Genetic Diversity and Spatiotemporal Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Guinea: A Meta-Analysis of Sequence Data (2020–2023)

Abstract

In Guinea, genomic surveillance has been established to generate sequences of and to identify locally circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. This study aims to describe the distributions, genetic diversity, and origins of SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in Guinea during the COVID-19 pandemic. A migration analysis was performed by selecting all sequences generated in Guinea for variants of concern and interest. From March 2020 to December 2023, 1038 sequences were generated in Guinea and submitted to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) database. Of these, 73.1% corresponded to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, which were further grouped into Omicron (69.4%), Delta (21.9%), Alpha (6.6%), and Eta (2.1%). Other variants accounted for 26.9% of the total. Among the total variants analyzed, 75 importations into Guinea from various countries worldwide were identified. Most of the importations (40%) originated from African countries, followed in significance by those from European countries (25.3%) and Asia (18.6%). A significant migratory flow was observed within Guinea. The genomic surveillance reported in this study revealed the diversity of SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Guinea, emphasizing the importance of large-scale sequencing analyses in understanding the dynamics of the pandemic.