Detection of the SARS-CoV-2 UK Variant in Portugal

Abstract

At the end of 2020, a new highly transmissible variant of SARS-CoV-2 was discovered in the United Kingdom (UK). This work aims to identify potential cases of the UK variant in Portugal using routine diagnostic samples. A total of 26 out of 43 positive samples that were identified by RT-PCR as suspects were confirmed through sequencing to be the SARS-CoV-2 UK variant. The first case of the UK variant identified by us was in samples collected on 21 December 2020 at Lisbon airport in travelers from Manchester and London.