Strain wars 3: Differences in infectivity and pathogenicity between Delta and Omicron strains of SARS-CoV-2 can be explained by thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of binding and growth

Beyond COVID-19: Do biothermodynamic properties allow predicting the future evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants?

“…Several issues concerning the origin, time of introduction to humans, evolutionary patterns, and underlying force driving the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak remain unclear for now [Chaw et al, 2020] . Physical and chemical processes in nature are driven by physical driving forces [ von Stockar, 2013a , 2013b ; Balmer, 2010 ; Demirel, 2014 ; Popovic and Popovic, 2022 ; Popovic, 2022a , 2022b ]. The driving force of virus entry into a host is Gibbs energy of binding [ Popovic and Popovic, 2022 ; Popovic, 2022a , 2022b ; Gale, 2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 ; Ridgway et al, 2022 ].…”

“…Physical and chemical processes in nature are driven by physical driving forces [ von Stockar, 2013a , 2013b ; Balmer, 2010 ; Demirel, 2014 ; Popovic and Popovic, 2022 ; Popovic, 2022a , 2022b ]. The driving force of virus entry into a host is Gibbs energy of binding [ Popovic and Popovic, 2022 ; Popovic, 2022a , 2022b ; Gale, 2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 ; Ridgway et al, 2022 ]. Similarly, Gibbs energy of growth represents the driving force of virus multiplication [ Popovic, 2022b ; Popovic and Minceva, 2020b ].…”

“…The driving force of virus entry into a host is Gibbs energy of binding [ Popovic and Popovic, 2022 ; Popovic, 2022a , 2022b ; Gale, 2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 ; Ridgway et al, 2022 ]. Similarly, Gibbs energy of growth represents the driving force of virus multiplication [ Popovic, 2022b ; Popovic and Minceva, 2020b ]. Energetics determines the outcome of virus-host interactions [Mahmoudabadi et al, 2017] .…”

Strain wars 5: Gibbs energies of binding of BA.1 through BA.4 variants of SARS-CoV-2

“…Where r B is the rate of SGP-hACE2 binding, L B a constant (known as binding phenomenological coefficient), T temperature and Δ B G Gibbs energy of SGP-hACE2 binding [ Popovic and Popovic, 2022 ; Popovic, 2022a , 2022 b von Stockar, 2013a ; Demirel, 2014 ]. The rate of binding is proportional to the absolute value of the Gibbs energy of binding.…”

“…SARS-CoV-2 has evolved into a great number of variants, each characterized by specific chemical and thermodynamic properties [ Popovic and Popovic, 2022 ; Popovic, 2022a , 2022 b]. Newer variants differ from earlier ones in genetic sequence and information content.…”