A Brazilian woman is the first user in the world to be reinfected with a variant of the new coronavirus, known as E484K, the official news agency Agencia Brasil reported.
The case of reinfection, discovered by researchers at the D’Or Institute for Research and Education, in northeastern Bahia, is a 45-year-old woman who tested positive for the coronavirus in May and tested positive in October last year with the mutation. In both cases, the patient did not present severe symptoms.
The E484K mutation, initially known in South Africa, has already been detected in Brazil, this being the first case of reinfection with this mutation.
To verify reinfection, it is necessary to conduct an investigation of the genome of the two viruses and compare the RNA series, the “primary” molecule of DNA, to see if they are actually two other strains, the report adds.
The researchers at the Institut D’Or expressed their fear at this discovery, as the mutation could cause alterations that could prevent the action of antibodies in the treatment of patients.
“This discovery serves as a warning and reinforces the desire to maintain measures against the pandemic through social distancing and the desire to accelerate the vaccination process,” warned Bruno Solano, a researcher at the institute.
So far, five variants of the coronavirus have already been discovered in Brazil.
Meanwhile, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speed up the delivery of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine, amid further delays in the arrival of the Covid-19 vaccine in the country.
Bolsonaro’s letter published through the press comes amid mounting pressure to push for Brazil’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout and end the world’s second-deadliest pandemic.
“To allow for the prompt implementation of our national vaccination program, I would appreciate (. . . ) the supply to Brazil, in the shortest time imaginable and without compromising the Indian vaccination program, of 2 million doses,” Bolsonaro said in the letter.
On Friday, Brazil reported 52,035 new infections of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours and 962 deaths, the Health Ministry said.
The South American country has now recorded 8,013,708 cases since the start of the pandemic, while the official death toll has risen to 201,460, according to ministry data, making it the world’s third-worst outbreak outside the United States and India. .
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