Coronaviruses: Variants, Antivirals, and Vaccination
A special issue of COVID (ISSN 2673-8112). This special issue belongs to the section "Human or Animal Coronaviruses".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026
Special Issue Editor
Interests: viral pathogenesis; antiviral agents; viral diagnosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue, “Coronaviruses: Variants, Antivirals, and Vaccination”, aims to provide an integrated platform for advancing our understanding of coronavirus evolution and its ongoing impact on global health.
As SARS-CoV-2 continues to generate new variants with differing transmissibility, pathogenicity, and immune-evasion profiles, timely dissemination of research findings remains essential. This topic is critically important for informing preparedness, guiding therapeutic development—including the role of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which continue to be a cornerstone of therapy for high-risk patients—and refining vaccination strategies. Furthermore, a comprehensive understanding of virus–host interactions—such as how variants bind to cellular receptors (e.g., ACE2), enter cells, and manipulate innate immune responses—is fundamental to elucidating the mechanisms that drive viral infection, pathogenesis, and immune evasion. By covering viral evolution, antiviral efficacy, immunological responses, and real-world vaccine performance, the Special Issue encourages multidisciplinary perspectives that can support evidence-based public health decision-making. Additionally, offering authors a broader venue for publishing ensures that high-quality work reaches the scientific community promptly and effectively. Through this focus, the Special Issue seeks to accelerate progress in understanding coronaviruses and mitigating their current and future threats.
You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Viruses.
Sincerely,
Prof. Dr. Cheng-Wen Lin
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. COVID is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- coronavirus variants
- SARS-CoV-2 evolution
- antivirals
- vaccination
- immune response
- global health
- viral pathogenesis
- public health preparedness
- host genomics
- monoclonal antibodies
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
