More on Covid-19

AHMEDABAD: Claiming a breakthrough in studying the mysterious ways in which Covid-19 works, scientists at the government-run Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre have identified three "novel mutations" in the virus that they say could become building blocks in the quest for a universal cure.Dr CG Joshi, director of the Gandhinagar-based institute, said on Thursday that genome sequencing of a Covid-19 sample taken from a patient in Gujarat revealed nine mutations, of which six had been reported in various countries hit by the pandemic. "But three mutations are unique to our sequencing. This indicates that the virus is mutating fast. Mutation depends on multiple factors and further studies are underway."The institute plans to collect about 100 more samples from across the state to arrive at a comprehensive set of findings. "The primary benefit is that we can apply multiple permutations and combinations in computer simulation to ascertain which drugs or treatment could be most effective against the virus," Joshi said.Hareet Shukla, secretary of science and technology, said the results of genome sequencing would be crucial to deciding a "drug strategy" for the viral infection as well as developing a vaccine for it.The chief minister’s office had first announced the "breakthrough" on social media late on Wednesday. The National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune is the only other laboratory in the country to complete genome sequencing of Covid-19 samples, officials said.Results of the study in Gujarat will be shared with the scientific community for further research.