Italy’s second wave of SARS-CoV-2 has hit hard, with more than three million cases and over 100,000 deaths, representing an almost ten-fold increase in the numbers reported by August 2020. Herein, we present an analysis of 6515 SARS-CoV-2 sequences sampled in Italy between 29 January 2020 and 1 March 2021 and show how different lineages emerged multiple times independently despite lockdown restrictions. Virus lineage B.1.177 became the dominant variant in November 2020, when cases peaked at 40,000 a day, but since January 2021 this is being replaced by the B.1.1.7 ‘variant of concern’. In addition, we report a sudden increase in another documented variant of concern—lineage P.1—from December 2020 onwards, most likely caused by a single introduction into Italy. We again highlight how international importations drive the emergence of new lineages and that genome sequencing should remain a top priority for ongoing surveillance in Italy.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Italy, Epidemic, variant of concern, B.1.1.7, P.1, 【초록키워드】 variant, Italy, Genome sequencing, Surveillance, B.1.1.7, International, Lineage, second wave, Analysis, deaths, lockdown restrictions, SARS-CoV-2 sequence, REPLACED BY, B.1.177, dominant variant, highlight, caused, reported, addition, peaked, increase in, representing, replaced, 【제목키워드】 emergence,