Compared to BA.1, BA.2 was associated with lower RT-qPCR cycle threshold (Ct) value-3.53 fewer cycles (95% CI: 3.46-3.60), signifying higher infectiousness. This may reflect higher viral load and/or longer duration of ...

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 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 ...

Evidence at the level of neutralizing antibodies suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 variant demonstrates increased immune evasion compared to its parent lineage BA.2.86 and to recently circulating variants, such as XBB.1.5 ...

Background: This study provides a head-to-head comparison of the protection provided by the BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection and against severe COVID-19, covering primary series and third ...