New Results
Low dose inocula of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant initiate more robust infections in the upper respiratory tract of hamsters than earlier D614G variants
Bobo Wing-Yee Mok, Honglian Liu, Siu-Ying Lau, Shaofeng Deng, Siwen Liu, Rachel Chun-Yee Tam, Timothy Ting-Leung Ng, Jake Siu-Lun Leung, Pui Wang, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Kwok-Hung Chan, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Gilman Kit-Hang Siu, Honglin Chen
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.19.440414
Bobo Wing-Yee Mok
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Honglian Liu
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Siu-Ying Lau
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Shaofeng Deng
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Siwen Liu
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Rachel Chun-Yee Tam
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Timothy Ting-Leung Ng
2Department of Health Technology and Informatics, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
Jake Siu-Lun Leung
2Department of Health Technology and Informatics, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
Pui Wang
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Kelvin Kai-Wang To
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Kwok-Hung Chan
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Kwok-Yung Yuen
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Gilman Kit-Hang Siu
2Department of Health Technology and Informatics, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China
Honglin Chen
1Department of Microbiology and State Key Laboratory for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

Abstract
There is a lack of experimental evidence to explain how the B.1.1.7 variant spreads more quickly than pre-existing variants in humans. We found that B.1.1.7 displays increased competitive fitness over earlier D614G lineages in an in-vitro system. Furthermore,, we demonstrated that B.1.1.7 variant is able to replicate and shed more efficiently in the nasal cavity than other variants with lower dose and shorter duration of exposure.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
Copyright
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
Posted April 19, 2021.
Low dose inocula of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant initiate more robust infections in the upper respiratory tract of hamsters than earlier D614G variants
Bobo Wing-Yee Mok, Honglian Liu, Siu-Ying Lau, Shaofeng Deng, Siwen Liu, Rachel Chun-Yee Tam, Timothy Ting-Leung Ng, Jake Siu-Lun Leung, Pui Wang, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Kwok-Hung Chan, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Gilman Kit-Hang Siu, Honglin Chen
bioRxiv 2021.04.19.440414; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.19.440414
Low dose inocula of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant initiate more robust infections in the upper respiratory tract of hamsters than earlier D614G variants
Bobo Wing-Yee Mok, Honglian Liu, Siu-Ying Lau, Shaofeng Deng, Siwen Liu, Rachel Chun-Yee Tam, Timothy Ting-Leung Ng, Jake Siu-Lun Leung, Pui Wang, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Kwok-Hung Chan, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Gilman Kit-Hang Siu, Honglin Chen
bioRxiv 2021.04.19.440414; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.04.19.440414
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