International researchers believe that this variant is usually of Indian origin. As a result, researchers and media outlets around the world are now focusing on Vidarbha; some even visited Nagpur as they watched the new “Indian version.” “It’s different from the UK or Africa or Brazil variant that was discussed at the beginning of this wave,” said Dr. Nitin Shinde, an infectious disease specialist who has received inquiries from many international researchers and journalists about the second wave in India. .
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“Many countries, including the United Kingdom, have imposed travel bans on India. This is due to the fact that a specific variant of the virus – B.1.617 – is becoming more common “, said Dr. Shinde. He believes that Amravati’s growth was also due to this variant, although it needs to be confirmed with more research.
According to data shared by the eGlobal Influenza Data Sharing Initiative (GSAID), B.1.617 was first found in samples collected in December 2020 in the country. They have data on the genome sequencing of Indian samples until April 3 this year. Until then, this variant was visible in 29% of the samples in India.
GSAID is recognized for its importance to global health by G20 health ministers. In 2020, the WHO called this data science initiative a “game changer” for the pandemic.
Dr. Atul Gawande, from Umarkhed, Vidavha Yavatmal District and currently a member of US President Joe Biden’s Covid-19 control advisory team, expressed concern about the option, calling it ” extremely frightening ”. “I see this variant going through the whole households of my family in India. Whether it is more lethal and whether the vaccines work well against it remains unclear, “he said.
As Dr. Gawande noted, it has been observed, especially in Vidarbha, that this variant infects entire families, unlike its predecessors in the September 2020 wave. This means that the virus is significantly more infectious, he says. But whether it is lethal or not yet to be studied. Currently, the option is “under investigation”. It is not yet designated a “variant of concern”, but scientists have recognized it as a “variant of interest”. According to an initial study by virology researcher Grace Roberts of Queen’s University, Belfast, it is estimated that this variant is about 20% more transmissible than the previous form of coronavirus circulating during the first wave.
However, health ministry officials said the increase in cases is not related to the variant, as B.1.617 was not detected in large enough quantities to determine whether it is directly responsible. Experts, however, believe that this may be due to a lack of data, and many have emphasized the importance of increasing virus sequencing to get a better picture.