AKNOWLEDGEMENT
This study was supported by a Development Fund from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Both Drs. Chen Zhang and Wen Jing Law assisted in analysis of the viral NP protein and infectious SARS-CoV-2 titers. Wild type SARS-CoV-2 was provided by Dr. Ilya Frolov. Vero E6 TMPRSS2 T2A ACE2 cells (NR-54970) and different SARS-CoV-2 variants (NR-55461, NR-55611, NR-56475, NR-56520, NR-56803, NR-58616, and NR-58716) were obtained from BEI resources. All cell culture work with infectious SARS-CoV-2 was carried out at Southeastern Biosafety Laboratory Alabama Birmingham (SEBLAB), a NIH/ NIAID-supported (UC6AI058599 and 1G20AI167409) Regional Biocontainment Laboratory.