Scientist said that the "Bengal strain" might be more infective and may be capable of escaping a person’s immune surveillance even if that person was earlier exposed to a virus without this mutation, and even if vaccinated. India marked a grim milestone in the Covid-19 pandemic on Thursday, reporting 314,835 new daily cases, the highest one-day tally anywhere. India has launched a vaccination drive but only a tiny fraction of the population has had the shots. "The double mutant ... is considerably more infectious than the older strain of virus," said Gautam I Menon, a professor at Ashoka University. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the Center for Global Health and Science Security at Georgetown University said the situation in India was "heartbreaking and awful".

Source: The Express Tribune April 22, 2021 19:41 UTC