A team of scientists from The University of the West Indies (The UWI) is featured in the PLOS Global Public Health Journal for its work on genomic surveillance research in the Caribbean.

The journal article, ‘Implementation of genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in the Caribbean: Lessons learned for sustainability in resource-limited settings’, published in February 2023, details how the team’s work propelled the Caribbean out of the pathogen genomic surveillance starting blocks and thus facilitated better understanding and control of SARS-CoV-2 in the region.

Dr Nikita Sahadeo, a post-doctoral researcher in Faculty of Medical Sciences at The UWI, St Augustine campus, is the first author on the publication, which describes the implementation of rapid whole genome sequencing (WGS) at The UWI to monitor the rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in the Caribbean and the resulting emergence of new, easily spread variants. The article also presents the successes and challenges encountered by The UWI researchers and their regional and international counterparts, as well as the lessons learned. It also makes recommendations for sustainable genomic surveillance in resource-limited settings.

The project, led by Professor Christine Carrington, professor of molecular genetics and virology in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at The UWI, St Augustine campus, had the initial aim of establishing capacity for rapid SARS-CoV-2 WGS in Trinidad and Tobago in order to generate baseline information on the virus’ diversity in the Caribbean, and so that viral genomics and related molecular epidemiological approaches could be incorporated into the mitigation and control efforts of the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Health and member states of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).

In addition to Professor Carrington, key UWI researchers included Vernie Ramkissoon, Anushka Ramjag, Soren Nichols, Dr Arianne Brown-Jordan and Nicholas Mohammed. The collaborating institutions on the initiative were the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Health, CARPHA, chief medical officers of CARPHA member states, and collaborators from Imperial College London, and the Universities of London, Oxford and Edinburgh.

The initial plan was to analyse 800 samples within a two-year time frame, but the emergence of the first variant of concern (VOC) in December 2020 and ensuing necessity for routine VOC surveillance, (two weeks after the researchers successfully generated their first complete SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences), forced the team to pivot from their initial research focus to providing essential sequencing capacity for Trinidad and Tobago and the 16 other CARPHA member states.

The PLOS journal article highlights that the “effectiveness of this initiative was demonstrated by the rapid detection and reporting of VOCs in several member states, which informed public health policy and decision-making for economic reopening, international travel restrictions and work policies.”