[이데일리 이지현 기자] Research has shown that there is a high probability of developing the mutant virus in chronic patients with COVID-19.
The COG-UK (COVID-19 Genomics UK) consortium led by the University of Cambridge, UK, published the research results in the scientific journal’Nature’ on the 5th (local time).
The research team compiled a thesis on the process of the mutation, citing a case of a corona19 death patient who was admitted to the Aden Brooks Hospital in Cambridge. A patient in their 70s was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma before infection with Corona 19, and his immunity was weakened by several chemotherapy. In this condition, the patient was hospitalized again for Corona 19 and received treatment with remdesivir, an antiviral drug, and recovery plasma. This plasma contains antibodies isolated from the blood of patients recovering from Corona 19. The patient, who was initially stable, gradually worsened and died after receiving intensive care in the emergency room.
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While the patient was hospitalized, the researchers took 23 samples of the virus from the nose and throat and analyzed the gene sequence. As a result, it was found that after two doses of recovery plasma, a radical change in the composition of the virus occurred. A mutant virus in which the ΔH69/ΔV70 amino acids were deleted along with the Spike protein mutation known as D796H dominated the whole. The mutant virus, which seemed to disappear initially, began to rapidly increase particles when the third-line treatment was initiated, in which remdesivir and recovery plasma were administered together.
“What we’ve seen is fierce competition between different mutant viruses,” said Professor Ravi Gupta of the Institute for Therapeutic Immune Infectious Diseases, Cambridge University, who led the study.
The mutant virus, which is a combination of the D796H mutation and the ΔH69/ΔV70 deletion, prevailed during plasma treatment, but was once caught up by another species, and re-emerged as the third plasma treatment resumed. In a tightly controlled environment, three synthetic viruses with both mutations or one each were tested and tested. As a result, the virus with both mutations at the same time tolerated the neutralizing action of recovered plasma.
Of particular note is that only viruses with the D796H mutation lose their infectivity when plasma is not administered. This is a typical mutation the virus acquires to avoid when the immune system is pressed, scientists explain. Scientists estimate that the increase in infectivity of viruses with the deletion of the ΔH69/ΔV70 amino acids may compensate for the loss of infectivity caused by the D796H mutation.
Professor Gupta said, “It is raising the worrying possibility that Corona 19 may mutate and outrun the vaccine.” The possibility is also increasing, so we need to pay special attention.”
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