ArticleThe Lancet. Global health2021
Genomic epidemiology and the role of international and regional travel in the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Zimbabwe: a retrospective study of routinely collected surveillance data.
Article in The Lancet. Global health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Technological Barriers to Routine Genomic Surveillance for Vaccine Development Against SARS-CoV-2 in Africa: A Systematic Review.Influenza and other respiratory viruses · 2024Pooled it
- Phylogeographic evaluation of the effectiveness of Canadian travel restrictions in reducing SARS-CoV-2 variant importations and burden.Virus evolution · 2025Article
- A Strategic Framework of SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Surveillance in Bangladesh.Influenza and other respiratory viruses · 2024Article
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- A tale of two waves: Delineating diverse genomic and transmission landscapes driving the COVID-19 pandemic in Pune, India.Journal of infection and public health · 2023Article
- Tracking SARS-CoV-2 introductions in Mozambique using pandemic-scale phylogenies: a retrospective observational study.The Lancet. Global health · 2023Observational
- Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 during the first four waves in Mozambique.PLOS global public health · 2023Article
- Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a DNA vaccine inducing optimal expression of the SARS-CoV-2 S gene in hACE2 mice.Archives of virology · 2022Article
- Distribution and Current State of Molecular Genetic Characterization in Pathogenic Free-Living Amoebae.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance.Science (New York, N.Y.) · 2022Article
- Article
- Multi-omics in COVID-19: Seeing the unseen but overlooked in the clinic.Cell reports. Medicine · 2022Article
- Insights from Zimbabwe's SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance.The Lancet. Global health · 2021Article
- Enhancing SARS-CoV-2 surveillance at ports of entry between South Africa and Zimbabwe due to anticipated increased human mobility during the festive period.Public health in practice (Oxford, England) · 2021Article
- Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Zimbabwe shows dominance of variants of concern.The Lancet. Microbe · 2021Article
- SARS-CoV-2 in Zimbabwe: milestones and challenges faced towards achieving the expected 60% herd immunity.The Pan African medical journal · 2021Article
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Abstract
backgroundAdvances in SARS-CoV-2 sequencing have enabled identification of new variants, tracking of its evolution, and monitoring of its spread. We aimed to use whole genome sequencing to describe the molecular epidemiology of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and to inform the implementation of effective public health interventions for control in Zimbabwe.
methodsWe performed a retrospective study of nasopharyngeal samples collected from nine laboratories in Zimbabwe between March 20 and Oct 16, 2020. Samples were taken as a result of quarantine procedures for international arrivals or to test for infection in people who were symptomatic or close contacts of positive cases. Samples that had a cycle threshold of less than 30 in the diagnostic PCR test were processed for sequencing. We began our analysis in July, 2020 (120 days since the first case), with a follow-up in October, 2020 (at 210 days since the first case). The phylogenetic relationship of the genome sequences within Zimbabwe and global samples was established using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods.
findingsOf 92 299 nasopharyngeal samples collected during the study period, 8099 were PCR-positive and 328 were available for sequencing, with 156 passing sequence quality control. 83 (53%) of 156 were from female participants. At least 26 independent introductions of SARS-CoV-2 into Zimbabwe in the first 210 days were associated with 12 global lineages. 151 (97%) of 156 had the Asp614Gly mutation in the spike protein. Most cases, 93 (60%), were imported from outside Zimbabwe. Community transmission was reported 6 days after the onset of the outbreak.
interpretationInitial public health interventions delayed onset of SARS-CoV-2 community transmission after the introduction of the virus from international and regional migration in Zimbabwe. Global whole genome sequence data are essential to reveal major routes of spread and guide intervention strategies.
fundingWHO, Africa CDC, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research, and Genome Research Limited.
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