Journal
EMBO MOLECULAR MEDICINE
Volume 13, Issue 6, Pages -Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202114062
Keywords
high incidence of C to T transitions; numerous new mutations; South African and Brazil variants; time course of SARS-CoV-2 mutant emergence; UK variant B.1.1.7
Categories
Funding
- Dr. Robert Pfleger Stiftung in Bamberg, Germany
- Projekt DEAL
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study found that SARS-CoV-2 variants and mutants are rapidly evolving globally, including some new variants from the UK, South Africa, and Brazil. Despite lockdowns, active replication in genetically and socio-economically diverse populations worldwide has facilitated the emergence of new mutations.
Scientists and the public were alarmed at the first large viral variant of SARS-CoV-2 reported in December 2020. We have followed the time course of emerging viral mutants and variants during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in ten countries on four continents. We examined > 383,500 complete SARS-CoV-2 nucleotide sequences in GISAID (Global Initiative of Sharing All Influenza Data) with sampling dates extending until April 05, 2021. These sequences originated from ten different countries: United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, United States, India, Russia, France, Spain, Germany, and China. Among the 77 to 100 novel mutations, some previously reported mutations waned and some of them increased in prevalence over time. VUI2012/01 (B.1.1.7) and 501Y.V2 (B.1.351), the so-called UK and South Africa variants, respectively, and two variants from Brazil, 484K.V2, now called P.1 and P.2, increased in prevalence. Despite lockdowns, worldwide active replication in genetically and socio-economically diverse populations facilitated selection of new mutations. The data on mutant and variant SARS-CoV-2 strains provided here comprise a global resource for easy access to the myriad mutations and variants detected to date globally. Rapidly evolving new variant and mutant strains might give rise to escape variants, capable of limiting the efficacy of vaccines, therapies, and diagnostic tests.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available