Spread of Gamma (P.1) Sub-Lineages Carrying Spike Mutations Close to the Furin Cleavage Site and Deletions in the N-Terminal Domain Drives Ongoing Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Amazonas, Brazil
Felipe Gomes Naveca, Valdinete Alves do Nascimento, Victor Costa de Souza, André de Lima Guerra Corado, Fernanda Nascimento, George Silva, Matilde Contreras Mejía, Maria Júlia Brandão, Ágatha Costa, Débora Duarte, Karina Pessoa, Michele Silva de Jesus, Luciana Gonçalves, Cristiano Fernandes, Tirza Mattos, Lígia Fernandes Abdalla, João Hugo Abdalla Santos, Alex Martins, Fabíola Mendonça da Silva Chui, Fernando Val, Gisely Cardoso de Melo, Mariana Simão Xavier, Vanderson de Souza Sampaio, Maria Paula Gomes Mourão, Marcus Lacerda, Érika Lopes Rocha Batista, Alessandro Leonardo Álvares Magalhães, Nathânia Dábilla, Lucas Carlos Gomes Pereira, Fernando Vinhal, Fábio Miyajima, Fernando Braga Stehling Dias, Eduardo Ruback dos Santos, Danilo F. Coêlho, Matheus Ferraz, Roberto D. Lins, Gabriel Luz Wallau, Edson Delatorre, Tiago Gräf, Marilda Mendonça Siqueira, Paola Cristina Resende, Gonzalo Bello
Abstract
The continuous evolution of SARS-CoV-2 is an expected phenomenon that will continue to happen due to the high number of cases worldwide. The present study analyzed how a Variant of Concern (VOC) could still circulate in a population hardly affected by two COVID-19 waves and with vaccination in progress. Our results showed that the answer behind that was a new generation of Gamma-like viruses, which emerged locally carrying mutations that made it more transmissible and more capable of spreading, partially evading prior immunity triggered by natural infections or vaccines. With thousands of new cases daily, the current pandemics scenario suggests that SARS-CoV-2 will continue to evolve and efforts to reduce the number of infected subjects, including global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, are mandatory. Thus, until the end of pandemics, the SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance will be an essential tool to better understand the drivers of the viral evolutionary process.