Amazon’s coronavirus variant three times more contagious, according to Brazilian minister

BRASILIA – A variant of the coronavirus identified in the Brazilian Amazon may be three times more contagious, but initial analyzes suggest vaccines are still effective against it, the country’s health minister said on Thursday, without providing evidence for them. allegations.

Under pressure as the variant hammers the jungle city of Manaus with a devastating second wave of infections, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello has sought to reassure lawmakers that the surge in recent months was unexpected but under control .

He also told a Senate hearing that Brazil will vaccinate half of its eligible population by June and the rest by the end of the year – an ambitious target as the country has barely guaranteed doses. for half of the population.

Brazil began vaccination with vaccines made by Sinovac Biotech in China and AstraZeneca in Britain about three weeks ago. Pazuello did not explain how their effectiveness against the Manaus variant was analyzed.

“Thank goodness we have had clear news from the analysis that vaccines still have an effect against this variant,” Pazuello said. “But it’s more contagious. According to our analysis, it’s three times more contagious.”

The Ministry of Health, which did not provide information on such an analysis, did not immediately respond to a request for further information.

Sao Paulo’s Butantan Institute, which has partnered with Sinovac to test and produce the Chinese vaccine, said in a statement it had started studies on the Manaus variant but would not have a conclusion until two weeks.

Rio de Janeiro’s Fiocruz Biomedical Center, which has partnered with AstraZeneca to fill and complete doses of its vaccine developed with the University of Oxford, said it was studying its effectiveness against the Amazon variant, sent reports. samples in Oxford and awaits the results.

(Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello Additional reporting from Jake Spring edited by Brad Haynes and Sam Holmes)