India's "Triple Mutation Variant" in India

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  India's "Triple Mutation Variant" in India

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Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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• A new chapter: As India reports nearly three lakh cases and over 2,000 deaths in 24 hours, the biggest jump since the pandemic erupted, a new mutation in the COVID virus has emerged as the new challenge. For now, the "triple mutation" has been classified in India as a "variant of interest" rather than "variant of concern". 
• What it is: The triple mutation means three different Covid strains combining to form a new variant, and this has been detected in parts of India (Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal). Scientists believe the new surges globally are driven by new variants. 

1. The triple mutation may be a more transmissible variant, making lots of people sick very quickly
2. Science needs to keep tweaking vaccines. For that understanding the disease is crucial. That needs genomic sequencing.
3. That is a huge challenge for India, where genome sequencing is being done for less than one per cent of all cases, currently.

• Why so many mutations: The more a virus spreads, the more it replicates and the more it mutates. What is the triple mutation? A double mutation, which surfaced in India, was when two strains combined. Now three Covid variants have combined to form the triple mutation. Where has the triple mutation been found? Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi. Is the triple mutation infectious? Experts believe mutations are driving the fresh infection spikes, not just in India but across the world. 
• How bad: How infectious the triple mutation is, or how deadly, will be known only from more studies. For now, only 10 labs across India are involved in virus genome studies. The double mutant shows increased transmission rate and is seen to affect children too. It has more severe pathogenicity, say scientists. For now, the triple mutation has been classified in India as a "variant of interest" rather than "variant of concern".
• Will existing vaccines work: Two of the three variants in the triple mutation have been seen to have immune escape responses, meaning they are more resistant to antibodies. Not much more is known yet on the effectiveness of vaccines. Scientists believe the new variant has some ability to escape the body's naturally acquired immunity to Covid.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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