The Chilean COVID-19 Genomics Network Biorepository: A Resource for Multi-Omics Studies of COVID-19 and Long COVID in a Latin American Population
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2024
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Although a lack of diversity in genetic studies is an acknowledged obstacle for personalized
medicine and precision public health, Latin American populations remain particularly understudied
despite their heterogeneity and mixed ancestry. This gap extends to COVID-19 despite its variability
in susceptibility and clinical course, where ethnic background appears to influence disease severity,
with non-Europeans facing higher hospitalization rates. In addition, access to high-quality samples
and data is a critical issue for personalized and precision medicine, and it has become clear that
the solution lies in biobanks. The creation of the Chilean COVID-19 Biorepository reported here addresses
these gaps, representing the first nationwide multicentric Chilean initiative. It operates under
rigorous biobanking standards and serves as one of South America’s largest COVID cohorts. A centralized
harmonization strategy was chosen and included unified standard operating procedures, a
sampling coding system, and biobanking staff training. Adults with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection
provided broad informed consent. Samples were collected to preserve blood, plasma, buffy coat, and
DNA. Quality controls included adherence to the standard preanalytical code, incident reporting,
and DNA concentration and absorbance ratio 260/280 assessments. Detailed sociodemographic,
health, medication, and preexisting condition data were gathered. In five months, 2262 participants
were enrolled, pseudonymized, and sorted by disease severity. The average Amerindian ancestry
considering all participant was 44.0% [SD 15.5%], and this value increased to 61.2% [SD 19.5%]
among those who self-identified as Native South Americans. Notably, 279 participants self-identified
with one of 12 ethnic groups. High compliance (>90%) in all assessed quality controls was achieved.
Looking ahead, our team founded the COVID-19 Genomics Network (C19-GenoNet) focused on
identifying genetic factors influencing SARS-CoV-2 outcomes. In conclusion, this bottom-up collaborative
effort aims to promote the integration of Latin American populations into global genetic
research and welcomes collaborations supporting this endeavor. Interested parties are invited to
explore collaboration opportunities through our catalog, accessible online.