Singapore Sequencing Reveals Delta Variant Crowding Out Others

Of these cases as of May 31, 449 have been found to be caused by variants of concern, among which 428 were infections of the delta strain, said the Singapore health ministry.

Covid-19 sequencing in Singapore has revealed the emergence of the delta variant as the country's major local virus strain, underscoring the highly infectious nature of the mutation that has proliferated globally since its first detection in India. Of these cases as of May 31, 449 have been found to be caused by variants of concern, among which 428 were infections of the delta strain, said the country's health ministry. The next largest group was nine cases linked to the beta mutation that first emerged in South Africa. The "current understanding" is that some variants, including the delta mutation, "are more transmissible," a spokesperson for Singapore's health ministry said on Tuesday in a response to questions from Bloomberg News. "Studies are ongoing to get a more complete understanding of these variants and we will adjust our strategies as more information is made available." Singapore is one of the only places in the world to sequence all its Covid-19 cases and its data provides the most thorough glimpse yet of how the delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, spreads more rapidly. The strain has been identified in more than 60 countries over the past six months since its discovery in India, and concerns are growing that it may extend the pandemic in some places.