Overview of genomic surveillance related to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrom Coronavirus 2 (SARS- CoV-2)

Abstract

Since the start of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrom Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, several thousand of variants circulated and others are emerging. Therefore, genomic surveillance is crucial, which aims to detect the emergence of new variants, in particular Variants of Concern (VOC) and to assess the impact of priority mutations on the transmissibility and lethality of the virus, the performance of viral diagnostic methods and vaccine efficiency. An overview of available papers was performed to understand conduct, tools and utility of genomic sequencing and surveillance related to Covid-19 disease. We also report the experience of Morocco in this filed through available data. A national SARS-Cov-2 genomic consortium has been established in order to continuously inform the health authorities of the genetic evolution of circulating strains in Morocco. Genomic sequencing shows that Moroccan genomes spread did not show a predominant SARS-CoV-2 lineage. Genomes are dispersed across the evolutionary tree of SARS-CoV-2 and held between 4 and 16 mutations. As the pandemic ongoing, continuous genomic surveillance and regular sequencing are fundamental to understand the spread of SARS-CoV-2, to rapidly identify potential global transmission networks and to consolidate response strategies especially targeted Covid-19 vaccination.