7,000 SARS-CoV-2 Mutations Detected, Different from Variants: Scientists
4 years, 1 month ago

7,000 SARS-CoV-2 Mutations Detected, Different from Variants: Scientists

News 18  

More than 7,000 SARS-CoV-2 mutations have been documented but that doesn’t translate to variants, say scientists, emphasising the distinction between the two and cautioning that the spike in cases in some states is likely due to non-adherence of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour. According to Rakesh Mishra, CSIR-CCMB director and study co-author, 7,684 mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome were documented from the data analysis of 6,017 genomes sequenced so far. Noted virologist Shahid Jameel said there are currently 5,261 SARS-CoV-2 sequence entries from India in the GISAID database, a global science initiative that provides genomic data of the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Mishra also emphasised that the findings do suggest the likelihood of new variants arising if continuous mutations in the virus genome are discovered.

India Kerala Change South Africa Maharashtra Cases Country Variants Brazil Covid Pti Virus Mishra Ray Variant Genome Mutation Jameel Mutations E484K  detected  sarscov2  virus  country  mutations  different  scientists  change  mutation  genome  cases  7000  variant  variants

History of this topic

JN.1 variant has clinical features similar to previous Covid-19 variants: Study
11 months, 4 weeks ago

JN.1 variant has clinical features similar to previous Covid-19 variants: Study

Hindustan Times  

A first-of-its-kind study conducted by experts from B J Medical College and ICMR National Institute of Virology has found that JN.1, the dominant Covid-19 variant in India, has clinical features similar to previous circulating variants in Maharashtra without increased severity. The study titled ‘Appearance and prevalence of JN.1 SARS-CoV-2 variant in India and its clinical profile in the state of …

Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to exist in community, say public health experts
1 year, 1 month ago

Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to exist in community, say public health experts

The Hindu  

The Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant, one of the mutated version of the virus that causes COVID-19, has been continuously mutating and exists in the community even after over a year. Public health experts have conducted a genomic surveillance of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant and its sub lineages in the State to understand the mutational patterns of the virus between December 2021 and …

IISc comes up with warm vaccine against current strains of SARS-CoV-2
1 year, 2 months ago

IISc comes up with warm vaccine against current strains of SARS-CoV-2

The Hindu  

A heat-tolerant vaccine developed by the Indian Institute of Science researchers is said to be effective against all current strains of SARS-CoV-2 besides having the potential to be quickly adapted for future variants as well. According to IISc-Bengaluru, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof. Raghavan Varadarajan from the institute’s Molecular Biophysics Unit and collaborators have been working on …

As JN.1 emerges as variant of interest, time to evaluate preparedness and effective testing and treatments
1 year, 3 months ago

As JN.1 emerges as variant of interest, time to evaluate preparedness and effective testing and treatments

The Hindu  

COVID-19 has appeared on the radar again, nearly a year and a half after the world relaxed and watched the progress of the virus from a distance. The World Health Organisation has decided, due to its rapid spread, to classify the variant JN.1 as a separate variant of interest from the parent lineage BA.2.86. The WHO also says that based …

Indian researchers discover a hidden Covid virus reservoir in human cells
1 year, 3 months ago

Indian researchers discover a hidden Covid virus reservoir in human cells

Firstpost  

Even for individuals deemed virus-free by conventional tests, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA within EVs may indicate a potential source for recurrent infections, according to the researchers The SARS-CoV-2 virus may have a hidden reservoir in body cells, which could account for the virus’s persistence and recurrence, according to research findings. “The identification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in EVs underscores the …

‘Sars-Cov-2, influenza B Victoria behind surge in respiratory illnesses’
1 year, 11 months ago

‘Sars-Cov-2, influenza B Victoria behind surge in respiratory illnesses’

Hindustan Times  

The current surge of respiratory illnesses in the country is being caused by the two viral strains of Sars-Cov-2 and influenza B Victoria, genome sequencing data has revealed. “While in the beginning of the year, influenza A H3N2 was the viral strain largely driving the surge of flu cases, currently people admitted in hospitals for severe flu-like symptoms report positive …

Enhanced recombination is a shot in the arm for SARS-CoV-2: IISc researchers
2 years ago

Enhanced recombination is a shot in the arm for SARS-CoV-2: IISc researchers

The Hindu  

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science, who were examining SARS-CoV-2 - a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19, have identified several new mutations that accumulated through recombination at a high rate and affected viral proteins, especially different parts of the viral spike protein. Researchers from the institute’s Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology, and Centre for Infectious Diseases Research …

Neutralising antibody against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants
2 years, 5 months ago

Neutralising antibody against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants

The Hindu  

The discovery of monoclonal antibodies have come a long way since they were first made using the hybridoma technology in 1975. The earlier monoclonal therapies that were approved for emergency use in other countries primarily functioned by blocking the interaction of the virus through its receptor binding domain with the host cell receptor. Two premier research agencies — ICMR and …

Researchers claim new COVID-19 test CoVarScan can identify all variants in hours
2 years, 8 months ago

Researchers claim new COVID-19 test CoVarScan can identify all variants in hours

The Hindu  

Scientists in the U. S. have developed a rapid COVID-19 test that can accurately detect all current variants of SARS-CoV-2 within hours. The research, published recently in the journal Clinical Chemistry, shows that the test is as accurate as other methods used to diagnose COVID-19, and can successfully differentiate between all current variants of SARS-CoV-2. 4,000 patients tested Dr. SoRelle's …

Emerging COVID variants can now be identified within hours. Here’s how
2 years, 8 months ago

Emerging COVID variants can now be identified within hours. Here’s how

Live Mint  

With the scare of new COVID variants emerging, a group of scientists has developed a new rapid test kit that can only determine whether you are infected but can also detect which variant you are infected with. "Using this test, we can determine very quickly what variants are in the community and if a new variant is emerging," said Jeffrey …

The virus before Covid-19 changed the world forever
2 years, 11 months ago

The virus before Covid-19 changed the world forever

Hindustan Times  

NEW DELHI: Imagine an outbreak of a coronavirus taking hold in parts of Asia. For a country with crowded cities and an overstretched health system like India, this virus is bad news: even a small proportion with fatal disease could become a huge number. Against the backdrop of the pandemic today, when a pathogen that fits the above description has …

‘Few recombinant variants in India’: INSACOG says amid surge in Covid-19 cases
2 years, 11 months ago

‘Few recombinant variants in India’: INSACOG says amid surge in Covid-19 cases

Live Mint  

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics had on 11 April released an official bulletin assuaging fear of increasing cases of recombinant variants of Covid-19 cases surging in the country. National Capital Delhi on Wednesday reported 1367 new Covid-19 cases pushing the active tally to 4832. Meanwhile, India reported a 17% rise in daily Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, according to data …

Role of gene testing in identifying different variants of SARS-CoV-2
2 years, 11 months ago

Role of gene testing in identifying different variants of SARS-CoV-2

Hindustan Times  

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a tough time for the health care sector all over the world. The newest development came in after World Health Organization announced the tracking of two new sub-lineages of the Omicron variant known as BA.4 and BA.5. WHO’s report suggests that many countries lack proper infrastructure for genome sequencing and using S-gene target failure will …

Role of gene testing in identifying different variants of SARS-CoV-2
2 years, 11 months ago

Role of gene testing in identifying different variants of SARS-CoV-2

Hindustan Times  

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a tough time for the health care sector all over the world. The newest development came in after World Health Organization announced the tracking of two new sub-lineages of the Omicron variant known as BA.4 and BA.5. WHO’s report suggests that many countries lack proper infrastructure for genome sequencing and using S-gene target failure will …

The recombinant variants of SARS-CoV-2
2 years, 11 months ago

The recombinant variants of SARS-CoV-2

The Hindu  

The story so far: The World Health Organization has flagged the emergence of a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus — the XE recombinant. While recombination events are not frequently observed for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, multiple recombinant lineages have been designated during the pandemic. Three new recombinant lineages of SARS-CoV-2 have been recently designated by the PANGO network and are …

WHO records new recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variant
3 years ago

WHO records new recombinant SARS-CoV-2 variant

The Hindu  

The World Health Organization has flagged the emergence of a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the XE recombinant, in the United Kingdom, and with a possibly higher rate of transmission. The WHO, in its weekly epidemiological update, said the recombinant was detected in the United Kingdom on January 19 and over 600 sequences have been reported and confirmed since. …

New variant since 2020 discovered
3 years ago

New variant since 2020 discovered

The Hindu  

Mutations are a natural phenomenon when viruses replicate. According to a paper published on September 30, 2021 in the journal Cell, recombinant SARS-CoV-2 viruses were found in late 2020-early 2021 in the U.K. Recombinant sequences The recombinant virus had a combination of the Alpha variant and the Wuhan strain. The recombinant virus had the mutations seen in the spike protein …

COVID19: SARS-CoV-2 can mutate in HIV patients, claims study
3 years, 2 months ago

COVID19: SARS-CoV-2 can mutate in HIV patients, claims study

India TV News  

A young South African HIV patient harboured Covid virus for nine months and it developed more than 20 mutations, a study revealed. The yet to be peer-reviewed study showed that a 22-year-old female with uncontrolled advanced HIV infection was persistently infected with SARS-CoV-2 beta variant for 9 months. Late last year, a South African research team found an untreated HIV …

Fact check: The theory that SARS-CoV-2 is becoming milder
3 years, 2 months ago

Fact check: The theory that SARS-CoV-2 is becoming milder

NPR  

Fact check: The theory that SARS-CoV-2 is becoming milder There's a growing narrative in the mainstream media, on social media — maybe even at your dinner table. "There's this story that we're going to have variants that are progressively less severe," says Dr. Roby Bhattacharyya, who's an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. "It's important …

Explained | Can the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 be identified quickly?
3 years, 3 months ago

Explained | Can the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 be identified quickly?

The Hindu  

The story so far: The Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been confirmed in India and in at least 30 other countries by the World Health Organization. While the variant can only be reliably confirmed with genome sequencing, the WHO has also recommended that certain commonly used COVID-19 detection tests, with ‘S-gene dropout’ capabilities, can be used to quickly …

Coronavirus | AY.4.2 variant not of concern: INSACOG
3 years, 4 months ago

Coronavirus | AY.4.2 variant not of concern: INSACOG

The Hindu  

The frequency of the new AY.4.2 variant of COVID-19 is less than 0.1 % of all VOI/VOC and is too low to be of concern at this time, the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium said. The INSACOG said that AY.4.2 variant of COVID-19 is less than 0.1 % of all of all variants of concern and variant of interest and is …

This year's Covid-19 outbreak in Delhi shows herd immunity against Delta variant difficult: Study
3 years, 5 months ago

This year's Covid-19 outbreak in Delhi shows herd immunity against Delta variant difficult: Study

India Today  

The severe outbreak of Covid-19 in Delhi this year showed that the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 can infect individuals previously infected by a different variant of the coronavirus, highlighting the challenges of reaching herd immunity against the variant, according to an international team of scientists. The study, published in the journal Science on Thursday, also found that the Delta variant …

COVID-19 variants Mu, C.1.2 variants not found in India so far, says genome sequencing panel
3 years, 6 months ago

COVID-19 variants Mu, C.1.2 variants not found in India so far, says genome sequencing panel

Firstpost  

The consortium has called for more strongly implementing existing recommendations on sequencing of positive samples from international travellers. New Delhi: India has so far not seen Mu and C.1.2, the two new variants of SARS-CoV2, and the Delta variant and its sub-lineages continue to the main Variants of Concern in the country, INSACOG, the genome sequencing consortium, has said. Existing …

New Covid Variant C.1.2 May Be More Infectious, Evade Vaccines, Warns Maha Task Force
3 years, 7 months ago

New Covid Variant C.1.2 May Be More Infectious, Evade Vaccines, Warns Maha Task Force

News 18  

A new variant of coronavirus – C.1.2 – which has been detected in South Africa and some other countries, could be more infectious than earlier strains and may evade vaccines, said an infectious diseases consultant who is also a member of the Maharashtra COVID-19 task force on Thursday. Dr Vasant Nagvekar, an infectious diseases consultant with a Mumbai hospital and …

New Covid variant, C.1.2, may be more infectious, evade vaccine protection: Study
3 years, 7 months ago

New Covid variant, C.1.2, may be more infectious, evade vaccine protection: Study

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: A new variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which cause COVID-19, has been detected in South Africa and many other countries globally which could be more transmissible and evade protection provided by vaccines, according to study. Scientists from National Institute for Communicable Diseases and the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform in South Africa said the potential variant of …

Curbing Delta: The Hindu Editorial on the variant that drives India’s COVID-19 infections
3 years, 7 months ago

Curbing Delta: The Hindu Editorial on the variant that drives India’s COVID-19 infections

The Hindu  

The overall number of coronavirus cases in India is on a downward trajectory though around 35,000 cases continue to be added almost daily. A weekly update from the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium, a repository of labs tasked with monitoring variants of the coronavirus, says that the Delta variant remains most responsible for the continuing spread of infections in India. The …

Too Complacent, Too Soon? Just 184 Coronavirus Genomes Sequenced in July Against 4 Lakh in April: Report
3 years, 7 months ago

Too Complacent, Too Soon? Just 184 Coronavirus Genomes Sequenced in July Against 4 Lakh in April: Report

News 18  

With the number of cases constantly declining in India but with signs that a third wave may be round the corner, India’s efforts to sequence genomes to track for emerging variants have nose-dived after April. According to an exclusive report by The Hindu, data from the National SARS-CoV-2 Genome Consortium, a network of 28 labs across the country equipped to …

Experts Predict What The Next COVID-19 Variants Will Be Like
3 years, 7 months ago

Experts Predict What The Next COVID-19 Variants Will Be Like

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING Alpha, beta, gamma, delta — there have been four COVID-19 variants of concern that have altered the course of the pandemic at different points in the past year and a half. We’re going to see more variants It’s impossible to predict exactly what future variants will look like, but it’s pretty undeniable that we are going to …

In-host mutations in COVID-19 virus reflecting in variants, finds study
3 years, 8 months ago

In-host mutations in COVID-19 virus reflecting in variants, finds study

India TV News  

Changes that happen in the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an infected person reflect at the population level as a variation, according to a study that researchers say will be “of enormous utility” in predicting the spread and infectivity of viral Covid strains. “As a virus gets transmitted more and more, within its host it gets plenty of chances …

New Study Finds How Genome Changes of COVID-19 Virus in Infected Person Can Lead To New Viral COVID Strains
3 years, 8 months ago

New Study Finds How Genome Changes of COVID-19 Virus in Infected Person Can Lead To New Viral COVID Strains

News 18  

Changes that happen in the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an infected person reflect at the population level as a variation, according to a study that researchers say will be of enormous utility in predicting the spread and infectivity of viral Covid strains. Tracking the changes that happen in the virus inside a host in individuals and populations might …

Study on New Covid Variants Could Be Breakthrough in Predicting Strains in Population
3 years, 8 months ago

Study on New Covid Variants Could Be Breakthrough in Predicting Strains in Population

News 18  

A new study on the emergence of new Covid-19 variants has shown that Sars-CoV-2 virus mutates inside the infected patient’s body and then infects other individuals carrying the changes with it. The study found 80 per cent of the genomes sequenced in individuals had later emerged as new variants or strains, according to a report by the Times of India. …

Scientists warn of different Covid variants combining and sharing traits as infections rise
3 years, 8 months ago

Scientists warn of different Covid variants combining and sharing traits as infections rise

The Independent  

Scientists have warned of the possibility of Covid variants combining and sharing characteristics as infections surge and the virus is given more opportunity to diversify. Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, said the degree to which recombination events are contributing to the emergence of new variants is “controversial”, arguing that they appear to have arisen largely through recurrent mutations. …

Covid-19 Pandemic: Variants Of Concern Found in 174 Districts, Informs Health Ministry
3 years, 8 months ago

Covid-19 Pandemic: Variants Of Concern Found in 174 Districts, Informs Health Ministry

ABP News  

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday said the Variants of Concern of SARS-CoV2 have been found in as many as 174 districts in 35 states and Union Territories of the country. The Health Ministry said the highest numbers of Variants of Concern have been reported from the districts in Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Telangana, West Bengal and Gujarat. The …

Delta Plus: From Severity of Strain to Transmission, All You Need to Know About the Latest Covid Variant
3 years, 9 months ago

Delta Plus: From Severity of Strain to Transmission, All You Need to Know About the Latest Covid Variant

News 18  

The highly transmissible Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has mutated further to form the ‘Delta plus’ or ‘AY.1′ variant. The new Delta plus variant has been formed due to a mutation in the Delta or B.1.617.2 variant, first identified in India and one of the drivers of the deadly second wave. In its latest report on coronavirus variants, updated till last …

Explainer: What is genome sequencing and surveillance? Why is it important?
3 years, 9 months ago

Explainer: What is genome sequencing and surveillance? Why is it important?

Firstpost  

What is meant by viral genome and mutations? The only means of replication available to a virus is inside its human host, therefore, higher disease spread and increasing infections provide greater avenues for the viral genome to develop multiple mutations and their combinations, that are known as ‘variants’. Carrying out genomic surveillance in a populous country like India requires rapid …

Weight Loss, Lung Lesions Among Severe Symptoms as New Covid Variant Found; Covaxin May Help
3 years, 9 months ago

Weight Loss, Lung Lesions Among Severe Symptoms as New Covid Variant Found; Covaxin May Help

News 18  

Warning of severe symptoms, Pune’s National Institute of Virology has found a new Covid-19 variant — B.1.1.28.2 — through genome sequencing of samples from international travellers from the United Kingdom and Brazil. The new variant can lead to body weight loss, viral replication in the respiratory tract, lung lesions and was found to cause severe lung pathology in infected Syrian …

Delta variant of COVID predominant in Varanasi: Study
3 years, 9 months ago

Delta variant of COVID predominant in Varanasi: Study

India TV News  

Delta variant of COVID predominant in Varanasi: Study The two institutes sequenced genomes of coronavirus variants in Varanasi and adjoining areas. The Delta variant of coronavirus is predominant among the variants found in Varanasi and adjoining areas, reveals a joint study by Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and CSIR- Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad. The two institutes sequenced genomes …

B.1.617 variant of SARS-CoV-2 drove surge in the COVID-19 cases in last 2 months
3 years, 9 months ago

B.1.617 variant of SARS-CoV-2 drove surge in the COVID-19 cases in last 2 months

The Hindu  

The surge of COVID-19 cases in the country in the last two months shows a correlation with the rise in B.1.617 variant of the SARS-CoV-2, according to INSACOG, a grouping of 10 national laboratories. “The current surge in cases seen over the last two months in some states shows a correlation with the rise in the B.1.617 lineage of SARS …

Delta variant of coronavirus most predominant in Varanasi, adjoining areas: Study
3 years, 9 months ago

Delta variant of coronavirus most predominant in Varanasi, adjoining areas: Study

India Today  

The Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad have collaboratively sequenced genomes of coronavirus variants in Varanasi and adjoining areas. They have discovered at least seven major strains of coronavirus circulating in these regions, with the most predominant variant being the B.1.617 or the 'Delta' variant. "This variant was also reported to be one …

Vietnam Detects New Highly Transmissible Coronavirus Variant
3 years, 10 months ago

Vietnam Detects New Highly Transmissible Coronavirus Variant

NPR  

Vietnam Detects New Highly Transmissible Coronavirus Variant Enlarge this image toggle caption Nhac Nguyen/AFP via Getty Images Nhac Nguyen/AFP via Getty Images Vietnam has detected a new coronavirus variant that is highly transmissible and has features of two other strains. "Vietnam has uncovered a new COVID-19 variant combining characteristics of the two existing variants first found in India and the …

Mutations in Coronavirus B.1.617 strain originated in Denmark and US
3 years, 10 months ago

Mutations in Coronavirus B.1.617 strain originated in Denmark and US

Op India  

In a significant discovery, the scientists have traced the origin of B.1.617 strain of the Sars-Cov2 virus to the United States and Denmark. The B.1.617 strain is largely responsible for the ongoing second wave in India, and it was being dubbed as the Indian variant. Following the advent of the second wave in India, microbiologists and genome sequencing specialists found …

ICMR Study Blames Religious Gatherings, Migrant Workers for Transmitting Virus Behind 2nd Wave
3 years, 10 months ago

ICMR Study Blames Religious Gatherings, Migrant Workers for Transmitting Virus Behind 2nd Wave

News 18  

According to a study led by ICMR, coronavirus mutants that are believed to be the reason behind the second wave, were introduced by foreign travellers and transmitted within the country by migrant workers and those attending religious gatherings. The independent identification of the amino acid mutations observed in the SARS-CoV-2 variants from the early phase samples indicates an evolutionary trend …

Chandigarh PGI confirms presence of double mutant B.1.617 variant in several patients
3 years, 10 months ago

Chandigarh PGI confirms presence of double mutant B.1.617 variant in several patients

India TV News  

Reports of sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 from 23 nasopharyngeal swab samples of Covid-19 patients sent from PGIMER in Chandigarh were received on Thursday from NCDC in New Delhi, the hospital said on Sunday. The presence of the double mutant B.1.617 variant having the signature mutations L452R and E484Q has been confirmed in 22 per cent of the samples after sequencing, said …

Why WHO called Indian variant of SARS-CoV-2 a global concern
3 years, 10 months ago

Why WHO called Indian variant of SARS-CoV-2 a global concern

India Today  

Launching a “Together for India” campaign, the World Health Organisation on Monday upgraded its concern over the Indian variant of the SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The elevation from VOI to “variant of concern” is done when a SARS-CoV-2 mutant shows evidence of fulfilling at least one of the following criteria: Easier transmission Increased severity of illness Reduced neutralization …

UK Variant Dominates North India; Double Mutant in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka: NCDC Chief
3 years, 10 months ago

UK Variant Dominates North India; Double Mutant in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka: NCDC Chief

News 18  

The UK strain of coronavirus is currently dominating parts of north India while the double mutant variant is found mostly in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat, Director of the National Centre for Disease Control Sujeet Singh said on Wednesday. Singh said in the video-conferencing with states, the health ministry also informed about the current status of variants of concern and new …

UK variant spread increased 10 folds in Kerala from Feb to Mar
3 years, 11 months ago

UK variant spread increased 10 folds in Kerala from Feb to Mar

The Quint  

With the start of the second COVID-19 wave in February, Kerala began sequencing samples to identify the variants in the state. “Three new variants have been found in the state from the samples collected prior to the elections. These variants were found in samples collected from March 2021 but they were not found in samples collected prior to that. B.1.67 …

'Indian strain' of coronavirus found in 17 countries: WHO
3 years, 11 months ago

'Indian strain' of coronavirus found in 17 countries: WHO

India Today  

The 'Indian strain' of the coronavirus, also known as B.1.617 or a 'double mutant', has been found in at least 17 countries, the WHO has said, as the world grapples to contain the surge in the Covid-19 cases with 5.7 million infections detected last week, surpassing previous peaks. "Preliminary modelling by WHO based on sequences submitted to GISAID suggest that …

NCDC chief says even 5% of samples can't be sent for genome sequencing as India battles Covid variants
3 years, 11 months ago

NCDC chief says even 5% of samples can't be sent for genome sequencing as India battles Covid variants

India Today  

Ever since the country commenced genome sequencing of Covid-19 samples using a network of 10 laboratories called INSACOG, less than 1 per cent of the total samples have been sequenced. He went on to say that conducting genome sequencing on 5 per cent of total samples that have tested positive for Covid-19 currently is "not feasible because of the sharp …

First case Covid-19 mutant strain detected in Kashmir
3 years, 11 months ago

First case Covid-19 mutant strain detected in Kashmir

India Today  

In a disturbing development, a sample sent from Kashmir for genetic sequencing has been found to have the lesser-known N440K mutation by the India SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics. This is the first such case of the Covid-19 mutant variant being confirmed in the Kashmir region. On Thursday, Jammu and Kashmir reported 1,965 fresh Covid-19 cases while eight more people succumbed …

New immune escape coronavirus variant found in West Bengal, say experts
3 years, 11 months ago

New immune escape coronavirus variant found in West Bengal, say experts

India Today  

After the B.1.617 "new mutant variant" was found in more than 60 per cent of cases sampled for genome sequencing in Maharashtra, a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2 has been found in India. B.1.618 - a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2 predominnatly found in India and characterized by a distinct set of genetic variants including E484K, a major immune escape variant. According …

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