Ayooshi Mitra, Amity University Kolkata
Present transmission rates of SARS-CoV-2 are still on the rise, with second waves of infections being faced by many countries. Rapid SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequencing (WGS) is a massive tool for tracking and assessing transmission links but is not so readily available.
In a study conducted by a group of researchers, a novel reverse complement polymerase chain reaction, also known as RC-PCR technology was reported. It can sequence the whole genome of the novel coronavirus. The unique technology allows the preparation of libraries in a single PCR, saving time, resources by allowing large data screening.
A total of 173 samples of patients who had tested positive for the SARS-Cov-2 between March and September 2020 were included in the study. In six predefined clusters containing samples of healthcare workers and patients, RC-PCR WGS efficacy for outbreak analysis in public health service and hospital settings was put under testing. WGS data for 146 samples were obtained through RC-PCR.
Notably, in the public health service samples, a previously unknown chain of transmission was confirmed. These results show the reliability and applicability of the RC-PCR technology in outbreak assessment and surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 sequencing.
Also read: 98.6F Vs New Normal: Why the body temperature is declining over time?
References:
- Wolters, Femke. “Novel SARS-CoV-2 Whole-Genome Sequencing Technique Using Reverse Complement PCR Enables Fast and Accurate Outbreak Analysis.” BioRxiv, 1 Jan. 2020; https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.10.29.360578v1
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