| Abstract |
In Nepal, since the first detection of COVID-19 case in January 2020, the total cases have rose to almost a million with more than 12,000 deaths. Till now, WHO has classified 5 variants of SARS-Cov2 as variant of concerns at different time points causing many waves in different countries and regions at different time points. Nepal had also faced three distinct waves of COVID-19 caused by different variant of COVID 19. The objective of this study was to perform whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in different waves of COVID-19 in Nepal and investigate its variant or lineage.In this study, samples from 49 SARS-CoV-2 infected subjects from May 2021 to January 2022, were investigated. The methodology followed RNA extraction, real-time PCR for confirmation and whole-genome sequencing. The consensus genomes were interpreted with appropriate bioinformatics tools and databases.Sequence analysis of 49 genomes revealed to be of Delta (n=27) and Omicron Variant (n=22). The mutations in the consensus genomes contained the defining mutations of the respective lineages/variants. There were 20 genomes of Omicron sub-lineage BA.2, 1 of BA.1.1 and 1 of B.1.1.529.This study provides concise genomic evidence of presence of Delta and Omicron variant of COVID-19 in Nepal. Delta and Omicron variants were driving the second wave and the third wave of COVID-19 respectively in Nepal. Therefore, the genomic surveillance must be increased to clearly map out the pandemic and strategize vaccination approaches in the country. |
| Authors |
Dipesh Tamrakar , Nishan Katuwal  , Navin Adhikari  , Surendra Kumar Madhup , Meghnath Dhimal , Ruchi Shrestha
|
| Journal Info |
National Institutes of Health | PubMed , vol: 21
, iss: 1
, pages: 57 - 62
|
| Publication Date |
9/8/2023 |
| ISSN |
Not listed |
Type |
article |
| Open Access |
closed
|
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.33314/jnhrc.v21i1.4489 |
| Keywords |
Viral Transmission (Score: 0.449707)
|
