🧬Latest #SARSCoV2 B.1.1.7 update from Connecticut.
- 9 B.1.1.7 cases detected in CT
- Most travel related
- We sequenced 28 SGTF samples from CT, 5 (18%) are B.1.1.7.
2/4 We sequenced 5 B117 cases in CT all (all in New Haven County, where we do most of our surveillance). The other four have been reported by The Jackson Labs (3, sequences not yet available) and Quest Diagnostics (1). They represent at least 4 seperate introductions.
3/4 We also sequenced 39 SGTF samples from out of state: FL, TX, TN, AZ, NJ, MA, NY, and IL. Combined with 28 form CT:
- 20 (30%) are B.1.1.7
- 40 (60%) are B.1.375
- 7 (10%) are other lineages
We'll break these down by date/location as we collect more data.
⚡️Our multiplex PCR assay has been updated to detect #SARSCOV2 variants B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 by targeting 2 deletions:
-ORF1a 3575-3677
-spike 69-70.
Preprint submission later today, short 🧵 for now 1/n
Brief update on TaqPath N gene target failure (NGTF). We believe that it is caused by a 6nt deletion (positions 28914-28919; N:214/215del) that has emerged independently at least 3 times in the US.
The @yalepathology clinical diagnostic lab recently detected 8 NGTFs from a related cluster of cases. We have so far sequenced 2 of these (Yale-S047 & Yale-S048) & they do not cluster with other N:214/215del seqs. Rather looks like it emerged within a local lineage (B.1.1.107).
33 N:214/215del seqs are located in the Pango lineage B.1.3, and have been detected in New York and Maryland.
Please let us know if you try it, and if you wouldn't mind, share your results. We just ordered the primers and will test next week, but we don't have any B.1.1.7 viruses to test. Will make protocol adjustments as we go, and will post a final version on protocols.io
No doubt many of you heard of it, either on this platform, or on the news. It generated a lot of buzz in the media, and not all of it is true. Lets walk through these, and how to get it set up in your lab.
2/n We apologize for the delay in getting information out on this. The FDA issued our EUA on a Saturday, and a media onslaught came before we could get ahead of it. This received much more attention than we ever imagined! We are working through our hundreds of emails...
3/n: Our mission is to remove capitalism from surveillance. We want to make available cheaper tests, and we believe that companies shouldn't overly profit from this. That is why we offer our protocol for free, and we are working with labs to implement cost and time saving steps.
Now that our SalivaDirect FDA EUA application for #SARS_CoV_2 diagnostics has been submitted, here is a sneak-peak at our validation results. medRxiv pre-print is forthcoming, but twitter is faster 😉
Overview: saliva w/o special tubes > no RNA extraction > dualplex PCR
3/n We validated SalivaDirect with multiple reagents & platforms to:
-make it available to more labs
-avoid specific supply chain bottlenecks
-keep costs down.
We'll provide specific information on how to conduct bridging studies to validate additional reagents/equipement
In collaboration with @jordan_peccia + @DougBrackney, we are posting regular SARS-CoV-2 surveillance updates on our website. We were a little concerned by a spike late last week, but new data show that was an anomaly. 1/n
2/n As opposed to testing wastewater, @jordan_peccia's team collects sewage sludge, which is concentrated. This allows us to detect SARS-CoV-2 above the PCR detection limits and track daily trends.
3/n Importantly, we found that surveillance from sewage sludge is an early indicator for SARS-CoV-2 transmission, so we watch these trends closely. This is highlighted in our preprint led by @jordan_peccia + @SaadOmer3