‘Delta variant drove deadly second wave in state’

JAMSHEDPUR: The new SARS Cov-2 virus variant B.1.617.2 , now classified as Delta variant by World Health Organization (WHO), found in India drove the deadly second Covid-19 wave in Jharkhand with whole genomic sequencing (WGS) test detecting the variant in 67% samples from the state, officials said on Monday.

As per the state health department report, the Bhuvneshwarbased Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) found presence of Delta variant strain in samples of 171 Covid-19 patients (62.87%) out of 272 samples from the state in which double mutant variants were detected.

“Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant was detected in 29 samples while Delta variant was found in 171 samples out of 272 samples in which double mutant variants were detected. We sent a total of 537 samples to ILS in MarchApril this year and variants of concern (VOC) have been found in 301 samples out of 363 samples processed so far. We emphasize in WGS of samples of all Covid-19 death cases,” said Arun Kumar Singh, state health secretary.

The ILS report thus confirmed that the Delta variant drove the deadly second Covid-19 wave in the state in general, and Jamshedpur

in particular.

As per the report, the Delta variant strain was detected in highest 66 samples sent to ILS from Jamshedpur, 31 samples from Hazaribagh, 23 from Ranchi, 19 from Palamu and 32 samples from Dhanbad.

Jamshedpur reported 1,036 Covid-19 deaths till Sunday night, of which 661 were during the second wave this year. The state reported 5,054 Covid-19 deaths till Sunday night.

Alpha variant, originating from the UK, was found in 18 samples from Ranchi, seven from Jamshedpur and two each from Hazaribagh and Palamu. Double mutant (B.1) variant was detected in six samples from

Jamshedpur, eight from Dhanbad, three from Palamu and two from Ranchi.

The B.1.617 variant was found in 43 samples from Jamshedpur, eight from Ranchi, five from Hazaribagh, four from Dhanbad and three from Palamu. VOC variants B.11 was found in a sample from Ranchi, B.1.36.29 was found in one sample from Jamshedpur, B.1.530 in a sample from Ranchi, B.1.222 in four samples from Dhanbad, B.1.153 in two samples from Palamu and B.1.445 in a sample from Dhanbad.

State IDSP nodal officer and eminent endemiologist Dr Praveen Kumar Karn said on Monday that Delta variant was 40% more transmissible and deadly because of its infectivity and resistance to vaccines.

“Alpha variant originated in the UK in September 2020, Beta variant (B.1.351) originated in South Africa in May 2020, Gama variant originated in Brazil in November 2020 while Delta variant was first reported in India this year. Delta has more infectivity and vaccine resistant than both Alpha and B.1.617 variant, originating in India earlier, making it most potent of all the variants of concerns as of now. We have sent 83 more samples from MGMMCH-Jamshedpur to ILS for genome sequencing and samples will be sent regularly now,” said Dr Karn.Eom