Etiology of Four Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ukraine according to the SARS-CoV-2 Virus Genome Sequencing Data: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine, from March 2020 to June 2022, witnessed distinct waves, each characterized by an increase in cases and fatalities. Next-generation sequencing has been used to understand the impact of viral variants on the pandemic situation in Ukraine. We analyzed SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing data to identify viral variants circulating during each wave. By integrating epidemiological information, we established associations between viral variants and disease spread. The adoption of next-generation sequencing for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Ukraine, despite limited resources, yielded adequate and trustworthy results, reflecting the pandemic situation. After the Russian military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a large number of refugees crossed the border with neighboring countries. Mutation analysis on sequencing data from Ukraine and Poland was used to estimate the exchange of SARS-CoV-2 variants between the countries during this period. Omicron subvariants detected in both countries were similar. The analysis of SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Poland and Ukraine revealed shared nucleotide mutations that can be used to identify the directions of spreading.