NYC metropolitan wastewater reveals links between SARS-CoV-2 amino acid mutations and disease outcomes

Abstract

Since late 2020, diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants with enhanced infectivity and transmissibility have emerged. In contrast to the focus on amino acid mutations in the spike protein, mutations in non-spike proteins and their associated impacts remain relatively understudied. New York City metropolitan wastewater revealed over 60 % of the most frequently occurring amino acid mutations in regions outside the spike protein. Strikingly, ~50 % of the mutations detected herein remain uncharacterized for functional impacts. Our results suggest that there are several understudied mutations within non-spike proteins N, ORF1a, ORF1b, ORF9b, and ORF9c, that could increase transmissibility, and infectivity among human populations. We also demonstrate significant correlations of P314L, D614G, T95I, G50E, G50R, G204R, R203K, G662S, P10S, and P13L with documented mortality rates, hospitalization rates, and percent positivity suggesting that amino acid mutations are likely to be indicators of COVID-19 infection outcomes.