India has said a new variant of the coronavirus first discovered there in March may be linked to a deadly second wave.
Samples containing the “double mutant”- or B.1.617 variant – have been found in several states with high case numbers.
An official with the National Centre for Disease Control said, however, that they had still been unable to fully establish a correlation.
A double mutant is when two mutations come together in the same virus.
Meanwhile, India reported a record 412,000 cases in the space of 24 hours on Wednesday, and 3,980 deaths.
The government’s top scientific adviser also warned a third wave is inevitable.
Speaking at a health ministry news briefing, K VijayRaghavan admitted that experts had not anticipated the “ferocity” of the surge in cases.
“Phase three is inevitable, given the high levels of circulating virus,” he added during a news briefing. “But it is not clear on what timescale this phase three will occur… We should prepare for new waves.”
The current surge of the virus has already overwhelmed the healthcare system with hospital beds, oxygen and even crematorium space in short supply.
Several states are under localised lockdowns and curfews, but the government is reluctant to impose a national lockdown, for fear of the impact on the economy.
