Ginkgo Bioworks confirmed that it has collected, identified, and sequenced three samples containing the novel BA.3 sublineage of the Omicron variant. Samples came from passengers on flights originating from South Africa who arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in early December. These samples were collected in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and XpresSpa Group, Inc. as part of a SARS-CoV-2 surveillance project that involves voluntary sampling of arriving international travelers at select United States airports. The program is implemented through XpresSpa Group’s XpresCheck subsidiary and Ginkgo’s public health and biosecurity initiative, Concentric by Ginkgo.
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The sequence represents the first time the BA.3 sublineage has been identified in North America. State and local public health authorities have already been alerted about these cases and are taking all appropriate measures to ensure that the individuals receive the health support they need and that the spread of the viral strain is contained to the extent possible.
This joint program leverages Concentric’s large-scale group testing infrastructure and XpresCheck’s in-airport testing platform to detect COVID-19 variants among international travelers. The goal of this program is to create a system that detects and provides information about the virus. Currently, the program is operating at four large airports: JFK International Airport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). The program recently reported the first detection of the Omicron variant among inbound international travelers from a sample collected at a United States airport.
As part of this program, Concentric performs viral sequencing on samples that are positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Through testing and sequencing conducted through this surveillance program, Concentric confirmed the presence of the new BA.