Introductions and early spread of SARS-CoV-2 in the New York City area.

Gonzalez-Reiche, Ana S; Hernandez, Matthew M; Sullivan, Mitchell J; Ciferri, Brianne; Alshammary, Hala; Obla, Ajay; Fabre, Shelcie; Kleiner, Giulio et al. · Science · 2020

other · Level V

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Abstract

New York City (NYC) has emerged as one of the epicenters of the current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. To identify the early transmission events underlying the rapid spread of the virus in the NYC metropolitan area, we sequenced the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients seeking care at the Mount Sinai Health System. Phylogenetic analysis of 84 distinct SARS-CoV-2 genomes indicates multiple, independent, but isolated introductions mainly from Europe and other parts of the United States. Moreover, we found evidence for community transmission of SARS-CoV-2 as suggested by clusters of related viruses found in patients living in different neighborhoods of the city.

Medical subject headings