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The Alpha variant was not associated with excess nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection in a multi-centre UK hospital study

The Alpha variant was not associated with excess nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection in a multi-centre UK hospital study
The Alpha variant was not associated with excess nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection in a multi-centre UK hospital study

Objectives: Recently emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants have been associated with an increased rate of transmission within the community. We sought to determine whether this also resulted in increased transmission within hospitals. Methods: We collected viral sequences and epidemiological data of patients with community and healthcare associated SARS-CoV-2 infections, sampled from 16th November 2020 to 10th January 2021, from nine hospitals participating in the COG-UK HOCI study. Outbreaks were identified using ward information, lineage and pairwise genetic differences between viral sequences. Results: Mixed effects logistic regression analysis of 4184 sequences showed healthcare-acquired infections were no more likely to be identified as the Alpha variant than community acquired infections. Nosocomial outbreaks were investigated based on overlapping ward stay and SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence similarity. There was no significant difference in the number of patients involved in outbreaks caused by the Alpha variant compared to outbreaks caused by other lineages. Conclusions: We find no evidence to support it causing more nosocomial transmission than previous lineages. This suggests that the stringent infection prevention measures already in place in UK hospitals contained the spread of the Alpha variant as effectively as other less transmissible lineages, providing reassurance of their efficacy against emerging variants of concern.

Alpha variant, COVID-19, Lineage B.1.1.7, Nosocomial outbreaks, SARS-CoV-2, Transmissibility, Variants of concern
0163-4453
693-700
Boshier, Florencia A.T.
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Venturini, Cristina
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Stirrup, Oliver
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Guerra-Assunção, José Afonso
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Alcolea-Medina, Adela
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Becket, Angela H
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Byott, Matthew
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Charalampous, Themoula
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Filipe, Ana da Silva
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Frampton, Dan
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Glaysher, Sharon
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Khan, Tabassum
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Kulasegara-Shylini, Raghavendran
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Kele, Beatrix
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Monahan, Irene M
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Mollett, Guy
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Parker, Matthew
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Pelosi, Emanuela
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Randell, Paul
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Roy, Sunando
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Taylor, Joshua F
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Weller, Sophie J
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Wilson-Davies, Eleri
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Wade, Phillip
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Williams, Rachel
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Copas, Andrew J
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Cutino-Moguel, Teresa
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Freemantle, Nick
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Hayward, Andrew C
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Holmes, Alison
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Hughes, Joseph
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Nebbia, Gaia
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Nastouli, Eleni
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Partridge, David G
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Pope, Cassie F
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Price, James R
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Robson, Samuel C
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Saeed, Kordo
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Shin, Gee Yen
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de Silva, Thushan I
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Snell, Luke B
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Thomson, Emma C
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Witney, Adam A
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Breuer, Judith
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et al.,
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COG-UK HOCI Variant Substudy consortium*, The COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium
Boshier, Florencia A.T.
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Venturini, Cristina
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Stirrup, Oliver
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Guerra-Assunção, José Afonso
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Alcolea-Medina, Adela
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Becket, Angela H
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Byott, Matthew
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Charalampous, Themoula
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Filipe, Ana da Silva
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Frampton, Dan
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Glaysher, Sharon
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Khan, Tabassum
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Kulasegara-Shylini, Raghavendran
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Kele, Beatrix
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Monahan, Irene M
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Mollett, Guy
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Parker, Matthew
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Pelosi, Emanuela
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Randell, Paul
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Roy, Sunando
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Taylor, Joshua F
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Weller, Sophie J
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Wilson-Davies, Eleri
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Wade, Phillip
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Williams, Rachel
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Copas, Andrew J
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Cutino-Moguel, Teresa
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Freemantle, Nick
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Hayward, Andrew C
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Holmes, Alison
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Hughes, Joseph
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Mahungu, Tabitha W
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Nebbia, Gaia
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Nastouli, Eleni
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Partridge, David G
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Pope, Cassie F
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Price, James R
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Robson, Samuel C
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Saeed, Kordo
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Shin, Gee Yen
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de Silva, Thushan I
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Snell, Luke B
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Thomson, Emma C
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Witney, Adam A
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Breuer, Judith
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et al.,
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Boshier, Florencia A.T., Venturini, Cristina, Stirrup, Oliver, Saeed, Kordo and et al., , COG-UK HOCI Variant Substudy consortium*, The COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium (2021) The Alpha variant was not associated with excess nosocomial SARS-CoV-2 infection in a multi-centre UK hospital study. Journal of Infection, 83 (6), 693-700. (doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2021.09.022).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objectives: Recently emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants have been associated with an increased rate of transmission within the community. We sought to determine whether this also resulted in increased transmission within hospitals. Methods: We collected viral sequences and epidemiological data of patients with community and healthcare associated SARS-CoV-2 infections, sampled from 16th November 2020 to 10th January 2021, from nine hospitals participating in the COG-UK HOCI study. Outbreaks were identified using ward information, lineage and pairwise genetic differences between viral sequences. Results: Mixed effects logistic regression analysis of 4184 sequences showed healthcare-acquired infections were no more likely to be identified as the Alpha variant than community acquired infections. Nosocomial outbreaks were investigated based on overlapping ward stay and SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence similarity. There was no significant difference in the number of patients involved in outbreaks caused by the Alpha variant compared to outbreaks caused by other lineages. Conclusions: We find no evidence to support it causing more nosocomial transmission than previous lineages. This suggests that the stringent infection prevention measures already in place in UK hospitals contained the spread of the Alpha variant as effectively as other less transmissible lineages, providing reassurance of their efficacy against emerging variants of concern.

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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 12 September 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 2 October 2021
Published date: 2 October 2021
Additional Information: Funding: COG-UK HOCI funded by COG-UK consortium. The COG-UK con- sortium is supported by funding from the Medical Research Coun- cil (MRC) part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and Genome Research Limited, operating as the Wellcome Sanger Institute. Acknowledgments: This report was produced by members of the COG-UK HOCI Variant substudy consortium. COG-UK HOCI is part of COG-UK. COG-UK is supported by funding from the Medical Research Coun- cil (MRC) part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) and Genome Research Limited, operating as the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
Keywords: Alpha variant, COVID-19, Lineage B.1.1.7, Nosocomial outbreaks, SARS-CoV-2, Transmissibility, Variants of concern

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 451647
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/451647
DOI: doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2021.09.022
ISSN: 0163-4453
PURE UUID: e509d10b-8143-4157-9cc7-7b5bdd3b764e
ORCID for Kordo Saeed: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0123-0302

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 18 Oct 2021 16:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:56

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Contributors

Author: Florencia A.T. Boshier
Author: Cristina Venturini
Author: Oliver Stirrup
Author: José Afonso Guerra-Assunção
Author: Adela Alcolea-Medina
Author: Angela H Becket
Author: Matthew Byott
Author: Themoula Charalampous
Author: Ana da Silva Filipe
Author: Dan Frampton
Author: Sharon Glaysher
Author: Tabassum Khan
Author: Raghavendran Kulasegara-Shylini
Author: Beatrix Kele
Author: Irene M Monahan
Author: Guy Mollett
Author: Matthew Parker
Author: Emanuela Pelosi
Author: Paul Randell
Author: Sunando Roy
Author: Joshua F Taylor
Author: Sophie J Weller
Author: Eleri Wilson-Davies
Author: Phillip Wade
Author: Rachel Williams
Author: Andrew J Copas
Author: Teresa Cutino-Moguel
Author: Nick Freemantle
Author: Andrew C Hayward
Author: Alison Holmes
Author: Joseph Hughes
Author: Tabitha W Mahungu
Author: Gaia Nebbia
Author: Eleni Nastouli
Author: David G Partridge
Author: Cassie F Pope
Author: James R Price
Author: Samuel C Robson
Author: Kordo Saeed ORCID iD
Author: Gee Yen Shin
Author: Thushan I de Silva
Author: Luke B Snell
Author: Emma C Thomson
Author: Adam A Witney
Author: Judith Breuer
Author: et al.
Corporate Author: COG-UK HOCI Variant Substudy consortium*, The COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium

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