SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest and Concern naming scheme conducive for global discourse

Frank Konings; Mark D. Perkins; Jens H. Kuhn; Mark J. Pallen; Erik J. Alm; Brett N. Archer; Amal Barakat; Trevor Bedford; Jinal N. Bhiman; Leon Caly; Lisa L. Carter; Anne Cullinane; Tulio De Oliveira; Julian Druce; Ihab El Masry; Roger Evans; George F. Gao; Alexander E. Gorbalenya; Esther Hamblion; Belinda L. Herring; Emma Hodcroft; Edward C. Holmes; Manish Kakkar; Shagun Khare; Marion P. G. Koopmans; Bette Korber; Juliana Leite; Duncan MacCannell; Marco Marklewitz; Sebastian Maurer-Stroh; Jairo Andres Mendez Rico; Vincent J. Munster; Richard Neher; Bas Oude Munnink; Boris I. Pavlin; Malik Peiris; Leo Poon; Oliver Pybus; Andrew Rambaut; Paola Resende; Lorenzo Subissi; Volker Thiel; Suxiang Tong; Sylvie Van Der Werf; Anne Von Gottberg; John Ziebuhr; Maria D. Van Kerkhove

doi:10.1038/s41564-021-00932-w

SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest and Concern naming scheme conducive for global discourse

Frank Konings, Mark D. Perkins, Jens H. Kuhn, Mark J. Pallen, Erik J. Alm, Brett N. Archer, Amal Barakat, Trevor Bedford, Jinal N. Bhiman, Leon Caly, Lisa L. Carter, Anne Cullinane, Tulio De Oliveira, Julian Druce, Ihab El Masry, Roger Evans, George F. Gao, Alexander E. Gorbalenya, Esther Hamblion, Belinda L. HerringEmma Hodcroft, Edward C. Holmes, Manish Kakkar, Shagun Khare, Marion P. G. Koopmans, Bette Korber, Juliana Leite, Duncan MacCannell, Marco Marklewitz, Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, Jairo Andres Mendez Rico, Vincent J. Munster, Richard Neher, Bas Oude Munnink, Boris I. Pavlin, Malik Peiris, Leo Poon, Oliver Pybus, Andrew Rambaut, Paola Resende, Lorenzo Subissi, Volker Thiel, Suxiang Tong, Sylvie Van Der Werf, Anne Von Gottberg, John Ziebuhr, Maria D. Van Kerkhove

School of Biological Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has a linear, unsegmented, positive-sense RNA genome. As with all viruses, SARS-CoV-2 continuously adapts to changing environments in real time via random genome mutations that are subject to natural selection. Most mutations are neutral or detrimental to the virus; however, a small number of mutations may provide a selective advantage, such as escape from the host immune system or resistance to antiviral drugs. Such mutations may also lead to increased fitness for transmissibility. As mutated forms of viruses or variants spread from person to person, they will eventually be detected at the population level.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	821-823
Number of pages	3
Journal	Nature Microbiology
Volume	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-021-00932-w
Publication status	Published - 9 Jun 2021

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Konings, F., Perkins, M. D., Kuhn, J. H., Pallen, M. J., Alm, E. J., Archer, B. N., Barakat, A., Bedford, T., Bhiman, J. N., Caly, L., Carter, L. L., Cullinane, A., De Oliveira, T., Druce, J., El Masry, I., Evans, R., Gao, G. F., Gorbalenya, A. E., Hamblion, E., ... Van Kerkhove, M. D. (2021). SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest and Concern naming scheme conducive for global discourse. Nature Microbiology, 6, 821-823. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-021-00932-w

@article{15fa657684334af38cb477c1d404f523,

title = "SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest and Concern naming scheme conducive for global discourse",

abstract = "Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has a linear, unsegmented, positive-sense RNA genome. As with all viruses, SARS-CoV-2 continuously adapts to changing environments in real time via random genome mutations that are subject to natural selection. Most mutations are neutral or detrimental to the virus; however, a small number of mutations may provide a selective advantage, such as escape from the host immune system or resistance to antiviral drugs. Such mutations may also lead to increased fitness for transmissibility. As mutated forms of viruses or variants spread from person to person, they will eventually be detected at the population level.",

author = "Frank Konings and Perkins, {Mark D.} and Kuhn, {Jens H.} and Pallen, {Mark J.} and Alm, {Erik J.} and Archer, {Brett N.} and Amal Barakat and Trevor Bedford and Bhiman, {Jinal N.} and Leon Caly and Carter, {Lisa L.} and Anne Cullinane and {De Oliveira}, Tulio and Julian Druce and {El Masry}, Ihab and Roger Evans and Gao, {George F.} and Gorbalenya, {Alexander E.} and Esther Hamblion and Herring, {Belinda L.} and Emma Hodcroft and Holmes, {Edward C.} and Manish Kakkar and Shagun Khare and Koopmans, {Marion P. G.} and Bette Korber and Juliana Leite and Duncan MacCannell and Marco Marklewitz and Sebastian Maurer-Stroh and Rico, {Jairo Andres Mendez} and Munster, {Vincent J.} and Richard Neher and Munnink, {Bas Oude} and Pavlin, {Boris I.} and Malik Peiris and Leo Poon and Oliver Pybus and Andrew Rambaut and Paola Resende and Lorenzo Subissi and Volker Thiel and Suxiang Tong and {Van Der Werf}, Sylvie and {Von Gottberg}, Anne and John Ziebuhr and {Van Kerkhove}, {Maria D.}",

year = "2021",

month = jun,

day = "9",

doi = "10.1038/s41564-021-00932-w",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

pages = "821--823",

journal = "Nature Microbiology",

issn = "2058-5276",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

}

Konings, F, Perkins, MD, Kuhn, JH, Pallen, MJ, Alm, EJ, Archer, BN, Barakat, A, Bedford, T, Bhiman, JN, Caly, L, Carter, LL, Cullinane, A, De Oliveira, T, Druce, J, El Masry, I, Evans, R, Gao, GF, Gorbalenya, AE, Hamblion, E, Herring, BL, Hodcroft, E, Holmes, EC, Kakkar, M, Khare, S, Koopmans, MPG, Korber, B, Leite, J, MacCannell, D, Marklewitz, M, Maurer-Stroh, S, Rico, JAM, Munster, VJ, Neher, R, Munnink, BO, Pavlin, BI, Peiris, M, Poon, L, Pybus, O, Rambaut, A, Resende, P, Subissi, L, Thiel, V, Tong, S, Van Der Werf, S, Von Gottberg, A, Ziebuhr, J & Van Kerkhove, MD 2021, 'SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest and Concern naming scheme conducive for global discourse', Nature Microbiology, vol. 6, pp. 821-823. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-021-00932-w

TY - JOUR

T1 - SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest and Concern naming scheme conducive for global discourse

AU - Konings, Frank

AU - Perkins, Mark D.

AU - Kuhn, Jens H.

AU - Pallen, Mark J.

AU - Alm, Erik J.

AU - Archer, Brett N.

AU - Barakat, Amal

AU - Bedford, Trevor

AU - Bhiman, Jinal N.

AU - Caly, Leon

AU - Carter, Lisa L.

AU - Cullinane, Anne

AU - De Oliveira, Tulio

AU - Druce, Julian

AU - El Masry, Ihab

AU - Evans, Roger

AU - Gao, George F.

AU - Gorbalenya, Alexander E.

AU - Hamblion, Esther

AU - Herring, Belinda L.

AU - Hodcroft, Emma

AU - Holmes, Edward C.

AU - Kakkar, Manish

AU - Khare, Shagun

AU - Koopmans, Marion P. G.

AU - Korber, Bette

AU - Leite, Juliana

AU - MacCannell, Duncan

AU - Marklewitz, Marco

AU - Maurer-Stroh, Sebastian

AU - Rico, Jairo Andres Mendez

AU - Munster, Vincent J.

AU - Neher, Richard

AU - Munnink, Bas Oude

AU - Pavlin, Boris I.

AU - Peiris, Malik

AU - Poon, Leo

AU - Pybus, Oliver

AU - Rambaut, Andrew

AU - Resende, Paola

AU - Subissi, Lorenzo

AU - Thiel, Volker

AU - Tong, Suxiang

AU - Van Der Werf, Sylvie

AU - Von Gottberg, Anne

AU - Ziebuhr, John

AU - Van Kerkhove, Maria D.

PY - 2021/6/9

Y1 - 2021/6/9

N2 - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has a linear, unsegmented, positive-sense RNA genome. As with all viruses, SARS-CoV-2 continuously adapts to changing environments in real time via random genome mutations that are subject to natural selection. Most mutations are neutral or detrimental to the virus; however, a small number of mutations may provide a selective advantage, such as escape from the host immune system or resistance to antiviral drugs. Such mutations may also lead to increased fitness for transmissibility. As mutated forms of viruses or variants spread from person to person, they will eventually be detected at the population level.

AB - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has a linear, unsegmented, positive-sense RNA genome. As with all viruses, SARS-CoV-2 continuously adapts to changing environments in real time via random genome mutations that are subject to natural selection. Most mutations are neutral or detrimental to the virus; however, a small number of mutations may provide a selective advantage, such as escape from the host immune system or resistance to antiviral drugs. Such mutations may also lead to increased fitness for transmissibility. As mutated forms of viruses or variants spread from person to person, they will eventually be detected at the population level.

U2 - 10.1038/s41564-021-00932-w

DO - 10.1038/s41564-021-00932-w

M3 - Comment/debate

VL - 6

SP - 821

EP - 823

JO - Nature Microbiology

JF - Nature Microbiology

SN - 2058-5276

ER -

SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Interest and Concern naming scheme conducive for global discourse

Abstract

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