Low Prevalence of Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir Resistance-Associated Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 Lineages From Botswana

The study examined the presence of genetic mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, in Botswana. Specifically, it looked for mutations that could make the virus resistant to a drug combination called Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir, used to treat COVID-19. The researchers analyzed different strains (lineages) of the virus circulating in Botswana to see how common these resistance mutations were. The findings revealed that such resistance-associated mutations were very rare in the virus strains from Botswana. This is important because it suggests that the Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir treatment is still effective in the region, and there is currently a low risk of the virus developing resistance to this drug combination in Botswana. This information is valuable for guiding the use of treatments in the ongoing fight against COVID-19.