Categories: India

‘New coronavirus variant detected by NIV may cause severe symptoms’

NEW DELHI: The National Institute of Virology, Pune, has detected a new Covid-19 variant — B.1.1.28.2 — through genome sequencing of samples from international travellers from the United Kingdom and Brazil to India.
The new variant is likely to cause severe symptoms.
The findings of the pathogenicity evaluation show increased disease severity and point towards the need for screening of vaccine efficacy.
The findings of the pre-print study has been published online on bioRxiv.
However, according to an uncorrected manuscript of a separate study by NIV, Pune, the two-dose Covaxin regimen significantly boosted antibody and neutralising efficacy against the variant.
The B.1.1.28.2 variant induced body weight loss, viral replication in the respiratory tract, lung lesions and caused severe lung pathology in infected Syrian hamster model, the study said.
The study pointed towards the necessity of genomic surveillance and characterisation of SARS-CoV-2 variants to understand their pathogenicity and immune escape potential for preparedness of counter measures.
Genome sequencing labs are looking at mutants which have significant potential of severely affecting disease transmission.
Currently, 10 national labs under INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequencing Consortia) have sequenced around 30,000 samples.
The government plans to ramp up genome sequencing and recently added 18 more labs to the consortium.

news2in

Share
Published by
news2in

Recent Posts

44 ordered to attack the procession

Ludhiana: The police have submitted FIR to four identified and at least 40 unknown attackers…

3 years ago

Punjab: Police Reject conspiracy theory in the case of Deep Sidhu

Sonīpat / Ludhiana / Ambala: Actor Punjabi - Activist Activist Deep Sidhu, who died in…

3 years ago

Punjab: Hidden Strength Working Behind PM Narendra Modi, Arvind Kejriwal, said Rahul Gandhi

PATIALA / MANSA / BARNALA: Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and AAP National Convener Kejriawal,…

3 years ago

BJP made AAP to endanger the Congress, said Ajay

Jalandhar: BJP and AAM AAM AADMI parties are one party, Secretary General of the Ajay…

3 years ago

Our job is to make Punjab No. 1 State: Meenakshi Lekhi

Ludhiana: Minister of Union Culture Meenakshi Lekhi while campaigning to support the BJP candidate from…

3 years ago

Feb 20 is an opportunity to change the destiny of Punjab and his children: Bhagwant Mann

Machhiwara (Ludhiana): AAM AAM AADMI Party (AAP) Head of Punjab Candidate and Members of Parliament…

3 years ago