Filogenia molecular do vírus SARS-CoV-2 no estado do Espírito Santo

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) is a new strain of the SARS-CoV species. This species belongs to the Coronaviridae family and the Betacoronavirus genus. The virus is responsible for causing a severe respiratory crisis first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. This disease became known as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Much of the scientific community has directed its studies to understand this new virus, its effects, diversity, and geographic distribution. Although several countries and regions in Brazil had already carried out phylogenetic studies to better understand the dynamics of the virus, no studies had been conducted in the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. In this way, the present study aims to identify which lineages circulated in the state and what would be their possible routes of entry into the region. For this, sequences deposited in the GISAID database of positive cases collected in the geographic limit of Espírito Santo, as well as border states, Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Bahia (BA) and Minas Gerais (MG) were analised. It was possible to identify that on the period from February 29, 2020 to August 19, 2021 nine lineages were identified in the state, with the B.1.1.33 and Gamma lineages being the most predominant. The Delta lineage was on the rise, demonstrating that it could be the new dominant variant in the state. The cocirculation of lineages was also identified in the state. The phylogenetic reconstruction performed with samples from border states indicated that possibly the virus may have multiple state entries.