ICMR successfully isolates Brazilian coronavirus variant

16:53 February 16

ICMR successfully isolates Brazilian coronavirus variant

New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Tuesday said that a case of the Brazil variant of the coronavirus was detected in the first week of February, following which the virus strain was successfully isolated.

"A case of Brazil variant of SAS-CoV-2 was detected in the first week of February. Virus strain was successfully isolated and cultured at ICMR-NIV-Pune. Experiments to assess vaccine effectiveness are underway," said Dr Balram Bhargava, the Director General of ICMR.

The Brazilian variant or P.1 lineage, was found in the first week of February in a person who returned from the South American country recently. The strain has spread to 15 countries, however, it has been successfully isolated and cultured at the NIV in India, Bhargava said.

"The experiments are underway to assess the efficacy of vaccines on the Brazilian variant," Bhargava said.

The ICMR has found a total of 192 Covid-19 cases of the new variants of mutated SARS-CoV-2 in last two months, including four from the variant emerging in South Africa and one from the Brazilian variant, Bhargava said.

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The remaining cases are all of the UK variant.

Bhargava, however, noted that no mortality has been reported so far in the cases who contracted the UK variant as well as those who are infected by the variants from South Africa and Brazil.

About the South Africa variant, better known as B.1.351, Bhargava said that its cases were reported in January in four returnees from African countries.

"One case was found in a person who returned from Angola, one from Tanzania and rest from persons who returned from South Africa," he said.

Bhargava added that this variant has spread to 44 countries and the National Institute of Virology, Pune is attempting to isolate and culture the variant.

"The efficacy of vaccines on it will be known after the isolation and culture of the variant," he said.

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