The Indian variant of the corona virus has three threatening mutations in science

As the country experiences the worst epidemics and deaths the world has seen since the onset of the epidemic, a new variant of the corona virus is spreading across India. Almost everything about this new version of the virus is still unknown, while its expansion is exponential and already exists in 50% of cases detected in some states.

The Indian variant – B.1.617 – was identified in the autumn of last year, at the same time as the UK variant. The British version dominates many European countries and India 90% more contagious and up to 58% more deadly.

Indian variant, three mutations within the sequence 30,000 RNA letters It makes up your gene. Single change One of those 30,000 genetic letters, SARS-CoV-2 can better occupy the body’s organs and escape from the beneficial effects of the immune system that can eliminate it.

India is practically fighting blindly against new variations

The name of the mutation is read as the license plate and indicates the exact point of correspondence. The most worrying of the Indian virus is the L452R. This means that the virus was created to convert a leucine -L to an arginine -R at 452 in the gene. This is precisely the location of the receptor-binding field, which is the point of connection between the virus and the human cell. This mutation has already appeared in another variant of the virus detected in California. Done 20% more infections, Increased its copying ability and allowed it to escape from certain antibodies created by the victim.

The Indian variant has the second worrying change in this area, the E484Q, whose potential is unknown. There is a third mutation that creates the alarm called P681R because it can improve the process of virus entry into the cell and increase its ability to invade tissues. All these three changes could make the Indian variant more contagious and viral, but so far there is no evidence.

Data from the country’s government show that this variation is already prevalent in the country-centric state of Maharashtra. The impact of this edition has been growing exponentially in recent months, with the second wave beginning in a country where the virus kills more than 2,600 people each month.

A study in India shows that the national vaccine neutralizes the new variant of covax

The big problem is that India is fighting almost indiscriminately against new species because it does not line up the genes of 1% of positive cases. This indicates that the spread of different versions of the virus is practically unknown throughout the country of 1.3 billion people. By comparison, the United Kingdom, one of the countries with the highest order of viruses, analyzes 10% of cases.

The Indian variant has already reached 19 countries. Almost all are isolated cases, mostly travelers from Asian countries. According to Fernando Gonzalez-Candelaz, co-director of the virus sequence program, Spain is investigating the first possible case in the Valencian community. The Ministry of Health has imposed a 10-day isolation on travelers from India from Saturday.

World Health Organization Warned This new variant may be more contagious and to some extent vaccinated. But for now he described it as a “variation of interest”, not a “worrying variant”, a list that includes editions from the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Africa and California, in which there is evidence that they are over-spread. Or viral. Y They can significantly reduce the effectiveness of some vaccines.

The blood serum of people who have already passed the infection neutralizes the new variant without problems Recent initial study Conducted by the National Institute of Virology, India. This work also shows that the covax vaccine, which is made from inactive viruses in this country and has been approved since the beginning of the year, neutralizes the new variant.

India and other countries are now conducting tests to see if three dangerous mutations of this variant are affecting the virus infection. They do so in both laboratory tests and surveillance monitoring of the epidemic wave.

Most experts ask that the significance of this new variation should not be overstated in the exceptional second wave that the country is experiencing. Ishagi Gomez, geneticist and co – director of the Viral Sequence Project in Spain, says, “I’m very skeptical that this will play a big role.”

B.1.617 has been in circulation since the fall and three subdivisions are already known, one of which is without much concern mutations. The fact that it is in circulation for so long questions is so pervasive, Comas explains. “This new variant will be very difficult to compete against the United Kingdom because it is spreading a lot. In this sense, it is better for India to dominate this variant because both the immune system and the vaccine have been shown to neutralize it well,” he adds.

The country controlled the first wave of the virus well. Then there was a certain relaxation In the control measures, massive religious ceremonies and sports rallies were allowed, while the highly contagious and deadly English variant spread. He acknowledges that it is “very difficult” to know exactly what role the new variant plays in this situation. Isabel Sola, Virologist at the National Center for Biotechnology. “This new version of the corona virus is no more worrying than it has already been detected,” he explains. “It is important not to raise your defenses because the way to fight them is always the same; do not allow the virus to spread widely. He never plays card“, He highlights.

Mankind is now fighting a decisive battle against epidemics. Most people are vaccinated until they have nowhere to seek refuge. The virus constantly accumulates random mutations that help it survive. “The vaccine takes longer to complete, and a new version comes out with one or more mutations that offer a dangerous benefit,” recalled Marcos Lopez, president of the Spanish Immune Association.

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