New South Africa Covid variant triggers alert in India. List of strains you must Know

New Delhi, Nov 26: A new covid variant in South Africa, B.1.1.529, a "variant of concern" the most worrying type, like the well-known delta variant has triggered concern across the globe.

This variant is blamed for the increasing covid cases in South Africa, ahead of the Christmas and New Year festive season. Variants of concern - which include alpha, beta and delta - have shown they can spread more easily, cause more serious disease or make current tools like vaccines less effective.

How did this new variant arise?

The coronavirus mutates as it spreads and many new variants, including those with worrying genetic changes, often just die out. Scientists monitor COVID-19 sequences for mutations that could make the disease more transmissible or deadly, but they cannot determine that simply by looking at the virus. They must compare the pattern of disease in outbreaks to the genetic sequences and sorting out whether there is an actual connection can take time. Some scientists have speculated that the new variant arose in an immune-compromised patient because of the large number of mutations.

As India sounds alert over South Africa covid variant, let us have a look at the variants of concern.

Delta: B.1.617.2

First identified: India

Spread: Spreads more easily than other variants.

Symptoms: May cause more severe cases than the other variants

Vaccine: Vaccine breakthrough infections are expected, but vaccines are effective at preventing most infections.

Delta Plus: AY.4.2

First identified: India

Symptoms: May cause severe illness and death, more severe cases than the other variants

Vaccine: There is no evidence that the AY.4.2 variant is resistant to the vaccines that are currently available.

Currently, the delta variant remains by far the most transmissible form of COVID; it accounts for more than 99 per cent of sequences shared with the world's biggest public database.

ALPHA: B.1.1.7

First identified: England

Symptoms: 70% more transmissible, spreads easily, high risk of deaths

Vaccine: It is highly unlikely that a single new mutation in the Alpha variant will make the vaccine less effective.

BETA: B.1.351

First identified: South Africa

Symptoms: Spread more easily than the original virus, no serious illness

Vaccine: All available vaccines effective against Beta

GAMMA: P.1

First identified: Brazil

Symptoms: More contagious, infects people who have already had COVID-19

Vaccine: All available vaccines effective against Gamma

LAMDA: C.37

First identified: South America

Symptoms: community transmission

Vaccine: All available vaccines effective against Lamda

B.1.1.529: Not named yet

First identified: South Africa

Symptoms: large number of mutations, highly transmissible

Vaccine: Potentially evades vaccines, more researches underway.