The Delta variant, first detected in India, is the primary cause of the deadly second wave of COVID-19 in the country, a study has concluded. The variant has 50% more transmissibility than the Alpha variant, it added.

The study, conducted by INSACOG (the consortium of labs undertaking genome sequencing in India) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), on the reasons behind the second wave, said that B.1.617 variant (Delta) and its lineage B.1.617.2 were primarily responsible for surge in cases.

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The Delta variant spread in India from March this year and severely affected states like Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana. The second wave brought the country’s healthcare system to its knees with doctors and healthcare workers struggling to handle the crisis. The severe shortage of life-saving oxygen cylinders and vital drugs further added to the problem.

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Scientists are constantly engaged in genome sequencing of the virus to determine its DNA sequence and thereby ways to tackle it. The genome sequencing of 29,000 samples has been done in India, the study says. The B.1.617 has been found in 8,900 samples.