Global dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 clades and their relation to COVID-19 epidemiology

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 8435
• Main Authors: Hamed, Samira M, Elkhatib, Walid F, Khairalla, Ahmed S, Noreddin, Ayman M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 19.04.2021; Nature Publishing Group UK; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Child; Children; Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins - genetics; Coronavirus RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase - genetics; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - pathology; COVID-19 - virology; Databases, Factual; Epidemiology; Europe - epidemiology; Female; Genomics; Humans; Infectivity; Male; Metadata; Middle Aged; Mutation; North America - epidemiology; SARS-CoV-2 - genetics; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Sex differences; Sex Factors; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - genetics; Viral Nonstructural Proteins - genetics; Virulence; North America; Europe
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87713-x

Expansion of COVID-19 worldwide increases interest in unraveling genomic variations of novel SARS-CoV-2 virus. Metadata of 408,493 SARS-CoV-2 genomes submitted to GISAID database were analyzed with respect to genomic clades and their geographic, age, and gender distributions. Of the currently known SARS-CoV-2 clades, clade GR was the most prevalent worldwide followed by GV then GH. Chronological analysis revealed expansion in SARS-CoV-2 clades carrying D614G mutations with the predominance of the newest clade, GV, in the last three months. D614G clades prevail in countries with more COVID-19 cases. Of them, the clades GH and GR were more frequently recovered from severe or deceased COVID-19 cases. In contrast, G and GV clades showed a significantly higher prevalence among asymptomatic patients or those with mild disease. Metadata analysis showed higher (p < 0.05) prevalence of severe/deceased cases among males than females and predominance of GR clade in female patients. Furthermore, severe disease/death was more prevalent (p < 0.05) in elderly than in adults/children. Higher prevalence of the GV clade in children compared to other age groups was also evident. These findings uniquely provide a statistical evidence on the adaptation-driven evolution of SARS-CoV-2 leading to altered infectivity, virulence, and mortality.