| Title: |
Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 under an elimination strategy in Hong Kong |
| Authors: |
Gu, H; Xie, R; Adam, DC; Tsui, LH; Chu, KW; Chang, LD; Cheuk, SYS; Gurung, SG; Krishnan, SP; Ng, YMD; Liu, Y; Kwong, CWK; Cheng, MS; Edwards, KM; Leung, SMK; Wu, JTK; Tsang, DNC; Leung, GM; Cowling, BJ; Peiris, JSM; Lam, TY; Dhanasekaran, V; Poon, LML |
| Publication Year: |
2022 |
| Collection: |
University of Hong Kong: HKU Scholars Hub |
| Description: |
Hong Kong employed a strategy of intermittent public health and social measures alongside increasingly stringent travel regulations to eliminate domestic SARS-CoV-2 transmission. By analyzing 1899 genome sequences (>18% of confirmed cases) from 23-January-2020 to 26-January-2021, we reveal the effects of fluctuating control measures on the evolution and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in Hong Kong. Despite numerous importations, only three introductions were responsible for 90% of locally-acquired cases. Community outbreaks were caused by novel introductions rather than a resurgence of circulating strains. Thus, local outbreak prevention requires strong border control and community surveillance, especially during periods of less stringent social restriction. Non-adherence to prolonged preventative measures may explain sustained local transmission observed during wave four in late 2020 and early 2021. We also found that, due to a tight transmission bottleneck, transmission of low-frequency single nucleotide variants between hosts is rare. ; published_or_final_version |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| ISBN: |
978-0-00-757297-7; 0-00-757297-2 |
| Relation: |
Nature Communications; Nature Communications, 2022, v. 13 n. 1, article no. 736; article no. 736; 331977; 334178; WOS:000757297200002; PMC8825829; https://hub.hku.hk/handle/10722/310957; 13 |
| DOI: |
10.1038/s41467-022-28420-7 |
| Availability: |
https://hub.hku.hk/handle/10722/310957; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28420-7 |
| Rights: |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.D9D4CC1C |
| Database: |
BASE |