5 clades of COVID-19 found in Odisha

Scientists have found presence of five clades of COVID-19 in Odisha where Europe and Southeast Asia are analysed to be two major routes of disease transmission.

In order to understand disease dynamics through genomics studies, Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar, an autonomous institute of Department of Biotechnology, in collaboration with Regional Medical Research Centre, an ICMR institute, had analysed 225 viral genomes of COVID-19 positive patients who migrated from 13 Indian States. The samples for sequencing were collected during March and July 2020.

The sequencing, data analysis and interpretation were carried out by the team led by Dr. Sunil Raghav of ILS and Dr. Jyotirmayee Turuk of RMRC using advanced sequencing facility at ILS.

“Analysis of Odisha samples showed the presence of all five reported clades 19A, 19B, 20A, 20B and 20C of COVID-19 genome. Clade 19B was found to be much more prevalent in analysed samples (17%),” said the ILS Director Ajay Parida.

According to a statement, the study showed parallel evolution of 19A and 19B. “Majority of the 19A and 19B clades were present in cases that migrated from Gujarat suggesting it to be one of the major initial points of disease transmission during March and April,” it said.

Clades 20A and 20B, which evolved quite rapidly in the Indian population, were major source of disease transmission in the country, said the two institutes.

Union Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan had announced the completion of 1,000 COVID-19 viral genomes by the autonomous institutes of the Department of Biotechnology. Different institutes had carried out analysis on 1,062 genomes from 18 Indian States. Initial results indicate that multiple lineages of SARS-CoV-2 are circulating in India, probably introduced by travel from Europe, the U.S. and South East Asia. “We have been able to sequence 225 viral genomes at a relatively short period of time and the findings will pave way for new avenues of research on COVID-19,” said Dr. Parida.

He added that further sequencing of virus genome was being carried out at ILS using recent samples.