Interstate transmission of the coronavirus is a much bigger public health threat in the U.S. than cases coming from international travelers, according to a new study at the Yale School of Public Health.
Researchers can track where a virus came from by analyzing its genetic makeup, or genome. They analyzed the genomes of nine virus samples from Connecticut covid-19 patients in mid-March, then compared them with 168 other covid-19 genomes from the U.S. and around the world, Colin Poitras reports for Yale School of Medicine.
"The study found that most of Connecticut’s virus samples were more closely linked to outbreaks in other states than international locations such as Europe and China," Poitras reports. "Most importantly, seven of the nine Connecticut samples were clustered with known virus genomes from Washington state. This provides evidence that transcontinental spread of the virus was already happening between the West Coast and East Coast as early as mid-March, despite federal international travel bans that were put in place starting in late January."
The findings underscore the need for more testing at the state level and more tracking of people who may have been exposed to the virus, say the researchers. Click below for a short video explaining the science behind the study.
Researchers can track where a virus came from by analyzing its genetic makeup, or genome. They analyzed the genomes of nine virus samples from Connecticut covid-19 patients in mid-March, then compared them with 168 other covid-19 genomes from the U.S. and around the world, Colin Poitras reports for Yale School of Medicine.
"The study found that most of Connecticut’s virus samples were more closely linked to outbreaks in other states than international locations such as Europe and China," Poitras reports. "Most importantly, seven of the nine Connecticut samples were clustered with known virus genomes from Washington state. This provides evidence that transcontinental spread of the virus was already happening between the West Coast and East Coast as early as mid-March, despite federal international travel bans that were put in place starting in late January."
The findings underscore the need for more testing at the state level and more tracking of people who may have been exposed to the virus, say the researchers. Click below for a short video explaining the science behind the study.
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