Delta variant detected in 99% of COVID samples from Delhi in October .

Delta variant and its sub-lineages of Sars-CoV-2 virus that causes coronavirus disease (Covid-19) were detected in 99% of the patient samples from Delhi that were sequenced during October, according to the Delhi government data.

Over 7,300 samples have been sequenced from Delhi since Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) was set up early this year.

Delta variant was found in 54% of the samples that were sequenced in April, and 82% in May, according to the government data. This was when Delhi witnessed a massive second wave of Covid-19 reporting over 28,000 cases in a single day at its peak. The data suggests, 39% of the total samples sequenced are that of delta variant.

HT reported in June that the Delta variant of Sars-Cov-2 out-competed the Alpha variant within weeks and went on to spark Delhi’s most devastating wave of Covid-19, according to a study by the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology that found delta to be more transmissible and better able to escape immunity generated through a natural infection or vaccination.

The most commonly found variant is still delta (B1.617.2) that is found in almost half the samples, followed by AY.4 sublineage, according to researchers who conduct the sequencing.