Variant-specific SARS-CoV-2 within-host kinetics.

ABSTRACT: Since early 2021, SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) have been causing epidemic rebounds in many countries. Their properties are well characterized at the epidemiological level but the potential underlying within-host determinants remain poorly understood. We analyze a longitudinal cohort of 6944 individuals with 14 304 cycle threshold (Ct) values of reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) VOC screening tests performed in the general population and hospitals in France between February 6 and August 21, 2021. To convert Ct values into numbers of virus copies, we performed an additional analysis using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). We find that the number of viral genome copies reaches a higher peak value and has a slower decay rate in infections caused by Alph

SUBMITTER: Elie B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9088644 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature