Rubio-Casillas, A.; Redwan, E.M.; Uversky, V.N. SARS-CoV-2 Intermittent Virulence as a Result of Natural Selection. COVID2022, 2, 1089-1101.
Rubio-Casillas, A.; Redwan, E.M.; Uversky, V.N. SARS-CoV-2 Intermittent Virulence as a Result of Natural Selection. COVID 2022, 2, 1089-1101.
Rubio-Casillas, A.; Redwan, E.M.; Uversky, V.N. SARS-CoV-2 Intermittent Virulence as a Result of Natural Selection. COVID2022, 2, 1089-1101.
Rubio-Casillas, A.; Redwan, E.M.; Uversky, V.N. SARS-CoV-2 Intermittent Virulence as a Result of Natural Selection. COVID 2022, 2, 1089-1101.
Abstract
For the first time in history, we have witnessed the origin and development of a pandemic. To handle the accelerated accumulation of viral mutations and to comprehend the virus' evolutionary adaptation in humans, an unparalleled program of genetic sequencing and monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 variants has been undertaken. Several scientists have theorized that, with the Omicron surge producing a more contagious but less severe disease, the end of COVID-19 is near. However, by analyzing the behavior shown by this virus for 2 years, we have noted that pandemic viruses do not always show a decreased virulence. Instead, it appears there is an evolutionary equilibrium between transmissibility and virulence. We have termed this concept “intermittent virulence”. The present work analyzes the temporal and epidemiological behavior of SARS-CoV-2 and suggests that there is a high possibility that new virulent variants will arise in the near future, although it is improbable that SARS-CoV-2´s virulence will be the same as was seen during the pandemic phase.
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2; Omicron; variant of concern
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
