Covid-19: Scientists discover possible new coronavirus mutation in Brazil IANS/Sao Paulo Filed on March 14, 2021 | Last updated on March 14, 2021 at 06.37 am This latest variant contains a mutation that could "complicate the planning of new strategies to control Covid-19. A possible new variant of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, has been detected in several regions of Brazil, the Ministry of Science and Technology's National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LNCC) said. Brazilian scientists discovered the new variant as the country's healthcare system nears collapse due to a rise in cases generated by the P.1 strain that emerged in northern Brazil's state of Amazonas in November 2020, the Xinhua news agency reported.