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At least seven major strains of coronavirus are circulating in Varanasi and adjoining regions and the Delta variant is the most predominant among them. according to a joint study of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).
The multidisciplinary research unit headed at BHU collected samples from Varanasi and areas around the city, mostly in April 2021. The team at CCMB sequenced these samples and found out that there were at least seven major variants circulating in the region. 130 samples were sequenced in this study.
``Among the Variants of Concern (VoC), the most predominant variant we found in our study was B.1.617. This variant was also reported to be one of the major drivers of the second covid19 wave in India”, Singh, Head, Multidisciplinary Research Unit at BHU said in a release.
“Just as in most of India, the B.1.617.2 variant (aka Delta variant) was the most common one in the samples we studied. . They were found among 36 per cent 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”, Rakesh Mishra, Advisor, CCMB said.
This study confirms yet again that the Delta variant is the most widespread coronavirus variant in the country right now. ``But at the same time, it is imperative for us to keep an eye on the other emerging variants in the country to prevent another unprecedented surge of cases,'' Mishra added.
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