CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology scientists presented their findings of analysis of over 5,000 Covid variants, and said that closer surveillance of the virus is needed.
Hyderabad: A few novel variants of coronavirus are spreading more in some states in the country and a closer surveillance is needed, a study by the scientists of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) here has said.
It also said the mutants worrying many countries globally have been identified with only a low prevalence in India so far, but hastened to add it might be simply because not enough sequencing has been done.
The CCMB scientists have been at the forefront of sequencing and analyzing the genome of the coronavirus SARS- CoV-2in the country.
A comprehensive analysis of coronavirus variants in the country and their evolution during the pandemic by the scientists presented in a recent publication suggested new types would keep emerging due to natural process of mutation and the best way to control the potential damage by their spread is through extensive genome surveillance, a release from CCMB said.
“We now have emerging evidence that N440K (variant) is spreading a lot more in southern states. Closer surveillance is needed to understand its spread properly, CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra said in the release.