As the deadly second wave of coronavirus is wreaking havoc in all nooks of India, medical experts have warned that the Andhra Pradesh (AP) strain of Covid is more virulent and dangerous when compared to other variants in the nation. The variant named N440K was discovered by CCMB (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology), and experts believe that this strain is primarily responsible for rising cases in Vishakapattanam and other parts of the state.
AP Covid strain: Deadly, dangerous, and virulent
N440K was initially discovered in Kurnool, and it is at least 15 times stronger than the early Covid variants that were found in India. Medical experts also suggest that the AP variant could be even dangerous than the Indian variants B1.617 and B1.618.
"We are still to ascertain, which strain is in circulation right now, as samples have been sent to CCMB for analysis. But one thing is certain that the variant at present which is in circulation in Visakhapatnam is quite different from what we have seen during the first wave last year," said District Collector Vinay V Chand.
District COVID Special Officer PV Sudhakar revealed that this AP strain of Covid has a very shorter incubation period, and it is spreading much quicker than other variants of coronavirus.
Rising risk of hypoxia
During the first wave of coronavirus in India, a patient affected with Covid-19 would take at least a week or more to reach the stage of hypoxia. However, patients who are infected with the AP strain are reaching complicated stages within three or four days. Due to the rising number of serious cases, hospitals are running out of bed and oxygen supplies.
Shockingly, unlike the first Covid wave, a shorter exposure is enough to acquire the viral infection in the second wave, and this is another factor that is bothering medical experts in the country. Moreover, the second wave of coronavirus has turned highly unpredictable as the virus is affecting people irrespective of their age.
