The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic
Yuanfang Si,
Weidong Wu,
Xia Xue,
Xiangdong Sun,
Yaping Qin,
Ya Li,
Chunjing Qiu,
Yingying Li,
Ziran Zhuo,
Yang Mi,
Pengyuan Zheng
Affiliations
Yuanfang Si
Henan Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori & Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer, Marshall Medical Research Cente, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Weidong Wu
BGI College & Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Xia Xue
Henan Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori & Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer, Marshall Medical Research Cente, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Xiangdong Sun
Henan Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori & Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer, Marshall Medical Research Cente, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Yaping Qin
School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Ya Li
Henan Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori & Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer, Marshall Medical Research Cente, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Chunjing Qiu
Henan Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori & Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer, Marshall Medical Research Cente, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Yingying Li
Henan Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori & Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer, Marshall Medical Research Cente, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Ziran Zhuo
BGI College & Henan Institute of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Yang Mi
Henan Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori & Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer, Marshall Medical Research Cente, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Pengyuan Zheng
Henan Key Laboratory of Helicobacter Pylori & Microbiota and Gastrointestinal Cancer, Marshall Medical Research Cente, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
Scientists have made great efforts to understand the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) to provide crucial information to public health experts on strategies to control this viral pathogen. The pandemic of the coronavirus disease that began in 2019, COVID-19, lasted nearly three years, and nearly all countries have set different epidemic prevention policies for this virus. The continuous evolution of SARS-CoV-2 alters its pathogenicity and infectivity in human hosts, thus the policy and treatments have been continually adjusted. Based on our previous study on the dynamics of binding ability prediction between the COVID-19 spike protein and human ACE2, the present study mined over 10 million sequences and epidemiological data of SARS-CoV-2 during 2020-2022 to understand the evolutionary path of SARS-CoV-2. We analyzed and predicted the mutation rates of the whole genome and main proteins of SARS-CoV-2 from different populations to understand the adaptive relationship between humans and COVID-19. Our study identified a correlation of the mutation rates from each protein of SARS-CoV-2 and various human populations. Overall, this analysis provides a scientific basis for developing data-driven strategies to confront human pathogens.
