Rhianna E. Lee

Apr 10, 2024 | cell.com | Rita M. Meganck |Caitlin Edwards |Michael Mallory |Rhianna E. Lee

Highlights • The ancestral D614G is least adapted to the human airway compared to later variants • Gamma and Delta variants have the highest replicative fitness in human airway epithelia • Omicron displays poor replication and increased immune activation in the lower airway • Omicron success globally is likely due to increased transmission and antigenic variation Summary The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic is characterized by the emergence of novel variants of concern...

Sep 25, 2023 | nature.com | Yixuan Hou |Shiho Chiba |Sarah R. Leist |Rita M. Meganck |Alexandra Schafer |Rhianna E. Lee | +7 more

AbstractThe pathogenic and cross-species transmission potential of SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses (CoVs) remain poorly characterized. Here we recovered a wild-type pangolin (Pg) CoV GD strain including derivatives encoding reporter genes using reverse genetics. In primary human cells, PgCoV replicated efficiently but with reduced fitness and showed less efficient transmission via airborne route compared with SARS-CoV-2 in hamsters.