The importance of naturally attenuated SARS-CoV-2in the fight against COVID-19.
Environ Microbiol
; 22(6): 1997-2000, 2020 06.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-908149
ABSTRACT
The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is wreaking havoc throughout the world and has rapidly become a global health emergency. A central question concerning COVID-19 is why some individuals become sick and others not. Many have pointed already at variation in risk factors between individuals. However, the variable outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections may, at least in part, be due also to differences between the viral subspecies with which individuals are infected. A more pertinent question is how we are to overcome the current pandemic. A vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 would offer significant relief, although vaccine developers have warned that design, testing and production of vaccines may take a year if not longer. Vaccines are based on a handful of different designs (i), but the earliest vaccines were based on the live, attenuated virus. As has been the case for other viruses during earlier pandemics, SARS-CoV-2 will mutate and may naturally attenuate over time (ii). What makes the current pandemic unique is that, thanks to state-of-the-art nucleic acid sequencing technologies, we can follow in detail how SARS-CoV-2 evolves while it spreads. We argue that knowledge of naturally emerging attenuated SARS-CoV-2 variants across the globe should be of key interest in our fight against the pandemic.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus
/
Betacoronavirus
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Topics:
Vaccines
/
Variants
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Environ Microbiol
Journal subject:
Microbiology
/
Environmental Health
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
1462-2920.15039
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