Frontiers in Microbiology (Dec 2023)

The domestication of SARS-CoV-2 into a seasonal infection by viral variants

  • Ryley D. McClelland,
  • Yi-Chan James Lin,
  • Tyce N. Culp,
  • Ryan Noyce,
  • David Evans,
  • Tom C. Hobman,
  • Tom C. Hobman,
  • Vanessa Meier-Stephenson,
  • Vanessa Meier-Stephenson,
  • David J. Marchant

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1289387
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14

Abstract

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IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic was caused by the zoonotic betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged due to adaptation in humans, shifting SARS-CoV-2 towards an endemic seasonal virus. We have termed this process ‘virus domestication’.MethodsWe analyzed aggregate COVID-19 data from a publicly funded healthcare system in Canada from March 7, 2020 to November 21, 2022. We graphed surrogate calculations of COVID-19 disease severity and SARS-CoV-2 variant plaque sizes in tissue culture.Results and DiscussionMutations in SARS-CoV-2 adapt the virus to better infect humans and evade the host immune response, resulting in the emergence of variants with altered pathogenicity. We observed a decrease in COVID-19 disease severity surrogates after the arrival of the Delta variant, coinciding with significantly smaller plaque sizes. Overall, we suggest that SARS-CoV-2 has become more infectious and less virulent through viral domestication. Our findings highlight the importance of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and help inform public policy on the highest probability outcomes during viral pandemics.

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