Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives (Feb 2021)

Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2: Distribution of Clades in the Republic of Korea in 2020

  • Ae Kyung Park,
  • Il-Hwan Kim,
  • Junyoung Kim,
  • Jeong-Min Kim,
  • Heui Man Kim,
  • Chae young Lee,
  • Myung-Guk Han,
  • Gi-Eun Rhie,
  • Donghyok Kwon,
  • Jeong-Gu Nam,
  • Young-Joon Park,
  • Jin Gwack,
  • Nam-Joo Lee,
  • SangHee Woo,
  • Jin Sun No,
  • Jaehee Lee,
  • Jeemin Ha,
  • JeeEun Rhee,
  • Cheon-Kwon Yoo,
  • Eun-Jin Kim

DOI
https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2021.12.1.06
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 37 – 43

Abstract

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Since a novel beta-coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in December 2019, there has been a rapid global spread of the virus. Genomic surveillance was conducted on samples isolated from infected individuals to monitor the spread of genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 in Korea. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency performed whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 in Korea for 1 year (January 2020 to January 2021). A total of 2,488 SARS-CoV-2 cases were sequenced (including 648 cases from abroad). Initially, the prevalent clades of SARS-CoV-2 were the S and V clades, however, by March 2020, GH clade was the most dominant. Only international travelers were identified as having G or GR clades, and since the first variant 501Y.V1 was identified (from a traveler from the United Kingdom on December 22nd, 2020), a total of 27 variants of 501Y.V1, 501Y.V2, and 484K.V2 have been classified (as of January 25th, 2021). The results in this study indicated that quarantining of travelers entering Korea successfully prevented dissemination of the SARS-CoV-2 variants in Korea.

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