400 mutant COVID-19 strains reported in India: Centre

As many as 400 cases of mutant Covid-19 strains that were first found in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Brazil have been reported in India so far, the government informed on Thursday amid a surge in Coronavirus.

Of the total 400 cases, 158 cases were reported in the past two weeks.

Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey in Rajya Sabha said that the mutant strains have been found to be more contagious. He also said that the new Covid strains can re-infect persons who have been previously infected with SARS-CoV-2.

“No case of re-infection by mutant variants of SARS-CoV-2 virus has been reported from India so far,” the Minister said.

It was on December 29 last year when India reported its first case of mutant strain after six passengers returned from Britain.

In the past few days, India is seeing a spurt in coronavirus cases. Over 20,000 cases have been reported on a daily basis in India over the last week.