Arushi Bidhuri
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Written By: Arushi Bidhuri | Published : May 12, 2021 5:09 PM IST
Indian Covid Variant Spreads To 44 Countries; Know If It Is More Virulent
As India battles the second wave of Covid-19, the variant 'B1617' is now being referred to as a "variant of global concern." According to the World Health Organization, the variant has spread to 44 countries. The Indian Covid variant was being identified as a variant of interest by the WHO until recently. Now, the variant has been deemed a global concern along with other severe coronavirus variants along with UK (B117), South African (B1351) and Brazilian (P1) variants.
The Indian coronavirus variant named the B1617 variant contains two key mutations to the outer 'spike' protein of the virus. As per the data by WHO, the variant was identified in India last year in December. However, an earlier mutation was detected in October 2020. In a media briefing, WHO's technical lead for Covid-19, Maria Van Kerkhove, said that this variant is more transmissible, part of what led the official authority to name it a 'variant of concern'.
The new variant is thought to be fueling the deadlier wave of new coronavirus cases in India, which has replaced Brazil to become the world's second worst-hit country. Based on preliminary evidence, WHO also reported that the B1617 variant reduces the effectiveness of treatment of Covid patients with Bamlanivimab -- a monoclonal antibody. The UN healthy body also stated that the concerned variant showed "slightly reduced susceptibility to neutralisation antibodies".
The B1617 variant contains a mutation called L452R, which affects the virus' spike protein, which is key for coronavirus to reach our cells. This mutation allows the virus to bind with ACE2, the molecule present on the surface of our cells, to get inside our body. The so-called double mutation variant is estimated to be 20 per cent more transmissible than the previous Covid variants.
Reports suggest that mutations such as L452R that help with binding don't necessarily lead to a severe infection or make the virus more deadly. As per the recent update, the variant appears to be spread rapidly, but preliminary research has not associated it with more severe infections or higher viral loads.
A recent study published in bioRxiv by Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia along with scientists from Cambridge University in the UK has reported that the immune evasion of the two mutations, E484Q and L452R, is less than the variants with E484K. The study said that the Indian mutation has contributed to the epidemic wave in India and the progression to severe disease and death was low in all studies.
WHO has said that the spread of B1617 along with other variants is one of many variants that has led to a dramatic surge in the number of coronavirus cases in India. The country is still seeing a rapid spike in the numbers. A record rise was noticed in Covid-19 deaths with 4,205 fresh fatalities, taking the total death toll to 2,54,197, according to the Union Health Ministry data. Meanwhile, 3,48,421 new Covid cases have been reported in India.
(with inputs from IANS)
