SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.420 and B.1.617.1 immune escape variants reported in France Since its emergence in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), is rapidly spreading, with numerous variants being observed around the world. A high transmission rate would indicate an undergoing process of positive selection of variants, which might allow the virus to acquire some advantageous genetic traits. Emerging variants are likely to be more transmissible, more pathogenic, and more likely to escape natural immunity or vaccine immunity. Therefore genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants is essential. It provides insights into the mechanisms behind viral dissemination worldwide. The variants include N501Y, E484K, or L452R mutations on gene coding to the viral spike protein. The two new Indian variants recently identified are N440K and the E484Q and L452R mutations associated with impaired antibody response and immune reactions.