Argentine scientists discovered mutations of the coronavirus that produce Covid-19 in five samples collected in the City and Province of Buenos Aires. Variants found are similar to those recorded in South Africa and Rio de Janeiro.

The detected variant, called S_E484, is analyzed by experts of the Argentine SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Interinstitutional Project (PAIS). They are expected to fully sequence its genome in order to confirm its connection to the strains that have been causing a surge in new infections, mainly in the United Kingdom, where restrictive measures were deepened.

At the moment, three variants of Covid-19 were detected in the world. One of them is "VOC 202012/01" or "UK Variant", detected last September 20th, which has already been reported in 23 countries, among them Brazil, Chile, Canada and the United States. Then there is "variant 501Y.V2", found in South Africa on October 8th and later in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Finland. The third is from Rio de Janeiro, which was spotted last month.

The variants share some common genetic changes, but have different evolutionary origins. Researchers indicated that material found in samples is related to "one of the three mutation markers of the South African variant, the only mutation of the S gene in the Rio de Janeiro variant".

Sources said that "although the finding is intriguing, sequencing the entire SARS-CoV-2 genome is required to determine whether the virus found in the Greater Buenos Aires area shares a common origin with the Rio de Janeiro variant". This is a mutation that is present in both the variant 501Y.V2 (one of the three detected in South Africa), and in the Rio de Janeiro variant.