Elika Garg

Title: Insights from HostSeq: Canada's National Whole Genome Sequencing Cohort of 10,000 Canadians Infected with SARS-CoV-2
Date: October 14th, 2022
Time: 1:30PM (PDT)
Location: ASB 10900

Abstract

Hostseq is a Canada-wide databank of whole genome sequences (WGS) and clinical data from 13 independent clinical and epidemiological studies enrolling SARS-CoV-2-infected participants from across Canada who are broadly consented for health-related research. The sequenced genomes that have been joint-called and quality-controlled represent a diverse population structure covering 5 populations (N=3950: 73% European, 7% East Asian, 6% Admixed American, 6% South Asian, 6% African, 2% other). We calculated PRS using the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (HGI v7) GWAS. The best-fit PRS (p-value threshold of 0.5 using 8e5 SNPs) was significantly associated with hospitalization status adjusted by three genetic principal components, age and sex (p-value < 2.2e-16; N=2418 with covariates). These initial results provide support for the polygenicity of severe COVID-19 and demonstrate the alignment of the HostSeq databank with international COVID-19 research.