Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41012630›Full record

ArticleViruses2025

Long-Term Genomic Surveillance and Immune Escape of SARS-CoV-2 in the Republic of Korea, with a Focus on JN.1-Derived Variants.

Il-Hwan Kim, Eun Ju Lee, Jin Sun No, Ji Yeong Noh, Chae Young Lee, Sang Won O, Yong Jun Choi, Jeong-Ah Kim, Bo Min An, Jeong-Hyun Nam and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Viruses, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Il-Hwan KimDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0003-3566-5523
Eun Ju LeeDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-3308-1615
Jin Sun NoDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0003-4400-7872
Ji Yeong NohDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-2302-9012
Chae Young LeeDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-0969-039X
Sang Won ODivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-6022-778X
Yong Jun ChoiDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-5077-7999
Jeong-Ah KimDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0001-8938-4810
Bo Min AnDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.
Jeong-Hyun NamDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0003-4823-7552
Jeong-Min KimDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-8240-0395
Jee Eun RheeDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0001-8008-6964
Eun-Jin KimDivision of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Department of Laboratory Diagnosis and Analysis, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea.ORCID 0000-0001-6784-8004

Funding

Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency No. 4800-4837-301
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Republic of Korea has experienced continuous waves of SARS-CoV-2 variants. The current study aimed to analyze the long-term trends of variant prevalence and associated changes in immune responses within the country. Whole-genome sequencing was performed on confirmed patient samples collected from December 2020 to May 2025, and variant distribution, genetic diversity, and neutralization were compared. As a result of analyzing a total of 157,962 gene sequences, various Omicron sub-lineages, including BA.1, BA.2, BA.5, followed by JN.1, KP.3, and NB.1.8.1, were seen to circulate sequentially over time. The nucleotide diversity of the SARS-CoV-2 genome gradually increased after the JN.1 outbreak. Of the tested variants, hamster antiserum neutralization analysis indicated that Omicron NB.1.8.1, which began to circulate in 2025, exhibited the lowest neutralization activity, with an approximately 6.6-fold decrease compared to JN.1. This suggests a potential expansion in the dominance of new variants with enhanced immune evasion. As the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 continues, new variants with novel characteristics may emerge; therefore, continuous national genomic surveillance and immunological characterization are considered crucial for early detection of emerging variants and for guiding effective public health responses.

Indexed as

COVID-19Immune EvasionSARS-CoV-2AnimalsAntibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, ViralGenetic VariationGenome, ViralHumansPhylogenyRepublic of KoreaSpike Glycoprotein, CoronavirusWhole Genome SequencingAntibodies, NeutralizingAntibodies, ViralSpike Glycoprotein, CoronavirusCOVID-19genomic epidemiologygenomic surveillanceneutralization antibodiesphylogenetic analysisSARS-CoV-2variant

Identifiers

PMID41012630
PMCPMC12474168

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.