India Coronavirus Dispatch: Infection rate highest in Kerala currently

India spotted a 'super-spreading' strain months ago, mutations explained, lockdown weddings, and more-news relevant to India's fight against Covid-19

India’s Covid R value increases to 0.90

What is the R value? It is a key measure of how quickly the virus is spreading. In simple terms, it is the average number of people who become infected by an infected individual. If the R value is above 1, the virus will spread quickly. If it is below 1, the virus will slow. R stands for reproduction number.

India’s R value increased to 0.90, a week after the value dropped to 0.86 —the lowest since the pandemic hit, according to a report in ThePrint. Several states with high active caseloads saw a rise in the R value the past week such as Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. However, the situation in Kerala is particularly concerning as it is the only state with an R value above 1. It moved up to 1.04 from 0.95 last week. The state's R has been rising for the past three weeks. Maharashtra, which has the second-highest number of active cases, saw its R value improve marginally to 0.70 from 0.71 last week. Delhi, too, has managed to bring down its R to 0.67 this week from 0.70 last week. Read more here

India spotted ‘super-spreading’ Covid strain months ago but it fizzled out: Expert

While more countries continue to shut their borders to the UK amid fears of contracting a new variant of the novel coronavirus spreading in the country, a top official from the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) said India has noted several mutations since March, out of which one was a super-spreader which died on its own, according to a report in ThePrint.

The variant, named A4, started in South East Asia. It was noticed in samples from several states such as Delhi, Hyderabad and Karnataka. However, the variant was not a "fit virus", it was heavily mutated and therefore died on its own, the report said citing IGIB Director Anurag Aggarwal.

The virus was expected to fizzle out and therefore was not flagged, the report said. The current UK sequence, however, seems "fit" and is capable of spreading faster than the original novel coronavirus. Aggarwal warned there is a need for caution but not alarm. Read more here

EXPLAINED: What is a mutation?

Multiple mutated variants of the novel coronavirus have been reported to be spreading fast in the UK and also in South Africa. But, what exactly is a mutation? This explainer in The Indian Express sheds some light. A change in genetic material is called a mutation. A sequence of amino acids makes up the proteins in an RNA virus such as SARS-CoV-2. Such a virus contains about 30,000 ‘base pairs’, which are like bricks placed next to one another to create a structure. A change in this base can be a mutation. This effectively changes the shape and in turn the behaviour of the virus, the report says. Read more here

'A pathology of the pandemic'

The Covid-19 pandemic has likely upended millions of lives in India. As an unprecedented year comes to a close, this report in The Wire takes gives you a broad overview of how the pandemic unfolded in the country, but through a series of captivating pictures. See here

Lockdown weddings: Creative ways people found to get married

While many may have put their wedding plans on hold to wait out the pandemic, some marched ahead regardless. From a couple that got married on the state border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu to a Mumbai-based couple that got married in a hospital. This report in The Quint brings you a selection of couples that found creative ways to tie the knot. Read more here