Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Description of a One-Year Succession of Variants of Interest and Concern of SARS-Cov-2 in Venezuela

Rossana C. Jaspe
* ORCID logo ,
Carmen L. Loureiro
,
Yoneira F. Sulbaran
,
Zoila C. Moros
,
Pierina D´Angelo
,
Mariana Hidalgo
,
Lieska Rodriguez
,
Victor Alarcon
,
Marwan Aguilar
,
Doneyla Sanchez
,
Jesus Ramirez
,
Domingo J. Garzaro
,
Jose Luis Zambrano
,
Ferdinando Liprandi
,
Hector Rafael Rangel
ORCID logo ,
Flor H. Pujol
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 17 May 2022 / Approved: 19 May 2022 / Online: 19 May 2022 (03:31:36 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Jaspe, R.C.; Loureiro, C.L.; Sulbaran, Y.; Moros, Z.C.; D’Angelo, P.; Hidalgo, M.; Rodríguez, L.; Alarcón, V.; Aguilar, M.; Sánchez, D.; Ramírez, J.; Garzaro, D.J.; Zambrano, J.L.; Liprandi, F.; Rangel, H.R.; Pujol, F.H. Description of a One-Year Succession of Variants of Interest and Concern of SARS-CoV-2 in Venezuela. Viruses 2022, 14, 1378. Jaspe, R.C.; Loureiro, C.L.; Sulbaran, Y.; Moros, Z.C.; D’Angelo, P.; Hidalgo, M.; Rodríguez, L.; Alarcón, V.; Aguilar, M.; Sánchez, D.; Ramírez, J.; Garzaro, D.J.; Zambrano, J.L.; Liprandi, F.; Rangel, H.R.; Pujol, F.H. Description of a One-Year Succession of Variants of Interest and Concern of SARS-CoV-2 in Venezuela. Viruses 2022, 14, 1378.

Abstract

Some of the lineages of SARS-CoV-2, the new coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, exhibit higher transmissibility or partial resistance to antibody mediated neutralization and were des-ignated by WHO as Variants of Interests (VOIs) or Concern (VOCs). The aim of this study was to monitor the dissemination of VOIs and VOCs in Venezuela during a year. A 614 nt genomic fragment was sequenced for the detection of some relevant mutations of these variants. Their presence was confirmed by complete genome sequencing, with a correlation higher than 99% between both methodologies. After the previously reported introduction of the Gamma VOC since the beginning of the year 2021, the variants Alpha VOC and Lambda VOI were detected as early as March 2021, at a very low frequency. In contrast, the Mu VOI, detected in May 2021, was able to circulate throughout the country. After the detection of Delta VOC in June 2021, it be-came the predominant circulating variant. With the arrival of the Omicron VOC in December, this variant was able to displace the Delta one in less than one month. This succession of variants was accompanied by a reduction in the Cycle threshold (Ct) values, in agreement with the in-crease in transmissibility described for these variants.

Keywords

COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Variants of Concern; Rapid screening; Mutations

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Virology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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