HYDERABAD: The Delta variant of the coronavirus (B.1.617.2) is dominant across Telangana. Express found that more than 90 per cent of Covid-19 samples collected over the last one month at the community level — from both rural and urban areas — and sequenced at the Hyderabad-based Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) were of the said variant.The genomic sequencing data of 127 coronavirus samples collected from May 1 to June 4 at the community level in Telangana was available on the database of GISAID, a global science initiative. Of these samples, 117 were of the Delta variant.
This variant, which was first detected in India, has been designated as a ‘Variant of Concern’ or VoC by the World Health Organisation (WHO).When contacted, former CCMB Director and currently its Advisor, Dr Rakesh Mishra, said that the Delta variant was more infectious than other VoCs, namely the South African, Brazilian and the UK variants. However, this does not mean that the Delta variant is more dangerous. The highly infectious nature of this variant is evident from the fact that it was detected in some of the samples collected from international travellers who arrived at the Hyderabad airport as well.
It may be mentioned here that in March, the main VoC in Telangana was the UK variant, which accounted for more than 10 per cent of all the coronavirus samples collected and sequenced in the State, whereas only a handful of samples were of the Delta variant.
As the Delta variant dominates Telangana now, Dr Mishra said that the existing precautionary measures of maintaining physical distancing and wearing masks must continue. He added that there was a possibility that the Delta variant won’t always remain dominant, as the virus keeps mutating. In the future, another variant might dominate the Covid-19 infection landscape in the State.
7 VIRUS STRAINS DETECTED IN VARANASI, FINDS CCMB & BHU
As many as seven major strains of the coronavirus have been detected in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, Varanasi. The dominant strain in the region is the highly infectious Delta variant of the virus (B.1.617.2). This has been reported by a joint study conducted by the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Hyderabad-based Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).
A press note from the CCMB said, “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. As many as 130 samples were sequenced in this study.” Dr Rakesh Mishra, CCMB Advisor, said, “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. This was found in 36 per cent of the total samples”
GOVT ISSUES GUIDELINES FOR BLACK FUNGUS TREATMENT
The Office of the Director of Public Health, on Friday, issued guidelines to all hospitals on treatment of mucormycosis. The guidelines stressed that control of blood sugar levels among such patients is of utmost importance. The renal function test parameters and serum electrolytes must be monitored daily to check for hypokalemia of patients receiving Amphotericin-B treatment, the guidelines said