A2a identified as the Most Dominant Type of SARS CoV 2

The scientists at the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics have identified A2a as the most dominant of the 10 types of the SARS CoV 2.

Types of SARS CoV 2

The scientists have identified 10 types of SARS CoV 2- the causative pathogen of the COVID-19 pandemic. The original strain from Wuhan in China is the ancestral O type. In a span of just 4 months, 10 different mutations have evolved- such as A2, A2a, A3, B, B1, and so on.

A2a Type

Of these 10 types, A2a type of SARS CoV 2 has been identified to be the most dominant. The study has implied that the type enters the human lung cell with greater ease that the others. A mutation has caused a change in its spike protein (that enables attachment with the receptors on the cell) which has allowed it to infect cells with greater ease.

Distribution of A2a Type

In India, the A2a type accounts for 45% of the tested sample. The situation is similar in most countries where the A2a type is replacing the original O type and the other types. Eg: In Italy, 80% of the tested cases were due to the A2a type.