Immune Suppression, Preexisting Immunity, and Mutation Tendency Shaped SARS-CoV-2 Evolution in Persistent Infection.

ABSTRACT: SARS-CoV-2 evolution in persistent infection, which may induce long COVID-19, is predominantly manifested in immunocompromised hosts, who act as the viral reservoirs for future outbreaks. Therefore, understanding the evolutionary mechanisms of novel variants that can evade preexisting immune responses is critical to guide public health measures and develop vaccines tailored for vulnerable populations. We used next-generation sequencing and phylogenetic methods to delineate the evolutionary and mutational profiles of SARS-CoV-2 variants using serial oropharyngeal swab samples from 5 individuals with persistent infections. Our results revealed that the intra-host evolutionary patterns of different variants varied significantly, and the evolutionary rate in 3 immunocompromised hosts was 20 ti

SUBMITTER: An M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12654367 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature