COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Current COVID-19 pandemic is a serious threat to the lives and health of many people, both in Latvia and in the world.
Within the framework of the Latvian National Biobank - Genome Database of Latvian population, a collection of biological materials and data of COVID-19 patients' in Latvia has been established. This cohort currently includes more than 500 cases of COVID-19 with expanded clinical characteristics and molecular data from biological sample analysis. This research cohort is used to monitor and limit the spread of the virus in Latvia, to investigate the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 disease, to promote the development of individualised therapies and to improve treatment.
Biological samples included in the COVID-19 cohort:
• Blood derived biological materials (plasma, serum, DNA, RNA, peripheral mononuclear blood cells);
• Viral swabs (RNA, DNA)
• Faeces (DNA, RNA);
• Urine;
Molecular data available for research:
• Genotypes (Infinium Global Screening Array)
• Blood plasma levels of cytokines (Luminex)
• Metabolites in blood serum (Orbitrap)
• RNA-Seq from blood cells (MGI Platform)
• SARS-CoV-2 genome (sequencing MGI/Illumina platforms)
• Faecal metagenome (shot-gun sequencing, MGI platform)
• SARS-CoV-2 levels in faeces (RT-QPCR)
• Oral metagenome (16S rRNA sequencing, Illumina platform)
• Biochemical parameters in blood;
For more detailed information about the samples and/or data availability for research, please, email us vigdb@biomed.lu.lv
Funding:
COVID-19 patient biological material biobank and related data collection was created through the implementation of the National Research Programme to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 in Latvia (Project No. VPP-COVID-2020/1-0016), while the genome sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was carried out by the ERDF project No. 1.1.1.5/17/I/002 “Study on the epidemiology and phylogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 virus in Latvia”.
