First genetic sequencing of COVID in Quebec shows roots of outbreak

Initial results of study show that an estimated 250 independent events following spring break travel in March led to 60,000 people being infected. September 21, 2020 (MONTREAL, Quebec) - Today the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) and the McGill Genome Centre announced the initial results of their study into the genetic sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, the virus responsible for the outbreak of COVID-19. According to the study, the virus entered Quebec during the spring break period and could have been carried into the province by as few as 247 people. Peer review of this preliminary study is pending. "Our research indicates that origin of the outbreak in Quebec was mostly via Europe and the Americas, and not from Asia," said Dr. Jesse Shapiro, Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology. "Most of the early introductions of the virus into Quebec did not give rise to sustained transmission, but a barrage of introductions just after spring break eventually gave rise to the tens of thousands of cases we have seen since." The team sequenced and analyzed 734 high-quality genome sequences obtained between mid-February and April 1, 2020. The sequences were placed these in the context of 21,935 sequences from elsewhere in Canada and internationally, including all available in the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID), up to April 1st.