Two new variants derived from BQ.1 are identified in the ABC region of São Paulo

Two new strains of the coronavirus were identified in samples collected in the ABC region of São Paulo, in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, this Monday morning (28).

The two subvariants, called BQ.1.1.17 and BQ.1.18, derive from the BQ.1 strain of omicron, which appeared for the first time in the country last month and caused the death of a patient who was hospitalized with a severe case of Covid.

There was no record in the country so far of the new lineages. The identification was made by researchers from the genomic sequencing laboratory at the Centro Universitário da Faculdade de Medicina do ABC (FMABC).

The two cases occurred in patients with Covid in the municipalities of Santo André and São Caetano do Sul.

In a statement, the laboratory said it had resumed genomic sequencing of Sars-CoV-2 due to the recent increase in Covid cases in the Greater ABC region.

It is still unknown whether these new sublines have more aggressive characteristics in terms of disease progression or whether they are more transmissible. The tests were carried out with patients who had shown mild symptoms of Covid, without major complications, the note said.

According to the researcher and coordinator of the laboratory’s molecular biology sector, Beatriz da Costa Aguiar Alves, the new mutations acquired by the virus may explain the increase in cases, but this is not yet reflected in the worsening of the health condition. “As new mutations appear, we always have some changes in the number of cases, but this does not necessarily impact the severity”, she explains.

In addition to the underlines, the center also identified a new case of BQ.1 within a batch of nine samples in total. Most tests pointed to the BA.5 variant of the virus as prevalent in the region.

In recent weeks, three new sublines of omicron were identified in the state of São Paulo by the genomic surveillance network of the Butantan Institute and another subline, BE.9, by Fiocruz Amazônia, in Manaus.

According to experts, the emergence of new variants of the virus is related to an increase in transmission and circulation in recent weeks. When replicating, new mutations can occur. When these alterations occur in areas of receptor binding, such as the S protein, they can mean an advantage for the virus —such as, for example, greater escape of antibodies produced by the vaccine.

“Most likely in specific groups [da população] variants can appear and then they begin to transmit, there is a selection pressure that is given by incomplete vaccination added to individuals who have been infected in the past and do not have robust immunity and allow this escape in key sites for the immune response”, he explains Fernando Spilki, coordinator of the Corona-ómica BR network, linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

For him, updating vaccination with boosters would be important to reduce the possibility of the virus spreading and finding people with low immunity due to the time since the last dose. “It is a matter of concern, as a part of the more susceptible population has already received its last booster dose more than four or six months ago, and this could cause concern. It would be important, even if these subvariants are less aggressive, to do the updating of the vaccination schedule”, says Spilki.

Last Tuesday (22), Anvisa approved Pfizer’s bivalent vaccine, with protection against new strains of omicron. The expectation is that the first doses will arrive in the country in the coming weeks.