Indian variant found in 50% samples sent for genome probe from Maharashtra

MUMBAI: Almost 50% of the samples that have tested positive for Covid-19 in the state of late and were sent for genome sequencing have the newly identified and highly infectious Indian variant of SARS-CoV-2 called B.1.617.

Most of these samples are from Vidarbha and no sample submitted from the city has so far shown the B.1.617 variant, said scientists involved with INSACOG, a grouping of 10 national laboratories carrying out whole genomic sequencing of samples.

The Union health ministry has so far not given specific details about the whole genome sequencing project. A communication on Friday said that as of Thursday, 13,614 whole genome sequencing samples had been processed at the 10 INSACOG labs.





“Of these, 1,189 samples have tested positive for variants of concern for SARS COV-2 in India. These include 1,109 samples with UK variants; 79 samples with South African variant and one sample with the Brazil variant,” the ministry release said.

Some information on the results of the samples sent from the state was given to state health minister Rajesh Tope at a virtual meeting with Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Saturday.

Tope said that of the 1,100 samples sent so far, 500 samples had been examined. “We have sought a detailed report from the central government but have been told that it will be available only at the end of the research,” he said.



The main concern in the state — and the rest of the world, too, because the Indian variant has already been isolated in multiple samples in the UK and the US — is the high transmissibility of the variant. “As the new variant is said to be highly infectious, we sought a report and revised guidelines, if any, from the Centre,” Tope said, adding that the Centre said a detailed report would be made available only at the end of the research.

State director of health services Dr Archana Patil said she did know from where the samples in question had been collected. “In some samples, changes are seen, but there is no comment about whether they explain this surge in Maharashtra,” Patil said.

The B.1.617 was first identified by scientists from the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) in Delhi as part of the INSACOG project. They noted two mutations, L452R and E484K, that are known to have the ability to escape antibodies.

Articles written by experts across the world have noted that the Indian variant could be “at least in part” driving the current wave sweeping across the country. IGIB director Dr Anurag Agrawal said almost 15,000 Covid-19-positive samples had been studied since December.

“Our team of scientists identified the variant which has since been named B.1.617. Overall, it is present in a small percentage of samples, but its presence has been growing in recent weeks,” Dr Agrawal said. Scientists from other countries had more details. “The new strain has been detected in at least five Indian states, including Maharashtra, Delhi and Punjab, which have all contributed to the surge of cases in the country, in addition to the B.1.1.7 (UK), B.1.351 (South Africa), and P.1 (Brazil) variants which are also circulating (in) India,” William A. Haseltine, former Harvard Medical School professor, said in an article in Forbes.

He wrote that while the extent to which the strain had spread was unknown, of the 2,844 sequences submitted to the GISAID database from India since March 1, 162 sequences had been classified as B.1.617, or about 6%. “This percentage is likely to grow,” he said.