Expert said that owing to the fact that samples are few, the chances of finding new variant is slim. With COVID continuing to surge worldwide, one of the biggest worries currently is the rise of new variants.
All viruses mutate, and the higher the rate of the infection, the easier it is to mutate. And experts are of the opinion, though they could be a combination of Omicron strains, the new variant can also be entirely different.
Here is all you need to know: Addressing the concern, Maharashtra's coordinator for genome sequencing Dr Rajesh Karyakarte said they are geared up for the process to detect any new variant.
Karyakarte said that owing to the fact that samples are few, the chances of finding new variant is slim. Karyakarte said, as reported by Hindustan Times, that in the last set of genome sequencing the dominant variants were XBB recombinant and BA.2.75 variant of Omicron. “Last genome sequencing which was conducted during the first week of December had limited samples as testing was low and there were no new variants.