Have you been keeping up with the Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance (TGS) for SARS-CoV-2 news? The program, which monitors for COVID-19 variants at U.S. airports, has really taken off in the press of late.
Take a look at what others have to say about TGS:
LA Times
TGS works like an early warning radar for pathogens. Taking samples from asymptomatic international travelers provides a dynamic view of what’s entering the country. In the hands of public health experts, the data can be used to forecast potential spread, characterize variants, and respond to emerging risks.
Politico
Humans’ tendency to travel makes it easy for pathogens to hitch rides with unwitting passengers and spread globally. Certain policies, like the recent announcement requiring travelers from China to produce a negative COVID-19 test prior to arrival in the U.S., focus on individual cases. TGS is about capturing the big picture (the 30,000-foot view, if you will).Tom Inglesby
Politico
Traditional genomic surveillance relies on cases being identified at hospitals or clinical laboratories. TGS offers a rare opportunity to study pathogens as they arrive stateside. Learning how new variants behave before they become dominant buys precious time for experts to plan countermeasures that help mitigate public health impacts.
INSIDER
Currently, the focus is on XBB.1.5, affectionately dubbed the “kraken” by some scientists. XBB.1.5’s prevalence has been doubling week over week, according to our experts. As Andy Rothstein (one of our computational biologists leading the TGS program) explained to INSIDER, XBB.1.5 is the most contagious and immune-evasive Omicron variant in circulation. A mutation allows the virus to attach to ACE2 receptors more easily, fueling its aggressive growth. Dr. Friedman said it best in this NPR article, “These viruses are smart—they can mutate. And we want to be ahead of the game and early in our detection of new variants.”
AP News
Chandra’s story is one of many—more than 80,000, actually. Each volunteer is a unique reminder that, three years into COVID-19, the only way through this is with everyone pitching in. The ease of volunteering a sample has made TGS a mainstay at seven international airports in the U.S., with potential for more locations in the future. As the program expands, we hope more travelers take the time to earn their “TGS wings” and help us characterize variants of concern.
Reuters
One tactic that could expand TGS’s risk insights is testing wastewater from aircrafts on international flights. We are working to incorporate passive monitoring alongside pooled PCR surveillance testing to extend the runway for data collection.
We are also adding monitoring capabilities for even more pathogens, including monitoring for influenza strains, and more additions are on the way. Establishing TGS as a multi-pathogen early warning radar means, if and when COVID-19 is behind us, we’ll have the tools in place to be ready for what’s next. As Matt McKnight described to Politico, “You want to be able to detect genetic variants of COVID-19. You want to be able to detect genetic variants of other threatening pathogens that might show up, known and unknown. And you want to have the capability to look for mistakenly released genetically engineered organisms…That’s the dream of biosecurity infrastructure. And it’s totally doable.”
Every warning by land, sea, and air
No matter how they arrive, travelers are like roving sentinels for detecting pathogens as they spread to new places. Adding new airports and expanding the network to include seaports, border crossings, and other ports of entry will be pivotal to a global early warning system.
