Taking on COVID-19 Viral Strain Detection with the CDC

Viruses mutate. It’s an unfortunate fact, resulting in the cyclical struggle between public health response and biological adaptation (and requiring us to get a new flu shot every year).

By now we know that SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 virus, is no exception to mutation. You’ve probably heard about the variants first detected in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil, among others. New strains like these can’t be ignored — some appear to be more contagious than the original, and some may even be resistant to vaccines or therapies. That’s why it’s so critical that new variants are quickly identified, monitored, and (ultimately) dealt with in some way.

Fulgent is proudly supporting that effort by contributing to a national endeavor led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Our lab helps locate and track SARS-CoV-2 variants in near-real-time by analyzing the viral genomes of COVID-19 samples. The variants we find are submitted to CDC for analysis and included in public databases, which helps CDC and its public health partners to better understand how variants impact things like COVID-19 disease severity and vaccine efficacy.

The ability to contribute to this understanding is one we’re very grateful for. It’s also something we’re very uniquely suited to do.

Last year we quickly became experts in RT-PCR testing for COVID-19 — we had the equipment, we had the lab team, and we wanted to make a difference at the outset of the COVID-19 crisis. By dedicating ourselves to this new work, we became the top performer in California in both volume of COVID-19 RT-PCR tests and in turnaround time.

Before the pandemic, though, we specialized in analyzing human DNA for a multitude of specialties including oncology, reproductive genetics, and rare disease. And the same process we used to analyze human DNA can be used to analyze the viral genome of COVID-19. So, by combining our COVID-19 testing expertise with our roots in genetic sequencing, we have an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference in how quickly, effectively, and safely we respond to the threat of COVID-19 variants both nationally and in our own community.

Since March 2021, we’ve submitted more than fifteen thousand sample sequences to the CDC. Our work has identified the very first known case of the so-called “Brazilian variant” (P.1) in California, helping officials to respond effectively. Our data has also shown a substantial increase in the prevalence of the “UK variant” (B.1.1.7) in California and elsewhere — a fact that’s been tracked and investigated closely by public health entities.

This is only the beginning of the story that our data is telling. As the surveillance effort continues, we believe we’ll make a significant impact on the speed and efficacy of the response to dangerous COVID-19 variants. Our lab dedicated itself to helping with the COVID-19 crisis from its beginning, and we certainly don’t plan on stopping now.