The N440K variant of coronavirus is majorly witnessed in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, parts of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
Even as the Indian variant of the SARS-CoV-2, known as B.1617 is wreaking havoc, researchers from Hyderabad have found a new mutant in parts of southern India and more specifically in Andhra Pradesh that is 15 times more lethal than the previous strains. The N440K variant of coronavirus is majorly being seen in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, parts of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
Scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) discovered the new coronavirus variant N440K. This variant was first discovered in Kurnool at Andhra Pradesh. It is said to be at least 10 times more infectious.
District COVID Special Officer and Principal of Andhra Medical College PV Sudhakar confirmed the enhanced power of the virus and was quoted by The Hindu as saying, “We have observed that the new variant has shorter incubation period and the progress of the disease is much rapid. In the earlier cases, a patient affected with the virus would take at least a week to reach the hypoxia or dyspnea stage. But in the present context, patients are reaching the serious condition-stage within three or four days. And that is why there is heavy pressure on beds with oxygen or ICU beds.”
According to reports, the new variant has a shorter incubation period and the progress of the disease is much rapid. Hence, a shorter exposure is enough to acquire the virus. This enables an infected person to infect more four to five persons within a shorter span of time.
"The timing of the increase in B.1.617 coincides well with the second waves seen in the respective states," finds Divya Tej Sowpati of CCMB as quoted by India Today.
"In Kerala, though not much data is available on GISAID, we can see from genescov2.genomes.in that B.1.1.7 is increasing at present, whereas N440K is present in less than 20 per cent of the genomes," he further added.
While N440K was indeed a mutation of concern in South India, new data shows that it is slowly being replaced by new variants of concerns (VoCs) such as B.1.617 (dubbed a double-mutant variant) and B.1.1.7 (variant identified in the UK). There is no need for people to panic about the N440K variant of Covid-19 as this strain shall fade away in the coming weeks, said experts.
New Symptoms
According to Dr Shuchin Bajaj, Founder and Director, Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, "We are seeing new Covid strain, and some newer symptoms are found in patients like fever, pain in muscles, dry and persistent cough, and loss of smell and taste. In addition to conjunctivitis, sore throat, headache, rashes, upset stomach, and discolouration of fingers and toes."
(With IANS inputs)
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