Kurnool medical college researchers have found that the novel coronavirus variant, N440K, can cause reinfection.

According to a report by Times of India, this variant can escape the immune system and can cause reinfection in patients already recovered from Covid-19.

The report further explains that the researchers studied a case in Kurnool, which they said was the second reinfection case in India caused by the variant, one of the most rouge mutants of the virus.

Researchers from Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi, and Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, have found that N440K has a high prevalence of over 33% in Andhra Pradesh.

Meanwhile, two variants of SARS-CoV-2 — N440K and E484K , have been detected in Maharashtra and Kerala but there is no reason to believe presently that they are responsible for the surge in cases in some districts in these two states, the Centre said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference, NITI Aayog Member (Health) VK Paul said that 187 people have tested positive for the UK strain of SARS-CoV-2 in the country so far, while six people have detected with the South Africa variant. Also, one person has tested positive for the Brazil variant strain.

“Both the N440K and E484K variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been detected in Maharashtra. In Kerala and Telangana also these variants have been found. Also, three other mutated strains — one each from UK, South Africa and Brazil are already present in the country. But there is no reason for us to believe, on the basis of scientific information, that they are responsible for the upsurge of the outbreak in some districts of Maharashtra and Kerala,” Paul said.