Genomic surveillance empowers agile responses to SARS-CoV-2 by enabling scientists and public health analysts to issue recommendations aimed at slowing transmission, prioritizing contact tracing, and building a robust genomic sequencing surveillance strategy. Since the start of the pandemic, real time RT-PCR diagnostic testing from upper respiratory specimens, such as nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, has been the standard. Moreover, respiratory samples in viral transport media are the ideal specimen for SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequencing (WGS). In early 2021, many clinicians transitioned to antigen-based SARS-CoV-2 detection tests, which use anterior nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 antigen detection. Despite this shift in testing methods, the need for whole-genome sequence surveillance remains. Thus, we developed a workflow for whole-genome sequencing with antigen test-derived swabs as an input rather than nasopharyngeal swabs. In this study, we use excess clinical specimens processed using the BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card. We demonstrate that whole-genome sequencing from antigen tests is feasible and yields similar results from RT-PCR-based assays utilizing a swab in viral transport media.
【초록키워드】 COVID-19, whole-genome sequencing, public health, SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, Genomic surveillance, diagnostic, Contact tracing, Transmission, RT-PCR, Antigen, SARS-CoV-2 detection, Viral, Surveillance, Transport media, nasopharyngeal swabs, nasopharyngeal, response, swabs, diagnostic testing, viral transport media, Swab, antigen tests, SARS-CoV-2 antigen, nasal swab, respiratory, WGS, Respiratory samples, specimens, genomic sequencing, real time, clinician, specimen, input, Card, Whole-genome sequence, recommendation, respiratory sample, robust, upper respiratory, in viral, feasible, processed, analyst, transitioned, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Antigen,