The Top 25 COVID-19 Articles of 2023

Top Articles

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  Para-infectious brain injury in COVID-19 persists at follow-up despite attenuated cytokine and autoantibody responses

  COVID-19 can be associated with neurological complications. Here the authors show that markers of brain injury, but not immune markers, are elevated in the blood of patients with COVID-19 both early and months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly in those with brain dysfunction or neurological diagnoses.

  • Benedict D. Michael
  • Cordelia Dunai
  • David K. Menon

  ArticleOpen Access22 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Risk of death following COVID-19 vaccination or positive SARS-CoV-2 test in young people in England

  Rare but serious cardiac disease side effects have been linked to COVID-19 vaccinations, especially in young people. Here, the authors find very little evidence of an association between vaccination and mortality, except for in females after a non mRNA vaccine, but show an increased risk of death following COVID-19 infection

  • Vahé Nafilyan
  • Charlotte R. Bermingham
  • James C. Doidge

  ArticleOpen Access27 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
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  Evaluation of mortality attributable to SARS-CoV-2 vaccine administration using national level data from Qatar

  This study assesses the probability that deaths following a COVID-19 vaccination are attributable to the vaccine. The authors review all deaths that occurred within 30 days of vaccine receipt in Qatar until June 2022 and find that deaths attributable to vaccination are extremely rare.

  • Adeel A. Butt
  • Mylai D. Guerrero
  • Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra

  ArticleOpen Access3 Jan 2023 Nature Communications
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  Viral kinetics of sequential SARS-CoV-2 infections

  In this study, the authors compare the viral kinetics of first and second SARS-CoV-2 infections using data from an occupational surveillance scheme in the National Basketball League. They find that second infections tend to have a faster clearance time, and that clearance times in first and second infections were positively correlated.

  • Stephen M. Kissler
  • James A. Hay
  • Yonatan H. Grad

  ArticleOpen Access5 Oct 2023 Nature Communications
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  The burden of post-acute COVID-19 symptoms in a multinational network cohort analysis

  Post-acute COVID-19 condition is difficult to quantify because it includes a range of symptoms that may have other causes. In this study, the authors use primary care data from England and Catalonia, Spain, to estimate the incidence of the condition and identify symptoms that occur more frequently following infection than in uninfected controls.

  • Kristin Kostka
  • Elena Roel
  • Annika M. Jödicke

  ArticleOpen Access17 Nov 2023 Nature Communications
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  SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines decouple anti-viral immunity from humoral autoimmunity

  Whilst SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines have demonstrated efficacy in reducing infection severity, research has shown that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with new autoantibodies. Whether this would also be observed during mRNA vaccination is unclear. Here, the authors use an autoantibody screening platform to monitor autoantibody responses in a diverse cohort during vaccination.

  • Jillian R. Jaycox
  • Carolina Lucas
  • Aaron M. Ring

  ArticleOpen Access9 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
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  Evidence of leaky protection following COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection in an incarcerated population

  Measuring an individual’s level of exposure to COVID-19 is challenging, and it is therefore unclear whether high exposure may impact immunity. Here, the authors investigate this question using data from a correctional facility in Connecticut, USA, by comparing rates of infection in people who share cells, cellblocks, and with no known exposure.

  • Margaret L. Lind
  • Murilo Dorion
  • Albert I. Ko

  ArticleOpen Access19 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
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  Long-term health impacts of COVID-19 among 242,712 adults in England

  The duration of symptomatic COVID-19 and its impacts on health and quality of life are not well understood. In this study, the authors report results from a survey of ~275,000 adults in England and find that persistent COVID-19 is relatively rare but is associated with poorer mental health and health-related quality of life.

  • Christina J. Atchison
  • Bethan Davies
  • Paul Elliott

  ArticleOpen Access24 Oct 2023 Nature Communications
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  Real-time environmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 aerosols

  Rapid detection of respiratory pathogens circulating in indoor environments could facilitate improved infection prevention responses. In this proof-of-concept study, the authors develop a pathogen air quality monitor for real-time direct detection of SARS-CoV-2 aerosols and demonstrate its application in rooms of people with SARS-CoV-2 infections.

  • Joseph V. Puthussery
  • Dishit P. Ghumra
  • Rajan K. Chakrabarty

  ArticleOpen Access10 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
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  Long-term gastrointestinal outcomes of COVID-19

  SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to varied post-acute symptoms in the lungs and other organs, including the gastrointestinal system. Here the authors estimate the risks and 1-year burdens of a set of pre-specified incident gastrointestinal outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection in an electronic health care record-based cohort study.

  • Evan Xu
  • Yan Xie
  • Ziyad Al-Aly

  ArticleOpen Access7 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
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  Optimal timing of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment after COVID-19 symptom onset or diagnosis: target trial emulation

  Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir can reduce COVID-19 severity when initiated within five days of symptom onset but the optimal timing within this window is unknown. Here, the authors emulate a randomised trial using electronic health records from Hong Kong and find evidence for a benefit of early treatment initiation.

  • Carlos K. H. Wong
  • Jonathan J. Lau
  • Joseph T. Wu

  ArticleOpen Access16 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Intranasal trimeric sherpabody inhibits SARS-CoV-2 including recent immunoevasive Omicron subvariants

  Here the authors describe a small antibody-like protein that can prevent infection by diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants in cell culture and in mice that were intranasally treated with this inhibitor before or shortly after being exposed to the virus.

  • Anna R. Mäkelä
  • Hasan Uğurlu
  • Kalle Saksela

  ArticleOpen Access24 Mar 2023 Nature Communications
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  True prevalence of long-COVID in a nationwide, population cohort study

  Determining the prevalence of Long COVID is challenging because many symptoms attributed to the syndrome could have other causes. Here, the authors estimate the prevalence of Long COVID in Scotland by comparing rates of symptoms reported by people with and without history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

  • Claire E. Hastie
  • David J. Lowe
  • Jill P. Pell

  ArticleOpen Access30 Nov 2023 Nature Communications
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  Neuroinvasion and anosmia are independent phenomena upon infection with SARS-CoV-2 and its variants

  Here, Dias de Melo et al. assess the clinical, olfactory, and neuroinflammatory conditions of golden hamsters infected with SARS-CoV-2 wt and VOCs and report that viruses can infect neurons, travel inside axons, and invade the central nervous system.

  • Guilherme Dias de Melo
  • Victoire Perraud
  • Hervé Bourhy

  ArticleOpen Access26 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
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  Human and mouse neutrophils share core transcriptional programs in both homeostatic and inflamed contexts

  Difficulties can be encountered when translating research between cells from animals and humans because of gene expression differences. Here the authors perform an integrative transcriptomic analysis from human and mouse neutrophils and identify a core inflammation program shared across inflamed contexts.

  • Nicolaj S. Hackert
  • Felix A. Radtke
  • Ricardo Grieshaber-Bouyer

  ArticleOpen Access8 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Intranasal mask for protecting the respiratory tract against viral aerosols

  The spread of many infectious diseases substantially relies on aerosol transmission to the respiratory tract. Here, the authors design an intranasal mask with the ability to intercept viral aerosols, entrap and inactivate virus, thus preventing respiratory tract infection.

  • Xiaoming Hu
  • Shuang Wang
  • Wei Wei

  ArticleOpen Access18 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  An FcRn-targeted mucosal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission

  Here the authors develop a mucosal SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and show immunogenicity and protection in mice as well as reduced virus transmission in hamsters. This protein vaccine consists of a stabilized spike protein fused to monomeric IgG Fc, supporting its transport across epithelial barriers by binding to the neonatal Fc receptor.

  • Weizhong Li
  • Tao Wang
  • Xiaoping Zhu

  ArticleOpen Access6 Nov 2023 Nature Communications
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  Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in free-ranging white-tailed deer in the United States

  The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been documented to transmit between humans and animals, providing opportunities for viral reservoirs. Here, the authors show SARS-CoV-2 lineages in free-ranging white-tailed deer across the United States, long after the lineages had declined in human populations.

  • Aijing Feng
  • Sarah Bevins
  • Xiu-Feng Wan

  ArticleOpen Access10 Jul 2023 Nature Communications
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  Accelerated evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in free-ranging white-tailed deer

  White-tailed deer are an important reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 in the USA and continued monitoring of the virus in deer populations is needed. In this genomic epidemiology study from Ohio, the authors show that the virus has been introduced multiple times to deer from humans, and that it has evolved faster in deer.

  • Dillon S. McBride
  • Sofya K. Garushyants
  • Andrew S. Bowman

  ArticleOpen Access28 Aug 2023 Nature Communications
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  Isolation may select for earlier and higher peak viral load but shorter duration in SARS-CoV-2 evolution

  The COVID-19 pandemic has seen the emergence of different variants. Analyzing the evolution from the Wuhan strain to the Delta variant, clinical data reveals a fivefold increase in peak viral load and a 1.5-fold faster time to peak.

  • Junya Sunagawa
  • Hyeongki Park
  • Ryo Yamaguchi

  ArticleOpen Access21 Nov 2023 Nature Communications
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  Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 XBB variant derived from recombination of two Omicron subvariants

  XBB is the first recombinant, globally dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2. Here, the authors examine the variant’s origins and virological properties, showing it is the first example of SARS-CoV-2 improving its fitness through recombination.

  • Tomokazu Tamura
  • Jumpei Ito
  • Kei Sato

  ArticleOpen Access16 May 2023 Nature Communications
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  Long COVID risk and pre-COVID vaccination in an EHR-based cohort study from the RECOVER program

  The extent to which COVID-19 vaccination protects against long COVID is not well understood. Here, the authors use electronic health record data from the United States and find that, for people who received their vaccination prior to infection, vaccination was associated with lower incidence of long COVID.

  • M. Daniel Brannock
  • Robert F. Chew
  • RECOVER Consortia

  ArticleOpen Access22 May 2023 Nature Communications
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  Immune resilience despite inflammatory stress promotes longevity and favorable health outcomes including resistance to infection

  The response to infectious and inflammatory challenges differs among people but the reasons for this are poorly understood. Here the authors explore the impact of variables such as age, sex, and the capacity for controlling inflammation and maintaining immunocompetence, linking this capacity to favourable health outcomes and lifespan.

  • Sunil K. Ahuja
  • Muthu Saravanan Manoharan
  • Weijing He

  ArticleOpen Access13 Jun 2023 Nature Communications
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  A lung-selective delivery of mRNA encoding broadly neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2 infection

  The authors use lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that predominantly accumulate in the lung to deliver mRNA encoding for the broadly neutralizing antibody 8-9D, and achieve superior inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice compared to control LNPs.

  • Wanbo Tai
  • Kai Yang
  • Gong Cheng

  ArticleOpen Access5 Dec 2023 Nature Communications
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  Effectiveness of the second COVID-19 booster against Omicron: a large-scale cohort study in Chile

  This study assesses the effectiveness of a second COVID-19 mRNA booster vaccine against severe disease using data from Chile. The authors find that the effectiveness of the second mRNA booster was high with a range of different background vaccination schemes, but there was evidence of waning over time.

  • Alejandro Jara
  • Cristobal Cuadrado
  • Rafael Araos

  ArticleOpen Access27 Oct 2023 Nature Communications