A comparative overview of SARS‑CoV‑2 and its variants of concern

Abstract

ID-19, which evolved from the SARS-CoV wild-type virus. Several novel variations developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, some of which are known as Variants of Concern (VOC). VOCs are classified as Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron (B.1.1.529) by WHO [1]. These five SARS-CoV-2 VOCs have a substantial level of pathogenicity and transmissibility. New SARS-CoV-2 variants widely recognized as variations of interest (VOI) have been determined based on their transmissibility, severity of sickness, diagnostic escape, and immunological escape.In December 2019, the severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread to practically every corner of the globe, killing millions of people. SARS-CoV-2 produced numerous variants, five of which have been identified as variants of concern (VOC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron). We conducted a comparative epidemiological analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and its VOC in this paper. We compared the effects of vari-SUMMARY ous spike (S) protein mutations in SARS-CoV-2 and its VOC on transmissibility, illness severity, hospitalization risk, fatality rate, immunological evasion, and vaccine efficacy in this review. We also looked into the clinical characteristics of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and its VOC.

Variant-Related Differences in Laboratory Biomarkers among Patients Affected with Alpha, Delta and Omicron: A Retrospective Whole Viral Genome Sequencing and Hospital-Setting Cohort Study

“…According to the world health organization (WHO), SARS-CoV-2 variants can be classified into different categories according to their actual or expected clinical and/or epidemiological impact on public health ( accessed on 5 March 2023). Among these categories, variants of interest (VOI) are those that present characteristics that warrant continuous monitoring and further evaluation, while variants of concern (VOC) are the variants that are proven to be more virulent, more transmissible, more pathogenic and at some extent may evade treatment options and/or the immune responses due to vaccination or previous infection [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]. In order to simplify nomenclature issues for the general public and healthcare providers, the WHO has also introduced a nomenclature system based on the Greek Alphabet that is applied only to SARS-CoV-2 lineages that have played an important role during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic ( accessed on 5 March 2023).…”

SARS-CoV-2 variant introduction following spring break travel and transmission mitigation strategies

“…VOCs have mutations that appear to increase transmissibility [ 23 ]. Alpha, Beta, and Gamma share an N501Y substitution, which increases the virus’s binding affinity to the host’s angiotensin-converting- enzyme-2 receptor.…”

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“…More in detail, the age-standardized hospitalization rate (population ≥12 years) in the period August-September 2022 for the unvaccinated is 43 hospitalizations per 100,000 inhabitants and is 3.5 times higher than for those vaccinated with an addon/booster dose, in whom it is 13.6 hospitalizations per 100,000 inhabitants [9]. Although effectiveness data confirm the importance of booster dose administration even with the original vaccine, several variants of SARS-CoV-2, the Variants of Concern (VoC), showing increased transmissibility and immune escaping, have emerged since the beginning of the pandemic [11,12]. Omicron and its sub-variants are the most antigenically divergent from the original variant.…”