PostVax

SARS-CoV-2 Viral Dynamics Post-vaccination Study (PostVax) is a prospective cohort study launched in Boston, Massachusetts in November 2021. The primary purpose of this study is to characterize the viral dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in participants who have received COVID-19 vaccines.

Aims

1. Determine the viral dynamics, including baseline viral burden and replication competency and longitudinal persistence of infectivity, of post-vaccination COVID-19 infection and between variants of SARS-CoV-2.

2. Capture the prevalence of mutations in post-vaccination infection with SARS-CoV-2. We will examine whether mutations associated with antibody evasion are selected for in vaccinated individuals. Additionally, we will use the whole genome sequencing to identify whether specific mutations are associated with longer or shorter periods of viable viral sampling.

Methods

150 participants were enrolled in PostVax. Undergraduate students at Boston University’s Charles River Campus who tested positive for COVID-19 on or after November 2, 2021 were eligible for participation. Participants completed assessments of demographic characteristics, SARS-CoV-2 exposure, testing and travel history, vaccination history (vaccination status and type of vaccine), symptoms, comorbidities, and medications. They also completed daily anterior nasal swabs for viral testing for 10 days following diagnosis and enrollment; a subset of 25 participants also completed daily rapid COVID-19 diagnostic tests for 3 days following enrollment.


Study status: Enrollment complete

Publications

Bouton, T. C., Atarere, J., Turcinovic, J., et al. Viral Dynamics of Omicron and Delta Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Variants With Implications for Timing of Release from Isolation: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. Clinical Infectious Diseases. Published online June 23, 2022:ciac510. doi:1093/cid/ciac510