Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : June 1, 2021 7:41 AM IST
The newly discovered variant is much more transmissible. It is said to spread via air.
The COVID-19 virus is constantly mutating into more dangerous and easily transmissible variants. The recent surge in cases across the world bears witness to this fact. Though mass vaccination drives are going on in almost all countries of the world, the mutations are a constant cause of worry for scientists studying the virus. By the time, they are through studying one variant, another emerges. After the Indian variant of coronavirus, which is highly infectious and said to be behind the current devastating health crisis in India, now Vietnam has detected a new coronavirus hybrid variant that possesses characteristics of both the B.1.17 variant, first identified in the UK, and the B.1.6172 strain or the Indian variant.
Genetic sequencing by the National Institute Of Hygiene And Epidemiology found at least four Covid-19 patients in the country carrying the hybrid variant, the VnExpress newspaper reported on Saturday. Experts discovered the Y144 deletion on spike protein S of the B.1.6172 variant. According to them, this mutation is very similar to the one found on the B.1.17 or UK variant. Mai said such mutation on the B.1.6172 variant is not yet recorded by open-access database GISAID (Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data). Therefore, it is important that this mutation is monitored and researched further.
The newly discovered variant is much more transmissible. It is said to spread via air. Viral cultures in the laboratory have also revealed that the virus replicated itself very quickly. The Ministry of Health in Vietnam is expected to soon announce the new coronavirus variant on the global genome map. However, the new variant is not named yet.
According to scientists, B.1.6172, commonly referred to as the "double mutant" or the Indian variant was recently deemed as a variant of concern by the World Health Organization. This variant may be both more transmissible and harder to neutralise by antibodies raised against previous variants. On the other hand, the UK variant is believed to be more transmissible than ordinary strains.
Vietnam's latest coronavirus wave since about a month ago has seen 3,595 local Covid-19 cases so far in 33 cities and provinces. Bac Giang still leads the number of coronavirus infections at 1,881, followed by neighbour Bac Ninh at 736, the report said. The new variant explains why there are so many new cases in different locations in a shorter time frame, Long said. The Southeast Asian country has, so far, recorded the presence of seven coronavirus variants, including ones from the UK and South Africa.
(With inputs from IANS)
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