# Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Alaska

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS · 2021 · $128,440

## Abstract

Project Summary: To date (3/23/21), Alaska has suffered over 58,000 cases of COVID-19,
1,318 hospitalizations, and 306 deaths. Alaska is a designated Primary Care Health
Professional Shortage Area. Likely driven by health disparities, the COVID-19 fatality rate
among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) residents of Alaska is nearly two times higher
than the population of Alaska as a whole (71 v. 47 per 100,000; Alaska DHSS Bull. 1/29/21), a
pattern observed in AI/AN population nationwide (CDC MMWR 12/11/20). Even with these
challenges, Alaska has one of the lowest COVID-19 hospitalization and fatality rates overall,
and one of the highest rates of COVID-19 vaccination.
Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 genomes has emerged as the key technology for analyzing spread
of SARS-CoV-2 lineages, including detection of VOC that may cause more rapid spread, more
severe disease, or reduce vaccine efficacy. Importantly, through early capacity-building by the
Alaska DHSS Public Health Lab (PHL), in partnership with the University of Alaska and Alaska
INBRE, over 500 SARS-CoV-2 genomes have been sequenced and released (GISAID),
including recent cases of B.1.1.7, B.1.429, and P.1 variants of concern (VOC). Thus, it is
important to understand the geographical and temporal spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in the
state, and specifically in the AI/AN population.
In response to this NIGMS NOSI, the Alaska INBRE (IDeA) program is proposing to extend the
genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 lineages and variants in Alaska, with a team of University
of Alaska researchers (at UA-Fairbanks and UA-Anchorage), in collaboration with the
Southcentral Foundation (SCF) and Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) AI/AN health
networks, and support from other partners including the Alaska DHSS PHL and CDC Arctic
Investigations. The project goals are (1) Prospective genomic sequencing of VOC and VOI in
Alaska and comparison to other regions; (2) Prospective genomic sequencing of VOC/VOI in
AI/AN health networks to understand COVID-19 disparities; and (3) Geographic and temporal
analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in Alaska to inform epidemiological understanding. We will leverage
both short-read (Illumina) and long-read (Nanopore) sequencing platforms, and bioinformatics
expertise built by Alaska INBRE, to analyze SARS-CoV-2 genomes with samples provided by
Alaska DHSS/PHL, and specifically in AI/AN (SCF and ANMC served) populations. Data will be
released for meta-analyses to provide genomics perspective to epidemic tracing, understanding
of spread of novel lineages, and impact of health disparities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10381234
- **Project number:** 3P20GM103395-20S3
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS
- **Principal Investigator:** BRIAN M BARNES
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $128,440
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2001-09-24 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10381234

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10381234, Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Alaska (3P20GM103395-20S3). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10381234. Licensed CC0.

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