Inferring variant-specific effective reproduction numbers from combined case and sequencing data
Marlin D Figgins; Trevor Bedford · 2026 · eLife
WASTE classifies this as Negative / Null Result Report · AI classification, approximate
The study found no significant effect — useful as a negative control or null benchmark for your own design.
Abstract
Accurately estimating relative transmission rates of SARS-CoV-2 variants remains a scientific and public health priority. Recent studies have used the sample proportions of different variants from genetic sequence data to describe variant frequency dynamics and relative transmission rates, but frequencies alone cannot capture the rich epidemiological behavior of SARS-CoV-2. Here, we extend methods for inferring the effective reproduction number of an epidemic using confirmed case data to jointly estimate variant-specific effective reproduction numbers and frequencies of co-circulating variants
Abstract by Marlin D Figgins; Trevor Bedford, eLife (2026) — licensed CC BY 4.0.
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Metadata source: OpenAlex · DOI 10.7554/elife.104802.2