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Genomic epidemiology of the main SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Italy in 2020 and 2022 period
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  • Annalisa Bergna,
  • A. Lai,
  • Carla Della Ventura,
  • Bianca Bruzzone,
  • Alessandro Weisz,
  • Morena d'Avenia,
  • Sophie Testa,
  • Carlo Torti,
  • Caterina Sagnelli,
  • Angela Menchise,
  • Gaetano Brindicci,
  • Daniela Francisci,
  • Ilaria Vicenti,
  • Nicola Clementi,
  • Annapaola Callegaro,
  • Emmanuele Venanzi Rullo,
  • Sara Caucci,
  • Vanessa De Pace,
  • Andrea Orsi,
  • Stefano Brusa,
  • Francesca Greco,
  • Vittoria Letizia,
  • Emilia Vaccaro,
  • Gianluigi Franci,
  • Francesca Rizzo,
  • Fabio Sagradi,
  • Leonardo Lanfranchi,
  • Nicola Coppola,
  • Annalisa saracino,
  • Michela Sampaolo,
  • Silvia Ronchiadin,
  • Massimo Galli,
  • Agostino Riva,
  • Gianguglielmo Zehender
Annalisa Bergna
University of Milan
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A. Lai
University of Milan

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Carla Della Ventura
University of Milan
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Bianca Bruzzone
IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST
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Alessandro Weisz
Universita degli Studi di Salerno Dipartimento di Medicina Chirurgia e Odontoiatria Scuola Medica Salernitana
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Morena d'Avenia
ASL Bari
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Sophie Testa
Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale di Cremona
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Carlo Torti
Universita degli Studi Magna Graecia di Catanzaro Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche
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Caterina Sagnelli
University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli
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Angela Menchise
AOR San Carlo Potenza
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Gaetano Brindicci
University of Bari
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Daniela Francisci
Santa Maria della Misericordia" Hospital
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Ilaria Vicenti
Universita degli Studi di Siena Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Mediche
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Nicola Clementi
Università "Vita-Salute" San Raffaele
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Annapaola Callegaro
Department of Infectious Diseases
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Emmanuele Venanzi Rullo
University of Messina
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Sara Caucci
Universita Politecnica delle Marche Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Sanita Pubblica
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Vanessa De Pace
IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST
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Andrea Orsi
IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST
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Stefano Brusa
Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Traslazionali
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Francesca Greco
UOC Microbiology and Virology
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Vittoria Letizia
AORN Sant’Anna and San Sebastiano di Caserta
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Emilia Vaccaro
AOU ‘S Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d'Aragona’ Università di Salerno
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Gianluigi Franci
Universita degli Studi di Salerno Dipartimento di Medicina Chirurgia e Odontoiatria Scuola Medica Salernitana
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Francesca Rizzo
Universita degli Studi di Salerno Dipartimento di Medicina Chirurgia e Odontoiatria Scuola Medica Salernitana
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Fabio Sagradi
Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale di Cremona
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Leonardo Lanfranchi
Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale di Cremona
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Nicola Coppola
University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli
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Annalisa saracino
University of Bari
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Michela Sampaolo
IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele
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Silvia Ronchiadin
Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center
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Massimo Galli
University of Milan
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Agostino Riva
University of Milan
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Gianguglielmo Zehender
University of Milan
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Abstract

Since the beginning of the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 has shown a great genomic variability, resulting in the continuous emergence of new variants that has made their global monitoring and study a priority. This work aimed to study the genomic heterogeneity, the temporal origin, the rate of viral evolution and the population dynamics of the main circulating variants (20E.EU1, Alpha and Delta) in Italy, in August 2020-January 2022 period. For phylogenetic analyses, two datasets were evaluated for each variant, the former comprising international genomes and the latter focusing on clusters containing at least 70% of Italian sequences. The international dataset showed 26 (23% Italians, 23% singleton, 54% mixed), 40 (60% mixed, 37.5% Italians, 1 singleton) and 42 (85.7% mixed, 9.5% singleton, 4.8% Italians) clusters with at least one Italian sequence, in 20E.EU1 clade, Alpha and Delta variants, respectively. International clusters presented tMRCAs between 13/06/2020-27/07/2021. R e values showed the highest level between May-June until autumn 2020 in 20E.EU1 clade. The Alpha variant showed an increase in the R e in December 2020, when the highest mean value was estimated. Delta variant presented two peaks: the first between March-May, and the second between June-July 2021. The present work highlighted a different evolutionary dynamic of studied lineages with a high concordance between epidemiological parameters estimation and phylodynamic trends suggesting that the mechanism of replacement of the SARS-CoV-2 variants must be related to a complex of factors involving the transmissibility, as well as the implementation of control measures, and the level of cross-immunization within the population.
14 Jul 2023Submitted to Journal of Medical Virology
14 Jul 2023Submission Checks Completed
14 Jul 2023Assigned to Editor
14 Jul 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
14 Jul 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
05 Aug 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Major
22 Sep 20231st Revision Received
25 Sep 2023Submission Checks Completed
25 Sep 2023Assigned to Editor
25 Sep 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
25 Sep 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
03 Oct 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Major