(Image source from: bbc.com)

India is already shattered due to the second wave of coronavirus in the country. The WHO also named the Indian variant as the most dangerous one. Now, a new variant of B.1.1.28.2 is detected in India through genome sequencing that is conducted in the National Institute of Virology in Pune. The variant is traced from the international passengers who arrived from the United Kingdom and Brazil. Weight loss, viral replication in the respiratory track, severe lung pathology comes through the new variant. The tests were conducted on 9 Syrian hamsters for a week after which revelations were announced. The study was conducted in Vero CCL81 cells and genomic characterization by the next generation sequencing.

Health experts said that the new variant is similar to the Delta variant and is expected to be more dangerous than the Alpha variant. The study also concluded that the new variant B.1.1.28.2 lineage could be isolated and the characterization can be performed. The experts also said that B.1.1.28.2 variant is more pathogenic than the B.1 variant. The disease severity would be high compared to the other variants. The B.1.1.28.2 variant also produces severe pneumonia and it points towards the necessity of genomic surveillance.

By Siva Kumar