Open AccessReal-time public health communication of local SARS-CoV-2 genomic epidemiology
Author(s) -
Chaney C. Kalinich,
Cole G. Jensen,
Peter Neugebauer,
Mary E. Petrone,
Mario A. Peña-Hernández,
Isabel M. Ott,
Anne L. Wyllie,
Tara Alpert,
Chantal B.F. Vogels,
Joseph R. Fauver,
Nathan D. Grubaugh,
Anderson Brito
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.127
H-Index - 271
eISSN - 1545-7885
pISSN - 1544-9173
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000869
Subject(s) - biology , public health , data science , transmission (telecommunications) , covid-19 , epidemiology , computational biology , evolutionary biology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , computer science , telecommunications , medicine , nursing , pathology
Genomic epidemiology can provide a unique, real-time understanding of SARS-CoV-2 transmission patterns. Yet the potential for genomic analyses to guide local policy and community-based behavioral decisions is limited because they are often oriented towards specially trained scientists and conducted on a national or global scale. Here, we propose a new paradigm: Phylogenetic analyses performed on a local level (municipal, county, or state), with results communicated in a clear, timely, and actionable manner to strengthen public health responses. We believe that presenting results rapidly, and tailored to a non-expert audience, can serve as a template for effective public health response to COVID-19 and other emerging viral diseases.