Full genome viral sequences inform patterns of SARS-CoV-2 spread into and within Israel.
other · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33139704.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-020-19248-0 and PMC identifier 7606475.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Full genome sequences are increasingly used to track the geographic spread and transmission dynamics of viral pathogens. Here, with a focus on Israel, we sequence 212 SARS-CoV-2 sequences and use them to perform a comprehensive analysis to trace the origins and spread of the virus. We find that travelers returning from the United States of America significantly contributed to viral spread in Israel, more than their proportion in incoming infected travelers. Using phylodynamic analysis, we estimate that the basic reproduction number of the virus was initially around 2.5, dropping by more than two-thirds following the implementation of social distancing measures. We further report high levels of transmission heterogeneity in SARS-CoV-2 spread, with between 2-10% of infected individuals resulting in 80% of secondary infections. Overall, our findings demonstrate the effectiveness of social distancing measures for reducing viral spread.
Medical subject headings
- Betacoronavirus
- Communicable Diseases, Imported
- Coronavirus Infections
- Genome, Viral
- Pneumonia, Viral