Integration of individualized and population-level molecular epidemiology data to model COVID-19 outcomes
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants with enhanced transmissibility and immune escape have emerged periodically throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, but the impact of these variants on disease severity has remained unclear. In this single-center, retrospective cohort study, we examined the association between SARS-CoV-2 clade and patient outcome over a two-year period in Chicago, Illinois. Between March 2020 and March 2022, 14,252 residual diagnostic specimens were collected from SARS-CoV-2-positive inpatients and outpatients alongside linked clinical and demographic metadata, of which 2,114 were processed for viral whole-genome sequencing. When controlling for patient demographics and vaccination status, several viral clades were associated with risk for hospitalization, but this association was negated by the inclusion of population-level confounders, including case count, sampling bias, and shifting standards of care. These data highlight the importance of integrating non-virological factors into disease severity and outcome models for the accurate assessment of patient risk.
Source: Cell Reports Medicine
Authors: Ted Ling-Hu, Lacy M. Simons, Taylor J. Dean, Estefany Rios-Guzman, Matthew T. Caputo, Arghavan Alisoltani, Chao Qi, Michael Malczynski, Timothy Blanke, Lawrence J. Jennings, Michael G. Ison, Chad J. Achenbach, Paige M. Larkin, Karen L. Kaul, Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo, Egon A. Ozer, Judd F. Hultquist
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,460
Funders: Northwestern University, Chicago Developmental Center for AIDS Research, National Institutes of Health, Center for AIDS Research, University of Washington, Feinberg School of Medicine, Office of the Provost, University of South Carolina, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Office of Research, University of Georgia
Awards: G1284175734, G1671340817, G274916466, G2989622322, G317886719, G3692266691, Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (NUCATS), G534236435, G5514976981, G7707125228, G8476210057, G8552097961, G867868940, G8980879787, G9000002797, G9000026354, G9000036523, G9000046704, G9000244833, G9000316861, The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center
OpenAlex ID: W4390921295