Emergence of a Novel SARS-CoV-2 Variant in Southern California

Abstract
A spike in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has occurred in Southern California since October 2020. Analysis of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in Southern California prior to October indicated most isolates originated from clade 20C that likely emerged from New York via Europe early in the pandemic.1 Since then, novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 including those seen in the UK (20I/501Y.V1/B.1.1.7), South Africa (20H/501Y.V2/B.1.351), and Brazil (P.1/20J/501Y.V3/B.1.1.248) have emerged with the concern of increased infectivity and virulence.2,3 Thus, we analyzed variants of SARS-CoV-2 in Southern California to establish whether one of these known strains or a novel variant had emerged.
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