Pathogenicity, transmissibility, and fitness of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron in Syrian hamsters
Open accessAbstract
The in vivo pathogenicity, transmissibility, and fitness of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant are not well understood. We compared these virological attributes of this new variant of concern (VOC) with those of the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant in a Syrian hamster model of COVID-19. Omicron-infected hamsters lost significantly less body weight and exhibited reduced clinical scores, respiratory tract viral burdens, cytokine and chemokine dysregulation, and lung damage than Delta-infected hamsters. Both variants were highly transmissible through contact transmission. In noncontact transmission studies Omicron demonstrated similar or higher transmissibility than Delta. Delta outcompeted Omicron without selection pressure, but this scenario changed once immune selection pressure with neutralizing antibodies-active against Delta but poorly active against Omicron-was introduced. Next-generation vaccines and antivirals effective against this new VOC are therefore urgently needed.
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Male Syrian hamsters develop worse myocarditis compared with females.
“Male Syrian hamsters also develop worse myocarditis compared with females. 186”
From COVID-19, Myocarditis and Pericarditis (2023) · cites this paper as [186]
Cites
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Self-citationSpike mutation D614G alters SARS-CoV-2 fitness
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COVID-19, Myocarditis and Pericarditis
Fairweather, D., Beetler, D. J., Di Florio, D. N., Musigk, N., Heidecker, B., & Cooper, L. T. (2023) · Circulation Research · doi:10.1161/circresaha.123.321878 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
- Authors
- Yuan, S., Ye, Z.-W., Liang, R., Tang, K., Zhang, A. J., Lu, G., Ong, C. P., Man Poon, V. K., Chan, C. C.-S., Mok, B. W.-Y., Qin, Z., Xie, Y., Chu, A. W.-H., Chan, W.-M., Ip, J. D., Sun, H., Tsang, J. O.-L., Yuen, T. T.-T., Chik, K. K.-H., Chan, C. C.-Y., Cai, J.-P., Luo, C., Lu, L., Yip, C. C.-Y., Chu, H., To, K. K.-W., Chen, H., Jin, D.-Y., Yuen, K.-Y., & Chan, J. F.-W.
- Affiliations
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
- Hainan Medical University (CN)
- Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HK)
- University of Hong Kong - Shenzhen Hospital (CN)
- Queen Mary Hospital (CN)
- Guangzhou Laboratory (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Yuan, Shuofeng
- Ye, Zi-Wei
- Liang, Ronghui
- Tang, Kaiming
- Lu, Gang
- Ong, Chon Phin
- Jin, Dong-Yan
- Yuen, Kwok-Yung
- Chan, Jasper Fuk-Woo
- ORCID
- Yuan, Shuofeng
- Ye, Zi-Wei
- Liang, Ronghui
- Tang, Kaiming
- Lu, Gang
- Ong, Chon Phin
- Man Poon, Vincent Kwok
- Chan, Chris Chung-Sing
- Mok, Bobo Wing-Yee
- Qin, Zhenzhi
- Xie, Yubin
- Chu, Allen Wing-Ho
- Chan, Wan-Mui
- Ip, Jonathan Daniel
- Sun, Haoran
- Chik, Kenn Ka-Heng
- Chan, Chris Chun-Yiu
- Cai, Jian-Piao
- Lu, Lu
- Yip, Cyril Chik-Yan
- Chu, Hin
- To, Kelvin Kai-Wang
- Chen, Honglin
- Jin, Dong-Yan
- Yuen, Kwok-Yung
- Chan, Jasper Fuk-Woo
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2022-07-22
- Volume
- 377
- Issue
- 6604
- Pages
- 428-433
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W4283321764
- Cited by
- 191
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 63 · 2023: 66 · 2022: 27
- FWCI
- 21.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Modeling and Simulation › COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- Keywords
- Omicron variant, Delta variant, Syrian hamster model, pathogenicity, transmissibility, viral fitness, contact transmission, immune selection pressure, neutralizing antibodies, lung injury, COVID-19 pandemic
- MeSH terms
- COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Animals, Disease Models, Animal, Mesocricetus, Virulence
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