Science: Virus sequences can reveal how SARS-CoV-2 spreads and evolves

JANUARY 29, 2021 // -- The presence of SARS-CoV-2 variants in the fight against COVID-19 adds twists and turns, indicating the need for better genomic monitoring of the virus, said Katia Koell, associate professor of biology at Emory University.
Koelle said: "Improved interstate SARS-CoV-2 genomic monitoring will indeed help us better understand the development and spread of the virus that caused the pandemic in the United States, so more effort is needed for sample collection and gene sequencing."
researchers need to access such metadata to better track how viruses spread geographically and identify any new variants that may be difficult to control in order to respond more effectively.
" (Photo: www.pixabay.com) Koelle studied the interaction between viral evolution and the epidemiological spread of viral infectious diseases.
article, published in the journal Science, suggests the importance of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.
by sequencing the genomes from individual patient samples, this paper summarizes key insights about SARS-CoV-2.
also cites the challenges that remain, including the need to collect and integrate metadata into genetic analysis and the need to develop more efficient and scalable computational methods for hundreds of thousands of genomes.
if SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid is found in a nasal or pharynx swab, it can confirm the patient's likelihood of carrying the virus, regardless of whether they have COVID-19 symptoms.
"sequencing viruses is like fingerprinting them," Koelle explains.
" and based on the extent to which fingerprints match between samples (i.e., how close they are genetically), you can sometimes know who is infecting others.
can provide more information by analyzing the sequence of samples taken from infected individuals in a given area over time.
" analysis of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing data allows researchers to estimate when SARS-CoV-2 is discharged into the human body.
virus genome can mutate during replication and alter its genetic make-up as it spreads to others.
of these random mutations may not affect the spread or toxicity of the virus, but some of them may make it more difficult to cure.
, for example, early evidence suggests that the recent SARS-CoV-2 mutation in the UK may be more likely to spread and may be accompanied by more severe symptoms.
a variant in South Africa shows signs that it may reduce the effectiveness of existing vaccines, while a variant first discovered in Brazil contains mutations that health officials fear could make the virus spread faster.
() Source: Viral sequencing can reveal how SARS-CoV-2 spreads and evolves Original source: M.A. Martin el al., "Insights from SARS-CoV-2 sequences," Science (2020). science.sciencemag.org/cgi/doi ... 1126/science.abf3995