Scientists have called for measures to be taken to prevent the Indian coronavirus strain from entering Brazil

Rio – It has been detected in at least 17 countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Indian variant of the new Coronavirus has yet to arrive in Brazil. Experts believe, however, that this should happen soon and warn that the federal government should adopt health barriers and test measures for people from other countries.

The new form is characterized by three mutations that are of concern to scientists. The first is the L452R. It makes the virus more transmissible, increases its ability to replicate, and allows you to bypass some antibodies. Another mutation, E484Q, was detected in the same region where the virus attaches to a human cell. The third mutation is P68IR, which may facilitate Sars-CoV-2’s ability to invade tissues.

Experts still don’t know if these mutations make the alternative more aggressive. The Indian variant It is classified by the World Health Organization as a “variable of interest”. It differs from those initially identified in the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa, which are considered “variants of concern”.

“We still know very little about this alternative,” said Esther Sabino, an immunologist from the University of the South Pacific, one of those responsible for sequencing the virus in Brazil. “But we live in a globalized world; any new species, anywhere in the world, can arrive here with the arrival of the epidemic that started in Wuhan.

Virologist Fernando Spielke, of the University of Veveil in Rio Grande do Sul, agrees. “If there are no health blocks or at least testing and quarantine for people from countries with sustainable transmission of this species, then it should reach Brazil,” he said. “At this point, I am pessimistic, and I think the trend is that it will arrive because, up to now, Brazil does not have a no-entry policy, and there is no strict control over the arrival of travelers.”

The Ministry of Health stated that the decision to approve health barriers is not within the purview of the ministry, but rather that of the Presidency of the Republic. However, the Consultative Council for the Presidency of the Republic stated that this responsibility rests with the Ministry of Health.

The arrival of the new format does not mean that there will be a third wave of the epidemic in Brazil, even more severe than this second. Spilki explained, “Our P1 and P2 variants have been proliferating so far, neither the British nor South African variants have taken the lead. There have been quite a few notifications.” “If the new alternative arrives in Brazil, we must continue to monitor this space dispute to see what happens.”

Ester Sabino said it’s imperative to pay attention to all variables to see how far you can slip away from available vaccine protection. So far, there is no indication that the effect of vaccines will decrease with or with P1 Indian variant.

But the more variants circulating, the greater the tendency for new mutations to emerge, the scientists warn. This movement is possible especially in a country where vaccination against Covid-19 It’s progressing slowly like Brazil.