Geographic and Phylodynamic Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 from Environmental Origin

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread globally. Understanding the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 contamination in the environment is essential for infection control policies. This study aims to provide a phylodynamic analysis and distribution pattern of SARS-CoV-2 from the environment in terms of Source, clades, lineages, and their location. Ninety (90) retrieved whole-genome sequences of environmental sources from GISAID were investigated to determine the evolutionary process of SARS-CoV-2 and mutation in the isolated nucleotide sequences. The analysis was carried out using R, MAFFT, and MEGA X software. Out of the five countries studied, Austria has the highest distribution with sixty-five samples (72.2%), and the highest isolates of 68 (75.6%) were from raw sewage. The highest clade in circulation as obtained from the study is G with lineages B. The phylogeny of SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from Austria, the United States, China, Brazil, and Liechtenstein indicated that the SARS-CoV-2 viruses were all clustered together, irrespective of sequence geographic location. The study concluded by demonstrating a clear interconnection between the phylogeny of SARS-CoV-2 isolates from various geographic locations, all of which were locked in the same cluster regardless of their environment specimen. Thus, depicting the possibility of their origination from a common ancestor. HighlightO_LIEnvironmental sources of specimen isolated from raw sewage have the highest occurring specimen sequence, while those from breathing air, door handle, and wastewater have the lowest sequence. C_LIO_LIEnvironmental surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 is of great importance to control the spread of the virus. Untreated raw sewage should be of more priority for the environmental surveillance of the virus. C_LIO_LIEighteen (18) nucleotide sequences from this studys multiple sequence alignment shared a 90% similarity with the Wuhan-Hu-1 reference genome, indicating a common evolutionary origin. C_LI