[SARS-CoV-2 variants in relation to screening and vaccines]

As of today, September 2021, it is very difficult to predict how the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will develop in France and around the world. The objective of this review is to analyze recent studies concerning SARS-CoV-2, especially those looking for its origin, particularly in viruses from various bat populations. The ability of variants to escape vaccine responses is a real concern, as these variants show increased pathogenicity. Screening of infected subjects and large-scale sequencing are essential tools to be strengthened, for monitoring the risk of emergence of possible new variants and for the development of the second generation vaccines.