Upcoming epidemic storm: Empirical formulas, biosynthesis reactions, thermodynamic properties and driving forces of multiplication of the omicron XBB.1.9.1, XBF and XBB.1.16 (Arcturus) variants of SARS-CoV-2

Abstract

COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 from the perspectives of medicine, biology, molecular biology, chemistry and biothermodynamics represent probably the best studied virus-host interaction until now. Empirical formula of SARS-CoV-2 is the second reported in history, immediately after the poliovirus. Empirical formulas of all SARS-CoV-2 variants have been reported in the literature. This paper reports empirical formulas, biosynthesis reactions and thermodynamic properties (enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs energy) for the XBB.1.9.1, XBF and XBB.1.16 variants of SARS-CoV-2. Since Gibbs energy of biosynthesis represents the driving force for virus multiplication, a conclusion was made that multiplication rate of the new SARS-CoV-2 variants is not significantly different than that of the other Omicron variants. Since multiplication rate determines the damage level to host cells, a conclusion was drawn that there is no increase in the degree of damage to host tissues. Thus, pathogenicity of the new variants did not significantly change. In that case, it can be expected that the number of severe cases should not increase. Therefore, it seems that the health risk for the society should not change.