229 virus variants with spike protein mutation in India
HYDERABAD: Mutation in the spike protein of the novel Coronavirus has taken centrestage as the world remains on guard against the new variant of the virus from the United Kingdom. But as data shows, many variants of the virus with mutation in the spike protein have been found across the globe, including in India. Going through the information available with the GISAID Initiative has revealed that the country recorded 229 novel Coronavirus variants with mutation in their spike protein. Across the world, there have been over 1,200 such variants.
For India, the number is proportionally higher, from where 4,238 sequenced genomes of the novel Coronavirus are available with the GISAID Initiative. For example, in case of the UK, while over 500 virus samples have been recorded with mutation in their spike protein, the number is proportionately smaller as the country has sequenced more than 1.3 lakh virus samples. Variation in spike protein is of significance because it is through this that the virus gains entry into the human cell. However, experts point out that there is not much cause of worry as mutation in the spike protein does not mean the virus is necessarily more i n f e c t i o u s o r dangerous.
Former Director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Dr Ch Mohan Rao said, “Mutation does not always mean that the function of the virus will be altered. Mutation can be silent, wherein there is a change in the nucleotide but no change in the protein. Even if there is a change in the protein, it might not occur at a position which can make the virus more dangerous. Particularly, in case of the spike protein, which is a very long protein with 200-300 positions, the virus becomes dangerous if the mutation occurs only in a key position.
Many mutations do not alter the functionality of the virus.” Dr Kiran Madhala, head of critical care medicine at the Government Medical College, Nizamabad, who went through the GISAID Initiative data, said, “Despite India recording more than 200 virus samples with mutation in the spike protein from various States over the past few months, the mortality rate due to Covid-19 has been low. Even in Telangana, 51 such samples with mutation in their spike protein have been recorded.”