Genomic Analysis of Early SARS-CoV-2 Variants Introduced in Mexico
Blanca Taboada, Joel Armando Vázquez-Pérez, José Esteban Muñoz‐Medina, Pilar Ramos-Cervantes, Marina Escalera‐Zamudio, Célia Boukadida, Alejandro Sánchez‐Flores, Pavel Iša, Edgar Mendieta-Condado, José Arturo Martínez-Orozco, Eduardo Becerril‐Vargas, Jorge Salas‐Hernandez, Ricardo Grande, Carolina González-Torres, Javier Gaytán-Cervantes, Gloria Vázquez, Francisco Pulido, Adnan Araiza-Rodríguez, Fabiola Garcés-Ayala, César González-Bonilla, Concepción Grajales-Muñíz, Víctor Hugo Borja‐Aburto, Gisela Barrera-Badillo, Susana López, Lucía Hernández‐Rivas, Rogelio Pérez‐Padilla, Irma López-Martı́nez, Santiago Ávila‐Ríos, Guillermo M. Ruiz‐Palacios, José Ernesto Ramírez–González, Carlos F. Arias
Abstract
Understanding the introduction, spread, and establishment of SARS-CoV-2 within distinct human populations as well as the evolution of the pandemics is crucial to implement effective control strategies. In this work, we report that the initial virus strains introduced in Mexico came from Europe and the United States and that the virus was circulating locally in the country as early as mid-March. We also found evidence for early local transmission of strains with a H49Y mutation in the Spike protein, which could be further used as a molecular marker to follow viral spread within the country and the region.