Clinical severity of omicron lineage BA.2 infection compared with BA.1 infection in South Africa

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) 2022-07, Vol.400 (10346), p.93-96
• Main Authors: Wolter, Nicole, Jassat, Waasila, von Gottberg, Anne, Cohen, Cheryl
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Charities; Comorbidity; Coronaviruses; Correspondence; Councils; COVID-19; COVID-19 - pathology; COVID-19 vaccines; Disease control; Disease prevention; Emergency response; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Humans; Illnesses; Infections; Laboratory tests; Medical laboratories; Medical research; Prevention; Private sector; Public sector; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; South Africa - epidemiology; Surveillance systems; Viral diseases
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(22)00981-3

Using previously described methods,1 we performed individual-level data linkage for national data from three sources: (1) national COVID-19 case data, (2) SARS-CoV-2 laboratory test data for public sector laboratories and one large private sector laboratory, and (3) DATCOV, which is an active surveillance system for COVID-19 hospital admissions in South Africa (including both incidental and attributable admissions). CC has received grant support from the South African Medical Research Council, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Wellcome Trust, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Sanofi Pasteur. AvG has received grant support from the US CDC, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, African Society for Laboratory Medicine, South African Medical Research Council, WHO Regional Office for Africa, The Fleming Fund, and Wellcome Trust. Sequencing activities for the National Institute for Communicable Diseases are supported by a conditional grant from the South African National Department of Health as part of the emergency COVID-19 response; a cooperative agreement between the National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Service and the US CDC; the African Society of Laboratory Medicine and Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through a sub-award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Wellcome Trust; and the UK Department of Health and Social Care, managed by the Fleming Fund and performed under the auspices of the SEQAFRICA project.