Eurosurv. Genomic and epidemiological report of the recombinant XJ lineage SARS-CoV-2 variant, detected in northern Finland, January 2022

[tetano]

• Erika Lindh[SUP]1[/SUP] , Teemu Smura[SUP]2,3[/SUP] , Soile Blomqvist[SUP]1[/SUP] , Kirsi Liitsola[SUP]1[/SUP] , Hanna Vauhkonen[SUP]2[/SUP] , Laura Savolainen[SUP]4[/SUP] , Jaana Ikonen[SUP]5[/SUP] , Jukka Ronkainen[SUP]6[/SUP] , Jyri Taskila[SUP]7[/SUP] , Tea Taskila[SUP]8[/SUP] , Pertti Sakaranaho[SUP]9[/SUP] , Carita Savolainen-Kopra[SUP]1[/SUP] , Olli Vapalahti[SUP]2,3,10[/SUP] , Niina Ikonen[SUP]1[/SUP]

Recombinant sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant were detected in surveillance samples collected in north-western Finland in January 2022. We detected 191 samples with an identical genome arrangement in weeks 3 to 11, indicating sustained community transmission. The recombinant lineage has a 5’-end of BA.1, a recombination breakpoint between orf1a and orf1b (nucleotide position 13,296–15,240) and a 3’-end of BA.2 including the S gene. We describe the available genomic and epidemiological data about this currently circulating recombinant XJ lineage.



https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2022.27.16.2200257#html_fulltext