal of Medicine},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nasarallah2022,

title = {Detection of Antinuclear Antibodies Targeting Intracellular Signal Transduction, Metabolism, Apoptotic Processes and Cell Death in Critical COVID-19 Patients},

author = {Gheyath K Nasarallah Aisha D Fakhroo Taushif Khan Farhan S Cyprian Fatima Al Ali Manar M A Ata Sara Taleb Hadeel T Zedan Duaa W Al-Sadeq Fathima H Amanullah Ali A Hssain Ali H Eid Laith J Abu-Raddad Abdullatif Al-Khal Asmaa A Al Thani Nico Marr Hadi M Yassine,},

url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36425144/},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-11-01},

urldate = {2022-11-01},

journal = {MEDITERRANEAN JOURNAL of HEMATOLOGY and INFECTIOUS DISEASES},

volume = {14},

abstract = {Background and objectives: The heterogeneity of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) lies within its diverse symptoms and severity, ranging from mild to lethal. Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a leading cause of mortality in COVID-19 patients, characterized by a hyper cytokine storm. Autoimmunity is proposed to occur as a result of COVID-19, given the high similarity of the immune responses observed in COVID-19 and autoimmune diseases. Here, we investigate the level of autoimmune antibodies in COVID-19 patients with different severities.



Results: Initial screening for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) IgG using ELISA revealed that 1.58% (2/126) and 4% (5/126) of intensive care unit (ICU) COVID-19 cases expressed strong and moderate ANA levels, respectively. An additional sample was positive with immunofluorescence assays (IFA) screening. However, all the non-ICU cases (n=273) were ANA negative using both assays. Samples positive for ANA were further confirmed with large-scale autoantibody screening by phage immunoprecipitation-sequencing (PhIP-Seq). The majority of the ANA-positive samples showed "speckled" ANA pattern by microscopy and revealed autoantibody specificities that targeted proteins involved in intracellular signal transduction, metabolism, apoptotic processes, and cell death by PhIP-Seq; further denoting reactivity to nuclear and cytoplasmic antigens.



Conclusion: Our results further support the notion of routine screening for autoimmune responses in COVID-19 patients, which might help improve disease prognosis and patient management. Further, results provide compelling evidence that ANA-positive individuals should be excluded from being donors for convalescent plasma therapy in the context of COVID-19.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Altarawneh2022b,

title = {Protective Effect of Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection against Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 Subvariants},

author = {Heba N. Altarawneh Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H. Ayoub Mohammad R. Hasan Peter Coyle Hadi M. Yassine Hebah A. Al-Khatib Maria K. Smatti Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar H. Kaleeckal Ali N. Latif Riyazuddin M. Shaik Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K. Nasrallah Mohamed G. Al-Kuwari Adeel A. Butt Hamad E. Al-Romaihi Mohamed H. Al-Thani Abdullatif Al-Khal Roberto Bertollini Patrick Tang Laith J. Abu-Raddad,},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-10-27},

urldate = {2022-10-27},

journal = {New England Journal of Medicine},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Giordo2022,

title = {Cytoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-migratory activity of Pistacia lentiscus L . supercritical carbon dioxide extract on primary human endothelial cells},

author = {Roberta Giordo Annalisa Cossu Maria Cristina Porcu Roberto Cappuccinelli Grazia Biosa Javad Sharifi-Rad Luca Pretti Gheyath K Nasrallah Gianfranco Pintus Anna Maria Posadino,},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-10-06},

urldate = {2022-10-06},

journal = {Natural Product Research},

abstract = {Green chemistry is a useful tool for producing valuable chemicals from biomass. However, extracted compounds need to be tested for safety and efficacy before their use in humans. Here we investigate the chemical composition and biological effects of a leaves Pistacia lentiscus L. supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) extract. Terpenes represented the main extract fraction, with Germacrene D (11.18%), delta-cadinene (10.54%), and alpha-pinene (8.7%) the most abundant molecules. Challenged with endothelial cells (ECs), increasing extract concentrations failed to affect cell proliferation or promote cell toxicity. ROS assessment in unstressed and H2O2-treated ECs revealed an extract dose-dependent antioxidant activity. Exposition of H2O2-treated ECs to increasing extract concentrations dose-dependently counteracted H2O2-induced cell impairments. The extract significantly counteracted fetal calf serum-induced ECs migration. For the first time, we report that a SCCO2 extract obtained from PL leaves is safe on ECs and may be a useful source of valuable compounds with vasculoprotective properties.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Da'as2022,

title = {Transcriptome Profile Identifies Actin as an Essential Regulator of Cardiac Myosin Binding Protein C3 Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in a Zebrafish Model},

author = {Sahar Isa Da'as Waseem Hasan Rola Salem Nadine Younes Doua Abdelrahman Iman A Mohamed Arwa Aldaalis Ramzi Temanni Lisa Sara Mathew Stephan Lorenz Magdi Yacoub Michail Nomikos Gheyath K Nasrallah Khalid A Fakhro,},

url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36012114/},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-09-09},

urldate = {2022-09-09},

journal = {International Journal of Molecular Science},

abstract = {Variants in cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C) are the leading cause of inherited hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), demonstrating the key role that cMyBP-C plays in the heart's contractile machinery. To investigate the c-MYBPC3 HCM-related cardiac impairment, we generated a zebrafish mypbc3-knockout model. These knockout zebrafish displayed significant morphological heart alterations related to a significant decrease in ventricular and atrial diameters at systolic and diastolic states at the larval stages. Immunofluorescence staining revealed significant hyperplasia in the mutant's total cardiac and ventricular cardiomyocytes. Although cardiac contractility was similar to the wild-type control, the ejection fraction was significantly increased in the mypbc3 mutants. At later stages of larval development, the mutants demonstrated an early cardiac phenotype of myocardium remodeling, concurrent cardiomyocyte hyperplasia, and increased ejection fraction as critical processes in HCM initiation to counteract the increased ventricular myocardial wall stress. The examination of zebrafish adults showed a thickened ventricular cardiac wall with reduced heart rate, swimming speed, and endurance ability in both the mypbc3 heterozygous and homozygous groups. Furthermore, heart transcriptome profiling showed a significant downregulation of the actin-filament-based process, indicating an impaired actin cytoskeleton organization as the main dysregulating factor associated with the early ventricular cardiac hypertrophy in the zebrafish mypbc3 HCM model.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Qassim2022b,

title = {Effects of BA.1/BA.2 subvariant, vaccination, and prior infection on infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 omicron infections},

author = {Suelen H Qassim Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H Ayoub Sawsan AlMukdad Patrick Tang Mohammad R Hasan Hadi M Yassine Hebah A Al-Khatib Maria K Smatti Hanan F Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K Nasrallah Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari Abdullatif Al-Khal Peter Coyle , Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Ali Nizar Latif Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Adeel A Butt Roberto Bertollini Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi Mohamed H Al-Thani Laith J Abu-Raddad},

url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35639932/},

doi = {10.1093/jtm/taac068},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-09-07},

urldate = {2022-09-07},

journal = {Journal of Travel Medicine},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Qassim2022,

title = {Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants, age, vaccination, and prior infection on infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 infections},

author = {Suelen H Qassim Mohammad R Hasan Patrick Tang Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H Ayoub Hadi M Yassine Hebah A Al-Khatib Maria K Smatti Hanan F Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K Nasrallah Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari Abdullatif Al-Khal Peter Coyle Imtiaz Gillani Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Ali Nizar Latif Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Adeel A Butt Roberto Bertollini Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi Mohamed H Al-Thani Laith J Abu-Raddad,},

url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36177014/},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-09-01},

urldate = {2022-09-01},

journal = {Frontiers in Immunology},

abstract = {In 2021, Qatar experienced considerable incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection that was dominated sequentially by the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants. Using the cycle threshold (Ct) value of an RT-qPCR-positive test to proxy the inverse of infectiousness, we investigated infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 infections by variant, age, sex, vaccination status, prior infection status, and reason for testing in a random sample of 18,355 RT-qPCR-genotyped infections. Regression analyses were conducted to estimate associations with the Ct value of RT-qPCR-positive tests. Compared to Beta infections, Alpha and Delta infections demonstrated 2.56 higher Ct cycles (95% CI: 2.35-2.78), and 4.92 fewer cycles (95% CI: 4.67- 5.16), respectively. The Ct value declined gradually with age and was especially high for children <10 years of age, signifying lower infectiousness in small children. Children <10 years of age had 2.18 higher Ct cycles (95% CI: 1.88-2.48) than those 10-19 years of age. Compared to unvaccinated individuals, the Ct value was higher among individuals who had received one or two vaccine doses, but the Ct value decreased gradually with time since the second-dose vaccination. Ct value was 2.07 cycles higher (95% CI: 1.42-2.72) for those with a prior infection than those without prior infection. The Ct value was lowest among individuals tested because of symptoms and was highest among individuals tested as a travel requirement. Delta was substantially more infectious than Beta. Prior immunity, whether due to vaccination or prior infection, is associated with lower infectiousness of breakthrough infections, but infectiousness increases gradually with time since the second-dose vaccination.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Chemaitelly2022d,

title = {Duration of immune protection of SARS-CoV-2 natural infection against reinfection},

author = {Hiam Chemaitelly Nico Nagelkerke Houssein H. Ayoub Peter Coyle Patrick Tang Hadi M. Yassine Hebah A. Al-Khatib, Maria K. Smatti, Mohammad R. Hasan Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Ali Nizar Latif Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K. Nasrallah Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari Adeel A. Butt Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi Mohamed H. Al-Thani Abdullatif Al-Khal Roberto Bertollini Laith J. Abu-Raddad,},

url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36179099/},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-09-01},

urldate = {2022-09-01},

journal = {Journal of Travel Medicine},

abstract = {BACKGROUND The future of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic hinges on virus evolution and duration of immune protection of natural infection against reinfection. We investigated duration of protection afforded by natural infection, the effect of viral immune evasion on duration of protection, and protection against severe reinfection, in Qatar, between February 28, 2020 and June 5, 2022.



METHODS Three national, matched, retrospective cohort studies were conducted to compare incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity among unvaccinated persons with a documented SARS-CoV-2 primary infection, to incidence among those infection-naïve and unvaccinated. Associations were estimated using Cox proportional-hazard regression models.



RESULTS Effectiveness of pre-Omicron primary infection against pre-Omicron reinfection was 85.5% (95% CI: 84.8-86.2%). Effectiveness peaked at 90.5% (95% CI: 88.4-92.3%) in the 7th month after the primary infection, but waned to ∼70% by the 16th month. Extrapolating this waning trend using a Gompertz curve suggested an effectiveness of 50% in the 22nd month and <10% by the 32nd month. Effectiveness of pre-Omicron primary infection against Omicron reinfection was 38.1% (95% CI: 36.3-39.8%) and declined with time since primary infection. A Gompertz curve suggested an effectiveness of <10% by the 15th month. Effectiveness of primary infection against severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19 reinfection was 97.3% (95% CI: 94.9- 98.6%), irrespective of the variant of primary infection or reinfection, and with no evidence for waning. Similar results were found in sub-group analyses for those ≥50 years of age.



CONCLUSIONS Protection of natural infection against reinfection wanes and may diminish within a few years. Viral immune evasion accelerates this waning. Protection against severe reinfection remains very strong, with no evidence for waning, irrespective of variant, for over 14 months after primary infection.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nasrallah2022g,

title = {Validation of a Novel Fluorescent Lateral Flow Assay for Rapid Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Total Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD Binding Antibody Units (BAU) from Plasma or Fingerstick Whole-Blood of COVID-19 Vaccinees.},

author = {Nadin Younes Duaa W Al-Sadeq Farah M Shurrab Hadeel T Zedan Haissam Abou-Saleh Bushra Y Abo-Halawa Fatima M AlHamaydeh Amira E Elsharafi Hanin I Daas Swapna Thomas Sahar Aboalmaaly Afra Al Farsi Reeham Al-Buainain Samar Ataelmannan Jiji Paul Amana Salih Al Saadi Hadi M Yassine Amin F Majdalawieh Ahmed Ismail Laith J Abu-Raddad Gheyath K Nasrallah },

doi = {10.3390/vaccines10081318},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-08-15},

journal = {Vaccines},

abstract = {Background: Limited commercial LFA assays are available to provide a reliable quantitative measurement of the total binding antibody units (BAU/mL) against the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S-RBD). Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the fluorescence LFA FinecareTM 2019-nCoV S-RBD test along with its reader (Model No.: FS-113) against the following reference methods: (i) the FDA-approved GenScript surrogate virus-neutralizing assay (sVNT); and (ii) three highly performing automated immunoassays: BioMérieux VIDAS®3, Ortho VITROS®, and Mindray CL-900i®. Methods: Plasma from 488 vaccinees was tested by all aforementioned assays. Fingerstick whole-blood samples from 156 vaccinees were also tested by FinecareTM. Results and conclusions: FinecareTM showed 100% specificity, as none of the pre-pandemic samples tested positive. Equivalent FinecareTM results were observed among the samples taken from fingerstick or plasma (Pearson correlation r = 0.9, p < 0.0001), suggesting that fingerstick samples are sufficient to quantitate the S-RBD BAU/mL. A moderate correlation was observed between FinecareTM and sVNT (r = 0.5, p < 0.0001), indicating that FinecareTM can be used for rapid prediction of the neutralizing antibody (nAb) post-vaccination. FinecareTM BAU results showed strong correlation with VIDAS®3 (r = 0.6, p < 0.0001) and moderate correlation with VITROS® (r = 0.5, p < 0.0001) and CL-900i® (r = 0.4, p < 0.0001), suggesting that FinecareTM can be used as a surrogate for the advanced automated assays to measure S-RBD BAU/mL.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Younes2022,

title = {Validation of a Novel Fluorescent Lateral Flow Assay for Rapid Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Total Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S-RBD Binding Antibody Units (BAU) from Plasma or Fingerstick Whole-Blood of COVID-19 Vaccinees},

author = {Nadin Younes Duaa W Al-Sadeq Farah M Shurrab Hadeel T Zedan Haissam Abou-Saleh Bushra Y Abo-Halawa Fatima M AlHamaydeh Amira E Elsharafi Hanin I Daas Swapna Thomas Sahar Aboalmaaly Afra Al Farsi Reeham Al-Buainain Samar Ataelmannan Jiji Paul Amana Salih Al Saadi Hadi M Yassine Amin F Majdalawieh Ahmed Ismail Laith J Abu-Raddad Gheyath K Nasrallah},

url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36016206/},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-08-15},

urldate = {2022-08-15},

journal = {Vaccines},

abstract = {Background: Limited commercial LFA assays are available to provide a reliable quantitative measurement of the total binding antibody units (BAU/mL) against the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S-RBD). Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the fluorescence LFA FinecareTM 2019-nCoV S-RBD test along with its reader (Model No.: FS-113) against the following reference methods: (i) the FDA-approved GenScript surrogate virus-neutralizing assay (sVNT); and (ii) three highly performing automated immunoassays: BioMérieux VIDAS®3, Ortho VITROS®, and Mindray CL-900i®. Methods: Plasma from 488 vaccinees was tested by all aforementioned assays. Fingerstick whole-blood samples from 156 vaccinees were also tested by FinecareTM. Results and conclusions: FinecareTM showed 100% specificity, as none of the pre-pandemic samples tested positive. Equivalent FinecareTM results were observed among the samples taken from fingerstick or plasma (Pearson correlation r = 0.9, p < 0.0001), suggesting that fingerstick samples are sufficient to quantitate the S-RBD BAU/mL. A moderate correlation was observed between FinecareTM and sVNT (r = 0.5, p < 0.0001), indicating that FinecareTM can be used for rapid prediction of the neutralizing antibody (nAb) post-vaccination. FinecareTM BAU results showed strong correlation with VIDAS®3 (r = 0.6, p < 0.0001) and moderate correlation with VITROS® (r = 0.5, p < 0.0001) and CL-900i® (r = 0.4, p < 0.0001), suggesting that FinecareTM can be used as a surrogate for the advanced automated assays to measure S-RBD BAU/mL.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Chemaitelly2022e,

title = {Protection of Omicron sub-lineage infection against reinfection with another Omicron sub-lineage},

author = {Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H. Ayoub Peter Coyle Patrick Tang Hadi M. Yassine Hebah A. Al-Khatib Maria K. Smatti Mohammad R. Hasan Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Ali Nizar Latif Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K. Nasrallah Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari Adeel A. Butt Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi Mohamed H. Al-Thani Abdullatif Al-Khal Roberto Bertollini Laith J. Abu-Raddad, },

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-08-09},

urldate = {2022-08-09},

journal = {Nature Communications},

abstract = {There is significant genetic distance between SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant BA.1 and BA.2 sub-lineages. This study investigates immune protection of infection with one sub-lineage against reinfection with the other sub-lineage in Qatar during a large BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron wave, from December 19, 2021 to March 21, 2022. Two national matched, retrospective cohort studies are conducted to estimate effectiveness of BA.1 infection against reinfection with BA.2 (N = 20,994; BA.1-against-BA.2 study), and effectiveness of BA.2 infection against reinfection with BA.1 (N = 110,315; BA.2-against-BA.1 study). Associations are estimated using Cox proportional-hazards regression models after multiple imputation to assign a sub-lineage status for cases with no sub-lineage status (using probabilities based on the test date). Effectiveness of BA.1 infection against reinfection with BA.2 is estimated at 94.2% (95% CI: 89.2–96.9%). Effectiveness of BA.2 infection against reinfection with BA.1 is estimated at 80.9% (95% CI: 73.1–86.4%). Infection with the BA.1 sub-lineage appears to induce strong, but not full immune protection against reinfection with the BA.2 sub-lineage, and vice versa, for at least several weeks after the initial infection.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Zedan2022,

title = {Evaluation of commercially available fully automated and ELISA-based assays for detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies},

author = {Hadeel T Zedan Hadi M Yassine Duaa W Al-Sadeq Na Liu Hamda Qotba Eleonora Nicolai Massimo Pieri Sergio Bernardini Laith J Abu-Raddad Gheyath K Nasrallah,},

url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9643483/},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-08-01},

urldate = {2022-08-01},

journal = {Scientific reports },

volume = {12},

pages = {19020},

abstract = {Rapid and accurate measurement of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2)-specific neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) is paramount for monitoring immunity in infected and vaccinated subjects. The current gold standard relies on pseudovirus neutralization tests which require sophisticated skills and facilities. Alternatively, recent competitive immunoassays measuring anti-SARS-CoV-2 nAbs are proposed as a quick and commercially available surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). Here, we report the performance evaluation of three sVNTs, including two ELISA-based assays and an automated bead-based immunoassay for detecting nAbs against SARS-CoV-2. The performance of three sVNTs, including GenScript cPass, Dynamiker, and Mindray NTAb was assessed in samples collected from SARS-CoV-2 infected patients (n = 160), COVID-19 vaccinated individuals (n = 163), and pre-pandemic controls (n = 70). Samples were collected from infected patients and vaccinated individuals 2–24 weeks after symptoms onset or second dose administration. Correlation analysis with pseudovirus neutralization test (pVNT) and immunoassays detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 binding antibodies was performed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was generated to assess the optimal threshold for detecting nAbs by each assay. All three sVNTs showed an excellent performance in terms of specificity (100%) and sensitivity (100%, 97.0%, and 97.1% for GenScript, Dynamiker, and Mindray, respectively) in samples collected from vaccinated subjects. GenScript demonstrated the strongest correlation with pVNT (r = 0.743, R2 = 0.552), followed by Mindray (r = 0.718, R2 = 0.515) and Dynamiker (r = 0.608, R2 = 0.369). Correlation with anti-SARS-CoV-2 binding antibodies was variable, but the strongest correlations were observed between anti-RBD IgG antibodies and Mindray (r = 0.952, R2 = 0.907). ROC curve analyses demonstrated excellent performance for all three sVNT assays in both groups, with an AUC ranging between 0.99 and 1.0 (p < 0.0001). Also, it was shown that the manufacturer's recommended cutoff values could be modified based on the tested cohort without significantly affecting the sVNT performance. The sVNT provides a rapid, low-cost, and scalable alternative to conventional neutralization assays for measuring and expanding nAbs testing across various research and clinical settings. Also, it could aid in evaluating actual protective immunity at the population level and assessing vaccine effectiveness to lay a foundation for boosters' requirements.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Pruvost2022,

title = {Solar cultivation of microalgae in a desert environment for the development of techno- functional feed ingredients for aquaculture in Qatar},

author = {Rihab Rasheed Mahmoud Thaher Nadin Younes Touria Bounnit Kira Schipper Gheyath K Nasrallah Hareb Al Jabri Imma Gifuni Olivier Goncalves Jeremy Pruvost,},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722026341},

doi = {doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155538},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-07-20},

urldate = {2022-07-20},

journal = {Science of The Total Environment},

volume = {835},

number = {20},

pages = {155538},

abstract = {The demand for aquaculture feed will increase in the coming years in order to ensure food security for a growing global population. Microalgae represent a potential fish-feed ingredient; however, the feasibility of their sustainable production has great influence on its successful application. Geographical locations offering high light and temperature, such as Qatar, are ideal to cultivate microalgae with high productivities. For that, the environmental and biological interactions, including field and laboratory optimization, for solar production and application of two native microalgae, Picochlorum maculatum and Nannochloris atomus, were investigated as potential aquaculture feed ingredients. After validating pilot-scale outdoor cultivation, both strains were further investigated under simulated seasonal conditions using a thermal model to predict light and culture temperature cycles for the major climatic seasons in Qatar. Applied thermal and light variations ranged from 36 °C and 2049 μmol/m2/s in extreme summer, to as low as 15 °C and 1107 μmol/m2/s in winter, respectively. Biomass productivities of both strains varied significantly with maximum productivities of 32.9 ± 2.5 g/m2/d and 17.1 ± 0.8 g/m2/d found under moderate summer conditions for P. maculatum and N. atomus, respectively. These productivities were significantly reduced under both extreme summer, as well as winter conditions. To improve annual biomass productivities, the effect of implementation of a simple ground heat exchanger for thermal regulation of raceway ponds was also studied. Biomass productivities increased significantly, during extreme seasons due to respective cooling and heating of the culture. Both strains produced high amounts of proteins during winter, 54.5 ± 0.55% and 44 ± 2.25%, while lipid contents were high during summer reaching up to 29.6 ± 0.75 and 28.65 ± 0.65%, for P. maculatum and N. atomus respectively. Finally, using acute toxicity assay with zebra fish embryos, both strains showed no toxicity even at the highest concentrations tested, and is considered safe for use as feed ingredient and to the environment.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Khal2022,

title = {COVID-19 risk score as a public health tool to guide targeted testing: A demonstration study in Qatar},

author = {Laith J Abu-Raddad Soha Dargham Hiam Chemaitelly Peter Coyle Zaina Al Kanaani Einas Al Kuwari Adeel A Butt Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Ali Nizar Latif Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Hanan F Abdul Rahim Gheyath K Nasrallah Hadi M Yassine Mohamed G Al Kuwari Hamad Eid Al Romaihi Mohamed H Al-Thani Abdullatif Al Khal Roberto Bertollini,

},

url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0271324},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0271324},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-07-19},

urldate = {2022-07-19},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {19},

number = {17},

pages = {e0271324},

abstract = {We developed a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk score to guide targeted RT-PCR testing in Qatar. The Qatar national COVID-19 testing database, encompassing a total of 2,688,232 RT-PCR tests conducted between February 5, 2020-January 27, 2021, was analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were implemented to derive the COVID-19 risk score, as a tool to identify those at highest risk of having the infection. Score cut-off was determined using the ROC curve based on maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity. The score's performance diagnostics were assessed. Logistic regression analysis identified age, sex, and nationality as significant predictors of infection and were included in the risk score. The ROC curve was generated and the area under the curve was estimated at 0.63 (95% CI: 0.63-0.63). The score had a sensitivity of 59.4% (95% CI: 59.1%-59.7%), specificity of 61.1% (95% CI: 61.1%-61.2%), a positive predictive value of 10.9% (95% CI: 10.8%-10.9%), and a negative predictive value of 94.9% (94.9%-95.0%). The concept and utility of a COVID-19 risk score were demonstrated in Qatar. Such a public health tool can have considerable utility in optimizing testing and suppressing infection transmission, while maximizing efficiency and use of available resources.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Abu-Raddad2022d,

title = {Effects of previous infection and vaccination on symptomatic Omicron infections},

author = {Heba N Altarawneh Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H Ayoub Patrick Tang Mohammad R Hasan Hadi M Yassine Hebah A Al-Khatib Maria K Smatti Peter Coyle Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar H Kaleeckal Ali N Latif Riyazuddin M Shaik Hanan F Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K Nasrallah Mohamed G Al-Kuwari Adeel A Butt Hamad E Al-Romaihi Mohamed H Al-Thani Abdullatif Al-Khal Roberto Bertollini Laith J Abu-Raddad},

doi = {10.1056/NEJMoa2203965},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-07-07},

urldate = {2022-07-07},

journal = {New England Journal of Medicine},

volume = {387},

abstract = {BACKGROUND

The protection conferred by natural immunity, vaccination, and both against symptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection with the BA.1 or BA.2 sublineages of the omicron (B.1.1.529) variant is unclear.

METHODS

We conducted a national, matched, test-negative, case–control study in Qatar from December 23, 2021, through February 21, 2022, to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccination with BNT162b2 (Pfizer–BioNTech) or mRNA-1273 (Moderna), natural immunity due to previous infection with variants other than omicron, and hybrid immunity (previous infection and vaccination) against symptomatic omicron infection and against severe, critical, or fatal coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

RESULTS

The effectiveness of previous infection alone against symptomatic BA.2 infection was 46.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 39.5 to 51.9). The effectiveness of vaccination with two doses of BNT162b2 and no previous infection was negligible (−1.1%; 95% CI, −7.1 to 4.6), but nearly all persons had received their second dose more than 6 months earlier. The effectiveness of three doses of BNT162b2 and no previous infection was 52.2% (95% CI, 48.1 to 55.9). The effectiveness of previous infection and two doses of BNT162b2 was 55.1% (95% CI, 50.9 to 58.9), and the effectiveness of previous infection and three doses of BNT162b2 was 77.3% (95% CI, 72.4 to 81.4). Previous infection alone, BNT162b2 vaccination alone, and hybrid immunity all showed strong effectiveness (>70%) against severe, critical, or fatal Covid-19 due to BA.2 infection. Similar results were observed in analyses of effectiveness against BA.1 infection and of vaccination with mRNA-1273.

CONCLUSIONS

No discernable differences in protection against symptomatic BA.1 and BA.2 infection were seen with previous infection, vaccination, and hybrid immunity. Vaccination enhanced protection among persons who had had a previous infection. Hybrid immunity resulting from previous infection and recent booster vaccination conferred the strongest protection. (Funded by Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar and others},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nasrallah2022b,

title = {Pyridoxine non- responsive R336C mutation alters the molecular properties of cystathionine beta- synthase leading to severe homocystinuria},

author = {Duaa W Al-Sadeq Angelos Thanassoulas Zeyaul Islam Prasanna Kolatkar Nader Al-Dewik Bared Safieh-Garabedian Gheyath K Nasrallah Michail Nomikos,},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304416522000666?via%3Dihub#s0010},

doi = {10.1016/j.bbagen.2022.130148},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-07-04},

urldate = {2022-07-04},

journal = {Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - General Subjects},

volume = {1866},

number = {7},

pages = {130148},

abstract = {•The prevalence of homocystinuria in Qatar is 1:1800, mainly due to a founder missense mutation p.R336C.



•The cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) R336C mutant was bacterially expressed, purified and its molecular properties were compared to CBS wild type (WT) recombinant protein.



•Our data revealed that p.R336C mutation results in a dramatic reduction (∼86%) of CBS enzymatic activity.



•Circular Dichroism experiments suggested that the p.R336C mutation does not significantly alter the secondary structure of the CBS protein.



•CD spectra also revealed distinct differences in the thermal unfolding mechanisms of CBS WT and R336C mutant protein species.



•Chemical denaturation experiments indicated that the WT CBS protein is thermodynamically more stable than the R336C mutant, suggesting a destabilizing effect of the p.R336C mutation.



•This study provides mechanistic insight into the pathogenicity of the p.R336C mutation that leads to a severe homocystinuria phenotype.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Raddad2022f,

title = {Duration of mRNA vaccine protection against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA. 1 and BA. 2 subvariants in Qatar},

author = {Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H Ayoub Sawsan AlMukdad Peter Coyle Patrick Tang Hadi M Yassine Hebah A Al-Khatib Maria K Smatti Mohammad R Hasan Zaina Al- Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Ali Nizar Latif Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Hanan F Abdul- Rahim Gheyath K Nasrallah Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari Adeel A Butt Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi Mohamed H Al-Thani Abdullatif Al- Khal Roberto Bertollini Laith J Abu- Raddad,},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-06-02},

urldate = {2022-06-02},

journal = {Nature Communications},

volume = {13},

pages = {3082},

abstract = {SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 subvariants are genetically divergent. We conducted a matched, test-negative, case-control study to estimate duration of protection of the second and third/booster doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines against BA.1 and BA.2 infections in Qatar. BNT162b2 effectiveness was highest at 46.6% (95% CI: 33.4–57.2%) against symptomatic BA.1 and at 51.7% (95% CI: 43.2–58.9%) against symptomatic BA.2 infections in the first three months after the second dose, but declined to ~10% or below thereafter. Effectiveness rebounded to 59.9% (95% CI: 51.2–67.0%) and 43.7% (95% CI: 36.5–50.0%), respectively, in the first month after the booster dose, before declining again. Effectiveness against COVID-19 hospitalization and death was 70–80% after the second dose and >90% after the booster dose. mRNA-1273 vaccine protection showed similar patterns. mRNA vaccines provide comparable, moderate, and short-lived protection against symptomatic BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron infections, but strong and durable protection against COVID-19 hospitalization and death.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nasrallah2022e,

title = {Effectiveness of mRNA booster doses against the omicron variant},

author = {Hadeel T Zedan Gheyath K Nasrallah,},

doi = {doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00319-X},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-06-02},

urldate = {2022-06-02},

journal = {The Lancet Infectious Diseases},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nasrallah2022f,

title = {Immunomodulatory and Anti- Inflammatory Effects of Berberine in Lung Tissue and its Potential Application in Prophylaxis and Treatment of COVID-19},

author = {Amin F Majdalawieh, Sarah M Yousef, Imad A Abu-Yousef, Gheyath K Nasrallah},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-05-20},

urldate = {2022-05-20},

journal = {Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark},

volume = {27},

number = {5},

pages = {166},

abstract = {Natural products with known safety profiles are a promising source for the discovery of new drug leads. Berberine presents an example of one such phytochemical that has been extensively studied for its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties against myriads of diseases, ranging from respiratory disorders to viral infections. A growing body of research supports the pluripotent therapeutic role berberine may play against the dreaded disease COVID-19. The exact pathophysiological features of COVID-19 are yet to be elucidated. However, compelling evidence suggests inflammation and immune dysregulations as major features of this disease. Being a potent immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory agent, berberine may prove to be useful for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. This review aims to revisit the pharmacological anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory benefits of berberine on a multitude of respiratory infections, which like COVID-19, are known to adversely affect the airways and lungs. We speculate that berberine may help alleviate COVID-19 via preventing cytokine storm, restoring Th1/Th2 balance, and enhancing cell-mediated immunity. Furthermore, the role this promising phytochemical plays on other important inflammatory mediators involved in respiratory disorders will be underscored. We further highlight the role of berberine against COVID-19 by underscoring direct evidence from in silico, in vitro, and in vivo studies suggesting the inhibitory potential berberine may play against three critical SARS-CoV-2 targets, namely main protease, spike protein, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor. Further preclinical and clinical trials are certainly required to further substantiate the efficacy and potency of berberine against COVID-19 in humans.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Bertollini;2022,

title = {Effect of mRNA Vaccine Boosters against SARS- CoV-2 Omicron Infection in Qatar},

author = {Laith J. Abu-Raddad Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H. Ayoub Sawsan AlMukdad Hadi M. Yassine Hebah A. Al-Khatib Maria K. Smatti Patrick Tang Mohammad R. Hasan Peter Coyle Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar H. Kaleeckal Ali N. Latif Riyazuddin M. Shaik Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K. Nasrallah Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari Adeel A. Butt Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi Mohamed H. Al-Thani Abdullatif Al-Khal and Roberto Bertollini,},

url = {https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2200797},

doi = {10.1056/NEJMoa2200797},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-05-12},

urldate = {2022-05-12},

journal = {New England Journal of Medicine},

volume = {386},

pages = {1804-1816},

abstract = {BACKGROUND

Waning of vaccine protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and the emergence of the omicron (or B.1.1.529) variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have led to expedited efforts to scale up booster vaccination. Protection conferred by booster doses of the BNT162b2 (Pfizer–BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccines in Qatar, as compared with protection conferred by the two-dose primary series, is unclear.

METHODS



We conducted two matched retrospective cohort studies to assess the effectiveness of booster vaccination, as compared with that of a two-dose primary series alone, against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and Covid-19–related hospitalization and death during a large wave of omicron infections from December 19, 2021, through January 26, 2022. The association of booster status with infection was estimated with the use of Cox proportional-hazards regression models.

RESULTS

In a population of 2,239,193 persons who had received at least two doses of BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccine, those who had also received a booster were matched with persons who had not received a booster. Among the BNT162b2-vaccinated persons, the cumulative incidence of symptomatic omicron infection was 2.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3 to 2.5) in the booster cohort and 4.5% (95% CI, 4.3 to 4.6) in the nonbooster cohort after 35 days of follow-up. Booster effectiveness against symptomatic omicron infection, as compared with that of the primary series, was 49.4% (95% CI, 47.1 to 51.6). Booster effectiveness against Covid-19–related hospitalization and death due to omicron infection, as compared with the primary series, was 76.5% (95% CI, 55.9 to 87.5). BNT162b2 booster effectiveness against symptomatic infection with the delta (or B.1.617.2) variant, as compared with the primary series, was 86.1% (95% CI, 67.3 to 94.1). Among the mRNA-1273–vaccinated persons, the cumulative incidence of symptomatic omicron infection was 1.0% (95% CI, 0.9 to 1.2) in the booster cohort and 1.9% (95% CI, 1.8 to 2.1) in the nonbooster cohort after 35 days; booster effectiveness against symptomatic omicron infection, as compared with the primary series, was 47.3% (95% CI, 40.7 to 53.3). Few severe Covid-19 cases were noted in the mRNA-1273–vaccinated cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

The messenger RNA (mRNA) boosters were highly effective against symptomatic delta infection, but they were less effective against symptomatic omicron infection. However, with both variants, mRNA boosters led to strong protection against Covid-19–related hospitalization and death. (Funded by Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar and others},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Mohsen2022,

title = {Increased receptor affinity and reduced recognition by specific antibodies contribute to immune escape of SARS-CoV-2 variant Omicron},

author = {Anne-Cathrine S Vogt Gilles Augusto Byron Martina Xinyue Chang Gheyath Nasrallah Daniel E Speiser Monique Vogel Martin F Bachmann Mona O Mohsen,},

url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/10/5/743},

doi = {doi.org/10.3390/vaccines10050743},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-05-02},

urldate = {2022-05-02},

journal = {Vaccines},

volume = {10},

number = {5},

pages = {743},

abstract = {In this report, we mechanistically reveal how the Variant of Concern (VOC) SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) escapes neutralizing antibody responses, by physio-chemical characterization of this variant in comparison to the wild-type Wuhan and the Delta variant (B.1.617.2). Convalescent sera, as well as sera obtained from participants who received two or three doses of mRNA vaccines (Moderna-mRNA-1273® or Pfizer-BNT162b2®), were used for comparison in this study. Our data demonstrate that both Delta, as well as Omicron variants, exhibit a higher affinity for the receptor ACE2, facilitating infection and causing antibody escape by receptor affinity (affinity escape), due to the reduced ability of antibodies to compete with RBD-receptor interaction and virus neutralization. In contrast, only Omicron but not the Delta variant escaped antibody recognition, most likely because only Omicron exhibits the mutation at E484A, a position associated with reduced recognition, resulting in further reduced neutralization (specificity escape). Nevertheless, the immunizations with RNA-based vaccines resulted in marked viral neutralization in vitro for all strains, compatible with the fact that Omicron is still largely susceptible to vaccination-induced antibodies, despite affinity- and specificity escape},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Yassine2022,

title = {Burden and disease pathogenesis of influenza and other respiratory viruses in diabetic patients},

author = {Swapna Thomas Allal Ouhtit Hebah A Al Khatib Ali H Eid Shilu Mathew Gheyath K Nasrallah Mohamed M Emara Muna A Al Maslamani Hadi M Yassine,},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876034122000582?via%3Dihub},

doi = {doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2022.03.002},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-04-04},

urldate = {2022-04-04},

journal = {Journal of Infection and Public Health},

volume = {15},

number = {4},

pages = {412-424},

abstract = {Over the past two decades, diabetes mellitus (DM) has been receiving increasing attention among autoimmune diseases. The prevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes has increased rapidly and has become one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Therefore, a better understanding of the genetic and environmental risk factors that trigger the onset of DM would help develop more efficient therapeutics and preventive measures. The role and mechanism of respiratory viruses in inducing autoimmunity have been frequently reported. On the other hand, the association of DM with respiratory infections might result in severe complications or even death. Since influenza is the most common respiratory infection, DM patients experience disease severity and increased hospitalization during influenza season. Vaccinating diabetic patients against influenza would significantly reduce hospitalization due to disease severity. However, recent studies also report the role of viral vaccines in inducing autoimmunity, specifically diabetes. This review reports causes of diabetes, including genetic and viral factors, with a special focus on respiratory viruses. We further brief the burden of influenza-associated complications and the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine in DM patients.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nasrallah2022c,

title = {Performance evaluation of novel fluorescent-based lateral immune flow assay (LIFA) for rapid detection and quantitation of total anti-SARS- CoV-2 S-RBD binding antibodies in infected individuals},

author = {Farah M Shurrab Nadin Younes Duaa W Al-Sadeq Na Liu Hamda Qotba Laith J Abu-Raddad Gheyath K Nasrallah,},

doi = {10.1016/j.ijid.2022.02.052},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-02-26},

urldate = {2022-02-26},

journal = {International Journal f Infectious Disease },

volume = {118},

pages = {132-137},

abstract = {Background



A vast majority of the commercially available lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) is used to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies qualitatively. Recently, a novel fluorescence-based lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) test was developed for quantitative measurement of the total binding antibody units (BAUs) (BAU/mL) against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain (S-RBD).



Aim



This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the fluorescence LFIA FinecareTM 2019-nCoV S-RBD test along with its reader (Model No.: FS-113).



Methods



Plasma from 150 reverse trancriptase–PCR (RT-PCR)-confirmed positive individuals and 100 prepandemic samples were tested by FincareTM to access sensitivity and specificity. For qualitative and quantitative validation of the FinCareTM measurements, BAU/mL results of FinCareTM were compared with results of 2 reference assays: the surrogate virus-neutralizing test (sVNT, GenScript Biotech, USA) and the VIDAS®3 automated assay (BioMérieux, France).



Results



FinecareTM showed 92% sensitivity and 100% specificity compared with PCR. Cohen's Kappa statistic denoted moderate and excellent agreement with sVNT and VIDAS®3, with values being 0.557 (95% CI: 0.32–0.78) and 0.731 (95% CI: 0.51–0.95), respectively. A strong correlation was observed between FinecareTM/sVNT (r = 0.7, p < 0.0001) and FinecareTM/VIDAS®3 (r = 0.8, p < 0.0001).



Conclusion



FinecareTM is a reliable assay and can be used as a surrogate to assess binding and neutralizing antibody response after infection or vaccination, particularly in none or small laboratory settings.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Abu-Raddad2022c,

title = {Protection against the Omicron Variant from previous SARS- CoV-2 Infection},

author = {Heba N Altarawneh Hiam Chemaitelly Mohammad R Hasan Houssein H Ayoub Suelen Qassim Sawsan AlMukdad Peter Coyle Hadi M Yassine Hebah A Al-Khatib Fatiha M Benslimane Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar H Kaleeckal Ali N Latif Riyazuddin M Shaik Hanan F Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K Nasrallah Mohamed G Al-Kuwari Adeel A Butt Hamad E Al-Romaihi Mohamed H Al-Thani Abdullatif Al-Khal Roberto Bertollini Patrick Tang Laith J Abu-Raddad},

doi = {10.1056/NEJMc2200133},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-02-09},

urldate = {2022-02-09},

journal = {New England Journal of Medicine},

volume = {386},

number = {13},

pages = {1288-1290},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nasrallah2022i,

title = {Do preexisting antibodies against seasonal coronaviruses have a protective role against SARS-CoV-2 infections and impact on COVID-19 severity?" },

author = {Gheyath K. Nasrallah},

doi = {10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103831},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-02-08},

journal = {EBiomedicine},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Ayoub2022,

title = {Characterizing the effective reproduction number during the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from Qatar's experience.},

author = {Raghid Bsat Hiam Chemaitelly Peter Coyle Patrick Tang Mohammad R Hasan Zaina Al Kanaani Einas Al Kuwari Adeel A Butt Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Ali Nizar Latif Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Gheyath K Nasrallah Fatiha M Benslimane Hebah A Al Khatib Hadi M Yassine Mohamed G Al Kuwari Hamad Eid Al Romaihi Mohamed H Al-Thani Abdullatif Al Khal Roberto Bertollini Laith J Abu-Raddad Houssein H Ayoub},

url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35136602/},

doi = {10.7189/jogh.12.05004},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-02-07},

urldate = {2022-02-07},

journal = {Journal of Global Health},

abstract = {Background: The effective reproduction number, Rt , is a tool to track and understand pandemic dynamics. This investigation of Rt estimations was conducted to guide the national COVID-19 response in Qatar, from the onset of the pandemic until August 18, 2021.



Methods: Real-time "empirical" Rt Empirical was estimated using five methods, including the Robert Koch Institute, Cislaghi, Systrom-Bettencourt and Ribeiro, Wallinga and Teunis, and Cori et al. methods. Rt was also estimated using a transmission dynamics model (Rt Model-based ). Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses were conducted. Correlations between different Rt estimates were assessed by calculating correlation coefficients, and agreements between these estimates were assessed through Bland-Altman plots.



Results: Rt Empirical captured the evolution of the pandemic through three waves, public health response landmarks, effects of major social events, transient fluctuations coinciding with significant clusters of infection, and introduction and expansion of the Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant. The various estimation methods produced consistent and overall comparable Rt Empirical estimates with generally large correlation coefficients. The Wallinga and Teunis method was the fastest at detecting changes in pandemic dynamics. Rt Empirical estimates were consistent whether using time series of symptomatic PCR-confirmed cases, all PCR-confirmed cases, acute-care hospital admissions, or ICU-care hospital admissions, to proxy trends in true infection incidence. Rt Model-based correlated strongly with Rt Empirical and provided an average Rt Empirical .



Conclusions: Rt estimations were robust and generated consistent results regardless of the data source or the method of estimation. Findings affirmed an influential role for Rt estimations in guiding national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, even in resource-limited settings.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{LJ2022,

title = {Effectiveness of mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2 Vaccines in Qatar},

author = {Abu-Raddad LJ, Chemaitelly H, Bertollini R; National Study Group for COVID-19 Vaccination},

doi = {10.1056/NEJMc2117933},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-02-01},

urldate = {2022-02-01},

journal = {New England Journal of Medicine},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Bertollini2022,

title = {Relative infectiousness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine breakthrough infections, reinfections, and primary infections},

author = {Laith J. Abu-Raddad Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H. Ayoub Patrick TangvPeter Coyle Mohammad R. Hasan Hadi M. Yassine Fatiha M. Benslimane Hebah A. Al-Khatib Zaina Al-Kanaani Einas Al-Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Ali Nizar Latif Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Hanan F. Abdul-Rahim Gheyath K. Nasrallah Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari Adeel A. Butt Hamad Eid Al-Romaihi Abdullatif Al-Khal Mohametabd H. Al-Thani Roberto Bertollini, },

url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28199-7},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-27},

urldate = {2022-01-27},

journal = {nature communications },

volume = {13},

pages = {532},

abstract = {SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals and in those who had a prior infection have been observed globally, but the transmission potential of these infections is unknown. The RT-qPCR cycle threshold (Ct) value is inversely correlated with viral load and culturable virus. Here, we investigate differences in RT-qPCR Ct values across Qatar’s national cohorts of primary infections, reinfections, BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) breakthrough infections, and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) breakthrough infections. Our matched-cohort analyses of the randomly diagnosed infections show higher mean Ct value in all cohorts of breakthrough infections compared to the cohort of primary infections in unvaccinated individuals. The Ct value is 1.3 (95% CI: 0.9–1.8) cycles higher for BNT162b2 breakthrough infections, 3.2 (95% CI: 1.9–4.5) cycles higher for mRNA-1273 breakthrough infections, and 4.0 (95% CI: 3.5–4.5) cycles higher for reinfections in unvaccinated individuals. Since Ct value correlates inversely with SARS-CoV-2 infectiousness, these differences imply that vaccine breakthrough infections and reinfections are less infectious than primary infections in unvaccinated individuals. Public health benefits of vaccination may have been underestimated, as COVID-19 vaccines not only protect against acquisition of infection, but also appear to protect against transmission of infection.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nasrallah2022h,

title = {Assessment of the Neutralizing Antibody Response of BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines in Naïve and Previously Infected Individuals: A Comparative Study.},

author = {Farah M Shurrab Duaa W Al-Sadeq Haissam Abou-Saleh Nader Al-Dewik Amira E Elsharafi Fatima M Hamaydeh Bushra Y Abo Halawa Tala M Jamaleddin Huda M Abdul Hameed Parveen B Nizamuddin Fathima Humaira Amanullah Hanin I Daas Laith J Abu-Raddad Gheyath K Nasrallah},

doi = {10.3390/vaccines10020191},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-25},

journal = {Vaccines},

abstract = {The currently authorized mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer-BNT162b2 and Moderna-mRNA-1273, offer great promise for reducing the spread of the COVID-19 by generating protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Recently, it was shown that the magnitude of the neutralizing antibody (NAbs) response correlates with the degree of protection. However, the difference between the immune response in naïve mRNA-vaccinated and previously infected (PI) individuals is not well studied. We investigated the level of NAbs in naïve and PI individuals after 1 to 26 (median = 6) weeks of the second dose of BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccination. The naïve mRNA-1273 vaccinated group (n = 68) generated significantly higher (~2-fold, p ≤ 0.001) NAbs than the naïve BNT162b2 (n = 358) group. The P -vaccinated group (n = 42) generated significantly higher (~3-fold; p ≤ 0.001) NAbs levels than the naïve-BNT162b2 (n = 426). Additionally, the older age groups produced a significantly higher levels of antibodies than the young age group (<30) (p = 0.0007). Our results showed that mRNA-1273 generated a higher NAbs response than the BNT162b2 vaccine, and the PI group generated the highest level of NAbs response regardless of the type of vaccine.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Nasrallah2022d,

title = {Low risk of serological cross- reactivity between the dengue virus and SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using advanced detection assays},

author = {Farah M. Shurrab Duaa W. Al-Sadeq Fatima Humaira Amanullaha Enas S. Al-Absi Hamda Qotb Hadi M. Yassine Laith J. Abu-Raddade Gheyath K. Nasrallah,},

doi = {10.1159/000522479},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-25},

urldate = {2022-01-25},

journal = { Intervirology},

abstract = {Several studies have reported serological cross-reactivity of the immune responses between SARS-CoV-2 and DENV. Most of the available studies are based on the point-of-care rapid testing kits. However, some rapid test kits have low specificity and can generate false positives. Hence, we aimed to investigate the potential serological cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and DENV-IgG antibodies using advanced assays including chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test. A total of 90 DENV-IgG-ELISA-positive and 90 DENV-IgG-ELISA-negative prepandemic sera were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2-IgG using the automated CL-900i CLIA assay. Furthermore, a total of 91 SARS-CoV-2-IgG-CLIA-positive and 91 SARS-CoV-2-IgG-CLIA-negative postpandemic sera were tested for anti-DENV-IgG using the NovaLisa ELISA kit. The DENV-IgG-positive sera resulted in five positives and 85 negatives for SARS-CoV-2-IgG. Similarly, the DENV-IgG-negative sera also resulted in 5 positives and 85 negatives for SARS-CoV-2-IgG. No statistically significant difference in specificity between the DENV-IgG-positive and DENV-IgG-negative sera was found (p value = 1.00). The SARS-CoV-2-IgG-positive sera displayed 43 positives, 47 negatives, and 1 equivocal for DENV-IgG, whereas the SARS-CoV-2-IgG-negative sera resulted in 50 positives, 40 negatives, and 1 equivocal for DENV-IgG. No statistically significant difference in the proportion that is DENV-IgG positive between the SARS-CoV-2-IgG-positive and SARS-CoV-2-IgG-negative sera (p value = 0.58). In conclusion, there is a low risk of serological cross-reactivity between the DENV and SARS-CoV-2-IgG antibodies when using advanced detection assays.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Slika2022,

title = {Therapeutic potential of flavonoids in cancer: ROS-mediated mechanisms},

author = {Hasan Slika Hadi Mansour Nadine Wehbe Suzanne A. Nasser Rabah Iratni Gheyath Nasrallah Abdullah Shaito Tarek Ghaddar Firas Kobeissy and Ali H. Eid,

},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332221012282},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112442},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-13},

urldate = {2022-01-13},

journal = {Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy},

volume = {146},

abstract = {Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality around the globe. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play contradicting roles in cancer incidence and progression. Antioxidants have attracted attention as emerging therapeutic agents. Among these are flavonoids, which are natural polyphenols with established anticancer and antioxidant capacities. Increasing evidence shows that flavonoids can inhibit carcinogenesis via suppressing ROS levels. Surprisingly, flavonoids can also trigger excessive oxidative stress, but this can also induce death of malignant cells. In this review, we explore the inherent characteristics that contribute to the antioxidant capacity of flavonoids, and we dissect the scenarios in which they play the contrasting role as pro-oxidants. Furthermore, we elaborate on the pathways that link flavonoid-mediated modulation of ROS to the prevention and treatment of cancer. Special attention is given to the ROS-mediated anticancer functions that (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), hesperetin, naringenin, quercetin, luteolin, and apigenin evoke in various cancers. We also delve into the structure-function relations that make flavonoids potent antioxidants. This review provides a detailed perspective that can be utilized in future experiments or trials that aim at utilizing flavonoids or verifying their efficacy for developing new pharmacologic agents. We support the argument that flavonoids are attractive candidates for cancer therapy.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Coyle2022,

title = {Assessing the performance of a serological point-of-care test in measuring detectable antibodies against SARS-CoV-2},

author = {Peter V. Coyle Reham Awni El Kahlout Soha R. Dargham Hiam Chemaitelly Mohamed Ali Ben Hadj Kacem Naema Hassan Abdulla Al-Mawlawi Imtiaz Gilliani Nourah Younes Zaina Al Kanaani Abdullatif Al Khal Einas Al Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Ali Nizar Lati Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Hanan F. Abdul Rahim Gheyath K. Nasrallah Hadi M. Yassine Mohamed G. Al Kuwari Hamad Eid Al Romaihi Patrick Tang Roberto Bertollini Mohamed H. Al-Thani Laith J. Abu-Raddad,},

url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.04.21251126v1},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.04.21251126},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-11},

urldate = {2022-01-11},

journal = {PLoS One},

abstract = {Objective To investigate the performance of a rapid point-of-care antibody test, the BioMedomics COVID-19 IgM/IgG Rapid Test, in comparison with a high-quality, validated, laboratory-based platform, the Roche Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 assay.



Methods Serological testing was conducted on 708 individuals. Concordance metrics were estimated. Logistic regression was used to assess associations with seropositivity.



Results SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was 63.4% (449/708; 95% CI 59.8%-66.9%) using the BioMedomics assay and 71.9% (509/708; 95% CI 68.5%-75.1%) using the Elecsys assay. There were 62 discordant results between the two assays. One specimen was seropositive in the BioMedomics assay, but seronegative in the Elecsys assay, while 61 specimens were seropositive in the Elecsys assay, but seronegative in the BioMedomics assay. Positive, negative, and overall percent agreements between the two assays were 88.0% (95% CI 84.9%-90.6%), 99.5% (95% CI 97.2%-99.9%), and 91.2% (95% CI 88.9%-93.1%), respectively, with a Cohen’s kappa of 0.80 (95% CI 0.77-0.83), indicating excellent agreement. Excluding specimens with lower antibody titers, the agreement improved with positive, negative, and overall percent concordance of 91.2% (95% CI 88.2%-93.6%), 99.5% (95% CI 97.2%-99.9%), and 93.9% (95% CI 91.7%-95.5%), respectively, and a Cohen’s kappa of 0.87 (95% CI 0.84-0.89). Logistic regression confirmed better agreement with higher antibody titers.



Conclusion The BioMedomics COVID-19 IgM/IgG Rapid Test demonstrated excellent performance in measuring detectable antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, supporting the utility of such rapid point-of-care serological testing to guide the public health responses and possible vaccine prioritization.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Matalkeh2022,

title = {Visible Light Photocatalytic Activity of Ag/WO3 Nanoparticles and its Antibacterial Activity Under Ambient Light and in The Dark},

author = {Maha Matalkeh Gheyath K.Nasrallah Farah M. Shurrab Enas S. Al-Absi Widad Mohammed Ahmed Elzatahry Khaled M.Saouda,},

url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123021001146?dgcid=rss_sd_all},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2021.100313},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-10},

urldate = {2022-01-10},

journal = {Results in Engineering},

volume = {13},

abstract = {Nanomaterial such as metals and metal oxide photocatalysts have emerged as important tools for removing contaminants from wastewater and as antibacterial agents to prevent infections; this is mainly due to their stability under different irradiation conditions. Herein, the catalytic and antimicrobial activities of nanocrystalline silver (Ag), supported on tungsten oxide (WO3) nanoparticles prepared using the deposition-precipitation synthesis technique, are studied. The synthesized material was characterized as XRD, XPS, TEM, and TEM-EDS to investigate their physio-chemical properties. HRTEM, XPS analysis shows that the photocatalyst has a large sheet-like morphology with well-dispersed small metallic Ag particles (<3 nm) on the WO3 nanoparticle's surface, with most particles near the edges. Ultraviolet–visible spectra analysis observed a large redshift in the absorbing band edge and decreased bandgap energy from 2.6 to 2.1 eV. Photocatalytic analysis at different concentrations of 1% Ag/WO3 under visible light indicated a high degradation efficiency. The largest degradation efficiency of Methylene Blue (MB) under visible light irradiation was (∼80%) in 120 min at 1 g/L catalyst dosage. The photodegradation of MB under visible light as a function of catalyst dose followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics. In addition, the catalyst shows high degradation efficiency and significant dose-dependent inhibition of Gram-negative E. Coli and the Gram-positive S. aureus. Furthermore, the catalyst showed excellent stability and recyclability.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Abu-Raddad2022,

title = {Waning of mRNA-1273 vaccine effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection in Qatar},

author = {Laith J. Abu-Raddad Hiam Chemaitelly Houssein H. Ayoub Hadi M. Yassine Fatiha M. Benslimane Hebah A. Al Khatib Patrick Tang Mohammad R. Hasan Peter Coyle Zaina Al Kanaani Einas Al Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Ali Nizar Latif Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaikh Hanan F. Abdul Rahim Gheyath K. Nasrallah Mohamed Ghaith Al Kuwari Adeel A. Butt Hamad Eid Al Romaihi Mohamed H. Al-Thani Abdullatif Al Khal Roberto Bertollini,

},

url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.16.21267902v1.full.pdf},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-05},

urldate = {2022-01-05},

journal = {New England Journal of Medicine},

abstract = {BACKGROUND In early 2021, Qatar launched a mass immunization campaign with Moderna’s mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine. We assessed persistence of real-world mRNA-1273 effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection and against COVID-19 hospitalization and death.



METHODS Effectiveness was estimated using test-negative, case-control study design, between January 1 and December 5, 2021. Effectiveness was estimated against documented infection (a PCR-positive swab, regardless symptoms), and against any severe (acute-care hospitalization), critical (ICU hospitalization), or fatal COVID-19.



RESULTS By December 5, 2021, 2,962 breakthrough infections had been recorded among those who received two mRNA-1273 doses. Of these infections, 19 progressed to severe COVID-19 and 4 to critical, but none to fatal disease. mRNA-1273 effectiveness against infection was negligible for the first two weeks after the first dose, increased to 65.5% (95% CI: 62.7-68.0%) 14 or more days after the first dose, and reached its peak at about 90% in the first three months after the second dose. Effectiveness declined gradually starting from the fourth month after the second dose and was below 50% by the 7th month after the second dose. Effectiveness against severe, critical, or fatal COVID-19 reached its peak at essentially 100% right after the second dose, and there was no evidence for declining effectiveness over time. Effectiveness against symptomatic versus asymptomatic infection demonstrated the same pattern of waning, but effectiveness against symptomatic infection was consistently higher than that against asymptomatic infection and waned more slowly.



CONCLUSIONS mRNA-1273-induced protection against infection appears to wane month by month after the second dose. Meanwhile, protection against hospitalization and death appears robust with no evidence for waning for several months after the second dose.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{Altarawneh2022,

title = {Protection of prior infection against SARS-CoV-2 reinfection with the Omicron variant},

author = {Heba Altarawneh Hiam Chemaitelly Patrick Tang; Mohammad R. Hasan Suelen Qassim Houssein H. Ayoub Sawsan AlMukdad Hadi M. Yassine Fatiha M. Benslimane Hebah A. Al Khatib Peter Coyle Zaina Al Kanaani Einas Al Kuwari Andrew Jeremijenko Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal Ali Nizar Latif Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik Hanan F. Abdul Rahim Gheyath K. Nasrallah Mohamed Ghaith Al Kuwari Adeel A. Butt Hamad Eid Al Romaihi Mohamed H. Al-Thani Abdullatif Al Khal Roberto Bertollini Laith J. Abu-Raddad,},

url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.01.05.22268782v1},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.01.05.22268782},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-01-03},

urldate = {2022-01-03},

journal = {New England Journal of Medicine},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}