Experts assure that there is no circulation of new strains of coronavirus in Argentina

The interdisciplinary consortium Proyecto PAIS (Argentinian Interinstitutional Project for the Genomics of SARS-CoV-2) reported that analysis of 512 sequences of the complete genome of SARS-CoV-2 between March and October “did not show evidence of circulation. “in Argentina variants detected in UK, South Africa and Brazil.

The study of 512 complete genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 obtained by the Consortium between March and October from samples of individuals from the city of Buenos Aires (Caba), province of Buenos Aires, Chaco, Córdoba, Río Negro, Neuquén, La Pampa and Tierra del Fuego “have not shown the circulation of these variants in Argentina,” says report No. 9.

The analysis studied the three viral variants of SARS-CoV-2: VOC 202012/01 (line B.1.1.7), the most recent sample of which was detected in the United Kingdom on September 20; variant 501Y.V2 (line B.1.351), detected in South Africa since October 8; and the Rio de Janeiro variant (derived from line B.1.1.28), detected in Brazil, also in October.

The report noted that “the emergence of viral variants is a natural process in the evolution of viruses.”

“However, when these occur with genetic changes in regions involved in the interaction with the cellular receptor or in the recognition of specific antibodies, it is necessary to assess the possible impact of these genetic changes on the viral spread, the ability to cause more serious illness, or the response to vaccination, ”he said.

The variant discovered in the UK has also been reported in Denmark, Singapore, Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Lebanon, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Iceland, Belgium and Germany.

Meanwhile, the one detected in South Africa is in the United Kingdom, and the one in Rio de Janeiro only in Brazil.

“It is important to emphasize that although some variants share genetic changes, these viral variants have different origins, i.e. these common changes occurred during independent evolutionary events,” the report states. .

In addition, he explained that “to determine the possible circulation of these variants in our country, an active surveillance of the genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 is necessary, either by the sequencing of the whole genome or by the analysis of sequences. partial. which include genetic markers of interest “.

In recent days, the Consortium, through the virology laboratory of the Ricardo Gutiérrez Children’s Hospital, has carried out a partial sequencing of the region encoding the S (Spike) protein of SARS-CoV-2 from 39 selected cases. out of a total of 71 positive samples for SARS-CoV-2, taken between December 14 and 18, 2020 corresponding to cases of community circulation in Caba and tourism.

In none of the 39 partial sequences was the localized mutation of the S protein characteristic of the British or South African variants observed.

However, in four of the total sequences one of the three South African variant mutations was found and it is the only mutation of the S gene in the Rio de Janeiro variant.