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Delta Time

Time (weeks) between isolation and availability of the data

Published: 22 January 2021

The figure represents the distribution (set of values) of the interval of time (in weeks) between the isolation of a sample and the deposition of the corresponding SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequence in a public database. Only countries for which 1000 or more genomes of the pathogen are available in public databases are represented.
Delta Time
The time interval is indicated, in weeks, on the X axis. The different countries on the Y axis. The distribution (set of values) for each country is represented in the form of a “boxplot”. This type of graph is represented by a rectangle divided into two parts, from which two segments extend. The rectangle is delimited by the first (25%) and third (75%) quartiles of the data, the center line being the median. The segments, also called “whiskers” indicate the minimum and maximum value. To facilitate comparison, the data are sorted in descending order, from the country with the highest median value to the country with the lowest value.

This graph provides an overview of the time required in different countries to complete the sequencing of a SARS-CoV-2 genome and make the sequence publicly available in a database. SARS-CoV-2 is the etiological agent (the pathogen that causes the disease) of COVID-19. Sequencing the genome of the pathogen allows the monitoring of its evolution and the identification of novel strains or new variants. This approach is known as “genomic surveillance”, and represents the first line of defense against the spread of more dangerous variants of the virus, and at the same time can provide useful indications for the development of novel vaccines or drugs. To be effective, a genomic surveillance system requires that the pathogen’s genome sequences should be made available as quickly as possible. This graph shows, for different countries, the time interval between the isolation of a SARS-CoV-2 sample and the deposition of the corresponding genomic sequence in a public database. The graph offers a measure of the “speed” of the different genomic surveillance systems. In this case, small values ​​(ideally close to 0) are to be considered ideal, while prolonged time intervals can compromise the effectiveness of surveillance systems.

Source: https://www.gisaid.org/