New Strain N440K of Covid-19 Found in Andhra Pradesh & Telangana

Covid 19 is creating havoc all around with India witnessing a massive surge in new cases and deaths. The total case count has already surpassed 4 lakh per day and the devastation is on with various infectious strains taking a toll on the Indian Population.

Already the UK strain, Brazil strain, and the double mutant and triple mutant Indian strains were creating havoc and now another highly infectious strain N440K has been discovered by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology.

Where was the N440K strain first found?

The N440K strain of Coronavirus has been witnessed to be highly prevalent in Andhra Pradesh where it was found in nearly 32 % of the 272 SARS-COV-2 genomes analyzed. About 1/3 of the infections in the Andhra and Telugu states are associated with the N440K strain. Besides the Telugu states, it has been attributed to some cases in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana. The strain is supposed to have originated around July August in Asia and has been spreading at least since March.

Why is it more dangerous?

N440K is one of the most dangerous mutations since it is escaping the immune system and often causing reinfections as witnessed in a man who got reinfected 1 month after recovering and developing symptoms like fever, cough, and malaise. The strain affects the lungs mainly and affects more of the younger and obese population which may even culminate into the need for oxygen and ventilator.

Are the vaccines effective against the new strain?

The new strain’s clinical significance and the efficacy of vaccines against the strain are yet to be understood. But as of now, Doctors suggest that vaccines will be working well against all the new strains and hence everyone should go for vaccination as soon as possible.

For more updates, Stay Tuned