Maharashtra, Delhi and Punjab carry 56% of mutant burden

New Delhi, May 6

Maharashtra, Delhi and Punjab together account for more than half of the Covid virus mutation burden in India, shows government’s genome sequencing data.

Of the 3,532 variants of concern detected nationally by the Indian Genome Consortium, 1,982 are in these three states — Maharashtra leading with 851 followed by 612 in Delhi and 519 in Punjab.

Dominant mutant in Maharashtra is the B-617, better known as the double mutant, which is now spreading fast across states while in Delhi and Punjab the majority dominance is of the B117 mutant, called the UK variant. Of the 519 variants of concern in Punjab, 516 are UK lineage strains while of Delhi’s 612 variants of concern, 482 are UK strains. — TNS