The rapid spread of the Indian variant of Covid is 'disturbing', scientists say

Coronavirus variants first discovered in India risk becoming the second most dominant in the UK within weeks, experts have warned as total cases rose to 400.

Public Health in England (PHE) said on Thursday that there was "no evidence of widespread transmission in the community or that these variants cause more serious illness or make currently established vaccines less effective".

But other scientists say it is troubling that UK detected cases appear to be growing rapidly despite England still being under restrictions on social distance.

India is facing a healthcare crisis due to an increase in cases which may be partly due to variants. B.1.617, first discovered in India, is a "variant under investigation" in the UK that has raised concerns because it contains two "escape" mutations that may help it bypass the body's immune responses.

Prof. Christina Pagel, director of the Clinical Operations Research Unit at University College London and a member of the Independent Sage expert group, said the situation is worrying.

Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, warned that more information was needed, including data on how severe the disease was compared to previous variants.

Based on the data, the possibility is not ruled out that the dominant variants in the UK will spread to the rest of Europe, especially in this situation where many countries have eased the restrictive measures and have resumed flights with the UK.

The new variant of the coronavirus, which is characterized by a double mutation , is thought to be the cause of the increase in Covid cases in India, although the situation is still unclear. 

Scientists in India drew attention to the existence of a new variant as it gained ground in Maharashtra between December 2020 and March this year. On March 24, the Ministry of Health in India reported that 15% -20% of the coronavirus studied in the region carried two unusual mutations: E484Q and L425R. The prevalence is likely to have increased to more than 60% in the region since then. The variant was known as B.1.617.

This new variant is thought to be the cause of a new wave of deaths from infections in India. The variant existed at low levels for months in India and has grown in other countries, without appearing to be a disturbing variant, suggesting that it may not be as transmissible as the Kent variant that is now dominant in the UK .

Burimet: Guardian, Sky News, Indian Express