A new lineage of the SARS-CoV-2 virus tied to high infectivity and immune escape mutation has been detected in India; however, there is no evidence thus far that it is driving the surge in cases either in the country or in West Bengal where it was first detected, report scientists.

The new lineage, called B.1.618, is different from the B.1.617 ‘double mutant’ virus that carries two mutations, E484Q and L245R. Anurag Agrawal, director of the CSIR-Institute of Genomic and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) in New Delhi, stated that there is no need for panic and standard public health measures are required. He added that the B.1.618 was a “lineage of interest” and that it was being investigated… (The Tribune, April 22, 2021)