Public Alerted to Omicron in New Mexico Through Quick Detection

Genetic material inside a virus. Credit: iStock. Over the past 2 years, you’ve probably heard a lot about the spread of SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—and the emergence of variants. The discovery and tracking of these variants is possible thanks to genomic surveillance, a technique that involves sequencing and analyzing the genomes of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles from many COVID-19 patients. Genomic surveillance has not only shed light on how SARS-CoV-2 has evolved and spread, but it has also helped public health officials decide when to introduce measures to help protect people. In December 2021, the NIGMS-supported SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance program at the University of New Mexico Health Science Center (UNM HSC) in Albuquerque detected the first known case of the Omicron variant in the state, which enabled a rapid public health response. The program’s co-leaders, assistant professors Darrell Dinwiddie, Ph.D., and Daryl Domman, Ph.D., were watching on high alert for it to enter New Mexico, and when it did, they were poised to quickly identify it: December 7: A patient tested positive for COVID-19 at the UNM hospital.December 9: The UNM HSC genomic surveillance program received a viral sample from the patient.December 10: Dr. Dinwiddie’s lab started sequencing the sample, a process that takes about 24 hours.December 12: Dr. Domman’s lab, which handles analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences, determined that the sample was Omicron. ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Genes Injury and Illness COVID-19 Genomics Infectious Diseases Viruses Source Type: blogs