An Overview of the Genetic Variations of the SARS-CoV-2 Genomes Isolated in Southeast Asian Countries

• Main Authors: Yap, Polly Soo Xi, Tan, Tse Siang, Chan, Yoke Fun, Tee, Kok Keng, Kamarulzaman, Adeeba, Teh, Cindy Shuan Ju
• Format: Article
• Published: The Korean Society for Applied Microbiology 2020
• Subjects: R Medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/25769/; https://doi.org/10.4014/jmb.2006.06009
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

Monitoring the mutation dynamics of human severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is critical in understanding its infectivity, virulence and pathogenicity for development of a vaccine. In an "age of mobility,"the pandemic highlights the importance and vulnerability of regionalization and labor market interdependence in Southeast Asia. We intend to characterize the genetic variability of viral populations within the region to provide preliminary information for regional surveillance in the future. By analyzing 142 complete genomes from South East Asian (SEA) countries, we identified three central variants distinguished by nucleotide and amino acid changes. Copyright © 2020 by The Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnology.