Coronavirus

PEKIN, Ill. (WAND) - Reditus Laboratories in Pekin identified the Indian double mutant variant of COVID-19 in a sample collected in the Bloomington-Normal area. 

This variant (B.1.617) carries 13 mutations, lab officials said in a press release, and preliminary evidence shows these are possibly more contagions than previous COVID-19 strains. The variant was first identified in India.

Officials first confirmed B.1.617 in the United States on April 3. It has been found in several countries. 

Reditus said it tested 371 randomly selected positive COVID-19 samples in its latest sequencing round and found the following: 

  • 178 samples of B.1.1.7 variant (United Kingdom variant) 
  • 5 samples of B.1.351 variant (South African variant) 
  • 7 samples of B.1.427 (Santa Clara variant) 
  • 153 samples of the P.1 variant (Brazilian variant) 
  • 1 sample of the B.1.617 variant (Indian double mutant variant) 

The samples Reditus collects are from nasal swabs. They are tested with the standard PCR format. The samples were sequenced with Illumina NextSeq, and results are shared with the Illinois Department of Public Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and GISAID. 

About 85 percent of Reditus test samples came from Illinois, per Reditus CEO Dr. Aaron Rossi. 

Reditus officials noted variants are concerning because they are "potentially more contagious" and could have some resistance to COVID-19 vaccines.Â