File photo: Agencies

BRASILIA, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian researchers have detected six lineages of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, circulating around the nation, a Brazil's leading research center for diseases has said.

The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation said on its official website Tuesday that the researchers conducted a wide genetic study involving almost 100 samples from patients from all Brazilian regions, which were collected between Feb. 29 and April 28.

Sequencing the full viral genome can help researchers understand how the novel coronavirus disseminates around the country, said Paola Cristina Resende, leader of the study.

"The characterization of viral lineages allows us to understand the type of virus that is circulating in a certain region and to make comparisons with the circulation of lineages between countries and even within the same country," said Resende.

"It is an important step to comprehend how the lineage is behaving and dispersing in each geographical region," Resende added.