Double Mutant Covid Variant Found In 18 States Of India

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New-Delhi: A new double mutant variant of the coronavirus has been detected from samples collected in India, said union health ministry said on Wednesday.

The double mutant has been detected across 18 Indian states. In 10,787 positive samples shared by states and UTs so far, 771 variants of concern have been detected. These include 736 samples positive for viruses of the UK , 34 of the South African  and one Brazilian.

States witnessing higher cases have revealed a different mutation profile but detected variants have been prevalent in the community for last six to eight months, National Centre for Disease Control director Sujeet Kumar Singh said.

The new virus strain having two mutations, government indicated, is highly infectious and has a potential to skip the immunity developed either by natural infection or vaccines. The development emerges as a cause of serious worry for government, as a second wave of the covid-19 pandemic is of a great concern in the country.

In the midst of the threat posed by the new Covid-19 variants across the country, three samples from Odisha were also found to be carrying the highly infectious UK strain and one having double mutation.

The three belong to one family who had returned from Britain in mid-December last and the person found with the double mutation variant is from Nuapada district and had returned from Maharashtra.

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