Comparative analysis of the genomic diversity of SARS-COV-2 circulating in the territories of the Rostov region and the republic of Crimea in the period from March to June 2021

Objective: To compare the genomic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 strains that were spread in the Rostov region and the Republic of Crimea in the period from March to June 2021.Materials and Methods: A total of 194 samples were sequenced and 186 genovariants were recognized among them using the Pangolin program. Multiple alignment was performed and dendrograms were constructed for the samples belonging to the alpha and delta genovariants.Results: Changes of the predominant genovariants were revealed for territories of the Rostov Region and the Republic of Crimea from March to June. An increasing percent of the alpha variant was observed in both regions during the spring followed by the rapid emergence of the delta variant, which became predominant in June.Conclusion: It was shown that alpha variant samples from the Rostov region share a pool of common mutations, while in contrast, alpha variant samples from the Republic of Crimea are closer to those sampled from Moscow and Moscow region. At the end of May, the delta gene variant begins to be revealed, which is rapidly replacing other lines in all the territories considered in this study.