Genomic sequencing effort for SARS-CoV-2 by country during the pandemic

Since the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), tremendous efforts have been made to sequence the viral genome from samples collected throughout the world. Here, we evaluate how various countries have performed in sequencing from the perspectives of fraction, timeliness, andopenness. We found that high proportions of samples were sequenced in the UK, the USA, Australia, and Iceland; sequencing was performed promptly in Iceland, the Netherlands, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and data were shared timely from the Netherlands, the USA, Iceland, and the UK. Although many developing countries have high numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infected cases but few published sequences, we observed good performance on sequencing efforts for some lowand middle-income countries. Further strengthening of the sequencing capacity at a global level would help in the fight against not only the current pandemic but also future outbreaks of viral diseases. (c) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of International Society for Infectious Diseases. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-ncnd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Efforts have been made worldwide to sequence the viral genome of SARS-CoV-2, with varying levels of success in terms of fraction, timeliness, and openness. Some low- and middle-income countries have shown good performance in sequencing, and strengthening global sequencing capacity would be crucial in fighting current and future viral outbreaks.