Published in
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Eurosurveillance, 11(27), 2022
DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2022.27.11.2200143
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Enhancing epidemiological surveillance of the emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant using spike gene target failure data, England, 15 November to 31 December 2021
,
Jessica Bridgen ,
Neil Bray,
Anne Marie O’Connell,
Daniel West,
Natalie Groves ,
Eileen Gallagher,
Lara Utsi ,
Christopher I. Jarvis ,
Jo L. Hardstaff ,
Chloe Byers ,
Soeren Metelmann ,
David Simons ,
Asad Zaidi ,
Katherine A. Twohig
and other authors.
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Abstract
When SARS-CoV-2 Omicron emerged in 2021, S gene target failure enabled differentiation between Omicron and the dominant Delta variant. In England, where S gene target surveillance (SGTS) was already established, this led to rapid identification (within ca 3 days of sample collection) of possible Omicron cases, alongside real-time surveillance and modelling of Omicron growth. SGTS was key to public health action (including case identification and incident management), and we share applied insights on how and when to use SGTS.