COVID-19 by the Numbers: A Country Still a Hotspot for the Pandemic and Concerns Over the "Double Mutation"

India reported 120,529 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours today, with the death toll increasing by 3,380. Data from the federal health ministry indicated that the total number of infections has reached 28.69 million, with 344,082 deaths. A study conducted by doctors in India, published yesterday, concluded that most COVID-19 cases in the country among fully or partially vaccinated individuals were caused by the B.1.617 variant of the virus, which includes three lineages. Indian doctors identified 63 instances of "breakthrough infections," which refer to cases of the same disease that the vaccine was supposed to protect against. According to the study, the B.1.617 variant was first identified in the Indian state of Maharashtra and is also known as the double mutation variant, which has recently been detected in several countries. According to Indian doctors, this variant may be one reason for the emergence of the second wave of the pandemic in the country.