Mutation of Brazil variant in Broward
Florida’s Department of Health has reported a new coronavirus variant of concern in the state, a mutation of the highly contagious variant first discovered in Brazil.
So far, two cases of the variant known as P2 have emerged in Florida, in a 74-year-old man in Broward County and a 51-year-old woman in Duval County. The variant has a slightly different sequence than the P1 strain, which in Brazil has been found to be more likely to re-infect people who have already had COVID-19 compared to the original virus.
Scientists in Florida said they are watching closely whether the variant, also known as P.1.1 in records maintained by the state of
Florida, sticks around and how infectious it becomes. If it behaves like the strain that has hit Brazil hard, it could spread in younger people who previously had mild cases of COVID-19.
“We have just two cases in Florida that have the extra mutation, and what that means remains to be seen,” said Marco Salemi of the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute. “If in a month from now we go from two cases to 500, that will be concerning.
“We don’t know if new mutations are going to make current variants more or less aggressive, which is why we have people around the world actively monitoring them,” Salemi said.
Florida has the most cases caused by variants in the United States. The state’s health officials reported more than 11,800 cases of COVID-19 “variants of concern” on Wednesday, more than double the total just two weeks earlier and an indication that the spread is accelerating. Because less than one-half of 1% of cases are studied for the mutations, the variants are assumed to be circulating at a much greater volume.
“It’s hard to come up with an explanation for why Florida is the leading state for variants,” said Dr. Michael Teng, a virologist at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. He believes Florida’s large international airports and its high volume of visitors from Latin American and Europe may contribute.
By far, the most common variant in Florida is the B.1.1.7 — the strain first detected in the United Kingdom — reported in 10,260 cases statewide. The second most common strain is P1 from Brazil, which jumped significantly to 688 cases from 155 two weeks ago. Brazil’s outbreak has been worrisome because it has increasingly affected younger people.
Scientists says the arrival of the P2 variant in Florida is not surprising. “Variants themselves keep accumulating mutations,” Salemi said. “This mutation might act differently and it might not.”
In Florida, the variants have led to the death of 67 people — twice the number reported two weeks ago — and to the hospitalization of 243 residents.
Experts say more research is needed on the extent to which different vaccines are effective against variants. In Brazil, Chinese-developed CoronaVac, as well as the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, have shown some effectiveness. Moderna said Wednesday it has developed a booster shot for the COVID-19 vaccine that has generated a promising immune response against the variants first identified in South Africa and Brazil,
For now, vaccines remain critical to controlling the spread of variants in Florida, said Dr. Dushyantha Jayaweera, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. “We need to keep vaccinating because even if we don’t have reduced efficacy against infection from variants, you will at least get good protection against severe illness.”
About 9 million people in Florida have been vaccinated with at least one dose, representing about 40% of the state’s population.
Florida’s researchers say they don’t know whether any variant cases have been reported in people who have been vaccinated. “The state is not releasing that data,” Salemi said.
Researchers sequencing coronavirus cases in Florida are watching closely for the “double mutant” variant first detected in India. At this time, it is not one of the six variants of concern in the state.
Teng said health officials and researchers will need to work together closely going forward.
“I think we are entering the stage where releasing the number of variants is not going to be enough,” he said. “We need to know where are they circulating — in small clusters or large groups, through local cases or imported from outside? These are relevant questions to figure out our next strategy.”