Genomic epidemiology and evolutionary dynamics of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 during the fifth wave of COVID-19 in Pakistan.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has posed extraordinary challenges to global health systems and economies. The virus's rapid evolution has resulted in several variants of concern (VOCs), including the highly transmissible Omicron variant, characterized by extensive mutations. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity, population differentiation, and evolutionary dynamics of the Omicron VOC during the fifth wave of COVID-19 in Pakistan.

Methods

A total of 954 Omicron genomes sequenced during the fifth wave of COVID-19 in Pakistan were analyzed. A Bayesian framework was employed for phylogenetic reconstructions, molecular dating, and population dynamics analysis.

SUBMITTER: Razzaq A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11534695 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature