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

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

Dr. David Andrews of Miller UM School of Medicine calls her a “truly eye-opener.”

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

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

The UK mutation is by far the most widespread variant strain circulating throughout Florida – and is thought to be spreading more easily. In the latest statistics released on Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention checked 500 cases of that British variant in Florida, most states in the country.

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Moreover, from a random sampling of positive COVID-19 results, researchers at the University of Miami found that 25% had the UK version.

But the concern with the new New York variant, like the Brazilian strain, is its suspected ability to bypass immunity, including from a vaccine.

“We went into this expecting to find no special version and we found a case of the New York version and yes, the concern for the New York version is also an immune evacuation mechanism,” says Andrews.

So what about the millions at the state level already vaccinated? While 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 slight variations in the vaccine to address these structural differences in spike protein, he says.

The latest CDC data showed a single verified case of the Brazilian version on Thursday, 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 add to this.

UM says it is one of “a handful” of academic medical centers in the United States that tests COVID-19 samples for variants and sequences them.

“Because of our geographic location, it’s very important for us to develop these capabilities,” 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 options, we can determine if they are covered by our vaccines and if they actually cause more severe diseases and all this information is useful for the world to know.”

The Florida Heatlh Department said the higher number of confirmed variants of the state is in part the result of greater efforts to sequence and search for those other strains than other states.

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