Univ. Miami finds variants of COVID-19 from New York and Brazil in South Florida

MIAMI BEACH, Florida – Researchers at the University of Miami are discovering several other variant strains of COVID-19 right here in South Florida, including three cases of two different variants from Brazil and now one case of the so-called New York variant.

Dr. David Andrews of UM Miller School of Medicine calls this “really telling.”

“We are discovering variants of many different varieties,” he adds. “From many different locations, from a variety of countries and from various sources.”

Andrews, an associate professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, says that the researchers were “very surprised by our first sequencing results, we discovered three variants originating in Brazil”.

The UK mutation is so far the most prevalent variant strain that circulates throughout Florida – and is believed to be most easily spread. In their latest statistics published on Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 500 cases of this variant of the United Kingdom in Florida, most from any state in the country.

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In addition, from a random sample of positive results from COVID-19, researchers at the University of Miami found that 25% had the UK variant.

But the concern with the new variant in New York, as well as the Brazilian strain, is its suspected ability to circumvent immunity, including a vaccine.

“We went into it without expecting to find any particular variant, and we found a case of the New York variant, and yes, concern for the New York variant is also an immune escape mechanism,” says Andrews.

So, what about the millions already vaccinated across the state? Although vaccines have been shown to be effective against the UK variant, Andrews says they should be at least partially effective in protecting against other mutations.

“Both Pfizer and Moderna are starting clinical trials with minor variations in the vaccine to be able to address these structural differences in peak protein,” he says.

The most recent data from the CDC on Thursday showed only one verified case of the Brazilian variant, which Local 10 News previously reported was located in Miami-Dade County.

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The new variants discovered at the University of Miami contribute to this.

UM says it is one of “a handful” of academic medical centers in the USA testing samples of COVID-19 for variants and sequencing them.

“Due to our geographical location, it is very important for us to develop these resources,” said Dr. Stephen D. Nimer, director of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, which developed the school’s COVID-19 testing program. “If we are able to find other variants, we can then determine whether they are covered by our vaccines and whether they actually cause more serious illnesses, and all of this information is useful for the world to know. “

The Florida Department of Heat said the greater number of confirmed variants in the state is partly the result of greater efforts to sequence and search for these other strains than in other states.

For more information on the University of Miami research, click here.