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Molecular analysis of the powerful second wave of COVID-19 in Houston, from May 12 to July 7, shows a mutated virus strain linked to higher transmission and infection rates than the coronavirus strains that caused the first wave of Houston
Genetic sequencing results from 5,085 positive COVID patients tested at Houston Methodist since early March show a virus capable of adapting, surviving and thriving, making it more important than ever for medical scientists to understand its evolution as they work to discover effective vaccines and therapies.
In the second major gene sequencing study by James M. Musser, MD, Ph.D., chair of the Houston Methodist Department of Genomic Medicine and Pathology, and his team of infectious disease pathologists, they found that the two waves affected to different types of patients.
The study, preprinted under the title “Molecular architecture of early dissemination and second massive wave of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a major metropolitan area”, provides the first molecular characterization of the SARS-CoV-2 strains that cause two COVID- 19 different. waves of disease, a problem now widespread in many European countries.
Houston’s second wave affected significantly younger patients who had fewer underlying conditions and were more likely to be Hispanic or Latino who lived in lower-income neighborhoods.
Additionally, virtually all COVID-19 strains studied during the second wave showed an amino acid replacement Gly614 in the spike protein, the part of the virus that mediates invasion of human cells, gives the coronavirus its tell-tale corona appearance, and is the main focus. of vaccination efforts around the world.
While this mutation has been linked to increased transmission and infectivity, as well as a higher virus load in the nasopharynx, which connects the nasal cavity to the throat, the mutation did not increase the severity of the disease, the researchers said.
The findings reinforce researchers’ concerns that the virus will gain momentum through natural mutations capable of producing mutant viruses that can escape vaccines, called ‘escapians’, or mutants that can resist drugs and other therapies.
This extensive virus genome data collected from the first Houston cases to date, along with the growing database we are building at Houston Methodist, will help us identify the origins of new spikes and waves of infection. This information can be an especially helpful community resource as schools and universities reopen and public health constraints loosen further.. “
James M. Musser, M. D, Ph.D, corresponding study author, chair, Department of Genomic Medicine and Pathology, Houston Methodist
Given the urgency of finding effective treatments for COVID-19, the preliminary report is posted on the medRxiv prepress server, and a manuscript is under peer review in a leading scientific journal. This prepress is not the final version of the article.
Wesley Long, MD, Ph.D., first author of the study, said it’s critical that people across the region, the state and the nation continue to keep preventive practices in place. “To avoid that third wave and keep cases low, we have to keep wearing masks and social distancing and testing and stay home if we’re sick,” Long said. “The virus is still there and it is still circulating.”
The more scientists understand about this pandemic and put it in context with what they understand about other coronaviruses, Long adds, the more capable they will be of discovering treatments or vaccines that could protect us not only from COVID-19, but from future pandemics as well. .
Source:
Magazine reference:
Largo, SW, et al. (2020) Molecular architecture of early dissemination and second massive wave of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in a major metropolitan area. medRxiv server. doi.org/10.1101/2020.09.22.20199125.
