RESUMO
The global evolution of SARS-CoV-2 depends in part upon the evolutionary dynamics within individual hosts with varying immune histories. To characterize the within-host evolution of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, we deep sequenced saliva and nasal samples collected daily from immune and unvaccinated individuals early during infection. We show that longitudinal sampling facilitates high-confidence genetic variant detection and reveals evolutionary dynamics missed by less-frequent sampling strategies. Within-host dynamics in both naive and immune individuals appeared largely stochastic; however, we identified clear mutational hotspots within the viral genome, consistent with selection and differing between naive and immune individuals. In rare cases, minor genetic variants emerged to frequencies sufficient for forward transmission. Finally, we detected significant genetic compartmentalization of virus between saliva and nasal swab sample sites in many individuals. Altogether, these data provide a high-resolution profile of within-host SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary dynamics.
RESUMO
In early 2020, as SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic and surveillance responses ramped up, attention focused primarily on returning international travelers. Here, we build on existing studies characterizing early patterns of SARS-CoV-2 spread within the U.S. by analyzing detailed clinical, molecular, and viral genomic data from the state of Georgia through March 2020. We find evidence for multiple early introductions into Georgia, despite relatively sparse sampling. Most sampled sequences likely stemmed from a single introduction from Asia at least two weeks prior to the states first detected infection. Our analysis of sequences from domestic travelers demonstrates widespread circulation of closely-related viruses in multiple U.S. states by the end of March 2020. Our findings indicate that the early attention directed towards identifying SARS-CoV-2 in returning international travelers may have led to a failure to recognize locally circulating infections for several weeks, and points towards a critical need for rapid and broadly-targeted surveillance efforts in the future.
RESUMO
An early analysis of SARS-CoV-2 deep-sequencing data that combined epidemiological and genetic data to characterize the transmission dynamics of the virus in and beyond Austria concluded that the size of the viruss transmission bottleneck was large - on the order of 1000 virions. We performed new computational analyses using these deep-sequenced samples from Austria. Our analyses included characterization of transmission bottleneck sizes across a range of variant calling thresholds and examination of patterns of shared low-frequency variants between transmission pairs in cases where de novo genetic variation was present in the recipient. From these analyses, among others, we found that SARS-CoV-2 transmission bottlenecks are instead likely to be very tight, on the order of 1-3 virions. These findings have important consequences for understanding how SARS-CoV-2 evolves between hosts and the processes shaping genetic variation observed at the population level.
RESUMO
Evidence-based public health approaches that minimize the introduction and spread of new SARS-CoV-2 transmission clusters are urgently needed in the United States and other countries struggling with expanding epidemics. Here we analyze 247 full-genome SARS-CoV-2 sequences from two nearby communities in Wisconsin, USA, and find surprisingly distinct patterns of viral spread. Dane County had the 12th known introduction of SARS-CoV-2 in the United States, but this did not lead to descendant community spread. Instead, the Dane County outbreak was seeded by multiple later introductions, followed by limited community spread. In contrast, relatively few introductions in Milwaukee County led to extensive community spread. We present evidence for reduced viral spread in both counties, and limited viral transmission between counties, following the statewide "Safer at Home" public health order, which went into effect 25 March 2020. Our results suggest that early containment efforts suppressed the spread of SARS-CoV-2 within Wisconsin.
RESUMO
Full genome sequences are increasingly used to track the geographic spread and transmission dynamics of viral pathogens. Here, with a focus on Israel, we sequenced 212 SARS-CoV-2 sequences and use them to perform a comprehensive analysis to trace the origins and spread of the virus. A phylogenetic analysis including thousands of globally sampled sequences allowed us to infer multiple independent introductions into Israel, followed by local transmission. Returning travelers from the U.S. contributed dramatically more to viral spread relative to their proportion in incoming infected travelers. Using phylodynamic analysis, we estimated that the basic reproduction number of the virus was initially around ~2.0-2.6, dropping by two-thirds following the implementation of social distancing measures. A comparison between reported and model-estimated case numbers indicated high levels of transmission heterogeneity in SARS-CoV-2 spread, with between 1-10% of infected individuals resulting in 80% of secondary infections. Overall, our findings underscore the ability of this virus to efficiently transmit between and within countries, as well as demonstrate the effectiveness of social distancing measures for reducing its spread.
