TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of SARS-CoV-2 Gamma lineage introduction and COVID-19 vaccination on the epidemiological landscape of a Brazilian city
AU - Banho, Cecília Artico
AU - Sacchetto, Lívia
AU - Campos, Guilherme Rodrigues Fernandes
AU - Bittar, Cíntia
AU - Possebon, Fábio Sossai
AU - Ullmann, Leila Sabrina
AU - Marques, Beatriz de Carvalho
AU - da Silva, Gislaine Ceslestino Dutra
AU - Moraes, Marília Mazzi
AU - Parra, Maisa Carla Pereira
AU - Negri, Andreia Francesli
AU - Boldrin, Ana Carolina
AU - Barcelos, Michela Dias
AU - Dos Santos, Thayza M I L
AU - Milhim, Bruno H G A
AU - Rocha, Leonardo Cecílio
AU - Dourado, Fernanda Simões
AU - Dos Santos, Andresa Lopes
AU - Ciconi, Victoria Bernardi
AU - Patuto, Caio
AU - Versiani, Alice Freitas
AU - da Silva, Rafael Alves
AU - de Oliveira Lobl, Edoardo Estevam
AU - Hernandes, Victor Miranda
AU - Zini, Nathalia
AU - Pacca, Carolina Colombelli
AU - Estofolete, Cássia Fernanda
AU - Ferreira, Helena Lage
AU - Rahal, Paula
AU - Araújo, João Pessoa
AU - Cohen, Jamie A
AU - Kerr, Cliff C
AU - Althouse, Benjamin M
AU - Vasilakis, Nikos
AU - Nogueira, Mauricio Lacerda
N1 - © The Author(s) 2022.
PY - 2022/4/13
Y1 - 2022/4/13
N2 - BACKGROUND: The emergence of the Brazilian variant of concern, Gamma lineage (P.1), impacted the epidemiological profile of COVID-19 cases due to its higher transmissibility rate and immune evasion ability.METHODS: We sequenced 305 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genomes and performed phylogenetic analyses to identify introduction events and the circulating lineages. Additionally, we use epidemiological data of COVID-19 cases, severe cases, and deaths to measure the impact of vaccination coverage and mortality risk.RESULTS: Here we show that Gamma introduction in São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, was followed by the displacement of seven circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and a rapid increase in prevalence two months after its first detection in January 2021. Moreover, Gamma variant is associated with increased mortality risk and severity of COVID-19 cases in younger age groups, which corresponds to the unvaccinated population at the time.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the beneficial effects of vaccination indicated by a pronounced reduction of severe cases and deaths in immunized individuals, reinforcing the need for rapid and massive vaccination.
AB - BACKGROUND: The emergence of the Brazilian variant of concern, Gamma lineage (P.1), impacted the epidemiological profile of COVID-19 cases due to its higher transmissibility rate and immune evasion ability.METHODS: We sequenced 305 SARS-CoV-2 whole-genomes and performed phylogenetic analyses to identify introduction events and the circulating lineages. Additionally, we use epidemiological data of COVID-19 cases, severe cases, and deaths to measure the impact of vaccination coverage and mortality risk.RESULTS: Here we show that Gamma introduction in São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, was followed by the displacement of seven circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants and a rapid increase in prevalence two months after its first detection in January 2021. Moreover, Gamma variant is associated with increased mortality risk and severity of COVID-19 cases in younger age groups, which corresponds to the unvaccinated population at the time.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the beneficial effects of vaccination indicated by a pronounced reduction of severe cases and deaths in immunized individuals, reinforcing the need for rapid and massive vaccination.
U2 - 10.1038/s43856-022-00108-5
DO - 10.1038/s43856-022-00108-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 35603276
SN - 2730-664X
VL - 2
SP - 41
JO - Communications Medicine
JF - Communications Medicine
ER -