Accelerated SARS-CoV-2 intrahost evolution leading to distinct genotypes during chronic infection.

ABSTRACT: The chronic infection hypothesis for novel SARS-CoV-2 variant emergence is increasingly gaining credence following the appearance of Omicron. Here we investigate intrahost evolution and genetic diversity of lineage B.1.517 during a SARS-CoV-2 chronic infection lasting for 471 days (and still ongoing) with consistently recovered infectious virus and high viral loads. During the infection, we found an accelerated virus evolutionary rate translating to 35 nucleotide substitutions per year, approximately two-fold higher than the global SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary rate. This intrahost evolution led to the emergence and persistence of at least three genetically distinct genotypes suggesting the establishment of spatially structured viral populations continually reseeding different genotypes into the

SUBMITTER: Chaguza C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9258298 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature