Portugal and Peru joined the list of countries to ban flights from Brazil as fears of spreading the P.1 coronavirus variant found in the Amazon region continue to mount. Previously this week, the U.S. had already adopted the same measure.
As we have reported in our Daily Briefing, the new SARS-CoV-2 variant has already made it to São Paulo. In its most recent epidemiological report from January 27, the World Health Organization warned that the P.1 variant is now found in eight countries — six more than last week.
According to the report, preliminary studies point to ongoing local transmission of this variant in the Amazonian city of Manaus, “raising concerns for potential increases in transmissibility or propensity for re-infection.” However, WHO reckons that further studies are needed to assess if the new variety promotes changes in transmissibility, severity or antibody neutralizing activity.
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