INDORE: The coronavirus rampaging through Indore may be of a more virulent strain than in the rest of Madhya Pradesh , which might be a reason for the high fatality rate in the city, feel authorities of MGM Medical College, which is at the forefront of battling the epidemic.The authorities have decided to send samples of the strain to National Institute of Virology , Pune, for comparison of its virulence.“Our doctors have been observing patients of Covid-19 infections and feel the strain is more virulent in Indore belt. So, more deaths have been reported here,” MGM College dean Dr Jyoti Bindal said.“So, we wanted a comparative study of the virus genome with other parts of the state. We have talked with NIV Pune officials and they are ready for this genome comparison,” she said. MGM College dean Dr Jyoti Bindal said other factors were also responsible for the high fatality rate in Indore, like low oxygen content in blood at the time of admission, patients turning up late at hospitals, and irreversible damage to lungs.“Viruses mutate very easily and can be more virulent than other forms. As Covid-19 is claiming more lives in Indore belt, we suspect the strain is deadly,” said MGM pulmonary medicine department’s HoD Dr Salil Bhargava , adding that it needs to be investigated. tnnThe death of a Covid-19 infected person was also dependent on other factors, like comorbidities, he pointed out.In Indore, people with hypertension, diabetes, pneumonia, renal impairment and other co-morbidities figure among the mortalities. The district has so far reported 1,176 Covid-19 cases and 57 deaths.