An extensive network of African scientists analyzed the first 100,000 SARS CoV-2 genomic sequences from the continent, characterizing the pandemic’s progression and highlighting the dispersal patterns of Variants of Concern, including Delta and Omicron. The work has been published in the esteemed journal Science (Impact Factor 47.73) https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abq5358.
UFS researchers, Prof. Martin Nyaga (Next Generation Sequencing Unit and Division of Virology), Mr. Philip Armand Bester (National Health Laboratory Services – NHLS and Division of Virology), Prof. Dominique Goedhals (NHLS and Division of Virology, currently at PathCare), were part of this continental collaborative study.
The study demonstrates the utility of NGS technologies in understanding the genomics of SARS-CoV-2 disease. Genomic studies provide deeper insights regarding diseases and provide timely solutions, such as accelerating vaccine development, to solving diseases affecting the African continent.