Variants

Researchers study the nucleotide sequences of the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant with other nucleotide sequences in the GISAID database. // 3.1.2022

A new study reveals that omicron infections in South Africa are associated with lower rates of hospital admissions and lower disease severity compared to beta and delta infections. // 31.12.2021

A new study published in the pre-print server medRxiv* hypothesized that the emergence of more immune invasive or transmissible variants of SARS-CoV-2 was associated with increased genetic distinctiveness from the original or previous strains. // 29.12.2021

Researchers determined antibody-mediated neutralization efficacy against the authentic SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. // 12.12.2021

Continued replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) under selective pressure from natural and vaccine-induced immunity has led to the emergence of variants of concern (VOCs) with increased transmissibility or virulence. // 8.12.2021

A new study retrospectively estimates the effective transmission advantage of the Alpha variant as compared to other non-VOC lineages. // 1.12.2021

A new study aimed to identify COVID-19 vaccination coverage, examine the factors responsible for COVID-19 vaccination coverage and vaccine hesitancy, study adverse events following immunization patterns after COVID-19 vaccination and determine the prevalence of breakthrough infection after COVID-19 vaccination. // 30.11.2021

In a new study published on the bioRxiv* preprint server, scientists investigated several virological features of the Delta spike protein. // 29.11.2021

In their recent study, researchers from Lithuania have reported the emergence of a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant lineage B.1.1.523 containing a set of mutations associated with immune escape, including deletion 156_158del, substitution E484K and S494P in Spike (S) protein. // 28.11.2021

Researchers fit data on SARS-CoV-2 variants by exploiting a function that depends on the global number of infected cases since the start of the pandemic. // 25.11.2021

The B.1.1.529 variant was first spotted in Botswana and six cases have been found in South Africa // 25.11.2021

A new review article dissected the sites of mutation in the RBD of the Delta variant and other variants of concern and variants of alert and interest. // 25.11.2021

Researchers are attempting to determine the ability of this new sublineage to avoid neutralization by antibodies elicited from vaccination. // 11.11.2021

A comprehensive characterization of the immune responses between SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals with wildtype (WT) and Δ382 SARS-CoV-2. // 3.11.2021

Scientists from Germany have recently identified a new sub-lineage of the alpha variant of SARS-CoV-2 in some European countries. // 3.11.2021

In a recently published Nature Communications study, the authors describe the B.1.620 lineage discovered in Lithuania. // 27.10.2021

A new study provides a detailed description of the varying interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and the host cell ACE-2 receptor. // 27.10.2021

Researchers in the UK have conducted a study suggesting that the B.1.617.2 (delta) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – is transmitted more quickly than previously circulating variants. // 26.10.2021

A study in the Philadelphia area found that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants evolve to become more contagious and resistant to COVID-19 vaccines. In addition, depending on the sublineage, SARS-CoV-2 variants such as the Delta variant led to a three-fold increased risk for vaccine breakthrough cases. // 25.10.2021

A team of researchers measured the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 variants C.1.2, Mu, and Delta+501S spike proteins and determined the susceptibility to neutralizing antibodies. // 22.10.2021

The new variant, AY.4.2, is descendant of the Delta variant. Cases are low outside the UK, and we don't if its mutations change its behaviour.// 19.10.2021

Scientists described a quick and inexpensive method for accurately identifying the Delta variant by applying the double-mismatch allele-specific RT-PCR (DMAS-RT-PCR). // 14.10.2021

Researchers from Yale University and the University of Texas have collaborated to investigate mutations in some VOCs. // 14.10.2021

A recent study compares the transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Delta variants in six states across New England in the United States // 11.10.2021

Children are not at risk for more severe COVID-19 disease with Delta compared to earlier severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, finds a new medRxiv* preprint study. In the first large-scale epidemiological study comparing SARS-CoV-2 infection between variants in children, researchers found children were more likely to be as sick from Delta as they would be if they were infected with the Alpha variant. // 11.10.2021

Researchers addressed the question of using reporter particles pseudotyped with the S protein of SARS-CoV-2, which are suitable tools to examine SARS-CoV-2 neutralization antibodies. // 11.10.2021

Researchers from Ohio State University have been investigating mutations in the rest of the spike protein, particularly the Q677H mutation. // 7.10.2021

Researchers compared the replication and syncytia forming potential of Alpha, Beta, and D614G strains in human cell lines and primary airway cells. // 7.10.2021

Researchers in the United States have shown that a compound currently used to treat cystinosis exhibits broad antiviral activity against variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) – the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). // 5.10.2021

One recent study assessed the serum of Beta variant infected patients to determine whether major non-VOC antibodies could neutralize this virus. // 5.10.2021