Circulation of Newly Emerged SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Central India

Background: Evolution of SARS-CoV-2, etiology of COVID-19 pandemic is characterized by emergence of novel variants at regular interval.Around March 2024, a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (KP.2) was reported at global scale.This notable shift was also observed during SARS-CoV-2 genome characterization in India.Along with this new variant, two recently emerged variants were also added to JN.1 and KP.2 lineages as a predominant SARS-CoV-2 variant.No other variant apart from these lineages were observed.Methods: NGS based whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 positive viral RNA was carried out.Further, variant analysis was performed using various algorithms employing NGS system softwares.Results: Genome analysis revealed unique amino acid substitutions in viral spike protein compared to other SARS-CoV-2 variants and identified the emergence and circulation of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 from samples investigated in central India.Conclusions: This study indicates the necessity for continuous monitoring of circulation of these new variants of SARS-CoV-2 for management of COVID-19.