Multiple variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, are circulating globally.
NEW DELHI: The presence of a mutant variant of SARS-CoV-2, which is more infectious than the original strain, may have aided in the rapid spread of the disease in the capital, AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria told TOI on Sunday.
“We have observed that one primary patient (index case) is able to affect more people this time. During the earlier peak, one patient could spread the disease to 30-40% of his or her contacts. This time, it has been observed that 80-90% of people who come in contact with a patient turn positive,” said Guleria, adding that there were multiple instances where the whole family had tested positive for Covid-19.
| UPDATED: 15:33, Sun, Mar 7, 2021
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The Ministry of Health in Madrid said it had added variants from New York, Uganda and Portugal to its watch-list and remained concerned about a potential outbreak of the South African strain. A regular report from the ministry said the presence of the South African variant was still low with 54 confirmed cases, but it could not rule out that cases could increase in the coming weeks as has happened in other neighbouring countries.
The latest homegrown mutation, known as Q677P, has been identified in seven lineages of COVID-19 but questions remain over whether it makes the virus more virulent or transmissible.
New coronavirus variants: Possible implications on vaccines and other measures
New coronavirus variants: Possible implications on vaccines and other measures
Though it is normal for viruses to mutate but the more the SARS-CoV-2 virus spreads, the more opportunities it has to change. High levels of transmission mean that we should expect more variants to emerge. Here are the possible implications on vaccines and other measures:
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UPDATED: January 15, 2021 21:54 IST
People walk past an illustration of a virus outside a regional science centre in Britain. (File photo: Reuters)
Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out early last year, every human being on the planet has come to know about the existence of viruses but not many know about their characteristics. Viruses teeter on the boundaries of what is considered life. Viruses cannot thrive on their own; they become living beings when they enter a host which can be any animal or plant. While inside the host, they replicate