@article{da_Silva_Filipe_A-2021_5957,
title = {Genomic epidemiology reveals multiple introductions of SARS-CoV-2 from mainland Europe into Scotland},
author = {da Silva Filipe, A. and Shepherd, J. and Williams, T. and Hughes, J. and Aranday-Cortes, E. and Asamaphan, P. and Ashraf, S. and Balcazar, C. and Brunker, K. and Campbell, A. and Carmichael, S. and Davis, C. and Dewar, R. and Gallagher, M. and Gunson, R. and Hill, V. and Ho, A. and Jackson, B. and James, E. and Jesudason, N. and Johnson, N. and Leitch, E. and Li, K. and MacLean, A. and Mair, D. and McAllister, D. and McCrone, J. and McDonald, S. and McHugh, M. and Morris, A. and Nichols, J. and Niebel, M. and Nomikou, K. and Orton, R. and O'Toole, Á. and Palmarini, M. and Parcell, B. and Parr, Y. and Rambaut, A. and Rooke, S. and Shaaban, S. and Shah, R. and Singer, J. and Smollett, K. and Starinskij, I. and Tong, L. and Sreenu, V. and Wastnedge, E. and Holden, M. and Robertson, D. and Templeton, K. and Thomson, E.},
month = {jan},
year = {2021},
abstract = {Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first diagnosed in Scotland on 1 March 2020. During the first month of the outbreak, 2,641 cases of COVID-19 led to 1,832 hospital admissions, 207 intensive care admissions and 126 deaths. We aimed to identify the source and number of introductions of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) into Scotland using a combined phylogenetic and epidemiological approach. Sequencing of 1,314 SARS-CoV-2 viral genomes from available patient samples enabled us to estimate that SARS-CoV-2 was introduced to Scotland on at least 283 occasions during February and March 2020. Epidemiological analysis confirmed that early introductions of SARS-CoV-2 originated from mainland Europe (the majority from Italy and Spain). We identified subsequent early outbreaks in the community, within healthcare facilities and at an international conference. Community transmission occurred after 2 March, 3 weeks before control measures were introduced. Earlier travel restrictions or quarantine measures, both locally and internationally, would have reduced the number of COVID-19 cases in Scotland. The risk of multiple reintroduction events in future waves of infection remains high in the absence of population immunity.},
pages = {112-122},
volume = {6},
issue = {1},
journal = {Nature Microbiology},
publisher = {Springer Nature and Wellcome Trust},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-020-00838-z},
}
