Analyzing the emerging patterns of SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron subvariants for the development of next‐gen vaccine: An observational study
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Date
2023-09
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Abstract
Abstract
Background and Aim: Understanding the prevalence and impact of SARS‐CoV‐2
variants has assumed paramount importance. This study statistically analyzed to
effectively track the emergence and spread of the variants and highlights the
importance of such investigations in developing potential next‐gen vaccine to
combat the continuously emerging Omicron subvariants.
Methods: Transmission fitness advantage and effective reproductive number (Re) of
epidemiologically relevant SARS‐CoV‐2 sublineages through time during the study
period based on the GISAID data were estimated.
Results: The analyses covered the period from January to June 2023 around an array
of sequenced samples. The dominance of the XBB variant strain, accounting for
approximately 57.63% of the cases, was identified during the timeframe. XBB.1.5
exhibited 37.95% prevalence rate from March to June 2023. Multiple variants
showed considerable global influence throughout the study, as sporadically
documented. Notably, the XBB variant demonstrated an estimated relative 28%
weekly growth advantage compared with others. Numerous variants were resistant
to the over‐the‐counter vaccines and breakthrough infections were reported.
Similarly, the efficacy of mAB‐based therapy appeared limited. However, it's
important to underscore the perceived benefits of these preventive and therapeutic
measures were restricted to specific variants.
Conclusion: Given the observed trends, a comprehensive next‐gen vaccine coupled
with an advanced vaccination strategy could be a potential panacea in the fight
against the pandemic. The findings suggest that targeted vaccine development could
be an effective strategy to prevent infections. The study also highlights the need of
global collaborations to rapidly develop and distribute the vaccines to ensure global
human health.