1. Emergence and rapid transmission of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 in the United States
- Author
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Rob Knight, David T.W. Wong, Peter De Hoff, Phillip G. Febbo, Kelly M. Schiabor Barrett, Jimmy M. Ramirez, Alexandre Bolze, Eric McDonald, Louise C. Laurent, Ezra Kurzban, David M. Becker, Michael Worobey, Emily Spencer, Marc Laurent, Duncan MacCannell, Kimberly Gietzen, Venice Servellita, Aaron Harding, Catelyn Anderson, Phoebe Seaver, Marc A. Suchard, Magnus Isaksson, Shashank Sathe, Brett Austin, Tracy Basler, Candace Wang, Holly Valentine, Simon R. White, Jason Nguyen, Sharoni Jacobs, Charles Y. Chiu, Laura D. Hughes, Mark Zeller, James T. Lu, Karthik Gangavarapu, Refugio Robles-Sikisaka, Kristian G. Andersen, Charlotte Rivera-Garcia, Kelly Hoon, Brad Sickler, Gene W. Yeo, Brendan B. Larsen, Nicole L. Washington, Eileen de Feo, Xueqing Wang, Jingtao Liu, Efren Sandoval, Omid Bakhtar, Jay Antico, Elizabeth T. Cirulli, Geraint Levan, William E. Lee, Tyler Cassens, and Xianding Deng
- Subjects
Male ,2019-20 coronavirus outbreak ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,Biology ,genomic epidemiology ,Medical and Health Sciences ,Article ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,law.invention ,Vaccine Related ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,law ,Models ,Biodefense ,Genetics ,Humans ,Genomic Epidemiology ,B.1.1.7 ,501Y.V1 ,Lung ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Genomic sequencing ,Prevention ,Human Genome ,COVID-19 ,Pneumonia ,Biological Sciences ,Biological ,United States ,Good Health and Well Being ,Transmission (mechanics) ,Variant of Concern ,Female ,variant of concern ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Demography ,VOC-202012/01 ,Developmental Biology - Abstract
The highly transmissible B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2, first identified in the United Kingdom, has gained a foothold across the world. Using S gene target failure (SGTF) and SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequencing, we investigated the prevalence and dynamics of this variant in the United States (U.S.), tracking it back to its early emergence. We found that while the fraction of B.1.1.7 varied by state, the variant increased at a logistic rate with a roughly weekly doubling rate and an increased transmission of 40-50%. We revealed several independent introductions of B.1.1.7 into the U.S. as early as late November 2020, with community transmission spreading it to most states within months. We show that the U.S. is on a similar trajectory as other countries where B.1.1.7 became dominant, requiring immediate and decisive action to minimize COVID-19 morbidity and mortality., Genomic epidemiology analyses explain the introduction and transmission of the B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 into the United States, with projections for it to soon be the dominant strain in the country.
- Published
- 2021