It is a major area of concern that in 15-20% samples from Maharashtra, the state accounting for 62% of cases in the country, a new, double mutation in key areas of the virus has been detected. This new strain of the coronavirus is particularly dangerous for young people and children, cautioned Dr Naresh Purohit, Advisor-
National Immunisation Programme.
He said that new strain causes a phenomenon called ‘lmmune escape’, which increases body’s ability to fight virus and evade antibodies
He informed that a fortnight ago, health ministry officials declared that a new double mutant strain of the Coronavirus—its formal scientific classification being B.1.617—had been found in India. This variant has grown to become common across India and is touted to have accelerated the spread of the virus across different states.
According to renowned Epidemiologist Dr Purohit, the major mutational virus being found in approximately 76 per cent of India’s 10,000+ samples is the B117 UK variant. This strain is 70 per cent more transmissible. It doesn’t target older people who are getting vaccinated /or sitting at home. It targets people above the age of 29 years, who are asymptomatic and who step out of home regularly to work.
The other worrisome variants are the Brazilian variants and South African variants. However, the first-ever double mutant strain was found in California whose positioning is such that they cannot be suppressed by vaccines.
“The double mutant strain has been found in 206 samples in Maharashtra out of a total of 10,000+ sequencing samples,” said Dr Purohit.
He explained that the double mutation causes a phenomenon called “Immune escape” wherein the virus manages to slip past the body’s immune defenses and increases infectivity.
