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A new double-variant coronavirus was discovered in samples collected in India.
Authorities are investigating whether the vaccine is more contagious or less effective.
This double mutant virus is a case where two mutations appear together in a single virus.
Among the 10,787 samples collected from 18 states in India, 771 mutant viruses were already known.
736 were from the UK, 34 from South Africa, and 1 from Brazil.
The researchers believe that there is no relationship between the double mutant virus discovered and the recent increase in the number of confirmed cases in India.
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As of the 24th, there were 4,7262 new confirmed cases in India, and 275 were killed. It is the most rapid daily spread this year.
INSACOG, an Indian SARS-CoV-2 genomics consortium, formed by 10 national laboratories under the Ministry of Health, is working on genome sequencing based on recently collected samples. Genome order determination is a technique that analyzes and finds out the genetic code of viruses.
The virus’s genetic code serves as a kind of instruction.
It is common for viruses to mutate, but most of them are small changes and do not affect the ability to spread or the severity of the infection.
However, there are some cases in which the virus becomes more susceptible or more dangerous, such as mutant viruses from the UK or South Africa.
Virologist Shahid Jamyl explains that “double mutations in key regions of the virus’s dendritic protein may increase this risk or cause the virus to leave the immune system.”
The corona 19 virus’s dendritic protein is used to penetrate human cells.
The Indian government analyzed samples collected from the western Maharashtra state and found that the percentage of viruses with both the E484Q and L452R mutations increased from December last year.
In a statement, the Indian Health Minister said, “These double mutations lead to immune breakdown and increased infectiousness.”
“There may be a new Indian mutant virus that combines the E484Q and L452R mutations,” added Dr. Jamyl.
Meanwhile, the Indian government denied the link between the recent increase in the number of confirmed cases and the mutant virus.
India’s health minister said, “We haven’t found enough numbers to say that there is a direct causal relationship with the rapid increase in the number of confirmed cases in some states,” regarding the double mutant virus.