NEW DELHI: India’s Covid genomic surveillance project is on high alert after the detection of a sublineage of SARS CoV 2’s delta variant in the UK and the USA. The scientists have indicated that the new variant may be even more transmissible than the delta strain.
The new variant, called AY. 4.2, has now been declared as the ‘variant under Investigation’ in the UK.
So far, this variant has not been detected in India in over 68,000 samples from SARS CoV 2 infected patients that have undergone whole genome sequencing under the INSACOG project.
“However, we will raise surveillance and more samples will be tested from among the international passengers in the coming days—so that we don’t miss the possible infections caused due to AY 4. 2 and those infected are quickly identified,” said a senior official attached with the National Centre for Disease Control which is leading INSACOG.
Last week, the UK Health Security Agency had announced that a new subtype of delta had been spreading in the country. The UK now reports the highest daily Covid19 cases after the USA globally. It had said that the newly detected variant accounted for 6 per cent of all genetic sequences of SARS CoV2 in the week beginning September 27, the latest week for which complete sequencing data was available.
“The variant is on an increasing trajectory,” the agency had said while the scientists said the strain could be nearly 10 per cent more transmissible than the original delta variant. The variant has also been detected in the USA.
A senior scientist associated with a CSIR laboratory in the capital meanwhile explained that a variant being more infectious, may not necessarily be a greater cause for concern. “If a strain is more transmissible, it does naturally suggest that it is more dangerous or capable of causing more virulent disease,” said the scientist.
WATCH: India on alert over new highly mobile COVID-19 variant 'AY. 4.2'