Description
SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) also known as 2019-nCoV (2019 Novel Coronavirus) is a virus that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to severe diseases. As of May 2021, three sublineages have been found. Despite its name, B.1.617.3 was the first sublineage of this variant to be detected, in October 2020 in India. This sublineage has remained relatively uncommon compared to the two other sublineages, B.1.617.1 (also known as variant Kappa) and B.1.617.2 (also known as variant Delta), both of which were first detected in December 2020. This variant has the double mutations E484Q and L452R in the spike proteins. Emerging research suggests the variant may be more transmissible than previously evolved ones. Whether the effectiveness of currently-deployed vaccines is affected remains under investigation. Moreover, the sublineage B.1.617.2 has been redesignated as “variant of concern” (VOC-21APR-02) in May 2021, which spreads more quickly than the original version of the virus.