Chapter 13: Decoding the evolution of COVID-19 through mutational studies on SARS-CoV-2

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major global impact and caused significant loss of lives. SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus for COVID-19, harbors spike protein that interacts with the human ACE2 receptor to infect the host cell. Mutations in the spike protein led to the emergence of several SARS-CoV-2 variants, such as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron, which led to increased transmission rates, virulence, and evasion from the immune response. In this chapter, we reviewed the progress in different directions: (i) phylogeny of SARS-CoV-2, (ii) mutational effects at the interface of spike protein-ACE2 and spike protein-antibodies, (iii) computational tools and techniques to enhance our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 mutations, (iv) genomic studies that offer insights into the evolving patterns of mutations over time, and (iv) mutations that led to reduced neutralization efficacy of vaccines. This comprehensive review reveals the effect of mutations on virus–host interaction, which is pivotal for improved treatments and understanding the evolutionary path of the virus and immune evasion, and highlights the need to enhance our knowledge about viral mutations to be better prepared for future health crises.