Transmission patterns of SARS-CoV-2 inferred from statistical phylogenetics and case investigations
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Identifying patterns of transmission of an infectious disease can provide key information for controlling its spread. To learn about transmission of SARS-CoV-2---the virus that causes COVID-19---in New Mexico, we use a combination of statistical phylogenetic analyses and public health case investigation data. We find examples of many different transmission patterns: cases at a location can be explained by either one or more chains of transmission, and a transmission chain can span either one or more locations. Our findings demonstrate how analyses of local public health data and viral genomes can provide both practical answers and general insights into viral transmission patterns.