HYDERABAD: A stronger sub-strain of the novel coronavirus which spreads faster is now sweeping across Telangana, the city-based Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB), one of India’s top research organisation, said on Tuesday.
After sequencing the viral genome of Covid-19 positive samples recently, CCMB said the less strong sub-strain clade A3i which had been previously dominant in Telangana has now been replaced by the stronger clade A2a. The A2a is now the dominant clade in the entire country, the CCMB has said. A clade is a sub-strain of a virus strain (in this cases SARS-CoV-2) and usually a small variation that happens due to mutations.
This could be a reason for rapid increase in cases across the state, the health department officials said, adding there has been a marked increase in symptomatic cases in the state, going up to 31% from 15% in August.
“The A2a clade is stronger compared to the A3i clade which was previously dominant in Hyderabad and rest of the southern part of the country,” said CCMB director Rakesh Mishra.
“By stronger, it means that it spreads more and faster than any other clade of its kind,” Dr Mishra added.
Mishra however said that it does not mean that it was more dangerous than other strains and there isn’t any evidence to suggest that it can cause more symptomatic cases.
“Among the two kinds of sub-strains found in India, A3i was found in large numbers in Telangana and other parts of South India. A3i was a bit weaker strain and has more or less disappeared now. Hyderabad is largely having only one clade, which is A2a now and this is what is spreading in Telangana,” said Dr Mishra.
A2a is also the dominant clade in 75% of the world now and experts suggest that one uniform clade is now active in most countries.
After sequencing the viral genome of Covid-19 positive samples recently, CCMB said the less strong sub-strain clade A3i which had been previously dominant in Telangana has now been replaced by the stronger clade A2a. The A2a is now the dominant clade in the entire country, the CCMB has said. A clade is a sub-strain of a virus strain (in this cases SARS-CoV-2) and usually a small variation that happens due to mutations.
This could be a reason for rapid increase in cases across the state, the health department officials said, adding there has been a marked increase in symptomatic cases in the state, going up to 31% from 15% in August.
“The A2a clade is stronger compared to the A3i clade which was previously dominant in Hyderabad and rest of the southern part of the country,” said CCMB director Rakesh Mishra.
“By stronger, it means that it spreads more and faster than any other clade of its kind,” Dr Mishra added.
Mishra however said that it does not mean that it was more dangerous than other strains and there isn’t any evidence to suggest that it can cause more symptomatic cases.
“Among the two kinds of sub-strains found in India, A3i was found in large numbers in Telangana and other parts of South India. A3i was a bit weaker strain and has more or less disappeared now. Hyderabad is largely having only one clade, which is A2a now and this is what is spreading in Telangana,” said Dr Mishra.
A2a is also the dominant clade in 75% of the world now and experts suggest that one uniform clade is now active in most countries.
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