Frontiers in Genetics (Sep 2022)

SARS-CoV-2 coinfections with variant genomic lineages identified by multiplex fragment analysis

  • Richard Lueking,
  • Andrew E. Clark,
  • Madhusudhanan Narasimhan,
  • Lenin Mahimainathan,
  • Alagarraju Muthukumar,
  • Christian P. Larsen,
  • Jeffrey A. SoRelle

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2022.942713
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Immunocompromised patients can experience prolonged SARS-CoV-2 infections in the setting of a lack of protectivity immunity despite vaccination. As circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains become more heterogeneous, concomitant infection with multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants has become an increasing concern. Immunocompromised patient populations represent potential reservoirs for the emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants through mutagenic change or coinfection followed by recombinatory events. Identification of SARS-CoV-2 coinfections is challenging using traditional next generation sequencing pipelines; however, targeted genotyping approaches can facilitate detection. Here we describe five COVID-19 cases caused by coinfection with different SARS-CoV-2 variants (Delta/Omicron BA.1 and Omicron BA.1/BA.2) as identified by multiplex fragment analysis.

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