New SARS-CoV-2 lineage has spread across many Brazilian states Researchers in Brazil have identified the emergence of a new lineage of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in Brazil that has spread across multiple states in the country. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the agent responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that continues to pose a threat to global public health and the worldwide economy. Marilda Siqueira from the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (Fiocruz) in Rio de Janeiro and colleagues say this new variant of interest (VOI) probably emerged in August 2020 and is already widely distributed in Brazil. Designated as N.9, the variant emerged in the B.1.1.33 lineage and comprised 35% of all B.1.1.33 sequences detected between November 2020 and February 2021.