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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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COVID-19 classification

Introduction

For COVID-19 frequently asked inpatient questions, click here
For COVID-19 frequently asked outpatient questions, click here

Overview

Overview

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), can be categorized into two major types, L, the major type (~70%) and S, the minor type (~30%).

Classification

Classification

SARS-CoV-2 viruses, the etiological agents of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), can be categorized into two major types:^[1]
- L, the major type (~70%)
- S, the minor type (~30%)

Establishing the Classification

One hundred and three SARS-CoV-2 virus strains were studied.^[1]
One hundred and one of them exhibited complete linkage between the two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): 72 strains exhibited a “CT” haplotype (defined as L type because T28,144 is in the codon of Leucine) and 29 strains exhibited a “TC” haplotype (defined as S type because C28,144 is in the codon of Serine) at these two sites.

References

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Lu, Jian; Cui, Jie; Qian, Zhaohui; Wang, Yirong; Zhang, Hong; Duan, Yuange; Wu, Xinkai; Yao, Xinmin; Song, Yuhe; Li, Xiang; Wu, Changcheng; Tang, Xiaolu (2020). “On the origin and continuing evolution of SARS-CoV-2”. National Science Review. doi:10.1093/nsr/nwaa036. ISSN 2095-5138.

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sabawoon Mirwais, M.B.B.S, M.D.[2]