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Ramírez JD, Castañeda S, Ballesteros N, Muñoz M, Hernández M, Banu R, Shrestha P, Chen F, Shi H, van Bakel H, Simon V, Cordon-Cardo C, Sordillo EM, Paniz-Mondolfi AE. Hotspots for SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Spread: Lessons from New York City. J Med Virol 2022; 94:2911-2914. [PMID: 35243662 PMCID: PMC9088473 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic is still challenging public health systems worldwide, particularly with the emergence of novel SARS‐CoV‐2 variants with mutations that increase their transmissibility and immune escape. This is the case of the variant of concern Omicron that rapidly spread globally. Here, using epidemiological and genomic data we compared the situations in South Africa as the epicenter of emergence, United Kingdom, and with particular interest New York City. This rapid global dispersal from the place of first report reemphasizes the high transmissibility of Omicron, which needed only two weeks to become dominant in the United Kingdom and New York City. Our analyses suggest that as SARS‐CoV‐2 continues to evolve, global authorities must prioritize equity in vaccine access and continued genomic surveillance. Future studies are still needed to fully unveil the biological properties of Omicron, but what is certain is that vaccination, large‐scale testing, and infection prevention efforts are the greatest arsenal against the COVID‐19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan David Ramírez
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Sergio Castañeda
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del, Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Nathalia Ballesteros
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del, Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Marina Muñoz
- Centro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del, Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Matthew Hernández
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Radhika Banu
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Paras Shrestha
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
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- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Harm van Bakel
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Viviana Simon
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.,Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Carlos Cordon-Cardo
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Emilia Mia Sordillo
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Alberto E Paniz-Mondolfi
- Department of Pathology, Molecular, and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
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