Epidemiological Update: Occurrence of variants of SARS-CoV-2 in the Americas - 20 January 2021

The appearance of mutations is a natural and expected event within the evolution of the virus. Since the initial genomic characterization of SARS-CoV-2, the virus has been divided into different genetic groups or clades. In fact, some specific mutations define the viral genetic groups (also called lineages) that are currently circulating globally.