Andean variant: what we know about the new type of Covid present in the region

Santiago, Chile.- It is not yet clear whether this is a variant of the coronavirus that originated in Chile or Peru, but there is already a consensus on its name. It is called Andean and its circulation is a reality in several Latin American countries, where it is always expected to collect more information on aspects such as its aggressiveness and transmissibility. According to a study, the variant is already circulating in several countries in the region, including Argentina.

Known as C.37, the first investigations revealed that the new variant it descends from a family of viruses called B.1.1.1. and it has been circulating around the world since the start of the pandemic. At the genetic level, moreover, C.37 reports two mutations in the spike or spike protein, as it is called in English.

“In Chile, its presence was known, certain strains of virus which had mutations which characterize this variant had already been seen. One of the most important characteristics is that it affects the spike protein (which is the one that interacts with the human cell) and which is shared by most of the variants that circulate, ”he said. THE NATION Ignacio Silva, infectologist and scholar at the Faculty of Medical Sciences in Usach.

The most advanced studies have been carried out in Peru and it was the researcher, Pablo Tsukayama, who led the group of scientists who identified the variant through research conducted in a laboratory in Lima and developed by Cayetano Heredia University. The announcement was posted on Virological.org, where specialists around the world discussed their preliminary findings.

So, for example, from the Peruvian capital it was reported accelerated growth which was reflected in the fact that C.37 was present in 47.6% percent of samples processed between January 1 and March 18.

The spread, likewise, was also dizzying and quickly crosses borders.

“At the end of January, we started to observe cases of C.37 in Chile and the United States. As of April, 160 were already reported in Chile and 133 in the United States. Today we see it in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Germany, Spain, France, United Kingdom and Australia, ”Tsukayama said via his Twitter account.

“There’s a lot we don’t know about C.37 yet. But what we know worries “warns the scientist.

One of the main challenges, by the way, has to do with controlling the virus, as mutations could help you avoid neutralization by antibodies.

“What we know so far is that would be transmitted more easily, it means that more people can be infected. What has not been seen so far is that it can lead to more serious illnesses, ”he said. THE NATION Vivian Luchsinger, virologist and researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile.

“You have to wonder what this new variant could have an impact on. The problem would be that not only would it be more transmitted and we would have more infected, on the contrary, people might get sicker and vaccine control might not be as effective as expected. For this reason, and considering that it is an inactivated virus, I would prefer a vaccine such as Sinovac to be able to cope with all the changes in the peak protein of the virus, “said the specialist.

For infectologist Ignacio Silva, the increase in genetic analyzes of the coronavirus should shed more light, in particular given the proliferation of other variants such as that of the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7), that of New York ( B.1526), ​​Brazilian P1, or the South African variant, which has been shown to be more resistant to Pfizer vaccine.

“It must be taken into account that the genetic sequencing in more significant numbers has only been carried out in recent months and that more sequencing is being carried out in Chile and in the world, it will be possible to start to discover different variants, lineages or under- line that they will not necessarily have clinical repercussions and for this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the different variants according to their impact and do not all have the same weight in relation to to viral circulation, to transmissibility, to aggressiveness, “he says.

The Chilean government has already noted the presence of the variant and raised his position through the Under Secretary of Health, Paula Daza. “WHO considers it an interesting variant, but it is not of concern,” commented the authority and stressed that in the country “strict genomic surveillance” of the new variants is underway.

“What we have seen is that the vaccine has been effective with the circulation of the strains that we have in our country,” the authority said.