Nanopore sequencing reveals the genomic diversity of the variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2 during 2021 disease outbreak in Pakistan.

ABSTRACT: The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 was significantly impacted by the emergence of Variants of Concern (VOC), with Pakistan experiencing similar trends to other countries. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 strains circulating during Pakistan's third and fourth pandemic waves, we conducted the largest single sequencing effort in the country to date. Using the GridION platform (Oxford Nanopore Technologies), we performed whole genome sequencing on 1052 confirmed COVID-19 patient samples collected from multiple cities across Pakistan between March and October 2021. Our analysis revealed a clear temporal shift in variant dominance. The Alpha variant (B.1.1.7 lineage) predominated in the first half of 2021, while the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) became mos

SUBMITTER: Hassan ZU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12316874 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature