Genome sequencing shows a new variant of coronavirus in India

Adding to the pile of woes that the resurgent coronavirus crisis in India has brought, the country has now detected a novel variant of the SARS-CoV-2 in Maharashtra with double mutation.

Genome sequencing by the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG) has shown variants of concern and a novel variant in India.

The novel SARS-CoV-2 variant has been found in Maharashtra with double mutation, the consortium said on Wednesday.

"The analysis of samples from Maharashtra has revealed that compared to December 2020, there has been an increase in the fraction of samples with the E484Q and L452R mutations. Such mutations confer immune escape and increased infectivity. These mutations have been found in about 15-20 per cent of samples and do not match any previously catalogued variants of concern (VOCs)," INSACOG said in a statement.

Read | With 47,262 new cases, India's Covid-19 spike at over 4-month high

"From Kerala 2,032 samples (from all 14 districts) have been sequenced. The N440K variant that is associated with immune escape has been found in 123 samples from 11 districts. This variant was earlier found in 33% of samples from Andhra Pradesh, and in 53 of 104 samples from Telangana. This variant has also been reported from 16 other countries including UK, Denmark, Singapore, Japan and Australia. As of now these can be at best said to be variant under investigation," the INSACOG statement also said.

771 variants of concerns (VOCs) have been detected in a total of 10,787 positive samples shared by States/UTs.

These include 736 samples positive for viruses of the UK (B.1.1.7) lineage, 34 samples positive for viruses of the South African (B.1.351) lineage and 1 positive for viruses of the Brazilian (P.1) lineage. The samples with these VOCs have been identified in 18 states of the country, the consortium said.

The report clarified that even though VOCs and a new double mutant variant have been found in India, the number of cases are insufficient to establish a direct relationship or rapid increase in cases in some states and further genomic sequencing and epidemiological studies are required to analyse the situation.

India recorded 47,262 fresh coronavirus cases in a day, the highest single-day rise so far this year, taking the nationwide Covid-19 tally to 1,17,34,058, the Union health ministry said on Wednesday.

The active caseload registered an increase for the 14th day in row and was recorded at 3,68,457, comprising 3.14 per cent of the total infections, while the recovery rate further dropped to 95.49 per cent, the ministry data updated at 8 am said.

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics (INSACOG) is a grouping of 10 national laboratories established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that carries out genomic sequencing and analysis of circulating Covid-19 viruses, and correlating epidemiological trends with genomic variants.