Panel Presentation: Next-Generation Sequencing in the Global Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is challenging our health care systems and will have a profound, long term impact on our society. The need for an immediate and concerted global genomic surveillance system to monitor the emergence of new variants is essential to support Public Health response efforts and vaccine deployment strategies. Genomic surveillance using Next-Generation Sequencing combined with global databases have enabled effective identification and tracking of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern at unprecedented scale. In this session, we will discuss Illumina’s comprehensive SARS-CoV-2 workflows and data analysis solutions for diagnostics and surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and for detecting respiratory co-infections and antimicrobial resistance.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain the genomic variability of SARS-CoV-2 and the relevance for virus epidemiology, diagnostics, and vaccines

2. Define the unique role of Next-Generation Sequencing in the COVID-19 response

3. Explain Next-Generation Sequencing workflows and software tools for COVID-19 diagnostic and surveillance