The genome of the new coronavirus from a sample collected from the first patient diagnosed in Brazil is different from the genome of the second patient who was confirmed for the disease in the country. In addition, they are different from the sequencing done on patients in China. This is what confirmed the research carried out by scientists at the Adolf Lutz Institute in partnership with the Tropical Institute at the University of São Paulo (USP), with support from the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (FAPESP). According to the researchers, this would suggest that internal transmission is taking place in European countries.
"The first isolate showed to be genetically more similar to the virus sequenced in Germany. This second genome is more similar to the one sequenced in England. And both are different from Chinese sequences. This fact suggests that the coronavirus epidemic is developing in Europe, that is, internal transmission is already occurring in European countries. For more accurate analysis, however, we need data from Italy, which has not yet been analyzed." said Ester Sabino, Director of USP's Institute of Tropical Medicine (IMT), in an interview with the foundation that supports the research.
The first case of the new coronavirus in a resident of Brazil was identified on February 26. Two days after the confirmation, researchers were able to carry out the first genetic sequencing of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) in Latin America. The second case of the new coronavirus in Brazil was confirmed on February 29. Both patients are residents of São Paulo, but have recently been to Italy.
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