Co-circulation of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Gamma variants in Italy, February and March 2021
| Title: | Co-circulation of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Gamma variants in Italy, February and March 2021 |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Stefanelli P.; Trentini F.; Guzzetta G.; Marziano V.; Mammone A.; Schepisi M. S.; Poletti P.; Grane C. M.; Manica M.; del Manso M.; Andrianou X.; Ajelli M.; Rezza G.; Brusaferro S.; Merler S.; Di Martino A.; Ambrosio L.; Lo Presti A.; Fiore S.; Fabiani C.; Benedetti E.; Di Mario G.; Facchini M.; Puzelli S.; Calzoletti L.; Fontana S.; Venturi G.; Fortuna C.; Marsili G.; Amendola A.; Stuppia L.; Savini G.; Picerno A.; Lopizzo T.; Dell'Edera D.; Minchella P.; Greco F.; Viglietto G.; Atripaldi L.; Limone A.; D'Agaro P.; Licastro D.; Pongolini S.; Sambri V.; Dirani G.; Zannoli S.; Affanni P.; Colucci M. E.; Capobianchi M. R.; Icardi G.; Bruzzone B.; Lillo F.; Orsi A.; Pariani E.; Baldanti F.; Molecolare U. V.; Gismondo M. R.; Maggi F.; Caruso A.; Ceriotti F.; Boniotti M. B.; Barbieri I.; Bagnarelli P.; Menzo S.; Garofalo S.; Scutella M.; Pagani E.; Collini L.; Ghisetti V.; Brossa S.; Ru G.; Bozzetta E.; Chironna M.; Parisi A.; Rubino S.; Serra C.; Piras G.; Coghe F.; Vitale F.; Tramuto F.; Scalia G.; Palermo C. I.; Mancuso G.; Pollicino T.; Di Gaudio F.; Vullo S.; Reale S.; Cusi M. G.; Rossolini G. M.; Pistello M.; Mencacci A.; Camilloni B.; Severini S.; Di Benedetto M.; Terregino C.; Monne I.; Biscaro V. |
| Contributors: | Stefanelli, P.; Trentini, F.; Guzzetta, G.; Marziano, V.; Mammone, A.; Schepisi, M. S.; Poletti, P.; Grane, C. M.; Manica, M.; Del Manso, M.; Andrianou, X.; Ajelli, M.; Rezza, G.; Brusaferro, S.; Merler, S.; Di Martino, A.; Ambrosio, L.; Lo Presti, A.; Fiore, S.; Fabiani, C.; Benedetti, E.; Di Mario, G.; Facchini, M.; Puzelli, S.; Calzoletti, L.; Fontana, S.; Venturi, G.; Fortuna, C.; Marsili, G.; Amendola, A.; Stuppia, L.; Savini, G.; Picerno, A.; Lopizzo, T.; Dell'Edera, D.; Minchella, P.; Greco, F.; Viglietto, G.; Atripaldi, L.; Limone, A.; D'Agaro, P.; Licastro, D.; Pongolini, S.; Sambri, V.; Dirani, G.; Zannoli, S.; Affanni, P.; Colucci, M. E.; Capobianchi, M. R.; Icardi, G.; Bruzzone, B.; Lillo, F.; Orsi, A.; Pariani, E.; Baldanti, F.; Molecolare, U. V.; Gismondo, M. R.; Maggi, F.; Caruso, A.; Ceriotti, F.; Boniotti, M. B.; Barbieri, I.; Bagnarelli, P.; Menzo, S.; Garofalo, S.; Scutella, M.; Pagani, E.; Collini, L.; Ghisetti, V.; Brossa, S.; Ru, G.; Bozzetta, E.; Chironna, M.; Parisi, A.; Rubino, S.; Serra, C.; Piras, G.; Coghe, F.; Vitale, F.; Tramuto, F.; Scalia, G.; Palermo, C. I.; Mancuso, G.; Pollicino, T.; Di Gaudio, F.; Vullo, S.; Reale, S.; Cusi, M. G.; Rossolini, G. M.; Pistello, M.; Mencacci, A.; Camilloni, B.; Severini, S.; Di Benedetto, M.; Terregino, C.; Monne, I.; Biscaro, V. |
| Publisher Information: | European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) |
| Publication Year: | 2022 |
| Description: | Background: Several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) have emerged through 2020 and 2021. There is need for tools to estimate the relative transmissibility of emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 with respect to circulating strains. Aim: We aimed to assess the prevalence of co-circulating VOC in Italy and estimate their relative transmissibility. Methods: We conducted two genomic surveillance surveys on 18 February and 18 March 2021 across the whole Italian territory covering 3,243 clinical samples and developed a mathematical model that describes the dynamics of co-circulating strains. Results: The Alpha variant was already dominant on 18 February in a majority of regions/autonomous provinces (national prevalence: 54%) and almost completely replaced historical lineages by 18 March (dominant across Italy, national prevalence: 86%). We found a substantial proportion of the Gamma variant on 18 February, almost exclusively in central Italy (prevalence: 19%), which remained similar on 18 March. Nationally, the mean relative transmissibility of Alpha ranged at 1.55–1.57 times the level of historical lineages (95% CrI: 1.45–1.66). The relative transmissibility of Gamma varied according to the assumed degree of cross-protection from infection with other lineages and ranged from 1.12 (95% CrI: 1.03–1.23) with complete immune evasion to 1.39 (95% CrI: 1.26–1.56) for complete cross-protection. Conclusion: We assessed the relative advantage of competing viral strains, using a mathematical model assuming different degrees of cross-protection. We found substantial co-circulation of Alpha and Gamma in Italy. Gamma was not able to outcompete Alpha, probably because of its lower transmissibility. |
| Document Type: | article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Relation: | info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/pmid/35115077; info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000752431600001; volume:27; issue:5; numberofpages:13; journal:EUROSURVEILLANCE; https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11768/157897 |
| DOI: | 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.5.2100429 |
| Availability: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11768/157897; https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.5.2100429; https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.5.2100429 |
| Rights: | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess ; license:Creative commons ; license uri:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: | edsbas.2F28D4AA |
| Database: | BASE |