Mutational analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in immunocompromised patients with persistent viral detection using whole genome sequencing

Abstract

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic of more than three years, several variants have evolved from the previously prevalent strains, being categorized as variants of concern (VOCs), variants of interest (VOIs), variants of high consequence and variants being monitored.1 The origin of new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants is unclear, but one possible explanation is that they stem from immunocompromised patients.2 Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is a useful tool for detecting new mutations and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.3 Here, we used WGS to investigate the features of nonsynonymous SARS-CoV-2 mutations that appeared in immunocompromised patients with persistent viral detection during the Omicron-prevalent era.