Covid-19’s genes have mutated 590 times in Bangladesh: BCSIR research
It was found that Covid-19 in Bangladesh greatly resembles the virus in European countries
The genes of the novel coronavirus have so far mutated 590 times in Bangladesh, according to research conducted by the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR).
This was the result of the BCSIR sequencing 171 cases.
It was found that the virus in Bangladesh greatly resembles the virus in European countries.
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So far, the genomes of 222 cases have been sequenced in the country. Of those, 171 were done by the research team led by Dr Md Salim Khan, who is in charge of the genomic research laboratories at the BCSIR lab.
Dr Salim told The Business Standard genome sequencing would reveal the origin of the virus and which country it came from – as well as its nature and how to control it.
This will make it easy to work on the virus, he said.
"In Bangladesh, the virus so far has mutated 590 times at the gene level, and more than 273 times at the protein level," said Dr Salim.
He said, "Genome sequencing will help with vaccine preparation if we can determine the cells in which changes are made when the virus creates antigens."
"In Bangladeshi samples, we have detected strains of all countries, but mostly from the European ones," added Dr Salim.
He said there are 1,274 novel coronavirus proteins but infections are rising in Bangladesh because protein number 614 is mutating here repeatedly.
"In 95 percent of cases, the D614G strain was detected during sequencing. This is the key reason for infections in Bangladesh."
Scientists at the BCSIR have detected the co-existence of other pathogens with novel coronavirus in the samples of Covid-19 patients. They are now researching to determine the possible connection between the intensity of infections and the presence of those germs.
They have also succeeded in detecting the presence of other multidrug-resistant genes in the samples of Covid-19 patients.
In May, Science and Technology Minister Yafes Osman ordered the BCSIR to start a project involving sequencing of 300 novel coronavirus cases based on population statistics and infection rates in eight divisions of the country.
