Main menu

Sequence analysis of 20,453 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from the Houston metropolitan area identifies the emergence of multiple isolates of all major variants of concern


Since the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, there has been international concern about the emergence of virus variants with mutations that increase transmissibility, enhance escape from the human immune response, or otherwise alter biologically important phenotypes. In late 2020, several “variants of concern” emerged globally, including the UK variant (B.1.1.7), South Africa variant (B.1.351), Brazil variants (P.1 and P.2), and two related California “variants of interest” (B.1.429 and B.1.427).

These variants are believed to have enhanced transmissibility capacity. For the South Africa and Brazil variants, there is evidence that mutations in spike protein permit it to escape from some vaccines and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Based on our extensive genome sequencing program involving 20,453 virus specimens from COVID-19 patients dating from March 2020, we report identification of all important SARS-CoV-2 variants among Houston Methodist Hospital patients residing in the greater metropolitan area.

Although these variants are currently at relatively low frequency in the population, they are geographically widespread. Houston is the first city in the United States to have all variants documented by genome sequencing. As vaccine deployment accelerates worldwide, increased genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is essential to understanding the presence and frequency of consequential variants and their patterns and trajectory of dissemination. This information is critical for medical and public health efforts to effectively address and mitigate this global crisis.

Authors: S. Wesley Long, Randall J. Olsen, Paul A. Christensen, Sishir Subedi, Robert Olson, James J. Davis, Matthew Ojeda Saavedra, Prasanti Yerramilli, Layne Pruitt, Kristina Reppond, Madison N. Shyer, Jessica Cambric, Ilya J. Finkelstein, Jimmy Gollihar, James M. Musser

入门指南

购买 MinION 启动包 Nanopore 商城 测序服务提供商 全球代理商

纳米孔技术

订阅 Nanopore 更新 资源库及发表刊物 什么是 Nanopore 社区

关于 Oxford Nanopore

新闻 公司历程 可持续发展 领导团队 媒体资源和联系方式 投资者 合作者 在 Oxford Nanopore 工作 职位空缺 商业信息 BSI 27001 accreditationBSI 90001 accreditationBSI mark of trust
Chinese flag