Publication Date: 2023/09/18
Abstract: The highly contagious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) pandemic's etiology is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV- 2). The disease is highly infectious and spreads majorly from person to person as well as by contact with viral droplets in the environment. While the role of human-to- human transmission is well elucidated, the significance of environmental transmission is not so clear. This study aims to evaluate the importance of the environment in COVID-19 spread through phylodynamic analysis of environmental isolates. Two thousand and ten (2010) whole-genome sequences from samples such as wastewater, sewage, freshwater, and hospital beds from 14 countries were retrieved from GISAID and investigated to determine trends and patterns. R, MAFFT, and Figtree software were used to conduct the analysis.Isolates from freshwater and hospital beds were the least with 1 sample apiece. The most occurring clade and lineage is the GK clade lineage B.1.617.2. The research shows similarities in the phylogeny of isolates from different geographical areas that were all found in the same cluster, further suggesting the possibility of a common ancestor. It also sheds light on the role of novel transmission routes like wastewater in the spread of COVID-19 as well as the importance of measures like hand washing as a control measure.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, Sewage, Waste Water, COVID- 19, Environment, Phylodynamic
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8354842
PDF: https://ijirst.demo4.arinfotech.co/assets/upload/files/IJISRT23SEP068.pdf
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