Whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from suspected cases among Bangladeshi patients.
World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the disease COVID-19 as pandemic in January 31, 2020. Till now, the disease caused a death toll of more than five hundred thousand people globally and the number is still increasing. Global public health is severely devastated. There is an immense need of effective therapy and vaccination against this fatal virus.The first COVID-19 case in Bangladesh was reported in March, 2020. DNA Solution Ltd (DNAS), a molecular diagnostic center in Dhaka, Bangladesh started to diagnose suspected cases of COVID-19 admitted to Central Police Hospital (CPH), Dhaka, Bangladesh from April, 2020. Designated Reference Institute for Chemical Measurements (DRICM), a Govt. of Bangladesh specialized laboratory and DNAS jointly started to collect positive samples for COVID-19 and to sequence them.The major goal of this study is to identify the epidemiological nature of this virus and to determine the functional mutations, if any circulating among the COVID-19 strains in Bangladesh. This might open up an interesting research area for life science experts to develop novel therapy and vaccines against this virus.