Delta variant most widespread in India, says Hyderabad based study

HYDERABAD: The

Delta variant

or B.1.617.2 is currently the most widespread

variant

of the novel coronavirus in India, reveals a study jointly conducted by Hyderabad-based

Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology

(CCMB) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU).


The study, which focussed on Varanasi, also states that the

Delta

variant is a dominant strain in other parts of India too.

Incidentally, the Delta variant was last month declared as the variant of concern (VoC) by the Public Health England, a UK government agency dealing with health, and is currently linked to the threat of a third wave in the United Kingdom.

Back home, the delta variant’s ancestor B.1.617, first discovered in Maharashtra and erroneously dubbed as the double mutant, was responsible along with another strain for the second wave in India.

B.1.617 has almost disappeared after giving rise to three more variants – B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3. Of these, B.1.617.2 is the variant of concern.

The WHO recently renamed it as Delta variant, delinking it from the geographical area where it was first detected. Researchers from Banaras Hindu University and Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology collaboratively sequenced genomes of coronavirus variants in Varanasi and adjoining areas. The study reported at least seven major strains circulating in these regions.

The multidisciplinary research unit at BHU collected samples from Varanasi and areas around the city, mostly in April 2021. The team at the CCMB sequenced these samples and found out that there were at least seven major variants circulating in the region. As many as130 samples were sequenced as part of the research study.

“Among the Variants of Concern (VoC), the most predominant variant we found in our study was B.1.617.2. This variant was also reported to be one of the major drivers of the second Covid-19 wave in India”, said prof Royana Singh, who heads the multidisciplinary research unit.

CCMB advisor Dr Rakesh Mishra said the study confirmed again that the Delta variant is the most widespread variant in the country. “But, it is imperative to keep an eye on the other emerging variants in the country to prevent another unprecedented surge of cases,” he added.

He said just as in most parts of India, the B.1.617.2 variant was the most common one in the samples studied. It was found among 36% of the total samples.

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