The so-called double mutant coronavirus found in Maharashtra, India may be becoming the most prevalent among all mutant variants in India, genome sequencing data submitted by Indian scientists to a global database indicates, according to a recent analysis that takes into account when they were detected. The double mutant virus – now classified as B.1.617 – was the most common in the samples sequenced in the 60 days prior to April 2 at 24%.
The variant was first detected on October 5 and was relatively obscure till it began popping up on increasing number of samples January onwards, the India situation report on outbreak.info showed. On April 1, it accounted for 80% of all analysed genome sequences of mutant variants sent by India to the global repository GISAID.
