Severity, Criticality, and Fatality of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Beta Variant

Laith J Abu-Raddad; Hiam Chemaitelly; Houssein H Ayoub; Hadi M Yassine; Fatiha M Benslimane; Hebah A Al Khatib; Patrick Tang; Mohammad R Hasan; Peter Coyle; Sawsan AlMukdad; Zaina Al Kanaani; Einas Al Kuwari; Andrew Jeremijenko; Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal; Ali Nizar Latif; Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik; Hanan F Abdul Rahim; Gheyath K Nasrallah; Mohamed Ghaith Al Kuwari; Adeel A Butt; Hamad Eid Al Romaihi; Mohamed H Al-Thani; Abdullatif Al Khal; Roberto Bertollini

doi:10.1093/cid/ciab909

Severity, Criticality, and Fatality of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Beta Variant

Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Aug 24;75(1):e1188-e1191. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciab909.

Authors

Laith J Abu-Raddad^{1

2

3

4}, Hiam Chemaitelly^{1

2}, Houssein H Ayoub⁵, Hadi M Yassine^{6

7}, Fatiha M Benslimane^{6

7}, Hebah A Al Khatib^{6

7}, Patrick Tang⁸, Mohammad R Hasan⁸, Peter Coyle^{6

9

10}, Sawsan AlMukdad^{1

2}, Zaina Al Kanaani⁹, Einas Al Kuwari⁹, Andrew Jeremijenko⁹, Anvar Hassan Kaleeckal⁹, Ali Nizar Latif⁹, Riyazuddin Mohammad Shaik⁹, Hanan F Abdul Rahim⁴, Gheyath K Nasrallah^{6

7}, Mohamed Ghaith Al Kuwari¹¹, Adeel A Butt^{3

9}, Hamad Eid Al Romaihi¹², Mohamed H Al-Thani¹², Abdullatif Al Khal⁹, Roberto Bertollini¹²

Affiliations

¹ Infectious Disease Epidemiology Group, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation-Education City, Doha, Qatar.
² World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Disease Epidemiology Analytics on HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Viral Hepatitis, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Cornell University, Qatar Foundation-Education City, Doha, Qatar.
³ Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA.
⁴ Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
⁵ Mathematics Program, Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
⁶ Biomedical Research Center, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
⁷ Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Member of QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
⁸ Department of Pathology, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
⁹ Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
¹⁰ Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, Queens University, Belfast, United Kingdom.
¹¹ Primary Health Care Corporation, Doha, Qatarand.
¹² Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar.

Abstract

Beta (B.1.351)-variant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease was investigated in Qatar. Compared with the Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant, odds (95% confidence interval) of progressing to severe disease, critical disease, and COVID-19-related death were 1.24-fold (1.11-1.39), 1.49-fold (1.13-1.97), and 1.57-fold (1.03-2.43) higher, respectively, for the Beta variant.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; epidemiology; infection; severe disease; variant.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Humans
SARS-CoV-2* / genetics

Supplementary concepts

SARS-CoV-2 variants