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Iota variant3/27/2023 ![]() SARS-CoV-2 surveillance is key for detecting any change in the virus' sequence that may influence its spread, COVID-19 severity or vaccine effectiveness, treatments, diagnosis, or other public health and social measures. PAHO supports the project by standardizing screening protocols for variants of concern, collaborating in results analysis, donating reagents, and training laboratory staff. Using PAHO resources and an exchange between participating laboratories, the network also strengthened capacity in ten countries that had some prior sequencing capability. ![]() These efforts made it possible to detect variants of concern for the first time in Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, and Honduras. Thirteen countries participating in the network have limited capacity or are in the process of expanding their sequencing capabilities. Those countries are sending their samples to one of the six regional reference laboratories, located in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States. Not every country in the world and the region has that capacity in their public health laboratories," said Jairo Méndez Rico, PAHO advisor on emerging viral diseases. Genomic sequencing of viruses is a relatively new and complex process requiring large investments in high-cost equipment, trained human resources, reagents, and other supplies. ![]() Lack of established capacity for genomic sequencing and monitoring of the virus that causes COVID-19 has not a been an issue for the countries of the Americas since the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) created the COVID-19 Genomic Surveillance Regional Network (COVIGEN) in March 2020, comprised of public health laboratories from 24 countries in the Region. Their destination is the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) laboratory for genomic sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The results of these strategically selected samples representing different regions of the country will produce an overview of circulating variants and provide guidance for public health measures to fight the pandemic. ![]() Washington, DC, July 2021 (PAHO) - Fifty samples from people who tested positive for COVID-19 depart from Santo Domingo airport in the Dominican Republic for Rio de Janeiro. ![]()
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