Delta AY.12 a cause of concern for India
The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) said the sub-lineage is already present in many Indian States.
Hyderabad: A recent sub-lineage of Delta variant AY.12, which has spread rapidly in Israel despite 78 per cent of those above 12 years being fully vaccinated, could be a cause of concern for India.
The sub-lineage AY.12 of the Delta variant has caught the attention of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), which has launched more genomic studies to understand it better.
On Wednesday, the INSACOG said the sub-lineage is already present in many Indian States. Many cases in India, which were earlier classified as Delta, were now being reclassified as AY.12, the consortium of nearly 28 genetic research organisations in the country, said.
“At this time, Delta variant is the major Variant of Concern in India. The AY.12, a reassigned sub-lineage of Delta, is being seen in many States, but the numbers need closer examination. The functional impact of the changes between Delta and AY.12 is not known but the two appear to be very similar at a molecular level,” the INSACOG said.
On the timeline of reclassifying the Delta cases in India, the INSACOG said, “Since the AY.12 definition is inconsistent, final numbers will take some time. However, the rapid growth of AY 12 in Israel means that it should be examined further”.
While the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 expands its presence across the world, it simultaneously also continued to evolve into several sub-lineages with additional mutations. Researchers have so far classified a total of 13 sub-lineages of Delta with characteristic genetic mutations. As per INSACOG, the AY.1, AY.2 and AY.3 sub-lineages of Delta are the predominant lineages globally and also found in India.
The AY 12 is the dominant lineage in Israel, where vaccination rates are very high when compared to other countries. Due to these developments, recently, researchers from Israel had warned other countries to be wary of the Delta variant and its sub-lineages. In fact, the rapid rise in Covid infections due to Delta sub-lineage AY 12 led to the introduction of booster shots in Israel. According to INSACOG, all these sub-lineages were being closely monitored across the world and in India.
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