Abstract
Some of the newly emerging corona viral variants show high numbers of mutations. This is unexpected for a virus with a low mutation rate due to an inherent proof-reading system. Could such a variant arise under very special conditions occurring in a host where the virus replicates and mutates in a rather unlimited fashion, such as in immune compromised patients? The virus was shown to replicate in an immunosuppressed cancer patient for more than 105 days and might be a source of new variants. These patients are asymptomatic and the virus may therefore escape detection and attention and be high-risk. Similarly, HIV-infected individuals may be immunocompromised and support coronavirus replication with increased mutation rates. The patients may promote “within-host evolution”. Some of the viruses present in such a highly mutagenic swarm or quasispecies within one patient may become founders and cause a pandemic by further “between-host evolution”. B.1.1.7 with 23 mutations may be such a case. Immunosuppressed patients can be identified and treated by the synthetic antibody cocktails as passive immunization and kept under control. Immunosuppressed patients can be easily identified and supervised by healthcare workers—once they become aware of the risk—to avoid new variants with pandemic potential.
Highlights
Some of the newly emerging corona viral variants show high numbers of mutations. This is unexpected for a virus with a low mutation rate due to an inherent proof-reading system. Could such a variant arise under very special conditions occurring in a host where the virus replicates and mutates in a rather unlimited fashion, such as in immune compromised patients? The virus was shown to replicate in an immunosuppressed cancer patient for more than 105 days and might be a source of new variants
Immunosuppressed patients can be identified and supervised by healthcare workers—once they become aware of the risk—to avoid new variants with pandemic potential
Single-stranded RNA viruses have a high mutation rate because their genome is not stabilized by a second matching strand as we know it from the DNA double-helix
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Single-stranded RNA viruses have a high mutation rate because their genome is not stabilized by a second matching strand as we know it from the DNA double-helix. It is an inherent viral property and survival strategy to mutate, as it guarantees a large number of progeny viruses even under restrictive conditions. The non-structural protein nsp encodes an exonuclease which is essential for replication fidelity If it is deleted, the mutation rates increase 15- to 20-fold, which can become lethal for the virus of this large size [2,3]. There was no matter for concern [5]
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