Home Brazil New strain of SARS-CoV-2 discovered in Rio de Janeiro

New strain of SARS-CoV-2 discovered in Rio de Janeiro

Brazilian researchers have discovered a new strain of the new coronavirus in circulation in Rio.

There is still no evidence that it can be more transmissible or lethal, but scientists advocate expanding the genetic monitoring of the virus to identify an evolution of the pandemic from new strains.

The new strain was discovered by researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LNCC), an organ linked to the Ministry of Science and Technology, from the genetic sequencing of the virus found in 180 patients infected by the SARS-CoV-2 between April and November this year in the State of Rio. The new strain was identified in 38 belonging to this group.

The finding was presented in an article published on the LNCC website and submitted to the online platform MedRxiv, therefore still without review by other scientists. In the text, the experts explain that the new strain was born from five mutations in the B.1.1.28 strain, one of the predominant ones in the State of Rio. They point out that the occurrence of the new strain may be related to the case record observed from October in the State (which also occurs throughout the country).

Read more in portuguese at IstoÉ.

Contact Us

Generalist media, focusing on the relationship between Portuguese-speaking countries and China.

Plataforma Studio

Newsletter

Subscribe Plataforma Newsletter to keep up with everything!