Communications Medicine (Apr 2022)

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Gamma lineage introduction and COVID-19 vaccination on the epidemiological landscape of a Brazilian city

  • Cecília Artico Banho,
  • Lívia Sacchetto,
  • Guilherme Rodrigues Fernandes Campos,
  • Cíntia Bittar,
  • Fábio Sossai Possebon,
  • Leila Sabrina Ullmann,
  • Beatriz de Carvalho Marques,
  • Gislaine Ceslestino Dutra da Silva,
  • Marília Mazzi Moraes,
  • Maisa Carla Pereira Parra,
  • Andreia Francesli Negri,
  • Ana Carolina Boldrin,
  • Michela Dias Barcelos,
  • Thayza M. I. L. dos Santos,
  • Bruno H. G. A. Milhim,
  • Leonardo Cecílio Rocha,
  • Fernanda Simões Dourado,
  • Andresa Lopes dos Santos,
  • Victoria Bernardi Ciconi,
  • Caio Patuto,
  • Alice Freitas Versiani,
  • Rafael Alves da Silva,
  • Edoardo Estevam de Oliveira Lobl,
  • Victor Miranda Hernandes,
  • Nathalia Zini,
  • Carolina Colombelli Pacca,
  • Cássia Fernanda Estofolete,
  • Helena Lage Ferreira,
  • Paula Rahal,
  • João Pessoa Araújo,
  • Jamie A. Cohen,
  • Cliff C. Kerr,
  • Benjamin M. Althouse,
  • Nikos Vasilakis,
  • Mauricio Lacerda Nogueira

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-022-00108-5
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2, no. 1
pp. 1 – 11

Abstract

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Plain language summary SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, has evolved into different variants, virus lineages with a slightly different genetic material. Here, we evaluated the introductions of SARS-CoV-2 lineages in a Brazilian city with the third-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state of São Paulo. Our analyses revealed several SARS-CoV-2 lineages first detected in the city, but after the introduction of the Gamma lineage, the majority of them were replaced by this variant that became the most common. At the same time, there was an increase in the number of infections, severe disease cases, and deaths, mainly in individuals under 70 years old, the age group that was not fully vaccinated at the time. Our findings further support the evidence that vaccination effectively decreases SARS-CoV-2 spread and transmission.