Andean variant of coronavirus: WHO has acknowledged that it is studying its progress in the world

The World Health Organization (WHO) is studying the evolution of the C.37 variant, commonly referred to as the “Andean variant”, to see whether it should be classified as “interesting” or “worrying”. It has been recognized today by the branch of the continental health agency, the Pan American Health Organization. Although he argued that there was not yet enough evidence to include the variant in the classification, he also He clarified that any country has the autonomy to declare a variant of the coronavirus as of concern on the basis of the information it has on the evolution of the virus. In Argentina, within Malbrán, they are debating whether the variant deserves to be declared of interest, according to Infobae.

The development of new variants of the coronavirus is a natural phenomenon in the evolution of viruses. But there are variations that can be more worrying than others because they increase the risk of transmission, may reduce vaccine protection or increase the risk of re-infection.

The C.37 variant was first reported as a subline in November last year by the ANLIS / Malbrán Institute in Argentina, under the Nation’s Ministry of Health. Later promoted as a “variant” by researchers in Peru, and there are still questions to be answered. But what is striking is that the variant is increasing more and more in its frequency and above other variants that have already been declared of concern.

On April 14, the ANLIS / Malbrán Institute had specified that “no new variant considered to be a priority or of concern has been detected”. But last Monday The PAIS coronavirus surveillance project in Argentina, which depends on the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, warned that the C.37 line (Andean variant) should be considered at least, “Variant of regional interest”, given the sustained increase in its frequency of detection in the AMBA region in recent epidemiological weeks, as has also been observed in countries in the region such as Peru and Chile, as reported today in a communicated.

To date, the “Andean” variant has already been detected in 25 countries, but it still does not appear in the official WHO classification system. So far, this United Nations agency considers that there are four variants of the coronavirus of concern because of its greater ability to transmit and affect more people around the world.

“The C.37 variant has been detected mainly in Peru and Chile, where it has increased its transmission over the past three months”, replied to Infobae Sylvain Aldighieri, COVID-19 incident manager at the Pan American Health Organization, during the virtual press conference. “It has also been detected sporadically in the United States, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico and Argentina. It has also been detected in some European countries, ”he added.

“Currently, the WHO Working Group on Genomics and Viral Evolution, which includes experts from PAHO, is evaluating the information available globally to support its classification as a variant of interest or variant of concern. . However, so far there is not enough evidence to classify it as an interesting variant or a variant of concern. And it has not been shown to be more aggressive, lethal, or elude the immune response by vaccination. “Dr Aldighieri clarified.

The C.37 variant escalation pattern was observed only in a localized manner in certain geographic areas and not in a dominant manner in countries, the PAHO official commented. “This surveillance process, which must be strengthened and maintained on a regular basis in close connection with national epidemiological surveillance to identify in time any change in the behavior of the virus or in the clinical form of the disease,” he said. .

Each country has the autonomy to classify each variant “of interest” or “of concern” according to its epidemiological analyzes, its modes of transmission and its risk assessment. Aldighieri recalled before consulting Infobae. “It is important to note that all public health control measures, including available vaccines, they have been shown to be effective tools in stopping the transmission of the SARS-Cov-2 virus regardless of the variants, whether it is the variant of concern or one of the many variants circulating around the world and in Americas “.

Consulted by InfobaeHumberto Debat, virology researcher at the National Institute of Agricultural Technology and the National University of Cordoba, said: “The worrying and interesting variants are few compared to the number of variants circulating. It is perhaps a little gray which is the evidence needed to classify a variant as of interest or concern ”.

In the Country Project report, Debat noted that “we consider the C.37 variant to be of regional interest because it has two markers associated with changes in the biology of the virus and for epidemiological reasons. It has been observed in Peru, Chile and Argentina. In AMBA, there was a sustained increase in the frequency of the variant. Already 42% of samples from the city of Buenos Aires have the variant. 60% of Conurbano patient samples also have it. This variant competes and even beats other disturbing variants. It is an indirect proof of a greater transmissibility ”.

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