The Union Health Ministry informed on March 24, 2021 that a new "double mutant variant" of COVID-19 has been detected in 18 states and UTs in India. Other variants of COVID-19 found abroad have also been detected in the country.
The double mutant variant of COVID-19 has largely been said to be the cause of the sudden surge in coronavirus cases in the country, especially in Maharashtra. The Health Ministry has denied the claim.
As per the Union Ministry, the double mutant virus has been detected in 15-20 percent samples collected from Maharashtra.
Key Details
•The Health Ministry said in a statement that the analysis of samples from Maharashtra has revealed that in comparison to December 2020, there has been an increase in the fraction of samples with the E484Q and L452R mutations.
•Such mutations confer immune escape and increased infectivity and these mutations have been found in about 15-20 percent of samples.
•The Ministry said that the mutations do not match any previously catalogued VOCs [variants of concern].
•The Ministry added saying that though these have been categorised as VOCs but they require the same epidemiological and public health response of increased testing, comprehensive tracking of close contacts and prompt isolation of positive cases and their contacts as well as treatment as per National Treatment Protocol by the States/UTs.
•The double mutant variant of SARS-CoV-2 was detected by INSACOG, a network of 10 Indian labs dedicated to conducting genomic sequencing and analysis of circulating Covid-19 viruses.
What is a double mutant variant of COVID-19?
According to Dr. Rakesh Mishra, Director of Center For Cellular & Microbiology in Hyderabad, "Each variant has a mutation pattern. Generally, we see one mutation, but this new double mutant variant is defined by two mutations that are occurring together."
He explained further by saying that earlier in the pandemic only one mutation was seen in the spikes of the receptor of the virus that helps in binding the virus with host cells. The receptors in the virus produce an immune response in the host body.
Thousands of such mutations have been identified across the world. However, a 'double mutation’ is when two mutated strains of a virus come together to form a third strain, he added.
The new mutation is reported to be the result of the combination of the E484Q which is an indigenous strain and L452R, a foreign strain.
Where has the double mutant variant been detected in India?
According to the Ministry of Health and Family (MoHFW), the new variant has been detected in samples from some states and Union Territories including Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi, Gujarat and Punjab among others.
Is the double variant of COVID-19 deadly?
According to Rakesh Mishra, the new strain is efficient, but it is not yet a super spreader and there is no reason to believe that it is more deadly, just yet. However, he said that more investigation is required to understand this.
Other Variants of Concern |
| •The Indian consortium on genomics (INSACOG) also found 771 other variants of concern in 10,787 samples, including UK (736), Brazilian (1) and South African (34) variants in the country •However, the Health Ministry said that these variants have not been detected in numbers sufficient to either establish a direct relationship or explain the rapid increase in cases in some states. •These were found when genome sequencing and analysis was carried out on samples from arriving international travelers and contacts of those positive for VOC and community samples from most of the States at INSACOG partner laboratories. |
Will the Indian vaccine be effective against these new strains?
So far, as per experts, there is no reason to believe that the two vaccines in India– Covishield and Covaxin – will not work against these new strains.
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