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Viral infection and transmission in a large, well-traced outbreak caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant

Abstract:

The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant has spread rapidly worldwide. To provide data on its virological profile, we here report the first local transmission of Delta in mainland China. All 167 infections could be traced back to the first index case. Daily sequential PCR testing of quarantined individuals indicated that the viral loads of Delta infections, when they first become PCR-positive, were on average ~1000 times greater compared to lineage A/B infections during the first epidemic wave in China in early 2020, suggesting potentially faster viral replication and greater infectiousness of Delta during early infection. The estimated transmission bottleneck size of the Delta variant was generally narrow, with 1-3 virions in 29 donor-recipient transmission pairs. However, the transmission of minor iSNVs resulted in at least 3 of the 34 substitutions that were identified in the outbreak, highlighting the contribution of intra-host variants to population-level viral diversity during rapid spread.

Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Files:
Publisher copy:
10.1038/s41467-022-28089-y

Authors


More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Biology
Oxford college:
Linacre College
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-8797-2667
More by this author
Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
NDM
Sub department:
Big Data Institute
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-2671-3864


Publisher:
Spriner Nature
Journal:
Nature communications More from this journal
Volume:
13
Issue:
1
Article number:
460
Publication date:
2022-01-24
Acceptance date:
2022-01-04
DOI:
EISSN:
2041-1723
Pmid:
35075154


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1235723
Local pid:
pubs:1235723
Deposit date:
2023-02-08

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