A study released by Ricardo Jorge National Institute of Health in Portugal on December 23 shows that three main variants of the novel coronavirus are currently spreading in Portugal.
After genome analysis of COVID-19 samples collected in Portugal at different times, the researchers found that the most common transmission in Portugal is three new varieties of the novel coronavirus, whose genetic variations (A222V, S477N and S98F) are all related to spinoprotein, 70% of which were months ago in Spain.
After its emergence, a variant that quickly spread throughout Europe, and neither the most common variant in the first wave of the epidemic in Portugal nor the new variant reported by the United Kingdom in December was found in the case sample of the autumn and winter epidemic.
Researchers believe that new variants of viruses may be more infectious.
