11 variants of the Delta strain have been found in Ukraine
The delta strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus reigns in Ukraine. Almost 60% of the samples have a ”maternal” Delta variant.
Scientists of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of NASU have discovered 11 variants of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta virus strain in Ukraine. This is reported on the Facebook page of the institution.
It is noted that the delta strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus reigns in Ukraine. Almost 60% of the samples have a ”maternal” Delta variant.
At the same time, scientists have discovered 10 other variants of the Delta strain, which originate from the USA, from the UK and other European countries, as well as from Africa.
In October, scientists examined 75 samples collected by the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health at the end of September (from Cherkasy region, Chernivtsi, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kiev, Lviv, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil, Zaporozhye, Severodonetsk, Luhansk region). The study was commissioned by the National Security and Defense Council.
In June-August 2021, the Delta strain was detected in only half of the samples studied, the rest – the Alpha strain, which began to spread widely in early 2021.
According to the project manager, director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Academician Mikhail Tukalo, mutated variants of the Delta strain are characterized by critical changes in the virus sites responsible for the rate of reproduction of the virus in the cell and the reactivity of the human immune system. That is, they spread faster. Existing vaccines are effective against these strains.
It is noted that scientists of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics are the only ones in Ukraine studying coronavirus mutations using the new generation sequencing method. This was made possible thanks to a grant from the National Research Foundation and reagents purchased by the World Health Organization.
In general, since February 2021, IMBG scientists have analyzed 159 samples of the SARS-CoV-2 virus taken from patients aged 13 to 85 years. Almost all patients (95.6%) were hospitalized with moderate to severe COVID-19.