Delta variant found in over one-third of Covid-19 samples from Varanasi

Delta variant has been classified as a Variant of Concern

Over one-third of Covid-19 samples analyzed from Varanasi were found to be of the Delta variant by the Banaras Hindu University and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology researchers.

B.1.617.2, a strain of coronavirus, has been named Delta by the World Health Organization earlier this week. It is classified as a Variant of Concern, showing high transmission of the Covid-19 infection.

Varanasi, represented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament, was one of the worst affected districts of Uttar Pradesh in April-May. Most of the samples collected from the city and adjoining areas by the BHU researchers were in April. CCMB, Hyderabad has sequenced the genome of 130 Covid-19 samples to know the strains.

Read more: B.1.617 Covid-19 variant drove surge in India in last 2 months

“Just as in most parts of India, the B.1.617.2 (aka Delta) was the most common variant in the samples we studied. They were found among 36 % of the total samples. Other VoCs such as the B.1.351, detected in South Africa for the first time, were also found in this area”, said Dr Rakesh Mishra, advisor, CCMB.

In addition to Delta, at least six other major strains of coronavirus were detected to be circulating in Varanasi, the BHU-CCMB collaborative study has found.

Genome sequencing, the process of determining the DNA sequence of an organism, helps chart a particular virus strain's journey like the UK variant carried from London to Delhi and Punjab. Constant genome surveillance informs about the spread, mortality caused by a variant and if it is ignoring the vaccines, researchers say.

“The Varanasi study confirms yet again that the Delta is the most widespread coronavirus variant in the country right now. But at the same time, we must keep an eye on the other emerging variants in the country to prevent another unprecedented surge of Covid-19 cases”, Mishra says.