Andean variant: traffic has increased and there is concern within the government

The frequency of detection of Gamma variants (Manaus) and of Lineage C.37 (Andean) increase in Buenos Aires metropolitan area (AMBA), while no mutation of the Beta (South Africa) or Delta (India) variant has been recorded, according to a report from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation via the PAIS project, released today ‘hui.

SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance report no.23 was carried out with data obtained between April 2 and May 19: 341 samples and whole genome sequencing in 48 samples obtained from residents of the city ​​of Buenos Aires (CABA), province of Buenos Aires, Crdoba, Entre Ros, Neuqun and Santa Fe.

It is very important to note that an increase in the frequency of detection of Gamma variants (P.1, Manaus) and of the C.37 line (Andina) and a stabilization of the frequency of the Alpha variant, (B.1.1. 7, UK) in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area (AMBA) in recent epidemiological weeks in cases not epidemiologically linked to overseas tourism, the study said.

The Gamma variant (P.1, Manaus) reached frequencies above 35% in CABA and 27% in Greater Buenos Aires (GBA), and the C.37 (Andina) line had frequencies above 42% in CABA and 32% in GBA.

As for the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7, United Kingdom), its frequency decreased to less than 10% in CABA and 15% in GBA.

Likewise, during this period, less than 6% (CABA) and 5% (GBA) of the cases analyzed belonged to the other variants or presented mutations of interest.

In total, more than 95% of the SARS-CoV-2 which circulated in AMBA has mutations in the region which codes for the Spike protein which differentiates it from the viruses which circulated during the first wave.

Meanwhile, the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7, UK) has been identified in 45 cases, of which nine correspond to CABA, 16 to GBA (four from GBA North and 12 from GBA West), four within PBA and two cases of AMBA with no definite origin.

In addition, nine cases corresponded to the province of Entre Ros, one case to the province of Neuqun and four to the province of Santa Fe. With the exception of the case of Neuqun, the cases correspond to individuals with no travel history to abroad or close contact with travelers.

Meanwhile, the Gamma variant (P.1, Manaus) was recorded in 181 cases: 51 from CABA, 52 from GBA (nine from GBA North, 17 from GBA West and 26 from GBA South. ) and 12 from inside the ABP. In addition, 13 cases corresponded to the province of Entre Ros, 24 cases to the province of Neuqun, 14 cases to the province of Santa Fe and 13 cases to the province of Crdoba.

All of these cases correspond to infections of individuals without a history of travel abroad or close contact with travelers. In turn, they added that in the province of Cordoba, two cases have been detected in people with a history of travel to Paraguay and Brazil.

The combination of mutations compatible with the C.37 line or the Andean variant was identified in a total of 127 cases. About 50 cases are from CABA, 56 cases from GBA (five from GBA North, 19 from GBA West and 32 from GBA South), four from inside PBA.

Two cases corresponded to the province of Entre Ros, six cases to the province of Neuqun and seven cases to the province of Crdoba.

All these cases correspond to infections of individuals without a history of travel abroad or of close contact with travelers, with the exception of two cases from the province of Cordoba which presented with a history of travel to Mexico and the Republic. Dominican.

So far, out of a total of 2,238 samples analyzed by active surveillance by Spike or whole genome sequencing, the most detected variants were the C.37 line (Andean variant) in 412 cases and the Gamma variant (P. 1 , Manaus) in 398 cases, notably in the last SE analyzed.

The PAIS project considered that the C.37 line (Andean variant) should be considered at least as a variant of regional interest, given the sustained increase in its frequency of detection in the AMBA region during the last epidemiological weeks, as has also been observed in countries in the region such as Peru and Chile.