The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

A Novel Compact Ultra-Wideband Planar Inverted-L Antenna For Wireless Application

A novel compact Ultra-Wide-Band Planar Inverted-L antenna is presented and investigated in this paper. The proposed antenna consists of a square planar radiating element with a U-shaped slot. The radiating element is supported by a shorting wall, and fed by a single 50 Ohms characteristic impedance microstripe line, printed on the top of the FR-4 substrate. The ground plane of the antenna is printed on the other side of the substrate. The entire antenna occupies only a small volume of 20mm × 35mm × 4mm, and is capable of operating from 4.2GHz to 8.6GHz (68.75%) and offers a maximum gain of 5.24dB. Therefore, it is suitable for UWB systems and other wireless and mobile technologies and, thus, can be integrated into smartwatch, mobile phones, tablets and laptops. The design of this antenna was carried out using 3D software such as CST studio and Ansoft HFSS to compare and validate the results

A Novel Compact Ultra-Wideband Planar Inverted-L Antenna For Wireless Application

A novel compact Ultra-Wide-Band Planar Inverted-L antenna is presented and investigated in this paper. The proposed antenna consists of a square planar radiating element with a U-shaped slot. The radiating element is supported by a shorting wall, and fed by a single 50 Ohms characteristic impedance microstripe line, printed on the top of the FR-4 substrate. The ground plane of the antenna is printed on the other side of the substrate. The entire antenna occupies only a small volume of 20mm × 35mm × 4mm, and is capable of operating from 4.2GHz to 8.6GHz (68.75%) and offers a maximum gain of 5.24dB. Therefore, it is suitable for UWB systems and other wireless and mobile technologies and, thus, can be integrated into smartwatch, mobile phones, tablets and laptops. The design of this antenna was carried out using 3D software such as CST studio and Ansoft HFSS to compare and validate the results

Exome sequencing links corticospinal motor neuron disease to common neurodegenerative disorders

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) are neurodegenerative motor neuron diseases characterized by progressive age-dependent loss of corticospinal motor tract function. Although the genetic basis is partly understood, only a fraction of cases can receive a genetic diagnosis, and a global view of HSP is lacking. By using whole-exome sequencing in combination with network analysis, we identified 18 previously unknown putative HSP genes and validated nearly all of these genes functionally or genetically. The pathways highlighted by these mutations link HSP to cellular transport, nucleotide metabolism, and synapse and axon development. Network analysis revealed a host of further candidate genes, of which three were mutated in our cohort. Our analysis links HSP to other neurodegenerative disorders and can facilitate gene discovery and mechanistic understanding of disease