Covid 19 coronavirus: Genomic tracing used to find source of latest outbreak

Dunedin scientist Jemma Geoghegan says four Covid-19 cases at the centre of the latest outbreak in NZ - at this stage at least - do not seem to be linked to earlier cases in managed isolation or quarantine facilities.

Dr Geoghegan is using genomic tracing technology to try to solve the riddle of how the four Auckland family members became infected with Covid-19.

It was hard to be definitive, but the viral genomes seemed to be linked with genomes from English data bases on the Sars-cov-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, and checks were continuing with Australian viral genomes.

"It's really important that we find the source of this outbreak," she said.

"As before, the samples are being referred to ESR for genomic sequencing," she said.

"It is vital that genomics is part of this response to enable us to track where these cases may have arisen and to estimate the size and number of clusters present.

"By comparing the virus genomes from these cases to those from both the quarantine facilities and the global population, we can determine their likely origin and how long they have been circulating in the community."

Geoghegan is a senior lecturer in the University of Otago microbiology and immunology department and is also an associate senior scientist at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR).

Thirteen new cases of community transmission were revealed yesterday, bringing New Zealand's overall number of cases in the community to 17, after it had been announced on Tuesday that four people from the same family had tested positive.

In May, Geoghegan was allocated $600,000 from a $25 million Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Covid-19 Innovation Acceleration Fund.

The project seeks to generate virus genomes from all of New Zealand's confirmed positive cases.