COVID-19: Delta variant dominant in Nagaland

Kohima: The Nagaland Health & Family Welfare Department has said that as per genome sequencing of samples of COVID-19 cases, 99% of samples were found to be of the Delta Variant of Concern, which has now become the most dominant strain in the state.

According to a weekly bulletin issued by the Nagaland Health and Family Department informed that out of the 286 samples that were sent for whole genome sequencing, 283 or 99 % of the samples were of the Delta Variant (B.1.617.2). Other variants detected during the whole genome sequencing included 1 Alpha Variant (B.1.1.7) and 2 Kappa Variant (B.1.617.1). The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant of concern has now become the most dominant strain in the state, the state received reports of 286 samples, out of which 283 were identified as Delta Variant, while Delta variant of COVID-19 is said to be more transmissible and contagious than the original strain and Delta variant was more infectious and leading to increased transmissibility when compared with other variants, even in some vaccinated individuals.

The bulletin said that the new COVID-19 hospital admissions also witnessed an increased by 27% as 70 patients were admitted with moderate or severe disease are 38 in Dimapur and 14 in Kohima reported the maximum admissions. Despite several reminders and warnings, the Health Department pointed out that late hospitalization with very advanced symptoms was a major factor for COVID fatalities. (UNI)