The sequence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was posted to a public web server on January 10, 2020 [6]
Following China’s Jan 7, 2020 announcement a “viral genome sequence was released for immediate public health support via the community online resource virological.org on 10 January (Wuhan-Hu-1, GenBank accession number MN908947), followed by four other genomes deposited on 12 January in the viral sequence database curated by the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID)”, according to Drosten et al. [4]
According to WHO on 12 January 2020, “China shared the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus for countries to use in developing specific diagnostic kits.”
The genetic sequence of 2019–nCoV (now SARS-CoV-2), a new coronavirus associated with human respiratory disease in Wuhan, China (collection date 26/12/2019), was published on GISAID for countries to use in developing specific diagnostic kits. [3]
- The University of Sydney coordinated the notice of release of the genome to the world
- The complete genome sequence called SARS-CoV-2 isolate Wuhan-Hu-1
The virus is closely related genetically to SARS-CoV (82%) and to SARS-related bat and civet coronaviruses within the family Betacoronavirus, subgenus Sarbecovirus. [1, 2] The epidemiology of this subgenus is largely unknown, especially outside China.
China’s CDC report that on “January 3, 2020, the sequence of novel β-genus coronaviruses (2019-nCoV) was determined from specimens collected from patients in Wuhan by scientists of the National Institute of Viral Disease Control and Prevention (IVDC), and three distinct strains have been established.”
The genome sequence was published by China’s CDC. [5] The new Betacoronavirus genome sequence was deposited in GISAID (www.gisaid.org) under the accession numbers:
- EPI_ISL_402119
- EPI_ISL_402020
- EPI_ISL_402121