Episode 10: 101 on genomic sequencing and the B.1.617 variant

It’s been widely publicised that the variant of SARS-CoV-2 associated with Melbourne’s outbreak is the B.1.617, the so-called ‘Indian’ variant. What do we know about it? Is it more transmissible?

We speak with Dr Norelle Sherry, a Medical Microbiologist at the University of Melbourne’s Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory at the Doherty Institute, which is responsible for conducting the genomic sequencing of COVID-19 cases in Victoria in partnership with the Victorian Department of Health.