As much as 61% of the Covid-19 samples taken from Maharashtra between January and March for genome sequencing have shown a double mutation ...
As much as 61% of the Covid-19 samples taken from Maharashtra between January and March for genome sequencing have shown a double mutation of the virus, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday. This is being suspected as one of the factors behind the massive second wave of coronavirus in India.
As many as 220 of the 361 samples taken for genome sequencing showed the mutation, officials of the National Institute of Virology in Pune said during a presentation on April 10 to all district heads of government laboratories in Maharashtra.
However, the Centre is yet to flag the double mutation variant of the virus as a matter of concern. It has not said if a different strategy was needed to tackle the variant despite state health officials repeatedly raising the matter, according to The Indian Express.
“The Centre has maintained that there is no need to change the strategy,” State Health Secretary Pradeep Vyas said. In fact, the Maharashtra government has not yet received a written report on the data shared verbally by the National Institute of Virology. State Health Minister Rajesh Tope has asked the Centre for a detailed report on the genome sequencing of all the Maharashtra samples.
Last month, the Centre had said that the double mutant variant and “variants...
