Delta Covid Variant A Worry For Telangana

The Delta variant(B.1.617.2) the mutation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is caused by the second wave of COVID is now the dominant variant in the country. The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has seen a surge in the last two to three weeks and became a dominant variant in Telangana and other states.

According to the latest genome sequencing results from the India Covid-19 Genomic Surveillance initiative, the delta variant was found in 81 percent of Telangana samples sequenced by genetic researchers, while the alpha variant (B 1.1.7), the SARS-CoV-2 mutation that first surfaced in the United Kingdom, was found in only six percent.

The Beta variant (B.1.351) first surfaced in South Africa. In February, March, and April Telangana has witnessed widespread Beta variants. By May, Beta variant faded and the Delta version expanded rapidly. Back in February, Telangana had around 13% of its population carrying the Beta variation, which rose to 35% by March.

The Alpha variant (B.1.7) in February was 62 percent of Covid samples in Telangana. By May and June, the Alpha variant was replaced by the Delta variant. The neighboring state of Telangana including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh, have identified the Delta variant in more than 90% of the Covid samples analysed.