ORF8 ∆382 Mutation: A Possible Viral Prognostic Biomarker for the Severity of the COVID-19

Since the initial onset of the current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic from Wuhan, China in December 2019, the virus is now spread all around the world, and the disease is named COVID-19. Based on the WHO report on April 18, 2021, there are now more than 140 million confirmed cases and three millions deaths due to this disease[1]. The virus pathogenesis, clinical features, and therapeutic approaches have  comprehensively been reviewed[2]. In addition, it has been indicated that patientschr('39') medical background and the age factor are associated with the mortality rate[2]. Regardless of the clinical presentations and the disease mortality, the mental effects of the current pandemic among medical staff and the general population are critically important, and the pandemic might trigger stress, anxiety, and depression[3]. In a research conducted by Derry et al.[4], it has been suggested that in cancerous patients, understanding of the disease prognosis could be helpful for therapeutic decision making and mental health. Despite a wide range of differences between cancer and COVID-19 illnesses, introducing a prognostic marker for COVID-19 could be helpful. Furthermore, this marker could be applied to predict possible admission to ICU and/or in case of a severe or mild disease. Excessive number of patients who required ICU admission have been reported in countries with COVID-19 crises[5]......