The focal S:N501 build has been updated with data from 15 Jan, & includes 164 non-UK, non-South African sequences in 501Y.V1 (B.1.1.7 #b117) & 501Y.V2.

The S:E484 build has also been updated. Includes 501Y.V3 & 20B/S.484K (predominantly in Brazil).

1/16

https://t.co/3bdttjKVl4

There are 161 new, non-UK sequences in 501Y.V1 (B.1.1.7) from the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, Spain, Norway, Germany, the USA, & Switzerland, and from Turkey and Ecuador for the first time.

2/16
Turkey has 19 sequences in 501Y.V1 for the first time. These indicate many independent introductions, though a few clusters may indicate local transmission, and pairs with common exposure.

3/16
Ecuador has 4 sequences in 501Y.V1 for the first time, which represent 2 separate introductions (pic 2). 3 are identical, and may represent exposure to a common source (pic 3). The connection to the Spanish sequence may be a common source, or onward transmission.

4/16
Denmark has 66 new sequences (orange). A few are independent introductions, though many link with older sequences, showing continuing local transmission.

5/16
Spain has 42 new sequences (orange), including from the island of Mallorca. Many represent new introductions, though some link together & to older sequences (pic 2). Some sequences from Mallorca form tight, distinctive clusters (pic 3).

6/16
The Netherlands has 15 new sequences (orange). All of these are separate introductions, though a few new sequences link together which could be a common exposure source.

7/16
Switzerland has 9 new sequences (yellow). Many are separate introductions. Some sit close to other new sequences & older sequences. In some, geographic distribution implies these are separate introductions (pic 2). Others seem likely to be local transmission (pic 3).

8/16
Australia has 2 new sequences (orange) - they are linked but are a separate introduction, in Victoria.

Norway has 1 new sequence (orange). Though hard to see in the picture, it is a separate introduction & not connected to older sequences.

9/16
Germany has 2 new sequences (orange). Both representing separate introductions (pic 1).

The USA has 1 new sequence, from New Mexico (orange). It is 1 mutation away from older sequences - this could be local transmission or exposure to a common source (pic 2 & 3).

10/16
There are 3 new non-South African sequences in 501Y.V2 from Germany & Australia -- & Norway for the first time.

11/16
There is 1 new sequence each from Australia & Germany. The new Australian seq (yellow, bottom) is a separate introduction. The German seq (orange) is related to older German sequences but doesn't branch directly & is 5 mutations away, so may be exposure to a common source.

12/16
There is 1 new sequence from Norway in 501Y.V2 for the first time.
It is similar to sequences from England and France, which may onward transmission in Europe or a common source outside of Europe.

13/16
Finally, in the S:E484 build, there are 3 new sequences that fall in 20B/S.484K from Denmark, which indicate at least 2 introductions.

14/16

https://t.co/HpPeemTCkW
As usual, the country-plot is also updated. As always - interpret with care! Many countries are preferentially sequencing S-drop-out & S:N501 samples, & so the frequencies represented are often not reflective of real life.

15/16
https://t.co/c7wlQOLRiq
As always, you can read more about all the variants I'm tracking at https://t.co/wVE7ubYBoy!

16/16

More from Dr Emma Hodcroft

Each day brings new challenges, but here's an update to the dedicated S.N501 build, using data from 6 Jan 2021 to keep you going.

There are 42 new non-UK sequences in 501Y.V1 (B.1.1.7) & 7 new non-South-African sequences in 501Y.V2.

1/14

https://t.co/kT1gFsSZn0


There are 42 new non-UK sequences in 501Y.V1 from the Netherlands, Italy, Hong Kong, Finland, Sweden, Germany, USA, Switzerland, Brazil, and the first sequence from 501Y.V1 in Oman.

https://t.co/XA8VR8HiEq

2/14


Oman has their first sequence which falls into 501Y.V1:

3/14


Finland has 12 new sequences (orange), which mostly represent separate introductions. Zooming in (divergence view), we can see 3 of the new sequences are identical (red), which may indicate the cases are connected.

4/14


Sweden has 8 new sequences (orange), which indicate separate introductions.

5/14
🎉Happy New Year!🎉

To kick off 2021, here's an update on:
- S:N501 variants (501Y.V1/V2) with data from 31 Dec 2020
- 69/70del variants
- 20A.EU1 variant (most prevalent variant in Europe)

(Here are some fireworks that look a bit like phylogenies! 🎆)

1/23


The latest sequences from 31 Dec show new sequences in the S:N501Y.V1 variant (originating from SE England) from Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, Italy, Canada, the USA, Germany, Switzerland, & India.

2/23

S:N501 link
https://t.co/TfHfPgBEBS

Image link
https://t.co/3aCKv1pAcI


Canada, Germany, & Switzerland all have sequences that fall in 501Y.V1 for the first time, scattered across the tree.

3/23


The USA also has its first 2 sequences that fall in 501Y.V1, from Colorado & California. India also had its first 3 sequences, also from different regions.

In both cases, the sequences are not connected, indicating separate introductions.

4/23


In countries with previous sequences:

6 new sequences from Netherlands, in orange/yellow (green are older).
1 is clearly separate - zooming in (& in divergence view, coloured by country) it is harder to determine the relationship between the others.

5/23

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I just finished Eric Adler's The Battle of the Classics, and wanted to say something about Joel Christiansen's review linked below. I am not sure what motivates the review (I speculate a bit below), but it gives a very misleading impression of the book. 1/x


The meat of the criticism is that the history Adler gives is insufficiently critical. Adler describes a few figures who had a great influence on how the modern US university was formed. It's certainly critical: it focuses on the social Darwinism of these figures. 2/x

Other insinuations and suggestions in the review seem wildly off the mark, distorted, or inappropriate-- for example, that the book is clickbaity (it is scholarly) or conservative (hardly) or connected to the events at the Capitol (give me a break). 3/x

The core question: in what sense is classics inherently racist? Classics is old. On Adler's account, it begins in ancient Rome and is revived in the Renaissance. Slavery (Christiansen's primary concern) is also very old. Let's say classics is an education for slaveowners. 4/x

It's worth remembering that literacy itself is elite throughout most of this history. Literacy is, then, also the education of slaveowners. We can honor oral and musical traditions without denying that literacy is, generally, good. 5/x