Our study, SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Evolution: A Focus on Omicron Variants in Umbria, Italy, has been published in Microorganisms!
Link to publication

In this study, 3,300 COVID-19 samples from Umbria, Italy, collected between April 2022 and December 2023 were analyzed. Using advanced genetic sequencing, we tracked how the virus changed over time. All samples belonged to the Omicron variant, with the BA.5 sub-variant being the most common (49.2%). 

We also found that 17.3% of cases came from hospitalized patients, even though 81.4% of them had received at least three vaccine doses. Our research showed that Omicron continues to evolve by gaining new mutations, especially in the spike protein, which may help it evade the immune system. 

These findings highlight the need for continuous vaccine updates and global genetic surveillance to prepare for future pandemics.