Global Expansion of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern: Dispersal Patterns and Influence of Air Travel.

ABSTRACT: In many regions of the world, the Alpha, Beta and Gamma SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) co-circulated during 2020-21 and fueled waves of infections. During 2021, these variants were almost completely displaced by the Delta variant, causing a third wave of infections worldwide. This phenomenon of global viral lineage displacement was observed again in late 2021, when the Omicron variant disseminated globally. In this study, we use phylogenetic and phylogeographic methods to reconstruct the dispersal patterns of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs worldwide. We find that the source-sink dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 varied substantially by VOC, and identify countries that acted as global hubs of variant dissemination, while other countries became regional contributors to the export of specific variants. We demon

SUBMITTER: Tegally H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9709793 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature