On May 28, China CDC Weekly published the sequencing results of Omicron subvariant BA.5, the first imported COVID-19 variant in Mainland China. The strain was sequenced using MGI’s DNBSEQ-50RS*, showing close relation to a sequence from South Africa (GISAID ID: EPI_ISL_12713186). BA.5 has now spread to 19 countries, with 2,614 sequences submitted to GISAID, though its public health impact requires further monitoring.
On April 27, 2022, a passenger from Amsterdam tested positive during quarantine in Shanghai. A nasopharyngeal swab sampled on April 29 was sequenced on May 13 using DNBSEQ-50RS*, confirming infection by Omicron BA.5. The genome had 34 nonsynonymous spike gene mutations matching the BA.5 sublineage.
Omicron BA.5 remains under observation, as evidence about its severity is insufficient. Globally, BA.2 and its descendants dominate, while BA.4 and BA.5 are increasing in prevalence in certain regions, including South Africa, Portugal, and the US. Vaccination rates and prior variant prevalence influence the spread of these sublineages. Continuous tracking of all Omicron descendants is required.
MGI’s DNBSEQ™ technology supports rapid VOC monitoring, completing sequencing and analysis from sampling to genome-wide variation in as little as 11 hours. The ATOPlex V3.1 RNA multiplex PCR library-pre sequencing kit improves detection in clinical and environmental samples, allowing recovery of whole viral genomes from as few as 10 copies.
Sequencing libraries were completed on DNBSEQ-50RS* or DNBSEQ-E5RS*, with the latter performing SE100 sequencing in 3.5 hours while maintaining high data quality. MGI’s COVID-19 targeted DNBSEQ™ sequencing products have been deployed to over 10 hotspots in China and have successfully sequenced multiple VOCs (Omicron BA.1, BA.2, BA.5, Delta), aiding variant tracing and monitoring.
Products are for research use only and not for clinical diagnosis. StandardMPS and CoolMPS sequencing reagents and sequencers may be unavailable in certain countries.
Reference: Hui Jiang et al., China CDC Weekly, “First Imported Case of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariant BA.5 — Shanghai Municipality, China, May 13, 2022.” doi:10.46234/ccdcw2022.104. WHO Situation Reports
