The Epidemiological, Clinical Features and Outcomes of Imported Chinese COVID-19 Patients Following Inactivated...

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Immunology
• Public Health

Background:

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination is effective in reducing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) risk.
• Breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals are rare, with limited data on their clinical features.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of imported COVID-19 cases vaccinated with Chinese inactivated vaccines.
• To understand the clinical outcomes and viral shedding patterns in vaccinated individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of electronic medical records from designated hospitals in Shaanxi Province, China.
• Inclusion of imported COVID-19 cases vaccinated with Chinese inactivated vaccines between March 22 and May 17, 2021.
• Data extraction on epidemiological, clinical characteristics, and viral shedding.

Main Results:

• 46 fully or partly vaccinated patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 40.5 years; 89.1% were male.
• 39.1% of patients had comorbidities; 67.4% of infections were asymptomatic.
• Fever was the most common symptom (6.5%), with no severe cases observed; asymptomatic cases showed higher viral shedding discontinuation rates.

Conclusions:

• Vaccination with Chinese inactivated vaccines does not eliminate the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• Infections in vaccinated individuals were predominantly asymptomatic or mild with favorable clinical outcomes.
• Early viral shedding discontinuation in asymptomatic cases suggests a potentially better prognosis.