Publications by authors named "Will M Fischer"
Article Synopsis
- Since late 2020, new SARS-CoV-2 variants have frequently appeared, showing differences that may help them evade immunity from past infections.
- The Early Detection group within the NIH's SARS-CoV-2 program utilizes bioinformatics to track these variants' emergence, spread, and traits, highlighting important ones for further study.
- Since April 2021, this group has successfully prioritized variants each month, assisting NIH researchers by providing timely data on SARS-CoV-2 evolution for guiding experiments.
Article Synopsis
- The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants threatens the effectiveness of immunity from previous infections or vaccinations.
- To tackle this issue, the NIH launched the SARS-CoV-2 Assessment of Viral Evolution (SAVE) program for real-time assessment of variant risks that might impact transmission and vaccine efficacy.
- The program focuses on gathering and analyzing data on emerging variants and their effects on immunity, using animal models, while also addressing future challenges in monitoring rapidly evolving viruses.
A SARS-CoV-2 variant carrying the Spike protein amino acid change D614G has become the most prevalent form in the global pandemic. Dynamic tracking of variant frequencies revealed a recurrent pattern of G614 increase at multiple geographic levels: national, regional, and municipal. The shift occurred even in local epidemics where the original D614 form was well established prior to introduction of the G614 variant.
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