Emerging phylogenetic structure of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

ABSTRACT: Since spilling over into humans, SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly spread across the globe, accumulating significant genetic diversity. The structure of this genetic diversity and whether it reveals epidemiological insights are fundamental questions for understanding the evolutionary trajectory of this virus. Here, we use a recently developed phylodynamic approach to uncover phylogenetic structures underlying the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We find support for three SARS-CoV-2 lineages co-circulating, each with significantly different demographic dynamics concordant with known epidemiological factors. For example, Lineage C emerged in Europe with a high growth rate in late February, just prior to the exponential increase in cases in several European countries. Non-synonymous mutations that characterize Line

SUBMITTER: Fountain-Jones NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7717445 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature