Early Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Variants Using Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance at 4 US Airports, September 2021-January 2022.

Wegrzyn, Renee D; Appiah, Grace D; Morfino, Robert; Milford, Scott R; Walker, Allison Taylor; Ernst, Ezra T; Darrow, William W; Li, Siyao Lisa et al. · Clin Infect Dis · 2023

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

We enrolled arriving international air travelers in a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 genomic surveillance program. We used molecular testing of pooled nasal swabs and sequenced positive samples for sublineage. Traveler-based surveillance provided early-warning variant detection, reporting the first US Omicron BA.2 and BA.3 in North America.

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