The Role of Genetic Sequencing in Detecting New COVID Variants
The ability of the virus responsible for causing COVID-19 to mutate into new variants has added a significant new layer of difficulty in our efforts to end this pandemic. Tasked with the challenge of identifying new COVID variants as quickly as possible, genetic sequencing has been one of the world’s most important tools. In this article, we’ll explore what it means for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to mutate into a new variant and discuss the vital role that genetic sequencing plays in allowing us to detect these new mutations.
What is a COVID-19 Variant?
Like all biological organisms, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is able to mutate and evolve over numerous generations. With pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, though, this process occurs on a much more accelerated timeline.
When the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutates in a way that changes how infectious or lethal it is, the new strain is classified as a “variant”. The first COVID-19 variant to make national headlines was the Delta variant. Recently, the Omicron variant that first appeared in South Africa became the latest COVID-19 variant to capture the world’s attention.
However, these are not the only variants of COVID-19 that have come into existence over the past couple of years. The CDC breaks variants of COVID-19 down into four categories: variants being monitored (VBM), variants of interest (VOI), variants of concern (VOC), and variants of high consequence (VOHC). Thus far, the Delta and omicron variants are the only variants to be classified as variants of concern, and no variants have yet been classified as variants of interest or variants of high consequence. However, there are currently a total of ten different COVID-19 variants that fall under the category of variants being monitored.
In order to be classified as a variant of concern – the classification for both the Delta and Omicron variants – the virus must mutate in a way that makes it more transmissible, more lethal, or both. In the cases of both the Delta and Omicron variants, the SARS-CoV-2 virus became more transmissible after its mutation, but not any more lethal than its original strain.
While we are fortunate that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has thus far failed to mutate into a more lethal strain, its ability to mutate into more infectious strains is nonetheless a serious cause for concern. Slowing the spread of these more infectious strains requires us to detect their existence as soon as possible. To that end, genetic sequencing plays a vital role.
How Genetic Sequencing is Used to Detect New COVID Variants
In order to detect the emergence of new COVID-19 variants, scientists utilize genetic sequencing to sequence samples taken from infected patients. When differences in the virus’s genome are discovered, scientists then explore whether the genetic differences change the way that the virus behaves in order to determine if the new mutation is a cause for concern.
This process of using genetic sequencing as a means of scanning for new COVID-19 variants is known as “genomic surveillance”. By carefully surveying the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, scientists are able to detect the emergence of new variants, track their spread, and make predictions about the impact that new variants will have on public health. Once a new variant has been sequenced, it also becomes possible for physicians to test patients and determine whether they have been infected with the variant.
Schedule a COVID-19 Testing Appointment With St. Jude Labs
With the omicron variant now spreading across the globe, there’s no better time than now to get tested for COVID-19. At. St. Jude Labs, we are able to test for the original strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in addition to testing for both the Delta and Omicron variants. If you would like to get tested for COVID-19 via a testing procedure that is proven to detect all variants of concern, be sure to schedule a COVID-19 testing appointment with St. Jude Labs today.
