COVID: Centre swings into action as new AY.4.2 variant detected in India post UK, China

As the new AY.4.2 variant of the Coronavirus has again started wreaking havoc in some parts of the world, the fear of a possible third wave of the pandemic is looming large in India. According to reports, several cases of the new variant have also been reported in India in the last few days. AY.4.2, a sub-lineage of COVID-19's Delta variant, has been found in the United Kingdom, China, and Russia, and has now arrived in India too. In the last few days, states including Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra have reported cases of the new variant, according to the Union health ministry. 

Meanwhile, the Center has sprung into action to quell the panic among people. On Tuesday, October 26, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stated that a government team is presently monitoring the new COVID-19 variant with the goal of limiting its spread. "A team is investigating the new COVID-19 variant AY.4.2. ICMR and NCDC teams study and analyze the different variants," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Despite the fact that the spread of the new variant has exacerbated citizens' fears, experts claim that there is no evidence that the AY.4.2 is deadlier than the Delta variant, which emerged during India's fatal second wave of the pandemic early this year. 

'AY.4.2 variant did not raise the case ratio in India'

According to the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), at least seven cases of the new COVID variant AY.4 have been found in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district, whereas, it has been detected in 1 per cent of samples collected in Maharashtra in September. The preliminary investigations have found that while AY.4.2 is present, it has not raised the case ratio in India. Apart from AY.4.2, AY.33 and AY.4.1 variants are also present and circulating in the country, according to the NCDC report. 

It should be mentioned here that the probability of the third wave in India has increased, with certain states reporting an increase in the daily COVID-19 cases since the Durga Puja and Navratri festivals. In order to prevent a third wave, the Centre has placed several guidelines for Diwali. Meanwhile, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is expected to hold a meeting with state health ministers on Wednesday. The focus of the discussion will be on further increasing the country's COVID-19 vaccination effort. According to provisional data released by the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday, India's COVID-19 vaccine coverage has surpassed 103.53 crore people.

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: PTI/Pixabay)