Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Alaska

Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 genomes has emerged as the key technology for analyzing spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineages, including detection of variants of concern (VOC) that may cause more rapid spread, more severe COVID-19 disease, or reduce vaccine efficacy. The Alaska INBRE (IDeA) program is extending the genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 lineages and VOC in Alaska, with a team of University of Alaska researchers. Data will be released for meta-analyses to provide genomics perspective to epidemic tracing, understanding of spread of novel lineages, and impact of health disparities on spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineages.