New COVID-19 Variant Cerberus Detected In Brazil - Reports

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th November, 2022) A new variant of the coronavirus known as BQ.1 and Cerberus has been identified in two states of Brazil, Brazilian media reported on Tuesday, citing the regional health watchdog in Rio Grande do Sul, CEVS.

Cases have been detected in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Rio de Janeiro, the G1 news agency reported.

Cerberus is a subvariant of the BA.5 Omicron state with mutations that can evade the immune system response. It has demonstrated high contagiousness in comparison with other COVID-19 variants circulating in Brazil at the moment, according to the media.

Head of Genomic Surveillance in Rio Grande do Sul Richard Salvato said in the report that the new variant's potential of spreading has raised concerns of healthcare agencies of many countries.

CEVS underlined the importance of further COVID-19 vaccination, noting that 3 million Brazilians did not get their booster vaccine as scheduled.

Hundreds of Cerberus cases have been identified in almost 30 countries by late October.