What is Covid-19 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2.
HOW IT SPREADS The virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or exhales. These droplets are too heavy to hang in the air and quickly fall on floors or surfaces.
We can clearly see the sudden spike starting from march and as of 19th April a total of 2.59 lakh new cases in India. This time it’s much more dangerous than the last year.
Few states, cities like Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujrat, and more, are under lockdown or night curfew and strict rules like section 144. We’re in shortage of beds and oxygens.
So why is it becoming so devastating? Is it a new virus?
No of course not, this is the same SARS-CoV-2 virus with new mutant, Let me explain.
How our immunity system creates more antibodies after contact with the virus, exactly like virus also brings the required changes through mutation. Diseases are not static, the pathogens change with the environment changes surrounding them.
What is B.1.617?
The double mutation happens when two mutated strains of a virus come together and form a third strain. B.1.617 carries two mutations, E484Q & L452R.
Now the first wave of covid 19 was much less Dangerous because it was carrying the less number of variants and most of them were showing similar behavior. But in the second wave, it’s much more difficult to track & it is reported that L452R can even escape the immune, it is responsible for the sudden growth in covid-19 cases in Maharashtra.