Genetic Diversity and Spatiotemporal Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Guinea: An Analysis of Sequence Data (2020-2023)

In Guinea, genomic surveillance has been established to generate sequences and identify locally circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. This study aims to describe the distribution, genetic diversity, evolution, and origin of SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in Guinea during the COVID-19 pandemic. We performed a migration analysis by selecting all sequences generated in Guinea for variants of concern and interest. From March 2020 to December 2023, a total of 1 038 sequences were generated in Guinea and submitted to the GISAID database. Of the total, 73.1% corresponded to SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, including (omicron 69, 4%, delta 21,9%, alpha 6,6%, and eta 2,1%). Other variants, accounting for 26,9%. Of the total number of variants analyzed, 75 importations into Guinea from various countries around the world were identified. The majority of introductions (40%) were from African countries, followed by 25,3% from European countries, and Asia (18,6%). A significant migratory flow has been observed within Guinea. Genomic surveillance has revealed the diversity of SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in Guinea, highlighting the importance of sequence generation for advanced analysis to understand the dynamics of the pandemic.