A new immune escape COVID-19 variant has been found in West Bengal, according to experts. This new SARS-CoV-2 variant can reportedly escape immunity and infect a person even if the individual had contracted the virus before and has antibodies against it.
This is on the same lines as the "double mutant variant" of COVID-19 that was detected in 18 states and UTs of India, majorly Maharashtra. It had been detected in 15-20 percent samples collected from Maharashtra.
The Health Ministry had said then that the mutations do not match any previously catalogued VOCs [variants of concern and such mutations confer immune escape and increased infectivity.
New Immune Escape Virus: All you need to know!
•The new variant of coronavirus, B.1.618, is being called a major immune escape variant.
•It is characterised by a distinct set of genetic variants including E484K.
•The variant is said to have the capability to escape immunity even if a person has contracted the virus before and has the ability to produce antibodies against it.
•According to scientists, the proportions of B.1.618 have been growing significantly in West Bengal.
When was the new immune escape variant first discovered?
The new immune escape variant of COVID-19 was first found in a sample outside of India on April 22, 2020.
Which countries have this new variant of COVID-19?
As per reports, members of this lineage have been found in other parts of the world including in countries such as the US, Finland, Switzerland and Singapore.
How many cases of the new immune-escape variant are there in India?
India has at least 62.5 per cent of the B.1.618 variants reported in the world. Around 129 of the 130 B.1.618 sequences in India have been found in samples from West Bengal.
What are immune escape properties?
According to Vinod Scaria, a researcher at CSIR-IGIB, the E484K is a major immune escape variant that can escape multiple mAbs as well as panels of convalescent plasma. This means that infection through this variant makes plasma therapy (plasma taken from recovered Covid-19 patients and given to those who are infected with Covid-19) as redundant as an investigational treatment.
Dr Scaria added saying that there are many unknowns about this lineage at this moment, including its capability to cause reinfections as well as vaccine breakthrough infections.
Currently, there is no conclusive evidence that this lineage of SARS-CoV-2 is causing the numbers to rise in West Bengal.
Background
The number of COVID-19 cases has been significantly rising in recent months in West Bengal, the state that is witnessing state assembly elections. While five phases of polls are over, three phases are left.
As per data, B.1.618 at 12 percent is the third most common variant of COVID-19 that has been sequenced in the last 60 days. B.1.617, at 28 percent, is the most common variant, while the UK variant (B.1.1.7) is the second most common.
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