New COVID-19 variant N440K spreading more in India's southern states, finds study

Hyderabad: A new study conducted by scientists of CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has revealed that the new COVID-19 variant N440K is spreading more in the southern states of India. The Director of CCMB, Rakesh Mishra said in a release that strict monitoring is required to understand the spread of N440K properly.

The study also stated that the new COVID-19 mutants have been identified with only a low prevalence in India and it is likely that not enough sequencing of coronavirus has been done in the nation.

“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,” Mishra said in the release. 

The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology has, primarily, been at the forefront of sequencing and analyzing the genome of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in India.

“It is extremely important to detect the new variants accurately and on time to curb the spread of the new variants in the country,” CCMB added in the release. 

The study also emphasised upon the prevention measures such as masks, hand-hygiene and physical distance as the best way to fight COVID-19.

The scientists at CCMB have, till date, analysed over 5,000 coronavirus variants and their evolution, over the course of the pandemic.

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