SARS-CoV-2 strain wars continues: Chemical and thermodynamic characterization of live matter and biosynthesis of Omicron BN.1, CH.1.1 and XBC variants

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 has during the last 3 years mutated several dozen times. Most mutations in the newly formed variants have been chemically and thermodynamically characterized. New variants have been declared as variants under monitoring. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has suggested the hypothesis that the new BN.1, CH.1.1 and XBC variants could have properties similar to those of VOC. Thermodynamic properties of new variants have been reported in this manuscript for the first time. Gibbs energy of biosynthesis, as the driving force for viral multiplication, is less negative for the new variants than for the earlier variants. This indicates that the virus has evolved towards decrease in pathogenicity, which leads to less severe forms of COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; Enthalpy; Entropy; Gibbs energy; Permissiveness coefficient; Variant under monitoring.

Graphical abstract

Figure 1

Gibbs energies of biosynthesis through evolution of SARS-CoV-2. This figure shows standard Gibbs energies of biosynthesis, Δ_bsG⁰, of the major variants of SARS-CoV-2. The BN.1, CH.1.1 and XBC variants analyzed in this research are marked by red labels. (a) Gibbs energies of biosynthesis of all variants of SARS-CoV-2 from Hu-1 to the newest variants. (b) Gibbs energies of biosynthesis of the Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.