Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants and their impact on the epidemic period in Villa Clara, Cuba

Epidemiological and clinical aspects of COVID-19 are modified according to the variant circulating, hence the importance of identifying the variables in each epidemic period. The objective of the research consisted in characterizing the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants, and its repercussion in the epidemic period in Villa Clara province, Cuba. A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was carried out in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Villa Clara, in the period from December 2020 to May 2023. In the province, the epidemic period was divided into three, in the first one, the circulation of D614G was detected; in the second one, the one with the highest incidence and mortality, the beta and delta variants were identified, and in the third one, omicron and its sublineages were sequenced. It is concluded that in Villa Clara the D614G, beta, delta and omicron variants were the ones that originated the epidemic waves. The most intense epidemic period was concentrated in four months, from July to October 2021. The responsibility for this high incidence and mortality was attributed to the beta and delta variants, without being able to specify whether it was one or both of them.