detect a new variant in Rio de Janeiro

The government of Rio de Janeiro announced the detection of a new variant coronavirus inside this neighboring state on the border with São Paulo, both located in the southeastern region of Brazil, the most populous in the country.

“Until we cannot say that it is more deadly or transmissible“than other strains, the Secretary of State for Health noted in a note.

Named P5 , the new variant was located in the municipality of Porto Real, in the south of the state.

Rio de Janeiro is one of the states hardest hit by the pandemic with 54,500 deaths, just over 10% of what was recorded in all of Brazil, which exceeded 504,000 deaths on Tuesday.

For now, in Rio de Janeiro the predominant strain is always P1, which after emerging in the Amazon region has spread throughout Brazil and other countries.

On the other hand, 19 patients infected with P5 were located in São Paulo, but it is not yet known whether they are native cases of this state or originating in Rio.

The identification of the new variant was carried out by the Corona-Omica-RJ network which carries out genomic monitoring and in which professionals from the Fiocruz Institute, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and the Getulio Vargas Foundation participate, among other university centers. .

With information from agencies.

AFG