Emergence of two distinct variants of SARS-CoV-2 and an explosive second wave of COVID-19: the experience of a tertiary care hospital in Pune, India.

ABSTRACT: The emergence of novel variants of SARS-CoV-2 in several countries has been associated with increased transmissibility or reduced neutralization potential of antibodies against the Wuhan virus (wild type). From August 2021 onwards, India experienced a progressive decline in the number of active SARS-CoV-2 infections, indicative of a downward trend in the explosive second wave. This prospective study was conducted quarterly for one year (May 2020 to June 2021) at a tertiary care hospital in the city of Pune in western India. Receptor-binding domain (RBD, n = 319) and full genome (n = 20) sequences from viral-RNA-positive nasopharyngeal swabs of COVID-19 patients representing the first and second waves were used for analysis. No Brazilian, South African, or California variants were detected

SUBMITTER: Shrivastava S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8742689 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature