As scientists scrambled to identify new COVID-19 subvariants, public interest in genomic sequencing grew—and so did global capacity, enabling its use for other public health needs.
Why genomic sequencing? By deciphering the genetic material of a virus, scientists have been able to identify mutations and better track the virus, the CDC notes.
COVID took the science global: Not wanting to wait weeks for test results from overseas, labs in Asia and Africa added machinery and computing power to do their own sequencing, Nature explains.
The impact:The Pasteur Institute of Cambodia, for example, “lowered the cost of sequencing a SARS-CoV-2 genome from US $1,000 in early 2020 to $20 by the end of 2021,” Nature says. The lab then used the equipment to investigate a case of avian flu in a 3-year-old boy and determine it was not likely to pass to other humans.
In Africa, countries with next-gen sequencing capacity expanded from seven in 2018 to 38, allowing facilities across the continent to sequence more than 140,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes and identify Ebola and other viruses.
More expansion is needed for pandemic prep: The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) agreed in September “to expand and strengthen genomic surveillance of pathogens with pandemic and epidemic potential in the Region,” including expanding a network of genomic sequencing labs and building capacity.
Funding needed: While genomic sequencing is relatively well-funded in the United States, capacity is uneven worldwide, despite assistance from sources like the Gates Foundation and the EU. There are concerns the opportunity to stay ahead of pandemics will be lost without more funding.
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