New Delhi: The AIIMS Director Dr. Randeep Guleria said the new strain of Covid- 19 found in Maharashtra could be highly transmissible and dangerous. The new variant can even cause re-infections in people who have developed anti-bodies to the virus, he said.

Herd immunity for Covid- 19 is a “myth” in India because at least 80 per cent people need to have antibodies for the whole of the population to be protected. Dr. Shahshank Joshi, Maharashtra Covid- 19 Task Force Member said 240 new strains of the virus have surfaced across India, which are behind the fresh surge of infections the state has been witnessing since last week. Besides Maharashtra, four more states Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Punjab have been witnessing a spike in numbers.

Dr. Guleria explained why herd immunity is not achievable, because mutations or variants in the virus have “immune escape mechanism”. They can threaten the immunity achieved by a person through vaccinations or the disease and cause re-infection, he said. Under these circumstances, it is imperative to maintain “Covid- 19 appropriate behaviour”, he said. “India needs to go back to aggressive measures of testing, contact tracing and isolating infections,” he added.