RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Country-wide genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 strains
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2021.06.08.447365
DO 10.1101/2021.06.08.447365
A1 Kishan Kalia
A1 Gayatri Saberwal
A1 Gaurav Sharma
YR 2021
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/06/09/2021.06.08.447365.abstract
AB Genomic surveillance has enabled the identification of several SARS-CoV-2 variants, allowing the formulation of appropriate public health policies. However, surveillance could be made more effective. We have determined that the time taken from strain collection to genome submission for over 1.7 million SARS-CoV-2 strains available at GISAID. We find that strain-wise, time lag in this process ranges from one day to over a year. Country-wise, the UK has taken a median of 16 days (for 417,287 genomes), India took 57 days (for 15,614 genomes), whereas Qatar spent 289 days (for 2298 genomes). We strongly emphasize that along with increasing the number of genomes of COVID-19 positive cases sequenced, their accelerated submission to GISAID should also be strongly encouraged and facilitated. This will enable researchers across the globe to track the spreading of variants in a timely manner; analyse their biology, epidemiology, and re-emerging infections; and define effective public health policies.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.