Deadlier Wuhan L-Strand Virus Believed To Be Behind Gujarat's High COVID-19 Mortality Rate

The number of COVID-19 cases in Gujarat has been on the rise at a rapid rate and with a total of 3,301 confirmed cases so far, the state's tally is second only to neighboring Maharashtra. Out of this Ahmedabad alone accounts for 2181 cases of Coronavirus infections, making it second-highest after Mumbai.

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The COVID-19 death toll in the state is also comparatively much higher at 151. What is more concerning is that more than 60 percent of Ahmedabad deaths have come in the last one week.

Scientists in the state believe that the reason behind the high mortality rate is the strand of Coronavirus. They believe that the virus causing the infection in the state is the L-type strain of Coronavirus the same strand which was found in Wuhan in China, where the outbreak started.

The L-strand of coronavirus is said to be deadlier than the S-strand which has been reported in most parts of the world. However, no research has been conducted to confirm this, they said.

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A scientist at the state-run Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) said that the novel coronavirus used for genome sequencing recently conducted by it was found to contain the L-type strain.

"Analysis done by scientists abroad has shown that the L-type strain has been dominant where more mortality is reported among coronavirus patients. This strain was found to be more prevalent in Wuhan," director of GBRC, C G Joshi, said.

"The coronavirus sample we collected from a patient for genome sequence contained the L-type strain. This strain has a much higher virulence as compared to the S-strain," he said.

"Variation in coronavirus is in terms of number and percentage of mutations. As per the analysis, the L-type strain is dominant where more mortality is reported. Scientists have earlier found that this strain has caused more deaths," he said.

The GBRC recently succeeded in decoding the entire genome sequence of the novel Coronavirus, and identified its three new mutations.

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There are two known types of Coronavirus which the researchers called ¡°L¡± and ¡°S.¡± Scientists say the L type was more common early in the outbreak. One may cause more disease than the other.

Atul Patel, a specialist in infectious diseases also attributed the high mortality rate in Gujarat to the L-strand of the virus. Patel has said that a little higher presence of the L-type strain, or the original Wuhan strain, could be behind higher death rate in the state.

The state govt has however attributed the high mortality among coronavirus patients in the state to co- morbidities and high risk factors. Heart and lung diseases, diabetes, and hypertension, are among common diseases that have been found among coronavirus patients who passed away in Gujarat.