37 countries in the Americas detected COVID variants – PAHO

The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) has informed that the SARS-CoV-2 variants have been detected in 37 countries throughout the Americas.
It was outlined that variants of the coronavirus are to be expected, but genomic surveillance in the Americas should continue to detect any unusual or unexpected increase in cases, increase in lethality or change in clinical patterns that could affect control measures including vaccines.
During a Webinar for journalists, experts from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) discussed the impact on transmissibility, the severity of COVID-19, and the effectiveness of vaccines against them.

PAHO’s advisor on emerging viral diseases, Dr Jairo Mendez Rico revealed that mutations are expected in the virus’s evolution and adaptation process. When these variants have a potential impact or risk for public health, they are considered variants of concern.
The four variants of concern that have been detected in the Americas include those that originated in the United Kingdom (B.1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351), Brazil (P.1), and India (B.1.617).
“So far, 37 countries and territories have confirmed the presence of one or more of the four variants of concern. Variant B.1.1.7 was confirmed in 34 countries; variant B.1.351 in 17, variant P.1 in 21 countries, and variant B.1.617 in eight countries,” PAHO notified.
However, Mendez said, “Although some (variants of concern) have demonstrated enhanced capacity to replicate and transmit, they are not more aggressive or severe.” He pointed out that from an evolutionary perspective, it is not in the virus’s interest to kill its host.
The higher the transmission level within populations, the more likely it is that viral mutations will occur. The experts agreed that slowing or halting transmission is the only way to avoid the appearance of new variants.
They recommended maintaining all public health measures where the virus is circulating, regardless of the variants. These include using face masks, maintaining physical distancing from others, avoiding crowded, closed spaces, opening windows for ventilation, hand hygiene, and getting vaccinated when vaccines become available. They also recommended strengthening both epidemiological and genomic surveillance to reduce the spread of the virus and possible mutations.
As part of the network, there are currently six regional reference laboratories assisting countries with genomic sequencing of variants: Fiocruz (Fundación Oswaldo Cruz) in Brazil, Instituto de Salud Pública in Chile, InDRE in Mexico, the Gorgas Institute in Panama, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and the University of West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago.
Countries in the Americas first began using genomic surveillance during outbreaks of cholera years ago, and this continued with outbreaks of influenza, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever. This long experience is now being applied to keep a close look at SARS-CoV-2.
In addition to coordinating the surveillance network, PAHO provides countries and laboratories with reagents, organises training and updating sessions, and covers the costs for shipment of the variant samples to the reference laboratories.
Guyana had sent samples to CARPHA for genomic sequencing, to which variants of the virus were not detected. Talks were ongoing between other agencies for samples to be analysed.