Early Emergence and Dispersal of Delta SARS-CoV-2 Lineage AY.99.2 in Brazil

The year of 2021 was marked by the emergence and dispersal of a number of SARS-CoV-2 lineages, resulting in the third wave of COVID-19 in several countries despite the level of vaccine coverage. Soon after the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 by the Delta variant in Brazil, at least seven Delta sub-lineages emerged, including the globally spread AY.101 and AY.99.2. In this study we performed a detailed analysis of the COVID-19 scenario in Brazil from April to December 2021 by using data collected by the largest private medical diagnostic company in Latin America (Dasa), and SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences generated by its SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance project (GENOV). For phylogenetic and Bayesian analysis, SARS-CoV-2 genomes available at GISAID public database were also retrieved. We confirmed that the Brazilian AY.99.2 and AY.101 were the most prevalent lineages during this period, overpassing the Gamma variant in July/August. We also estimated that AY.99.2 likely emerged a few weeks after the entry of the B.1.617.2 in the country, at some point between late April and May and rapidly spread to other countries. Despite no increased fitness described for the AY.99.2 lineage, a rapid shift in the composition of Delta SARS-CoV-2 lineages prevalence in Brazil took place. Understanding the reasons leading the AY.99.2 to become the dominant lineage in the country is important to understand the process of lineage competitions that may inform future control measures.

Automated summary

The year of 2021 saw the emergence and spread of various SARS-CoV-2 lineages, causing a third wave of COVID-19 in multiple countries. In Brazil, the AY.99.2 and AY.101 lineages became the most prevalent, surpassing the Gamma variant. AY.99.2 likely appeared a few weeks after the entry of the B.1.617.2 variant in Brazil and rapidly spread to other countries.