March 5, 2020

2019 novel coronavirus is undergoing active recombination

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Virology

• Recent news reports and some scientific literature has begun to explore patterns of genetic recombination of SARS-CoV-2. Two new reports provide evidence of such recombination, which is relevant to public health and health care professionals in that such viral changes could influence the accuracy of testing assays, change transmission dynamics, and influence treatment efficacy. 

Yi (Mar 4, 2020). 2019 novel coronavirus is undergoing active recombination. Clinical Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa219 

Shen et al. (Mar 4, 2020). Genomic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 in Coronavirus Disease 2019 patients. Clinical Infectious Diseases https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa203