AUTHOR=Wang Daxi , Wang Yanqun , Sun Wanying , Zhang Lu , Ji Jingkai , Zhang Zhaoyong , Cheng Xinyi , Li Yimin , Xiao Fei , Zhu Airu , Zhong Bei , Ruan Shicong , Li Jiandong , Ren Peidi , Ou Zhihua , Xiao Minfeng , Li Min , Deng Ziqing , Zhong Huanzi , Li Fuqiang , Wang Wen-jing , Zhang Yongwei , Chen Weijun , Zhu Shida , Xu Xun , Jin Xin , Zhao Jingxian , Zhong Nanshan , Zhang Wenwei , Zhao Jincun , Li Junhua , Xu Yonghao 

TITLE=Population Bottlenecks and Intra-host Evolution During Human-to-Human Transmission of SARS-CoV-2

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2021.585358

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2021.585358

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=<p>The emergence of the novel human coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, causes a global COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Here, we have characterized and compared viral populations of SARS-CoV-2 among COVID-19 patients within and across households. Our work showed an active viral replication activity in the human respiratory tract and the co-existence of genetically distinct viruses within the same host. The inter-host comparison among viral populations further revealed a narrow transmission bottleneck between patients from the same households, suggesting a dominated role of stochastic dynamics in both inter-host and intra-host evolutions.</p>