Over 80% samples test +ve for Delta variant
MUMBAI: Out of the total samples sent for genome sequencing of Covid-19 positive patients in Maharashtra, 80 per cent of samples have tested positive for Delta variant, according to the state health department.
Maharashtra is conducting genome sequencing tests of Covid-19 positive patients’ samples on a regular basis to ascertain the extent of spread of mutants of the virus.
According to a state health department, as many as 76 patients have been found to be positive with Delta Plus variant, out of which five have died so far and 71 have recovered. As of now, no patient infected with Delta Plus variant is under treatment.
To intensify its efforts to identify virus mutants, Maharashtra Health Department has selected five laboratories and five hospitals as sentinel centres. Every fortnight, each centre sends 15 samples to the National Institute of Virology in Pune for genome sequencing.
Moreover, an agreement has been signed with a laboratory named Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, which works under Council of Scientific And Industrial Research (CSIR). This laboratory tests 100 samples of each district of Maharashtra to find if there is any mutant virus is present in any of the samples.
On Monday, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology found 10 more people positive with Delta Plus variant. From these, six are from Kolhapur, three from Ratnagiri and one is from Sindhudurg district.
So far, 13 Delta Plus cases have been registered in Jalgaon, 15 in Ratnagiri, 11 in Mumbai, seven in Kolhapur, six each in Pune and Thane, three each in Palghar and Raigad, two each in Gondia, Sindhudurg and Nanded and one each in Chandrapur, Akola, Sangli, Nandurbar, Aurangabad and Beed.