The first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in Spain was associated with early introductions and fast spread of a dominating genetic variant

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the world radically since 2020. Spain was one of the European countries with the highest incidence during the first wave. As a part of a consortium to monitor and study the evolution of the epidemic, we sequenced 2,170 samples, diagnosed mostly before lockdown measures. Here, we identified at least 500 introductions from multiple international sources and documented the early rise of two dominant Spanish epidemic clades (SECs), probably amplified by superspreading events. Both SECs were related closely to the initial Asian variants of SARS-CoV-2 and spread widely across Spain. We inferred a substantial reduction in the effective reproductive number of both SECs due to public-health interventions (R-e < 1), also reflected in the replacement of SECs by a new variant over the summer of 2020. In summary, we reveal a notable difference in the initial genetic makeup of SARS-CoV-2 in Spain compared with other European countries and show evidence to support the effectiveness of lockdown measures in controlling virus spread, even for the most successful genetic variants. Analysis of 2,170 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from the first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in Spain provides insights into transmission patterns and the effects of lockdown on the emergence of new variants.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Fernández Pinero, Jovita, Lopez, Mariana G., Chiner-Oms, Alvaro, Garcia de Viedma, Dario, Ruiz-Rodriguez, Paula, Cancino-Munoz, Irving, D'Auria, Giuseppe, de Marco, Griselda, Garcia-Gonzalez, Neris, Goig, Galo Adrian, Gomez-Navarro, Inmaculada, Jimenez-Serrano, Santiago, Martinez-Priego, Llucia, Ruiz-Hueso, Paula, Ruiz-Roldan, Lidia, Torres-Puente, Manuela, Alma Bracho, Maria, Alberola, Juan, Albert, Eliseo, Aranzamendi Zaldumbide, Maitane, Bea-Escudero, Maria Pilar, Boga, Jose Antonio, Bordoy, Antoni E., Canut-Blasco, Andres, Carvajal, Ana, Cilla Eguiluz, Gustavo, Cordon Rodriguez, , Maria Luz, Costa-Alcalde, Jose J., de Toro, Maria, de Toro Peinado, Inmaculada, Luis del Pozo, Jose, Duchene, Sebastian, Fuster Escrivá, Begoña, Gimeno Cardona, Concepcion, Gonzalez Galan, Veronica, Gonzalo Jimenez, Nieves, Herranz, M, Antonio Lepe, , Jose, Lopez-Causape, Carla, Lopez-Hontangas, Jose Luis, Martin, Vicente, Martro, Elisa, Milagro Beamonte, Ana, Montes Ros, Milagrosa, Moreno-Munoz, Rosario, Navarro, , David, Maria Navarro, Mari, Jose, Not, Anna, Oliver, Antonio, Palop-Borras, Begona, Grande, Monica Parra, Pedrosa-Corral, Irene, Perez Gonzalez, Maria Carmen, Perez-Lago, Laura, Perez-Ruiz, Mercedes, Pineiro Vazquez, Luis, Rabella, Nuria, Rezusta, Antonio, Robles Fonseca, Lorena, Sanbonmatsu-Gamez, Sara, Sicilia, Jon, Soriano, Alex, Tirado Balaguer, Maria Dolores, Torres, Ignacio, Tristancho, Alexander, Coscolla, Mireia, Gonzalez-Candelas, Fernando, Comas, Inaki
Other Authors:	Marimon, Jose Maria
Format:	artículo biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	Springer Nature 2021-10
Subjects:	Dynamics, Virus,
Online Access:	http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12792/6147 http://hdl.handle.net/10261/289678
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