Emergence of the novel SARS-CoV-2 lineage VUI-NP13L and massive spread of P.2 in South Brazil
Fernando Hayashi Sant’Anna, Ana Paula Muterle Varela, Janira Prichula, Juliana Comerlato, Carolina Baldisserotto Comerlato, Vinícius Serafini Roglio, Gérson Fernando Mendes Pereira, Flávia Moreno, Adriana Seixas, Eliana Wendland
Abstract
In this study, we analyzed 340 whole genomes of SARS-CoV-2, which were sampled between April and November 2020 in 33 cities of Rio Grande do Sul, South Brazil. We demonstrated the circulation of two novel emergent lineages, VUI-NP13L and VUI-NP13L-like, and five major lineages that had already been assigned (B.1.1.33, B.1.1.28, P.2, B.1.91, B.1.195). P.2 and VUI-NP13L demonstrated a massive spread in October 2020. Constant and consistent genomic surveillance is crucial to identify newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 lineages in Brazil and to guide decision making in the Brazilian Public Healthcare System.