Brazil discovers first case of South African variant, serious shortage looms as death toll rises

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil has recorded its first confirmed case of the highly contagious coronavirus variant discovered in South Africa, a new danger sign for a country already ravaged by the world’s worst daily death toll and scrambling to make room for funerals.

Scientists warned Wednesday that another new variant could emerge in the city of Belo Horizonte in the interior of Brazil.

The Federal University of Minas Gerais said in a statement that two samples taken in the city contained a hitherto unseen set of 18 mutations, including some in the same genes modified by the South African variety and the already common variety. Brazil, known as P.1.

The detection of additional variants heightens concerns that a brutal COVID-19 wave will continue to break grim records in Brazil in the coming weeks. On Tuesday, the Health Ministry reported a one-day record of 4,195 deaths, followed by another 3,829 deaths on Wednesday.

Sao Paulo, the country’s largest city, said on Wednesday it would open about 600 new graves a day, far more than the record of 426 burials in a day on March 30. The city is also preparing plans for a ‘vertical cemetery’. crypt with 26,000 drawer-like tombs that can be built in 90 days after approval.

The outbreak in South America’s largest country could overtake the United States and become the deadliest in the world, some medical experts predict.

The woman in the state of Sao Paulo now confirmed to be infected with the South African virus variant was first identified by the Butantan biomedical institute as a possible case of a new local variant. Further analysis confirmed that it was the first known local case of the variant widely circulating in South Africa and elsewhere.

Scientists fear a showdown between the South African variant and Brazil’s P.1 variant, both of which are more contagious and potentially deadly than the original version of the coronavirus, exacerbating COVID-19 spikes.

“It could be a huge duel,” said Maria Carolina Sabbaga, one of Butantan’s coordinators for studying new variants. “I think P.1 has already taken over. Not sure if the South African will catch up with P.1, let’s see. “

The South African variant in studies appears to reduce protection against current vaccines.

José Patané, a Butantan researcher, said the variant most likely arrived in Brazil after traveling through Europe towards the end of 2020.

The first local diagnosis, a woman in her 30s in the city of Sorocaba, had not traveled abroad or come into contact with anyone who did, suggesting transmission by the local community, researchers said.

SLOW VACCINE ROLLOUT

A possible increase in the South African variant could further complicate the slow roll-out of vaccines in Brazil.

The COVID-19 vaccination program in Brazil is based on the vaccines from AstraZeneca Plc and Sinovac Biotech Ltd of China, which officials say have been shown to be effective against the Brazilian variant.

Research released Wednesday found the Sinovac injection to be 50% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in a study of nearly 68,000 health workers in Manaus, where the P.1 strain first emerged as the predominant variant. The results support preliminary findings from separate research reported by Reuters last month.

Vaccinations have been sluggish in Brazil after the government backfired last year in obtaining vaccines, while other countries rushed to secure supplies.

President Jair Bolsonaro has changed his tone on vaccines, praising shots he had scorned until recently. But the far-right former army captain still opposes social distancing and masking demands that health experts consider essential to curb the transmission of viruses.

Under pressure from business leaders desperate to vaccinate their staff and reopen operations, the lower house of Congress passed a controversial bill to allow the purchase of vaccines by the private sector. After the House of Representatives has finalized the vote on amendments on Wednesday, the bill will go to the Senate for consideration.

The proposal would allow companies to purchase vaccines to inoculate their employees, provided they donate the same number of injections to the public health system. Under current rules, companies would only be able to do this if the country has fully vaccinated the risk groups, as described in a national immunization plan.