Three new mutations of the Delta variant found in Nepal

KATHMANDU: More mutations have been found in the Covid-19 Delta variant, which is considered to be more contagious in Nepal.

The Ministry of Health and Population said in a statement on Tuesday that the gnomic identification of 47 samples confirmed all delta variants (B1.617.2) and that additional three samples found new mutations (K.4.1.7N).

The ministry had selected samples from different age groups from different parts of the country from mid-June to mid-July and sent the samples to India’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) for gnome sequencing.

So far, Alpha and Delta variants have been confirmed as variants of concern and Kappa variant as variant of interest in Nepal. Studies have shown that these variants are more contagious and affect people of all age groups.