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Findings on SARS-CoV-2 surveillance and investigations

This project:

• Implemented infection prevention policies to reduce the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission between patients and healthcare workers.1
• Generated genomes that were used for SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance and contact tracing and that led to identification of the first cluster of the South African variant in the State of Maryland.2
• Found that SARS-CoV-2 viruses carrying the spike protein mutation E484K were disproportionately prevalent among persons infected after full vaccination against COVID-19 compared with infected persons who were not fully vaccinated. 3

• Identified clusters of transmission within Johns Hopkins Hospital (two studies)45

Findings on SARS-CoV-2 variant characteristics

This project found:

• Compared with the Delta variant, the Omicron variant was more likely to cause breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals, yet hospital admissions were less likely. 6
• Certain viral variants or mutations were associated with breakthrough infection after vaccination. 7
• In both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons, the Delta variant was associated with higher viral loads than the Alpha variant. 8
• Prolonged infections, prolonged viral shedding, and viral reinfections were revealed by genomic surveillance. 9
• SARS-CoV-2 genomic diversity was reported over time in the National Capital Region as well as differences in clinical severity among lineages. 10
• The Delta variant was associated with more severe disease in hospitalized patients. 11