The emergence and successful elimination of SARS-CoV-2 dominant strains with increasing epidemic potential in Taiwan’s 2021 outbreak

• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22436
• Publication Date: 2023-11-20T20:49:33Z
• Authors: Chin-Rur Yang; Sui-Yuan Chang; Yu-Nong Gong; Chung-Guei Huang; Tsung-Hua Tung; Wei Liu; Ta-Chien Chan; Kuo-Sheng Hung; Hung-Sheng Shang; Jih-Jin Tsai; Chuan-Liang Kao; Hui-Lin Wu; Li-Yu Daisy Liu; Wan-Yu Lin; Yi-Chin Fan; Chwan-Chuen King; Chia-Chi Ku
• Keywords: Contact tracing; Dominance (genetics)

Taiwan's experience with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in 2003 guided its development of strategies to defend against SARS-CoV-2 2020, which enabled the successful control Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases from 2020 through March 2021. However, late-April 2021, imported Alpha variant began cause COVID-19 outbreaks at an exceptional rate Taiwan. In this study, we aimed determine what epidemiological conditions strains become dominant and decline later during a surge outbreak. conjunction contact-tracing investigations, used our bioinformatics software, CoVConvert IniCoV, analyze whole-genome sequences 101 Taiwan strains. Univariate multivariable regression analyses revealed factors associated viral dominance. analysis showed were preferentially selected surge's epicenter (p = 0.0024) intensive human-to-human contact maintained their dominance for 1.5 months until Zero-COVID Policy was implemented. Multivariable found that epidemic periods 0.007) 0.001) two significant virus spread community. These emerged outbreak's frequent low vaccination coverage. The Level 3 Restrictions policy successfully controlled outbreak community without city lockdowns. Our integrated method can identify emerging increasing potential support decision makers rapidly containing using public health measures target fast-spreading