'AY.4.2 may be 15 per cent more infectious than Delta strain'

A medic inoculates a college student inside a classroom, during a vaccination drive in Thane, on Tuesday

Two suspected cases of AY.4.2 variant of the novel Coronavirus have been identified and the samples have been sent to a laboratory for the genome sequencing, Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar said on Tuesday. A government panel of experts is looking into AY.4.2, a sub-variant of Delta, which is said to be much more transmissible, Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday, according to a Reuters report. AY.4.2 was first detected in July, according to reports.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya speaks at a press conference in Delhi on Tuesday. Pics/PTI

There are two suspected cases of AY.4.2 variant of viruses and I have instructed my department to send the samples for genomic sequencing for confirmation," Sudhakar told reporters in Bengaluru. Health department officials said the samples have been sent to the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bengaluru for testing. They also said both the affected people are from Bengaluru and are asymptomatic.

A medic collects a resident's swab sample in Mumbai on Tuesday. Pic/PTI

Sudhakar claimed those who have received two doses of the Covid vaccine need not be afraid of the virus as it will have little effect on them. The minister said there was no need to panic as the state government has taken enough steps to check the spread of the disease. The new variant is causing havoc in the UK, Russia and China. It may be up to 15 per cent more transmissible than the original Delta, scientists estimate.

New cases drop to 12,428

India saw a single-day rise of 12,428 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest in 238 days, while the active cases declined to 1,63,816, according to the Union health ministry data updated on Tuesday. The death toll climbed to 4,55,068 with 356 fresh fatalities. Kerala has reconciled 228 fatalities from the previous period, officials said, adding that 53 deaths have been reported from the state in the last 24 hours.

‘Covaxin may get WHO nod in 24 hrs'

A technical advisory group of the World Health Organization was on Tuesday reviewing Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin's data for emergency use listing (EUL), and an approval could be expected in 24 hours, a spokesperson said. "If all is in place and all goes well and if the committee is satisfied, we would expect a recommendation within the next 24 hours or so," Reuters quoted the spokesperson, Margaret Harris, as saying. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, the Covaxin maker, has submitted the vaccine's data to the WHO.

July
When the new sub-variant was first detected in the UK

3,42,02,202
Total no. of Coronavirus cases in India so far

4,55,068
Total no. of deaths due to the virus in India so far

1,63,816
Total no. of active cases in India

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