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.

The level of immunity induced by infection with different SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-lineages against infection with other sub-lineages is not known. Here, the authors use data from Qatar and show that infection with BA.1 induces strong protection against infection with BA.2, and vice versa, for several weeks.

Details

Title
Protection of Omicron sub-lineage infection against reinfection with another Omicron sub-lineage
Author
Chemaitelly, Hiam 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ayoub, Houssein H. 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Coyle, Peter 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Tang, Patrick 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Yassine, Hadi M. 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Al-Khatib, Hebah A. 5 ; Smatti, Maria K. 5 ; Hasan, Mohammad R. 4 ; Al-Kanaani, Zaina 6 ; Al-Kuwari, Einas 6 ; Jeremijenko, Andrew 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kaleeckal, Anvar Hassan 6 ; Latif, Ali Nizar 6 ; Shaik, Riyazuddin Mohammad 6 ; Abdul-Rahim, Hanan F. 7 ; Nasrallah, Gheyath K. 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Al-Kuwari, Mohamed Ghaith 8 ; Butt, Adeel A. 9   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Al-Romaihi, Hamad Eid 10 ; Al-Thani, Mohamed H. 10 ; Al-Khal, Abdullatif 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Bertollini, Roberto 10 ; Abu-Raddad, Laith J. 11   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  Cornell University, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.416973.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 0582 4340); Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation – Education City, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.416973.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 0582 4340); Cornell University, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA (GRID:grid.5386.8) (ISNI:000000041936877X) 
2  Qatar University, Mathematics Program, Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084) 
3  Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.413548.f) (ISNI:0000 0004 0571 546X); Qatar University, Biomedical Research Center, Member of QU Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084); Queens University, Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Belfast, United Kingdom (GRID:grid.4777.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 0374 7521) 
4  Sidra Medicine, Department of Pathology, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.467063.0) (ISNI:0000 0004 0397 4222) 
5  Qatar University, Biomedical Research Center, Member of QU Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084); Qatar University, Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Member of QU Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084) 
6  Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.413548.f) (ISNI:0000 0004 0571 546X) 
7  Qatar University, Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084) 
8  Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.498624.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 4676 5308) 
9  Cornell University, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA (GRID:grid.5386.8) (ISNI:000000041936877X); Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.413548.f) (ISNI:0000 0004 0571 546X); Cornell University, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA (GRID:grid.5386.8) (ISNI:000000041936877X) 
10  Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.498619.b) 
11  Cornell University, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.416973.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 0582 4340); Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation – Education City, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.416973.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 0582 4340); Cornell University, Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA (GRID:grid.5386.8) (ISNI:000000041936877X); Qatar University, Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, QU Health, Doha, Qatar (GRID:grid.412603.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 0634 1084) 
Publication year
2022
Publication date
2022
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20411723
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32363-4
ProQuest document ID
2700168115
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2022. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.