Global transmission network of SARS-CoV-2: from outbreak to pandemic.
Pavel SkumsAlexander KirpichPelin Icer BaykalAlex ZelikovskyGerardo ChowellPublished in: medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences (2020)
The analysis suggest multiple introductions of SARS-CoV-2 into the majority of world regions by means of heterogeneous transmission pathways. The transmission network is scale-free, with a few genomic variants responsible for the majority of possible transmissions. The network structure is in line with the available temporal information represented by sample collection times and suggest the expected sampling time difference of few days between potential transmission pairs. The inferred network structural properties, transmission clusters and pathways and virus introduction routes emphasize the extent of the global epidemiological linkage and demonstrate the importance of internationally coordinated public health measures.