The presence of five different variants of the coronavirus in the Silesian Voivodeship, including the British one, has been confirmed by scientists of the Gyncentrum Genetic Laboratory and the Medical University of Silesia. The conducted pilot sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus genome from 12 samples also revealed the presence of a variant that has not been detected in Poland so far, and one dominant variant in patients requiring hospitalization.
Ultimately, scientists will sequence 1,500 samples from COVID-19 patients. Understanding these sequences will allow to conclude what mutations Poles are dealing with, the places from the different variants of the virus arrived in Silesia, and how and with what sequences they got mixed up.
The determination of SARS-CoV-2 genetic variants for the Silesian population will also allow to assess the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines available on the market against a given virus strain.
