SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing in Andalusia, methodology and study of variants

Abstract

The incorporation of genomic sequencing techniques through next-generation sequencing has revolutionized clinical microbiology, innovating and improving the clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases. Today, whole genome sequencing in infectious diseases has many applications in virology, bacteriology, antibiotic resistance, epidemiology, and public health. With the appearance of SARS-CoV-2, the importance of the analysis and study of genetic sequences has been underlined. Since the initial identification of SARS-CoV-2, to date, more than 414,575 complete genomic sequences have been shared worldwide through public access databases. The ability to monitor viral evolution in near real time has a direct impact on the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper presents the importance of genomic sequencing in microbiology, infectious diseases, epidemiology and public health, and describes how SARS-CoV-2 sequencing has been implemented in Andalusia, and what the main results are to date.