Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and potential intervention approaches

Jasmin Khateeb; Yuchong Li; Haibo Zhang

doi:10.1186/s13054-021-03662-x

Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and potential intervention approaches

Crit Care. 2021 Jul 12;25(1):244. doi: 10.1186/s13054-021-03662-x.

Authors

Jasmin Khateeb^{1

2}, Yuchong Li^{1

3}, Haibo Zhang^{4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Room 619, LKSKI, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, ON, M5B1W8, Canada.
² Department of Internal Medicine D, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
³ The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
⁴ Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Room 619, LKSKI, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, ON, M5B1W8, Canada. haibo.zhang@unityhealth.to.
⁵ The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. haibo.zhang@unityhealth.to.
⁶ Departments of Anaesthesia and Physiology, Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. haibo.zhang@unityhealth.to.

Abstract

The major variant of concerns (VOCs) have shared mutations in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike proteins, mostly on the S1 unit and resulted in higher transmissibility rate and affect viral virulence and clinical outcome. The spike protein mutations and other non-structural protein mutations in the VOCs may lead to escape approved vaccinations in certain extend. We will discuss these VOC mutations and discuss the need for combination therapeutic strategies targeting viral cycle and immune host responses.

Keywords: B.1.1.7; B.1.351; P.1. B.1617.1; Transmissibility; Viral virulence.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19 / genetics*
COVID-19 Vaccines
Genetic Variation
Humans
SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification*
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / isolation & purification*

Substances

COVID-19 Vaccines
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
spike protein, SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding