ILS & RMRC Study Detects Five COVID-19 Strains In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) on Saturday said that five COVID-19 strains have been detected in Odisha till June.

Briefing mediapersons, ILS director Ajay Parida said that the ILS and Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) had conducted a genomic study with 225 samples of migrant Odias of 18 districts, who had returned from 13 states including Gujarat, Delhi and Tamil Nadu between March and June. The different COVID-19 strains detected were 19A, 19B, 20A, 20B and 20C. Of the five, 20A and 20B strains have been detected in large numbers.

“The study has revealed that out of the five strains detected, the presence of the 20C strain has been found only in Odisha and nowhere else in the country while there is a striking similarity between 19A and the virus that had originated from Wuhan in China,” Parida said.

The ILS director further said that detection of these COVID strains will make it easier for the preparation of COVID vaccine. “We will see whether a single vaccine is required for the treatment of five strains or there will be separate vaccines for each strain,” he remarked.

Parida also informed that the second-phase study of the COVID strains in Odisha will be conducted shortly.