Phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in Boston highlights the impact of superspreading events
View ORCID ProfileJacob E. Lemieux1,2,*,†, View ORCID ProfileKatherine J. Siddle1,3,*, View ORCID ProfileBennett M. Shaw1,2, View ORCID ProfileChristine Loreth1, View ORCID ProfileStephen F. Schaffne...
Science 05 Feb 2021:
Vol. 371, Issue 6529, eabe3261
DOI: 10.1126/science.abe3261
Structured Abstract
INTRODUCTION
We used genomic epidemiology to investigate the introduction and spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the Boston area across the first wave of the pandemic, from March through May 2020, including high-density sampling early in this period. Our analysis provides a window into the amplification of transmission in an urban setting, including the impact of superspreading events on local, national, and international spread.
RATIONALE
Superspreading is recognized as an important driver of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, but the determinants of superspreading—why apparently similar circumstances can lead to very different outcomes—are poorly understood. The broader impact of such events, both on local transmission and on the overall trajectory of the pandemic, can also be difficult to determine. Our dataset includes hundreds of cases that resulted from superspreading events with different epidemiological features, which allowed us to investigate the nature and effect of superspreading events in the first wave of the pandemic in the Boston area and to track their broader impact.
