Association of vaccination, international travel, public health and social measures with lineage dynamics of SARS-CoV-2

Continually emerging SARS- CoV-2 variants of concern that can evade immune defenses are driving recurrent epidemic waves of COVID- 19 globally. However, the impact of measures to contain the virus and their effect on lineage diversity dynamics are poorly understood. Here, we jointly analyzed international travel, public health and social measures (PHSM), COVID- 19 vaccine rollout, SARS- CoV-2 lineage diversity, and the case growth rate (GR) from March 2020 to September 2022 across 63 countries. We showed that despite worldwide vaccine rollout, PHSM are effective in mitigating epidemic waves and lineage diversity. An increase of 10,000 monthly travelers in a single country - to-country route between endemic countries corresponds to a 5.5% (95% CI: 2.9 to 8.2%) rise in local lineage diversity. After accounting for PHSM, natural immunity from previous infections, and waning immunity, we discovered a negative association between the GR of cases and adjusted vaccine coverage (AVC). We also observed a complex relationship between lineage diversity and vaccine rollout. Specifically, we found a significant negative association between lineage diversity and AVC at both low and high levels but not significant at the medium level. Our study deepens the understanding of population immunity and lineage dynamics for future pandemic preparedness and responsiveness.

Automated summary

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants that can evade immune defenses is causing recurrent epidemic waves of COVID-19 globally. This study analyzed the impact of international travel, public health and social measures (PHSM), COVID-19 vaccine rollout, SARS-CoV-2 lineage diversity, and the case growth rate (GR) across 63 countries. The findings highlight the effectiveness of PHSM in mitigating epidemic waves and lineage diversity, even with the rollout of vaccines.