Molecular evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in New York before the first pandemic wave

Matthew M. Hernandez, Ana S. Gonzalez-Reiche, Hala Alshammary, Shelcie Fabre, Zenab Khan, Adriana Guchte, Ajay Obla, Ethan Ellis, Mitchell J. Sullivan, Jessica Tan, Bremy Alburquerque, Juan Soto, Ching-Yi Wang, Shwetha Hara Sridhar, Ying-Chih Wang, Melissa Smith, Robert Sebra, Alberto E. Paniz-Mondolfi, Melissa R. Gitman, Michael D. Nowak, Carlos Cordon-Cardo, Marta Luksza, Florian Krammer, Harm Bakel (), Viviana Simon () and Emilia Mia Sordillo ()
Additional contact information
Matthew M. Hernandez: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Ana S. Gonzalez-Reiche: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Hala Alshammary: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Shelcie Fabre: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Zenab Khan: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Adriana Guchte: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Ajay Obla: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Ethan Ellis: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mitchell J. Sullivan: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Jessica Tan: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Bremy Alburquerque: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Juan Soto: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Ching-Yi Wang: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Shwetha Hara Sridhar: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Ying-Chih Wang: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Melissa Smith: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Robert Sebra: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Alberto E. Paniz-Mondolfi: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Melissa R. Gitman: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Michael D. Nowak: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Carlos Cordon-Cardo: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Marta Luksza: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Florian Krammer: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Harm Bakel: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Viviana Simon: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Emilia Mia Sordillo: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Numerous reports document the spread of SARS-CoV-2, but there is limited information on its introduction before the identification of a local case. This may lead to incorrect assumptions when modeling viral origins and transmission. Here, we utilize a sample pooling strategy to screen for previously undetected SARS-CoV-2 in de-identified, respiratory pathogen-negative nasopharyngeal specimens from 3,040 patients across the Mount Sinai Health System in New York. The patients had been previously evaluated for respiratory symptoms or influenza-like illness during the first 10 weeks of 2020. We identify SARS-CoV-2 RNA from specimens collected as early as 25 January 2020, and complete SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences from multiple pools of samples collected between late February and early March, documenting an increase prior to the later surge. Our results provide evidence of sporadic SARS-CoV-2 infections a full month before both the first officially documented case and emergence of New York as a COVID-19 epicenter in March 2020.

Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-23688-7

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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23688-7

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