Qatar, a country with a strong health system and a diverse population consisting mainly of expatriate residents, has experienced two large waves of COVID-19 outbreak. In this study, we report on 2634 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from infected patients in Qatar between March-2020 and March-2021, representing 1.5% of all positive cases in this period. Despite the restrictions on international travel, the viruses sampled from the populace of Qatar mirrored nearly the entire global population’s genomic diversity with nine predominant viral lineages that were sustained by local transmission chains and the emergence of mutations that are likely to have originated in Qatar. We reported an increased number of mutations and deletions in B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 lineages in a short period. These findings raise the imperative need to continue the ongoing genomic surveillance that has been an integral part of the national response to monitor the SARS-CoV-2 profile and re-emergence in Qatar.

The state of Qatar has emerged as a major transit hub connecting all parts of the globe, making it as a hotspot for infectious disease introduction and providing an ideal setting to monitor the emergence and spread of variants. In this study, we report on 2634 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genome sequences from infected patients in Qatar between March-2020 and March-2021, representing 1.5% of all positive cases in this period. Despite the restrictions on international travel, the viruses sampled from the populace of Qatar mirrored nearly the entire global population's genomic diversity with nine predominant viral lineages that were sustained by local transmission chains and the emergence of mutations that are likely to have originated in Qatar. We reported an increased number in the mutations and deletions in B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 lineages in a short period. This raises the imperative need to continue the ongoing genomic surveillance that has been an integral part of the national response to monitor SARS-CoV-2 profile and re-emergence in Qatar.

Previous biogeographic studies revealed exclusive divergence of animal species composition in Gulf region, particularly in Qatar, as its marine ecosystems are driven mainly by high temperature and salinity with a semi-closed basin, depending thus on water input from the Indian Ocean, supplied on the Gulf's southeast coast, and creating a marine barrier for different species as, for example, Decapods (Al-Khayat & Giraldes, 2020). Due to these peculiar conditions, the fauna and flora have adapted to survive under extreme conditions (Al-Khayat, 2010), contributing to the evolution of the marine species in this area and consequently enriching the environment with endemic species (Fotedar et al., 2019;Giraldes et al., 2020;Kardousha et al., 2016). The identification of some of these species has so far been based on conventional taxonomic parameters, although this type of analysis can be notoriously difficult (Bork, 2015).

Background: The current pandemic, COVID-19, is cause by an RNA Coronavirus that was recently identified as SARS-CoV-2. RNA viruses tend to have a high mutation rate; the rate is around a million times greater than that of their hosts. The mutagenic potential of the virus depends on many factors, including the fidelity of nucleic acid-replicating viral enzymes, such as SARSCoV-2 RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). The rate of mutation drives viral evolution and genome variability, consequently allowing viruses to escape the immunity of the host and develop resistance to drugs. Therefore, the characterization of SARS-CoV-2 variants might lead to implement better therapeutics treatments, vaccines design and identify new diagnostics approaches. Aim: The aim of this study was to establish a fast sequencing method to identify SARS-CoV-2 mutations in Qatar. This will help to assess if there are new viral variants that are spreading in country. Methods: RNA was isolated from samples collected from Qatar COVID-19 positive patients. The Artic Network V3 primer scheme and Oxford Nanopore ligation sequencing kit were used to prepare the sequencing libraries. Libraries were loaded on to R9.4.1 flow cells and ran on a GridION. Bioinformatics analysis was done following the Artic Network SARA-CoV-2 bioinformatics tools. Results: Genome coverage of sequenced samples was >80% and the depth was average at 200x. The coverage was highly dependable on sample viral load; samples of CT value lower than 30 resulted in better sequence coverage. The sequenced genomes were deposited in GISAID and were mainly clustering with genomes deposited from the UK. Sequences were compared to Illumina and sanger sequences and they showed compatible results. Conclusion: The use of ONT to sequence SARA-CoV-2 is a quick, affordable, and reliable technique to determine viral mutation. Using this technique, the first sequences from Qatar were deposited in to GISAID. Up to date, 700 genomes have been sequenced from Qatari samples.