Clues to Long COVID Linked to Virulence and Infectivity Found in Shell Proteins

Highlights What are the main findings? 1) The abnormally hard M, detected among all SARS-CoV-2 viruses using AI, is believed to be the cause of SARS-CoV-2 high infectivity as it is more resistance to salivary and mucosal antimicrobial enzymes and, thereby, forces the infected person to shed much greater quantities of viral particles. 2) Antimicrobial enzymes can be found also in phagocytes such as macrophages, and organisms such as bacteria and viruses resistant to such such enzymes are known to reside inside the phagocytes. 3) Correlations between the inner shell (N) disorder and virulence have been found as greater N disorder allows for for more efficient viral replication via more efficient protein-protein binding and recognition. What are the implications of the main findings 1) Current knowledge of physiology, immunology and biochemistry suggests that the abnormally hard M is not just associated with infectivity but also long COVID as the virus could resist the antimicrobial enzymes in phagocyte and is thus able to dwell in it, which could become a virus reservoir. 2) N disorder could modulate the severity of COVID-19 and long COVID by allowing faster replication of the virus. 3) An understanding of the mechanisms by which the virus hides in the body, could lead to better treatment of long COVID by targeting the reservoir via antiviral drugs or correctly timed vaccination using an appropriate vaccine version. Accepted by Advances in Respiratory Medicine