loading page

GENOMIC EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THE MAIN SARS-CoV-2 VARIANTS CIRCULATING IN ITALY DURING THE OMICRON ERA
  • +33
  • Annalisa Bergna,
  • A. Lai,
  • Fabio Sagradi,
  • Stefano Menzo,
  • Nicasio Mancini,
  • Bianca Bruzzone,
  • Stefano Rusconi,
  • Greta Marchegiani,
  • Nicola Clementi,
  • Daniela Francisci,
  • Ilaria Vicenti,
  • Silvia Ronchiadin,
  • Harcel Djaya Mbissam,
  • Carla Della Ventura,
  • Leonardo Lanfranchi,
  • Sophie Testa,
  • Sara Caucci,
  • Carla Acciarri,
  • Luca Carioti,
  • Alessandro Occhionero,
  • Federica Novazzi,
  • Angelo Genoni,
  • Francesca Drago Ferrante,
  • Vanessa De Pace,
  • Monica Ferraris,
  • Matilde Ogliastro,
  • Arianna Gabrieli,
  • Massimo De Paschale,
  • Giada Canavesi,
  • Maria Concetta Bellocchi,
  • Marco Iannetta,
  • Loredana Sarmati,
  • F. Ceccherini-Silberstein,
  • Agostino Riva,
  • Spinello Antinori,
  • Gianguglielmo Zehender
Annalisa Bergna
Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche Luigi Sacco
Author Profile
A. Lai
Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche Luigi Sacco

Corresponding Author:alessia.lai@unimi.it

Author Profile
Fabio Sagradi
Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale di Cremona
Author Profile
Stefano Menzo
Universita Politecnica delle Marche Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Sanita Pubblica
Author Profile
Nicasio Mancini
Universita degli Studi dell'Insubria
Author Profile
Bianca Bruzzone
IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino
Author Profile
Stefano Rusconi
Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche Luigi Sacco
Author Profile
Greta Marchegiani
Universita degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale
Author Profile
Nicola Clementi
Universita Vita Salute San Raffaele
Author Profile
Daniela Francisci
Azienda Ospedaliera di Perugia
Author Profile
Ilaria Vicenti
Universita degli Studi di Siena Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche
Author Profile
Silvia Ronchiadin
Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center
Author Profile
Harcel Djaya Mbissam
Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche Luigi Sacco
Author Profile
Carla Della Ventura
Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche Luigi Sacco
Author Profile
Leonardo Lanfranchi
Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale di Cremona
Author Profile
Sophie Testa
Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale di Cremona
Author Profile
Sara Caucci
Universita Politecnica delle Marche Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Sanita Pubblica
Author Profile
Carla Acciarri
Universita Politecnica delle Marche Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Sanita Pubblica
Author Profile
Luca Carioti
Universita degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale
Author Profile
Alessandro Occhionero
Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria delle Marche
Author Profile
Federica Novazzi
Universita degli Studi dell'Insubria
Author Profile
Angelo Genoni
Universita degli Studi dell'Insubria
Author Profile
Francesca Drago Ferrante
Universita degli Studi dell'Insubria
Author Profile
Vanessa De Pace
IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino
Author Profile
Monica Ferraris
IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino
Author Profile
Matilde Ogliastro
Universita degli Studi di Genova Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute
Author Profile
Arianna Gabrieli
Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche Luigi Sacco
Author Profile
Massimo De Paschale
Ospedale Nuovo di Legnano
Author Profile
Giada Canavesi
Ospedale Nuovo di Legnano
Author Profile
Maria Concetta Bellocchi
Universita degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale
Author Profile
Marco Iannetta
Universita degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi
Author Profile
Loredana Sarmati
Universita degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata Dipartimento di Medicina dei Sistemi
Author Profile
F. Ceccherini-Silberstein
Universita degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale
Author Profile
Agostino Riva
Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche Luigi Sacco
Author Profile
Spinello Antinori
Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche Luigi Sacco
Author Profile
Gianguglielmo Zehender
Universita degli Studi di Milano Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Cliniche Luigi Sacco
Author Profile

Abstract

Since early 2022 the Omicron variant has rapidly spread worldwide, becoming the dominant variant to date. The study aimed to investigate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 patients and to reconstruct the genomic epidemiology of main SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sub-lineages in Italy in 2022. 8,970 SARS-CoV-2 samples were studied, and phylogenetic analyses were focused on BA.1, BA.2 and BA.5 sub-variants. More than half of subjects received three doses of vaccine and experienced a reinfection. A significant larger proportion of unvaccinated subjects presented reinfection compared to vaccinated. Clusters presented a tMRCA between September-November 2021 (BA.1), November 2021-January 2022 (BA.2) and October 2021-May 2022 (BA.5). R e values showed the highest level between September-October, January-February 2022, and May 2022 for BA.1, BA.2 and BA.5, respectively. Limited number of studied variant sequences are included in clusters. The analyses dissect the epidemiological dynamics of Omicron sub-lineages in Italy over a period of great epidemiological changes in the COVID-19 epidemic. The spread rate of the studied variant exceeded its evolutionary rate. No single sub-lineage had sufficient time to differentiate into large clusters, but only into small and fragmented groups sharing the same recent ancestor. These analyses dissect the epidemiological dynamics of Omicron sub-lineages in Italy over a period of great epidemiological changes in the COVID-19 epidemic.
25 Jul 2024Submitted to Journal of Medical Virology
26 Jul 2024Submission Checks Completed
26 Jul 2024Assigned to Editor
26 Jul 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
11 Aug 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
07 Oct 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Major
08 Nov 20241st Revision Received
12 Nov 2024Submission Checks Completed
12 Nov 2024Assigned to Editor
12 Nov 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
17 Nov 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
10 Dec 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor