All five groups of Covid-19 genome found in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: The analysis of the positive swab samples from Odisha by the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar, and the ICMR-Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC), also in the state capital, showed the presence of all five reported clades —19A, 19B, 20A, 20B and 20C of the Covid-19 genome. Clade 20C, which was not present in any other isolates included in more than 1,000 genome analysis across the country, was found in Odisha.
Five research institutions in the country, including ILS Bhubaneswar, have carried out the analysis of 1,062 genomes from 18 Indian states. The ILS and RMRC researchers have analysed 225 viral genomes of Covid-19 positive patients who migrated from 13 Indian states. The initial results indicated that multiple lineages of SARS-CoV-2 are circulating in India, probably introduced by travel from Europe, USA and Southeast Asia, the scientists said.
Clade means a group having the same source of origin or characteristics. The majority of the 19A (mostly European origin source) and 19B clades (mostly Southeast Asian origin) were present in those who had returned from Gujarat in March and April.
“Clade 19B was found to be much more prevalent in the analysed samples (17% of the total samples from the country) as compared to other genomes reported from India so far,” the researchers said.
Sanghamitra Pati, director of RMRC, said it is obvious that Europe and Southeast Asia are the two major routes of disease transmission in Odisha. “The phylogenetic analysis (the study of the relationship between different strains of virus) showed that clades 20A and 20B evolved quite rapidly in the Indian population and are the major source of disease transmission in the country as well as in Odisha. Whereas 20C is rarely detected and appeared to be less adapted. Our study revealed that most of the symptomatic patients bearing the virus have clades 20A, 20B and 20C. Clade 20C which was found in samples here, was not present in any other isolates included in the 1,000 genome analysis in India,” she added.
ILS Bhubaneswar director Ajay Kumar Parida said 20A, 20B and 20C clades have mutated from initial clades 19A and 19B. “As many as 73 of our samples have 20A clade, while 20B was found in 60 samples. These two classes have a high rate of infection,” he said.
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