A3i

IN NEWS:

• Scientists have identified a genetically unique cluster of the novel coronavirus in India called Clade A3i.

ABOUT A3i:

• Clade A3i comprises of 41 per cent of all SARS-CoV2 genomes, making it the second most prevalent coronavirus type in the country.
• Globally, only 3.5 per cent of all the genome sequences done on the virus have has this particular trait.
• Currently, A2a is the most dominant coronavirus clade in India.

ABOUT CLADE:

• A clade in simpler terms is a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 viruses that are similar in terms of its evolution and are grouped together due to the characteristic mutations or similarities in parts of their genomes.
• This categorization is useful in predicting the virulence of a particular strain and to understand how they will evolve. This further helps in identifying if certain virus strains are more or less vulnerable to particular vaccine.

PRELIMS QUESTION:

Q. “Clade A3i” is a term recently seen in news in the context of:

1. Covid-19 Pandemic
2. Artificial intelligence
3. Missile technology
4. Space technology

Answer to Prelims question