SARS-CoV-2 Panel

Analysis of the genome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from clinical samples is critical to understanding virus transmission and evolution and vaccine development. Existing RNA sequencing methods are technically and time-demanding for users and are not applicable to time-sensitive clinical samples, and not optimized for the high performance of the viral genome. In this study, full-length capture of coronavirus was performed after library construction of clinical samples by capture technology, and a complete high-depth, high-coverage SARS-CoV-2 genome with high yield and stability was successfully obtained. By reducing the hands-on time from sample to viral enrichment sequencing library, this rapid, versatile, and clinically friendly method will facilitate molecular epidemiological studies during current and future outbreaks.

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Beijing by May 2020 was caused by domestic and global transmission of imported cases. The study reported genomic surveillance data from 102 imported cases, which indicated that all cases in Beijing could be broadly classified into three categories: Wuhan exposure, local transmission, and overseas importation. The study classified all sequenced genomes into seven clusters based on representative high-frequency single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Genomic comparisons showed that the input group had higher genomic diversity than the Wuhan-exposed and locally transmitted groups, suggesting continued genomic evolution during global transmission. The input group had region-specific SNPs, whereas single nucleotide variants within the host showed a random character with no significant differences between groups. The epidemiological data suggest that case detection in a mandatory quarantine entry situation may be an effective method to prevent the recurrence of outbreaks triggered by imported cases. Notably, the study also identified a novel set of insertions/deletions (InDel). The data from this study suggest that the SARS-CoV-2 genome may have high mutation tolerance.