Triple Mutant Coronavirus reported in Delhi, Maharashtra and West Bengal
Second wave of COVID-19 was being reported due to double mutant virus which is faster spreading and affects young people as well, but triple mutant could be a horror, fear experts since it is unknown if vaccines work on it.
With India’s Covid-19 crisis deepening day by day and the country’s health infrastructure left in shambles, reports now say that a triple mutation strain has been traced in parts of India.
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 the unversed, the mutation is when the viruses keep changing and the more they spread, the more they mutate, which is what exactly happened in the case of India’s double mutant strain.
Notably, the double mutant strain of coronavirus was first detected in October 5 last year through genome sequencing of a virus sample and experts believe that it triggered the recent rapid surge of second Covid wave.
Initial sequences of this new triple variant B.1.618 were detected in samples collected from Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh. Experts have raised alarm and called for faster genome sequencing, to fully understand the mutant.
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 as per NDTV.
A report in The Indian Express said that since both the mutations, E484Q and L425R, were located in the virus’s critical spike protein — that binds it to the receptor cells in the body.
