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Since the rollout of the various COVID-19 vaccines, optimism has been on the rise that the pandemic may be finally heading in the right direction. Yet, as all good scientists know, we must remain vigilant and stringent in monitoring variants for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In recent months, many areas of the world have seen a rise in viral variants, many of which are more virulent and could potentially lead to breakthrough infections in vaccinated populations.  The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 VOC 20I/501Y.V1 (B.1.1.7 lineage) strain and its spread throughout Switzerland from the beginning of 2021 has led to an increased need for identifying the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.

In this GEN webinar, the processes for identifying the presence of the VOC 20I/501Y.V1 variant in samples from the Neuchatel area will be described from the early RT-qPCR S-dropout screening to the complete viral genome sequencing. Together with a retrospective sample sequencing approach, viral genome sequencing enabled investigation of how the landscape of virus lineages present in the population changed with the apparition of the VOC 20I/501Y.V1 variant. It also allowed monitoring of the rise and spread of other variants carrying specific spike protein substitutions.

A live Q&A session will followed the presentation, offering you a chance to pose questions to our expert panelist.

 

Webinar produced with support from:

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Carlos le Sage, PhD
Nicolas Sierro, PhD
Manager Genomics & Transcriptomics
PMI Science