Consolidation of WGS and RT-PCR activities for SARS-CoV-2 in Spain towards sustainable use and integration of enhanced infrastructure and processes in the RELECOV network

We aim to consolidate a national laboratory network (RELECOV) for a sustainable and collaborate platform to obtain virological information about SARS-CoV-2 variants/lineages for the integration of the genomic sequencing in the surveillance of SARS-CoV-2. We will enable timely data sharing through a coordinated response, allowing for investigation of variants/lineages with low or wide geographical reach. This will be achieved through integration, adaptation and consolidation of the existing Spanish RELECOV network designed by public health agencies at regional and national level. Conducting a genomic based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 we will extend to other viral respiratory infections through the update of the current network to make it more practical and technically more efficient after a validation and an specific verification of processes. Now RELECOV 2.0 will address the identification of circulating VOCs, lineages and sublineages of SARS-CoV-2 and even of the new emerging lineages/sublineages. We will focus our efforts in constructing a national platform for genomic surveillance applied to respiratory viral infection, rapidly adaptable to other future emerging pathogens and contributing to international pandemic preparedness. Through protocol sharing and pooling of results at national level, questions will be answered more efficiently than by the Autonomous Regions acting alone. It is mandatory that RELECOV 2.0 is integrated and at the service of the different public health agencies involved in surveillance at regional and national level, and collaborate with other genomic networks and initiatives existing in Spain to create synergies for rapidly contributing to public health preparedness and response to future health threats.