Publications by authors named "Catelyn Anderson"
The maturation of genomic surveillance in the past decade has enabled tracking of the emergence and spread of epidemics at an unprecedented level. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, genomic data revealed that local epidemics varied considerably in the frequency of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineage importation and persistence, likely due to a combination of COVID-19 restrictions and changing connectivity. Here, we show that local COVID-19 epidemics are driven by regional transmission, including across international boundaries, but can become increasingly connected to distant locations following the relaxation of public health interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRegional connectivity and land travel have been identified as important drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. However, the generalizability of this finding is understudied outside of well-sampled, highly connected regions. In this study, we investigated the relative contributions of regional and intercontinental connectivity to the source-sink dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 for Jordan and the Middle East.
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- Effective detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants through wastewater analysis can complement existing clinical testing methods, especially in resource-limited areas where traditional testing may be biased.* -
- The study implemented improved virus concentration techniques and software to enhance the sequencing of multiple virus strains from wastewater, resulting in high-resolution data over 295 days at a university and its surrounding county.* -
- Wastewater surveillance identified emerging variants up to 14 days earlier than clinical methods and revealed instances of virus spread that clinical testing missed, highlighting its potential for public health monitoring.*
As SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread and evolve, detecting emerging variants early is critical for public health interventions. Inferring lineage prevalence by clinical testing is infeasible at scale, especially in areas with limited resources, participation, or testing/sequencing capacity, which can also introduce biases. SARS-CoV-2 RNA concentration in wastewater successfully tracks regional infection dynamics and provides less biased abundance estimates than clinical testing.
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- The COVID-19 epidemic in the U.S. went largely unnoticed due to a lack of testing, with New Orleans experiencing one of the earliest outbreaks during Mardi Gras.
- Researchers sequenced SARS-CoV-2 genomes in Louisiana and found that the virus had limited diversity, indicating a single introduction led to most early cases.
- The study revealed that SARS-CoV-2 was likely present in New Orleans before Mardi Gras, and the event significantly contributed to the rapid spread of the virus, highlighting the impact of large gatherings on epidemics.
Article Synopsis
- The early COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S. was largely unnoticed due to insufficient testing and prevention measures, particularly noticeable in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.
- Genetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in Louisiana revealed that the virus had limited diversity at first and that one initial introduction was responsible for most early transmissions.
- The presence of the virus in New Orleans before Mardi Gras and the festival's large gatherings significantly sped up the spread, contributing to localized epidemics across the Southern U.S.