Covid-19, two new strains found in 3 states of India

With the surge in cases in Mumbai, Kerala and Telangana, people were tested and 2 new strains of CoronaVirus has been detected.

The institute said on Tuesday that two new Covid-19 strains had been discovered in three provinces - Maharashtra, Kerala and Telangana - but there was no scientific evidence to suggest that the recent increase reported by the first two provinces was related to these variants. This is in addition to the other three species - from the UK, South Africa and Brazil - previously reported.

Responding to Wipro founder Azim Premji's proposal to include private players to speed up the Covid-19 vaccination, the institute said private hospitals would "be used in bulk" in the next phase of vaccination for the 27-year-old forward crore, which begins in March.Speaking at the weekly forum, Dr V K Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, said the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG) has received two versions - N440K and E484K. "We are looking for any unusual changes or changes in the viral character… There are two types in Maharashtra found: N440K and E484K… variants E484K variants also found in Kerala and Telangana," he said.

E484K is often referred to as an escape agent as it helps the virus slide past the body's immune response; The N440K is associated with greater binding bonds with human receptors and is connected to faster transmission power.

However, resources emphasized that the increase in Covid-19 cases in Maharashtra and Kerala could not be due to mutations. “Today, based on the information available to us, these five kinds exist. But there is no reason to believe, based on scientific evidence, that these are responsible for the increase in disease that you see in other parts of Maharashtra and Kerala. We're always looking for genetic mutations, ”said Paul.

“Reporting detection alone does not lead to any underlying issue. Because the account of a mutating virus and the pattern of disease, some knowledge of the disease and its treatment must be linked to these mutations ... you can only say the effect of it, if you associate it with transmission or death or other abnormal behaviors, ”said Paul. Paul further said that the two varieties were discovered even before INSACOG was established. “E484K was received between March and July. However, there was no effect ... we are looking for scientific evidence in a systematic way that makes any offer possible, ”he said.

Paul also said that the increase in reported cases in Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir "was a warning". “We are at risk… There are many things about the virus and the epidemic that we do not know about. Therefore, we see that even where a major epidemic has occurred in a city like Pune, a recurrence of cases is possible. We need to keep in mind that some cities are at risk, when seroprevalence is low… this is a way to check our warning, ”he said.

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said specialist teams were being sent to six provinces and the Union Territory would notify general secretaries and health secretaries of the steps to be taken. “A large team of public health professionals and doctors who diagnose infectious diseases will find the cause of the outbreak. Is Covid-19 misconduct? Is it because of a very widespread event? The parties will find a specific reason, ”he said. “From now on, this explosion cannot be linked to diversity. However, proper use of masks and proper conduct of Covid-19 should continue. We should avoid crowds, ”said Dr Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR.