India has overtaken Brazil to become the second most COVID - 19 affected country of the world, next to the United States of America.

The second wave of COVID - 19 wreaked havoc in India, the major concern now is the third mutation of COVID in this B.1.617 strain that has now been identified in at least three to four states of India. Two of these triple mutant variant of COVID have been found in the samples collected from Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal and Chattisgarh.

The coronavirus just like other viruses keeps changing in small ways as it passes from one person to another. This is called mutation. However, a lot of these mutations are not dangerous. But some of them triggers changes in the spike proteins.

As the virus spreads, it gets more opportunities to acquire mutations and evolve at the faster rate. This is natural aspect of virus life - cycle but is very important that we track these changes and follow the important viral characteristics associated with these mutations. We are observing a rapid emergence of numerous viral variants. With the increase in the number of infections and spread there are more opportunities of the virus to mutate.

As the infections are increasing at an alarming rate there is a very high likelihood that we will encounter more virus variants of Covid in our population. Some of these variants gets selected for faster transmissibility that is spread or increased severity that is more pathogenic and also immune or vaccine escape. The evidence so far suggest that none of the important virus variants are associated with increased severity.

A triple mutant is a variant that have three different strains that have combined together to form new variant. Now multiple SARS - CoV - 2 variant are circulating globally and the triple mutant strain of Covid could be the next challenge for India.

India witnesses another record spike during the last 24 hours, registered over 3.30 lakh fresh Covid-19 infections which is highest ever single day surge in daily cases anywhere in the world. The country also recorded its highest one day spike in Covid-19 patients deaths with over 2,200 people dying due to deadly infection in the same span of time.

Triple mutation of COVID - 19 variant discovered in India. After the double mutation, cases of triple mutation, where three different COVID - 19 strains combine to form new variant. This have detected in parts of the country. States like Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal are supposed to have cases driven by the triple mutant.

These variant could be more infectious than the first and the double mutation of COVID, cause more disease or escape vaccine.

Potential consequences of emerging variant:

1. The triple mutation of COVID can spread more quickly in people.

2. It can cause more severe diseases in people. The variant is associated with increased risk of death as compared to the other variants.

3. It has the ability to escape detection by specific viral diagnostic tests.

4. These strains can evade the protection that immunizations are designed to generate.