Description of Collaborative Activity: |
The ACTIV Tracking Resistance and Coronavirus Evolution (TRACE) initiative is focused on identifying emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 disease. The initiative is surveying new viral variants, assessing vaccine and therapeutic resistance, and evaluating the impact of genetic variation on viral biology and on the clinical approaches for preventing and treating illness. TRACE aims to prioritize which viral variants should be studied to determine the effectiveness of vaccines and therapeutics currently in late stages of development against these variants; coordinate data sharing; and confirm testing and periodic (e.g. weekly) public reporting of results to allow confident decision making by the U.S. Government (USG), health professionals, and pharmaceutical organizations. The initiative, which is being led by NIH and facilitated by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, with participation by the ACTIV public-private partners, is developing the infrastructure and processes for monitoring and testing emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and standardizing, gathering, and sharing variant sequencing data. |
