Tracking the turnover of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs gamma to delta in a Brazilian state (Minas Gerais) with a high-vaccination status
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The emergence and global dissemination of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) have been described as the main factor driving the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic. In Brazil, the Gamma variant dominated the epidemiological scenario during the first period of 2021. Many Brazilian regions detected the Delta variant after its first description and documented its spread. To monitor the introduction and spread of VOC Delta, we performed Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) genotyping and genome sequencing in ten regional sentinel units from June to October 2021 in the State of Minas Gerais (MG). We documented the introduction and spread of Delta, comprising 70 per cent of the cases 8 weeks later. Comparing the viral loads of the Gamma and Delta dominance periods, we provide additional evidence that the latter is more transmissible. The spread and dominance of Delta did not culminate in the increase in cases and deaths, suggesting that the vaccination may have restrained the epidemic growth. Analysis of 224 novel Delta genomes revealed that Rio de Janeiro state was the primary source for disseminating this variant in the state of MG. We present the establishment of Delta, providing evidence of its enhanced transmissibility and showing that this variant shift did not aggravate the epidemiological scenario in a high immunity setting.
Date Issued
2022-08-06
Date Acceptance
2022-07-26
Citation
Virus Evolution, 2022, 8 (2)
ISSN
2057-1577
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Journal / Book Title
Virus Evolution
Volume
8
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oup.com
License URL
Sponsor
Medical Research Council-São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
Wellcome Trust
Wellcome Trust
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Identifier
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000836706600001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
MR/S0195/1
204311/Z/16/Z
204311/A/16/Z
INV-034540
Subjects
Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Virology
Genomic surveillance
phylogeny
phylogeography
viral lineages
vaccines
MUTATIONS
VARIANT
ESCAPE
DNA
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN veac064