Emergence of a unique SARS-CoV-2 Delta sub-cluster harboring a constellation of co-appearing non-Spike mutations.

Accumulation of diverse mutations across the structural and non-structural genes is leading to rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2, altering its pathogenicity. We performed whole genome sequencing of 239 SARS-CoV-2 RNA samples collected from both adult and pediatric patients across eastern India (West Bengal), during the second pandemic wave in India (April-May 2021). In addition to several common spike mutations within the Delta variant, a unique constellation of 8 co-appearing non-spike mutations was identified, which revealed a high degree of positive mutual correlation. Our results also demonstrated the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants among unvaccinated pediatric patients. 41.4% of our studied Delta strains harbored this signature set of 8 co-appearing non-spike mutations and phylogenetically out-clustered other Delta sub-lineages like 21J, 21A or 21I. This is the first report from eastern India that portrayed a landscape of co-appearing mutations in the non-Spike proteins, which might have led to the evolution of a distinct Delta sub-cluster. Accumulation of such mutations in SARS-CoV-2 may lead to the emergence of "vaccine-evading variants". Hence, monitoring of such non-Spike mutations will be significant in the formulation of any future vaccines against those SARS-CoV-2 variants that might evade the current vaccine-induced immunity, among both the pediatric and adult populations. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.