Recent breakthroughs in understanding the covid-19 pandemic have highlighted the critical role of persistent infection in the evolution of the virus… and in understanding the mechanisms underlying covid and pandemics over time.
A study recently published in the journal Nature, showing that many SARS-CoV-2 infections in the general population are persistent, lasting a month or more. The finding sheds new light on the dynamics of the Covid-19 pandemic, espRiseRise New strains and challenges posed by prolonged covid.
Characteristics of persistent infection
Until recently, the dominant hypothesis attributed the origin of virus types, such as alpha and OmicronOmicron, prolonged infection in immunocompromised people. However, the extent and effects of persistent infection in the general population are poorly understood. This new study fills this gap by analyzing data from the UK Office for National Statistics Covid Infection Survey (ONS-CIS), which includes more than 90,000 participants and extends from November 2020 to August 2022. Of this total, 3,603 people gave two or more positives. samples, allowing for virus sequencing. Of these, 381 were identified with persistent infections of one month or more, of which 54 lasted at least two months.
Researchers estimate that between 0.1% and 0.5% of all SARS-CoV-2 infections are persistent and last 60 days or more. Surprisingly, some of these persistent infections were due to variants of the virus that have since disappeared into the general population, highlighting the rarity of reinfection with the same variant, possibly thanks toimmunityimmunity Developed by the host.
Link between persistent infection, chronic covid symptoms and types?
The study also examined the relationship between persistent infection and prolonged covid, showing that those with persistent infection were 55% more likely to report. symptomssymptoms Those with longer covids than 12 weeks from the onset of infection, compared to those with shorter infections. This suggests a possible link between viral persistence and prolonged manifestations of Covid-19.
The researchers observed a large number of mutations in certain individuals, including the expression and modification of new variants proteinprotein Virus spike. However, most persistent infections did not have a large number of mutations, indicating that not all persistent infections are necessarily variants of concern.
This study shows the importance of surveillance GenomicsGenomics community to understand the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and its implications for public health, particularly with regard to prolonged covid and the emergence of new variants. It provides essential insights into viral dynamics and its potential implications over time pathologypathology of prolonged covid.
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