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Mutants different from variants, Covid appropriate behaviour vital to stop spread: Scientists
NEW DELHI : More than 7,000 SARS-CoV-2 mutations have been documented but that doesn’t translate to variants, say scientists, emphasising the distinction between the two and cautioning that the spike in cases in some states is likely due to non-adherence of COVID-19 appropriate behaviour.If safety protocols are not followed, new versions that can spread faster or dominate the previous version could emerge, they warned as worries mounted over a recent study showing 7,684 mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome in India. Though the study from Hyderabad’s CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology is alarming and led to panic in some quarters, some mutations are only to be expected.According to Rakesh Mishra, CSIR-CCMB director and study