The epidemiology and phylogenetic trends of Omicron subvariants from BA.5 to XBB.1 in Taiwan

Background: Omicron, a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant, entered Taiwan at the end of 2021. The Taiwanese government ended its ''zero-COVID'' policy in March 2022. Multiple coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks began in April 2022. We m...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jih-Jin Tsai, Shyh-Shin Chiou, Po-Chih Chen, Chun-Hong Chen, Ping-Chang Lin, Ching-Yi Tsai, Wan-Long Chuang, Shang-Jyh Hwang, Inn-Wen Chong, Li-Teh Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-11-01
Series:Journal of Infection and Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876034124002909
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850202998523822080
author Jih-Jin Tsai
Shyh-Shin Chiou
Po-Chih Chen
Chun-Hong Chen
Ping-Chang Lin
Ching-Yi Tsai
Wan-Long Chuang
Shang-Jyh Hwang
Inn-Wen Chong
Li-Teh Liu
author_facet Jih-Jin Tsai
Shyh-Shin Chiou
Po-Chih Chen
Chun-Hong Chen
Ping-Chang Lin
Ching-Yi Tsai
Wan-Long Chuang
Shang-Jyh Hwang
Inn-Wen Chong
Li-Teh Liu
author_sort Jih-Jin Tsai
collection DOAJ
description Background: Omicron, a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant, entered Taiwan at the end of 2021. The Taiwanese government ended its ''zero-COVID'' policy in March 2022. Multiple coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks began in April 2022. We monitored the replacement of Omicron subvariants after BA.1/BA.2 and analyzed their correlation with COVID-19 outbreaks. Methods: We collected SARS-CoV-2 real-time qRTPCR-positive nasopharyngeal swabs from Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (KMUH), Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, and performed sequencing for specimens exhibiting a cytopathic effect in Vero E6 cells to determine their clades and lineages. We analyzed the medical records of COVID-19 patients and identified hospitalization risk factor(s). We retrieved SARS-CoV-2 sequences identified in Taiwan from GISAID and analyzed their correlation with COVID-19 data from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. Results: We analyzed the phylogenesis of KMUH-47 to KMUH-104 (SARS-CoV-2 isolates identified herein) and all of the Omicron subvariants from BA.5 to XBB.1 (n = 1930). Age and comorbidities were hospitalization risk factors. Men generally exhibited a greater fatality rate than women. COVID-19-related deaths predominantly occurred in individuals over 70 years old. The COVID-19-related case fatality rate increased as nucleotide (NT) and amino acid (AA) substitutions increased. The number of COVID-19-related cases and deaths progressively decreased with each outbreak between August 2022 and October 2023. Conclusion: Hospitalization was associated with age and the presence of comorbidities. COVID-19-related fatality was linked to sex, age, and the accumulation of NT and AA substitutions in emerging Omicron subvariants.
format Article
id doaj-art-bef98a2f87504ff4bf911e1599392fa5
institution OA Journals
issn 1876-0341
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Journal of Infection and Public Health
spelling doaj-art-bef98a2f87504ff4bf911e1599392fa52025-08-20T02:11:37ZengElsevierJournal of Infection and Public Health1876-03412024-11-01171110255610.1016/j.jiph.2024.102556The epidemiology and phylogenetic trends of Omicron subvariants from BA.5 to XBB.1 in TaiwanJih-Jin Tsai0Shyh-Shin Chiou1Po-Chih Chen2Chun-Hong Chen3Ping-Chang Lin4Ching-Yi Tsai5Wan-Long Chuang6Shang-Jyh Hwang7Inn-Wen Chong8Li-Teh Liu9Tropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, TaiwanGraduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Center of Applied Genomics, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, TaiwanDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, TaiwanNational Mosquito-Borne Diseases Control Research Center, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County, Taiwan; National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Miaoli County, TaiwanTropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, TaiwanTropical Medicine Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, TaiwanSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, TaiwanSchool of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, TaiwanDepartment of Internal Medicine and Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, TaiwanDepartment of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Technology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, Tainan, Taiwan; Correspondence to: Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Medical Technology, Chung Hwa University of Medical Technology, No. 89, Wenhua 1st St., Rende Dist., Tainan 717302, Taiwan.Background: Omicron, a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant, entered Taiwan at the end of 2021. The Taiwanese government ended its ''zero-COVID'' policy in March 2022. Multiple coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks began in April 2022. We monitored the replacement of Omicron subvariants after BA.1/BA.2 and analyzed their correlation with COVID-19 outbreaks. Methods: We collected SARS-CoV-2 real-time qRTPCR-positive nasopharyngeal swabs from Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (KMUH), Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, and performed sequencing for specimens exhibiting a cytopathic effect in Vero E6 cells to determine their clades and lineages. We analyzed the medical records of COVID-19 patients and identified hospitalization risk factor(s). We retrieved SARS-CoV-2 sequences identified in Taiwan from GISAID and analyzed their correlation with COVID-19 data from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control. Results: We analyzed the phylogenesis of KMUH-47 to KMUH-104 (SARS-CoV-2 isolates identified herein) and all of the Omicron subvariants from BA.5 to XBB.1 (n = 1930). Age and comorbidities were hospitalization risk factors. Men generally exhibited a greater fatality rate than women. COVID-19-related deaths predominantly occurred in individuals over 70 years old. The COVID-19-related case fatality rate increased as nucleotide (NT) and amino acid (AA) substitutions increased. The number of COVID-19-related cases and deaths progressively decreased with each outbreak between August 2022 and October 2023. Conclusion: Hospitalization was associated with age and the presence of comorbidities. COVID-19-related fatality was linked to sex, age, and the accumulation of NT and AA substitutions in emerging Omicron subvariants.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876034124002909COVID-19Omicron subvariantAgeSexFatalityVaccination
spellingShingle Jih-Jin Tsai
Shyh-Shin Chiou
Po-Chih Chen
Chun-Hong Chen
Ping-Chang Lin
Ching-Yi Tsai
Wan-Long Chuang
Shang-Jyh Hwang
Inn-Wen Chong
Li-Teh Liu
The epidemiology and phylogenetic trends of Omicron subvariants from BA.5 to XBB.1 in Taiwan
Journal of Infection and Public Health
COVID-19
Omicron subvariant
Age
Sex
Fatality
Vaccination
title The epidemiology and phylogenetic trends of Omicron subvariants from BA.5 to XBB.1 in Taiwan
title_full The epidemiology and phylogenetic trends of Omicron subvariants from BA.5 to XBB.1 in Taiwan
title_fullStr The epidemiology and phylogenetic trends of Omicron subvariants from BA.5 to XBB.1 in Taiwan
title_full_unstemmed The epidemiology and phylogenetic trends of Omicron subvariants from BA.5 to XBB.1 in Taiwan
title_short The epidemiology and phylogenetic trends of Omicron subvariants from BA.5 to XBB.1 in Taiwan
title_sort epidemiology and phylogenetic trends of omicron subvariants from ba 5 to xbb 1 in taiwan
topic COVID-19
Omicron subvariant
Age
Sex
Fatality
Vaccination
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876034124002909
work_keys_str_mv AT jihjintsai theepidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT shyhshinchiou theepidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT pochihchen theepidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT chunhongchen theepidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT pingchanglin theepidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT chingyitsai theepidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT wanlongchuang theepidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT shangjyhhwang theepidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT innwenchong theepidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT litehliu theepidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT jihjintsai epidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT shyhshinchiou epidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT pochihchen epidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT chunhongchen epidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT pingchanglin epidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT chingyitsai epidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT wanlongchuang epidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT shangjyhhwang epidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT innwenchong epidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan
AT litehliu epidemiologyandphylogenetictrendsofomicronsubvariantsfromba5toxbb1intaiwan