Tracking the prevalence and emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern using a regional genomic surveillance program.

In our manuscript, we describe the results of SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance from February 2021 to June 2022 at a metropolitan hospital in the United States. We demonstrate that consistent daily sampling is sufficient to track the regional prevalence and emergence of variants of concern (VOCs). Similar sampling efforts should be considered a viable option for local SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance at other regional laboratories. While the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has evolved into a more endemic form, we still believe that additional real-world information about sampling, procedures, and data interpretation is valuable for ongoing as well as future genomic surveillance efforts. Our study should be of substantial interest to clinical virologists.