ICMR Plans to Study the Changed form of a Novel Coronavirus in India
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) plans to study whether the novel coronavirus strain in India has undergone alteration over the last two months in India.
Determining whether or not the SARS-CoV2 strain has changed form will help in ensuring the effectiveness of a potential vaccine says a senior scientist of the country’s apex health research body. “The study will also indicate whether it has become more virulent and increased transmission capability,” he further added
Samples are collected from COVID-19 patients. The sample will help the study whether the novel coronavirus strain has mutated or not, he said.
However, the study will begin after lockdown is lifted. Currently, it is difficult to transport the samples from different states and Union Territories, scientists said.
As per Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID), the maximum difference in the novel coronavirus strain in India is between 0.2 to 0.9% as compared to the strains in other countries, another scientist said.
GISAID promotes international sharing of all influenza virus sequences and related clinical and epidemiological data. It has over 7,000 complete genome sequences of SARS-CoV2 collected by various laboratories across the world.
Strains of the virus
There is a probability of people arriving in India from different countries are bringing different strains of the virus.
Three strains of the virus have been found in India so far. One was from Wuhan, and the other two from Italy and Iran. The sequence of the coronavirus strain from Iran was similar to that of China.
ICMR stated
Head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases at ICMR Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar had said earlier “It will take some time for us to know the predominant quasi-species of the novel coronavirus in the country. But mutations are not likely to make potential vaccines ineffective, as all sub-types of the virus have the same enzymes. Also, it has been in India for three months and it does not mutate very fast.”
Around Six Indian companies are working on a vaccine for COVID-19. They are joining the global race to find a vaccine for the deadly infection.
Nearly 70 ‘vaccine candidates’ are being tested. At least three have moved to the human clinical trial stage. But a vaccine for the novel coronavirus assumed to be ready for mass use before 2021.
India collaborated with WHO’s multi-country “solidarity trial”. To develop potential treatments and drugs for COVID-19.
In India coronavirus cases reached a count of 39,980 with 1,323 deaths and 10,819 recovered. Currently, there are 28,046 active coronavirus cases in India.
