“The COVID-19 pandemic in BRICS: Milestones, interventions, and molecular epidemiology”.

“The COVID-19 pandemic in BRICS: Milestones, interventions, and molecular epidemiology”.

Publication date: Dec 20, 2024

Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) are a group of developing countries with shared economic, healthcare, and scientific interests. These countries navigate multiple syndemics, and the COVID-19 pandemic placed severe strain on already burdened BRICS’ healthcare systems, hampering effective pandemic interventions. Genomic surveillance and molecular epidemiology remain indispensable tools for facilitating informed pandemic intervention. To evaluate the combined manner in which the pandemic unfolded in BRICS countries, we reviewed the BRICS pandemic epidemiological and genomic milestones, which included the first reported cases and deaths, and pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions implemented in these countries. To assess the development of genomic surveillance capacity and efficiency over the pandemic, we analyzed the turnaround time from sample collection to data availability and the technologies used for genomic analysis. This data provided information on the laboratory capacities that enable the detection of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and highlight their potential for monitoring other pathogens in ongoing public health efforts. Our analyses indicated that BRICS suffered >105. 6M COVID-19 infections, resulting in >1. 7M deaths. BRICS countries detected intricate genetic combinations of SARS-CoV-2 variants that fueled country-specific pandemic waves. BRICS’ genomic surveillance programs enabled the identification and characterization of the majority of globally circulating Variants of Concern (VOCs) and their descending lineages. Pandemic intervention strategies first implemented by BRICS countries included non-pharmaceutical interventions during the onset of the pandemic, such as nationwide lockdowns, quarantine procedures, the establishment of fever clinics, and mask mandates- which were emulated internationally. Vaccination rollout strategies complemented this, some representing the first of their kind. Improvements in BRICS sequencing and data generation turnaround time facilitated quicker detection of circulating and emerging variants, supported by investments in sequencing and bioinformatic infrastructure. Intra-BRICS cooperation contributed to the ongoing intervention in COVID-19 and other pandemics, enhancing collective capabilities in addressing these health challenges. The data generated continues to inform BRICS-centric pandemic intervention strategies and influences global health matters. The increased laboratory and bioinformatic capacity post-COVID-19 will support the detection of emerging pathogens.

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Concepts Keywords
Bioinformatic Brics
Brazil Countries
China Covid
Fever Detection
Vaccination Emerging
Epidemiology
Genomic
Intervention
Interventions
Milestones
Molecular
Pandemic
Pharmaceutical
Surveillance
Variants

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH COVID-19 pandemic
disease IDO intervention
disease MESH infections
disease IDO country
drug DRUGBANK Methyl isocyanate
pathway REACTOME Reproduction
disease IDO immunodeficiency
disease MESH Yellow Fever
disease MESH Dengue
disease MESH Avian influenza
disease MESH malnutrition
disease MESH death
disease MESH community transmission
disease IDO infection
disease MESH Emergency
disease MESH Infectious Diseases
drug DRUGBANK Coenzyme M
disease MESH asymptomatic infection
disease IDO contact tracing
disease IDO history
disease MESH pneumonia
disease IDO pathogen
pathway KEGG Coronavirus disease
disease IDO facility
disease MESH etiology
drug DRUGBANK Trestolone
disease MESH uncertainty
drug DRUGBANK Water
disease MESH comorbidity
disease IDO pathogen surveillance
disease MESH Monkeypox
disease IDO production
drug DRUGBANK Tretamine
disease MESH long COVID
disease MESH mutation frequency
disease MESH AIDS
drug DRUGBANK Cefalotin
disease MESH arbovirus infection
disease IDO process
disease MESH virus infection
disease MESH influenza
drug DRUGBANK Icosapent
drug DRUGBANK Methenamine
disease IDO assay
drug DRUGBANK Kale
drug DRUGBANK Guanosine
drug DRUGBANK Indoleacetic acid
drug DRUGBANK Dacarbazine
drug DRUGBANK Tropicamide

Original Article

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