
Variants of Concern (VOCs) – a growing watch list
Several concerning lineages classified as VOCs are associated with higher transmissibility, virulence, or the ability to evade the immune response gained through prior infection or vaccination. The mutations in the viral genome of these variants are associated with a change in 'fitness' or are unique to their lineage and can be used as genetic markers for genotyping. It allows discriminating from the wild-type (WT) strain or other variants. Confronting these new variants, including the Omicron/B.1.1.529 variant, demands constant surveillance and the accelerated development of innovative early-detection tools.
Same-day SARS-CoV-2 genotyping results
QIAGEN leverages its expertise in assay design for these two technologies to provide your lab with high-performance genotyping assays.
One workflow, multiple viruses
Scalable, fast and sensitive PCR-based pathogen detection and mutation verification workflows are critical, but that’s not enough.
The 2021-22 flu season is expected to be strong, and there’s an increasing overlap in symptoms between the co-circulating respiratory viruses. Therefore, the research challenge will be to confidently differentiate between these viruses.
Pyrosequencing workflow
References:
1. Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern: technical briefings. Public Health England. See all updates.