Extended Data Fig. 6: Competitions between Alpha-FL and Alpha-spike/WT-non-spike in hamsters.

a, b, The Alpha-FL was mixed with Alpha-spike/WT-non-spike virus and inoculated intranasally into hamsters. Results of the competition were assessed by sampling nasal washes of both donor (a) and recipient hamsters (b) from 1–4 days post-inoculation (donors) or post-contact (recipients). c, d, Results of the competition between the Alpha-FL and the Alpha-spike/WT-non-spike in the tracheae and lungs of both donor (c) and recipient hamsters (d) at 4 days post-inoculation or post-contact. a–d, Red dots represent individual animals (n = 5), the horizontal lines in each catseye represent the mean, shaded regions represent standard error of the mean; y-axes use a log₁₀ scale. Black numbers above each set of values (catseye) indicate the relative fitness estimates. P values are calculated for the group (strain) coefficient for each linear regression model.