Delta beats Alpha, records over 89 pc cases in May

Nitin Jain
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, June 18

Finally, Delta has beaten Alpha Covid variant of concern (VoC) by recording over 89 per cent cases in May, the government has confirmed.

Going by the national trend, the Indian VoC (B.1.617), which has been christened Delta, has started spreading its tentacles in Punjab, the official figures have revealed.

The figures compiled by the Health and Family Welfare Department, which are available with The Tribune, showed that of the total of 138 samples for whole genome sequencing (WGS) processed from Punjab in May, the VoCs have been detected in all of them, accounting for 100 per cent positive results, and leading to much cause of concern.

The variant-wise break-up laid bare that Delta variant was found in 123 samples, which accounted for 89.1 per cent, 11 B.1, accounting for 8 per cent, three Alpha 2.2 per cent and one sample tested positive for B.1.1.161 VoC, accounting for 0.7 per cent.

The development assumes significance as contrary to the national trend, the UK variant was growing fast and had become the most dominant in Punjab till April but the trend reversed in May.

In April, VoCs were detected in 245 of the total 265 samples processed for WGS from the state, which accounted for 92.4 per cent. Of them, 132, accounting for 53.9 per cent, were of the UK’s Alpha variant, 108 of India’s Delta, which accounted for 44.1 per cent, and 3 (1.2 per cent) were that of B.1.

Earlier, in March, over 94 per cent samples had tested positive for Alpha variant when 672 of the total 703 samples from Punjab processed for WGS had shown VoCs. Of them, 635, accounting for 94.5 per cent, were that of UK’s Alpha, four (0.6 per cent) of India’s Delta, two (0.3 per cent) of Beta, and 1 each (0.1 per cent) of B.1, B.1.36, and B.1.525 (Nigerian) VoC.

In February, all 23 samples processed for WGS had tested positive for VoCs and 16, which accounted for 69.6 per cent, were that of the UK’s Alpha.

In January, one of the total 25 samples from Punjab processed for WGS had shown VoC and that also was the UK’s Alpha.

The official figures suggested that from January to June, a total of 2,359 samples of Covid patients were sent for WGS, of which 1,302, accounting for 55.2 per cent, were processed, and VoCs were detected in 1,149 of them, which accounted for 88.2 per cent.

All three Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) in Amritsar, Patiala and Faridkot, PBTI, FSL, Ludhiana’s District Civil Hospital and GADVASU have been collecting samples for WGS in the state.

Officialspeak

All necessary measures are being taken to detect and control the further spread of VoCs in Punjab. All the districts have been asked to keep a constant check on such cases and ensure their proper treatment and care. —  Hussan Lal, Principal Health Secretary