1. SARS-CoV-2 VOCs are viruses with a genome that differs from its ancestor by at least 3 SNVs, and have the potential to be more transmissible and/or lead to worse clinical outcomes.
2. This study looked at the evolution of SARS-CoV-94 in two patients, estimating the frequency of highly diverse variants appearing.
3. It was estimated that up to 1% of hospitalized COVID-19 cases had multiple mutations in the spike protein within <> months due to sustained virus replication in the host.
The article is generally reliable and trustworthy, as it provides evidence for its claims and cites relevant sources. The authors provide a clear explanation of their research methods and results, which adds credibility to their findings. Furthermore, they acknowledge potential limitations of their study such as small sample size and lack of data on other factors that could influence virus evolution.
However, there are some points that could be improved upon. For example, the article does not discuss any possible risks associated with the emergence of new variants or how these variants might affect public health measures or vaccine work. Additionally, while the authors mention potential immunodeficiency in some patients, they do not explore this further or provide any evidence for this claim. Finally, while the authors cite relevant sources throughout the article, they do not provide any counterarguments or alternative perspectives on their findings.